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Vocational qualification courses cover a plethora of subjects and initiatives beyond just the headline grabbing performance point carrying ones. Just last month I read, with great interest, the latest news that MPs’ have launched an inquiry into the future of PSHE and Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) in schools. This MPs’ inquiry comes on the back of last year’s Ofsted report which found that 40% of the 50 schools visited didn’t offer a good enough standard of PSHE. The report, entitled ‘Not Yet Good Enough’ also found that half of secondary schools needed to improve SRE.

Excessive alcohol consumption is something that is a growing concern, especially with university students as they’re usually young people who have just left home to move to another city where they want to explore and have fun with their peers. Universities around the country have signed up to an Alcohol Impact pilot scheme. The initiative aims to inform students about the effects of alcohol and how to drink responsibly. The outcome is that students will be encouraged to be sensible when drinking, especially during freshers week, and also to help cut alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder. The universities who are taking part in this scheme must be seen to be preventing alcohol fuelled events, such as initiations for new students and activities within societies.

A new anti-homophobia education initiative has recently been launched by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in order to tackle discrimination aimed at young LGBT people. The programme comes after Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity involved in the development of the educational resources, revealed that more than half of LGBT pupils are bullied because of their sexuality. 

There’s no doubt about it, the Health and Social Care sector is a growing industry, employing millions of front line staff delivering care to vulnerable people in society. But are these staff adequately trained and qualified to do the tasks that are expected of them? It’s a hotly debated topic which has caused controversy across the sector following the recent independent Cavendish review which has highlighted inconsistencies in training.

The gap between education and the workplace can seem like a daunting one for any young person about to make the leap onto the career ladder. For most, the decisions they make whilst navigating this tricky path toward secured employment will set a course for the rest of their working lives. Traditionally, parents have been the primary port of call for young people seeking direction and guidance when making these important initial career decisions. In fact, some 70% of young people say they trust their parents for job advice according to a recent report from the Association of Colleges (AoC).  The report goes on to warn that, although always well intended, career advice given by parents is often out of date and badly informed. The AoC suggest that as a result, parent advice can push learners “towards careers that are seen to be safe or traditional, but possibly not best suited to the individual or taking into account emerging industries”.  

Here’s your weekly round-up summarising the top education stories from the sector’s press including FE Week and the TES. Bosses face apprenticeship bill of up to £9K

For the past few months we’ve continued to keep you posted on our V Cert qualification developments. Throughout January to April participating schools have continued to work with us to review the content of our new V Cert qualifications and, where possible, deliver a selection of sample units to their pupils. Once again, we really wanted to give schools the opportunity to explore what we’d developed to help ensure that the qualifications continue to engage pupils.  The V Cert subjects covered in this year’s pilot were Computing, Business & Enterprise and Creative Craft and as with last year, the pilot project has been an invaluable source of information for NCFE and the schools that have taken part. Some of the schools completed their pilot as a single unit, some trialled the whole qualification and some used it as an opportunity to teach the Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications together to see how they aligned in mixed ability classes.

Today is the 7th annual VQ day celebrating vocational achievement and the benefits of practical, technical and vocational learning. Vocational qualifications have never been more important to the economy and to individuals. They help to equip the trained, talented employees businesses are crying out for and ensure young people have the skills needed to succeed in education and work. The government is also investing in vocational routes and acknowledging their value. Vocational Qualifications are being recognised as they can really enhance a learners life and their chance of getting into work.

In March this year it was announced that around 5,000 adult vocational courses would be cut in order to "simplify and streamline" the adult skills system in England. Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock also took to Twitter to announce that the Government will be binning ‘low-value’ courses such as self-tanning, balloon artistry and instructing pole fitness in order to focus on qualifications that employers value. Read my original statement on the subject.

Are you up to the new standards? There’s going to be a new set of professional standards for teachers and trainers in Further Education (FE) – 20 ‘inspirational’ standards based on improving teacher practice are being published by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF).These standards will be referred to by Ofsted in their inspections and in informing their judgements, and aren’t intended to be a prescriptive checklist, but rather ‘to be owned by the teaching workforce…based on the model of the reflective practitioner’.