Category Archives: Further Education

The Need to Join the Dots

Posted on 2 February 2025 by Athene Donald

Last week, I attended an event organised by The Productivity Institute and, more locally, the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, as part of National Productivity Week. The meeting’s theme was Innovation and Infrastructure in the East. Note, despite the recent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in academia, appraisal, ASSET 2010, Athena Forum, Austrian science, book review, careers, education, Equality, Evelyn Fox Keller, Further Education, gender, growth, natural history, NEETs, Opportunity Mission, Oxford-Cambridge Corridor, People, professional training, promotion, Women's Issues | Comments Off on The Need to Join the Dots

Skills and Post-16 Education

Posted on 3 December 2023 by Athene Donald

In his Anniversary Day address to the Royal Society’s Fellowship last week, the President, Adrian Smith, drew attention to the state of our education system, recognizing that the Prime Minister’s intent to “reform the education system to include some form … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Augar Review, Dave Phoenix, education, Further Education, Kelly Vere, T Levels | Comments Off on Skills and Post-16 Education

What’s Wrong with T Levels?

Posted on 25 July 2023 by Athene Donald

If you are an English reader, reading this blog, the chances are high that you studied (or are studying) A Levels before going to university. Alternative options are available post-16, but they are currently in a state of flux, whether … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in A levels, education, Further Education, Levelling Up, post-16 | Comments Off on What’s Wrong with T Levels?

Contrasting fates of Cambridge and Burnley

Posted on 21 February 2023 by Athene Donald

It is depressing to learn that the Treasury is essentially constraining any capital spending from the Department of Housing, Levelling Up and Communities. Whereas when Michael Gove was appointed Secretary of State there might have been some optimism that he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Centre for Cities, education, Equality, Further Education, Shared Prosperity Fund, skills | Comments Off on Contrasting fates of Cambridge and Burnley

Where is Social Mobility Heading and for Whom?

Posted on 8 January 2023 by Athene Donald

Levelling up may have been a phrase that tripped off Boris Johnson’s lips more than other politicians, but whether or not the phrase is politically dead, the concept is as important as it ever was during his prime ministerial tenure. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Alun Francis, education, Equality, Further Education, Katherine Birbalsingh, Levelling Up, Sure Start | Comments Off on Where is Social Mobility Heading and for Whom?

The Future of Skills and Education?

Posted on 2 October 2022 by Athene Donald

It is only six weeks since I last wrote about skills on this blog. Not, you might think, a very long time for change to happen. And yet much has. A new monarch (probably the least important for the theme … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in education, Equality, Further Education, investment, Lifelong learning entitlement, Science Funding, science superpower | Comments Off on The Future of Skills and Education?

A University Education and a Lifetime of Debt

Posted on 27 February 2022 by Athene Donald

Finally, the response to the Augar Review, for which we have been waiting for the rather splendid number of 1001 days, has been released. I will not accuse the Government of choosing a good day to bury bad news, because … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Augar Review, careers, education, Further Education, Levelling Up, lifetime loan entitlement | Comments Off on A University Education and a Lifetime of Debt

The Problems of Measurement

Posted on 12 October 2021 by Athene Donald

How should we measure what is a good outcome from a university education? As David Willetts puts it in his latest report published through the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) ‘The Treasury cast their beady eye over the evidence and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in careers, education, Further Education, inequality, mobility, skills | Comments Off on The Problems of Measurement

The Imperative of Skills

Posted on 15 June 2021 by Athene Donald

Whereas academic scientists too often only think in terms of producing the next generation of academic scientists like them, the reality is many would-be PIs would be lost without the technicians who keep the equipment running, train newcomers and generally … Continue reading →

Posted in BEIS, careers, Chatteris, education, Further Education, technicians, training | Comments Off on The Imperative of Skills

DfE Deluge

Posted on 23 January 2021 by Athene Donald

As has been noted by many this week, there has been a deluge of output from the Department for Education (DfE), covering many matters that have been in the offing for months if not years. That the response to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Augar Review, BEIS, education, Equality, Further Education, Level 4/5 | Comments Off on DfE Deluge