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FE makes learners more employable

By David Grailey, Chief Executive, Wednesday 16 December 2015

David Grailey

A recent report by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has highlighted the positive impact Further Education (FE) has on helping the unemployed find work. The report, entitled “Impact of Skills and Training Intervention on the Unemployed”, comes shortly after BIS suffered a 17% cut in the wake of the Autumn Statement. Although this was less severe than many in the sector were expecting and therefore has been viewed positively, it’s still a substantial cut and one that could damage the Further Education sector.

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Investing in vocational education

By , Wednesday 16 December 2015

It was great to hear the news that a record £360,000 grant has been awarded to a team of academics for research on improving teaching standards in FE, showing a real commitment to improving vocational education. Awarded by the Gatsby Charitable Trust to a research team at the University of Huddersfield, the grant will be used to investigate how to improve both teaching and teacher training in FE colleges. The aim is to develop a sector-wide “intervention” designed to raise standards in technology, engineering, and vocational science subjects.

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Changing young people's lives

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Wednesday 16 December 2015

Lindsay Plumpton

Meet Joel. At the age of six, Joel Fields, 18, from Birmingham, and his four brothers and sisters were put into foster care. But, thanks to The Prince's Trust, he was able to turn his life around. Find out how you can help people like Joel progress in their lives.  For 10 years Joel was moved from one foster home to another. Then, at 17, he was put into Independent Living accommodation, which helps young people without any family support to learn to look after themselves.

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Apprenticeships - what next?

By , Wednesday 16 December 2015

Following the announcement of the Apprenticeship levy rate and the Apprenticeship Institute in the Autumn Statement, the government has outlined further detail on the Apprenticeship reforms and their vision for Apprenticeships going forward. The paper, entitled “English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 Vision”, explores how the government intends to improve recognition and quality of Apprenticeship programmes, give employers more power in shaping Apprenticeships and the state of funding for Apprenticeships. The key points highlighted in the Executive Summary are the intentions for Apprenticeships to provide “substantive training in a professional or technical route” with a strong focus on key English and maths skills, and the availability of Apprenticeships at all levels, up to and including degree level, as well as across all sectors. It’s expected the amount of Higher Apprenticeships – those at a degree level – will increase and become more widely available. This is good news in the light of recent research that showed learners who undertake Higher Apprenticeships earn more than university graduates.

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The Autumn Statement: Can we open our Christmas presents early?

By Andrew Gladstone-Heighton, Policy Leader, Monday 07 December 2015

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Judging by the initial reaction to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement it seemed the Education and Skills sector had received its Christmas presents early. After bracing ourselves for pretty brutal cuts to budgets across the board, the actual announcements were generally positively received. Thanks in part to higher than expected tax receipts and debt interest, the government managed to avoid some of the larger scale cuts that the sector had been anticipating. Indeed, the ongoing protection to the schools budget and an increase in financial support for education and childcare continue to be welcome for the sector, spreading a little festive cheer. The government has also set out its intention to introduce a new National Funding Formula for schools by 2017, with the intention of overcoming the regional discrepancies brought about by the current system.

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