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The release of the long awaited Department of Education (DfE) performance tables for 2019 has been a mixed bag of both relief and frustration. Having waited since November 2016, we were pleased to have confirmation from the DfE that a number of our qualifications are already appearing on the tables. However, it’s frustrating that there’s been an added wait for qualifications that will appear on the next list yet to be released (expected this month).

Concern is growing amongst groups who represent teachers, councils and Conservative backbenchers surrounding the Chancellor’s education funding reforms, and whether they’re fit to mitigate some of the discrepancies seen across different localities. The formula is argued by the f40 group of education authorities to be too heavily weighted towards “additional needs factors” and will leave the core responsibilities of schools underfunded. The group, which represents the lowest funded education authorities in England, states that ‘[f]unding for individual schools with similar pupil characteristics is inconsistent and unfair.’

In a hugely welcome move, the government has amended the requirement that only those who had achieved GCSEs in English and mathematics could be counted in the ratios for Level 3 Early Years Educators (EYEs). In the long-anticipated response to the consultation on the literacy and numeracy qualification requirements for Level 3 Early Years Educators, the Department for Education (DfE) has set out that:

The conversation surrounding funding for 16-18 year olds has hit both peaks and troughs in a matter of weeks. Widely covered announcements from The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), a timely press release from the Treasury and the Spring Budget that followed have served to highlight the ongoing need for investment in the education of this age group. As we move into unchartered territory with the UK preparing to leave the European Union, the focus has shifted towards this age group and how the UK might prepare itself for a potential skills shortage.

The introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy is now just one month away, and discussion about this measure is at an all-time high. We wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of all the key things you should know about the Levy. The Apprenticeship Levy is of course part of the government’s plans to increase the number of businesses taking on apprenticeships, as it continues its drive to reach three million apprenticeship starts by 2020. From next month, all employers with an annual wage bill of over £3m will be required to pay a 0.5% tax, which they’ll be able to spend on training new apprentices or existing employees.

It’s a busy time for the NCFE and CACHE International team, as we’ve just started a period of extensive travel and conference attendance across a number of countries. Jackie and Sarah from our CACHE team have flown out to Dubai this week to meet some of our larger customers in the region.  They’ve already met with Early Years Education ME – our first and largest customer in the region – and spent some time with Arabian Child, an organisation which delivers our qualifications in the UAE and in Saudi Arabia.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has delivered his first and last Spring Budget. As announced back in November, fiscal events will only take place in the autumn from now on. The Chancellor’s announcements included investing £320m into new free schools, £216m into the refurbishment of existing schools, and £500m into supporting the Post-16 Skills Plan.

North East based training provider, Learning Curve Group (LCG), is proud to announce a new addition to its suite of market-leading qualifications: NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Behaviour that Challenges (QRN:603/1062/5). LCG is the only training provider to offer this qualification, which will benefit individuals across several sectors, especially those within education and health and social care.

2017 marks the 10th National Apprenticeship Week and aims to bring together employers and apprentices from across the country to celebrate the success of apprenticeships, with the theme being ‘ladder of opportunity’. As always, this week presents a great opportunity to discuss the importance of apprenticeships, highlight their success over the last decade, and encourage more people to recognise them as a route to future success.

FE loans are a relatively new way to fund courses but through no fault of their own, adults are already being left with government debts for cancelled courses. The short-term solution for government, to write the debt off, is both simple and obvious. But it is important to also learn from why and how the loans were introduced.