If the Department for Education (DfE) wants to get more 17-year-olds onto apprenticeships then it will need to consider the role that the independent learning provider sector can play, says Stewart Segal.

In placing a focus on the development of technical and professional skills, it is good that the DfE review is of a wider set of skills than just technical skills and it should include the IT, finance, legal and managerial skills which are required across many different sectors.

The focus on getting more people on to an apprenticeship applies to all providers

In AELP’s view, the biggest skill shortage in the UK is managerial skills.

We hope the review will look carefully at the existing delivery systems and not jump to a conclusion that we need a ‘new system’.

Clearly there are improvements we can make to the current system and we know we need to encourage more people to take new routes to higher level skills but everyone in our sector knows that constant change can confuse our customers, so we need to be careful about the implementation of any ‘ground breaking reforms’. We are certainly not against change but it has to build on what works.

High quality technical and professional training is the key for both young people looking at job and career options as well as older people looking at career development.

Everyone will have a different entry point and that may be at all levels in the qualifications system. We need to ensure everyone has a chance to climb the ladder of opportunities including apprentices to give them a route to higher level skills.

For young people the routes into the world of work look complex and AELP has long proposed a stop to the constant changes to work preparation programmes and instead much more of a focus on traineeships and apprenticeships as the key routes, but not the only routes into work.

We are not sure about the target to create ‘up to 20 new specific routes’ into work or education because it sounds like a pre-conceived solution before we know what the problem is.

We hope that the DfE-appointed group will have an open mind to the solutions and that they will be customer focused and not focused on particular structures or institutions. Many different types of providers are involved in delivering technical and professional training and the solution must recognise that choice for learners and employers.

We support the option of apprenticeships as an important choice for young people and older workers looking to get the higher level skills that will move them into sustained employment.

Many young people in particular will need the support of the traineeship programme to get them their first step on the ladder.

As the DfE press release says, only 6.9 per cent of 17-year-olds take an apprenticeship which could be a lot higher if young people were given better information about their options at school.

There are many of those young people in jobs who are not apprentices and we need to ensure more of them participate in the programme.

The focus on getting more people on to an apprenticeship applies to all providers. Independent learning providers and colleges can deliver more apprenticeships, but it takes time and effort to get more employers to make the big commitment to employ an apprentice. We welcome the support of the Confederation of British Industry and the Federation of Small Businesses in doing this, but we must have a responsive contracting and funding system that supports that growth.

Many technical and professional apprenticeship programmes are delivered by partnerships of private and college providers where the college might provide some of the technical training.

These partnerships need to be recognised by the review and we will therefore want to work closely with the review group to ensure they consider all of the issues across the sector.

The Department for Education’s plans to get 16-year-old classroom-based vocational learners into apprenticeships after a year are assessed by Dame Asha Khemka.

Skills Minister Nick Boles’ announcement of a “ground-breaking” overhaul of technical and professional education last week represented the latest in a long line of reforms to the FE and skills sector.

The major issue with this policy agenda rests with the availability of high-quality apprenticeship places for 16 to 18-year-olds that lead to real jobs

The proposed reforms provide us with some interesting questions, perhaps some opportunities and almost certainly several challenges – not just for the sector but for government in its implementation.

The cynical view is that this is yet another erosion of colleges; that this policy is a way of diverting funding from the full-time study programme to achieve the 3m apprenticeship target, which will be challenging to meet and even harder to fund.

Apprenticeships are not inherently ‘cheaper’ in funding terms, yet around 70 per cent are currently not delivered within colleges.

Take this to its ultimate conclusion and there is a risk that college funding will be reduced — particularly if we lose our 16 to 18-year-olds to other providers from the age of 17.

Some of our young people already progress from a one-year level two course onto an apprenticeship, or leave their study programme early to pursue one — so having a system that recognises this as a valid and intentional route is no bad thing.

If the policy works as it should, then colleges will be best placed to offer that progression route. It will also enable us to extend our provision of directly-delivered apprenticeships and create opportunities for strategic relationships with more employers, providing the pipeline for their future workforce in a structured way.

Who knows, this may redress the balance and see more apprenticeships delivered by colleges within this parliament which, in turn, may well enhance the sector’s reputation with government as we become a key leader in meeting this major priority for skills. This could finally be an opportunity to create a vocational pathway that is as highly-valued as the academic.

There are, however, pitfalls. The major issue with this policy agenda rests with the availability of high-quality apprenticeship places for 16 to 18-year-olds that lead to real jobs. There seems to be an assumption that if young people want and are ready for an apprenticeship, they will be able to access one. Yet this ignores the essential ingredient — an actual vacancy.

We already know that the number of apprenticeship vacancies is the single biggest limiting factor in young people following this pathway. What will be different under these reforms to change that?

The risk is we create a two-tier system whereby the brightest progress and the rest are left behind. If the government uses some kind of financial ‘bribe’ to encourage employers to take on an apprentice, there becomes a real danger that no sustainable and long-term employment is available for them once they complete their training — potentially leaving us with a cadre of young people without a job at the end of their apprenticeship.

How will these latest reforms affect the viability of courses within colleges?

If only half of students can progress, then surely the second year of a full-time study programme suddenly looks a lot less viable than before. What about the readiness of young people to progress?

We all know that not all 17-year-olds are the same. Some are more than ready to take on the challenge of work while others need more time learning the softer skills needed to be a great employee. What will the 20 vocational routes looks like? And where do ‘hybrid’ subjects like creative media sit?

If all this seems as though there are far more questions than answers, it’s because there are.

However, one thing is certain. The sector that emerges from the current reforms will be very different to the one we know. Will it be stronger? If the vision being set out is realised and we take the opportunities on offer, then yes — I believe it will be.

The Skills Show gets under way on Thursday (November 19) at NEC Birmingham and celebrity entrepreneur Theo Paphitis wants to see as many FE providers as possible.

Vocational education and careers are hot right now. Open any newspaper or magazine, watch TV or listen to the radio, and the talk is all about apprenticeships, traineeships and suitable careers for young people which involve earning while they learn — all music to my ears.

I have always been passionate about skills. Leaving school without any meaningful qualifications can make you really appreciate the learning that you do in the workplace and the skills that you pick up.

Make sure that you get involved with The Skills Show in some way to keep spreading the inspiration

I was lucky, I know, to discover the retail sector early in my working life — it inspired me, and motivated me to make the best of myself that I could. So how can we provide similar inspiration for young people to ensure they can make a meaningful contribution to the economy when they are actually out there working?

The government’s call to establish 3m apprenticeships during the life of this Parliament has shone a light on the sector, and is providing a great opportunity to showcase how varied and interesting FE is. It should also be a great chance for educators to link up with employers and provide a real link to the workplace for young people. So how can colleges take full advantage and change the perceptions of some parents that the sector is not for their children?

This month sees the fourth annual Skills Show at the NEC in Birmingham. I am delighted to be patron of this event, which showcases the very best in skills, apprenticeships and careers to more than 75,000 young people, their parents, teachers and other educators. I always make time to fit in a visit to the event, however busy my diary, because it inspires me and I find out new things — so how much more exciting must that be for a young person seeking a future career?

Every year, the college personnel that I talk to at the event say how inspiring it is for them to see so many young people finding their own passions — whether that be in manufacturing, engineering, accountancy, floristry or one of the other many different careers on show at the event. Seeing their peers demonstrate their skills in WorldSkills UK competitions, or hearing the successful Team UK representatives from WorldSkills São Paulo talk about their experiences earlier this year can only be motivational for visitors.

Of course it is a great opportunity to sign up new students. One college principal last year told me he filled an entire intake for one subject simply by staging a Have-a-Go at the event — that’s what I call a marketing budget well spent.

For 2015, event organisers at Find a Future have established a Future Skills zone, showcasing some of the careers which will be vital to sustained economic growth in the future. When I started work, mobile phones were like bricks, and about as agile — technology has moved the world of work to new heights since then.

But careers of the future are not just about space-age technology — the way we live our lives is constantly changing, with new opportunities in all sorts of traditional areas from engineering and manufacturing through to catering and design, and this will undoubtedly create new careers and training opportunities for all.

Working together at The Skills Show, FE colleges have the chance to change the way people think about skills and vocational education as a whole.

As a collective, the Premier Colleges group has shown how collaborative working can raise the profile not only of their individual colleges but of FE as a whole.

The event showcases the next generation of talented young people, who will be the backbone of our future workforce, and it is up to all of us to give them the inspiration they need.

My challenge to the FE sector is to make sure that you get involved with The Skills Show in some way to keep spreading the inspiration — I look forward to seeing you there.

Competitive marketing between neighbouring colleges was criticised by FE Commissioner Dr David Collins when he wrote to principals and chairs with his view of a collaborative future. However, Andy Wilson explains how marketing has played its part in his college success story.

Even by the Alice in Wonderland standards the sector has become accustomed to, the FE Commissioner’s recent letter was particularly noteworthy.

I only knew the October 30 letter existed through an FE Week tweet on November 10. Yet its main wisdom, apart from that large class sizes are more efficient, is that FE colleges spend too much money on individual marketing rather than taking a collective approach.

We can all learn and benefit from the more successful college brands.

Following the commissioner’s practice it seems we should all post on a Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website and hope the press pick the message up.

The effectiveness and efficiency of marketing or, more specifically, publicity are an area of regular soul searching at Westminster Kingsway.

We sit at the centre of London and maintain a comprehensive offer for local students by attracting others from all 32 London boroughs and beyond.

We were a regional specialist centre for hospitality long before it was fashionable. However, young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) escaping postcode wars and A-level students wanting to feel close to prestige universities travel considerable distances to us.

Maintaining this wide reach requires buying in the most expensive advertising market in the country.

We use the Evening Standard and commercial radio, albeit sparingly, because it is more cost-effective than the alternative network of local outlets.

Our strategy has helped us grow 16 to 18 numbers by 50 per cent in six years, hit almost all our funding targets and maintain financial reserves which provide some hope of continuing survival. Oh yes, and we have an average class size around 19.

Nobody wants to spend large sums on marketing and everybody believes they are an expert in marketing.

Course marketing is always guaranteed to generate lively debate at meetings of teaching staff. Westminster Kingsway has a small team of well-regarded marketing professionals who regularly contribute to sector events and win awards.

My prejudice is that most of our students initially select us following word of mouth recommendations. However, our research is clear that these tentative decisions are reinforced through publicity be it open days, school liaison or radio adverts.

More than ever, FE is required to create its own markets. We have been at the forefront in reducing Neet numbers and widening access to higher education.

We must now encourage more people in to science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects, apprenticeships and routes to employment.

Even the government acknowledges the ‘Green Cross Code Man / Clunk Click / AIDS iceberg’ approach to advertising no longer works. Today brands and identities matter.

The successful promotion of a brand increases sales across competitors as well as for the brand itself. Where would tablet computing be without the IPad?

We know that FE itself lacks that strong identity but we can all learn and benefit from the more successful college brands. The challenge I now pose our marketing team is to understand how to promote Westminster Kingsway to employers as successfully as they have done to 17-year-olds.

Last month’s survey of FE marketing activities by Carthy Communications found an average spend of 1.8 per cent of turnover, a drop in the ocean compared with the cuts we are suffering, or even the public sector ‘rule of thumb’ of 3 per cent.

In the private service sector a spend closer to 10 per cent is common.

My biggest beef with the commissioner is his willingness to pick a soft target when the issues we face are so much greater.

Like many others, Westminster Kingsway has seized the challenge to develop a commercial mindset and adopted business strategies to succeed in a difficult market place with uncertain trading conditions.

Am I the only one to detect a nudge away from this back to an old-fashioned, public-sector view of deferential colleges? As the Mad Hatter said: ‘Why is it you’re always too small or too tall?’

Changes to the handling of physical currency, paper-based invoicing and unpaid fees could just be key to financial survival as FE colleges look for savings in every area of business, explains Holger Bollman.

The government has taken every opportunity to affirm and reaffirm its overriding economic goal — to eliminate the nation’s budgetary deficit.

Whether this is a worthy or unworthy cause is ultimately a matter of opinion, but as those working in FE know all too well, that it has caused some collateral damage is not.

There are certain areas in which FE colleges can make significant savings without compromising academic integrity

In 2015, FE colleges have to contend with some brutal realities. They face a 20 per cent decrease to overall spending, and the Skills Funding Agency has stated that, in-year, public sector financing will diminish by 3.9 per cent.

Already, the damage has been felt in educational institutions across the country, and as the Conservatives are only a few months into a five-year parliament, there is every possibility that there will be more to come.

Barring a sudden and inexplicable change of heart, the only option available is to adapt to these new circumstances. Happily enough, there are certain areas in which FE colleges can make significant savings without compromising academic integrity.

Firstly, physical currency. In the UK, using cash for payments is no longer the norm — not only is ‘plastic’ ubiquitous, but with the advent of contactless technology and increasingly seamless authentication methods, it’s more convenient to use than ever.

Despite this, cash offices are still prominent in FE colleges throughout the country, and even in smaller organisations, they can still accumulate around £1m per year.

Handling this cash always proves burdensome in the extreme. Firstly, it has to be counted more than once to ensure there are no discrepancies — and if the cash is present in quantities exceeding a certain amount you’ll often need at least two staff members available to avoid any potential loss. And the money needs to be protected — this involves either investing in on-site safes (which need to be monitored), or organising secure collections.

It’s a time and labour-intensive process, but it can be avoided. If you remove your college’s cash office and instead take payments online you could save up to £30,000 per year.

Secondly, paper-based invoicing. Paper invoices are a pain for educational institutions in many different respects. They always require a substantial amount of effort to process.

In many cases, time expended in their pursuit can exceed the value of money owed in the first place; it’s estimated that the average paper invoice costs £37 to pursue, so when it comes to lower-value transactions, colleges are almost always losing money.

Because they cannot charge students for these administration costs, paper invoices put colleges in an uncomfortable position — they can either enjoy the insignificant victory of recouping these minor debts, or not pursue them at all — and therefore encourage this behaviour (and possible further losses). By ditching paper invoices in favour of real-time online payments, colleges will save time and money. It’s as simple as that.

Third, unpaid fees. While these minor sums are certainly an inconvenience, they pale in comparison to the cost of outstanding debt on graduation. This is something of an epidemic across further and higher education. It is rarely purposeful — students tend to compartmentalise their time in education, and once they move on, they tend to move on in all respects.

That said, whether it occurs because of forgetfulness or intentional non-payment, it causes problems for FE colleges. Again they are presented with an awkward choice — to assume a giant administrative burden chasing debtors, or to allow them to default. There are ways to automate both the process of payment and its pursuit — and FE colleges would be well-advised to take advantage of them.

The current political climate means that financial pressure will be a part of colleges’ reality for at least the next few years. But where they may not be able to influence policy, they can influence processes.

By increasing efficiency (whether that comes in the form of reducing paper invoices, getting rid of cash payments or automating debt collection), FE colleges are not just mitigating the damage of cuts that have already happened — they’re insuring themselves against the cuts of the future.