Join the Tes FE team, Julia Belgutay and Kate Parker as they discuss and reflect on the biggest stories in further education during February.

They look back to the Association of Colleges Conference and education secretary Gavin Williamson's speech and the impact the pandemic has had on the number of staff being put at risk of redundancy and then made redundant.

They also reflect on this week's big stories: the return to face-to-face teaching, and Ofqual's plans for exams and assessment in the summer. 

This week, Julia Belgutay and Kate Parker are joined by adult education provider WEA's chief executive Simon Parkinson to discuss the latest report on the impact of education on adults. 

They discuss how the WEA is supporting adults to up-skill and retrain, the rise in adult unemployment and how the government can support adult education providers.

Tune in and enjoy. 

This week, Julia Belgutay and Kate Parker are joined by Stuart Rimmer, principal of East Coast College and chair of the AOC's mental health and wellbeing policy group to discuss the latest report on student mental health.

They discuss the student mental health crisis, the causes behind it and how colleges, policy makers and the Association of Colleges can tackle the problem and support students. 

Tune in and enjoy.

Join Julia Belgutay and Kate Parker for the last FE podcast of the year. 

This week, Julia and Kate share their favourite – or at least, most memorable – stories of 2020 including the Ney Review, GCSE November resits, and T-level work placements, as well as FE food bank Friday, nursing apprentices being released to the front line and how staff moved vocational learning online.

Tune in and enjoy. 

In this week's Tes FE podcast, Julia Belgutay and Kate parker are joined by the NUS vice president for further eduction Salsabil Elmegri to discuss the predicted £2m overspend in 16-19 bursaries.

Elmegri highlights the importance of the bursaries and urges the government to provide further financial support for students in need.

The Sixth Form College Association's deputy chief executive James Kewin joins Kate Parker and Julia Belgutay for this week's FE podcast. 

They discuss the need for a dedicated sixth-form college capital expansion fund, oversubscribed colleges and the increase in student numbers.

Mr Kewin also shares his immediate concerns for sixth-forms, including the funding rate, exams in 2021 and the battle to stay open during lockdown. 

In this week's Tes FE podcast, Julia Belgutay and Kate Parker are joined by Amanda Melton, chief executive and principal of Nelson and Colne College and commissioner on the Independent Commission for the College of the Future.

Nelson reflects on the commission's final report published earlier this week, discusses the importance of lifelong learning and adult education, and the looks ahead to the next steps for the commission. 

This week, Julia Belgutay and Kate Parker are joined by Fiona Aldridge, director of policy and research at the Learning and Work Institute and Bob Harrison, former principal and chair of governors at Northern College.

Both Aldridge and Harrison were judges for tonight's FE awards and they reflect on their categories, the standard of entries and the achievements of the FE sector.

To watch the FE awards live tonight at 8pm, please register here.

Neil Bentley-Gockmann joins Julia Belgutay and Kate Parker for this week's Tes FE Podcast. 

The WorldSkills CEO talks about the virtual skills show happening in November and what participants can expect and the newly announced centres of excellence. 

He also looks ahead to EuroSkills Graz in January and shares how skills competitions in a Covid safe environment will run.

Colleges in Scotland were reclassified as public bodies in 2013 - and with rumours that the FE white paper may consider the status of English colleges, Audrey Cumberford, principal of Edinburgh College, shares her experience.

She explains how the running of colleges has been affected by their status, and why the timing of the ONS decision was so crucial in a Scottish context.