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This month, we wrote to you to let you know about some changes that the Department for Education (DfE) had made in relation to qualifications on the published list of approved qualifications, for key stage 4 and key stage 5. The decision to suspend the approvals process for technical qualifications means that there will be no new qualifications available after those on the 2020 performance tables. 

At the end of January, NCFE and Campaign for Learning were delighted to publish our latest policy whitepaper, Mending the gap: are the needs of 16-18 year olds being met? Written by John Widdowson, Principal of New College Durham, the paper explores whether raising the participation age has worked, and makes a number of recommendations that could be taken to strengthen the policy. The paper acknowledges some success in lowering the numbers of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), but shines a light on a significant number of young people not participating up to age 18. For some people, the transition form school into further learning is a difficult one, and more could be done to support them.

Two big conceptual problems bedevil the debate about T levels. One, which I’ve written about at length elsewhere, is that people who should really know better persist in talking about technical education when they actually mean training for technicians. The other is the constant reference to a ‘vocational route’, usually followed by the assertion that only snobbery prevents its having parity of esteem with the academic. The problem with this presentation is that it sets vocational education up to fail. The academic route is designed specifically to facilitate progression. GCSEs sort out who will do A levels which in turn largely sorts out who will study for degrees. Although it’s often exaggerated, such qualifications are not especially good at getting people ‘work ready’. That is because they are not designed to.

With the rise of technology in the classroom and digital advances rapidly changing, the landscape for technology in education (edtech) can be difficult to navigate.  To kick off 2018, we invited global innovation and insight consultancy, Freshminds, to share their predicted top tech trends for 2018, and explore what this means for the education sector. Voice and Smart Speakers

Tech Levels and Applied General Qualifications Current guidance from the DfE states that learners are allowed a maximum of two attempts in the external assessments for Tech Levels and Applied Generals. These attempts are currently provided by NCFE and CACHE as one attempt at the external assessment and one resit opportunity, if necessary.

Social mobility seems to be the big idea of the moment.  It is now seen as unambiguously good by all the major parties, with the former Education Secretary, Justine Greening, even declaring her commitment to social mobility as more important to her than ministerial office.  With such wide and strong support, it is not surprising that FE colleges have been keen to label themselves as ‘key’ to increasing mobility and to position it as central to their mission.  Yet this analysis, while convenient, is only partly true, and contains real dangers for the sector.  It is necessary both to take a more dispassionate view of what social mobility means; and what colleges can and cannot achieve.

NCFE is proud to announce a new working relationship with Hawk Training. Hawk Training specialises in work-based training and vocational qualifications. Dedicated to supporting learners and employers, Hawk Training has successfully been delivering innovative training and development for almost 30 years.

Following the New Year’s reshuffle, and Justine Greening’s resignation, we have a new Secretary of State for Education, Damian Hinds MP. An appointment from the Department for Work and Pensions, Damian has written in the past on Social Mobility, which has been a key driver of Theresa May’s policy agenda. His writing has previously focused on the importance of early years foundation stage, entitlement to free childcare and the EBacc as drivers of pupil excellence and social mobility. He has spoken in debates of a government ‘committed to encouraging young people to be in education, training or employment and giving them the chance to progress and achieve, stating that this ‘is critical if we are to improve productivity, promote intergenerational fairness, and tackle poverty and disadvantage.’ Damian Hinds attended St Ambrose College, a Catholic boy’s grammar school. Whether or not this will influence his position on both grammar schools and policies which affect faith schools, will remain to be seen. He is also a strong supporter of the free schools programme. 

On 2 January 2018, an amendment to the Technical and Further Education Act came in to effect which could pave the way for new or enhanced working relations between schools and FE providers. The so-called Baker Clause means that it’s now compulsory for all schools to open their doors to allow FE and training providers to advertise their services to pupils. Leaders of local authority-maintained schools and academies will now have to ensure there is an opportunity for a “range of education and training providers” to access pupils aged 13 – 18 and make them aware of the technical options available to them after they leave school.

By the time you’re reading this, the consultation on the forthcoming T-level programmes will be drawing to a close. This has been the first real opportunity for people across the sector to give their feedback on the new programme, the qualifications it will contain, and the work placement required for completion.