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Billy Camden

@billycamden.bsky.social

210 followers 220 following 44 posts

Deputy editor at @feweek.bsky.social - reporting on further education, skills and apprenticeships. Story tips: [email protected]

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Reposted by Billy Camden

Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · May 2

Great scoop by @billycamden.bsky.social.

In my recent report for the @smfthinktank.bsky.social (bit.ly/3DXrd2S), I called for a ban on uni graduates taking up these Level 7 apprenticeships.

An 'under 21' approach would have a similar effect and similar trade offs + still lots of unhappy punters.

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · May 2

Exclusive: Ministers are set to row back on plans to remove public funding from all level 7 apprenticeships and include an exemption for young people aged 16 to 21, FE Week understands feweek.co.uk/phillipson-t...

Phillipson to exempt young people from level 7 apprenticeships funding axe

Education secretary makes ‘important concession’ amid backlash from other government departments

Reposted by Billy Camden

Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · Mar 19

Alright, Galadriel

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Mar 7

🚨 Early win 🚨

Laleh, the learner quoted who paid a 'discounted' fee out of fear she'd have to pay the full amount, has been contacted by CoGrammar within hours of our article being published to say she can expect a full discount

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Mar 7

A truly shocking case. Students on fully funded DfE bootcamps left terrified the bailiffs would come after their provider tried charging up to £4,950k

The attempt came after DfE suspended payments and terminated the firm's £20m+ contracts

Refunds have been promised plus a £25 'goodwill payment'...

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Mar 7

Exclusive: An international company that raked in millions of pounds to run online coding bootcamps in England tried to charge learners for training that was supposed to be fully funded by the government

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Mar 7

A truly shocking case. Students on fully funded DfE bootcamps left terrified the bailiffs would come after their provider tried charging up to £4,950k

The attempt came after DfE suspended payments and terminated the firm's £20m+ contracts

Refunds have been promised plus a £25 'goodwill payment'...

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Mar 7

Exclusive: An international company that raked in millions of pounds to run online coding bootcamps in England tried to charge learners for training that was supposed to be fully funded by the government

Coding firm caught charging students for free bootcamps

An international company that raked in millions of pounds to run online coding bootcamps in England tried to charge learners for training that was supposed to be fully funded by the government. An FE…

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Feb 13

I spy @fcdwhittaker.bsky.social in this morning’s Playbook

Read his great story here 👉 schoolsweek.co.uk/lower-your-t...

Reposted by Billy Camden

Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · Feb 11

I am in no way surprised to see the CEO role given to civil servants.

Remember when IFATE twice failed to find anyone external who was willing to take on the CEO role, given what happened to its predecessor (UKCES)?

History repeats itself....

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Feb 11

A tech industry leader and a former DfE permanent secretary have been selected to lead Skills England as chair and vice chair

And two job-sharing civil servants will take the reins as joint CEOs of the new agency

feweek.co.uk/tech-exec-an...

Tech exec and ex-DfE perm sec to lead Skills England

Phil Smith and David Bell named chair and vice chair respectively, while two senior civil servants will jobshare as CEO

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Feb 11

DfE has now confirmed it will axe English and maths FSQ exit requirements for adult apprentices with immediate effect

Ministers also reveal the apprenticeship minimum duration will be reduced from 12 to 8 months from next AY #NAW2025 feweek.co.uk/english-and-...

Confirmed: English and maths pass rule for adult apprentices scrapped

Ministers also reveal the apprenticeship minimum duration will be reduced from 12 to 8 months

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Feb 7

Positive news for many ahead of National Apprenticeship Week feweek.co.uk/dfe-to-relax...

DfE to relax apprentice functional skills rules

Ministers expected to announce major rule change imminently

Reposted by Billy Camden

Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · Feb 6

This is a real backward step. Adult skills budget already £1bn lower than in 2010. Who will build the houses, fit the heat pumps, upgrade the infrastructure the Government says it wants?

Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · Feb 6

Exclusive: DfE has warned mayors their adult education budgets will be cut as part of government savings

This means £30 million in adult skills and 'free courses for jobs' cuts coming next academic year

feweek.co.uk/fury-as-dfe-...

Fury as DfE cuts adult education budgets

Combined authorities told to expect reductions in 'already deeply diminished' adult skills funding

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Feb 6

Ruthless Reeves hits adult education

Big scoop from the boss 👇

Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · Feb 6

Exclusive: DfE has warned mayors their adult education budgets will be cut as part of government savings

This means £30 million in adult skills and 'free courses for jobs' cuts coming next academic year

feweek.co.uk/fury-as-dfe-...

Fury as DfE cuts adult education budgets

Combined authorities told to expect reductions in 'already deeply diminished' adult skills funding

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Jan 13

NASUWT incredibly claims that college bosses have made 'spurious arguments' to justify not matching the school pay award

Seems so so harsh and out of touch with reality

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Jan 13

🗳️ Another union has launched a ballot for strike action in sixth form colleges – controversially claiming that principals have 'no excuse and no justification' for not matching the school teacher pay award

Fresh sixth form college strike ballot despite £50m pay deal

SFCA hits back as NASUWT accuses principals of making ‘spurious arguments’

Reposted by Billy Camden

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Jan 13

🆕 T Level results data for individual colleges will be made public this year for the first time – but an overall attainment measure for the new qualifications has been delayed

T Level results to be published for individual colleges for first time

But a planned overall attainment measure has been delayed

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Jan 13

The boundary hike

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Jan 10

So DfE will release £50m in 24/25 AY as a 'one-off grant' to help fund pay

Not enough to match school pay award but it has enabled SFCA to up its recommendation to 5.5% from April. Wonder whether AoC will will also amend its rec of 2.5%

Top work by SFCA challenging through judicial review

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Jan 10

Breaking: Ministers will release a chunk of the £300m announced at budget as a 'one-off grant' to help colleges fund teacher pay rises

Follows huge sector backlash over last summer's snub and judicial review threat

DfE to release £50m in 2024/25 to help fund FE teacher pay

'One-off' grant to be made available in April

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Jan 9

Oof - big drop in GCSE English resit G4 pass rates for those taking the exam in November

Suspect it may be related to the Pearson 2.0 issue

Slight rise in maths pass rates

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Jan 9

Top FOI and analysis from @tom-richmond.com as per

Fascinating that of the 56k apprentices last year who already hold a degree, 14k did a level 2 or 3 apprenticeship

Not sure I agree with the recommendation to ban graduates from all apprenticeships but the report is great for generating debate

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Jan 8

🎓 Calls to ban graduates from publicly funded apprenticeships have resurfaced after new data revealed over £400m in levy funds was spent on people who already held a bachelor’s degree or higher last year

1 in 6 apprenticeships taken by uni graduates

SMF report reignites calls for more radical apprenticeship spending restrictions

Reposted by Billy Camden

Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · Jan 8

First day in the office of 2025 for Team @feweek.bsky.social

"I'm going to start my new notebook with my best handwriting" pledges @billycamden.bsky.social

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Jan 7

Interesting move for ESFA chief David Withey - he'll become a college principal when the agency closes and integrates into the DfE in March feweek.co.uk/esfa-chief-d...

ESFA chief David Withey to become college principal

He will lead a college in the south west when the agency closes in March

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Jan 6

💥 Kicking off 2025 with a scoop on the FE teacher pay snub judicial review

SFCA teases an agreement has been reached but details kept shtum for now

Association 'looks forward to an announcement by the government soon' as % pay offer increased

Meanwhile, teacher strikes continue. Full story 👇

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Jan 6

Exclusive: Sixth form college leaders have dropped legal action against the government after ministers 'agreed to provide funding' to support a wage increase in 2024/25

SFCA drops judicial review after reaching pay 'agreement'

Sixth form college pay offer has been increased but strikes continue after union rejects the offer that is still 'inferior' to schools

Reposted by Billy Camden

John Dickens @johndickenssw.bsky.social · Dec 12

It seems like an annual event for us now at Schools Week - but super chuffed to be at the British Journalism Awards

@jessjanehill.bsky.social has been shortlisted in *two* categories - and also joined by a former Schools Week legend Jess Staufenberg who’s also up for an award

🙌🙌🙌

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Dec 12

So on the day the government tells the sector what alternative T Level quals get a stay of execution, ministers announce they're scrapping a T Level that has been running for 3 years due to 'lack of demand'...

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Dec 12

🪓 Ministers have scrapped a construction T Level due to a 'lack of demand' - 3 years after teaching began
feweek.co.uk/onsite-const...

Onsite construction T Level scrapped

The course has been delivered for the past 3 years

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Dec 12

The boss with today's BTEC/level 3 outcome 👇

Good news or just another short-term fix? The latter IMO

Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · Dec 12

Labour has reversed plans to scrap technical education courses taken by tens of thousands of students

157 qualifications will be retained ... for now

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Dec 12

Breaking: 157 level 3 qualifications, including some BTECs, have been saved from the chop

feweek.co.uk/revealed-lev...

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Dec 12

Big day today as ministers prepare to release the outcome of the controversial level 3/BTEC review. Keep an eye on @feweek.bsky.social for developments

Billy Camden @billycamden.bsky.social · Dec 12

Interesting finding from AELP today. Their report comes as ministers confirm they are considering removing functional skills exit requirements from apprenticeships

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · Dec 12

⛔ Three-quarters of apprenticeship vacancy adverts 'block' applicants that have not already achieved a grade 4 pass in GCSE English and maths, new research has found
feweek.co.uk/3-in-4-appre...

3 in 4 apprenticeship adverts block applicants without English and maths

Report exposes GCSE entry conditions as ministers confirm they are considering removing functional skills exit requirements

Reposted by Billy Camden

Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · Dec 5

TL;DR

'Education has happened and some of it is very good. Except in prisons.'