Labour Party leader Ed Miliband came in for a grilling from journalism students from Harlow College during a visit.
They quizzed him on tuition fees, youth unemployment and how he deals with pressure, among other issues, on Wednesday, November 12.
Tom Powter, a 21-year-old learner studying for National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) qualifications, said: “Meeting and interviewing Mr Miliband was a fantastic opportunity for me as a trainee reporter.
“I felt the college set up the day excellently and it gave us an amazing insight into the dizzying world of political journalism.”
Mr Miliband told staff and students that he faced “a fight that I’m up for”.
He pledged to reduce university tuition fees to £6,000 per year if elected as Prime Minister next year. He also said Labour would extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds and promised that his party would not go back on promises to students.
Picture caption: Ed Miliband speaking at Harlow College
A team of budding entrepreneurs from Barking & Dagenham College won £5,000 through developing digital business cards that can be shared via an app and online.
Animation and IT students Thomas Gill, aged 21, Steven Upton, 19, Phil Newberry, 22, Tony Newberry, 21, scooped first prize in the team section of the Edge Challenge.
The competition was launched last year by education charity the Edge Foundation, the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy and the Gazelle Colleges Group.
This year’s finalists had to pitch start-up business ideas to an audience at The Skills Show in Birmingham on Thursday (November 13) and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg handed out the awards.
Steven said: “Winning the Edge Challenge was a real boost for us. It process encouraged us to really think hard about our business and make the most of it.”
David Humpston, 19, who graduated in June from a level three BTec in enterprise and entrepreneurship at the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy took home £3,000 for winning the individual category.
He impressed judges with his action video production company called Viewpoint Videos.
He said: “The feedback I have had from the judges has been incredibly useful and I’m so excited to have won.”
Picture Caption: from left: Winning students Tony Newberry and Thomas Gill, Jan Hodges OBE, chief executive of the Edge Foundation, Theo Paphitis, the Skills Show patron, and students Phil Newberry and Steven Upton
Plans for a new traineeship funding system, in which providers could be paid based on learner job outcomes for 2015/16, has been rejected by Skills Minister Nick Boles.
The government’s eight-week consultation on traineeships considered making progression into apprenticeships, jobs or further learning a funding incentive.
Launching the consultation in June, then-Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said he wanted to find out whether an “approach designed specifically for traineeships, rather than based on existing arrangements, could produce better results for young people”.
But traineeships will continue to be funded using the “existing funding systems,” meaning 16 to 18-year-olds remain funded per learner by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) and 19 to 24-year-olds funded per enrolment by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).
The rejection of a move to a new traineeship job outcome funding system, revealed today in the government’s consultation response, is likely to receive a warm welcome with colleges arguing that local employment opportunities for trainees are outside of their control.
Mr Boles said sector responses to the consultation, which closed on August 14, meant the government favoured an “evolutionary approach” to reform.
“We will make these changes within the existing funding systems, thereby avoiding unnecessary disruption for providers that a new funding system might bring,” it said in the government’s response.
This, despite the Association of Employment and Learning Providers calling for a new funding system in its response to the consultation, where it said: “There should be a single set of [traineeship] funding rules and a single funding process.”
Changes to eligibility rules for the scheme held the main element of the government response, issued today, with 19 to 24-year-olds that hold a level two qualification being allowed to take up traineeships from January.
“The changes I am announcing today are based on feedback directly from those involved in the programme. I am confident it will be even easier to create top quality traineeships, focused on getting young people into apprenticeships and other jobs” Mr Boles is expected to say at the Association of Colleges (AoC) annual conference today in Birmingham.
However, one of the changes for 2015/16 is the government’s approach to funding 19 to 24 traineeship workplace outcome.
It will allow progression into further learning for 19 to 24-year-olds to count as an acceptable outcome for funding. With the SFA funding 80 per cent of traineeships based on learners simply getting to the end of the programme, and the remaining 20 per cent based on outcome, it means that providers could get 100 per cent of funding for the pre-employment scheme despite no job outcome for the learner.
The move means the same funding result as that of 16 to 18-year-old traineeship providers, who get 100 per cent of funding based on whether learners get to the end of the programme.
“We will make progression to further learning of 19 to 24-year-olds an acceptable outcome for funding, as is presently the case for 16 to 18-year-olds,” it said in the consultation response.
The AoC has previously made its feelings known to the government regarding learner outcomes potentially affecting funding. Joy Mercer, AoC director of education policy, responding to the government’s August consultation launch on FE outcome-based success measures, said: “The government must be careful not to confuse helpful data on which courses can lead to better employment prospects, with expecting colleges to have direct responsibility for job success.
“Some colleges are operating in the most deprived areas where jobs are scarce, and the government must accept that there are a whole range of local stakeholders, in particular Local Enterprise Partnerships, who also play a key role in creating new employment opportunities.”
For reaction, see edition 119 of FE Week, dated Monday, November 24 (but available at AoC conference from Thursday, August 20).
A 20-year-old former City of Liverpool College drama student has co-starred with Jude Law in a Hollywood action movie.
Bob Schofield completed an HNC in drama at the college in 2012 and worked in theatre before securing his big break by being cast in the film, called Black Sea, which was directed by Oscar-winning film maker Kevin Macdonald and will go on general release next month.
It centres around unemployed submarine captain Dom Hemingway, played by Mr Law, who goes on the hunt for sunken Nazi treasure. Bob plays Tobin, a homeless young man who becomes one of Dom’s misfit crew hunting for the treasure. It involved nine months of filming in in Kent and Ukraine.
Bob said his time at college prepared him well for the demands of the industry.
He said: “The teachers care and their passion makes you care. It’s that support which has helped me.”
“I did the first audition [for the film] in London but it didn’t really hit home that I had a chance until my third audition, which was a reading at Jude Law’s house. That’s when I thought this could really happen’, then I heard the next day that I’d got the role.”
Elaine Bowker, college principal, said: “I’m really pleased for Bob and I know the drama staff here at the college are made up that he has managed to win a role in such a major film.
“I think he’s an inspiration for other students and shows the great work of the drama team here in harnessing young talent and giving students the opportunity to achieve their goals.”
Further education learners John Dunwell and Jessica Davies helped raise £2.3m for Children in Need through a gruelling cycling challenge.
They raised the money as part of a team of inspirational young people sponsored to cycle 450-miles from Salford, Manchester, to London, on rickshaw bikes ahead of the main BBC fundraising show hosted by Terry Wogan on Friday (November 14).
Leeds City College level two food preparation and cookery learner John Dunwell, aged 17, was chosen for the challenge after he competed in the British Transplant Games at a variety of sports including swimming and badminton in 2012 and 2014, after recovering from a kidney transplant in 2011.
Level one vocational studies learner Jessica Davies, 16, from Northamptonshire-based Tresham College, was chosen for the team by BBC bosses in recognition of her involvement with Dwarf Sport Association (DSA), which is funded by BBC Children in Need.
John said: “It was a shock to be picked for the challenge, but I was happy to be able to help out.”
Jessica said: “By funding the DSA Children in Need has really had such a positive benefit on me, so it was nice to have the chance to return the favour.”
The Skills Show 2014 ended tonight with a celebration of the UK’s most skilled apprentices and learner as the winners of the National Skills Competitions were announced.
Nearly 600 competitors showed off their skills in 64 competitions at the Birmingham NEC hoping to take home a gold, silver or bronze medal.
For those under 21 there was an added pressure, as young contestants who catch the judge’s eyes could be invited to compete for a place on the squad for WorldSkills 2017 in Abu Dhabi.
Most competitors were put through events by their providers, who also offer support and extra training to the learners through the process.
The college that had the highest number of medallists among its students was New College Lanarkshire, with four gold, three silver, one bronze and four highly commended.
Ross Maloney, chief executive of Skills Show organising body Find a Future, congratulated everyone who took part.
“The Skills Show is an amazing showcase for the nation’s vast variety of skills,” he said.
“Just as we celebrate our athletes, so we champion our skills and inspire young people to make their own mark on industry.
“It is through competition activity, The Skills Show and The Skills Show Experience that Find a Future can provide young people and their parents with the chance to get excited about the world of work and make informed choices about their future.”
For more on the 2014 Skills Show, read the FE Week supplement available on feweek.co.uk on Monday (November 17) and free with edition 119 of the newspaper, dated Monday, November 24.
Dr Collins, who took up post in November last year, warns that colleges already in tough financial situations will face further cuts, and should not be tempted to cut out “resource-heavy” subjects to improve their finances.
Dr David Collins
He also repeated his concerns about the future of small colleges, echoing what he has said previously following inspections of institutions including Bicton and Norton Radstock college, both of which have been ordered to work with other colleges to survive.
He said: “As funding becomes tighter, however, questions will arise as to whether some colleges will be able to continue to offer the breadth of curriculum that they have done up until now.
“There is a danger that they will concentrate on those programmes that are less resource intensive and move away from the more expensive practically based areas. What therefore is a sensible business decision for an individual college may not be in the best interests of meeting the employment needs of the area.”
He added: “It would be foolish to pretend that the FE sector does not have a difficult time ahead.
“Reductions in public spending will necessarily continue for the foreseeable future and the demands for highly skilled individuals to service a growing economy will increase.
“When resources are short it is all the more important that colleges and institutions work together to ensure that those resources are best used for the benefit of learners and employers.
“This will mean some consolidation and indeed some specialisation, as well as neighbouring colleges, institutions and providers considering joint plans for their respective communities.
“There is a danger that without such a consideration the more expensive areas of the curriculum (for example, science and engineering) will disappear from areas where they are needed in a college’s pursuit of financial stability.”
In the report, he repeated concerns raised earlier this year about the limited skillsets of some governing bodies, slow responses by college leaders to changing financial situations and a tendency of some principals to focus on projects other than the improvement of their colleges.
The report
Dr Collins also raised concerns about big differences in the role of clerks between colleges, adding that their support of college boards often did not go far enough.
He said: “In colleges where clerking issues have been identified the main problems have arisen from a limited interpretation of what is required to enable the board to carry out its duties effectively.
“The role of a clerk in the further education sector should go much further than the keeping of records, setting of agendas and co-ordinating the production of reports.
“There are also a number of operational concerns arising out of different interpretations of the role. Some clerks, for example, still have responsibilities in the management of the college, which could lead to a conflict of interest.
“In other cases the clerk works closely with, and reports to, the principal. To ensure independence the clerk should report directly to the chair.”
Dr Collins has visited 14 colleges since he was appointed, but only 11 were covered in the report, which covers the period up to July this year.
Of the 11 colleges included, commissioner visits led to stocktake assessments at City of Bristol College, Lesoco, Stratford upon Avon College, City of Wolverhampton College and City of Liverpool College, which Dr Collins has said no longer requires his attention. He said City of Bristol College was no longer rated inadequate by Ofsted and that Lesoco was due for re-inspection soon.
Of the six remaining colleges, K College has been broken up and now forms part of East Kent College and Hadlow College. Bicton College will merge with the Cornwall College Group, while Norton Radstock is said to be considering its options for a merger.
Stockport College is to continue as an independent institution with a refreshed board and leadership, while structure assessments at Weymouth College are ongoing. The Barnfield Federation is in the process of being broken up.
See edition 119 of FE Week, dated Monday, November 24, for more.
Gazelle’s five founder colleges have re-affirmed their commitment to the organisation with the announcement that one college was set to quit the group amid claims it could spend membership fees better elsewhere.
Gloucestershire College, which has more than 7,000 learners and dished out around £130,000 in membership fees and staff training costs to Gazelle since it joined nearly three years ago, told FE Week it would not be a member next academic year.
“Following a consultation exercise with staff earlier this year, and the resulting launch of a new strategic plan, the college has decided that the financial outlay could be utilised more effectively in driving our enterprise agenda forward internally, using the talent and expertise of our staff,” said the college’s head of communications, Michelle Cant.
However, the loss of the college did not appear to have shaken the faith of Gazelle founders City College Norwich, North Hertfordshire College, New College Nottingham, Gateshead College and Warwickshire College. They responded to FE Week with a generic statement saying they “intend to remain [in Gazelle] for the foreseeable future”.
The same statement was sent by City College Plymouth and Highbury College, while a spokesperson for Activate Learning said: “I can confirm that we remain a member and we do expect to remain a member to the end of the academic year.” A spokesperson for Glasgow Kelvin College said it “continually reviews all subscriptions on an annual basis.”
But a question mark remains over future involvement of the remaining 13 member colleges who did not respond to FE Week.
Gazelle chief executive Fintan Donohue said: “The membership of the Gazelle Colleges Group has always evolved and changed — each year there are new colleges that join and a very small minority that retire. We have every indication that the vast majority of members wish to sustain their membership going forward.”
News of Gloucestershire’s impending exit comes after FE Week revealed that most member colleges inspected since joining Gazelle had not improved their Ofsted ratings, despite the fact its membership pumped a total of £3.5m into the organisation up until June, leading to criticism from the University and College Union.
Mr Donohue defended the organisation at the time, claiming “enrichment of student experiences and outcomes” was its “overriding goal”.
Nevertheless, Gloucestershire College’s spend on Gazelle services includes three years of membership fees at £35,000 per year and more than £26,000 for staff development and student “educational experience”.
Ms Cant said: “Our commitment to the entrepreneurial ethos of the Gazelle Group remains and will continue to be reflected in our future plans, alongside our focus on meaningful work experience through internships and volunteering. Our priority is delivering excellence and equipping all students with the skills for success beyond college, and we are grateful to Gazelle for the positive contribution and opportunities it has provided over the past three years.”
No response was received from Amersham and Wycombe College, Barking and Dagenham College, Cambridge Regional College, Cardiff and Vale College, Carlisle College, City of Bath College, Lesoco, Middlesborough College, Peterborough Regional College, Preston’s College, South West College, City of Liverpool or The Sheffield College.
