Blog Archives: 2013

As promised earlier this year, I’m pleased to share with you an update on the V Cert resource pilot project. As mentioned in previous newsletters we're already signing up schools to run these qualifications from September. We’re using the time now to test the qualifications and strengthen our resource and support for schools choosing to run NCFE V Certs.

Teachers have warned that the switch to final exams, rather than a series of smaller units could see girls’ results fall. Data shows that girls have been outperforming boys in GCSEs at grades A*-C for more than 20 years, as GCSEs have been heavily based around coursework projects and extended essays. However, The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) suggests that girls often lack the confidence to perform well under the pressure of a ‘high stakes’ final exam system. The Department for Education denies that there are gender differences in how pupils perform in different exam structures.

As part of the Government’s recently launched Skills Strategy, struggling colleges in England are set to face a tougher regime. According to Skills Minister Matthew Hancock, there will be "swift and effective action" for colleges which are “failing learners.” Inspectors have found that there are 4% of colleges which fall into this category and have been identified as inadequate.

A recent survey amongst young people suggests there's a misalignment between young people's career expectations and the reality of the jobs available. Nick Chambers, Director of the Education and Employers Taskforce, says that the results highlight the need for better careers advice and indicate that teenagers have a weak understanding of the labour market.

The Government has published its response to Lord Heseltine’s 2012 report ‘No Stone Unturned - In Pursuit of Growth’. They’ve set out how they will adopt (partially or fully) 81 of his original 89 recommendations. To support this, the Government has committed ‘to creating a Single Local Growth Fund in England from April 2015, and devolving responsibilities, influence and growth-related spending on the basis of strategic plans developed by Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)’. LEPs will bid for money from this single growth fund, and use it to fund (and leverage additional funding for) the 3 critical areas for investment in their region: transport, housing and skills.

The Creative Employment Programme has announced its intention to create up to 6,500 employment opportunities across the country. The road show has already visited cities nationwide, including Birmingham, Sheffield, Gateshead, Cambridge and Southampton to encourage employers to sign up. Using money from the National Lottery, Arts Council England has set up a £15 million fund to create thousands of apprenticeships, traineeships and internships in the arts and culture. The scheme will be run by Sector Skills Council, Creative and Cultural Skills, a body designed to promote training and employment in the arts sector.

This month, we’ve been celebrating the positive impact of Apprenticeships on individuals, business and the economy, through National Apprenticeship Week. The awareness raising week is co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service and aims to shine a light on the successes of apprentices throughout the country. It seems fitting that David Cameron marked the start of the week by re-affirming the government’s commitment to work-based training, sitting at “the heart of our mission to rebuild the economy".

This month news broke about the proposed Department for Education (DfE) changes to Level 3 qualifications delivered to 16-19 year olds. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to share this news and our own response to this with you. The DfE proposal is that in order for Level 3 qualifications to be counted in league tables, they’ll have to meet a number of requirements, depending on whether they are ‘Applied General’ or ‘Occupational’.

The Government has published its response to The Richard Review of Apprenticeships, with a consultation that sets out plans for major changes to apprenticeships over the next 3 years. The changes include putting employers in the driving seat, empowering them to place recognised and meaningful industry standards at the heart of every apprenticeship.

Marking the start of National Apprenticeship Week, David Cameron has committed to making apprenticeships the ‘new norm’ for young people who don’t want to go to university. The Prime Minister has said that he wants work-based training to sit "at the heart of our mission to rebuild the economy" and be seen as a first class career move. At a visit to a training academy in Buckinghamshire, he called upon employers, educators and MPs to expand apprenticeship roles for young people in order to give school-leavers the chance to learn a trade and build their careers.