Blog posts for tags:progression, skills gap, English and maths

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Soft skills mean business

By , Wednesday 23 March 2016

The need to focus on basic, work-ready skills has been in the spotlight again, with some in the Further Education sector arguing that the government should be focusing its efforts on improving basic skills rather than its heavy emphasis on Apprenticeships. As recently reported in FE Week, “the BIS Select Committee’s report on the Government’s productivity plan raised concerns about the lack of focus on a variety of policy areas, including Apprenticeships, but what has escaped most attention was the call to address the poor level of basic skills in the workforce”. 

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Survey reveals significant skills gap

By , Thursday 18 February 2016

The results of the UK Employer Skills Survey 2015 were recently published, shedding light on the extent of the skills gap the UK is currently facing – a quarter of vacancies are unfilled due to a shortage of people with the required skills. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) survey reveals how significant the nation’s skills gap is, which is surprising given the still problematic levels of unemployment in the UK. Over 90,000 employers were surveyed, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem.

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Learning by rote: Effective or not?

By , Thursday 14 January 2016

The government is introducing new exams from next year that will mean that primary school pupils need to know their times tables off by heart. In what it sees as part of its “war on innumeracy”, the government’s new exams will see pupils expected to memorise their times tables, and be able to recite them by heart. Commenting on the new tests, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan stated, “Maths is a non-negotiable of a good education. Since 2010, we've seen record numbers of 11 year olds start secondary school with a good grasp of the three Rs. But some continue to struggle.

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Tackling the skills gap

By , Tuesday 22 September 2015

It was recently announced that most graduates are in non-graduate jobs, a statistic that has raised further awareness of the skills gap crisis the UK is facing. Many recent reports have backed this up; a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) study showed the UK has the worst-equipped school leavers when it comes to essential employment skills, particularly in regards to careers in business.

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An update on adult skills funding in 2015-16

By David Grailey, Chief Executive, Wednesday 22 April 2015

David Grailey

The cuts to funding for adult skills in 2015-16 have been widely documented in the last month as the Association of Colleges warns that up to 190,000 adult education places will be lost next year. However, the government has stated that although overall funding is being cut, high quality apprenticeships and English and maths are being prioritised to ensure that learners are literate and numerate, with vocational qualifications of prestige.  At NCFE, we have been working hard to ensure that our popular and valued vocational qualifications have their funding protected and we’re pleased to say that we now have almost 100 funded qualifications available for 15-16 with further qualifications pending approval. These qualifications include courses within Health and Social Care such as Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Dementia Care, Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of the Prevention and Control of Infection in Health Care Settings, as well as substantial qualifications such as Level 1, 2 and 3 Diplomas in Entry to the Uniformed Services and many more.

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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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Policy Corner - 29 January 2015

By Andrew Gladstone-Heighton, Policy Leader, Wednesday 28 January 2015

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Apprenticeship reforms ‘not in long grass’ — Boles (p3) – The Skills Minister is under pressure as it was confirmed this week the government has gone back to the drawing board with plans to route apprenticeship funding through employers. Boles has had a tough week, he was in front of the Education Select Committee following the publication for the government’s plans for Apprenticeship funding, where he admitted that time was running out for the funding reforms, and that any announcement might be delayed until after the General Election (which, as you all should know by now, is 7 May).

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A cross college approach to English and maths

By Catherine Langstreth, Advanced Practitioner and English and maths Tutor, Monday 19 January 2015

Catherine Blog

English and maths are vital skills needed for learners to progress onto higher level study and/or employment. In order to develop learners’ English and maths skills, it is important that the two subjects are embedded into every session.

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Apprenticeship start numbers: The good and the bad.

By Marcus Ridley, Communications Assistant, Thursday 11 December 2014

Marcus Blog

Figures recently released by the Skills Funding Agency  (SFA) detail a fall in the overall number of new apprentice starts for the second consecutive year. The SFA report showed a fall of nearly 70,000 in the number of new all-age apprentices for 2013-14 compared to the previous year. The 25+ age group bore the brunt of the drop, seeing numbers decrease from 230,300 to 161,600 (-29.8%) this year. The 19-24 age group also contributed to the dip in numbers, with 2.8% less new apprentices this year compared to 2012-13.

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