However you view it, 2016 was certainly an eventful year with significant repercussions on the national and international policy stage, and we’re now left with the political aftermath of last year.
The invocation of Article 50 is due in the first quarter of this year. Although the government is keeping its own counsel on the precise nature of Brexit, restrictions on the movement of workers from the EU into the UK will mean skills gaps will grow in the UK workforce. In this instance, technical education will be more important than ever to support employers in plugging these skills gaps. Schools will play a key role in offering technical education options to young people looking to broaden their employment or study options after completing their studies.
The end of 2016 brought further dismay around the prolonged issue of the schools national funding formula. The second stage consultation sets out further details on proposals to move from local authorities setting local funding levels to a national funding formula, introduced in 2018-19.
The government assures us that an ‘absolute floor’ has been introduced, so that no school will face an overall reduction of more than 3% per pupil as a result of this formula. However, analysis by Schools Week has shown that under the current proposals, ‘schools in inner London and urban areas are the biggest losers ’ and ‘schools with low prior attainment, small rural schools and those with pupils from “just about managing” families are more likely to be given extra cash’.
Reforming schools funding along the principles of fairness and transparency is an aspiration supported by NCFE. However, these principles must be carefully implemented to ensure that learners are not disadvantaged based on their geographical location or circumstance.
The government appears to be in listening mode, and as a sector we can take advantage of this willingness to engage. We can hope that the government’s increased focus on technical education will mean that it’s willing to support delivery in schools, either by providing funding, or by more closely measuring progression into technical education or apprenticeship outcomes. We’ll be responding to the second stage consultation, and wherever possible, we’d encourage you to respond too.
What is clear is that 2017 stands to be a key transition year in the world of technical education. At the moment, there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the issues outlined above which I feel we may not get much clarity on.
However, amid all this change, we can be certain that there will be a need for high quality technical education, helping learners to progress and achieve their professional and personal goals. We look forward to working with you in supporting this aspiration.
