More than 20 MPs have shown support for TeamUK’s success at WorldSkills São Paolo 2015 by signing an early day motion (EDM) congratulating the team for its “fantastic achievements”.

The EDM, which had 22 signatures at the time of publication, praises the team’s performance during the competition and “pays tribute to the 40 young people in the team for their hard work and success”.

It also “recognises skills competitions for promoting and developing excellence among apprentices and vocational learners, as well as driving up standards in teaching and learning”.

TeamUK came seventh in the competition, with a medal tally of three gold, four silver and two bronze, as well as 21 medallions for excellence.

Beauty therapist Rianne Chester (pictured below right), 22 and from Warrington Collegiate, also made TeamUK history by being awarded the Albert Vidal award for highest overall competitor’s score on top of her gold medal.

The haul of nine podium places, handed out at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium, was two up on WorldSkills Leipzig two years ago, when Team UK claimed two gold, one silver and three bronze medals, along with 17 medallions of excellence.

The EDM was tabled by Redcar MP Anna Turley, who told FE Week: “The young people representing Team UK in Brazil this year have worked incredibly hard and done themselves and our country proud.

“They are an inspiration to their generation. I tabled the EDM to recognise their hard work and success but also to highlight the importance of competitions like World Skills in encouraging young people to reach for excellence in their field and their role in promoting the value of vocational education.”

South Antrim MP Danny Kinahan, who also supported the EDM, said: “I was so impressed by the concept and participation, illustrated in the World Skills 2015 event, that I felt it was every politician’s duty to raise the profile of such an event”.

He added that it was particularly important to promote WorldSkills because it “will help encourage our students and apprentices to create, build and improve on the skills that will produce the very excellence that makes our small, medium and large businesses the job creators our economies need”.

Another backer of the EDM is Ashton-under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner, who said: “I really believe we must support excellence among Britain’s young people.

“Team UK did fantastically well at São Paulo. WorldSkills is the kind of competition which enables young people to develop their skills and open them up to new challenges and demands, which will bring the best out of them.

“They are on the road to excellence and we should all congratulate and encourage them further on their journeys.”

Skills Minister Nick Boles and Prime Minister David Cameron’s apprenticeship adviser Watford MP Richard Harrington were among the guests, as most of the TeamUK’s 40 competitors were honoured on Tuesday, September 8, during a special event at Dean’s Yard, near Westminster, as reported in FE Week.

The UK’s official delegate and funding agencies chief executive Peter Lauener and Edge Foundation acting chief executive David Harbourne were also in attendance.

Pic from left: Redcar MP Anna Turley and plastering and dry wall systems WorldSkills TeamUK competitor Robert Johnson

Prime Minister David Cameron has lost his apprenticeships adviser Richard Harrington, who is stepping down from the role to become Syrian Refugees Minister.

Mr Cameron made the announcement this morning following his visit to a refugee camp in Lebanon. As Refugees Minister Mr Harrington will be responsible for coordinating and delivering the government’s response to the current refugee crisis, including the resettlement of up to 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK.

Mr Harrington, who has been MP for Watford since 2010, was appointed apprenticeships adviser to Mr Cameron in June 2015 with the remit to help the government deliver its General Election pledge to create 3m new apprenticeships over the next five years.

He was made joint chair, along with National Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network (NAAN) chair David Meller, of the Apprenticeship Delivery Board (ADB).

However, a Downing Street spokesperson told FE Week that Mr Harrington had relinquished the role to focus on his refugees post. The spokesperson said that a successor to Mr Harrington has not yet been appointed.

Speaking to the Watford Observer at the time of his appointment, Mr Harrington said: “The Prime Minister knows delivering more apprenticeships is a real passion of mine. They not only give young people a real opportunity in life, the chance to gain a qualification, learn real skills and earn money at the same time — but they have also consistently proven their worth to businesses.”

In his three months as apprenticeships’ adviser, Mr Harrington, among other duties, met apprentices on a tour of Carillion Construction Limited and also attended a celebration event (pictured above, main) to honour the 40 young people – 25 of whom were current or former apprentices – who competed as part of TeamUK at WorldSkills São Paolo 2015, as reported by FE Week.

During his first term as MP for Watford, Mr Harrington set up Watford Apprenticeship programme which claims to have created 3,000 new apprenticeships in the area.

Mr Harrington has not yet commented on his move. An announcement on the new PM apprenticeships adviser is expected shortly.

Labour will have to appoint a fifth Shadow Minister for Young People in the space of two-and-a-half years after John Woodcock stood down following the election of Jeremy Corbyn as party leader.

A spokesperson for the MP for Barrow and Furness, in Cumbria, told FE Week this morning that “he is not staying on as Shadow Minister for Young People. He will be a back bencher”, but declined to comment on why he has returned to the back benches.

Mr Woodcock (pictured above) was only handed the brief in May, and featured in an FE Week profile article a fortnight ago.

Labour declined to comment this morning on who his successor would be or when the appointment was likely.

The father-of-two took over from Yvonne Fovargue (pictured right), after she became Shadow Veterans Minister having had the education role for just seven months.

She had gained the brief from Rushanara Ali (pictured below left),  who resigned after refusing to support her party’s stance on military action in Iraq following a year in the post.

Ms Ali took over from Tristram Hunt, who had only been in the past for six months from April 2013 before he was promoted to Shadow Education Secretary.

Mr Woodcock backed Blairite candidate Liz Kendall in the Labour leadership contest, but congratulated Jeremy Corbyn yesterday for his victory announced on Saturday (September 12).

He tweeted: “Congrats on such an emphatic win. Commiserations to Liz, am proud of the way she and her supporters have held their head high.”

However, Mr Woodcock reportedly told the North West Evening Mail this morning that his “differences” on “issues like the European Union and leaving Nato, as well as on deterrent renewal” were too great with Mr Corbyn, who last month outlined his plans for FE in an exclusive article for FE Week, to serve in the new shadow team.

During his short time as Shadow Minister for Young People, Mr Woodcock was responsible for opposition policy on 14 to 19 apprenticeships, vocational education, youth services and careers advice in former Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt’s team, who has now been replaced by Lucy Powell.

Mr Hunt’s predecessor as Shadow Minister for Young People was Karen Buck, who held the post from October 2011 to April 2013, the longest period that anyone spent in the post since Labour first entered opposition.

Iain Wright, who has been chair of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee since June, was Labour’s first holder of the post, from October 2010 to October 2011, after Ed Miliband was elected leader the previous month.

Labour is yet to comment on whether Liam Byrne will retain the Shadow Skills Minister brief, or whether the post might be merged with the Shadow Minister for Young People to fully mirror the brief of Skills Minister Nick Boles.

However, it confirmed former Pensions and Ageing Society Minister Angela Eagle as the new Shadow Business Secretary, after her predecessor Chuka Umunna said that he would not serve under Mr Corbyn.

 

Holders of the Shadow Minister for Young People brief (or equivalent) since October 2010:

John Woodcock — May to September 2015

Yvonne Fovargue — October 2014 to March 2015

Rushanara Ali — October 2013 to September 2014

Tristram Hunt — April 2013 to October 2013

Karen Buck — October 2011 to April 2013

Iain Wright — October 2010 to October 2011

FE Commissioner Dr David Collins is appointing a new intake of FE deputy commissioners (FEDCs) and advisers with his workload set to burgeon with a series of upcoming area reviews.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is looking to recruit an unspecified number of FEDCs, who could earn up to £700 a-day, and advisers, who could receive up to £600 a-day.

The application window for the two-year positions closes on September 30. Interviews are then pencilled in from October 26, with appointments expected from November 1.

The last round of appointments took place in November 2014 — raising the number of Dr Collins’ advisers to 11.

The new posts are advertised on an appointments website, where it says: “The FEDCs and advisers will work alongside the FE and Sixth Form College Commissioners.

“FEDCs will lead area reviews and intervention cases. The advisers will undertake the institutional analysis which underpins the reviews and their recommendations.”

Click here for more information on the appointments or to apply.

The first round of area reviews was announced on September 8 and will see the future of 40 colleges come into question as the government looks to act having identified the “need” to move towards “fewer, often larger, more resilient and efficient providers”.

The area reviews for Birmingham and Solihull, Greater Manchester, and Sheffield city region will start on September 18, 21 and 28, respectively, but affected principals have told FE Week of concerns that the reviews do not cover school sixth form provision.

Meanwhile, four prevent advisers are also expected to be appointed by BIS.

“They will conduct risk based assessments of non-publicly funded further education and training providers to ensure compliance with the Prevent Duty which is currently being legislated for to require all FE education providers to tackle radicalisation,” according to the appointments website.

“In this respect prevent advisers will perform the same function that Ofsted undertakes for the publicly funded FE sector.”

The Department for Education (DfE) is also looking to make appointment to Sixth Form College Commissioner Peter Mucklow’s office, with an unspecified number of advisers. It also wants to appoint charitable and commercial provider advisers. The roles, including prevent advisers, are also two-year appointments and pay up to £600 a-day.

All the roles advertised are said to require the successful candidates to support the intervention process to tackle poor performance, either in terms of financial management or quality.

It further says they should support the series of area-based reviews of provision.

“These were described in the policy statement Reviewing Post-16 Education and Training Institutions, with further detailed guidance issued September 2015,” it says on the appointments website.

It adds: “For all these roles we seek high calibre individuals with a good understanding of the education sector and strong experience in change and financial management.

“You will bring excellent analytical skills. Your personal impact and credibility will need to gain the confidence of stakeholders across the FE sector.”

Former Pensions and Ageing Society Minister Angela Eagle (pictured above) has been confirmed as the new Shadow Business Secretary after her predecessor Chuka Umunna quit the Shadow Cabinet.

Ms Eagle, who was elected MP for Wallasey, in Merseyside, in 1992, said on Twitter this morning that she was “very happy to have been appointed Shadow SoS for Business”.

Lucy Powell has also been confirmed by the Labour Party as the new Shadow Education Secretary, after predecessor Tristram Hunt confirmed that he would not serve under new leader Jeremy Corbyn, who last month outlined his plans for FE in an exclusive article for FE Week.

Ms Eagle served as the Minister of State for Pensions and Ageing Society, in the Department for Work and Pensions, from June 2009 until May 2010, and previously served as a member of the Employment Select Committee from 1994 to 1996.

Her appointment comes after Mr Umunna, who had served as Shadow Business Secretary since May 2011, announced yesterday (Sunday) that he was leaving the shadow cabinet by “mutual agreement” with Mr Corbyn.

He said:  “If Jeremy’s clear victory [on Saturday] demonstrated anything, it was a desire for politicians to be true to what they believe — I want to abide by this.

“Also, Jeremy should be free to appoint a Shadow Cabinet committed to implementing the policies on which he campaigned in the contest.

“I clearly had some differences in view on how we build a more equal, democratic, free and fair society.”

He alluded to the fact that his main policy differences with Mr Corbyn were over Europe, as he is a committed supporter of the European Union but indicated that he expected the new leader to campaign for Britain to pull out.

Mr Umunna said: “I cannot envisage any circumstances where I would campaign for us to leave (the EU). Jeremy does not wholeheartedly share this view.”

Mr Hunt had served as Shadow Education Secretary since October 2013.

His successor Ms Powell said on Twitter this morning: “Thanks for kind msgs abt my appointment as Shadow Education Secretary.

“It’s a role I’m passionate about & where I hope to make a difference.”

FE Week sister newspaper has produced ’10 facts about Ms Powell’ article (click here to view).

A Labour party spokesperson declined to comment ahead of publication on whether Liam Byrne would stay on as Shadow Skills Minister or whether John Woodcock would retain his Shadow Minister for Young People post.

 

Main image: from www.angelaeaglemp.co.uk/gallery/

Angela Eagle has been confirmed as the new Shadow Business Secretary. This is what we know:

1

Angela Eagle was born in Bridlington on February 17, 1961, and is aged 54. Her predecessor as Shadow Business Secretary was Chuka Umunna, who was 32 years old when he took up the role in October 2011.

2

She attended Formby Comprehensive School before gaining a BA in politics, philosophy and economics at St John’s College, Oxford. Other alumni of St John’s College include Tony Blair.

3

One of Ms Eagle’s first jobs after graduation was in the economic directorate of the Confederation of British Industry, where she worked in 1984.

4

She joined the Labour party in 1978, and was elected MP for Wallasey in 1992, becoming the first ever Labour MP for the constituency.

5

According to Theyworkforyou, Ms Eagle voted against government reforms to arrangements for supporting students aged 16-19 in January 2011. In the same debate, she voted to call on the government to keep the education maintenance allowance in England.

6

In 2008, Ms Eagle became the first female MP to enter into a civil partnership. She’s not the first openly lesbian female MP, however — that was Maureen Colquhoun, who was Labour MP for Northampton North between 1974 and 1980.

7

She was at the centre of a Labour uproar in April 2011 when, during a debate over hospital waiting times in April 2011 when Ms Eagle was Shadow Treasury chief Secretary, Prime Minister David Cameron told her to “calm down, dear”.

While her Labour party colleagues called on Mr Cameron to apologise to her, Ms Eagle said Mr Cameron should instead apologise for the state of the economy.

8

Ms Eagle will be hoping for a better reception at the FE Week Annual Apprenticeship Conference (AAC) next year than predecessor Mr Ummuna got in March.

His outline of Labour plans to abolish level two apprenticeships got a frosty response and came in for much criticism from the wider sector.

Should Ms Eagle attend this year’s AAC, set to take place in Birmingham in March, she will therefore be hoping for a warmer welcome, armed with Jeremy Corbyn’s plans for FE, as he exclusively outlined in FE Week.

9

She has a twin sister, Maria, who is MP for Liverpool Garston. They were the first twins to be elected as MPs, and later the first twins serving as Minsters of State.

10

Ms Eagle used to play chess at county and international level, representing Lancashire and England, and was joint British Girls Under-18 chess champion in 1976.

 

FE Week sister newspaper FE Week has produced a list of 10 things we know about new Shadow Education Secretary Lucy Powell.

Former Business Secretary Dr Vince Cable’s ‘dual mandate’ consultation looks likely to have been binned by officials after the deadline for a government response passed without note.

The 90-page consultation document put 44 questions to the FE sector on what was described as its ‘dual mandate’ — vocational learning for those who achieved at school and don’t want to go to university, and a ‘second chance sector’ for those who didn’t get their GCSEs at school.

But the consultation closed on June 16, and official rules say the government should have published its response, or a statement explaining why its response was not forthcoming, by Tuesday, September 8.

But nothing had been released by the government by the time FE Week went to press, and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills did not respond to questions about the consultation’s future.

While some sector leaders have speculated that other policies announced since the general election could be to blame for the delay, the University and College Union (UCU) has nevertheless called for the response to be issued “promptly”.

Andrew Harden, UCU head of FE, said: “The FE sector has experienced massive funding cuts and rapid policy change in recent years.

“We need a prompt response to the dual mandate consultation which sets out a clear vision and proper funding for the future of FE at all levels. This will allow providers to plan ahead and help to inform the area reviews which are now being undertaken.”

Stewart Segal, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said the delay could be explained by events since the general election, including the apprenticeship levy announcement.

He added: “In any event, we said in our response that the term dual mandate was confusing and that the variety of learners, employers and providers in the FE and skills sector could not be divided into two distinct routes.

“This is not to say that it was an initiative of little value because the consultation offered AELP an opportunity to submit views on a wide range of questions.”

David Corke, director of education skills and policy at the Association of Colleges, said the government’s productivity plan and post-16 area reviews guidance had offered “more detail of its vision for a strong professional and technical education system to help increase productivity”.

He added: “Whatever the outcome of the consultation it is important for the wider UK economy that colleges are supported to be able to continue both technical and professional education as well as education and training for people who didn’t do well at school.

“We are continuing to discuss the government’s ambition with them, prioritising the interests of the students, employers and communities that colleges support.”