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Meet Team UK competitors ahead of EuroSkills medal ceremony

Team UK will tonight find out which of their members have claimed ultimate EuroSkills glory as gold, silver and bronze medals are handed out at the closing ceremony in Gothenburg.

The group of 22 competitors travelled to Sweden for the skills competition earlier this week and have competed against the best in Europe over the last three days.

EuroSkills itself is one of two major international competitions for young people starting trade professions.

Often referred to as a “preparation” event to WorldSkills, which is dubbed as the ‘Olympics of skills’, it is still one of significant prestige to everyone involved.

Competitors, who must be under the age of 25, have come from 28 European countries in 44 different skill areas ranging from landscape gardening and stonemasonry to hairdressing and game design.

As well as gold, silver and bronze medals being handed out to the top three scoring competitors in each skill area, other competitors who have reached the ‘international standard’ in their skill will be given a medallion of excellence.

Members of Team UK have taken a long journey to make it to the finals.

It included navigation through regional heats and success in national finals at The Skills Show in 2015.

Standout competitors in those national finals were then put into a longer squad of just 85 competitors, with 22 of them being chosen to represent their country at EuroSkills.

FE Week is media partner with WorldSkills UK and will be tweeting the results as they happen tonight @FEWeek.

Also keep an eye out for our full EuroSkills Gothenburg supplement Monday morning, sponsored by Smart Assessor.

But who are our Team UK competitors and what did they have to do?

We’ve detailed each one below with pictures taken during the competition, so you can follow their medal winning progress later tonight.

Toby Brook, 20

toby-brook

Architectural Stonemasonry

Employer: Wells Cathedral Stonemasons
Provider: Bath College
Trainer: Kevin Calpin, Calpin Associates

Toby had to produce a tracery window panel using Belgium blue stone. He had to create the design templates to specified measurements given and carve the design out. The judges were looking for precision in the design, any deviation over a millimetre resulted in lost marks.

Angus Bruce-Gardner, 21

angus-bruce-gardner

Cabinet Making

Employer: Waters and Acland
Provider: Waters and Acland
Trainer: Christian Notley, Chichester College
Twitter: @AngusRBG

Over three days, Angus had to make a table to a specific criteria. The design included frame, drawer, leaf design and decorations. Angus had practised making the table ahead of the competition but once he arrived on site, late changes were be made to the design to test his ability.

Will Burberry, 18

will-burberry

Landscape Gardening

Employer: Gardenscapes
Provider: Merrist Wood College
Trainer: Colin McKnight, CAFRE
Twitter: @will_burberry

Working together, Adam and Will produced a miniature garden from precise plans provided at the start of the competition. Some of the areas of the garden, which includes paving, planting and the construction of a wooden structure, had to be designed in accordance with the instructions provided, while other areas offered scope for creativity.

Betsy Crosbie, 20

betsy-crosbie

Mechanical Engineering CAD

Employer: N/A
Provider: New College Lanarkshire
Trainer: Barry Skea,
New College Lanarkshire
Twitter: @BetsyNCrosbie

Betsy had to complete three different modules. The first was to create a 3D model of a physical product. Second was to create assembly instructions where several components must be fitted together. Third was reverse engineering where she was given a component and had to measure it up as best she could before the judges took a part off. She then had to draw from the information she had collated over the last two hours.

Ethan Davies, 21

ethan-davies

CNC Milling

Employer: Electroimpact UK Provider: Coleg Cambria
Trainer: Wyn Rowlands
Twitter: @EthanDavies16

CNC milling is similar to stonemasonry, the difference being that metal is used. Ethan had to load a block of metal into a machine and then machine it to tolerances which are of about 20 microns, or a third of a human hair. He had to machine that for four to five hours and the parts were then inspected for how accurate it was.

Adam Ferguson, 20

adam-ferguson

Landscape Gardening

Employer: Grassmaster NI
Provider: CAFRE
Trainer: Colin McKnight, CAFRE

Seamus Goodfellow, 20

seamus-goodfellow

Automotive Technology

Employer: Ballinamullan
Auto Repair
Provider: South West College.
Trainer: Willie Mcilwraith, Warwickshire College
Twitter: @BDAescort

Seamus worked individually on four different tasks. First was an internal combustion engine, second was steering, suspension and brake systems, third was engine control, fault-finding in start, ignition and fuel systems, and the fourth was chassis, fault-finding in the various electrical systems in a vehicle, e.g. windows, locks, lights and infotainment systems.

Ruth Hansom, 21

ruth-hansom

Cooking

Employer: The Ritz
Provider: Westminster Kingsway.
Trainer: Michael Godfrey Mitchells & Butlers
Twitter: @ruth0310

Ruth had to prepare seven dishes over three days. The dishes included fish and shellfish for starters, meat for the main course, finger food and various desserts. Ruth was allowed to use a wide range of herbs, spices and accessories. She was also given a secret ingredient to use.

Dale Hamilton, 20

dale-hamilton

Heavy Vehicle Maintenance

Employer: Volvo
Provider: Volvo
Trainer: Chris Carter Stephenson College

Dale completed five different tasks: first was mechanical check of the engine and driveline, second was checking the steering and wheel assembly, third was checking the brake system, fourth was ault-finding in the engine’s fuel and exhaust systems, and the fifth was ault-finding in the chassis electrical system.

Sam Hillier, 23

sam-hillier

Mechatronics

Employer: Toyota Manufacturing UK
Provider: Toyota Manufacturing UK
Trainer: David Russell, Northern Regional College.

Competing in teams of two, Sam and Tom had to assemble and programme several stations similar to production equipment used in manufacturing industry. The stations were assembled into a production line and had to be programmed to work together. The exact details of the tasks were not revealed to Sam and Thomas until just before the competition starts.

Josh Hunter, 20

josh-hunter

Bricklaying

Employer: Geo Houlton & Sons Ltd
Provider: Hull College
Trainer: Mike Burdett,
York College

Using a maximum of 450 bricks, Josh had to build a two metre high construction of both the Feskekôrka, Gothenburg’s indoor fish market, and Läppstiftet, Gothenburg’s famous tower. Judges not only awarded points for precise measurements, angles and joints but also for the competitor’s design skills, organisational ability and problem solving skills.

Nathan Jones, 20

nathan-jones

Web Design

Employer: N/A
Provider: Neath Port Talbot College Trainer: Mike David, Coleg Sir Gar
Twitter: @NathixJ

Nathan first had to create a website for an imaginary company, he then managed databases in accordance with a set of instructions and on the third day he used WordPress to make changes to the website content. His work was judged on client and server functionality of the website, design and layout, communication and work efficiency.

Jordan Jeffers, 21

jordan-jeffers

Painting and Decorating

Employer: Self-employed
Provider: Southern Regional College.Trainer: Peter Walters, Stoke-on-Trent College

Jordan was provided with a booth consisting of three walls and was given 18 hours to plan and complete five different competition elements including, free decorative painting, wallpapering, painting woodwork and doors, colour nuancing and picture transfer and stencilling.

Lucy Knight, 21

lucy-knight

Hairdressing

Employer: Owner of Hair
by Knight
Provider: City of Bristol College
Trainer: Linzi Weare, Reds Hair Company
Twitter: @LucyKnight_

Lucy had to complete six different cuts in a specified time, all requiring a different approach. These included: ladies long hair down fashion with colour, bridal long hair up with colour and ornamentation, ladies fashion cut and colour with three wishes, men’s fashion cut and colour, ladies fashion perm, and a men’s modern classical haircut.

Daniel Martins, 19

daniel-martins

Plumbing and Heating

Employer: Apprentice with Briggs and Forrester.
Provider: EAS Mechanical
Trainer: Paul Dodds, Skills, Educational Training (SET) Ltd
Twitter: @DanMartinsss

Daniel has had to create a mock apartment, fitting two boilers and two pumps pumping around the system, a towel rail and a hot and cold water system. Everything had to be as accurate as possible to the drawing, with all angles within one degree and measurements within two millimetres.

Isla McLarty, 19

isla-mclarty

Beauty Therapy

Employer: Experience Health
and Beauty
Provider: City of Glasgow College
Trainer: Jenna Bailey, Ashton Community Science College
Twitter: @isla24x

Isla was required to carry out pedicure, manicure, facials, body treatments, massage and make-up. Marks were awarded on completion of tasks in the specified time. Hygiene and safety was also taken into account in the assessment.

Daniel McCabe, 20

daniel-mccabe

3D Game Design (demonstration skill)

Employer: West Cheshire College
Provider: N/A
Trainer: Mike Spence, South Thames College
Twitter: @DanM3D

Daniel was given a BMW M2 to design for the game Need for Speed. He had to modify it in a similar way to how a mechanic might do to a real life car. He changed the bonnet, added new skirts and a spoiler. The person who did the best job at modifying their vehicle won.

Harrison Moy, 20

harrison-moy

Plastering and drywall

Employer: British Gypsum
Provider: H&R Property Development
Trainer: David Kehoe, British Gypsum
Twitter: @harrison_moy

Harrison had the opportunity to prepare the work in advance by creating templates and drawings and once the competition started he had to set walls, ceilings and decorations. In some tasks he was free to use whatever method he wished, while in some others the method was specified.

Josh Peek, 20

josh-peek

Welding

Employer: L&G Skilled Engineering
Provider: Great Yarmouth College.
Trainer: Clive Bell, Lakes College.

Josh had to weld together plates and pipes in accordance with instructions provided. He was also required to weld a pressure vessel and carry out projects using steel and aluminium. The judges awarded points to work that not only looked visually good, met the specified measurements but also passed tough quality and pressure tests.

Danielle Scandone, 21

danielle-scandone

Floristry

Employer: Moonflower.
Provider: Merrist Wood College
Trainer: Laura Owen,
Self-employed

Danielle had six elements to complete: an original bouquet, wedding bouquet, arrangement using floral foam, a standing display, a wreath, and floral jewellery for a model. As well as composition (colour, shape, proportions, lines, movement, texture, concepts) and techniques, Danielle was scored on organisation skills, customer care, knowledge of materials and tools, as well as her craft skills.

Tom Revell, 24

thomas-revell

Mechatronics

Employer: Toyota Manufacturing UK
Provider: Toyota Manufacturing UK
Trainer: David Russell, Northern Regional College
Twitter: @TheRealRev

Conor Willmott, 21

conor-willmott

Joinery

Employer: Precision carpentry and joinery
Provider: West Suffolk College.
Trainer: Andrew Pengelly,
Didac Ltd
Twitter: @willmott_conor

Conor had to build a window to specified criteria provided. He first produced his own drawings from the criteria given, he then built the frame and then assembled the whole window. Judges assessed his drawing and planning, the joints before and after assembly, finish and execution, measurement accuracy, and the finished product including all parts and best use of materials.

EuroSkills day 3: Team UK’s Betsy breaks through the engineering glass ceiling

Betsy Crosbie stands out from the crowd at EuroSkills Gothenburg not only for her talent, but because she is the only female to compete in mechanical engineering CAD.

The 20-year-old (pictured above) from New College Lanarkshire has transformed from a shy and quiet young person into a confident adult who is one of the best in the world at her trade over the last six months.

Coming into the competition Betsy admitted she was carrying a lot of weight on her shoulders but is proud of what she achieved “no matter the result”.

Speaking to FE Week at the end of day three, she said: “I definitely had a lot on my shoulders walking out here but I’m glad I done it and have a lot to be proud of.

“Working in a male dominated environment is obviously a challenge but I don’t mind it too much. It would be better to have more females in the profession but the guys I work with are great so doesn’t make too much difference to me.

“I have noticed a difference in myself as a person compared to say six months ago. A few years ago I probably wouldn’t have even spoke to anybody and I think people around me can tell the difference taking part in this has had on me.”

And no one has noticed the difference in Betsy more than her expert trainer, Barry Skea.

“Seeing Betsy enter the competition area full of confidence was amazing,” he said. “A few months ago she would have found it much more difficult to find that confidence to go in there with her being the only female in an otherwise all male competition is massive for her. People like her are the reason I stay involved in these competitions.”

Over the three days Betsy had to complete three different modules.

The first task was to create a 3D model of a physical product, making it as detailed as possible. The second was to create assembly instructions where several components must be fitted together.

And today’s final task involved reverse engineering where she was given a component and had to measure it up as best she could before the judges took a part off. She then had to draw from the information she had collated over the last two hours.

“Today was my best but they have all been really challenging,” Betsy said.

“The whole competition has definitely been a step up to what I am used to but it has been a good learning experience, I think I’ve done pretty well.”

Today marked the final day of competitions for EuroSkills Gothenburg. As each member of Team UK finished there was a crowd of supporters who greeted them with cheers and praise.

Team UK will find out just how many medals they have won in the 20 other skills they are competing in at the closing ceremony tomorrow.

SFA steps up campaign against topslicing management fees

The crackdown on providers who fail to disclose how much they topslice from subcontracting contracts has stepped up a gear, after the Skills Funding Agency said it wanted to make the information publicly available.

Colleges and independent training providers have been required to specify their subcontracting management fees since August 2013 – but FE Week found four months later the rules were being ignored by a number of providers, including the country’s biggest SFA contractor Learndirect.

The SFA later threated to suspend cash if providers didn’t publish a breakdown of the amount of government cash they withhold for themselves before paying subcontractors to run training for them on their websites.

Now, however, the SFA has had its hand forced by the continued lack of compliance, and introduced an aggressive new measure requiring every provider to submit a new form revealing their figures.

The new guidance is very clear, stating: “You must tell us the actual level of funding paid and retained for each of your subcontractors in 2016 to 2017.

“You must email this information to your central delivery service adviser using a template we will supply to you. We will let you know the date by when you must do this. We will publish the information on our website.”

Providers will be given three months after the end of the financial year [April]” to submit their details

A spokesperson told FE Week that “providers will be given three months after the end of the financial year [April]” to submit their details.

The templates will also be “sent out in good time” to allow for them to be accurately filled out.

FE Week, which has campaigned to curb topslicing since 2011, found that just two of the top 10 biggest SFA subcontractors hadn’t yet published fees as of August.

The culprits were the Army, which said it was exempt from the SFA rules despite holding contracts worth £22,230,972, and the Construction Industry Training Board, with contacts valued at £20,601,396, which it said it did not publish because it doesn’t charge management fees.

Funding rules for the last academic year ordered lead providers to make “the actual level of funding paid and retained for each of your subcontractors” publicly available within 30 days of October 20, the closing date for submission of final 2015/16 individual learner records.

The latest figures available on Learndirect’s website, which is still the nation’s biggest subcontractor, showed that it kept £19,831,208 from its 64 subcontractors, 36 per cent of its £55,321,135 total SFA funding.

This was the same proportion as in 2014/15.

Asked by FE Week to justify why its management fees remain so high, a spokesperson said: “We work in partnership with an extensive range of suppliers, each providing contract-specific services, which complement those we provide directly.

“We offer a range of added-value services to our partners including data management, training, funder management, access to growth opportunities including regional and national employer relationships and inclusion in bids.”

While Learndirect has met the SFA requirement to publish management fees, the figure itself is uncomfortably close to the 40 per cent that SFA chief executive Peter Lauener has said he would find unjustifiable.

Mr Lauener told FE Week two years ago that he would find it “quite hard to see a set of arrangements that would justify a 40 per cent management fee, because it’s kind of obvious that what is taken as a management fee is not going to frontline education or training”.

Adult skills budget devolution still needs national strategy

While devolution of the adult skills budget will lead to better use of public funds, an overall strategy to guide spending is sorely lacking, says Sue Pember.

Much to the surprise of many, in his autumn statement the chancellor said that the government remains committed to devolving powers to help local areas address productivity barriers.

He also announced that London would join the other major cities and be given (subject to readiness conditions) devolved access to the adult education budget from 2019. It will also be allowed to explore further devolution of powers over the coming months.

I hope this signals a genuine green light and that rapid progress will be made to get everything ready for 2018 (for London from 2019). If we are doing it, then can we please just get on and do it? The uncertainty makes it difficult to plan and is stopping investment and innovation in adult education.

Devolution will change the way local decisions are made and how skills provision is funded. It should bring new life to adult learning by providing greater freedoms and flexibilities. At local level it should result in more effective, better targeted provision, as well as greater growth, stronger collaborations, and perhaps even partnerships between employers, communities, education leaders and students.

However, because of uncertainties about the scope of the deals, the size of the AEB allocations, who the learner beneficiaries should be and how new priorities will work with national entitlements and commissioning, it is hard to plan, or
predict the benefits.

Can we please just get on and do it?

For the devolution agenda to be successful, it has to be managed alongside the wider post-19 education change programme, including the Sainsbury Review, changes to vocational courses, the new FE student loans system, apprenticeship reform and the levy. The list goes on…

It is hard to see how all these changes are being overseen – does anyone have a crystal ball so we can peer into 2020?

Although I believe that decisions about individual need should be made locally and will lead to better use of public funds, there is a policy vacuum at the top and no overall strategy to direct the future use of the adult education budget.

For many, it is piecemeal, with the risk that the country will not be covered adequately by 2018. As it stands, currently around half the population and half the AEB will be covered by devolution, so the SFA will need to run a dual system for the rest of the country.

I do wonder whether there would have been such a push to devolve if we had known back in 2007 that the budget for devolution would not be the £3 billion we had then, but would only be half that amount and that it would not include apprenticeships.

We have well-documented productivity and wellbeing issues, and part of the solution lies in adult education and skills development. However the nation’s financial situation is tight and future demand for adult learning will be greater than the funding available. The combined authorities will therefore have to make some difficult decisions and may end up as the fall guys, when decision-making moves from the government to the deal areas.

Most of those who will be expected to deliver on these changes over the next two years have yet to be touched by change. Is everyone ready to deliver? Are the combined authorities which are delivering on their deals adequately resourced to manage a new planning and funding system? Are providers ready to build relationships with the new commissioner?

Lastly, who is doing local assessment of future need? I don’t mean revisiting the old type of manpower planning models – we are entering a new world in which we all need good English, maths and digital skills, where we may have to work into our 70s, and will probably need to retrain several times in our lives. We need to improve wellbeing by ensuring there are programmes designed to improve integration. The need for more education and skills development for adults will continue to grow. We need to put in place innovative local solutions and embrace devolution to make it work.

Sue Pember is HOLEX director of policy and external relations

Wilshaw couldn’t resist final swipe at colleges

Sir Michael Wilshaw couldn’t resist another high profile opportunity to bash colleges.

It’s clear that his support team, including his FE deputy Paul Joyce, had helped produce an annual report designed to support a college sector struggling to implement an English and maths resit policy that “was not having the desired impact in practice”.

The Ofsted report says: “Inspection evidence shows that, for some students, having to retake their GCSE can be demotivating” and goes on to suggest “an alternative level two qualification may be more appropriate.”

But Sir Michael couldn’t help himself when questioned about the policy after his speech. He blamed colleges, who are forced by the government to deliver the GCSE to some students. Instead of questioning the policy, as per his report, he said there was “simply no excuse for a college letting down large numbers of students.”

I then challenged him, pointing out “the policy is that they must have a GCSE” and asking “is your opinion that it should be the GCSE?” to which he said: “Why not?”

It shows yet again that he says what he thinks, with little to no thought for the evidence his organisation gathers at inspection.

I’m confident the incoming chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, will give the FE sector the respect it deserves.

So fairwell Sir Michael, the Cinderella sector will happily go to the ball without you.

Apprenticeships not cheap labour

When some apprentices are not even given quality training, the 10p increase to the apprentice wage is a sham, says Shakira Martin.

Based on the last few months, you’d think the government was gearing up to put some of the money that’s been taken from further education back in.

We’ve had the introduction of the Post-16 Skills Plan, a bill on Technical and FE, a fundamental reshuffling of colleges in England through area reviews and finally an autumn statement that claimed to be all about productivity.

But the increase of 10p an hour for apprentices is a sham. The apprentice national minimum wage, at £3.50 per hour, is less than half of the government’s own proposed national ‘living wage’ of £7.50 per hour, and still lower than the real Living Wage of £8.45.

How is an increase of just 10p an hour to a group of already underpaid people an attractive offer? And with the national living wage only applying to those aged 25 and over, it’s just another sure sign we have a government making policies that are not going to enable young people, but make sure they get the hardest possible start to their working career.

Since apprenticeships are not ‘approved education or training’ for the purpose of child benefits or council tax, it’s not just low pay that’s a problem for many apprentices. If the wages are not attractive or viable and families are penalised through changes to benefits and exemptions, grand targets of three million starts and all the slick advertising in the world are still not going to make an apprenticeship a viable offer for many.

In our submission to the Low Pay Commission this year, the NUS recommended the equalisation of the national minimum wage so all workers, including apprentices and regardless of age, receive the same rate and that rate is set at the national living wage.

‘Forget Me Not’, our report on the state of apprentice funding and support, outlined the financial struggles of apprentices on the last apprentice minimum wage rate, including stories of reliance on commercial credit.

Other NUS research indicated almost half of apprentices are making choices about what apprenticeship to do based on where they could afford to get to, not on the basis of any information and guidance they might have received or their own career aspirations. I imagine this will only increase for some as colleges merge and travelling to providers may become a longer journey.

In particular, apprentices struggle with very low pay, not only because the apprenticeship rate is set so low, but because there are high levels of noncompliance, especially for those aged 18 to 20 and in certain occupations.

The LPC has previously stated there may be a ‘culture of non-compliance’ in relation to hairdressing in particular. This noncompliance entrenches gendered inequality in wages. We all know it’s predominantly women training and working in the lowest-paid areas, from hair and beauty to social care.

It’s time to get serious about what makes a quality apprenticeship

Although I’m encouraged to see the government promise in the Skills Plan to get more women onto STEM courses and into the top-paid jobs, this does nothing to solve staggering inequality at the bottom of the wage scale.

And it’s time to get serious about what makes a quality apprenticeship. Even where apprentices are paid the correct rate, they may not be receiving the training that ostensibly justifies their lower pay.

Many apprentices I’ve spoken to through the National Society of Apprentices said they received neither on- nor off-the-job training, and BIS research suggests the reason behind this is ‘lack of interest and support from employers’. In some cases employers have apprentices so they can pay young people less without ever wishing to invest in training.

My membership deserves better. They deserve to train, learn and work in an environment that provides an education for a career – not just training for a job – in a role that is paid fairly, supports their progression and where their status allows them and their families the same benefits their peers in college or university are entitled to.

Shakira Martin is vice president for further education at the national union of students

Let’s keep pushing to make TFE bill better

The end of 2016 will feel like a much bigger occasion than other years. It’s been a relentless rollercoaster of emotions.

So much so that I now hesitate before checking my phone when a news alert goes off, wondering what 2016 could possibly throw at us next. I’ve also seen people blaming their own clumsy mishaps on the calendar. “I knocked my coffee over and it went all over my interview papers. Typical 2016.”

Without a doubt, this year has been disruptive culturally and politically – even in the world of FE and skills. The skills minister Robert Halfon, and his shadow Gordon Marsden, will be finishing the year seeing through the Technical and Further Education Bill which should by then have made its way through the House of Commons.

To recap, the TFE bill enacts technical education and training proposals in the Skills Plan for defined occupational groups; provides a broad remit for the Institute for Apprenticeships (and adds ‘and Technical Education’ to its title); introduces an insolvency regime as an exceptional last resort for financially struggling colleges; and ensures that devolved holders of the adult education budget will share information with the government.

For the last two weeks, the bill has been in committee stage in the House of Commons, when a group of MPs gather evidence and debate each line. They have until December 6 to agree the wording of the bill to pass back to the whole House of Commons for third reading before it goes to the House of Lords.

Fourteen witnesses have provided evidence to the committee in person, including me. Eleven written evidence submissions have been submitted; 10 from organisations and one from a college governor. For a crude comparison, 30 witnesses were asked to provide evidence and more than 60 submissions of written evidence were received by the bill committee for the current Higher Education and Research Bill also making its way through parliament.

One area that has been of interest in discussions about the bill so far is the role of the new Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

The Skills Plan gives the Institute several important roles: overseeing training routes within occupational groupings; keeping standards and qualifications up to date; and enshrining it as a sort-of-quasi-regulator for quality in the sector.

However, the Labour Party, AoC and others have highlighted concerns about timescales and the capacity of the institute to deliver its substantial new responsibilities.

Without a doubt, this year has been disruptive

The bill committee heard from Peter Lauener, shadow chief executive of the new Institute, that it will have only 60 members of staff to begin with, despite the TFE bill adding new technical education responsibilities to its existing role with apprenticeships.

A lot of the evidence to the committee points to the importance of proper engagement with employers, learners and providers in developing technical education routes and apprenticeship standards, yet significant concern remains over whether the new institute will be adequately resourced to do this properly.

Several evidence submissions have highlighted points that are in the Skills Plan but not in the bill. City and Guilds, NCFE and LSE highlight the lack of provisions over exclusive licensing arrangements for technical education qualifications, which was proposed in the Skills Plan.

The Learning and Work Institute has meanwhile said the new institute should have a remit to promote access to apprenticeships for under-represented and disadvantaged students, similar to the role that the Office for Students will have in higher education.

While sector campaigners may be disappointed in the government’s apparent lack of interest in changing the TFE bill at this stage, this is normal behaviour. In debates, the minister has publicly recognised the issues raised and has been broadly positive so far about taking action in ways other than through primary legislation.

That said, the sector doesn’t often have the opportunity to push for good quality legislation, so it’s really important to continue raising issues and ideas to improve the TFE bill as it progresses through the House of Lords in the New Year.

Shane Chowen is head of policy and public affairs at the Learning and Work Institute and a governor at Westminster Kingsway College

Dan wins gold for Team UK at EuroSkills in Gothenburg

Team UK has bagged an early gold medal at EuroSkills Gothenburg after Daniel McCabe came out on top in 3D game design earlier today.

The 20-year-old from West Cheshire College was the team’s first competitor to finish on the final day of the competitions at around 11:30am.

He had a four hour wait until he could find out the results, and it was to be a stunning gold.

“I’m mind blown,” he told FE Week moments after the announcement.

“I’m absolutely made up, couldn’t have asked for anything more. I was originally not expecting to get a medal, as this was a presentation skills. When I found out they did, nerves struck, I did the best I could and my best was obviously enough. So really ecstatic.”

3D game design is one of two presentation skills Team UK is taking part in at EuroSkills this year, which are being tested out to be considered for the mainstream competition at the next EuroSkills in Budapest in 2018.

The medal was presented today ahead of the closing ceremony tomorrow as it is not counted in the official medal tally.

But Daniel said he has no doubt in his mind it will become an official skill in the future.

“It is so competitive and very intricate with what you have to know and the creativity aspect is big. This skill is going places.”

FE Week spoke with Daniel as he finished his task this morning and it was evident he was over the moon with what he produced.

He said: “A car mechanic normally works on cars. Well we work on games in a similar way. I was given a BMW M2 for the Need for Speed Game.

“And we had to modify it in a similar way to how a mechanic might.

“I changed the bonnet, added new skirts and a spoiler. Basically the person who did the best job at modifying their vehicle won. With our skill it could have been anything. It doesn’t have to be a car. It could have been a spaceship or building. That’s why I think this skill has a lot of potential in the future.

“I definitely did the best I could, I couldn’t have done better.”

Team UK will find out just how many medals they have won in the 20 other skills they are competing in at the closing ceremony tomorrow.

FE Week is media partner and you can follow all the action as it happens on Twitter @feweek. Also keep an eye out for our full EuroSkills Gothenburg supplement Monday morning, sponsored by Smart Assessor.

We’ll give the final word to Daniel, from our video interview below: “It is the best experience of my life.”

DfE takes back £3m from colleges failing in English and maths

Colleges across the country have lost almost £3 million in Education Funding Agency cash through failure to comply with the notorious maths and English condition of funding rule.

The combined figure includes City of Liverpool College, which was hardest hit through losing almost £500,000.

It was originally stated by the government that any 16 to 18-year-old student that did not have at least a grade C in English and maths, and failed to enrol in the subjects as part of a post-16 course, would be removed in-full from allocations for the next-but-one academic year.

The rule was subsequently relaxed for 2016/17, with the penalty halved and only applied to providers where more than five per cent of relevant students did not comply.

But despite this, the EFA’s 2016/17 allocations published in November still revealed heavy financial ‘adjustments’ inflicted on colleges, in what is the first year such deductions have come into force.

A total of £2,842,016 was deducted across 26 general FE colleges.

FE Week analysis showed the biggest losers, with City of Liverpool College down £479,188, after it failed to meet funding conditions for 458 of its learners.

The college declined to comment on why this had happened.

A total of £2,842,016 was deducted across 26 general FE colleges

Westminster Kingsway had the largest number of non-compliant learners – 592 – leading to a loss of £321,483.

A college spokesperson blamed this funding loss on a “misinterpretation of the EFA’s guidance requiring students to study for both a maths and English qualification”.

But she added: “We had a very successful year so this had no impact on the student experience, and this matter was also rectified for 2015-16 enrolments.”

According to DfE data, compliance with the condition of funding rule stood at 97 per cent across the sector in June 2015.

This means that around three per cent of those who should have been studying English or maths were not enrolled on relevant courses.

FE Week estimated last year that this non-compliance would have cost colleges up to £150 million had it been applied in full.

Other large losses include £327,174 from City of Bristol College, £288,463 from Newham College and a £254,872 reduction for Cornwall College.

Di Gowland, Newham College principal, said the college had faced “many complex issues” around 2014/15 enrolments, which had now been “tightened up”.

Other factors including greater investment in specialist resources, attendance monitoring and parental involvement had “brought about significant improvement”, she added.

A spokesperson for City of Bristol College said it was “anticipating a significantly improved condition of funding picture in the future”, while a Cornwall College spokesperson said it had reviewed its processes and “our systems and monitoring will ensure higher levels of compliance in the future”.

Peter Mucklow (pictured), the EFA’s director for young people, announced at the Association of Colleges annual conference in November that the five per cent threshold of tolerance would also apply to 2017/18, based on enrolments in 2015/16.

He said: “We said we would keep that under review, and ministers have decided to extend for 17/18 that threshold of tolerance, so that it applies in exactly the same way in that year.”

He continued: “The level of compliance across the whole of the English and maths condition of funding remains at 97 per cent, in terms of that 15/16 performance.