It’s been a busy week in the Further Education sector, as we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week 2016 and the FE Week Annual Apprenticeship Conference 2016 (AAC) took place.
National Apprenticeship Week aims to raise awareness around Apprenticeships and celebrate the value they bring to learners, employers and the economy. The Government said the key theme this year is “An Apprenticeship can take you anywhere”, with a particular focus on higher skills to show how young people, entrepreneurs and businesses can “rise to the top” through Traineeships and Apprenticeships. This year, the week launched with an event at the London Shard and began with great news, as a number of prominent businesses announced their commitment to Apprenticeships, including Starbucks, Deloitte and Prezzo.
The AAC kicked off last Wednesday at the ICC in Birmingham in partnership with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The themes largely focused on the reforms to the Apprenticeship system – including funding, the Apprenticeship Levy and the move from frameworks to standards. End-point assessments were also a big topic at the conference.
NCFE both sponsored and exhibited at the conference, aiming to show centres that despite the fact “it’s a jungle out there”, we can offer the support centres need to navigate these uncertain times. Our jungle-themed stand went down a storm, as did our adorable Apprenticeship Apes – they were in high demand!
NCFE Policy Leader Andrew Gladstone-Heighton delivered a workshop on Thursday, showcasing a comprehensive analysis of the key announcements from the Budget 2016 for education and skills. The audience was really receptive and asked some interesting questions, including how the budget would impact on the sector, how the Apprenticeship Levy would work and if areas that don’t have an elected mayor can still spend their Adult Education Budget (AEB).
The workshop explored some deeper themes that were revealed in the Government’s follow-up document including the devolution of the AEB in “areas with devolved arrangements”. Also covered was the statement that “the government will review the gaps in support for lifetime learning, including for flexible and part-time study.” This is an important statement for the Further Education sector but was not mentioned in the Budget itself. The workshop also looked at the positive announcement that “the Government will bring together information about the wages of graduates of different courses and the financial support available across Further and Higher Education to ensure that people can make informed decisions about the right courses for them.”
Andrew also covered the key points from the Education Excellence Everywhere White Paper, published only half an hour before the workshop!
It’s great to see the positive transition in parents’ mindsets and we’re really proud that at NCFE, we have some tangible examples of Apprenticeships resulting in real employment outcomes. In September 2014, NCFE created the Rising Stars Academy, aimed at getting young talent in the North East into the expanding IT sector. All of our Apprenticeship graduates went on to find work in IT and four were given permanent roles within NCFE – showing how far an Apprenticeship can get you! You can see our Rising Stars’ stories on NCFETV.
Has your centre taken part in any National Apprenticeship Week events or activities? Were you at the AAC? What did you think?
