Blog Archives: May 2013

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Education Secretary faces frosty reception at head teachers’ conference

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Monday 20 May 2013

Lindsay Plumpton

Education Secretary, Michael Gove, received an angry reception when he appeared before head teachers in Birmingham at the National Association of Head Teachers’ conference. The union passed a no confidence motion in his policies, while President Bernadette Hunter said that teachers and pupils have "never had it so bad" and that teaching staff live in a culture of “bullying.”

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Apprenticeships

By David Grailey, Chief Executive, Monday 13 May 2013

David Grailey

Apprenticeships, Apprenticeships, Apprenticeships... certainly the topic of conversation consuming the world of education at present. A recent survey carried out by Government has shown that employers rated apprentices more highly in comparison to university graduates, rating apprentices 15% more employable than those with other qualifications. These findings have been welcomed by Minister for Skills, Matthew Hancock who claimed taking a higher apprenticeship could boost a young person’s lifetime earning by more than £150,000.

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Plans for a Technical Baccalaureate and the importance of Apprenticeships

By David Grailey, Chief Executive, Monday 13 May 2013

David Grailey

This month, the Government 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 'Tech Bacc' will become a league table performance measure from 2017. The proposal comes at a time when raising the status of vocational qualification is very much in the spotlight. According to a government survey this month, job candidates who have trained through an apprenticeship scheme are “more employable” than people with other qualifications, including degrees. The employability research conducted with 500 companies demonstrated that employers rate apprentices’ skills and experience way above learners who have followed alternative career paths.

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Lord Adonis' call for investment in work based training

By David Grailey, Chief Executive, Monday 13 May 2013

David Grailey

Many of you will know that the NCFE is based in the North East and while it hasn’t stopped us delivering great service right across the country it does mean we get to share with you some of the work going on to support the region’s development during these times of austerity. One thing many of our non-North East customers won’t be aware of is a recent report by Lord Adonis, the theme of which is relevant across the UK – let’s get young people “on the road to a job not the dole”. Lord Adonis' report ‘More and Better Jobs: North East International’ was commissioned by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, following a major review of the North East’s economy. The report follows announcements earlier in the year which revealed that the North East has more than 441,100 people with no qualifications and that the region is facing a Northern “skills drain”. In his report, Lord Adonis places a lot of emphasis on the need for investment in work based training.

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Lack of confidence in GCSEs – what’s the answer?

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Wednesday 08 May 2013

Lindsay Plumpton

A recent survey conducted by qualifications regulator Ofqual suggests that many teachers, heads and parents lack confidence in GCSE grades. The research (carried out by 4,686 people) showed that four out of five head teachers and two-thirds of teachers have had their confidence knocked by the grading controversy of last year. Ofqual would like to see faith in GCSEs restored, but what’s the answer and how can these concerns be addressed? Michael Gove suggests that the survey highlights the need for fundamental reform. A Department for Education spokesperson stated, "New GCSEs will be introduced from 2015 - they will be more rigorous, with deeper subject content and will match the best equivalent exams in the world.”

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