Why FE Colleges Must Be Recognised as the UK's Innovation Engine  | Elaine Baxter, PhD, CChem, FRSC, FRSA, founder and director of Boutique Innovation unpacks some recent @GatsbyEd research: A future vision for the role of FE colleges in innovation Check it out: fenews.co.uk/exclusive/why-f… #innovation #colleges

It was great to welcome #Loughborough MP Dr @JeevunSandher to the @EastMidlandsIoT 's facility at @LouCollGroup 's main site. Good discussion on how we can further work together to improve #technical #skills education in the region.

As Director of NCW, Stephen Logan had the privilege of chairing a vital panel discussion in partnership with the @GatsbyEd Charitable Foundation @CareerEnt Festival of Education, exploring how we break down barriers to ensure every young person has access to meaningful careers education and work experience. This conversation could not be more timely. With National Work Experience Month in full swing this July, and the Department for Education's newly updated statutory careers guidance fresh off the press, schools and employers are actively navigating what the new framework means for our young people. I was joined by a brilliant panel of experts who are actively shaping the future of education and industry: Lesley Thain (Head of Education Policy & Practice) Kathryn Marshall MBE MBE (Senior Manager Apprenticeships, Lloyds Banking Group) Robert Cremona (Project Officer, Gatsby Charitable Foundation) With schools currently preparing for the new Work Experience Guarantee from September 2026—introducing a week of work experience activities across Years 7–9 and placements in Years 10–11—our discussion focused heavily on how we make this delivery meaningful. There is no single "magic bullet" for systemic change, but our focus must be on three core principles: 🔹 Design for the margins to scale for all: The data shows that achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks dramatically reduces NEET figures, particularly for disadvantaged young people. If we target our careers strategies to empower those facing the greatest barriers, we build a robust framework that naturally scales to benefit every student. 🔹 Start early to demystify the workplace: The DfE's shift toward formalising workplace experiences in Years 7–9 is a game-changer. Introducing meaningful employer engagement early strips away the intimidation factor, building professional confidence long before students take their first steps into a physical workplace. 🔹 Embrace progress over perfection: Innovation requires vulnerability. Especially as we adapt to the new guidance and busy WEX periods, sometimes new approaches don't go exactly to plan—and that's okay. Cultivating a culture where senior leaders, careers leads, and employers learn, adapt, and refine is how we move the needle on social mobility. A massive thank you to my fellow panelists and to everyone who contributed to these crucial conversations. The energy today proved that when schools, policy makers, and employers collaborate, we can turn this new statutory guidance into life-changing equity for the next generation. You can read the full updates here: gatsby.org.uk/education/upda… #NationalCareersWeek #NCW2026 #NationalWEXMonth #WorkExperience #FestivalOfEducation #GatsbyBenchmarks #CareersGuidance #SocialMobility #FOE26

New #HTQ (higher technical qualification) Readiness Toolkit developed by our @GatsbyEd Foundation colleagues & #QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Ed), helping institutions get Level 4 & 5 courses ready to submit for @educationgovuk approval- gatsby.org.uk/education/upda…

The @teachertapp interim report on teacher recruitment and retention is out - with @SchoolDash and funded by @GatsbyEd. Secondary teacher job adverts have fallen to their lowest level in the nine years we've been tracking them — down 32% on last year and 46% below pre-pandemic levels.

Richard Holliday looked at 20 years of apprenticeship data, funded by @GatsbyEd. His finding: policy, not the labour market, has been driving starts. What that means for the future of the programme is worth reading: fenews.co.uk/exclusive/looki…

The Gatsby Benchmarks: building futures, reducing NEET Find out how senior leaders in secondary schools & colleges use the #GatsbyBenchmarks to reduce NEET. Watch the film clip and let us know what you think here: bit.ly/4tTCXcl #NEET #SLT #CareersGuidance

Many congratulations to all the people working in further education, skills and apprenticeships who have been recognised in this year's New Year's Honours. Very well deserved!

Skills England’s target to grow apprenticeships is welcome but scaling beyond 50k means tackling the cost-benefit for employers. Evidence suggests employer costs are higher here than in countries like Germany & Austria where better data helps shape policy fenews.co.uk/exclusive/the-e…

Governors can make a crucial difference to the quality and consistency of careers education. We partnered with GovernorHub and our Gatsby Benchmarks Champion Ross Doohan to explore what governors need to know and practical steps to support provision: thehoot.news/topics/how-gove…

Stronger support for parents & carers is a key theme in the updated #GatsbyBenchmarks. In this article, Leighton Collins shares how Meadowhead School Academy Trust have made some considered changes to an annual event to more actively support all families: gatsbybenchmarks.org.uk/case…

A Moment of Opportunity for FE and AI  | This is really interesting report from @GatsbyEd Danny Brett, from ThinkMove and David Jennings, from DJ Alchemi unpack the Generative AI in Further Education research fenews.co.uk/exclusive/a-mom… #GenAI #AI #AISkills

Today’s rise in #physics trainee numbers is good news. But as this report shows, recruitment alone is not enough. For these trainees to become the specialist #teachers our #schools urgently need, we must remove the structural barriers faced by international trainees.

'Across the North East, T-levels are already powering the industries of the future' @SamJRushworth , chair of the government's APPG on T Levels feweek.co.uk/lets-back-t-lev…

"Hartlepool has high levels of unemployment, poverty and deprivation - the risk of young people becoming NEET is big, making a strong careers programme all the more important." Hear from our benchmarks champion, Lisa Greig, CEO of Hartlepool Aspire Trust: bit.ly/4rcpUBg

A year ago we launched the updated #GatsbyBenchmarks. Today we celebrate their impact so far: more schools/colleges reporting on progress + more benchmarks being achieved = new evidence showing good careers guidance is helping prevent ~6,000 young people becoming NEET each year🎉

Using the updated #GatsbyBenchmarks @dustonschool & South Midlands Careers Hub have connected teachers and local employers, increasing the presence of #CareersGuidance in the curriculum and boosting teachers’ labour market understanding 👏 gatsbybenchmarks.org.uk/case… @Strickomaster

“Recruitment is fine but retention is absolutely essential… how can we as a government ensure that contextual issues don’t add to the workload of teachers?” Opening remarks from @darrenpaffey at @EduPolicyInst panel on how to keep teachers in the classroom #LPC25