An ‘outstanding’ college was chosen by Justine Greening MP as her first FE institution for a visit since she became education secretary.

The new minister, who replaced Nicky Morgan earlier this month, was given a tour of Walsall College — which was the first to receive a grade one Ofsted rating under the inspectorate’s previous regime in March 2013.

She also led discussions with the executive team including principal Jatinder Sharma OBE, over the college’s key strengths and best practice lessons that could be implemented by other colleges.

Ms Greening said afterwards: “The Prime Minister has made clear this government will focus on making Britain a country that works for everybody — not just the privileged few. For me, that starts with education.

“It was tremendous to see first-hand the fantastic work Walsall College is doing to bridge the gap between education and industry and get more young people on to the career ladder.

“This is a place where people’s lives and prospects are ‎transformed for the better, and where there is a real drive to push standards ever higher.”

The minister was given a tour of the college’s £64m Wisemore campus and £11m business and sports hub, and shown training facilities including the new Microsoft IT academy, Job Shop for employers and apprentices, Littleton Restaurant and commercial hair and beauty salon.

Mr Sharma said: “We are honoured that Justine chose to visit the college and give us the opportunity to showcase our work in the sector.

“The college prides itself delivering world class vocational training that equips students with the skills and knowledge employers are looking for.

“Our main aim is to give students a head start in the workplace or prepare them for university, and in doing so, create growth in our economy.

“Over the last four years we have also grown our apprenticeship provision by 74 per cent and are working with over 500 employers to support their business objectives, making us one of the biggest providers of apprenticeships for 16-18 year olds in the West Midlands.”

Caption: Justine Greening with the Walsall College executive team

A government skills agency has set aside £2m to pay off its staff following confirmation of its closure.

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) announced in March that its funding for 2016/17 was going to be withdrawn but no staff exits were yet agreed.

But in the agency’s annual accounts report, published today, it was revealed that a pot of £2m will be used to pay off its leaving staff.

On page 58 of the report, it said: “As at 31 March 2016, there were no staff exits agreed but these are expected to be agreed and paid in 2016-17 so a provision of £2m is included.”

It comes on the same day that new apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon confirmed the closure of UKCES.

In a written statement to parliament, Mr Halfon said: “As announced in the 2015 spending review, in order to prioritise funding to allow the core adult skills participation budgets to be protected in cash terms, Whitehall departments will be withdrawing their funding for the UKCES during 2016-17.

“UKCES’ work over the last parliament has helped in setting the skills agenda for the future and their activities have created the conditions to move to the next phase of more devolution, greater employer ownership and the apprenticeship levy.

“It is important that we now have new structures to move onto that next phase and we have announced the establishment in England of a new Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA).”

The creation of the IfA, which will help police employers as apprenticeship reforms take effect, was announced as part of the government’s spending review and autumn statement, at the same time as it was revealed that the UKCES would have its funding cut.

It is likely some staff will transfer to the new institute once closure of the UKCES is complete.

The institute will expand further in 2018 to take responsibility for delivering on the technical education reforms as outlined in the Post-16 Skills Plan.

Mr Halfon also used his written statement to outline what would happen to the key functions of the UKCES, including the Employer Skills Survey (ESS) and national occupational standards (NOS).

Management of the ESS will be moved into the Department for Education, while the NOS will now be managed by the “Devolved Administrations” and transferred to another public sector organisation.

Mr Halfon confirmed that the contents of the NOS database will remain publicly available and employers can “continue to use NOS if they so choose although they are not a mandatory requirement in England for either qualifications or apprenticeships”.

According to the UKCES, NOS are developed “for employers by employers through the relevant Sector Skills Council or Standards Setting Organisation” and are “statements of the standards of performance individuals must achieve when carrying out functions in the workplace, together with specifications of the underpinning knowledge and understanding”.

As reported by FE Week in December, Nigel Whitehead, a UKCES commissioner, warned that the government was in danger of bypassing NOS in the development of Trailblazer apprenticeship standards.

“Employers are free to refer to national occupational standards to support the development of their Trailblazer apprenticeships — most have chosen to do something different,” said a BIS spokesperson.

Ofsted’s chief inspector has slammed university technical colleges (UTC) and told them that they need to make “radical improvement” if the model is to survive.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, who has been a champion of the controversial 14 to 19 vocational institutions during his tenure as the education watchdog’s boss, spoke out at the Baker Dearing Conference in London this morning.

He said that to date, consistency in their performance has been missing and the UTC track record is “patchy”.

It comes after FE Week revealed yesterday that just one of the 14 inspected UTCs has been rated outstanding, seven were considered good, five got requires improvement results, and one was branded inadequate.

Sir Michael told delegates at the Baker Dearing Conference today: “You need to be doing significantly better than this, particularly because, unlike GFE colleges, you largely focus on one vocational or technical specialist area.

“If the UTC movement is to survive and prosper, then radical improvement is necessary.

“If this doesn’t happen, politicians will come to the conclusion that the model is flawed and not worthy of further political or financial support.”

It also comes after FE Week’s exclusive analysis showed a lack of inspections to UTCs following Ofsted’s new policy dictating that schools which opened after September 2014 would not be inspected until their third year.

FE Week found that half of the 28 UTCs that have been open for two or more years are yet to be inspected and graded by Ofsted.

Despite his call for radical improvements to the vocational institutions, Sir Michael also used his speech to reiterate his call for the government to insist that every major multi-academy trust (MAT) includes a UTC.

He said: “I have argued that every medium or large multi-academy trust or federation should contain a UTC.

“Such an arrangement would enable young people to transfer across institutions in the cluster to follow a route into high-level academic or vocational study.

“Pupils on either path would be free to access the specialist teaching available in the other and would not be stuck in one route.”

Yet UTCs are still experiencing ongoing problems with student recruitment since the model’s inception in 2010.

Four UTCs have closed or are about to close and FE Week found in February that 40 per cent of those that opened between 2010 and 2013 saw student numbers fall for the current academic year.

In response to Sir Michael’s speech today, a spokesperson for The Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which develops and promotes the concept of UTCs, said: “Sir Michael Wilshaw’s speech underlinned his support for the UTC model and the importance he places on technical education.

“Although some UTCs have been judged below good the majority of those who have been subject to inspections have been judged good or outstanding.

“We are pleased to have the support of Sir Michael and look forward to continue working with Ofsted as the UTC programme develops.”

The jobs of up to 80 FE-specialist civil servants based in Sheffield have been saved by the decision to move skills policy to the Department for Education, FE Week understands.

The former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced in May that it was definitely going ahead with closing its office in the northern city — which unions claimed would lead to more than 250 civil servants, many with extensive experience of the sector, losing their jobs.

It sparked fears that the department was enforcing an “FE brain drain” at the worst possible time — with it rushing to implement sweeping and complicated reforms including introduction of the apprenticeship levy by April, college area reviews, and devolution of the Adult Education Budget.

But the closure plans now appear to have been put on hold, after it was announced on Thursday that responsibility for FE, skills and higher education had been passed to the Department for Education (DfE) which has staff working next door to the BIS team in Sheffield.

A Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union spokesperson told FE Week: “Around 80 former Sheffield BIS staff who specialised in FE and skills have been moved straight to the neighbouring DfE office — since it was confirmed DfE was taking over that policy area. It means they won’t be losing their jobs, or be forced to move to London.

“That leaves around 200 people, who don’t specialise in FE or HE, waiting to find out what will happen to them.”

When asked to confirm or deny this, a spokesperson for the department now for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) would only say: “A number of policy areas will transfer to DfE.

“Sheffield staff working in these areas will be moving to the DfE and we will be engaging with these staff and the departmental trades unions about these moves.”

FE Week also pressed the department over wider prospects for the Sheffield office closure plan.

The spokesperson said: “We remain committed to the principles behind our BIS 2020 work – to create a simpler, cheaper and better department by 2020.

“Recent events reaffirm the importance of us becoming increasingly flexible and able to respond rapidly to the demands of new priorities.

“We will be reflecting over the summer on the best way to take those aims forward for the new BEIS.”

It comes after FE Week revealed last month that the National Audit Office was investigating the decision to close the Sheffield office and create a combined London headquarters and policy centre for the department.

BIS claimed at the time that the move would help save £350m, amid wider plans to modernise the department by 2020, but PCS disputed this figure, in light of a leaked government document, as reported on by FE Week in April.

The document suggested the move could actually end up costing BIS £100,000 a year. Although the move would produce potential savings of £1.5m through rent, rates and maintenance, rail travel, and hotel stays, additional salary costs associated with London could run to £1.6m per annum.

Half of University Technical Colleges (UTCs) that have been open for two or more years are yet to be graded by Ofsted, exclusive FE Week analysis has revealed.

Checks on the education watchdog’s website showed that of 28 UTCs that have been open for this minimum period, 14 have not yet been inspected and graded.

University Technical College Lancashire has waited longest since it opened in September 2013 — but it is due to close in August due to difficulties in enrolling enough students “to secure future financial viability”.

The revelation comes ahead of a speech set to be delivered by chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw about the controversial 14 to 19 vocational institutions, at the Baker Dearing Conference in London tomorrow.

Commenting on FE Week’s analysis, an Ofsted spokesperson said: “UTCs, like other schools, are inspected in line with statutory requirements and Ofsted’s overall policy on school inspections.

“As new schools, UTCs would normally be inspected in their third year of operation.”

Ofsted brought in a new policy last October dictating that schools which opened after September 2014 would not be inspected until their third year.

However, the chief inspector retains the power to inspect earlier if there are concerns about the school, or when requested by the secretary of state.

Ofsted previously visited new schools in their second year, normally from the fifth term onwards.

Of the UTCs that have been inspected, the majority appear to be performing well according to their grades.

Although just one of the 14 has been rated outstanding, seven (50 per cent) were considered good, five (35 per cent) got requires improvement results, and one was branded inadequate.

In addition to the 28 UTCs mentioned above, 11 others have been open for a year or less.

There is expected to be 56 in existence by 2018 — according to the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which develops and promotes the concept of UTCs.

Sir Michael’s speech tomorrow will come just a month after he called for the government to insist that every major multi-academy trust (MAT) includes a UTC.

Speaking at the Festival of Education, Sir Michael said: “Every multi-academy trust should be inspected to ensure that the UTC does not become a dumping ground for the difficult or disaffected and that it delivers high quality pre-apprenticeship programmes to the age of 19.”

Sir Michael Wilshaw also told MPs on the education select committee in March that school and UTC clusters provided a “really great opportunity” to ensure high quality vocational education.

Yet UTCs are still experiencing ongoing problems with student recruitment since the model’s inception in 2010.

Four UTCs have closed and FE Week found in February that 40 per cent of those that opened between 2010 and 2013 saw student numbers fall for the current academic year.

Reflecting on FE Week’s findings on the number of UTCS that have not been inspected, a Baker Dearing Educational Trust spokesperson said: “It is still early days for many UTCs, but the majority of those which have been subject to Ofsted inspections have been judged good or outstanding which is encouraging.”

It’s full steam ahead for the levy launch — with the Department for Education (DfE) set to unveil a delayed document spelling out new apprenticeship funding arrangements in the next few days.

The government had been due to provide further funding information for apprenticeship reforms last month, but former skills minister Nick Boles warned delegates at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ annual conference on June 27 that there had been a “little delay”.

FE Week has now learned that his successor Robert Halfon has been overseeing sign-off — with publication expected imminently.

It comes on the day the Harlow MP confirmed via Twitter that he had been made minister of state for apprentices and skills.

A new memo has also shed light on government plans to “simplify” FE and skills funding arrangements, including the levy due for launch in April, after responsibility passed wholly to the DfE.

The briefing statement, which was made available today in the House of Commons library, explains how the transfer of many responsibilities previously held by the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) will work in practice.

It said, for example, that the move will “help to enhance consistency across funding systems”.

“Until now responsibility for delivery of the 3m apprenticeships target has been split with the DfE funding those at school age (16 – 18) [through the Education Funding Agency] and the former Department for Business, Innovations and Skills funding those aged 19 and over [through the Skills Funding Agency],” it said.

“There will now be more flexibility to simplify funding arrangements for apprenticeships in a single department.”

The memo added DfE will also “take responsibility for working with” the SFA — which suggests the agency will continue as an independent entity and not be merged into the EFA for the time being at least.

When asked by FE Week if it could now confirm what the future of the SFA would be, a DfE spokesperson would only say: “There is nothing more we can add to what has been said [in the briefing statement].”

The document also confirmed that DfE will take over responsibility for “the prevention of extremism or intimidation on university and college campuses, and protection of free speech”.

Other responsibilities the department will “inherit” include implementation of new technical routes to skilled employment, post-16 area reviews, expansion of the traineeships programme, and “setting of tuition fees and funding policy across both further and higher education”.

It is thought all of the FE and skills responsibilities will fall to Mr Halfon, in much the same way as they did with his predecessor Nick Boles — although he had to work across DfE and BIS.

Mr Halfon tweeted confirmation of his role this afternoon, stating that he was “delighted to have been given brief of minister of state for apprentices & skills by SoS.”

But when FE Week asked earlier if Mr Halfon’s responsibilities will differ in any way from his predecessor’s, a DfE spokesperson said: “We haven’t got details yet, so can’t confirm exactly what his responsibilities will be at this time.”

The government has refused to say if a contingency plan has been put in place in the event that the apprenticeship levy systems fail to work.

FE Week understands that the question was also asked at a government apprenticeship stakeholder group meeting, chaired by Jason Holt, held yesterday at the Department for Education (DfE).

When asked by FE Week if a contingency plan is being put together for if the levy fails, a government spokesperson refused to comment.

Instead, he said: “Our focus is on ensuring the levy works for businesses of all sizes as they adapt and seize opportunities in the coming months. We are continuing to work with employers to design the apprenticeship levy around their needs.”

Concerns around the launch and design of the levy, which is due to be rolled out in April 2017, have been aired by many in the FE sector.

FE Week revealed yesterday that the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) had insisted that the levy launch date should be delayed by the new skills minister, Robert Halfon.

Josh Hardie, CBI deputy director-general, also called on the government to take its time with it.

He said: “The priority is getting the apprenticeship levy fit-for-purpose, as it will need a genuine change of direction if it is to work for apprentices, business and the economy.

“Nine months out from the planned start date businesses still lack vital information — the new administration should take the time to get this right.”

The call came after FE Week revealed on Tuesday that the DfE and Mr Halfon were expected to unveil a delayed document providing more information on how apprenticeships will be funded post-levy in the next few days.

The government had been due to provide further funding information for apprenticeship reforms last month, but former skills minister Nick Boles warned delegates at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ annual conference on June 27 that there had been a “little delay”.

The government had said in April that the additional guidance would cover a number of critical areas, including provisional funding bands, which will set the maximum amount of funding that is available for each apprenticeship, and the provisional level of government support available towards the cost of apprenticeship training if you aren’t a levy paying employer.

Other expected details include the provisional level of the extra payment you can get for hiring 16 to 18-year-old apprentices, and the provisional amount that will be paid to deliver English and maths training for apprentices who need it.

The sector is also waiting for the specifics of the eligibility rules that set who you are able to spend apprenticeship funding on and where.

The announcement should also bring more information on who can provide apprenticeship training and how to set up an organisation to deliver apprenticeship training.

The apprenticeship levy launch date should be delayed by the new skills minister, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has insisted.

Harlow MP Robert Halfon was confirmed as Nick Boles’ successor as skills minister yesterday — a few hours after on the CBI unveiled the results of a survey with nearly 500 companies showing widespread concern about the rushed design of the levy.

When subsequently asked by FE Week asked if it wanted Mr Halfon to delay beyond the planned April next year launch date, a spokesperson said “yes”.

That went a step further than Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the confederation, was prepared to go in her interview with editor Nick Linford two months ago — when she would only say that “delay is certainly an option”.

Josh Hardie, CBI deputy director-general, also called on the government to take its time.

He said: “The priority is getting the apprenticeship levy fit-for-purpose, as it will need a genuine change of direction if it is to work for apprentices, business and the economy.

“Nine months out from the planned start date businesses still lack vital information — the new administration should take the time to get this right.”

He added: “Business remains committed to working with them to achieve this – but time is running out.”

It comes after FE Week revealed yesterday that the Department for Education (DfE) and Mr Halfon are expected to unveil a delayed document providing more information on how apprenticeships will be funded post-levy in the next few days.

Mr Hardie warned it currently appeared the levy system would “work in Whitehall but it won’t work in Walsall, or any other part of the UK where business is training and developing people”.

“While the ambition is positive, the current design does not recognise the breadth of great training currently being delivered and runs the risk of unintended consequences, including fewer apprenticeship opportunities,” he said.

The survey by CBI and Pearson indicated that almost half of all medium-sized businesses (MSBs) thought they would have to absorb the levy as an additional tax – and make no changes to their training arrangements.

It also showed that two in three thought they would not increase apprenticeship numbers from April.

A consultation document on the levy unveiled in August said the government wanted it “to be calculated on the basis of employee earnings and for employers to pay through their PAYE return”.

Mr Osborne subsequently confirmed that larger employers would have to pay 0.5 per cent of their pay roll costs towards the charge — offset by a £15,000 allowance meaning that most businesses will not have to contribute.

But there is still widespread concern about how the revised funding system will work for non-levy paying smaller firms.

When invited to respond to the CBI call for a delay, a government spokesperson would only say: “Our focus is on ensuring the levy works for businesses of all sizes as they adapt and seize opportunities in the coming months.

“We are continuing to work with employers to design the apprenticeship levy around their needs.”