Blog Archives: April 2013

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'Tech Bacc' announced to boost status of vocational courses

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Monday 22 April 2013

Lindsay Plumpton

The Government has announced plans to introduce a Technical Baccalaureate as a 'mark of achievement' for the 50% of school-leavers who don't go on to university. It will consist of 3 strands, including an approved vocational qualification equivalent to Level 3, a core Maths qualification and an 'extended project’ designed to test skills in communication, research and motivation. The Department for Education is currently consulting on the list of vocational qualifications that will qualify for inclusion on the 'Tech Bacc' approved list. These vocational qualifications could be in any sector area from engineering to hairdressing, but will be taught at a level of complexity on a par with A-levels.

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Apprenticeships are still a hot topic says David Grailey, NCFE Chief Executive

By David Grailey, Chief Executive, Monday 15 April 2013

David Grailey

This month the hot topic is still Apprenticeships - with youth unemployment still at almost one million, Apprenticeships remain high on the political agenda. Government also recently re-affirmed their commitment to work-based training and the Prime Minister has stated that Apprenticeships are at the heart of the Government’s mission to rebuild the economy. His comments come in the light of recent statistics which suggest that apprentices could add up to £3.4bn a year in economic gains. It’s never been more important to raise the status of high quality Apprenticeships as a viable alternative to higher education, allowing learners to earn while they learn and gain that all-important work experience.

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Re-engaging Britain's teens in education by David Grailey, NCFE Chief Executive

By David Grailey, Chief Executive, Monday 15 April 2013

David Grailey

A new report has highlighted the need to re-engage Britain’s young people in learning, as the UK falls to the bottom of an international league table showing the proportion of young people in education. The United Nations states that Britain ranked in last place, out of the 29 countries surveyed – with fewer than 75 per cent of 15 to 19-year-olds studying. However, initiatives such as the raising of the participation age together with investment in traineeships and high quality apprenticeships aim to tackle the issue.

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Feedback from V Cert resource pilot project by David Grailey, Chief Executive

By David Grailey, Chief Executive, Monday 15 April 2013

David Grailey

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.

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Will GCSE reform disadvantage girls?

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Sunday 14 April 2013

Lindsay Plumpton

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.

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Rapid intervention for ‘underperforming’ FE colleges under Skills Strategy

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Thursday 04 April 2013

Lindsay Plumpton

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.

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