Welcome back to your monthly round-up of our most popular insights and resources!
- Progress reviews are the glue that holds apprenticeships together
- FREE Ofsted webinar series – The Inclusion Index: What are the reports telling us
- Get ready for the 2026/27 funding rules
- Colleges Week 2026
- Nomination deadline for the 2026 QPAs
- Upcoming SDN Mesma Group professional development events
- What we’ve been up to so far in 2026…
We have also rounded up our pick of news from the FE and skills sector.
Grab a cuppa and have a read, and as always, please feel free to share with your friends and colleagues.
Progress reviews: the glue that holds apprenticeships together
Progress reviews are the glue that holds apprenticeships together. So why aren’t employers prioritising them?
If you manage apprenticeships, you’ll know the struggle. Getting workplace mentors to actually show up at progress reviews can be like herding cats. Training providers complain about it. Apprentices notice it. And frankly, as employers, we’re not always holding up our end of the bargain.
When mentors engage properly in progress reviews, magic happens. Apprentices stay motivated, develop skills faster, and actually apply what they learn. When mentors don’t show? The opposite.
Up next in our FREE Ofsted webinar series – The Inclusion Index: What are the reports telling us?
Since the consultation, SDN Mesma Group have hosted free-to-access webinars helping providers unpack the changes together with colleagues from across the sector.
In our next session, Lou Doyle is joined by Chris Quickfall, CEO of Cognassist, for an evidence-led exploration of how inclusion is being interpreted and reported in Ofsted inspections under the revised Education Inspection Framework. Learn more about the session and secure your free place here.
Practically Implement the New 2026-27 Apprenticeship Funding Rules
It’s a critical year for apprenticeship delivery as the sector undergoes significant change, including the implementation of new co-investment and levy rules, development of Apprenticeship Units, more Foundation Apprenticeships and the not inconsequential assessment reforms.
In March, we’ll receive the draft apprenticeship funding rules, with the implementation version due in May. Join our annual business-critical webinar series to plan for the changes and understand the practical actions you will need to take across your organisation.
Colleges Week 2026
It’s Colleges Week 2026! The team at SDN Mesma Group are proud to support this campaign to raise awareness of the essential role colleges play in transforming lives and strengthening communities.
This year’s theme, “Skills for All”, shines a spotlight on different learner groups across the week, celebrating the breadth and impact of college education.
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the work of colleges…. Access the Colleges Week 2026 resources here
Quality Professional Awards (QPAs) nomination deadline
We love seeing nominees share their happy news across LinkedIn! Follow The Quality Professionals Awards: Further Education and Employability to keep up to date with the latest nominees.
There’s still time to honour outstanding contributions made by quality improvement practitioners and leaders in further education and employability. Don’t miss the deadline – nominate here!
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:
- Strategic Management and the AAF | 6-Mar
- Data Management in Apprenticeships | Starts 23-Mar
- Preparing For and Managing a Funding Assurance Review (Audit) | 27 Mar
- Practically Implement the 2026-27 Apprenticeship Funding Rules | Apr-Jul
- Apprenticeship Compliance for Leaders – CPD Accredited | 15 Apr
- FREE The Inclusion Index: What Are the Reports Telling Us? | 16 April
- Claiming Apprenticeship Learning Support Funding | Starts 17 April
- NEW Purposeful Observation: Improving Teaching and Learning | 30 Apr
- Advanced Progress Review Practice | Starts 15 May
- NEW Curriculum Design for the New Apprenticeship Landscape | 3 Jun
- Understanding Apprenticeship Financial Management | Starts 24 June
- NEW Embedding Effective Assessment in Apprenticeships | 15 Jul
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.
What we’ve been up to…
It’s been a busy few months at SDN Mesma Group! We’d like to share some important updates, and exciting opportunities with you:
Fully funded eLearning for SMEs
Supporting an apprentice can be hugely rewarding — but in a busy SME, it can also feel isolating and time‑pressured. As part of our continuing work on the Apprenticeship Workforce Development (AWD) offer, four fully funded, flexible eLearning courses have been created specifically for SMEs. These on‑demand modules give practical, ready‑to‑use tools to build confident, effective support without adding extra workload. Please share with your SME contacts.
Supporting Chartway Group’s Build Great Apprentices Initiative
We’re proud to be supporting Chartway Group with The Build Great Apprentices initiative – a collaborative effort that invests in people, strengthens leadership capability, and helps shape the future of construction talent.
This new programme (awarded funding through the CITB Industry Impact Fund) equips line managers with the skills to effectively support construction apprentices throughout their journey, improve retention, progression and overall experience within the construction sector.
Sector Supplier Awards 2026
These awards highlight and celebrate the organisations and individuals who are frequently underrepresented in the apprenticeship ecosystem, despite the crucial role they play in its success. We are over the moon for our Co-Founder, Lou Doyle, who won The Connector Award! And we were thrilled that SDN Mesma Group were shortlisted for the Best Innovation Award – congratulations to the category winner, Orbital Software Solutions!
Independent external evaluators for EQAVET 4.0
Following a rigorous selection process grounded in the EQAVET4.0 Quality Assurance Framework, SDN Mesma Group Ltd will assess the relevance, sustainability, and long‑term impact of EQAVETs innovative VET LOOP methodology, designed to strengthen quality assurance in vocational education and training (VET) across Europe.
Top News from the FE and Skills Sector
- Reforms to the schools and SEND systems in England to ensure that every child can achieve and thrive.
- £4Bn to Transform SEND Support: What the Schools White Paper Means for Every Setting
- T-Level students at East Sussex College’s Eastbourne campus have gratefully received a donation of medical equipment from local charity Medi Tech Trust, giving them hands-on experience with NHS-style equipment.
- Attendance, Engagement and NEET: The Case For Leading With The Gatsby Benchmarks
- Ofsted, Inclusion and the Long View: Reflections from the Inspection Journey
- Ofsted launches new QR code badges for promoting inspection findings