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The Government has announced plans for a new training scheme to help young people boost their skills, confidence and ultimately find sustained employment. The Traineeship Programme could be launched as soon as September 2013 and will consist of work experience, English and Maths, along with job preparation such as CV-writing tips and advice on how to prepare for an interview.

Recent figures show a drop of more than 6% in university applications with less than a month to go before the deadline for 2013. Rising tuition fees are said to be a key reason behind the fall in applications with potential students put off by the prospect of up to £27,000 debt for a 3-year course. What’s more, with ministers claiming apprenticeships will 'soon match degrees' (available at Level 6 and above), university is far from the only option for school leavers. New routes are opening up to into valuable, skilled careers as the quality and reputation of Apprenticeships continues to improve. Are Apprenticeships the future?

One in 10 young people feel they can't cope with day-to-day life, according to the results of a new study. The Prince's Trust Youth Index gauges how young people feel about their lives across a range of areas from family life to emotional health. It reveals that young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) are more than twice as likely to feel unhappy. The trust found that 27% of young people believe their prospects have been “permanently damaged” by the double-dip recessions. What’s more, 19% of those surveyed said they had no future because of the downturn. This figure increased to 36% per cent for young people classed as NEET.

Happy New Year! After the indulgence of the festive season, a number of NCFE sober soldiers have given up alcohol for the whole of January as part of a Cancer Research UK initiative. Our brave ‘dryathletes’ will be removing their beer goggles and turning their back on the bar in order to raise money for the cause. Their willpower will be rewarded with sponsorship from their fellow colleagues and the great news is that all cash raised in the office will be doubled by NCFE. If our volunteers need a night off for a special occasion, they’re able to buy a ‘golden pass’ to allow themselves a cheeky tipple without the guilt (all funds going to Cancer Research UK).

As the end of 2012 draws near, it’s a good time to reflect on what has been a challenging year for the sector as we look ahead to 2013. It’s certainly been a year of transition; with Michael Gove’s proposed E-Bacc countered by Labour’s suggested Tech-Bacc, funding and policy changes, the outcomes of several Apprenticeship reviews and the ongoing issue of employment outcomes for the FE sector. At NCFE, we’re looking to the future. Coalition policy is based around stimulating the economy to achieve growth through employment, spearheaded by apprenticeships and employability skills – this is a focus very much aligned to our own. We’ll continue to expand our range of employability related qualifications, whilst growing our Apprenticeship portfolio.

It’s the second biggest economic event in the Government’s calendar and this week George Osbourne made a series of important announcements in his Autumn Statement. Notably, the Chancellor stated that the Government will miss its own debt targets as the tougher economic conditions mean that it will take 4 rather than 3 years for debt to fall. However, he remained confident about the future and opened by saying that “it’s taking time but the British economy is healing” and that Britain is “on the right track.” He also reminded us that the UK has a greater proportion of people in work than the US or the Eurozone average.

From September 2013, the ‘Raising the Participation Age’ (RPA) policy will come into effect for learners aged 16 to 19. This means that from Summer 2013, 16 year olds in education will be required to ‘participate’ in education until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17. From summer 2015, 17 year olds will be required to participate in education until the end of the academic year in which they turn 18. This participation will be counted as learners engaging in one of the following:

The Government has welcomed the recommendations within Doug Richard’s newly published independent report on the future of apprenticeships. The report calls to improve the quality of apprenticeships, making them more focused on the needs of employers and also on outcomes – what an apprentice will be able to do having completed their training. Key recommendations have included:

Official figures this week show that the Work Programme has missed its main target for getting people sustained jobs - only 3.53% of people on the programme have found a job for 6 months or more (the coalition's target was 5.5%). The programme provides tailored support for claimants who need more help to undertake active and effective job-seeking. Joining the work programme is mandatory for people aged over 25 when they have been out of work for a year and for under-25s after 9 months.

NCFE is exhibiting at the Association of Colleges Annual Conference and Exhibition this week at the ICC in Birmingham. There will be over 1700 Further Education professionals at the event which will feature leading speakers from the industry and fantastic networking opportunities. If you’re going to be there, please come and visit us – we’re on Stand F16! We’ll also be hosting a break-out session on REED NCFE: Turning your College into the go-to place for employment. The session will demonstrate how the REED NCFE initiative can increase your learners’ chances of job success and enhance your college’s employability reputation. The session is on Wednesday 21 November from 9.15am-10.15am.