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Last month the Education committee published the report on PSHE and SRE in schools. Describing the government’s strategy for improving education in this area as weak and as a mismatch between rhetoric and the actual steps that have been taken to improve education in this area, the report didn’t exactly hold back.

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At NCFE, we see first-hand the benefits Apprenticeships bring to lives of learners, and the opportunities they offer to young people looking to succeed in the workplace. It’s our hope that this week’s spotlight on Apprenticeships will help inspire more young people to achieve their potential through work based training. What’s more, it should help encourage more business to take on apprentices by providing them with a greater understanding of the value that Apprenticeships can bring to their organisation.

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Government scraps ‘deterrent’ apprentice rule (p1) – the government has ‘scrapped’ the rule that requires Apprentices to re-sit any English & maths GCSEs they sat more than 5 years before the Apprenticeship start date. The “Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) confirmed it had removed the rule — in place since 2009 — from the latest version of the specification of apprenticeship standards for England (SASE), but individual frameworks will need to be amended to reflect the change.”

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As Women’s International Day celebrates its silver anniversary after 25 years, we look at what’s changed for women in this space of time. How much more needs to be done? There’s no doubt that feminist movements such as the suffragette movement, perhaps the most famous of all, have substantially improved the lives of women in the Western world. Let’s remember that a mere century ago, women were unable to vote. In terms of laws, women have continued to break free from the shackles of oppressive regulation for over a century. There is the Gender Equality Act 2010, The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and The Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination) Regulations 2005 to name a few. But why are we still fighting for equality?

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‘Open traineeships up’ plea as starts hit 5K in first quarter (p2) – the government has been urged to open up more traineeships as ‘figures show 1,700 more people started on the scheme in the first three months of 2014/15 than in the entire first half of last academic year.’ Chief Executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) Stewart Segal said that he was encouraged by the figures – but called for a relaxation to the current rule that only allows Traineeships to be delivered by Ofsted grade 1 or 2 providers.

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A new campaign by employers is backing ‘soft skills’ as a key factor for success in the workplace. Research has shown that transferable skills such as problem solving, initiative, and team work have a clear economic value worth a huge £88bn to the UK economy. Business giants such as McDonald's, Barclays and the CBI are supporting the campaign to promote the value of these skills, underlining how essential they are in terms of young people progressing into work from education.

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It’s encouraging to see literacy and numeracy high on the political agenda throughout the pre-election campaigns. This month, the Liberal Democrats have committed to eliminating child illiteracy in England by 2025 if they remain in power following May's general election. It’s a positive step in raising the bar of achievement. If young people have a strong foundation in English and maths, they can then build on this to further their skills in their areas of interest. A core understanding of numbers and an ability to communicate effectively is absolutely vital for a pupil to progress from school into further education, an apprenticeship or a job.

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Following the season of lavish spending over the Christmas period, it's now the time of year many people look at getting their finances back on track and spend more consciously. However, recent studies have shown that young people are now more likely than ever to turn to payday lenders as they struggle with personal finances, with no real knowledge of how to manage their own money.

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A number of schools have been hit by the changes in which qualifications count in the school performance tables. This year, 330 schools fell below the required benchmark which is up from 154 in the previous year - clearly a big increase but probably not a big surprise to the schools it has impacted upon.

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The key piece of political theatre this quarter was the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. This now annual event outlines the government’s spending plans for the remainder of this parliament, and gives us the best indication of their plans following the 7 May election next year. Due to a combination of lower than expected income tax receipts (due to the increase in low quality and zero hours contracts), an increase in the National Insurance thresholds, low oil and gas revenues and corporate tax avoidance, the treasury has less money than it planned for at this point in the parliament.

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Life Lessons

National Apprenticeship Week 2015

Policy Corner - March 2015

International Women's Day - Educating on gender equality

Policy Corner - 17 February 2015

Hard facts back up soft skills

Literacy and numeracy remains top priority

Helping learners manage their finances

DfE changes begin to bite

Reflections on the Autumn Statement

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