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Lewis Cooper

@lewis-cooper.bsky.social
170 followers 131 following 6 posts

Public Affairs and Campaigns Director, AoC (Association of Colleges)

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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
🤝 Skills England should challenge the government over FE funding gaps and 'excessive competition and poor alignment' between colleges and universities, a new report has said feweek.co.uk/skills-engla...
feweek.co.uk
Skills England urged to confront government on FE funding
Joint AoC and UUK report also calls for 'excessive' competition to be challenged
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
A “major shift” in policy is needed if Labour is to succeed in uniting England’s post-16 education and skills system and reaching its new target for participation, a report has argued www.timeshighereducation.com/news/s…
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Rachel Cable @rachcable.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Ahead of the CSR, college leaders across the UK back the UK Government's ambitions for economic growth and opportunity, but say that to truly deliver on these, Whitehall must invest. Colleges: 💪 Empower Young People 🧱 Support Industry 📚 Uplift Adults. nation.cymru/news/college... @colegau.cymru
nation.cymru
College leaders from all four UK nations unite to call for more cash from PM
College leaders have come together to urge the Prime Minister to provide more cash for the sector in the UK Government’s upcoming spending review. The first-of-its-kind letter has been sent to Sir Kei...
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Rachel Cable @rachcable.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
We’re hiring! Please share if you can @medr.bsky.social @emmaraczka.bsky.social @josephbaldwin.bsky.social @llandrillomenai.bsky.social @nptcgroup.bsky.social @bridgendcollege.bsky.social @lewis-cooper.bsky.social @fenews.bsky.social @susietsegay.bsky.social
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
David Hughes @hughesdavid.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
Great to see this package of measures helping colleges to scale up their construction training, in partnership with employers. Looking forward to working with DfE on making it happen. Pleased that colleges being recognised for how vital they are on this
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Andy Westwood @andywestwood.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
I seem to spend quite a lot of my time in this space (ie between industrial strategy and skills)… Good stuff from @pmdfoster.bsky.social at @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/c14b...
ft.com
UK growth push held back by poor Whitehall co-ordination, watchdog finds
National Audit Office says departments needs to work together more effectively on industrial strategy
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Peter Swallow MP @peter4bracknell.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
For #CollegesWeek2025 I'm proud to draw attention to the incredible work of Bracknell and Wokingham College delivering cutting-edge skills education right in the heart of Bracknell
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
One reason I am sceptical of the idea there are real-world savings to be had from the bucket marked 'welfare' is shouldn't some people who are currently 'NEET' (not in education, employment or training) be....in further education?
ft.com
Colleges of further education in England will get less funding than promised
Reduction to two-thirds of budgeted top-up payments for additional students a sign of looming government squeezes
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
David Hughes @hughesdavid.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Congratulations to the newly appointed leadership team at #SkillsEngland. Looking forward to working with them to help establish a better, coherent, inclusive post-16 education and skills system
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
🌎 Esol provision has changed drastically but what are the real benefits of devolution? @wmc-adultlearning.bsky.social 's Ziya Moustafa
feweek.co.uk
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Naushabah Khan MP @naushabahkhanmp.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Further to my question to the PM on improving training in trade skills, it was great to meet with the Minister for Skills, alongside MidKent College’s CEO A productive discussion on how we support young people across Medway to fulfil their potential &how we can improve and grow our training offer.
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 09/01/2025
"The SMF estimates that last year a total of £431 million was spent on funding apprenticeships for people who already held degrees." Yet more coverage of my new @smfthinktank.bsky.social report - out today. Report link: bit.ly/3DXrd2S www.timeshighereducation.com/news/bar-gra...
timeshighereducation.com
Bar graduates from enrolling on apprenticeships, urges thinktank
Social Market Foundation estimates more than £430 million was spent last year on funding apprenticeships for people who already hold degrees
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Lewis Cooper @lewis-cooper.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
Great piece from Audrey Cumberford in the @thescotsmanpaper.bsky.social making the case for strengthening regional tertiary systems across Scotland - allowing colleges and unis to play a more active & better coordinated role in regional economic development www.scotsman.com/education/sn...
scotsman.com
SNP urged to give power to regions to boost economy and save Scotland's colleges and universities
Principal says each area should be handed new ‘authority, freedom and autonomy’
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Lewis Cooper @lewis-cooper.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
'The government should spend some of its £2.1 billion revenue from the immigration skills charge to boost declining levels of ESOL funding over the last seven years.' @feweek.bsky.social write-up of joint @aoc-info.bsky.social- Bell Foundation report out yesterday. feweek.co.uk/aoc-immigrat...
feweek.co.uk
ESOL: Immigration charge on businesses should fund courses
The government should spend some of its £2.1 billion revenue from the immigration skills charge to boost declining levels of ESOL funding over the last 7years
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
One thing I love about the Paris cycling revolution is it’s also reminding us of the power of cities to imagine different futures. In line with a long history of municipal reforms stretching back to mid-19th century.
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
Solid article on Britain's skills needs on.ft.com/41wa0HC Takeaways: -300,000 houses/annum isn't just about planning. May not even be the biggest constraint - countries succeeding in this area devolve skills needs - construction cyclicality a big issue - overseas route under strain
on.ft.com
Does the UK have enough workers to ‘get Britain building’?
The Labour government dreams of kick-starting a housebuilding boom, but the construction sector relies heavily on migrants to plug a skills gap
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Julian Gravatt @juliangravatt.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
1/8. OECD’s survey of adult skills is a once-in-a-decade test of what people know across 31 countries, including England (but not rest of UK). There’s a lot going on but I’d say this is a big story www.oecd.org/en/publicati...
oecd.org
Do Adults Have the Skills They Need to Thrive in a Changing World?
The 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), provides a comprehensive overview of adults' literacy, numeracy, and ad...
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Association of Colleges @aoc-info.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
We were thrilled to launch our 'Mission accepted' report in the House of Lords yesterday, celebrating the incredible work of colleges alongside college members and parliamentarians. You can read the report here: www.aoc.co.uk/news-campaig...
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Dr Sam Parrett CBE @samparrett.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Honoured to attend @AoC_info Winter reception & to meet our supportive local MPs @LSEColleges today, discussing all things FE, Skills & SEND with @danfrancis02 @helenhayes_ and our amazing local & sector advocate @DLawrenceOBE @UKHouseofLords 👇
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Antonia Bance MP @antoniabance.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Great to meet Lisa Capper the new principal of Sandwell College just five weeks into her new job! Of course we talked apprenticeships, adult skills, basic skills, Esol - and what we can do to drive up skills and quals and good jobs in Tipton and Wednesbury
Antonia blonde hair silver patterned scarf and Lisa in red dress
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Smita Jamdar 🇺🇦 @smitajamdar.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Some thoughts from #TCAInternational on what FE needs to thrive: 1. A trust-based funding environment 2. accountability based on outcomes 2. The opportunity to shape their offer to meet local/sector needs 3. Structures that facilitate meaningful partnerships with employers 4. Collaboration!
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Smita Jamdar 🇺🇦 @smitajamdar.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
So many thanks to @hughesdavid.bsky.social and @lewis-cooper.bsky.social for inviting me to #TCAInternational. Such a brilliant event and so many fascinating conversations, my mind is completely buzzing!
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Smita Jamdar 🇺🇦 @smitajamdar.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Fascinating to here from @pmdfoster.bsky.social about a growing (if still slightly confused) political and policy consensus around the importance of skills, the potential for FE to position itself as key to this but the need to avoid this becoming an oppositional HE/FE battle #TCAInternational
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Rachel Cable @rachcable.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
The additional £10million in-year funding for colleges from Welsh Government is very welcome - and a recognition of the budget pressures facing the FE sector www.colleges.wales/en/blog/post...
colleges.wales
ColegauCymru welcomes additional in-year college funding - ColegauCymru
Today, the Welsh Government has announced an additional £10million in-year allocation to support the further education sector this year.
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Smita Jamdar 🇺🇦 @smitajamdar.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Day 2 of #TCAinternational begins with a presentation about the new Jobs & Skills Australia. These are their legislative functions - some similar to those we see here, some slightly different. V interesting
List of Jobs & Skills Australia’s legislative functions
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Lewis Cooper @lewis-cooper.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Really good first day of the College Alliance's international conference, at Belfast Met College - a great range of international inputs from Sweden, South Africa, Singapore and the OECD, along case studies from across the four UK nations and Ireland #TCAinternational
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Smita Jamdar 🇺🇦 @smitajamdar.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Interesting slide about the gap between the skills needed to support the green transition between low skilled and high skilled jobs. The gap is much bigger for the low skilled jobs
Slide described in post
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Smita Jamdar 🇺🇦 @smitajamdar.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Some trends from the OECD in relation to lifelong learning in a transforming labour market. In the U.K. unemployment is low but economic inactivity high, rising most for 16 -24 yr olds and 50 -60 years. Long term sickness a key reason, worst among those with few qualifications #TCAInternational
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Smita Jamdar 🇺🇦 @smitajamdar.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
I am at #TCAinternational in Belfast where we are looking at shaping the future of FE. Big themes - what do colleges need to thrive, what role should employers play & how does FE raise its profile with the media and policy makers alike.
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Joe Sarling @joesarling.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
"If you have a map of the country with the areas of high economic inactivity, worklessness or high poverty – my maps are exactly the same as [health secretary] Wes Streeting’s for poor health and low life expectancy.” amp.theguardian.com/society/2024...
amp.theguardian.com
UK jobcentres not fit for purpose, says Liz Kendall ahead of major reforms | Unemployment | The Guardian
The work and pensions secretary is to overhaul benefits system, pushing young people into work or education
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ColegauCymru | CollegesWales @colegau.cymru · 22/11/2024
📢 VACANCY ✨ We're looking for a 🌟 COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS ASSISTANT 🌟 to join our busy Policy and Public Affairs Team! 📅 Closing Date: 13 January 2025 👇 Visit our website for further details 👇 buff.ly/439x0t9
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Tomorrow, Lords get to scrutinise the IfATE abolition bill in detail in the first of two scheduled committee stage debates. Here's a piece about the bill and what it means for much-lauded new skills body, Skills England feweek.co.uk/from-ifate-t... Thread below for fellow nerds 👇
feweek.co.uk
From IfATE to Skills England via DfE: What you need to know
How The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill paves the way for Skills England
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Reposted by Lewis Cooper
David Hughes @hughesdavid.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Much to like in this piece from @annlimb.bsky.social, following @aoc-info.bsky.social annual conference. Collaboration, place-making, college leaders as systems leaders, delivering across all 5 of Labour's missions. Our conference was upbeat & optimistic feweek.co.uk/we-must-look...
feweek.co.uk
System change will only come if we learn to collaborate
The first barriers to opportunity we must remove are the onse we erect around our own organisations
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