The Principal’s Office — English and maths challenge

The national 16 to 18 A*-C pass rates in 14/15 were 35.8 per cent (38.9 per cent) for GCSE maths and 35.1 per cent (37.9 per cent) for English — a drop of 3.1pp and 2.8pp respectively on 13/14.

Success rates are published soon and they’ll be down too.

That’s because these GCSEs (and Functional Skills if entry grade is below D) are now mandatory for youngsters without the C grade.

Are pass rates around 35 per cent good enough given that after 11 years of schooling many learners didn’t get the C grade and, for some, that’s after several attempts? Learner numbers rocketed across FE and schools — maths GCSE up 30 per cent to 130,979 on 13/14, English up 23 per cent to 97,163.

We have 819 learners taking GCSE English and 839 in maths — it’s big business for most FE colleges and 45 per cent up for us on two years ago

English and maths are vital and underpin most things we do. I’ve no problem with them being mandatory for everyone who hasn’t reached the C grade.

So why the new tolerance rule? The retrospective tolerance rule is perverse.

We’ll now lose half the funding for learners under the tolerance threshold. Rumour has it that the sector (all post-16 provision — school sixth forms too) would have lost £100m last year on the 100 per cent rule.

Most colleges gave learners the opportunity to progress and would not sacrifice funding in such difficult financial times. Did some providers run away from the challenge just to preserve success rates?

This year we have 819 learners taking GCSE English and 839 in maths — it’s big business for most FE colleges and 45 per cent up for us on two years ago.

When you factor in mandatory Functional Skills — 700 young learners taking English and the same number taking maths at level two or below and the high numbers of adults taking (free) English and maths then this reduced our overall college success rate by 1.6pp.

Fortunately we improved the rest of our work but we still ended up on 86.1 per cent — 0.8pp below last year. And 100 per cent of our learners who needed to be were on programme, but some simply refused to engage. Most colleges who played by the rules will report a fall.

By the way, I wish we could charge adults — ‘skin in the game’ improves retention, but we’ll always waive fees for the needy. I’m a fan of giving learners different routes to stardom. For example, the pilot core maths syllabus is a good ‘applied’ alternative to the standard maths A-level.

What’s wrong with having an applied/ employer-approved alternative level two maths syllabus, keeping the same standard and rigour as the GCSE? The Functional Skills level two should be a level two and not a grade D.

The FE sector excels in second chance and provision that is different to school. Don’t assume that school leavers have plateaued in their learning. We can add value. Or are we just looking to duck a challenge?

Others say yes, we can motivate disenchanted learners if we try new and different ways of teaching and show that the content and learning is relevant — essential life skills — then we’re in with a chance. We have to change learner (and staff) mindsets from ‘have to’ to ‘want to’.

Make sure every teacher knows the English and maths syllabi so that they can include and reference in their own subjects. Do lots of staff CPD and use on-line learning materials to complement (not replace) the teacher — there’s some great stuff out there.

Get your inspirational teachers to run sessions to multiple groups — their enthusiasm will rub off on more learners.

And make the subjects fun — reduce the fear factor. Work with schools to offer struggling 14-year-olds a three-year GCSE programme with the final year at college. Schools need to recognise that FE can help learner progress. If you have any bright ideas to raise achievements to Shanghai levels let me know. We’ve got to get this right. We owe it to our learners and their career prospects.

 

Consultation for two-levy payers but Chancellor George Osborne Budget blueprint ‘ticks boxes’

With the CITB having operated a training levy in the construction sector for half a century, it’s view of Chancellor George Osborne’s levy announcement on Wednesday (November 25) was formed of experience. Steve Radley outlines the CITB view of the Budget.

Chancellor George Osborne’s Spending Review statement has provided more clarity on the government’s approach to apprenticeships that includes a fair amount of good news for employers but at the same time leaves a number of questions unanswered.

As we examine its plans, the key questions are will it help to deliver more apprenticeship starts and will more employees complete high quality and relevant apprenticeships?

As an organisation with 50 years’ experience of running a levy, we previously identified a number of yardsticks for the apprenticeship levy.

These included whether the money it raised would be ring-fenced to support high quality training; whether employers feel a sense of ownership; and, whether it helps firms of different sizes to work together to invest in apprenticeships.

The Chancellor’s announcement looks to have ticked the first two boxes but we still need to hear a fair bit more on the last point.

We will be consulting industry and gauge attitudes towards making the apprenticeships levy and existing construction levy work in tandem

Starting first with the apprenticeship levy, the £15k allowance to offset against the levy payment means that only 2 per cent of UK employers will contribute to it, according to the chancellor.

Given the long-tail of small employers within construction, we estimate that just over 700 firms out of 325,000 in the industry will be liable — just 0.2 per cent.

With firms only paying the 0.5 per cent on paybills of £3m and more, the average rate paid by many firms will be significantly lower than the 0.5 per cent marginal rate.

The government has also taken steps to ensure that the apprenticeship levy directs support toward higher quality apprenticeships.

It has effectively agreed a settlement that matches the greater contribution required by employers with giving them a greater say over standards.

Importantly, the new Institute for Apprenticeships, which will be independent of government and led by employers, will regulate the quality of apprenticeships.

The Treasury’s commitment that ‘funding caps will be significantly higher for programmes which have high costs and are of high quality’ will also support employers in sectors such as construction where the average cost of an apprenticeship is £26,000, compared to health and social care where it costs less than a quarter of that.

The Statement also addressed some of employers’ concerns over the capacity of the FE sector to deliver high quality training by protecting core education funding in cash terms and maintaining the base rate of funding for all students aged 16 to 19.

However, a number of questions remain unanswered. These include the rate of support for apprentices under the age of 19 — close to six-in-ten of all apprenticeships are in construction.

For smaller firms not paying the levy, there are also important issues to resolve. These include the support available for smaller companies and whether firms paying the apprenticeships levy will be able to pass their digital vouchers on to other firms in their supply chains.

These are critical issues, given that some 60 per cent of construction apprenticeships are delivered by firms with fewer than 50 employees. With the government also announcing ambitious targets to build more homes, we need an approach that helps the major home builders and their supply chains to work to build a more skilled workforce.

The apprenticeship levy also poses challenges for organisations like CITB that already run one. The most important is whether the existing levies are still needed and whether employers will be prepared to pay them.

Our consultations with employers found most of them answering yes on both counts. However, with employers now working out what they must pay to the government, we will be consulting industry and gauge attitudes towards making the apprenticeships levy and existing construction levy work in tandem.

In construction we need a highly skilled workforce to build the new homes, roads and energy infrastructure that the Chancellor announced. We now need to ensure the apprenticeship levy helps to deliver this.

Much-feared Budget looks positive for adult skills budget — but what could the new 19-plus FE loans mean?

Further education loans were extended to the 19+ age group in a positive-looking Spending Review that many feared could have spelled the end of adult skills funding — but key details are yet to be revealed and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills looks set for the chop.

Protection of funding for the “core adult skills participation budgets in cash terms, at £1.5bn” may have offered the sector reassurance in Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget today despite £360m of cuts, but passing mentions of an FE loans extension could have serious implications.

The Budget document outlines the announcement, explaining that “government will expand tuition fee loans to 19 to 23-year-olds at levels three and four, and 19+ year-olds at levels five and six”.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been asked by FE Week whether cash saved in providing loans rather than grant funding was included in the £1.5bn that Mr Osborne said would be protected.

“We will not, as many predicted, cut core adult skills funding for FE colleges – we will instead protect it in cash terms,” he said, adding: “We will maintain the current national base rate of funding for our 16 to 19-year-old students for the whole Parliament.”

Meanwhile, adult skills budget efficiencies and savings of £360m by 2019-20 were also listed, with savings made from “supporting budgets, such as the UK Commission for Employment and Skills,” according to the Budget document.

“The government is also restructuring the sector through locally-led area reviews to provide sustainable and high quality provision in the future” it adds.

The Department for Education and the Treasury have also been asked by FE Week for details of the “targeted savings from 16-19 funding, including from declining demographics and funding outside the national base rate per student” in light of the announcement that “current national base rate per student for 16 to 19-year-olds in England will be protected in cash terms over the Parliament”.

Details of the government’s plan to raise £3bn through the apprenticeship levy also figured in Mr Osborne’s Budget.

He confirmed that from April 2017, employers would have to pay 0.5 per cent of their pay roll costs towards the levy — offset by a £15,000 allowance meaning that most employers will not have to pay.

“To ensure large businesses share the cost of training the workforce, I announced at the Budget that we will introduce a new apprenticeship levy from April 2017,” he told MPs today.

“Today I am setting the rate at 0.5 per cent of an employer’s paybill. Every employer will receive a £15,000 allowance to offset against the levy — which means over 98 per cent of all employers — and all businesses with paybills of less than £3 million, will pay no levy at all.

“Britain’s apprenticeship levy will raise £3bn a year. It will fund 3 million apprenticeships. With those paying it able to get out more than they put in.”

Mr Osborne also increased the government’s commitment to funding the apprenticeship programme, calling it “the flagship of our commitment to skills”.

“In the last Parliament, we more than doubled the number of apprentices to 2m. By 2020, we want to see 3m apprentices,” he said.

“And to make sure they are high quality apprenticeships, we’ll increase the funding per place — and my Right Honourable Friend the Business Secretary will create a new business-led body to set standards.

“As a result, we will be spending twice as much on apprenticeships by 2020 compared to when we came to office.”

Mr Osborne also announced changes to sixth form college rules as part of what he called the “schools revolution”.

“And I can announce that we will let Sixth Form Colleges become Academies too – so they no longer have to pay VAT.”

The Chancellor also said the government was planning to open 500 new free schools and university technical colleges (UTCs).

More than 100 young people one step closer to WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 after qualifying for UK squad

Nearly 150 young people are one step closer to taking on the world’s best, having been listed among the WorldSkills UK squad.

The names of most of those who will begin training with the aim of representing Team UK at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi in 2017 were announced on Saturday night at the closing ceremony for the Skills Show in Birmingham.

Dr Neil Bentley, chief executive of Find a Future, which manages the UK’s entry into the WorldSkills competition, said: “I offer my huge congratulations to every young person who has secured a place in Squad UK at The Skills Show 2015.

“By competing in the WorldSkills Competition, the UK is able to share best practice in apprenticeships, further education and skills with countries around the world, raising standards on a global scale.”

Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The young people who have earned a place on Squad UK are worthy ambassadors and demonstrate how high quality apprenticeships and technical training can be a fast-track to a top career.

“I congratulate each and every member of Squad UK and look forward to hearing about their preparations for 2017’s competition in Abu Dhabi.”

The 148 young people, including winners from this year’s Skills Show finals, who have so far been named for Squad UK (see list below) represent 83 different FE providers across the UK, including FE colleges, independent learning providers and employers.Squad UK

Southern Regional College in Northern Ireland has the highest number of any provider, with seven learners in the squad representing five skill areas: health and social care, joinery, mechanical engineering CAD, plumbing, and wall and floor tiling.

City of Glasgow College and Coleg Sir Gar have the next highest number of learners on the squad, with six each.

The City of Glasgow College learners will be competing for places in Team UK in four skill areas: beauty therapy (body), confectionery, culinary arts and restaurant services.

Coleg Sir Gar’s squad members, which include a brother and sister, Bruno and Elizabeth Forkuoh, will represent four skill areas: carpentry, manufacturing team challenge, restaurant service and web design.

The highest ranking English provider, with four learners in the squad, is University Technical College (UTC) Sheffield. Its four learners are (pictured main, from left) Edward Anderson, Jacob Staniforth, Hannah Saville, and Jaye Griffiths, all aged 18 and they will be aiming to represent Team UK in industrial control.

New College Lanarkshire, Riverpark Training, South West College, The Automated Technology Group, The Goldsmiths’ Centre and Toyota Manufacturing Ltd also have four learners each on the squad.

Squad UK members for bricklaying are expected be announced on Wednesday, November 25, as the results of the national finals have not yet been announced.

The results in the roofing (slate and tiling) and plastering competitions have also been delayed, but these skills areas are not represented at WorldSkills.

A spokesperson for Find a Future, the competition organisers, said the delay was because “it will be necessary to re-verify the results of these competitions”.

Pic: Alex Reynolds

Squad UK members

Aeronautical engineering: mechanical

  • Philip Broodbank (Airbus)
  • Aaron Duckworth (Thomson Airways)
  • William Hughes (Raytheon Systems Ltd)
  • Joseph Massey (Coleg Cambria)
  • David Sutton (QinetiQ)

 

Automotive body repair

  • Daniel Baker (Chartwell)
  • Andrew Gault (Riverpark Training)
  • Andrew McClure (Riverpark Training)
  • Andrew Spiers (Riverpark Training)

 

Automotive refinishing

  • Rory Clague (Race & Restoration)
  • Daryl Head (Thatcham Automotive Academy)
  • Jonathan McNaugher (Riverpark Training)
  • Kyle Saunders (Coleg Gwent)

 

Automotive technology

  • Seamus Goodfellow (South West College)

 

Beauty therapy – body

  • Samantha Adams (Coleg Cambria)
  • Ashlea Gissing (Great Yarmouth College of Further Education)
  • Isla McLarty (City of Glasgow College)
  • Shannon Morris (Truro and Penwith College)
  • Kaiya Swain (Sussex Downs College)

 

Cabinet making

  • Jack Adams (Chichester College)
  • Jack Bateman (Chichester College)
  • Angus Bruce-Gardner (Waters and Acland)
  • David Sparkes (Bridgwater College)

 

Carpentry

  • Benjamin Allen (Coleg Sir Gar)
  • Shane Everett (Carter Academy)
  • Robert Hamilton (Northern Regional College)
  • Cameron Nutt (North West Regional College)
  • Dean O’Neill (South West College)

 

CNC milling

  • Ethan Davies (Coleg Cambria)
  • Liam Woinson (Training 2000 Ltd)

 

CNC turning

  • Ryan Allenby (M-Sport Ltd)
  • Samuel Parkinson (Training 2000 Ltd)
  • Phillip Whiteside (Rolls Royce Plc)

 

Confectionery

  • Chloe Hart (City of Glasgow College)
  • Steven Lodge (Hull College)
  • Chloe Oswald (City of Glasgow College)
  • Lorna Thompson (Hull College)

 

Construction metalwork

  • Bradley Clare (Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education)
  • Oliver Kauss (Humberside Engineering Training Association)
  • Macaulay Reavil (Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education)
  • Luke Sherwood (Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education)
  • Thomas Woodburn (WEC Group Ltd)

 

Culinary arts

  • Burhan Ahmed (Henley College Coventry)
  • Nicolle Finnie (City of Glasgow College)
  • Ryan Gray (New College, Durham)
  • Ruth Hansom (Westminster Kingsway College)
  • Charles Quiambao (City of Glasgow College)

 

Electrical installation

  • Matthew Doe (Bridgwater College)
  • Daniel Griffin (Coleg Gwent)
  • Harvey Hemmens (Bridgwater College)
  • Sutherland More (Moray College UHI)

 

Fine jewellery making

  • Sharon Alvarez (The Goldsmiths’ Centre)
  • Hugo Johnson (Richard Talman Fine Jewellery)
  • Chloe Lightfoot (The Goldsmiths’ Centre)
  • Alex Wood (The Goldsmiths’ Centre)
  • Eleanor Woolacott (The Goldsmiths’ Centre)

 

Floristry

  • Caitlin Anning (Academy of Floral Art)
  • Aneekah Hussain (Farnborough College of Technology)
  • Robyn Lingdwn (Reaseheath College)
  • Danielle Scandone (Guildford College of Further and Higher Education)

 

Hairdressing

  • Kelly Bishop (Red’s Hair Company)
  • Lucy Knight (City of Bristol College)
  • Nicola Sharratt (Burton and South Derbyshire College)
  • Ashleigh Marie Simmons (Coleg y Cymoedd)
  • Bridie Thorne (Pride Hairdressing & Barber Shop)

 

Health and social care

  • Aine Devlin (Southern Regional College)
  • Jessica Duckworth (Burnley College)
  • Laura Jean King (Weston College)
  • Georgina Ravenscroft (Five Boroughs NHS Partnership Trust)
  • Jenny Smyth (Southern Regional College)

 

Industrial control

  • Edward Anderson (UTC Sheffield)
  • Bradley Crisp (The Automated Technology Group)
  • Jaye Griffiths (UTC Sheffield)
  • Yestin Lamptey (The Automated Technology Group)
  • James Mason (The Automated Technology Group)
  • Josh Russell (The Automated Technology Group)
  • Hannah Saville (UTC Sheffield)
  • Sam Scott (Industrial Automation & Control Ltd)
  • Jacob Staniforth (UTC Sheffield)

 

Industrial electronics

  • Tom Andrews (Alton College)
  • Jimmy Page (Alton College)
  • Jaroslaw Radecki (Belfast Metropolitan College)

 

IT support technician

  • Andrew Matthews (Highbury College, Portsmouth)
  • Kalum Pepperday (West Nottinghamshire College Group)

 

Joinery

  • Jack Chambers (Chesterfield College)
  • Jordan Mark (Southern Regional College)
  • Kieran Paterson (Dumfries and Galloway College)
  • Kyle Weir (South West College)
  • Conor Willmott (West Suffolk College)

 

Landscape gardening

  • William Burberry (Gardenscapes)
  • Adam Ferguson (College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise)
  • Noel Taggart (College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise)

 

Manufacturing team challenge

  • Jamie Davies (Coleg Sir Gar)
  • Bruno Forkuoh (Coleg Sir Gar)
  • Jake Green (CarnaudMetalBox)
  • Niall Howarth (City of Wolverhampton College)
  • Jonathan Mackay (City of Wolverhampton College)
  • Alexander McCluskey (CarnaudMetalBox)
  • Jacob Parker (CarnaudMetalBox)
  • Matthew Plant (City of Wolverhampton College)
  • James Stallard (Coleg Sir Gar)

 

Mechanical engineering: CAD

  • Betsy Crosbie (New College Lanarkshire)
  • Tobias Husbands (BAE Systems)
  • Christopher Hugh Reid (New College Lanarkshire)
  • Michael Skora (Southern Regional College)
  • Calum Waltho (New College Lanarkshire)

 

Mechatronics

  • Meliha Beglerovic (Middlesex University)
  • Jack Dakin (Toyota Manufacturing Ltd)
  • Sam Hillier (Toyota Manufacturing Ltd)
  • Mehnaz Mahaboob (Middlesex University)
  • Humzah Razzaque (Toyota Manufacturing Ltd)
  • Tom Revell (Toyota Manufacturing Ltd)

 

Network infrastructure technician

  • Oliver Davis (Bedford College)
  • Jonathan Samson (New College Lanarkshire)
  • Luke Andrew Saunders (Darlington College of Technology)

 

Network security

  • Shane Carpenter (North East Surrey College of Technology)

 

Network systems administrator

  • Matthew Thomas (North East Surrey College of Technology)

 

Painting and decorating

  • Ryan Chamberlain (New College, Durham)
  • Jordan Charters (Edinburgh College)
  • Gemma Chizary (New College, Durham)

 

Plastering and drywall systems

  • Dale Calderwood (Belfast Metropolitan College)
  • Sam Dowsett (British Gypsum Technical Academy)
  • Gwthin Jones (Coleg Llandrillo Cymru)
  • Harrison Moy (British Gypsum Technical Academy)

 

Plumbing

  • Daniel Martins (Briggs and Forrester Group Ltd)
  • Gavin Rice (Southern Regional College)
  • Alex Rooney (South West College)

 

Restaurant service

  • Thomas Baxter (City of Glasgow College)
  • Elizabeth Forkuoh (Coleg Sir Gar)
  • Ryan Kenyon (Marriott Hotel)
  • Jordan Philburn (Tameside College)
  • Zac Williams-Wolfe (Tameside College)

 

Stonemasonry

  • Toby Brook (City of Bath College)

 

Visual merchandising

  • Catherine Abbott (Top Shop)
  • Amy Greatrex (University of South Wales)
  • Hannah Morgan (University of South Wales)
  • Chloe Wills (University of the Arts, London)

 

Wall and floor tiling

  • Kieran Magee (Southern Regional College)
  • Jack Radford (New College, Nottingham)
  • Armondas Tamulis (Southern Regional College)

 

Web design

  • Tom Burton (Highbury College, Portsmouth)
  • Alfie Hopkin (Coleg Sir Gar)
  • Nathan Jones (NPTC Group)
  • Jordan Tucker (Weston College)
  • Anton Williams (Highbury College, Portsmouth)

 

Welding

  • Thomas Earle (Doosan Babcock)
  • Neil O’Brien (Doosan Babcock)
  • Jonathan Rowell (Lakes College, West Cumbria)

Skills Show 2015 sees record number of visitors — up 44 pc

Record numbers of young people, teachers and parents visited the Skills Show in Birmingham last week, with figures for Saturday showing a 44 per cent rise on last year.

A total of 78,324 people visited the show over the three days, with 20,597 of those on the Saturday, according to figures released today by organisers Find a Future.

“The Skills Show’s unique experiential careers advice model once again proved a big hit,” said Dr Neil Bentley (pictured right), chief executive of Find a Future.

“The success of this year’s event demonstrates how much demand there is for excellent careers advice on vocational education, training and apprenticeships.Dr Neil Bentley

“Our Saturday opening saw high numbers of families attending together to learn about vocational careers – a clear indicator of how keen parents and guardians are to be involved in their children’s career choices.”

Visitors to the NEC also had the chance to watch more than 670 talented young people taking part in the finals of 58 WorldSkills UK Skills competitions, with successful entrants later named in Squad UK to train towards selection for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.

Meanwhile, medal winners in the plastering, bricklaying and roofing (slate and tiling) competitions have now been announced.

The results in these competitions were not among those announced on Saturday, as they needed to be “re-verified” according to Find a Future.

Among the late results was a win in plastering that brought City of Glasgow College’s tally of gold medals to five.

Hull College and Newcastle College both scored their first gold medals of the competition, in bricklaying and roofing (slate and tiling), respectively.

Leeds College of Building won its first medals of the competition with a silver in plastering and a bronze in roofing (slate and tiling), while Leicester College also won its first medal of the competition with a silver in bricklaying.

Cornwall College doubled its medal tally, with a silver in roofing (slate and tiling) adding to its earlier gold in cabinet making. And Chichester College also doubled its medals, adding a bronze in bricklaying to the silver it won in cabinet making.

York College gained a bronze medal in bricklaying – its first medal of the competition. While City of Bristol College also won its first medal of the competition, with a bronze in plastering.

The final list of Squad UK members is expected to be announced tomorrow (November 25) — 148 squad members have already been announced.

“The opportunity to see competitors in action in the WorldSkills UK Skills Competition finals is a vital part of the Skills Show,” said Dr Bentley.

“They are the link between the skills which visitors try for the first time at the event, education and training opportunities, employers and achieving success.

“Watching their peers in action is incredibly motivating for young visitors, while the involvement of our Skills Champions — former competitors on the world stage — at this year’s event provided our audience with the chance to discover first hand what it is like to succeed at the very highest level.

“We are confident that those named in Squad UK for 2017 will continue to drive performance standards in competitions still further, and inspire even more young people to take up vocational careers.”

Sector breathes a collective sigh of relief as Budget questions remain

Mark Dawe was, like many in FE and skills, hanging on Chancellor George Osborne’s every word as he delivered today’s Budget. This is what he made of the announcements.

There will be an FE sector sigh of relief as 16 to 19 funding is protected, but only in cash terms, adult funding protected, again in cash terms, and apprenticeship funding set to double — but we are still awaiting the real detail.

The sector couldn’t ask for any more and demonstrates the power of the sector both in terms of lobbying and the service it provides to the economy and society.

I would argue that this gives the breathing space allowing significant reform rather than an opportunity to continue doing what FE has been doing for the last decade.

Adult funding has been under attack for the last decade — ever since the ill-fated and poorly thought through Train to Gain programme and obsession with the full level two, adult funding has been eroded.

If we are planning for the future of FE with limited resources we have to assume there will be a continued erosion of real terms government adult funding with a greater and greater focus on apprenticeships and English and maths.

The levy, the most un-Tory policy we have ever seen, is the hook that all providers will have to open the doors to the thousands of large employers

It doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any education and training for the over 19s, but it has to be based more and more on employers and individuals contributions, in some cases supported by loans as we have seen with the 19-plus level three and four loans.

This finally allows for the delivery of the policy aim of higher education in FE — an exciting opportunity for the sector. There may be local grants for local needs — but these can’t be relied upon for the long term sustainability of colleges.

Ahead of Prime Minister’s Questions before the Spending Review announcement, David Cameron said all 18-year-olds should have the choice to take on an apprenticeship or go to university — apprenticeships have never been so central in government education and skills policy.

Skills Minister Nick Boles talked about colleges stopping independent learning providers (ILPs) “nicking their lunch”. This isn’t about colleges verses ILPs — it is about shifting the focus of vocational training to apprenticeships or pathways into apprenticeships, if university is not the pathway a student is choosing.

The debate about one-year programmes is that learners at 16 should have a programme of study that leads to higher education or work with an apprenticeship and students should move into the latter as soon as they are ready. This requires a much deeper engagement of employers in the training of our young people and there is now a clear responsibility for the sector and employers.

The levy, the most un-Tory policy we have ever seen, is the hook that all providers will have to open the doors to the thousands of large employers who don’t engage in the apprenticeship and traineeship programme and have a payroll over £3m, raising an additional £3bn per annum of apprenticeship funding for the FE system.

FE is going to have to change significantly. There has been much talk about mergers. While there are some savings to be made through scale around administration and systems I don’t think this is the real benefit.

Large institutions allow the spreading of outstanding leaders and their teams across a larger area and more students — expertise is a scarce resource and we have to use it effectively.

We are also seeing a digital revolution. We have been talking about this for the past 15 years but I think it has finally arrived. And the timing couldn’t be better — with loss of real terms student funding per learner and number of learners funded.

To continue to enhance the learning experience and increase the number of learners FE reaches, colleges must fully engage with the digital agenda.

There are some excellent examples around the country — but this needs to be the norm not the exception. Fundamentally, delivery needs to change and staff in colleges will have to change how they deliver learning and support students.

The investment needed is significant on the technology and staff development and I do not believe will be achieved in small institutions. The leadership demands and investment in digital delivery can only be achieved through substantially larger colleges. This will preserve delivery across the country not erode it.

The devolution, regional and local agenda requires high level engagement in the locality — this is not achieved by large numbers of FE college sitting around the table, they wont be invited — look at the size of the Strategic Area Review groups. It requires a single voice from the colleges, not some intermediary, and therefore college need to merge or create hard federations to have a seat of power at the table — otherwise colleges will be forgotten.

On a final note sixth form colleges are being allowed to become academies — escaping VAT and in reality, post-16 area reviews.  I am sure this will be the final goodbye to sixth form colleges from the FE sector. It may be great for the colleges, but it’s sad for FE.

Learndirect topslices almost £50m from subcontractors over two years as average management fee rises to 36 per cent

Figures that the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) demanded be published by today have revealed that Learndirect top-sliced almost £50m from deals with its subcontractors in the last two years.

The Sheffield-based provider retained 31 per cent (£24.3m) of total funding (£77.7m) for its 73 subcontractors in 2013/14, as previously reported by FE Week.

But management fee details on the former publicly-owned firm’s website, which the SFA demanded be published by today by all lead contractors, show that last academic year it retained an even higher proportion — 36 per cent of total funding (£68.1m) from 75 subcontractors.

The numbers show that, despite being allocated £9.5m less total funding last year than in 2013/14, it maintained a £24m topslice by increasing the average management fee from 31 per cent in 2013/14 to 36 per cent last year when it earned £24.2m in management fees.

It brought the total retained by Learndirect in management fees over the last two academic years to just over £48.5m from a 33.6 per cent topslice.

A Learndirect spokesperson told FE Week: “We work in partnership with an extensive range of suppliers, each providing contract-specific services. We procure services at a charge from these suppliers. We do not subcontract the whole delivery to third party suppliers and then charge a fee.

“The suppliers deliver Learndirect-branded services using our systems and products in line with the delivery standards laid down by Learndirect. We provide marketing, the content, and the quality, audit and contract management framework within which they sit.

“The level of charges depends on the contract being delivered and the role of the supplier in question. Partners have schedules outlining the fees payable to them for their role in the delivery of each contract, and these rates are published to them prior to contracting and are available on our supplier support portal throughout the year.  The range of charges published on the learndirect website reflects the full year to July 2015.

While Learndirect has met the SFA requirement to publish it management fee details, the figure itself will be uncomfortably close to the 40 per cent SFA chief executive Peter Lauener (pictured below right) has said he would find unjustifiable.

Mr Lauener told FE Week editor Chris Henwood in an exclusive interview last year 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”.

Lauener 245

The SFA threatened in September to suspend public money for lead providers who failed to publish what they charged each of their subcontractors in 2013/14 and 2014/15, as reported by FE Week.

It came after the SFA rule requiring providers to specify how much they charge subcontractors in management fees was introduced in August last year, before FE Week found four months later that it was being ignored by a number of providers.

A notable offender at the time included the country’s biggest SFA contractor and former publicly-owned provider Learndirect — although the firm subsequently uploaded its 2013/14 figures before Christmas, which showed it had retained 31 per cent (£24.3m) of total funding (£77.7m) for its 73 subcontractors.

“The mix of services provided by our suppliers varies year-on-year, dependent on learner needs, which accounts for any variation between 13/14 and 14/15,” said the Learndirect spokesperson.

The SFA wants information on management fees available on websites, and to include current supply chain fees and charges policy. It also wants the relevant weblinks provided on 2015 to 2016 subcontractor declaration forms.

The rule was introduced following a long campaign against excessive top slicing by FE Week that was launched in the paper’s pilot edition in June 2011.

The SFA warned providers in September that “we will suspend your payments” if information is not made public by the deadline.

An SFA spokesperson said at the time that “all colleges and other training organisations which subcontract must publish the actual funding paid and retained for each of their subcontractors in the [provider] funding years 2013 to 2014 and 2014 to 2015”.

The SFA isyet to comment on the Learndirect figures for 2014/15.

Click here to see how much Learndirect charged each of its subcontractors in management fees for 2013/14 and 2014/15.

Where does your college sit in the FE Week 2015/16 adult apprenticeship allocations table?

The exclusive front page story in FE Week edition 154 on startlingly low levels of apprenticeship delivery among some colleges promised more details would be published later.

The full list of apprenticeship allocations for general FE colleges was published in edition 155 and can be seen below.

Click here for an expert piece on colleges’ delivery of adult apprenticeships from Association of Colleges senior skills manager Teresa Frith.

Source: Figures from SFA FoI responses and college category defined as ‘General FE and Tertiary’ as listed in 2015/16 EFA allocations

 

Golden night for City of Glasgow College as Skills Show competition winners announced

City of Glasgow College emerged the big winner from Skills Show 2015 in Birmingham as it claimed eight medals, including four golds — the most for any provider.

The Saturday closing ceremony, which marked the culmination of national skills competitions finals, also saw the announcement of most of the long squad (pictured above) ahead of the next WorldSkills competition in Abu Dhabi in 2017.

City of Glasgow College’s four gold medals were in beauty therapy (body), confectionery, culinary arts and health & social care. It also won two silver medals, in network systems administrator and confectionery, and two bronzes, in culinary arts and network infrastructure technician.

North East Surrey College of Technology was next up with three golds before Northern Ireland’s Southern Regional College and also North West Regional College were tied on two golds with Wales’s Coleg Cambria and also Coleg Sir Gar, Scotland’s New College Lanarkshire and England’s Mid Kent College and Highbury College Portsmouth.

Around 700 people attended the awards event, held at the Birmingham NEC, which had earlier featured opening speeches by Dr Neil Bentley, chief executive of organisers Find a Future and Peter Lauener, chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency and the Education Funding Agency.

“As the UK’s official delegate for WorldSkills competitions I know I’ve seen young people with the potential to succeed in the heat of international competition, when the next WorldSkills event is held in Abu Dhabi in 2017,” said Mr Lauener.

“Every competitor I’ve seen this week in Birmingham knows that they have the skills which will give them a good career,” he said.

“They will create wealth and prosperity for themselves and their families and their communities, all because of their skills.”

Dr Bentley said: “I am certain that those who make it on to that plane to Abu Dhabi will fly the flag for the UK with pride.”

The names of most of those who will make up Squad UK were also announced at the end of the night. These 200 people, who were selected on the basis of their success at UK Skills 2015 and 2014, will begin training with the aim of representing Team UK at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi in October 2017.

The results of the bricklaying, roofing – slate and tiling, and plastering competitions have not yet been announced.

According to Find a Future, the competition organisers, the delay was because “it will be necessary to re-verify the results of these competitions”. The winners in these competitions are expected to be announced on Wednesday (November 25).