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Shane Chowen

@ukshane.bsky.social
5.4K followers 367 following 533 posts

Editor at FE Week - reporting on further education, skills and apprenticeships. Story tips: shane.chowen@feweek.co.uk

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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Good morning from Reform UK’s party conference in Birmingham where earlier today this delegate had his sword confiscated
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Outstanding
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
This is a very smart appointment - congrats @sarahjwaite.bsky.social!
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
UPDATE: Ministers expect to implement their 'new model of government' - which includes putting mayors in charge of 16-19 education - by the end of this parliament (so by mid-2029). feweek.co.uk/mayors-to-ta...
feweek.co.uk
Mayors to take control of 16-19 funding
Andy Burnham's devolution package ends years of DfE resistance to handing local leaders power over post-16 budgets
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
🚨 BREAKING: Mayors will be handed control of 16-19 funding in a radical break from England’s Whitehall-run post-16 system. Colleges and schools are all in scope, with plans due alongside the autumn budget. feweek.co.uk/mayors-to-ta...
feweek.co.uk
Mayors to take control of 16-19 funding
Andy Burnham's devolution package ends years of DfE resistance to handing local leaders power over post-16 budgets
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
A warning if you're a subscriber to the BBC Newscast podcast - I'm on it today
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Sparing thoughts for picture editors with only a one in three chance of getting the right Baroness Smith currently serving in government
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Andy Burnham loves The Smiths so much he’s appointed three Baroness Smiths as ministers: Baroness Smith of Basildon, leader of the House of Lords Baroness Smith of Malvern, skills minister Baroness Smith of Cluny, advocate general for Scotland
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
🚨Breaking: Jacqui Smith has been reappointed minister for skills by Andy Burnham feweek.co.uk/jacqui-smith...
feweek.co.uk
Jacqui Smith reappointed minister for skills
Baroness Smith with continue working across the Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
🚨Breaking: Lucy Powell has replaced Bridget Phillipson as education secretary feweek.co.uk/lucy-powell-...
feweek.co.uk
Lucy Powell appointed education secretary
Bridget Phillipson remains minister for equalities
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
🚨Breaking: Pat McFadden has been reappointed work and pensions secretary feweek.co.uk/mcfadden-rea...
feweek.co.uk
McFadden reappointed work and pensions secretary
New prime minister Andy Burnham keeps Pat McFadden in post
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
This is a serious escalation on BIIAB's security qualifications, with the SIA regulator taking unprecedented steps to bar the awarding organisation after finding persistent malpractice in BIIAB-approved centres as part of 'Operation Resolute' feweek.co.uk/security-reg...
feweek.co.uk
Security regulator bans BIIAB after fraud probe
SIA action blocks five qualifications and follows Ofqual’s intervention earlier this month
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
🗑️ Bins are all the rage right now. But not for nearly £4m of public cash feweek.co.uk/ofsted-bins-...
feweek.co.uk
Ofsted bins £3.9m IT project paused to fund pay rises
Watchdog also reported a £400,000 "fruitless payment" for rent on an empty London office
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Love the idea that Rachel Reeves can theoretically refuse to allow Nigel Farage to resign and let the process play out
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Can the chancellor refuse an application from a sitting MP for the Chiltern Hundreds?
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
David lived and led by his values. He unapologetically put learners first, did what he thought was right and led from the front when times got tough. All of our thoughts are with David's family, friends and colleagues. feweek.co.uk/ncfe-chief-e...
feweek.co.uk
NCFE chief executive David Gallagher dies aged 45
The awarding sector leader was among further education's most outspoken advocates for disadvantaged learners
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Hidden in the government's children's wellbeing and schools act were new laws extending the government's power to ban misbehaving teachers from FE colleges and independent training providers. But what counts as misbehaving? @annieiseating.bsky.social investigates feweek.co.uk/school-rules...
feweek.co.uk
School rules are imposed on FE’s errant teachers
A teaching ban regime built for schools is coming to FE with the passing of new legislation. Anviksha Patel reveals how it will work and gauges sector reaction
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
In a rare display of unity, college leaders & unions have joined forces to warn the government current spending plans could mean a 0% pay rise for staff It comes as we wait for school pay rises (who are already paid more) & as colleges are recruiting record numbers feweek.co.uk/college-staf...
feweek.co.uk
College staff face zero pay rise warning
AoC and unions join forces to avoid prospect of a damaging no pay offer
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Coming up in @feweek.bsky.social 0️⃣ Unions & colleges join warn DfE FE staff face possibility of 0% pay rise recommendation 🧑‍⚖️C&G bonuses: We examine the contradictory claims as another inquiry on the sale to PeopleCert is launched 🤝Unite drops dispute against PeopleCert after deal on redundancies
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
🚨PeopleCert has said it will move to reclaim 'unauthorised' bonus payments worth millions from former City & Guilds executives feweek.co.uk/peoplecert-p...
feweek.co.uk
PeopleCert pursues former City & Guilds chiefs for £3m ‘unauthorised’ bonuses
PeopleCert is seeking to recover almost £3 million in bonuses paid to former City & Guilds chief executive Kirstie Donnelly and finance chief Abid Ismail.
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Do you work in education? Are you going to Reform UK party conference? Please let me know (I'm not organising a flash mob)
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Dr Duncan Robertson @duncanrobertson.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
So there is a bill going through parliament to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16 and this report of restrictions on social media for 16 to 18 year olds. Isn't this an argument that harmful social media (X and the like) should be restricted for *all* adults, not just children.
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Times reporting 16 and 17 year olds will have their social media use restricted by curfews. Social media ban discourse has until this point been on under 16s. www.thetimes.com/article/631a...
thetimes.com
Teens will get social media curfew and chatbot ban
Plans to be announced by Sir Keir Starmer go further than Australia’s with a total ban for under-16s and restrictions meant to stop unhealthy late-night scrolling
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Straying out of my lane here, but I am fascinated by recent comments from Nigel Farage that "someone better equipped" could lead his party into the next general election. To date, Reform UK has had the luxury of never having a leadership fight. It has never had to factionalise.
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Mental health support teams seem to be making a positive difference where they've been rolled out - but new data shows 16-18 learners are losing out. From a level playing field, secondary school coverage is now double colleges: Story 👇 feweek.co.uk/post-16-stud...
feweek.co.uk
Post-16 students trail schools in mental health teams rollout
New data shows 42% of post-16 learners are covered compared with 79% of secondary pupils
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Josh Mellor @joshmellor.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Proof that the buzzword "hub" has now got out of control. 18 months ago the CITB said it will open 20 purpose-built skills "hubs" for construction training. In fact those 20 hubs won't be new anything, they'll be existing training providers paid £33k grant to train apprentices quickly.
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Every Whitehall education minister: Vocational qualifications are too complex, there are too many. We're going to rationalise so it's easier for employers Mayors: Hold my beer
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Ofqual's 'intervention' on exam cheating devices today would have been timely in 2020, not 2026. While the regulator discovers "smart spectacles", students are being aggressively targeted on social media with tech that, on current trends, Ofqual may or may not discover until the mid-2030s:
linkedin.com
Inside the booming business of high-tech exam cheating | Shane Chowen
Ofqual's 'intervention' on exam cheating devices today would have been timely in 2020, not 2026. While the regulator discovers "smart spectacles", students are being aggressively targeted on social m...
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
📢Breaking: Staff at City & Guilds have threatened legal and industrial action over redundancy plans from new owners PeopleCert feweek.co.uk/city-guilds-...
feweek.co.uk
City & Guilds threatened over ‘disgraceful’ staff cuts plan
A union is threatening awarding giant City & Guilds with 'legal and industrial action' over its workforce redundancy plans.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 28/05/2026
Absolutely heartbreaking. The only silver lining is that this is a solvable problem, but it will not solve itself without significant and sustained investment and attention from government. A new scheme over here or an apprenticeship tweak over there will not cut it.
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Breaking: There are now over a million young people not in education, employment or training feweek.co.uk/youth-neet-r...
feweek.co.uk
Youth NEET rate tips one million
Latest estimates come ahead of Alan Milburn’s landmark review into young people and work
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
📢 It's UCU Congress next week! FE delegates will debate prioritising national bargaining over pay rises, ethnic minority representation in college leadership & a union subscription fee increase for higher-earning lecturers Here's @feweek.bsky.social's Congress preview feweek.co.uk/switch-focus...
feweek.co.uk
Switch focus to national solutions on pay, UCU told
Congress to vote on strategy shift that targets country-wide binding agreements
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Not a story I had on the flatplan at the start of the week, if I'm honest feweek.co.uk/gemma-collin...
feweek.co.uk
Gemma Collins hate is snobbery, says Phillipson
Minister defends DfE video and hails GC’s ‘incredible reach’ with young people
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Today's @feweek.bsky.social 👂We uncover the world of cheating tech targeting students behind the backs of regulators and providers 💷 New adult ed contracts have been paused after a legal challenge ⛓️‍💥SME apprenticeship support services at risk after post-Brexit cash cuts
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
News moves fast
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Starmer and his team clearly feel there is capital in bigging up FE's working class credentials (and rightly so) in his political speeches - but it hits a sour note after real-terms funding cuts for 16-19 year-olds feweek.co.uk/starmer-to-g...
feweek.co.uk
Starmer to ‘go much further’ on apprenticeships and SEND after election losses
The prime minister repeats pledge to FE amid criticism of his leadership
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
📖10+ years after the raising of the education participation age and the government is still trying to plug "anomalies" - this time it's seriously ill teenagers falling through the net Excellent investigation here from @annieiseating.bsky.social feweek.co.uk/seeking-more...
feweek.co.uk
Seeking more than a sticking plaster for hospitalised teens
Seriously ill 16 to 18-year-olds could gain a legal right to hospital education support under new proposals
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
👀 A sneak peek at this week's @feweek.bsky.social front page Get our edition exclusives first with an FE Week membership (and fewer ads, plus other perks) For a free trial, use code LAUNCHTRIAL2026 at checkout: feweek.co.uk/subscribe/
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Good morning! In this week's @feweek.bsky.social : 🤷Training providers have done the maths on apprenticeship units ... and the new funding rates don't add up 🤺 Two major contruction training bodies are locked in a trade mark dispute over 'skills passports'
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
I thought Skills England bosses got a fairly easy ride from the DWP committee this morning. Our live blog takes you through the highlights ⬇️ feweek.co.uk/skills-engla...
feweek.co.uk
Skills England bosses quizzed by MPs
Live updates as Skills England leaders grilled by DWP select committee
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Fare well, Tim Apple. I will miss replying ‘good morning’ to you in your keynotes.
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
🚨Members at City & Guilds Foundation have voted in favour of an independent inquiry into the sale of its commercial awarding and training arms Trustees will "consider" their next steps feweek.co.uk/city-guilds-...
feweek.co.uk
City & Guilds members vote in favour of independent inquiry
Members of the City & Guilds Foundation have voted for an independent inquiry into the sale of its awarding business, following pressure from an action group
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Good morning from Tokyo, where it's nearly 7am and I'm too excited to sleep. Only have three days here and a to-do list the size of JP Tower. Have you been? Send me recommendations
media.tenor.com
a cartoon charizard is holding a fireball in its mouth while standing in front of a rock wall .
ALT: a cartoon charizard is holding a fireball in its mouth while standing in front of a rock wall .
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Scott Bryan @scottygb.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Artemis astronauts now sharing photos of the moon they have taken with their iPhones. The lights are switched off on the spaceship so they can take photos better.
The moon taken on an iPhone
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
At this point my major capitalist rebellion is skipping ads on podcasts
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Jon Collins @jonbcollins.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Good to see @feweek.bsky.social's Anviksha Patel digging into the data on cuts to prison education provision published earlier this week. Last year, North Sea Camp had 92% attendance at education, the third highest of any prison. Now its education provision has been cut by 58%.
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Mark O’Neill 🐻 @radiobeartime.com · 02/04/2026
"Prisons minister Lord Timpson stressed there were no cuts to the budget, but the cost of delivering education has increased significantly, causing decreases in education delivery hours." It's always fascinating how rapidly GOATS go native.
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
📖 New contracts have seen prison education delivery drop by a staggering 130,000 hours feweek.co.uk/revealed-pri...
feweek.co.uk
Revealed: Prisons with most severe cuts to education hours
Harsher sentence for education time in Greater Manchester and Merseyside jails
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
‼️Breaking: Jail time for qualification fraudsters Sushil Kumar, Pradeep Sheregear and Jaspal Saini were convicted of fraud this afternoon in a "sophisticated" cheating scam in construction health and safety exams feweek.co.uk/earpiece-exa...
feweek.co.uk
Earpiece exam cheat ring jailed over construction test fraud
A cheating ringleader who helped candidates pass construction health and safety tests by feeding answers through an earpiece has been jailed for two years.
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Shane Chowen @ukshane.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
For over a million young people, the so-called 'September guarantee' is far from it @joshmellor.bsky.social investigates how tens of thousands of school leavers are falling through the cracks each year while councils admit they don’t know where many of them end up feweek.co.uk/missing-teen...
feweek.co.uk
Missing teenagers suggests a worthless guarantee
More than one million teenagers have fallen through the cracks of a flagship government ‘guarantee’ to offer every school leaver suitable post-16 education
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