Andy Forbes
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Articles by Andy Forbes
apprenticeship units
These are not the words of the Lifelong Education Institute, but taken from the Foreword of the government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, jointly…
Skills White Paper: “We Will Make Lifelong Learning a Reality…” | FE News
These are not the words of the Lifelong Education Institute, but taken from the Foreword of the government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, jointly signed by no less than three Cabinet ministers. With the ink still drying on a 72 page document packed with detailed proposals, let’s have a look at the headline announcements through a lifelong education lens.
Post-16 Education and Skills white paper
These are not the words of the Lifelong Education Institute, but taken from the Foreword of the government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, jointly…
Enabling autonomous AI agents at scale
Salesforce’s plan to acquire Informatica will unleash a powerful trifecta of technologies, making it easier for organizations to benefit from a new, human/digital hybrid workforce Deploying autonomous AI agents at scale is poised to transform business operations. Enterprises across all industrial sectors are eager to leverage these agents – working alongside humans – to boost productivity, efficiency, and customer experience.
Lifelong Learning 2025
The debate on apprenticeships at the Lifelong Education Institute’s Annual Conference brought together four leading voices to assess the state of England’s apprenticeship system. With major…
Any possible tertiary future for England's post-18 system must lean into college-based HE
The Lifelong Education Institute’s latest report – “Taking Higher Education Further” – shines a spotlight on the contribution of FE colleges to England’s higher education sector.
Andy Forbes
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Three cheers for apprenticeships, two for the apprenticeship levy | FE News
In this article, Andy Forbes, Head of Development at the Lifelong Education Institute, celebrates apprenticeships but expresses concerns about the apprenticeship levy. Despite its significant funding impact, four urgent issues need to be addressed. National Apprenticeship Week is here again, providing an opportunity for us all to celebrate the achievements of the half a million apprentices working hard in all kinds of sectors across the whole country.
Lifelong Learning and Skills – What Are We Waiting For? – FE News
In stark contrast to the political chaos of the Conservative Party Conference, there was a striking amount of consensus at the Lifelong Education Commission’s fringe event on “Lifelong Learning and Local Skills Needs” – organised by ResPublica.
It's time to discuss the East-South Divide in UK Education
This year’s GCSE and A Level results once again shed light on the huge divide in UK education within and between England’s regions. Most will have heard the headline statistic: the proportion of students getting top grades in London and the South East is over 10% higher than in areas like Yorkshire & Humberside.
The Invisible ‘Beast from the East’ for Students – FE News
For young students across the East of England, the challenge of studying for vital qualifications is not merely an academic one. For many, the first hurdle is simply getting to the classroom in the first place. Unless they are lucky enough to live near their local college, or to have enough money to own their own car, these students face the daunting prospect of using public transport every day of the week – leaving them at the mercy of whatever local transport system they happen to live under.
Eastern Powerhouse is vital to revamping UK apprenticeships
When it comes to levelling up apprenticeships, the East of England has its work cut out. Despite being the UK`s 4th largest regional economy, at present the East sits at a mere 7th place (out of 9) on the league table of apprenticeships across English regions. This shortfall is certainly not due to a lack of effort.
It’s time for businesses to embrace the immersive metaverse
We are excited to bring Transform 2022 back in-person July 19 and virtually July 20 - 28. Join AI and data leaders for insightful talks and exciting networking opportunities. Register today! Two of the strongest innovation trends right now are immersive experiences and the development of the metaverse. Forrester predicts that 2022 is the year when organizations’ investments in immersive experiences will turn browsing into virtual inhabiting.
It’s time for businesses to embrace the immersive metaverse
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Reforming adult learning is the pathway to unlocking the levelling up agenda
Further Education News The FE News Channel gives you the latest education news and updates on emerging education strategies and the #FutureofEducation and the #FutureofWork. Providing trustworthy and positive Further Education news and views since 2003, we are a digital news channel with a mixture of written word articles, podcasts and videos.
'I'm sick of making redundancies and axeing courses'
I’ve never known a time when politicians of all parties have been so willing to express their love for FE colleges. Sadly, I’ve also never witnessed so many colleges in such chronic financial trouble. The FE sector is being slowly starved of the resources we need to survive. I’ve been a college principal for just short of 10 years. I became a principal because I wanted to be at the forefront of a sector which has done so much to support social mobility through opening up access to learning.
Love Our Colleges: A view from the rally
The issue of college funding was taken to the heart of government today in the biggest demonstration in support of further education for over a decade. Staff and students travelled from up and down the country, from Grimsby to Preston, Leeds to London, with some hardy folk having to get up at 3am to get the coach down.
'It's my duty to speak out for a people's vote on Brexit' | Tes News
As principal of a further education college I’m supporting the campaign for a people’s vote on the Brexit deal. I’m usually very careful not to get involved in party politics, because it’s an important part of a principal’s role to maintain good relationships with MPs of every political colour who support their local FE college. But this is different, because it’s beyond normal party politics. I feel it’s my duty to speak out, because so much is at stake for the young citizens who are my students.
College leaders 'don't reflect student diversity'
Figures reveal that just 8.3 per cent of college leaders are from a black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) background. The data from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) reveals that just 6.8 per cent of senior and middle managers in FE colleges hail from a BAME background, while the figure for principals and chief executives stands at 9.8 per cent. This does not reflect the country’s demographics: at the 2011 census, the BAME population stood at 13 per cent.
‘Why my college has made adult education free’
Working in London, it soon becomes apparent that there are two sets of Londoners. One is highly educated, upwardly mobile and generally well off. In contrast, the other is stuck in a low-income, low-skills trap, which is difficult to escape from. Typically with the latter group, all adults in the household work to keep their heads above the water, and quite often each adult has more than one job.
With great power comes local responsibility…
Sometimes I think we’re so caught up in the worldwide web that we’ve forgotten the importance of the local neighbourhood webs we live in. Working in further education is a daily reminder: colleges are woven deep into the fabric of their local communities. Further education was spun out across post-war Britain alongside universal secondary education as part of the new welfare state.
NUS poverty report: Education needs fairer funding, not new institutions
I was really pleased to be invited to be part of the NUS Poverty Commission. As principal of a further education college where the huge majority of students are from low-income families, I see every day, up close and personal, the struggle to climb the ladder of opportunity that so many face. It’s not pretty, it’s not romantic and – shockingly – it’s not getting any easier, despite all the rhetoric about widening access over the past decade or more.
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