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Several of our brave (or stupid!) male colleagues here at NCFE are taking part in a series of extreme physical challenges this weekend in aid of Help the Heroes. The ‘Tough Mudder’ event consists of 12 miles of mud, ice baths, electrical shocks, climbing walls, monkey bars, hay bales and more! They've tried to get some training in over the last few weeks in preparation but we’re not sure if this will adequately prepare them for the ice, shocks and numerous muscle strains they're about to willingly bring upon themselves!You can see some footage here to get a flavour of what they've let themselves in for…

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By David Grailey, Chief Executive An 11 month review into Apprenticeships has concluded that urgent reforms are required to the government’s Apprenticeship programme in order to boost economic growth.

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By David Grailey It’s encouraging to see that the latest reports from the Office for National Statistics have revealed a fall in unemployment, suggesting that Britain’s economy may be on the slow road to recovery. This positive development has surprised economists who’ve been impressed with the resilience of the labour market at such a challenging time.

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By David Grailey Back in December 2011, I told you about our plans to redevelop a selection of vocational qualifications so that they’re in line with the new Department for Education (DfE) criteria. To recap on this, the qualifications we’re redeveloping are:

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An 11 month review of apprenticeships carried out by The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee has concluded that urgent reform is needed to the Government's apprenticeships programme. The report suggests that quality standards need to be improved and schemes need to be better monitored in order to provide the skills needed to boost economic growth. It calls for schemes to be more ambitious and apprenticeships to be seen as equal to university. Following the publication of the report, the Chairman of the BIS Committee, Adrian Bailey, has stated that apprenticeships are capable of creating a more skilled workforce, increasing employment and ultimately solving “some of this country's most pressing issues”.

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A new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has highlighted the huge task faced by young unemployed people looking for work and has reinforced the need for rigorous preparation and active job search, in order to be successful. The research was carried out across 3 UK cities, one with a weak supply of jobs, one with a better supply and one in-between. Researchers sent 2,000 job applications from fictional learners with at least 5 good GCSEs and relevant work experience to 667 real vacancies (sales assistants, cleaners, office administrators and kitchen hands).

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As youth unemployment rates remain high, the need to equip young people with the skills to secure a job in today’s competitive labour market becomes increasingly important. One of the main routes for helping young people to gain these skills is via apprenticeships; allowing learners to gain real workplace experience and a solid skillset in a specialist area while at the same time achieving a nationally recognised qualification and a direct pathway into employment. There’s no doubt that apprenticeships are still high on the news agenda. But what’s next?

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This afternoon, Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband spoke at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester to galvanise the party in moving towards the 2015 General Election. The speech was anecdotal in style, looking at his own past as he delivered a speech which praised his teachers, drew on an example of an unemployed woman sending her CV to 137 employers, and set out a policy direction focusing on the Disraeli spirit of ‘one nation’.

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Further education students are being invited to rate their college on a new website, ‘Learner View’, run by education watchdog Ofsted. The questionnaire particularly focuses on how well college courses prepare students for their next steps in work or study. The initiative stems from Ofsted’s Skills for Employment report, which suggested that some college courses aren’t challenging enough and are too focused on the achievement of qualifications rather than providing learners with job specific skills.

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According to a report this week by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, the Government's youth contract is “insufficient” to tackle the scale of youth unemployment on its own. The youth contract provides £1bn for a range of initiatives aimed at getting young people into employment. Measures include providing 160,000 employers with a "wage incentive" of £2,275 to take on an unemployed 18-24 year-old, 250,000 work experience placements and also additional support from Jobcentre Plus.

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A few brave men…

BIS report on Apprenticeships highlights need for change

Unemployment rates drop... but there's still room for improvement

Vocational qualifications for schools

Apprenticeships: Reform needed for success?

Looking for a job – a job in itself?

A new era of apprenticeships: what’s next?

What came out of Ed Miliband’s keynote address?

Students to rate colleges online

Tackling youth unemployment - what’s the answer?

Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

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Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

Categories

Archive