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The Further Education sector has come under criticism lately as Sir Michael Wilshaw, Head of Ofsted, has suggested that students in further education “are not being well served,” and that there is a “worryingly wide” gap between education and employment. In addition, colleges have been accused of delivering ‘irrelevant’ courses that don’t prepare learners for employment. At NCFE, we know that colleges work incredibly hard in order to prepare their learners for the world of work and we have seen many fantastic examples of this.

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A recent survey carried out by NCFE has outlined that the high cost of further education has prevented almost half of UK adults gaining advanced qualifications. This comes as figures show that the average graduate debt is now £53,000 after tuition fees rose in September 2012. With an average of 250 people applying for each corporate job, and with 20% of graduates unemployed in their first 6 months after completing their university course, there is an increasing demand for vocational courses and Apprenticeships.

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The past fortnight has seen the 2 major political parties hold their final annual conference before the General Election in May 2015. At each event, the parties set out their policy plans and goals if they were to lead a majority government post General Election. These plans were articulated through a range of keynote speeches by significant Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet leads, as well as through fringe events, where key decision makers and corporate interests could discuss particular policy matters in a more intimate setting.

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Our Policy Leader has been getting the news hot off the press at Ed Miliband’s last party conference speech before the General Election, outlining ‘Labour’s plans for Britain’s future’. Commentators are billing it as a ‘make or break’ situation for the General Election; so what is Labour planning to do if they win the election? How are they winning hearts and minds?

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As another cohort of 14-16 year olds embark on the next chapter in their education I wonder how much each is considering their next steps beyond the classroom? Where will they go once they leave school and what guidance is there to help them make those choices beyond just the A level and university route? Earlier this year, the Guardian newspaper picked up on new research showing that thousands of university graduates are now earning less than school leavers who’ve taken apprenticeships, despite accumulating far higher debts. Based on research from the Office for National Statistics, the figures show that more than a quarter of graduates were paid, on average, less than the £11.10 per hour for those on work-based training schemes last year.

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‘The relevance of enterprise in education’ is Lord Young's third and final report on the importance of entrepreneurial spirit in education. The report is the latest in a series of moves from the government to make sure that young people leave education prepared and ready for the world of work. The review, aimed at all stakeholders in the world of education, contains a number of recommendations which encourage a more enterprising approach to learning. One proposal is that students should be able to rank university courses by their employment rates and earning potential.

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The gap between education and the workplace can seem like a daunting one for any young person about to make the leap onto the career ladder. For most, the decisions they make whilst navigating this tricky path toward secured employment will set a course for the rest of their working lives. Traditionally, parents have been the primary port of call for young people seeking direction and guidance when making these important initial career decisions. In fact, some 70% of young people say they trust their parents for job advice according to a recent report from the Association of Colleges (AoC). The report goes on to warn that, although always well intended, career advice given by parents is often out of date and badly informed. The AoC suggest that as a result, parent advice can push learners “towards careers that are seen to be safe or traditional, but possibly not best suited to the individual or taking into account emerging industries”.

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Today is the 7th annual VQ day celebrating vocational achievement and the benefits of practical, technical and vocational learning. Vocational qualifications have never been more important to the economy and to individuals. They help to equip the trained, talented employees businesses are crying out for and ensure young people have the skills needed to succeed in education and work. The government is also investing in vocational routes and acknowledging their value. Vocational Qualifications are being recognised as they can really enhance a learners life and their chance of getting into work.

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In March this year it was announced that around 5,000 adult vocational courses would be cut in order to "simplify and streamline" the adult skills system in England. Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock also took to Twitter to announce that the Government will be binning ‘low-value’ courses such as self-tanning, balloon artistry and instructing pole fitness in order to focus on qualifications that employers value. Read my original statement on the subject.

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Employability is still a hot topic in the education sector as the jobs market remains tough and competitive. Much of the focus is on how prepared learners are for job applications and interviews from school onwards. The first step in any job application is writing the perfect CV. Many young people feel they are not prepared for this due to the exclusion of employability and preparation for life and work modules in mandatory school curriculums.

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Blog posts for tag:Employability

Responding to criticism of the FE sector

Apprenticeships vs university

Increase in apprenticeship numbers remains cross party consensus

What's emerging from the Labour Party Conference?

Careers Guidance on the Cards

Enterprise in education – raising the status

Mother doesn't always know best

VQ Day 2014

Non-academic courses are still valuable to learners

Preparing learners for life after education

Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

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Blog posts for tag:Employability

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Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

Categories

Archive