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Following over a year of media silence, the publication of the T-Level Action Plan provided a welcome insight into progress made and the challenges ahead for implementation of new T-Levels. One of the most striking revelations in the plan is that 4 routes will be delivered through apprenticeships only:

The government’s Action Plan for the implementation of T-Level qualifications created as many, if not more, questions than it has answered. With deadlines looming, the information is still somewhat lacking. Considering the weight of expectation on T-levels in the education system, and the government’s desire to phase them in from 2020, the details on what the T-Levels comprise are sparse. We’ve taken a look at what we know so far and some of the more salient points that we’ve identified as potentially problematic.  

I’d like to open by thanking you for feeding into our recent research on end-point assessment (EPA) for apprenticeships. This has given us great insight into your thoughts, concerns and challenges around the delivery and assessment of apprenticeship standards. Unsurprisingly, chief amongst the findings was that virtually all providers responded that they expect qualifications to be part of the EPA for at least some of the apprenticeships that they deliver. This is a point we have raised several times in the past, as qualifications provide evidence and portability of learning across sectors and job roles.

I recently attended the Schools, Students and Teacher Network (SSAT) Annual Lecture where the discussion was centred on how well we’re preparing pupils for the future world of work. CACHE Associate Director, Julie Hyde, was amongst the panel members conducting an insightful debate on the findings of the Taylor Review and how it should be the responsibility of us all, not just the government, to ensure that we support our pupils to navigate the complex landscape that lays before them. Issues around political matters, such as Brexit and the growing “gig” economy, now exist that many of us didn’t have to anticipate when we were 16 years old. The next 5-10 years involves significant change in workers’ rights and freedom of movement which may impact upon the career prospects of current and future school-age pupils. How does someone prepare themselves for a future of such unprecedented uncertainty? To echo the esteemed SSAT Panel member’s unilateral comments, the answer lies in resilience and agility.

Like most people, we can’t believe that it’s nearly November already. Not least due to a usual submission window from the Department for Education (DfE) passing us by without ever even opening. This has been a year unlike any other, where it’s been made abundantly clear that assumptions cannot be made  about the schools calendar. After a tentative wait, we’ve received the news that the 2020 performance tables will be opening this year for submissions. The technical guidance, we are told, will be released soon and we are still waiting for confirmation of when the first submission window will be opening.

There was a lot of talk at the Conservative Party Conference about the ‘skills revolution’; largely centred on promises of greater degree level apprenticeship opportunities for teachers. This, along with raising the profile of apprenticeships and ‘gold standard’ T-level technical qualifications, are part of the government’s plan to raise the esteem of technical education.  These are welcome announcements from the government, but in order to create a true parity of esteem, we need to go much further in promoting, and embedding, technical opportunities in mainstream learning from an early age.

We’re really proud to say that our Level 2 Certificate in Creative Studies: Craft has been developed to offer flexibility to schools to deliver a craft discipline that suits the needs of the pupil. This qualification aims to: · develop a broad and comprehensive understanding of craft

One of the key announcements at the Conservative Party conference was the increase in the payment threshold for student loans. Although the policy only applies to graduates who took out student loans introduced in 2012, it was launched as part of a raft of policies which appear to be trying to appeal to the younger demographic. Although at time of writing the official guidance is yet to be updated, the Department for Education (DfE) has clarified that this new threshold will also apply to advanced learner loans. Will this help the struggling advanced learner loans policy? We’ve seen continuing reports of the low take-up of advanced learner loans, with over half the budgeted amount underspent since 2013. As a key source of funding for learners looking to upskill themselves, this is a cause for concern.

This month, we spoke to Edith Hall, Chief Moderator for NCFE covering:Business Administration & Law and Preparation for Life & Work, to give us the inside track on what Edith and her Moderators are frequently asked and some handy tips for qualification delivery and assessment success. We’ll be speaking to more of our Chief Moderators, so if you have any burning questions about the sector you teach in, get in touch with [email protected].

In their simplest form, Functional Skills are practical qualifications in English, Maths and ICT which provide learners with essential knowledge, understanding and skills that will enable them to operate confidently, effectively and independently in life and work. On paper the offer makes sense, but historically the problem has been that rather than Functional Skills qualifications being given the recognition they deserve as technical and practical alternatives to traditional academic routes, there has been an ongoing disconnect in gaining that recognition from employers and industry. At NCFE we are passionate about the importance of Functional Skills being widely recognised and appreciated as high quality, robust qualifications and we are continually working to improve our offer for both learners and centres delivering our qualifications. We welcome the reform and are doing all we can as an active member of the Functional Skills Working Group to ensure that learners are at the heart of any changes made. Here we take a look at the stages so far in the Functional Skills Reform, and look ahead at how we deliver our own Functional Skills offer in the future.