Blog posts for tag:Employability

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General Election - what's in it for schools?

By Andrew Gladstone-Heighton, Policy Leader, Wednesday 22 April 2015

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Over the last few weeks the manifestos for the UK national parties have all been released. So we wanted to give you a round-up of the key points potentially impacting schools and secondary education. Of course this is just a snapshot and with many pundits saying that this election is going to close, (some commentators stating a 91% chance of a hung parliament at present) coalition (or supply and confidence) relationships between parties could be highly likely which means many of the points outlines below could be up for negotiation. Conservatives

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Policy Corner - 17 April 2015

By Andrew Gladstone-Heighton, Policy Leader, Friday 17 April 2015

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

‘Everybody has A*s – employers want character’ (p10) – John Cridland, Director-General of the business lobbying organisation the CBI, wants schools to do more to develop character – he said in an interview with TES that his members would look "at all elements of a learner’s CV, rather than merely the qualifications, because everybody has A*s." He also called for Ofsted to judge schools on the holistic development of pupils, looking at a students’ ‘whole education’ – which has aligned with recent announcements from Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Labour’s Tristram Hunt.

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Consumers trust employers delivering Apprenticeships

By , Thursday 26 March 2015

Apprenticeships is the topic on everyone’s lips at the moment, with cross-party pledges to increase the number of young people undertaking Apprenticeships following the General Election, and a successful Apprenticeship Week highlighting the benefits of the scheme to businesses, educational institutions and learners. The evidence supporting Apprenticeships as a viable education path to take continues to grow, as research has shown customers favour businesses with Apprentices over those who don’t use Apprenticeship schemes at all.

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Earth Hour 2015 – Are you being Green?

By , Tuesday 24 March 2015

Climate change is in the news again as the concern for the damage we may be doing to our planet increases. Recently it’s been reported that increases in temperature could bring mosquito-carried diseases to the UK, and that it could even affect the quality and taste of our food. In an effort to raise awareness of climate change and encourage people to actively participate in green activities, the WWF began Earth Hour in 2007. Over 162 countries worldwide now participate in the event, which involves turning off lights for an hour. Prominent landmarks including the Sydney Opera House and Big Ben have taken part in the past, reaching the attention of millions worldwide.

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Apprenticeships - the week that was

By David Grailey, Chief Executive, Tuesday 17 March 2015

David Grailey

Last week we celebrated the eighth National Apprenticeship Week, which saw more than 600 events held across the country, shining a national media spotlight on Apprenticeships; a spotlight which was only intensified by the build up to the general election. With a year of change behind us and a great deal of uncertainty still ahead in terms of the future for Apprenticeships, the week provided a welcomed opportunity to take stock and appreciate the true value that Apprenticeships have on the lives of learners, businesses and our economy. Co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, the week aims to help inspire more young people to become apprentices, whilst encouraging business to unlock the potential of Apprenticeships.

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The importance of quality careers advice

By , Tuesday 17 March 2015

Fellow North East-based educational charity Teach First have stated that all schools should have a professionally trained teacher delivering careers advice to their pupils. In their report titled ‘Careers education in the classroom: The role of teachers in making young people work-ready,’ the charity said that at least one teacher at a school should specialise in careers advice and employability, and that this should be at the core of each curriculum led by teachers, and supported by businesses and policy makers.

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Hard facts back up soft skills

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Monday 02 February 2015

Lindsay Plumpton

A new campaign by employers is backing ‘soft skills’ as a key factor for success in the workplace. Research has shown that transferable skills such as problem solving, initiative, and team work have a clear economic value worth a huge £88bn to the UK economy. Business giants such as McDonald's, Barclays and the CBI are supporting the campaign to promote the value of these skills, underlining how essential they are in terms of young people progressing into work from education.

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Literacy and numeracy remains top priority

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Monday 02 February 2015

Lindsay Plumpton

It’s encouraging to see literacy and numeracy high on the political agenda throughout the pre-election campaigns. This month, the Liberal Democrats have committed to eliminating child illiteracy in England by 2025 if they remain in power following May's general election. It’s a positive step in raising the bar of achievement. If young people have a strong foundation in English and maths, they can then build on this to further their skills in their areas of interest. A core understanding of numbers and an ability to communicate effectively is absolutely vital for a pupil to progress from school into further education, an apprenticeship or a job.

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Helping learners manage their finances

By , Monday 02 February 2015

Following the season of lavish spending over the Christmas period, it's now the time of year many people look at getting their finances back on track and spend more consciously. However, recent studies have shown that young people are now more likely than ever to turn to payday lenders as they struggle with personal finances, with no real knowledge of how to manage their own money.

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Call for career advice on apprenticeships

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Wednesday 10 December 2014

Lindsay Plumpton

As we approach 2015’s General Election, ‘Apprenticeships’ is the hot topic that binds all 3 of the big political parties. However, Ofsted FE and Skills Director Lorna Fitzjohn has recently spoken out about young people not being well advised on the benefits of apprenticeships when at school, resulting in the number of apprenticeship starts among young people ‘flatlining’.  She claims that careers advice in schools mainly focuses on A-Levels as the preferred option for teenagers due to a lack of understanding in schools about work-based training.

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