Full article here – https://www.aoc.co.uk/news/aoc-responds- ofsted%E2%80%99s-annual- reportExcerpts below:David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said “We agree with the Chief Inspector that action must be taken on post-16 funding. My concern going forward is that the funding cuts have made it enormously challenging to manage and lead colleges successfully. The 22% lower funding per student...Read More

Original news article here http://www.ftiecla.com/2018/01/03/2018-ld-predictions/ This year, the five annual predictions for the global Learning & Development sector from Financial Times | IE Business School Corporate Learning Alliance follow the general view that technology – in the forms of machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) – will be a dominant force. But it...Read More

As the UK announces a 750m collaboration agreement to support China’s One Belt One Road initiative – Coventry based PAM Education continue on this journey that began in 2016. In that 12 month period, the company has signed agreements to support UK organisations in the fields of Training, Culinary Arts, Football, High-Speed Rail, and Digital...Read More

Full article here – https://www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2017/dec/18/do-we-need-to-reinvent-polytechnicsExcerpts below:Athene Donald writes “I concur that lumping polytechnics and (pre-1992) universities together as all the same is unhelpful. They do not all have, or wish to have, indistinguishable missions and student populations, and thinking of the sector like that has been not only unconstructive but damaging.”“Degree courses in physical sciences and engineering,...Read More

Full article here – http://resources.ftiecla.com/en-gb/pulse2017/ Extracts below: Corporate learning and leadership development programmes can have a lasting impact not only on organisations as a whole but also on individuals. Thanks to such programmes, organisations benefit from individuals operating at a higher level, and individuals are armed with competencies, skills and leadership capabilities that can otherwise take...Read More

Full article below and here – https://www.aoc.co.uk/news/aoc-responds-careers-strategy-announcementIn response to the launch of the Government’s careers strategy, Catherine Sezen, Senior Policy Manager at the Association of Colleges, said: “AoC welcomes today’s announcement as we have long called for young people to have access to informed and impartial careers advice and education, embedded into the curriculum, from a...Read More

Full article here – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/dec/05/two-year-degrees-funding-university-student-feesRay Brogden, COO of Qualifi Awarding Organisation commented that the two-year honours degrees have been available for some time via the Level 4 and level 5 Vocationally Related Qualification accelerated learning pathway (1 calendar year) followed by a final year honours degree top-up year. In addition to gaining an honours degree in...Read More

Higher education needs to evolve from the lecture hall to encompass new technology and meet the needs of a diverse range of learnersFull article here –  https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2017/nov/22/2vcs-on-are-university-degree-models-stuck-in-the-pastAgainst a backdrop of crashing participation from mature and part-time learners, the government is urging universities to think hard about how they can reskill the workforce and encourage lifelong learning.Alec...Read More

With no open days or face-to-face meetings, how do you pick a distance learning course?Full Article here – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/nov/13/heres-what-to-consider-before-choosing-an-online-degreeExtracts belowFor most students, choosing a university is as simple as counting up UCAS points, checking a league table or two, and signing up to a few open days to whittle the list down. But things are more...Read More

Full article here – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/nov/18/apprenticeships-budget-hammond-skills-shortages-brexitExtracts below.Despite the compelling picture painted in this article, Ray Brogden, COO of Qualifi points out that there is an alternative to the traditional three-year full-time degree and often very high debt associated with tuition fees of £9,250 in addition to maintenance loans. In addition to apprenticeships, including advanced, higher and degree...Read More