Middlesbrough College has been confirmed as the latest new member of 157 Group, FE Week can reveal.
Zoe Lewis (pictured above), principal and chief executive, announced the news on the college’s website today.
It comes after the 157 Group exclusively revealed its expansion plans to FE Week in January and brings the total number to 31.
Ms Lewis said: “We are delighted to be selected to join the 157 Group.
“It’s recognition of the high quality training we provide and we look forward to working in collaboration with like-minded colleges to shape the future skills agenda and create a network of excellence across the country to support employers with their training needs.”
FE Week revealed on March 1 that City College Plymouth (CCP) had become the second college to join the 157 Group as part of its expansion plans.
The group’s chief executive, Ian Pretty said at the time he was “pleased to welcome” CCP, which was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted at its most recent inspection in 2012, “to our network of forward thinking, entrepreneurial colleges”.
Reflecting on the latest announcement, Mr Pretty said: “Middlesbrough College embodies the 157 Group mission; it is employer facing, it is entrepreneurial and it has a deep commitment to improving the employment prospects of its learners.
“Middlesbrough College gives the 157 Group a presence in the North East, they have shown they are dedicated to their community and their region, investing in the most disengaged young people to improve their life chances through the MC Academy and shifting their offer to meet local economic needs which enhance their region’s economic competitiveness.
“They work with over 1,000 employers and have over 1,000 apprentices and have exciting plans for the years ahead. We can’t wait to get started working with them.”
A 157 Group spokesperson added: “Membership of the 157 Group is now 31 full members and two corporate partners. With the addition of Middlesbrough College we now have a presence in the North East meaning our network stretches across every region of the UK with partnership from business as well.
“We are a strong voice for our members and the FE sector as we seek to transform the UK economy through the delivery of high quality technical and professional education.”
Stephanie Palmer advises employers on the best ways to mentor apprentices to become long-term assets to a company.
After spending eight months studying sports therapy at university, I decided that it was not the right route for me.
I was unhappy with the quality of the course I was paying a huge amount for and decided to explore other non-university career paths.
At school, training as an apprentice wasn’t endorsed with equal merit as going to university, so I hadn’t really seen an apprenticeship as a viable route.
But after being disappointed with my university experience, I decided to research the option.
It was then that I came across the opportunity to work as an apprentice business coordinator for Fujitsu.
I leapt at the chance to train with such a highly regarded company.
The prospect of walking into a real working environment was quite daunting — far more intimidating than turning up for the first day of fresher’s week at university.
But as soon as I started my apprenticeship these nerves were put to rest.
I was working in a fun and supportive environment that was driving my career forward and allowing me to learn while earning.
As I progressed over the three years of my apprenticeship, I saw a need within the company for someone to mentor new intakes.
I was appointed as the overarching apprentice mentor for Fujitsu UK and Ireland to ensure Fujitsu could support them professionally and that they completed the scheme as highly trained and experienced employees.
From my experience of running apprenticeship workshops and as an apprentice ambassador, there are a few key steps I believe employers can take to ensure that they mentor successful apprenticeships.
Apprentices are here to learn and making mistakes and learning from them is a part of that
Firstly, take the time to find the right candidate.
The most important attribute for an apprentice is an eagerness to learn and a passion for your company.
If a candidate does not seem fully engaged at the start, they are less likely to stay with your company after their training.
If you have invested valuable time and money into their training, of course you would be disappointed to see them leave, so it is important not to rush the hiring process and make sure they are passionate about their role and training and the company itself.
Secondly, foster a happy working environment.
Be mindful that this is likely to be the first working environment that your apprentices have worked in.
This is naturally daunting, so in order to keep the candidates motivated, it is important that they feel relaxed and comfortable in the working environment and with their new colleagues.
A great way to achieve this is to ensure they are integrated fully into the workplace and treated as other permanent members of staff would be.
A nice strategy to introduce is allocating an individual mentor or ‘buddy’ to each apprentice.
This is something that has worked really well at Fujitsu, allowing the apprentices to have a friend and sounding board for any concerns they might have.
And finally, allow them to make mistakes.
Mistakes happen, particularly in your first working role.
The beauty of an apprenticeship, is the opportunity it provides to learn in a real place of work, so it is important that employers remember apprentices are here to learn and making mistakes and learning from them is a part of that.
What is crucial is that they are shown constructively how to get around issues, feel supported and learn from these mistakes.
Stephanie Palmer is a former apprentice for Fujitsu, apprentice ambassador for GetMyFirstJob, and winner of the 2015 West Midlands Higher Apprentice of the Year award
The national minimum wage rate for apprentices will increase from £3.30 to £3.40 from October 1.
The announcement was made by Sajid Javid (pictured), Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, in a written statement to parliament this morning, the first day on National Apprenticeship Week 2016.
He explained that the Low Pay Commission’s 2016 report made the recommendation for the apprenticeship increase.
The government plans to fulfull along with all other recommendations on the National Minimum Wage, which include that the adult hourly national minium wage rate for 21 to 24-year-olds should increase from £6.70 to £6.95.
Other commission recommendations set to be implemented by the government include increasing the youth development rate, which covers aged 18 to 20-year-olds, should go up from £5.30 to £5.55, while the rate for 16 to 17-year-olds should rise from £3.87 to £4.00.
It also recommends that the apprentice rate should increase from £3.30 to £3.40. The Commission recommend that all of these changes take place from 1 October 2016.
He added: “On the subject of compliance and enforcement of the National Minimum Wage, the Low Pay Commission’s report recommends that the government considers introducing a requirement on employers that the payslips of hourly-paid staff include a clear statement of hours being paid for, and that the government introduces a formal, public protocol for HM Revenue and Vustoms to handle third-party whistleblowing on breaches of the national minimum wage.
“The government is committed to the effective enforcement. We will consider these options in full.”
The announcement comes just five months after FE Week reported last October that apprentices were today benefiting from a 20 per cent boost to their National Minimum Wage to £3.30 an-hour.
Mr Javid said that the time that the inflation-busting increase, from the old £2.73-an-hour rate, was “the largest in history, making sure that apprenticeships remain an attractive option for young people”.
It came as the adult national minimum wage rate increased at that time from £6.50 to £6.70.
Ruth Sparkes advises providers on how best to promote their apprenticeships programmes.
We have, in our marketing armoury, lots of ammunition when it comes to recruiting potential students and persuading them that getting an apprenticeship is a good idea
There are specialist magazines, prospectuses, websites, job-matching services, mobile apps, social media, bumper stickers — not to mention the national weeks dedicated to raising the awareness of apprenticeships.
We have built this arsenal because to get students’ attention there is a lot of competition.
Schools are competing with colleges, colleges and training providers are both working and competing with employers — and each other — while employers are working and competing with universities to sign-up the potential ‘high flyers’.
But because apprenticeships are not A-levels, parents and the media are not particularly interested in them, or well informed about them — we need to continually tell the world about how successful young people who complete apprenticeships really are.
Apprenticeships still suffer from a tainted reputation.
Just last month, an inquiry was launched to look at how the Government proposes to achieve its target and how standards can be maintained and enforced.
And the Sutton Trust recently reported 60 per cent of apprenticeships are currently set at GCSE standard (level two), with too many offering ‘little value beyond traditional work experience placements’.
We used GCSE results day last year to get an apprentice on ITV’s This Morning
After reading this, put yourself in our audience’s shoes — do we look like we’re trying to pass off a pig’s ear as a silk purse?
I often maintain that marketing is not about papering over the cracks. Even though apprenticeships are a long way off being perfect, there are some obstacles that we can identify and overcome.
We need to accept there isn’t parity of esteem for apprenticeships and complaining about this is a waste of time.
Schools and universities are major influencers and they are not currently singing the praises of apprenticeships — a Russell Group university will not look favourably on apprenticeships as a route to their brand of higher education.
Look at local schools’ websites — if there’s an alumni page, how many listings mention ex-students going off to complete an apprenticeship?
In the blurb about the school or under ‘destinations’, is there a list of students who go on to apprenticeships after GCSE or A-levels? I’m guessing not.
Colleges aren’t so hot at this either.
In the media we see plenty of stories about students who are Oxbridge bound, but not many about students who are apprenticeship bound. It’s not a criticism; it’s just not ‘news’.
My first tip would be keep the messages simple.
Have at least three messages for your different audiences — for parents and apprentices your message might be ‘employers are hungry for certain skills and this is the most cost effective route to a valuable career – debt free!
Secondly, use current national stories — topics to piggyback on currently include skills shortages, mindfulness, women in STEM, males in primary schools, aerospace and Europe.
We used GCSE results day last year to get an apprentice on ITV’s This Morning.
Thirdly, find a personal or unusual angle. Look for something unique.
We’ve used ex-soldiers who’ve retrained in construction — Baghdad to Battersea — and a costume apprentice at the English National Opera.
Finally, beware the stereotype. Even high quality images of females painting nails and males laying bricks do nothing to further our cause.
Ruth Sparkes is managing director of EMPRA, an education media and PR agency
Exeter College is rated outstanding by Ofsted which has praised the excellent progress made there by apprentices. So John Laramy, who will start as principal in April and was previously deputy principal in charge of curriculum, quality and standards at the college, reflects here on the secret of success for its apprenticeship programme.
Since the age of 16, when I entered the construction industry as a trainee and attended college, first on a block release basis and then on a day release basis, I have been aware of the impact of teaching and learning on ambition and ultimately on success.
I endorse the drive to increase the quality and quantity of apprentices within our country, but fear the biggest barrier is a cultural one, and we as a sector need to be passionate about communicating with and informing both schools and parents of the benefits of apprenticeships.
In addition, the Government has a key role to play in driving a wider cultural change and acceptance of apprenticeships as a different, but valid vehicle for learning and career advancement.
There are four elements that feature in truly outstanding apprenticeship provision: partnership, industry standards, relevance and ambition.
Our apprenticeship provision success is based on some key foundations.
In my view, at the heart of a successful apprenticeship is partnership. Today, for the majority of providers, it goes three ways between the apprentice, employer and provider.
While I see value in the apprenticeship ethos for people of all ages, and support lifelong learning, the key focus of our college for our apprenticeship provision and the employers we work with is young people, primarily aged up to 24 years of age.
Employers are busy, so it is critical that time is spent to identify the right apprentice, for the right employer.
It is critical that time is spent to identify the right apprentice
For our college, this unfunded investment has been a critical element of our success — in fact our current problem is that we have more vacancies than we have candidates.
An apprenticeship programme is a time and capacity commitment for an employer.
To create a programme that is meaningful, valid and robust takes resource, and requires ‘two-way’ honest conversations right from the outset.
There are many different providers across the country and we have a responsibility to deliver outstanding training that makes a difference: for businesses this means to the bottom line.
The second critical area is ensuring that we match current industry standards.
As a sector, we have a responsibility to drive innovation and stay at the cutting edge, this is why the right level of funding for apprenticeships is critical.
It is about being prepared to go above and beyond the framework requirement and recognising that sometimes the standard offer is just not enough.
Relevance is about making sure that teaching staff are current, up-to-date and reflective of current practice.
The best teachers bring vocational teaching to life by using examples and experiences. I see apprentices fully engage when great staff share real life situations.
Ambition is about setting standards, whether a qualification is graded or not, and it’s also about encouraging excellence.
Some providers use competition and others use role models, whatever the approach, I believe outstanding teaching and learning manifests ambition.
My hope for the future is that we start to celebrate the difference between full-time and apprenticeship learning, rather than endlessly hunting for the similarity.
The key thing I would ask for is stability; each government sees skills education as a set of chess pieces to be moved.
Since 1981 I believe there have been 28 Acts of Parliament, 61 ministers involved and seven different agencies!
Let’s make a decision for the benefit of the country, get all party support and stick with a ‘generation plan’.
John Laramy is principal designate of Exeter College
Huge numbers of women are now taking apprenticeships, but Dr Carole Easton explains why YWT thinks they are missing out “at every level” compared to their male counterparts.
Much has changed since apprenticeships mainly acted as a route into trades for men, with few opportunities for women.
Last year 264,750 women and 235,140 men began apprenticeships, which would seem to represent one of the huge successes of the apprenticeship programme.
However the reality is not so clear cut.
At their best, apprenticeships can offer young people new skills and excellent routes into employment, help employers fill skill gaps and make a huge contribution to a productive economy.
Sadly, not all apprenticeships are created equal and it is young women who are losing out at every level.
We recently reported there is a gender pay gap in apprenticeships.
And 16 per cent of young women told us they were out of work following an apprenticeship compared to 6 per cent of men.
Gender segregation is also very high in apprenticeships.
For every woman starting an apprenticeship in engineering there are 25 men. In plumbing the ratio is 1:74.
Gender segregation is very high in apprenticeships
Having asked young people about apprenticeships YWT commissioned a survey of the general population from ComRes and found that university continues to be preferred by middle class parents.
Working class parents were more likely to prefer apprenticeships for their children.
Overall, there is a tendency to see apprenticeships as best suited to young people, under 25 with low academic qualifications and seeking skilled manual work.
Some 89 per cent consider apprenticeships to be equally suited to men and women, but 7 per cent say they are better for men and 3 per cent for women.
In my view, these statistics demonstrate that there is a long way to go before apprenticeships are seen by everyone as a genuine and valued alternative to university degrees and before they become a route to greater equality of opportunities for young women with and without academic qualifications.
Even when young women do consider apprenticeships, they report that there are a number of deterrents.
They have told YWT that poor quality, stereotypical careers advice; lack of confidence; bullying and harassment in male dominated work places — and the portrayal of what constitutes women’s work in the media — all contribute to the persistence of job and apprenticeship segregation.
They are also deterred by the lack of flexible working hours and very poor pay (it is legal to pay an apprentice £3.30 per hour in their first year) — which is completely untenable for most people and particularly for young women who have caring responsibilities.
YWT is making recommendations which can make a difference.
We are asking employers and training providers to take positive action where the numbers of women are disproportionately low.
This could include setting targets, reserving places on courses and providing work experience placements.
To improve the opportunities for those who have left school with few qualifications, YWT is also encouraging employers and training providers to remove any formal academic entry requirements for apprenticeships unless they are directly necessary for performing the role.
We are also asking for clearer data which shows what is happening to women and men during and after apprenticeships.
We want pay and financial support increased and a greater availability of part time and flexible opportunities.
We also want to see improvements in the advice and support given to apprentices before during and after their apprenticeships.
Dr Carole Easton is chief executive of the Young Women’s Trust
Apprenticeships and students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have traditionally made uncomfortable bedfellows — but improving the situation has been made a key priority for post-16 education and training area reviews.
Skill Minister Nick Boles’ updated guidance, released earlier this month, called for “sufficient access to high quality and relevant education and training for all, including … adults and learners with both with high needs and those with moderate and low levels of SEND.”
Ofsted’s ‘Apprenticeships, developing skills for future prosperity’ report also raised the issue of a lack of provision for special needs students in October 2015.
It said: “The number of disabled apprentices and those with special educational needs was particularly low” and “too few young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, become apprentices.”
And the same complaint was raised in May 2012 by Peter Little OBE, whose report ‘Creating an inclusive apprenticeship offer’ highlighted a need to tackle a decline in participation of apprentices with a learning difficulty or disability.
The percentage of apprenticeship programme starts that went to special needs students declined steadily between 2007/08 and the time of Mr Little’s report in 2011/12, from 11.5 per cent of the total starts to only 7.7 per cent, according to government data.
The actual number of starts moved up from 25,880 in 2007/08 to 40,130 starts in 2011/12, and 42,850 in 2012/13, but dropped off in 2013/14 to 38,170.
Then in 2014/15, there were 44,090 apprenticeship special needs starts — but this made up just 8.8 per cent of total starts for the year.
With calls to boost this provision now taking centre stage in the reform agenda, FE Week went in search of examples of good practice, to see how they are making apprenticeships work for people with special needs and what advice could be offered to others.
An employer’s view — Buckinghamshire Care
Launched in 2013, Buckinghamshire Care has worked hard to challenge stereotypes around the jobs that people with disabilities can do.
The success of the company, which specialises in adult social care services, was recognised in this year’s National Apprenticeship Awards ceremony, when it won Newcomer SME [small and medium-sized enterprise] of the year for 2015.
Buckinghamshire Care’s apprenticeship programme was established to employ individuals usually excluded from the employment market, including those with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues.
It aims to provide vocational voluntary placements to help apprentices develop skills, prepare for the work place, and build their confidence and self-esteem.
25-year-old Chantelle completed an apprenticeship in catering at Buckinghamshire Care’s Aylesbury Opportunities Centre, and now has a full-time role there as assistant chef She had a challenging home life and also experiences learning disabilities, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but with the help of her employment support worker has overcome challenges to set her sights on the role of chef
Buckinghamshire Care uses a variety of different settings to do this, including a café, a working farm, a garden centre and a maintenance service, so individuals can find a setting that suits them.
The apprentices are integrated into the team at Buckinghamshire Care, attending the same meetings as other staff, who are specifically trained to support individuals with behaviours that may challenge mainstream employers.
Once they have completed their course, apprentices are guaranteed six months paid employment and three months specialist support to find ongoing employment through a local authority-funded service called Back2Base, which offers links to well-known companies.
Support is also provided for CV writing, interview skills, and managing government benefits.
Commenting on the programme, a spokesperson for Buckinghamshire Care said: “We have seen a cultural shift within our workforce relating to how they receive individuals who may be considered ‘difficult to work with’”.
Martin Farrow, managing director of Buckinghamshire Care, added: “This is a first for our organisation and from this learning we are developing our own training academy — over 20 marginalised people are now on paid contracts within Buckinghamshire Care.”
Telling the apprentices’ story — Grantham College
recent project at Grantham College aimed to advance equality for students with learning difficulties or disabilities in the workplace.
Focusing on challenging employer perceptions, the college worked with local and regional partners such as Jobcentre Plus and the local council to identify examples of apprentices who were succeeding on their programmes but who had faced significant personal challenges.
A designated project team engaged with the apprentices’ employers to look at what they were doing to support the individuals and what kind of positive adjustments had been made to include them.
Four case studies were then included in an employer brochure called ‘Advancing Equality in the Workplace’, to showcase examples of inclusive recruitment practices, and the brochure is now used by the college business team in their employer engagement.
It stressed colleges and training providers were equipped to deal with special needs, and reminded employers they could turn to them for help in identifying an apprentice’s support needs or offering recommendations to ensure success.
Tamara, a student in her early 20s on an intermediate (level two) business administration apprenticeship, featured in the brochure.
She struggled with moderate dyslexia, which had gone undiagnosed while she was at school, and her poor academic performance was associated with the death of her mother when she was just 12 years old.
Tamara
Grantham College highlighted that understanding instructions could be tough for Tamara and written directions would be helpful in enabling her to retain information.
She then began a business administration apprenticeship with a micro-business dealing with beauty products, but unfortunately the business was closed down.
Her NVQ assessor invited her to a forum with local employers, and with support and encouragement she was able to give a short presentation to attendees.
This led to her being offered the opportunity to continue her apprenticeship at the Grimsby Institute, where she received guidance and support with literacy helping her to thrive in her new role.
Commenting on her experience, Tamara said: “We might look like damaged goods but with a bit of help we can be fixed. I’ve been really lucky.”
A provider’s approach — Vision West Nottinghamshire College
Vision West Nottinghamshire College applies its approach to supporting learning difficulties or disabilities across the board — including for staff.
Both learners and staff take part in an initial assessment designed to recognise where an individual has areas that require additional support.
The college also uses a computer program called Quickscan, which identifies dyslexic tendencies, and staff and learners complete free writing exercises to check spelling, punctuation and grammar.
This information is then used to set long and short term targets.
Staff members who are identified as ‘champions’ are placed in a team for additional learning support for learners with educational needs, including apprentices.
Once learning difficulties or disabilities have been identified, the college works closely with employers to ensure learners get the right level of support they require.
Victoria Vale is a former Vision West Nottinghamshire learner who completed an Intermediate and Advanced Apprenticeship in Business and Administration with Enable, a charity in Huthwaite. She has Asperger’s Syndrome but has not let it hold her back, making such a positive impact at Enable that she gained a permanent contract as a receptionist
This includes an additional mentor where an apprentice with special educational needs requires enhanced assistance to what is provided by a line manager.
Faye Boucher, head of employer engagement, said: “The challenge for these apprentices can often be around the production of work for their employer, making sure that it meets the high
standards expected.
“Then it’s about making sure that we make adjustments for that learner to help them succeed.
“It might be that they need extra time, additional resources, further support for their functional skills exams or understanding that social skills and communications can be a challenge.”
She said the college has built a traineeship model focusing on preparing learners for the world of work, and this could be a helpful option for certain students.
However, she added: “It’s about making sure that it is individual to the learner and remembering that one size doesn’t fit all.”
An FE principal and chief executive officer (CEO) has been paid a salary of over £330k for 2014/15 — more than doubling her wage for the previous year.
Sunaina Mann, principal and CEO of the North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot) Group, received £331,000 for the academic year 2014/15, according to data made available by the Skills Finding Agency (SFA) on March 10.
This was an increase of 120 per cent on her salary of £150k for 2013/14.
It comes in the third year of Nescot’s involvement in the Saudi Arabian Colleges of Excellence programme. In September 2013, Nescot set up a female college in Jeddah as part of the scheme, which promotes technical and vocational education in the region.
A spokesperson for Nescot said: “Sunaina Mann is the principal and CEO of the Nescot Group, which includes Nescot and the Jeddah College of Excellence.”
The spokesperson also said that Ms Mann’s complete salary in 2014/5 was £363,000.
When asked to comment on the salary increase, the spokesperson said there was no further comment.
The figures come at a time when unions representing FE workers are engaged in an ongoing row over pay, in response to the Association of Colleges offer of a zero per cent pay rise for 2015/16.
In February, around 200 colleges were hit with joint strike action, as members of the University College Union and Unison walked out and joined picket lines as part of the pay dispute.
According to the SFA data, six other FE providers also paid their principals or CEOs a salary of £200k or above in the last academic year.
The second highest salary went to the principal and CEO of Birmingham Metropolitan College, at £298k, though this was a decrease of ten per cent on the salary payments for the role in 2013/14.
The second highest salary increase was at North Hertfordshire College (NHC), where the principal’s salary was £203k for 2014/15, compared to £162k for 2013/14 – a 25 per rise.
An NHC spokesperson said: “We appointed a new chief executive in March 2015. In making that appointment we offered a package that enabled us to attract candidates with the vision and expertise required to steer the institution toward a vibrant, sustainable, future.
“The salary in the SFA summary of college’s accounts reflects that package and the fact that we employed both our current and previous chief executives for an overlapping period.”
Dame Asha Khemka’s salary as principal and CEO of Vision West Nottinghamshire College was the third highest for the last academic year, at £245k, a seven per cent increase on her salary of £229k for 2013/14.
This was followed by the Newcastle College Group (NCG), where chief executive Joe Docherty received £227k for 2014/15 — a small increase of one per cent on the previous year.
A spokesperson for NCG said: “The salary figures quoted by the SFA are for the chief executive of NCG, Joe Docherty and not the Principal of Newcastle College.
“NCG is not a single further education college, but one of the UK’s largest education and training organisations with a turnover of £178m in the year 14/15 from a variety of public sector bodies and commercial income.
“The chief executive heads a large, complex organisation with more than 3,000 employees in four colleges and two training organisations which work across the UK at more than 70 locations.
“This is not a traditional FE college principal’s role, and comparable organisations in the private sector which we often compete against for many of our contracts, would pay considerably more.”
Salford City College came next with a figure of £212k for 2014/15, but a spokesperson from the college informed FE Week that these figures reflect the fact that, for part of 2015, the college had two principals in post to “facilitate a hand-over period”. She added: “Neither principal received a salary exceeding £200k.”
Finally, Stockport College and Cornwall College Group (TCCG) came in at £201k and £200k respectively for 2014/15. This was an increase of 15 per cent on 2013/14 for Stockport and nine per cent for TCCG.
A Stockport College spokesperson said: “The total cost indicated is in respect of an interim principal who was engaged on a short term basis which was extended while the College Corporation engaged in the process of finding a permanent principal. This is not reflective of the current salary of the new principal.”
A spokesperson for TCCG said that the principal had “not received a pay rise”, because the SFA figures for 2013/14 only represents 11 months of being in post.
He said: “The Cornwall College Group is the fifth largest FE college in the country, one of the biggest providers of apprenticeships, with eight sites, each vital to their local communities, together with significant outreach provision, stretching from Exeter to Falmouth.
“The principal’s salary was set on appointment in August 2013 and has seen no increase since this time.
“The principal was selected by a panel made up of members of our Board, with a focus on finding the right calibre of individual during a challenging time for FE. Our recent Ofsted inspection graded us as ‘Good’ in all categories.”
Birmingham Metropolitan College and Vision West Nottinghamshire College were unable to comment in the time available.
Top ten highest salaries for college leaders in 2014/15. *Salford City College salary was split between two principals in post at the time, during a handover period.
Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell explains why apprenticeships are vital for our country.
Apprenticeships are fundamental to the future of Britain.
The positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and our economy and society cannot be overstated. In my area of Manchester alone, I’ve seen local businesses thrive and grow after deciding to invest in apprenticeships, and opportunities unleashed for many young people after gaining a wealth of experience and skills that have paved a path for them towards a good career.
But the real reason apprenticeships are so fundamental to the future of our country goes beyond giving individuals great skills and training – essential as this is. It is also vital for delivering a productive, hi-tech economy that we need to compete in an increasingly globalised world. Developing a world-class vocational and technical skills system is central to addressing persistently high levels of youth unemployment that hold sections of our society back, and boosting Britain’s economic growth.
So it is absolutely critical that we all hold the Government to account where they are falling short on apprenticeships. Forecasts suggest that the UK will need more than a million new engineers and technicians in the next five years, yet the Tories are failing to deliver the pipeline of talent that is required.
From manufacturers and construction firms to digital industries and the CBI, businesses in the Britain are increasingly warning about the skills shortages that our country is grappling with. Very few apprenticeships are delivering the up-to-date skills in the sectors that need these the most. Worryingly, apprenticeship completions are actually falling and now one-third do not complete the training they start.
Despite the narrow and diminishing talent pool that exists, the Government is not doing anywhere near enough to encourage girls to study STEM subjects nor to join engineering courses or enter the industry. High quality, independent careers advice and excellent work experience placements are now non-existent in the majority of schools. This can hardly be described as progress.
Ultimately it will fall to a Labour government to rebuild the post-16 education sector. This aspect of our education system has faced an onslaught from the Tories, with a real terms cut of 14 per-cent over the last Parliament and further reductions to come. I speak to college principals every week who tell me they are worried about the financial viability of their institutions, and have already been forced to drop courses.
The courses that are being lost include in subjects key to our country’s competitiveness, such as A-levels in science and modern languages. At the same time, increasing numbers of young people are dropping off the radar, deprived of the local support they need to help them to succeed in life after school. Also pivotal will be turning around Britain’s woeful record when it comes to basic literacy and numeracy skills. These skills remain stubbornly weak among the next generation, compared to our counterparts abroad.
In opposition, Labour has the time to consider how we can develop practical solutions for the big questions that face our economy and society and which the current Government ignore.
What does a modern skills system look like, amid increasing globalisation, demographic change, and the rapid pace of technological innovation?
How do we close the growing skills gaps that are holding our country back, equip every single young person for work and further study, and connect young people leaving schools with the opportunities available locally?
What is the answer for tackling the significant gender imbalance when it comes to women in engineering, with women making up just 4 per-cent of engineering apprentices and leaving our country with one of the lowest gender ratios in engineering in the developed world?
Winning the global race will require far more than simply expanding general higher education. If we are not to be left behind, we must deliver a high quality apprenticeship system and rigorous vocational qualifications that prepare young people for the world of work and provide the skills our economy needs for growing sectors and the jobs of tomorrow.
We must work with business to revolutionise work experience and ensure that all young people get access to effective careers advice and guidance that sign-posts them to high-wage, high-skill work, so they can fulfil their potential and benefit the economy.
Investing in the education of our young people is the best down payment a country can make to secure its economic future, and apprenticeships should be at the heart of this. Let’s hope that the Government takes the time during National Apprenticeships week to remember it.
