Shane Chowen
@ukshane.bsky.social
Editor at FE Week - reporting on further education, skills and apprenticeships. Story tips: [email protected]
Pinned
Coming up in this week's @feweek.bsky.social:
🚨City & Guilds CEO and CFO placed on ‘temporary’ leave
⭐️First Ofsted ‘exceptional’ recipient interviewed
🧑⚖️Stalker student sentenced after making AI sex images of staff
FEATURE: We find out why Nescot’s Lisa Charles was named FE lecturer of the year
🚨City & Guilds CEO and CFO placed on ‘temporary’ leave
⭐️First Ofsted ‘exceptional’ recipient interviewed
🧑⚖️Stalker student sentenced after making AI sex images of staff
FEATURE: We find out why Nescot’s Lisa Charles was named FE lecturer of the year
NEW: After informing City & Guilds staff last night that the CEO and CFO are now on a 'leave of absence', PeopleCert have launched their own investigation 'to fully understand events before and after' they bought the awarding giant and the 'conduct' of top executives
feweek.co.uk/peoplecert-o...
feweek.co.uk/peoplecert-o...
PeopleCert opens investigation into 'conduct' of City & Guilds execs
City & Guilds’ new owner PeopleCert has launched its own investigation into the conduct of the awarding giant’s top executives, FE Week has learned.
feweek.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 3:34 PM
NEW: After informing City & Guilds staff last night that the CEO and CFO are now on a 'leave of absence', PeopleCert have launched their own investigation 'to fully understand events before and after' they bought the awarding giant and the 'conduct' of top executives
feweek.co.uk/peoplecert-o...
feweek.co.uk/peoplecert-o...
Amid a statutory inquiry by the Charity Commission, the chief executive and chief finance officer of City & Guilds have been placed on 'short term' leave
feweek.co.uk/top-two-city...
feweek.co.uk/top-two-city...
Top two City & Guilds execs placed on leave
City & Guilds’ chief executive Kirstie Donnelly and chief finance officer Abid Ismail will "be absent from work for a short period”, staff were told
feweek.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Amid a statutory inquiry by the Charity Commission, the chief executive and chief finance officer of City & Guilds have been placed on 'short term' leave
feweek.co.uk/top-two-city...
feweek.co.uk/top-two-city...
Coming up in this week's @feweek.bsky.social:
🚨City & Guilds CEO and CFO placed on ‘temporary’ leave
⭐️First Ofsted ‘exceptional’ recipient interviewed
🧑⚖️Stalker student sentenced after making AI sex images of staff
FEATURE: We find out why Nescot’s Lisa Charles was named FE lecturer of the year
🚨City & Guilds CEO and CFO placed on ‘temporary’ leave
⭐️First Ofsted ‘exceptional’ recipient interviewed
🧑⚖️Stalker student sentenced after making AI sex images of staff
FEATURE: We find out why Nescot’s Lisa Charles was named FE lecturer of the year
January 15, 2026 at 11:29 PM
Coming up in this week's @feweek.bsky.social:
🚨City & Guilds CEO and CFO placed on ‘temporary’ leave
⭐️First Ofsted ‘exceptional’ recipient interviewed
🧑⚖️Stalker student sentenced after making AI sex images of staff
FEATURE: We find out why Nescot’s Lisa Charles was named FE lecturer of the year
🚨City & Guilds CEO and CFO placed on ‘temporary’ leave
⭐️First Ofsted ‘exceptional’ recipient interviewed
🧑⚖️Stalker student sentenced after making AI sex images of staff
FEATURE: We find out why Nescot’s Lisa Charles was named FE lecturer of the year
A deeply disturbing case, which I'm sure presented the college with some difficult challenges, but which pales into insignificance next to the ordeal the staff victims went through
feweek.co.uk/student-stal...
feweek.co.uk/student-stal...
Student stalked staff and talked to their ‘deep fakes’
College learner handed 3-year community order and lifetime restraining orders
feweek.co.uk
January 15, 2026 at 6:37 PM
A deeply disturbing case, which I'm sure presented the college with some difficult challenges, but which pales into insignificance next to the ordeal the staff victims went through
feweek.co.uk/student-stal...
feweek.co.uk/student-stal...
The CEO and accounting officer of one of the country's largest college groups has taken a leave of absence. The reason has not been explained.
feweek.co.uk/chichester-c...
feweek.co.uk/chichester-c...
Chichester CEO Green unable to work, staff told
Deputy chief executive covering Andrew Green's duties until further notice
feweek.co.uk
January 15, 2026 at 3:03 PM
The CEO and accounting officer of one of the country's largest college groups has taken a leave of absence. The reason has not been explained.
feweek.co.uk/chichester-c...
feweek.co.uk/chichester-c...
Another college has called off strike action - bringing the total this week down to 16
🪧 Teachers in 17 FE colleges across the country downed tools today over low pay and high workload
33 UCU branches voted to strike initially - showing the threat of strike action can still hold sway
feweek.co.uk/half-of-coll...
33 UCU branches voted to strike initially - showing the threat of strike action can still hold sway
feweek.co.uk/half-of-coll...
Half of college strikes called off as three-day walk out begins
Strike list whittled down to 17 colleges after more deals and talks tabled
feweek.co.uk
January 14, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Another college has called off strike action - bringing the total this week down to 16
🪧 Teachers in 17 FE colleges across the country downed tools today over low pay and high workload
33 UCU branches voted to strike initially - showing the threat of strike action can still hold sway
feweek.co.uk/half-of-coll...
33 UCU branches voted to strike initially - showing the threat of strike action can still hold sway
feweek.co.uk/half-of-coll...
Half of college strikes called off as three-day walk out begins
Strike list whittled down to 17 colleges after more deals and talks tabled
feweek.co.uk
January 14, 2026 at 1:52 PM
🪧 Teachers in 17 FE colleges across the country downed tools today over low pay and high workload
33 UCU branches voted to strike initially - showing the threat of strike action can still hold sway
feweek.co.uk/half-of-coll...
33 UCU branches voted to strike initially - showing the threat of strike action can still hold sway
feweek.co.uk/half-of-coll...
🚨Breaking: The charity regulator has launched a statutory inquiry into the recent sale of City & Guilds to a private company, including reports of executive bonuses and trustees’ “decision making”
feweek.co.uk/watchdog-ope...
feweek.co.uk/watchdog-ope...
Watchdog opens ‘statutory inquiry’ into City & Guilds sale
Executive bonuses and trustees’ ‘decision making’ to be formally probed
feweek.co.uk
January 9, 2026 at 2:18 PM
🚨Breaking: The charity regulator has launched a statutory inquiry into the recent sale of City & Guilds to a private company, including reports of executive bonuses and trustees’ “decision making”
feweek.co.uk/watchdog-ope...
feweek.co.uk/watchdog-ope...
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s @feweek.bsky.social :
🥾Mayors give bootcamps the boot
💷 DfE countersues training provider in termination case
👀MoJ is misleading on prison ed cuts, claims watchdog
FEATURE: As education slips down voter priorities, are opposition parties flying the flag?
🥾Mayors give bootcamps the boot
💷 DfE countersues training provider in termination case
👀MoJ is misleading on prison ed cuts, claims watchdog
FEATURE: As education slips down voter priorities, are opposition parties flying the flag?
January 8, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s @feweek.bsky.social :
🥾Mayors give bootcamps the boot
💷 DfE countersues training provider in termination case
👀MoJ is misleading on prison ed cuts, claims watchdog
FEATURE: As education slips down voter priorities, are opposition parties flying the flag?
🥾Mayors give bootcamps the boot
💷 DfE countersues training provider in termination case
👀MoJ is misleading on prison ed cuts, claims watchdog
FEATURE: As education slips down voter priorities, are opposition parties flying the flag?
The Charity Commission is "actively engaging" with the City & Guilds Foundation over the recent sale of its commercial training and awarding business
feweek.co.uk/charity-comm...
feweek.co.uk/charity-comm...
Charity Commission to ‘obtain more information’ about City & Guilds sale
Charity Commission 'engaging actively' with the City and Guilds Foundation following reports that ex-bosses received million-pound bonuses
feweek.co.uk
January 7, 2026 at 6:02 PM
The Charity Commission is "actively engaging" with the City & Guilds Foundation over the recent sale of its commercial training and awarding business
feweek.co.uk/charity-comm...
feweek.co.uk/charity-comm...
My first number 1
And at No.1 for 2025.....
1. Does the Post 16 White Paper have the right answers, or even the right questions?
@nickhillmanuk.bsky.social and @ukshane.bsky.social provided a fascinating and detailed dissection of the Government's plans for HE and FE.
Congrats Nick and Shane!
🎧 bit.ly/44LSaRS
1. Does the Post 16 White Paper have the right answers, or even the right questions?
@nickhillmanuk.bsky.social and @ukshane.bsky.social provided a fascinating and detailed dissection of the Government's plans for HE and FE.
Congrats Nick and Shane!
🎧 bit.ly/44LSaRS
Does the Post 16 White Paper have the right answers, or even the right questions? - Inside Your Ed
It is entirely normal for a Government to announce plans to reform either Higher Education (HE) or Further Education (FE). What is much less normal is a Government announcing a plan to reform HE and F...
bit.ly
December 29, 2025 at 6:25 PM
My first number 1
Looking forward to this one. Thanks for the recommendation @samfr.bsky.social
December 15, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Looking forward to this one. Thanks for the recommendation @samfr.bsky.social
AoC quids in after £9m cash windfall
New accounts also reveal the AoC's CEO has joined the £200k club
feweek.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Eton was planning on topping up funding by around £2,000 per student for its new sixth form colleges - two of them have just got the go-ahead, but one bid has been rejected
feweek.co.uk/eton-gets-go...
feweek.co.uk/eton-gets-go...
Eton gets go-ahead to develop 2 of 3 elite sixth forms
UTC among 28 of 44 free school proposals canned by DfE
feweek.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Eton was planning on topping up funding by around £2,000 per student for its new sixth form colleges - two of them have just got the go-ahead, but one bid has been rejected
feweek.co.uk/eton-gets-go...
feweek.co.uk/eton-gets-go...
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
December 11, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Good evening! Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
🇬🇧 UKSPF won’t be ‘shared’ or ‘prosperous’
🟢 Two of three proposed ‘elite’ Eton sixth form colleges get the green light
💰 Why has £9m appeared in AoC’s bank account?
🦠 Covid apprenticeship fraud cash remains unrecovered
#TomorrowsPapersToday
Skills bootcamp provider CoGrammar (yes, the one's we caught charging students for free courses earlier this year) will take their claim for £3.8 million against the Department for Education to court in December 2026
feweek.co.uk/judge-sets-d...
feweek.co.uk/judge-sets-d...
Judge sets date for CoGrammar vs DfE bootcamps battle
Provider accused of fraud is suing the department over millions in withheld payments
feweek.co.uk
December 5, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Skills bootcamp provider CoGrammar (yes, the one's we caught charging students for free courses earlier this year) will take their claim for £3.8 million against the Department for Education to court in December 2026
feweek.co.uk/judge-sets-d...
feweek.co.uk/judge-sets-d...
Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
👋 Shelagh Legrave's exit interview - packed with insights, reflections and warnings from the outgoing FE Commissioner
🎤 Lawyers clear Mayor Andrea Jenkyns's plans to defund ESOL
💻 NCFE making 'good progress' restoring its services and systems after 'cyber incident'
👋 Shelagh Legrave's exit interview - packed with insights, reflections and warnings from the outgoing FE Commissioner
🎤 Lawyers clear Mayor Andrea Jenkyns's plans to defund ESOL
💻 NCFE making 'good progress' restoring its services and systems after 'cyber incident'
December 4, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Coming up in this week’s FE Week:
👋 Shelagh Legrave's exit interview - packed with insights, reflections and warnings from the outgoing FE Commissioner
🎤 Lawyers clear Mayor Andrea Jenkyns's plans to defund ESOL
💻 NCFE making 'good progress' restoring its services and systems after 'cyber incident'
👋 Shelagh Legrave's exit interview - packed with insights, reflections and warnings from the outgoing FE Commissioner
🎤 Lawyers clear Mayor Andrea Jenkyns's plans to defund ESOL
💻 NCFE making 'good progress' restoring its services and systems after 'cyber incident'
There was very little analysis of FE and skills performance in *checks notes* the Ofsted chief inspector's annual report
So we've done it for you...
feweek.co.uk/top-ofsted-g...
So we've done it for you...
feweek.co.uk/top-ofsted-g...
Top Ofsted grades soar in final year of overall effectiveness system
The proportion of FE and skills providers that hold Ofsted’s top two ratings boosted significantly in the final year of the watchdog’s ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’ grading system.
feweek.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 1:05 PM
There was very little analysis of FE and skills performance in *checks notes* the Ofsted chief inspector's annual report
So we've done it for you...
feweek.co.uk/top-ofsted-g...
So we've done it for you...
feweek.co.uk/top-ofsted-g...
🥇Breaking: Welsh colleges have dominated the medal table at the 2025 WorldSkills UK national finals
Full results:
feweek.co.uk/worldskills-...
Full results:
feweek.co.uk/worldskills-...
WorldSkills UK finals: Welsh colleges top 2025 medal table
'The future of the economy' honoured as gold, silver and bronze medals awarded after a tough week of national skills competition finals
feweek.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 9:29 PM
🥇Breaking: Welsh colleges have dominated the medal table at the 2025 WorldSkills UK national finals
Full results:
feweek.co.uk/worldskills-...
Full results:
feweek.co.uk/worldskills-...
Reposted by Shane Chowen
They are without a doubt diluting the assessment of apprentices.
You cannot switch components from mandatory to voluntary, and switch from assessing all knowledge to some knowledge, then claim nothing has changed.
You cannot switch components from mandatory to voluntary, and switch from assessing all knowledge to some knowledge, then claim nothing has changed.
👎 Incoming assessment reforms will not 'dilute' or 'dumb down' apprenticeships, a Skills England boss has claimed following a backlash from employers feweek.co.uk/were-not-dil...
‘We’re not diluting apprenticeships’: Skills England deputy hits back at assessment reform backlash
Incoming assessment reforms will not “dilute” or “dumb down” apprenticeships, a Skills England boss has claimed following a backlash from employers.
feweek.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 9:16 PM
They are without a doubt diluting the assessment of apprentices.
You cannot switch components from mandatory to voluntary, and switch from assessing all knowledge to some knowledge, then claim nothing has changed.
You cannot switch components from mandatory to voluntary, and switch from assessing all knowledge to some knowledge, then claim nothing has changed.
Coming up in this week's FE Week:
🧰 Budget 2025: Treasury tweaks levy rules and fully funds SMEs
🏫We find out how special capacity cash for GM and Leeds will be spent
📢 Skills England defend apprenticeship assessment reforms
🧰 Budget 2025: Treasury tweaks levy rules and fully funds SMEs
🏫We find out how special capacity cash for GM and Leeds will be spent
📢 Skills England defend apprenticeship assessment reforms
November 27, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Coming up in this week's FE Week:
🧰 Budget 2025: Treasury tweaks levy rules and fully funds SMEs
🏫We find out how special capacity cash for GM and Leeds will be spent
📢 Skills England defend apprenticeship assessment reforms
🧰 Budget 2025: Treasury tweaks levy rules and fully funds SMEs
🏫We find out how special capacity cash for GM and Leeds will be spent
📢 Skills England defend apprenticeship assessment reforms
OBR reports the apprenticeship levy will raise £5 billion sooner than planned - sadly, not all of that makes its way to apprenticeships and training budgets, despite lots of pressures on costs, a pre-axe rush on level 7s, new short courses and foundation apprenticeships
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
Budget 2025: SME co-investment relief extended to under 25 apprentices
The government is set to scrap co-investment payments that small and medium-sized employers have to pay for apprentices under the age of 25.
feweek.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
OBR reports the apprenticeship levy will raise £5 billion sooner than planned - sadly, not all of that makes its way to apprenticeships and training budgets, despite lots of pressures on costs, a pre-axe rush on level 7s, new short courses and foundation apprenticeships
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
🧰BUDGET: Around £725million from the growth and skills levy will go towards boosting under-25 apprentices - including fully subsidising training costs for small businesses
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
Budget 2025: SME co-investment relief extended to under 25 apprentices
The government is set to scrap co-investment payments that small and medium-sized employers have to pay for apprentices under the age of 25.
feweek.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 2:09 PM
🧰BUDGET: Around £725million from the growth and skills levy will go towards boosting under-25 apprentices - including fully subsidising training costs for small businesses
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
feweek.co.uk/budget-2025-...
As youth NEET figures stubbornly hover around 950k, @jessjanehill.bsky.social goes behind the scenes to find out what it takes for FE providers to keep young people *in* education and training
feweek.co.uk/how-neet-pro...
feweek.co.uk/how-neet-pro...
How NEET providers are propping up a failing system
An inside look at the pressures facing NEET provision, from pastoral care demands to restrictive funding rules
feweek.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 7:52 PM
As youth NEET figures stubbornly hover around 950k, @jessjanehill.bsky.social goes behind the scenes to find out what it takes for FE providers to keep young people *in* education and training
feweek.co.uk/how-neet-pro...
feweek.co.uk/how-neet-pro...
Reposted by Shane Chowen
No surprises here, sadly. YOIs are really, really struggling to provide a regime that gets young people out of their cells.
It’s time for a complete reset of youth custody that puts education first, to give young people opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need to thrive as adults.
It’s time for a complete reset of youth custody that puts education first, to give young people opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need to thrive as adults.
👮 None of England’s young offender institutions provided children in their care with the education they were entitled to during the last three years, an FE Week probe has revealed
feweek.co.uk/englands-thr...
feweek.co.uk/englands-thr...
England's three YOIs fail 15-hour education requirement
None of England’s young offender institutions provided children in their care with the education they were entitled to during the last three years reveals probe
feweek.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 10:44 AM
No surprises here, sadly. YOIs are really, really struggling to provide a regime that gets young people out of their cells.
It’s time for a complete reset of youth custody that puts education first, to give young people opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need to thrive as adults.
It’s time for a complete reset of youth custody that puts education first, to give young people opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need to thrive as adults.