Happy New Year and welcome back to your monthly round-up of our most popular insights and resources!
- Apprenticeship Governing Boards: What does 2026 hold?
- We take a look at the first revised EIF Ofsted inspection reports
- Nominations open for the 2026 Quality Professional Awards
- T Level Student of the Year: Enginuity Skills Awards 2026
- Upcoming SDN Mesma Group professional development events
We have also rounded up our pick of news from the FE and skills sector – including Ofsted updates, 2026 honours list, assessment reform announcements and more.
Grab a cuppa and have a read, and as always, please feel free to share with your friends and colleagues.
Apprenticeship Governing Boards: What does 2026 hold?
What does 2026 hold for apprenticeship governing boards?
From financial stress testing to curriculum influence, workforce wellbeing to regulatory assurance, the role of the board is growing, not shrinking.
Take a look at this blog by our Co-Founder and Director, Lou Doyle FIEP. As an experienced chair and advisor for provider boards and committees, Lou uses her wealth of experience to simplify what you need to get to grips with in 2026:
- Employer engagement considerations
- Why teaching and learning deserve a seat in the boardroom
- While SARs may make you squirm, they might just save your provision
- Capacity for dealing with change and policy shifts
- Surviving and thriving in 2026
First Ofsted reviews in: Key Leadership and Governance takeaways
The first 19 inspection reports under the revised Education Inspection Framework are now live. They offer some early insights into how Ofsted is applying the toolkit in practice during inspections. Take a look at the reports here.
These reports are already sparking conversations across the sector. Our Technical Education Specialists, Annie Coles and Stephen King, met to unpack their findings from the released reports and what they reveal about leadership and governance, and why some results were surprising:
Read their full breakdown here.
Join the next revised EIF session: On Thursday, 29 January, we’re hosting the next in our series of free webinars, which have tracked the revised EIF since the launch of the consultation – Learning from the first inspections under the revised Ofsted Education Inspection Framework. Lou Doyle and guests will unpack these early findings and what they mean for quality across FE and Skills.
Nominations for the 2026 Quality Professional Awards (QPAs) are now open!
The QPAs honour the outstanding contributions made by quality improvement practitioners and leaders in further education and employability. The people who play a critical role and work alongside delivery teams to pave the way for a bright future for learners and job seekers.
This year promises to be bigger and better, with a new category focused on quality improvement approaches that embed inclusive practices within further education or employment support.
Nominations close on 20th March
Keep up to date with sponsor announcements, category info and the full build-up to the event: follow the QPAs on LinkedIn or sign up to their mailing list.
T Level Student of the Year: Enginuity Skills Awards 2026
If you’re a T Level provider or employer, this is your opportunity to champion brilliant T Level learners by encouraging nominations for the T Level Student of the Year category at the Enginuity Skills Awards 2026.
Now in its 12th year, the Enginuity Skills Awards celebrate people shaping the future of UK engineering and manufacturing — from inspiring students and apprentices to the employers and educators who support them. Each year, the awards shine a national spotlight on exceptional talent and the impact of high-quality skills provision.
The T Level Student of the Year award is a fantastic opportunity to recognise a learner who has gone above and beyond — whether through their technical ability, professionalism in the workplace, or the difference they’ve made to their employer or training provider.
- Winner: £1,000 prize
- 2 runners-up: £500 each
- 3 finalists: £500 bursary each towards travel & accommodation for attending
Please share this opportunity with relevant colleagues to submit a nomination for outstanding T Level learners in engineering and manufacturing. Let’s get students the recognition they deserve!
Upcoming SDN Mesma Group professional development:
Our professional development will take you through the details of a topic and move you from theory to practice. If you are looking for multiple places, we offer group bookings and can also host bespoke sessions tailored to your organisation’s needs:
- Apprenticeship Financial Management | 14-Jan
- FREE WEBINAR Learning from the first revised Ofsted inspections | 29-Jan
- Advanced Progress Review Practice | Starts 03-Feb
- Apprenticeship Compliance for your Role | Starts 25-Feb
- Strategic Planning and the Apprenticeship Accountability Framework | 6-Mar
- NEW Using AI to Map Maths, English and Digital Skills into Delivery | 18-Mar
- Data Management in Apprenticeships | Starts 23-Mar
Can’t make the live date? Most sessions are recorded – register your place and we will send you the recording and/or resources once the sessions have taken place.
You can also register your interest in future dates. Visit our Professional Development page for full details.
Top News from the FE and Skills Sector
The Employer Costs of Apprenticeship Training in England, Germany, and Austria: Results from a matched employer study by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation
NOCN Group raises concerns that proposed Apprenticeship reforms could risk undermining construction skills
Ofsted post FE and Skills FAQ to help answer your questions about the new inspections.
The FE and Skills 2026 New Year’s Honours List has been announced.
A Labour think tank director has been appointed as an ‘expert skills adviser’ at DWP.
Mapping the skills debate across the opposition benches: 30 years after ‘education, education, education’, where are we now? A look at how today’s parties are positioning themselves on FE and skills
Revealed: First 93 apprenticeships chosen for assessment reform – 40 construction standards also listed for revision but only once a new taskforce irons out specific industry concerns.
DWP promises foundation apprenticeships in hospitality and retail: plus a planned £140m pilot for mayors to connect young people with apprenticeship opportunities.
Backing T Levels to break the country’s skills deadlock – With T Levels now delivering real skills for real jobs, we have a chance to keep talent rooted in every town and drive Britain’s future prosperity