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.
However, although these remarks might seem harsh, they do shine a light on the importance of teaching transferable workplace skills in addition to English and maths upskilling. Poor numeracy and literacy skills are often highlighted when it comes to high youth unemployment levels. Whilst there is no denying that these are vital life skills, other employability skills such as problem solving, working in a team and applying logic can be just as integral to career success.
The next generation of learners is likely to follow a number of career paths; they may not even stay in the same sector. Therefore, they need to be equipped with skills that can be applied practically in a range of jobs to help them be the best they can be in an ever changing employment market.
Here at NCFE, we can’t stress the importance of employability skills enough; learners must be prepared to transition from education into employment as smoothly as possible. Employability needs to be embedded into the heart of the curriculum and learners need the opportunity to use these skills practically and professionally.
That’s why we offer a number of employability-related qualifications and units in everything from Job Application Skills to Understanding Customers. We also provide a number of qualifications such as Developing Skills for the Workplace which help to support work experience placements. In addition to all of this, we have our partnership REED NCFE which aims to bridge the gap between learning and earning. REED NCFE offers a jobs brokerage service to colleges, helping to connect them with employers and provide real job outcomes to learners.
Another criticism was that the FE sector is not addressing the skills gaps in the UK and therefore again, colleges are not preparing their learners for work. Courses such as hairdressing remain popular, however we know that this area of work is currently oversupplied with trainees. In contrast, in STEM subjects, there is a widening gap between industry expectations and educational provision. Companies specialising in technology, science, maths and engineering are scouring the market for skilled potential employees and are struggling to find the applicants that they need.
With this in mind, NCFE has developed a range of substantial qualifications in Renewable Energy; a rapidly changing and growing industry. The renewable energy sector could potentially create thousands of jobs in the coming years and therefore we’re keen to see young people become trained in this area to improve employment prospects and to keep the UK thriving as an environmental ‘leader’ in reacting to climate change. Substantial qualifications in Renewable Energy can be delivered as part of the 16-19 Study Programme.
What do you think? How do you prepare your learners for employment? How are you responding to the changing skill needs in the UK? What are your barriers and challenges? How does funding affect the qualifications that you offer?
