FE Week - 4 May 2015
The Sector speaks in the FE & Skills Survey and funding is key issue (p4/5) - The news for this week is dominated by the findings of the FE Week FE & Skills survey, which finds the key concerns from people in the sector are funding, the volume of change and workload, English and maths and the ‘broad direction of travel for the sector.’
90% of respondents were concerned about levels of funding, both for individuals and institutions, while 92% were concerned about the pace & volume of changes, and 96% were concerned at perceived levels of external bureaucracy.
TES - 1 May 2015
Schools urged to take on Apprentices (p45) – A new government funded campaign has been launched to encourage schools to take on Apprentices. The National School Apprenticeships (NSA) wants every school to commit to having at least one apprentice by 2020.
More than 3,000 schools have signed up, committing to create Apprenticeship roles in a range of support staff options.
The (potential) key to this scheme’s success? Its 100% government funded for 16-18 year olds & subsidised for 19+ Apprentices.
Schools Week - 4 May 2015
How schools are becoming ‘mini-welfare states’ – a survey released by the national Association of Head Teachers has released its annual family survey, which finds that schools are providing an extra £43 million in support to children as cuts to welfare and health budgets bite.
84% of schools state that they are offering more services than 5 years ago, supporting families who are finding it increasingly hard to support themselves. The article quotes the example of Passmore Academy in Essex where there is a specifically set aside ‘nurture room’ where children can make themselves breakfast or wash their uniforms.
Recent Department of Health figures ‘show that the number of diagnoses of malnutrition in children under 16 has increased in the past 10 years, although its highest point was in 2010/11. The figure has since reduced […] however, the number of 16 and 17-year-olds admitted to hospital for illnesses stemming from malnutrition have increased in the past 12 months.’ This is the reality for a frighteningly large number of students in schools.
FE Week - 11 May 2015
FE ‘saviour’ Cable loses his seat as Tories head for majority (p3) – Vince Cable, the man who claimed to have fought off plans to cut FE budgets to a level that would have ‘killed off FE’ was a high profile victim of the General Election, losing his Twickenham seat.
He has been replaced in Cabinet by the former Culture Secretary Sajid Javid who attended Filton Technical College as part of his education, so has experience of the FE sector.
FE Week - 18 May 2015
‘Avoid hasty AO moves’ (p2) – Providers have been warned about moving their provision to another Awarding Organisation if they can’t find a fundable qualification on the Simplified Funding Rates Catalogue, as the catalogue is now updated on a quarterly rather than monthly basis.
Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) head of qualifications and delivery Stella Turner said ‘providers should contact their AOs “to ascertain if their qualification of choice is being developed for re-submission rather than making hasty decisions about switching provision.’
Apprenticeship target a ‘significant challenge’ (p3) – The Conservative government’s goal of 3 million Apprenticeships by 2020 has come under scrutiny from leaders in the FE sector. It ‘it would require a huge increase on the 2,208,100 apprenticeship starts over the five academic years from 2009/10 to 2013/14.’
There’s been a decline in the number of learners taking up an Apprenticeship over the past couple of years, and there are also concerns over whether there will be ‘sufficient funding, improvements to schools’ careers guidance on apprenticeships, and interest among small and medium-sized enterprises to produce the extra starts.’
Question marks hover over BIS future (p6) - The appointment of Sajid Javid as Business Secretary has re-ignited rumours that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) may be ‘scrapped’ in this parliament.
Javid has formerly been seen as supportive of abolishing BIS whilst at the treasury, supported by the right wing think tanks The Taxpayer’s Alliance, and the former chair of the BIS Select Committee has stated that it’s something he is keen to explore if he is successful in being re-elected to the chair in the new parliament.
