A third sector umbrella body has written to Skills Minister Nick Boles calling for charity representation on the new Institute of Apprenticeships board — and for an exemption to the large employers’ levy.

The Charity Finance Group (CFG), which works to improve financial management in the voluntary sector, wrote to highlight challenges the government’s apprenticeship levy could pose for charities.

It also called for the interests of the sector to be represented on the board of the new institute as a solution to concerns over issues such as charities’ levy funding going towards apprenticeships for private firms.

Andrew O’Brien (pictured above), head of policy and public affairs at CFG, said there had been a lack of government guidance on how the apprenticeship programme under the levy system would work in the charity sector.

“There are opportunities to still shape what the structure looks like, rather than just already having to deal with an existing structure and crowbarring charities into that,” he said.

The Institute will, according to the government’s English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 Vision document released on December 7, be “fully operational by April 2017 and … will gradually start to assume functions in 2016”.

It was also revealed that an independent chair would lead a “small board made up primarily of employers, business leaders and their representatives”.

And Mr Boles has said, in response to a written parliamentary question from Labour MP Peter Kyle, that the chair and board members would “be appointed through public appointments”.

“The outcome will be announced as soon as the process allows in 2016,” he wrote.

However, Mr O’Brien claimed the government had not addressed the needs of the charity sector so far in its levy consultation or in the spending review.

“I think it’s fair to say that it’s been missed out. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t consider it,” he said.

The CFG initially raised its queries in a response to the apprenticeship levy consultation, and then followed it with the letter to Mr Boles on December 1.

The letter, written by CFG chief executive Caron Bradshaw (pictured left), points out that “the charity sector employs 821,000 people across the UK, 61 per cent of which are employed on a full-time basis” and estimates that “1,200 charities will be subject to the levy, collectively costing around £70m”.

A BIS spokesperson said it “needed to make sure the levy is right for all employers”.

“This is why we are engaging with as many employers as possible to understand how the levy will work for their business and giving them the opportunity to work with us on the implementation design,” he said.

He added: “Further details of the new institute will be announced in due course.”

Colleges hit by a nationwide cyber attack on FE and higher education providers were today told that “blocks” had been put in place to prevent further problems.

Janet (formerly the Joint Academic Network), which provides more than 18m users in the UK research and education community with high speed connections to the internet, suffered distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks from Monday.

There are 326 FE colleges in the UK with at least one connection to the Janet network, excluding sixth form and specialist colleges, according to a spokesperson at Jisc, which manages the network.

She said the attacks had resulted in reduced connectivity and disruption for all Janet customers. In a DDoS attack, many sources are used to overwhelm a service with large amounts of network traffic, leading it to shut down and become unavailable to its intended users.

Despite the disruption, Jisc said today that “blocks which have been put in place to stop the attacks are working effectively”.

One college affected by the attacks on the Janet network was Stockport College, which tweeted (see below) on Tuesday that it was “experiencing some difficulties with our network provider”.

Please bear with us. We are experiencing some difficulties with our network provider, JaNET, which may cause some disruption to our website.

— Stockport College (@stock_college) December 8, 2015

The college also posted a banner (pictured right) on its website, warning of the problems.

Jisc announced on Tuesday that it had had to reduce public updates via Twitter and its website due to suspicions that the information was being used to inform attacks. One DDoS attack was launched directly on jisc.ac.uk, which meant the website had to be temporarily closed.

Tim Kidd, executive director, Jisc technologies, said: “We understand the importance of connectivity to colleges, universities and other public sector organisations. We are doing everything in our power to ensure normal service in resumed as soon as possible, and in the meantime to minimise any disruption that users of the Janet network may be experiencing. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Jisc is carrying out an ongoing investigation into the cause of the attacks and said: “Long term we are already reviewing and improving our systems so that we can reduce the impact of any future attempts on service delivery for our customers.”

The Association of Colleges declined to comment on the impact of the network disruption on UK colleges. Stockport College is yet to comment further.

Government adviser Nigel Whitehead warned that the Trailblazer apprenticeship process was “out of control” as he revealed fears national occupational standards (NOS) were in “danger” of being bypassed.

The group managing director of programmes and support at BAE, and author of the government-commissioned 2013 Review of Adult Vocational Qualifications in England, said the system had been set up “without much reference back to the importance of the NOS as a foundation”.

“My honest appraisal is that I think it is out of control,” Mr Whitehead told more than 150 awarding organisations at the Ofqual 2015 conference in Birmingham on Tuesday (December 8).

He added: “There is a danger there is a moment in time when we will accidentally bypass the NOS unless we take the care to recognise their importance.”

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), which counts Mr Whitehead as one of its commissioners, is responsible for NOS across the UK.

However, the UKCES was “struggling to get that voice properly heard” when the new apprenticeship standards were being drawn up by Trailblazer employer groups, said Mr Whitehead, and with its funding set to cease, “that danger moment is amplified”.

It’s an issue he said he had even raised with Skills Minister Nick Boles — “and he acknowledges that we have some work to do to work out how that function is going to be performed,” said Mr Whitehead.

The comments appear to have put Mr Whitehead on collision course with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), which said research carried out by the UKCES itself showed only 5 per cent of employers had a good knowledge of NOS, while 44 per cent of the economy was not even covered by NOS.

“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.

But a UKCES spokesperson said: “We believe NOS are vitally important and, as Mr Whitehead said, they are the raw material on which high quality apprenticeships and many vocational qualifications are based.”

Mr Whitehead’s employers at BAE, which is on a number of Trailblazer groups, also backed him, saying they “recognise the value of NOS and their role in ensuring apprenticeships in our sector meet their requirements”.

“We believe they are an essential starting point on which high quality apprenticeships and many vocational qualifications should be based,” said a BAE spokesperson.

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”.

However, with UKCES funding set to end, question marks also hang over the devolved nations’ use of NOS.

“They are waiting with baited breath to see if they have to build their own foundation or whether they can rely on the English system to actually then continue to provide a foundation,” said Mr Whitehead.

A Scottish government spokesperson said it had “a commitment from Mr Boles to work with the devolved nations on this”.

But, she said: “We are disappointed with the UK government decision to stop funding the UKCES, as this will have implications in a number of areas such as the NOS which are used widely across all four nations of the UK to underpin vocational education.”

She added: “Unfortunately this is another example of where another UK government decision is having unintended consequences for skills activities across the UK.”

A Northern Ireland government spokesperson said it was working “to ensure NOS remain the national standards.”

The Welsh government was yet to respond.

Main image: @sideclickphoto

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Editor’s comment

Out of control, again

The government saw fit to listen to Mr Whitehead on qualifications nearly three years ago.

His recommendations resulted in the public funding of, it has been estimated, around 6,900 adult vocational qualifications severed.

He is clearly someone that is listened to among ministers and at Whitehall.

So his warning that the Trailblazer process was ‘out of control’ will hopefully also be listened to.

He, along with the UKCES, makes a case for national occupational standards (NOS) that Trailblazer employers, no less than BIS, should take great care to heed.

But it’s a warning that also came with worries for devolved governments who rely upon the UKCES for their own NOS in developing apprenticeships.

And perhaps one of the most damning criticisms of this particular issue, and also the breakneck speed of reforms, comes from North of Border about the ‘unintended consequence’ of policy shift after policy shift.

It just adds to that out of control feel that the FE and skills sector has sadly become accustomed to nowadays.

chris.henwood@feweek.co.uk

The University and College Union (UCU) and NCG (formerly Newcastle College Group) have signed a “partnership agreement” they hope will ease future negotiations over staff pay and conditions and consign previous bitter disputes to history.

Chief executive of NCG Joe Docherty (pictured above left) and UCU regional official Iain Owens (pictured above right) signed the agreement on Friday at NCG’s Rye Hill House, in Newcastle.

The partnership, which was officially confirmed by NCG and UCU this week, is the culmination of efforts to improve relations on both sides after a series of clashes.

An NCG spokesperson said  the new partnership would “see NCG and UCU work together to negotiate, consult and discuss on all matters relating to terms and conditions of employment and related staffing issues”.

She said “both parties have worked hard to improve relations over the past few years” and UCU had been involved in “several key projects, including the development of NCG’s purpose, strategy and organisation values”.

“There is also a joint commitment to organisational success, the sharing of information, openness and transparency, and improving the quality of working life,” she added.

It comes after the UCU was highly critical of pay rises given to former NCG chief executive Dame Jackie Fisher, who earned £215k in 2011/12 and £225k in 2012/13 — putting the college second in the list of highest paying colleges, as reported in FE Week in April last year.

Dame Jackie had previously been accused by UCU of “de-Geordification” in July 2011, after it claimed staff had been told to stop using Newcastle in communications and only refer to NCG.

It came after UCU staff members at Newcastle College went on strike in April 2011, over what the union claimed at the time were plans to make more than 170 staff redundant.

An NCG spokesperson said the eventual number of staff made redundant following the strike was “less than 80”.

Nevertheless, Mr Owens said he looked forward to a more co-operative future.

“We are committed to the shared goal of working together constructively for the benefit of all employees of NCG,” he said.

“We are pleased by the organisation’s commitment to openness and transparency, respectfulness and collaboration, and believe they are the values needed to underpin a successful working relationship.”

Mr Docherty, who replaced Dame Jackie in June 2013, said: “Strong, trusting relationships between employers and employees are a common feature of outstanding organisations, and we see a constructive and respectful relationship with UCU helping us towards our goal to become a great place to work.

“We have worked hard to forge stronger, closer working relationships with UCU and other trade unions.

“This agreement sets out the respect we have for each other’s roles and responsibilities and the collaborative approach that we have taken in shaping the future of NCG for staff and customers. There will no doubt be times when we agree to disagree.

“However, we will always aspire to be open, honest and transparent and commit to work with, and learn from, each other in a positive and constructive manner for the benefit of all concerned.”

Ofqual boss Glenys Stacey has warned awarding organisations (AOs) that the qualifications watchdog is clamping down on “rogue” non-compliance — and is currently looking at 40 cases where action could be taken.

In a speech at the Ofqual 2015 conference in Birmingham today, the chief regulator told an audience including representatives from 155 of the 160 AOs it regulates that it was now “better geared up to identify non-compliance”.

Ms Stacey said: “It is fair to say we have tightened up our regulatory approach over the past year – we have renovated our own house so it is in good order. We are now a more targeted regulator that has made big investments in its standards, compliance and legal teams.”

She added: “We are better geared up to identify non-compliance and better prepared to take firm, proportionate action. Our regulations set minimum standards that are applicable to all… if we find evidence of non-compliance we will take action where it would be proportionate for us to do so.

“We want you to be confident to invest in your products, in research and development, by knowing that we will take action against your competitors where we find problems.

“And we are taking action where we need to. Where we have looked so far this year we have found problems in a number of areas. We are currently following up 40 cases of non-compliance stemming from our annual Statement of Compliance process — and let me be clear, we have identified, are concerned about, and are following up, awarding organisations which have claimed compliance but where we have evidence that such a claim is wrong.”

Seminars with Ofqual standards, compliance and legal teams also took place on audit, risk and enforcement issues as officials pushed their ‘get tough’ message.

The conference also included panel discussions, with members including Ofqual chair Amanda Spielman; Nigel Whitehead CBE, group managing director of programmes and support, BAE Systems and Commissioner at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills; and, John Widdowson CBE, Association of Colleges president and New College Durham principal.

Also on the panels were Professor David Green, vice chancellor and chief executive, University of Worcester; Dr Fiona Aldridge, assistant director for development and research, National Institute of Adult Continuing Education; and, Nick Linford, director, Lsect and former editor of FE Week. They heard Ms Stacey outline how poor centre controls among AOs were proving a key concern.

“Internal assessment is of course a valid assessment approach, particularly where qualifications need to assess practical skills,” said Ms Stacey.

“However, in a number of audits, where we have looked for evidence of compliance with our requirements for effective centre controls, we have found non-compliance, again and again, in different AOs.

“And we are and we will continue to refer those non-compliances to our enforcement team. It is critical that those who rely on qualifications can have confidence in the way assessment is delivered — that they can rely on the outcomes of assessment no matter where or when it takes place.”

She also spoke about the results of Ofqual’s Spring Audits report, out this month. The report said: “In most cases, the evidence we collected indicated that the AOs had in place approaches that could secure compliance with our requirements.”

But Ms Stacey told delegates that Ofqual’s work on standards went further than the AOs it already regulated.

“We are not just looking at what is inside the regulated market, of course — we also control entry to it and manage exit from it,” she said.

“And some awarding organisations have surrendered recognition — for others we have withdrawn it. There are 23 fewer awarding organisations recognised today than there were four years ago.

“We are quite comfortable with this. We are not here to defend you, to do your job or to whitewash over any cracks that we find. Our responsibility is to those who rely on your qualifications.”

She added: “While we typically receive around 50 applications for recognition each year, only two or three typically make the grade.

“We are unapologetic about protecting the regulated market and maintaining high standards. None of you wishes to be tarnished or suffer from the actions of a few ‘rogue builders’.”

The issue of little or no use of qualifications was also raised by Ms Stacey as she told delegates: “If your qualifications are as valid as they can be, if they are well-designed around the skills and knowledge they need to assess, you will best-placed to meet … new opportunities.

“Central to that has been our removal of the QCF rules at the end of September this year. The evidence is that in some cases these rules were proving a hindrance to meeting users’ needs.”

She added: “Review your portfolio of qualifications and clear away those products which are either not demanded any more or do not function. Depreciation is a fact of life. Qualifications fall out of use just as buildings or technology depreciate.”

Skills Minister Nick Boles has placed Amersham and Wycombe College into administered status after being warned of its “declining turnover and worsening bottom line since 2007/08”.

Two advisers from FE Commissioner Dr David Collins’s office visited the 3,500-learner college in September and reported back a series of problems including falling student numbers as well as “pressures on its main funding streams, weak leadership and management and poor financial management”.

They also found that “operating deficits up to and including 2018/19” were expected by the college, which has a current Skills Funding Agency (SFA) allocation of just under £3.5m, and that its recovery plan therefore did not “present a picture of a stand-alone viable institution”.

Mr Boles’s letter to college corporation chair Jenese Joseph, dated October 16, plus the FE Commissioner’s report, was published today along with the results of an inspection of North Shropshire College triggered by its application for “exceptional financial support”.

Mr Boles told Ms Joseph: “The FE Commissioner’s key finding is that while the college has a recovery plan covering both financial and quality issues, this is not sufficiently robust and the targets set are not sufficiently focused to bring about improvement in a timely manner.

“In addition, relationships between the interim executive team and the governing body are not strong. The FE Commissioner has thus recommended that the college should not be left to manage its own future and should be placed into administered status.”

He added: “I have carefully considered the FE Commissioner’s assessment, and accept all the recommendations he makes. I am therefore placing Amersham and Wycombe College into administered college status with immediate effect.”

Interim principal Felix Adenaike (pictured main image above, inset right), appointed in March, said the college was “working actively with the funding agencies and the FE Commissioner to secure the improvements we need in the quality of our provision and finances; and the structural change that will lead to a stronger local provision for our stakeholders”.

“The governors and staff of the college are very much focussed on achieving these aims,” he added.

The commissioner’s advisers were sent out to the college, listed in the Thames Valley post-16 education area review, by Mr Boles in light of its 2013 SFA notice of concern for financial health and also a string of grade three (satisfactory/requires improvement) Ofsted inspection results.

The commissioner’s subsequent report states that the “SFA has recently indicated that it has additional concerns over the college’s financial control”. Dr Collins also reported that the college did not have a full strategic plan and that “no dashboards or key performance indicators” were regularly presented to the board.

He added: “Budget control has clearly not been adequate in the past. The interim financial controller expressed an opinion that there had not been an appropriate level of understanding of budgetary matters. The internal auditors could give no assurance in their annual report and rated this ‘red’.”

Mr Adenaike said: “Immediately after the review of the college by the FE Commissioner in September we developed a plan that will bring about timely and successful implementation of his recommendations.

“Our main priority is to ensure the local area and the communities we serve have access to a high quality and sustainable FE provision that will contribute significantly to their social and economic development.”

North Shropshire College meanwhile, was granted its request for “exceptional” funding, which is yet to be paid but the amount was not disclosed by the college, and was visited by Dr Collins along with two of his advisers between September 7 and 11.

Dr Collins reported that the 3,000-learner college, deemed by Ofsted to require improvement at last inspection in October last year, “has experienced a decline in its financial health over the last four years moving from a financial health grade of ‘good’ in 2011/12 to ‘inadequate’ by 2013/14.”

He added: “There have been two consecutive years of operating deficits as per the audited financial statements, with a further operating deficit in 2014/15 as shown in the draft unaudited accounts.”

Dr Collins also pointed out how the lack of a curriculum plan at the college, which has a current SFA allocation of just over £2.5m and was listed in The Marches and Worcestershire post-16 education area review, contributed to a “lack of control over staff hours and … small average group sizes”.

He also said there had been a “lack of capacity and capability at senior level,” but said staff supported the vision of principal Jackie Doodson, appointed in June last year, to turn the college around.

In his letter to corporation chair Gillian Richards, dated October 14, Mr Boles said the “principal and the other members of the senior management team are working hard to deal with some very difficult financial problems”.

Mr Boles added: “The FE Commissioner’s principle recommendations are thus that the board should continue to explore alternative options for its future and should actively participate in the Shropshire Area Review when it is announced.”

Ms Doodson said the college accepted the commissioner’s findings.

“Since the commissioner’s visit we have made good progress in improving our quality outcomes and we have achieved significant growth in apprenticeships and level four students, while maintaining a good position on 16 to 18 learner numbers,” she said.

“We are pleased to say that we have already progressed the recommendations within the report.”

A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokesperson said: “We would not disclose any details on exceptional financial support as this is commercially sensitive to a college and not for disclosure.”

Main image above: Mr Adenaike LinkedIn

The Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy has today launched an inquiry into careers advice, information and guidance.

It will look at issues such as the quality of current careers advice, the effectiveness of careers advice in supporting people into apprenticeships, and how careers advice in schools and college can help match skills with the needs of the jobs market.

The committee, created from sub-committees of the Education and the Business, Innovation and Skills committees, will also be holding a separate evidence session in the New Year with Skills Minister, Nick Boles.

Mr Boles will be questioned about his role and the effectiveness of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Education (DfE) in working together to increase productivity and economic performance.

Neil Carmichael, MP for Stroud and chair of the Education Select Committee (pictured above right), said: “Good quality careers advice is exceptionally important but current provision often seems patchy and complex, falling short in providing young people with comprehensive advice about the range of career opportunities available.

“While routes to university may be well mapped out, alternatives such as apprenticeships and vocational qualifications are largely ignored.”

Iain Wright, MP for Hartlepool and chair of the Business Innovation and Skills Select Committee (pictured above left), said: “Ensuring young people have access to good quality careers information, advice and guidance is crucial to social mobility.

“Whitehall has too much of a silo-mentality … We want to show the Government that working across policy areas and across parties is possible and, as a committee, we want to help ensure young people have the skills they need to achieve fulfilling careers and boost the country’s productivity.”

The inquiry will focus in particular on developments since the publication of the Education Committee report Careers guidance for young people: The impact of the new duty on schools, in 2013.

The Committee is inviting submissions on a range of points, including the quality and impartiality of current provision and how careers advice in schools and colleges can help to match skills with labour market needs.

Other topics include the balance between national and local approaches to careers advice, careers advice and apprenticeships, and the potential for employers to play a greater role in careers advice.

The role of the new Careers and Enterprise Company and its relationship with other bodies such as the National Careers Service will also be considered.

The deadline for written evidence is noon on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 and written submissions should be sent via the Committee website here:  http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-skills-and-economy/inquiries/parliament-2015/careers-advice-15-16/

In December 2014, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan proposed the creation of the Careers and Enterprise Company, to help schools fulfil their statutory duty to offer careers advice by brokering relationships between schools and employers.

It was followed in March this year with the Education Select Committee calling for careers advice to be “high up the agenda” in the next parliament, in a review of work over the past five years.

In July, management consultant and former adviser to Tony Blair, Claudia Harris, was appointed to lead the Careers and Enterprise Company, and in September the company announced the roll-out of its piloted system of ‘enterprise advisers’ to go into colleges and schools.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said the nationwide roll-out of the network was “a significant milestone” that showed a commitment “to giving young people across the country a first-hand insight into the world of work”.

The new Committee on Education, Skills, and the Economy comprises fourteen members from from both the Education Committee and Business, Innovation and Skills Committee. It is co-chaired by Mr Carmichael and Mr Wright.

 

 

A Greater Manchester council has the honour of being FE’s first community learning and skills provider to be judged outstanding by Ofsted under its new common inspection framework (Cif).

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, currently allocated £2.8m by the Skills Funding Agency, was visited last month and, in a repeat of its last inspection in 2009, inspectors yesterday delivered grade one (outstanding) verdicts in every headline field.

The local authority’s Lifelong Learning Service provides part-time courses for adults aged 19+, across local venues such as schools, children’s centres, libraries and other community facilities. At the time of inspection, it had 2,689 learners at level one or below, 369 at level two, and 80 at level three.

Councillor Shoab Akhtar (pictured right), Oldham’s cabinet member for education and skills, said: “A key part of our success is that we regularly consult learners, communities and partners to ensure services respond to local demands while also continuously improving what is on offer.

“This outstanding result demonstrates our strong commitment to widening access to learning opportunities and reducing the barriers that can sometimes prevent adults from studying and enhancing their prospects.”

Oldham’s report comes with Ofsted yet to find an outstanding provider among general FE colleges, sixth form colleges or independent learning providers under the new Cif, introduced in September this year. The first FE and skills ‘outstanding’ result came from a dance and drama inspection report on Manchester provider the Northern Ballet School.

Hackney Community College was the first to be rated under new Ofsted framework in late October, gaining a ‘good’ result.

Ofsted’s three-day inspection at Oldham, which was carried out from November 17, resulted in special commendation to the service for working with disadvantaged communities, stating that it “delivers programmes to successfully engage those who are least likely to participate in learning”.

The delivery of English and maths was also deemed very successful, with learners developing “excellent literacy and numeracy skills”. The report found that “the vast majority of learners studying functional skills pass at their first attempt”, and success rates were consistently much higher than the respective national rates.

The provider’s leaders and managers were said to “set and achieve extremely ambitious objectives for the service”, and governance was also found to “promote a very good level of informed and intelligent challenge regarding the quality, success and continued financial viability of the provision”.

Use of data and collaboration with community partners was “highly effective” and contributed to “well-planned and priority-focused provision”, while attendance was “excellent”.

Suggestions made for improvement included stronger arrangements for monitoring and celebrating learners’ destinations, and more detailed target-setting and feedback for learners in a minority of community learning classes.

Coun Akhtar said: “This report is a great endorsement of our Lifelong Learning Service. To have Ofsted confirm that as a local authority we are delivering a hugely popular and effective service, in all areas, is great news and is a source of great pride for all involved.”

He added: “This achievement is even more remarkable when you consider that we are one of the largest providers of adult education in Greater Manchester.

“The service also works alongside our campaign to Get Oldham Working as we are committed to providing people of all ages with the skills so they can be a success in their chosen career.

“I’d like to congratulate our staff, and all our learners, for their part in achieving this amazing ‘outstanding’ result.”