TES - 27 March 2015

‘Everybody has A*s – employers want character’ (p10) – John Cridland, Director-General of the business lobbying organisation the CBI, wants schools to do more to develop character – he said in an interview with TES that his members would look "at all elements of a learner’s CV, rather than merely the qualifications, because everybody has A*s."

He also called for Ofsted to judge schools on the holistic development of pupils, looking at a students’ ‘whole education’ – which has aligned with recent announcements from Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Labour’s Tristram Hunt.

The comments also mark a departure from the CBI’s stance in the past, which has been critical of the levels of literacy and numeracy in learners entering the workforce.

Why Adult Education may be extinct by 2020 (p46) - research by the Association of Colleges (AoC) has highlighted that "continued cuts could lead to [adult vocational] provision being wiped out within 5 years."

Research by the AoC estimates that 190,000 adult learning places could be lost next year – with Health and Public Services being the hardest hit sector, and Information and Communication Technology coming a close second.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has said the government "fully recognises the important role further education plays in getting people the skills they need to get on" and funding protection "has been given to the areas where most impact can be made."

TES - 3 April 2015

Take care of business to be truly outstanding (p44) – the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has called for colleges to have strong links to local business in order to gain an 'Outstanding' grade from Ofsted.

The BCC is increasing the work it does with colleges after surveys revealed almost 90% of businesses feel that young people are unprepared for the workplace. Employment and Skills BCC Policy Manager Marcus Mason set out that the BCC is "interested in having an inspection framework that looks at a broad set of outcomes about how colleges engage with local businesses to develop soft skills."

David Corke, Director of Education and Skills Policy for the Association of Colleges, stated that providers were already inspected on how they responded to employers, and that "more can be done by employers to encourage young people to undertake technical and professional education to give them the skills employers need."

This reflects Ofsted’s findings – in their opinion the FE sector could do more to engage with employers in their region and economies.

FE policy has been ruled by ‘prejudice’, Boles says (p45) – Skills Minister Nick Boles claimed that "FE policies over the last 2 decades have been based more on instincts and prejudice" than evidence at the launch of the Centre for Vocational Education Research (CVER) back in March.

The CVER will receive £1million a year from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, to "generate a step change in our understanding of the nature, significance and potential contribution of vocational education to individuals and the wider economy."

The return on investment and value added by vocational education are key arguments in favour of continued funding for certain types of provision – any data that can show that qualifications help individuals get a job or increase their earning potential will be a boon for the sector.

FE Week - 13 April 2015

Employers back skills pilot after damning review (p2) - Businesses have come to the defence of the government’s Employer Ownership of Skills pilot after research highlighted that the project had achieved less than 40% of its projected starts.

The £340million pilot has received praise from employers "despite criticisms in the review that a lack of demand or commitment from employers was a factor in the low recruitment numbers," with Siemens and Nissan setting out how the pilot has given them the flexibility to meet the skills needs for their businesses.

TES - 10 April 2015

Testing times may lie ahead for GCSE pupils (p6) – The TES understands that Ofqual is planning to push for new National Reference Tests (NRTs) for year 11 students to be mandatory. These new tests would provide Ofqual and exam boards with evidence on where to set GCSE grades in future years.

Schools leaders are critical of the plans as it places an extra burden on learners already preparing for their GCSEs, as well as schools being under "immense pressure, because of reforms to GCSE and A-levels, and would be ‘very anxious’ about the new tests."

Ofqual has set out that 300 secondary schools will be asked to partake in the NRTs from 2017 – with exam industry experts warning that they will not work as intended, to stop grade inflation. Ofqual had initially missed its target for contracting out the NRTs after Pearson, Cambridge Assessment and Durham University each considered, but ultimately did not decide to run the tests.

‘We #loveFE’: sector unites in cuts protest (p44) – more than 31,000 people have signed a petition calling for the planned cut of 24% to the Adult Skills budget to be scrapped.

The campaign is aimed at all political parties, was started by the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) and has been positively received by the Association of Colleges and the 157 Group.
However, whether it will have any impact remains in doubt, with David Hughes, Chief Executive of Niace, saying "the spending review will be tough whoever gets into power. Adult education is not fully understood or appreciated across government and my fear is the next government will be looking for more cuts rather than reviewing those already agreed."