Latest news from FE Week | FE Week

Breaking down language barrier for Romanian rail workers

South Cheshire College helped a group of Romanian rail workers break down the English language barrier.

Babcock International, which repairs track and signalling for the national rail network, payed for eight of its Romanian employees to study level one, two and three English functional skills courses.

They were also prepared for an online exam, which they passed, that tested their knowledge of the UK rail industry.

English teacher Christina Martinez said: “Some of the group spoke better English than others when they first arrived here, but they have really knuckled down to their studies.

“Hopefully, the functional skills programme has given them a much better grasp of all aspects of the English language and the confidence to progress in the workplace.”

One of the students Daniel Ivan, aged 36, from Onesti, in Romania, said: “It has been challenging but very rewarding at the same time because we all speak better English now.”

Cap: Romanian rail workers Ivlian Dideanu, aged 41, Ioan Manoila, 45, Sebastian Gheorghe, 34, Remus Constantin, 34, Cohstantin Gheorge,
31, Costin Pavez, 35, Daniel Ivan, and Virgil Tanase, 45

Edition 95: Steve Rigby, Melanie Radford

Lancashire’s Myerscough College has appointed Steve Rigby as its new corporation chair.

He succeeded Ian Higginbotham, who stepped down at the end of last year after four years at the helm.

Mr Rigby’s background is in public service and he spent 34 years as a senior manager, having qualified as a teacher.

He said: ‘’I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to chair the corporation and contribute with my colleagues to the management of Myerscough

College.

“With the varied experience in education and business that the governors have, we hope our collective background will help set the strategic priorities for the college.

‘’My wife also works in FE and one of my daughters is lecturing at Leeds University so I appreciate the challenging job of teaching, together with the various support roles within the college and recognise the privilege of assisting young people.

‘’The college governors are currently reviewing how the board and committees operate to make sure we consolidate the reputation of Myerscough and assist the hard-working staff. To this end, I feel we need to improve our formal links with staff and students and look forward to determining how this can be done.

“We need to make sure that we are well positioned to respond quickly to [future] changes to funding mechanisms and shifting priorities so that our students receive the very best education and training.’’

Melanie Radford has also been officially appointed as principal of the new UTC Cambridge, which is due to open in September.

Ms Radford, who has already been acting principal for four months, will lead the specialist science college for 14 to 19-year-olds.

She is a former scientist who worked in blood transfusion services in Australia, and has worked in education and training for 20 years in both the UK and the United States.

The UTC, which will teach biomedical and environmental science and technology, is sponsored by Cambridge Regional College and Cambridge University Health Partners.

She said: “Cambridge is a world class centre of innovation and learning. It is fitting and necessary that UTC Cambridge will utilise this excellence to inspire future leaders in medical and environmental science.”

The 670-student UTC’s learning programme has been developed with employers such as Wellcome Sanger Trust, Napp Pharmaceuticals and the Medical Research Council who will deliver a series of real-world Challenge Projects.

Edition 96: Terry Barnett, Debbie Gardiner and Jo North

New appointments to the board of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) have been announced.

In the category for providers with up to 5,000 learners, the newly-elected members were Hawk Training managing director Terry Barnett and WS Training head of vocational learning Simon Page.

John Hyde, executive chairman of HIT Training, was also re-elected as a member of the 12-strong board for providers with more than 5,000 learners.

Meanwhile, Debbie Gardiner , chief executive of Qube Learning, and Dean James, chief executive of Ingeus UK, were co-opted as additional board members

Martin Dunford OBE, AELP chair and Skills Training UK chief executive, said: “These new appointments ensure that AELP’s members are well-served by a board which has deep and wide experience across the skills and employment services sector.

“Providers are facing major challenges as well as opportunities as the government introduces a series of reforms to improve the nation’s skills and reduce unemployment.

“I have every confidence that the board will help maintain AELP as the leading representative voice which will protect the interests of employers, learners and providers.

“It should not be forgotten that our board members include major employers in their own right whose opinion will carry significant weight.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Jo North, of In Touch Care, who is leaving the board after 12 years’ invaluable service. Jo’s credibility nationally is well established as health, social care and childcare champion for AELP.

“Her role has brought her into contact with ministers and senior departmental and agency officials and we are hugely grateful for her contribution both as an influencer of policy to help support the career prospects of young people and as an innovative provider.”

Stewart Segal, AELP chief executive, said: “My congratulations to the new members of the board.

“We are implementing a new business plan to take AELP forward and I am delighted that we have a board which can provide valuable strategic direction to help realise the opportunities which undoubtedly exist for our members. I look forward very much to working with the board and AELP’s team to achieve our objectives over the next 12 months.”

Edition 94: Jane Scott Paul OBE, Mark Farrar and Maria Gilling

The 17-year chief executive of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) is to step down at the end of the month.

Jane Scott Paul OBE has announced her retirement after 27 years with the company, leaving on March 28.

She joined AAT as assistant secretary (education) in 1987 and a decade later became its chief executive.

Ms Scott Paul will be replaced as chief executive by Mark Farrar, who previously led the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board).

She said: “Leading AAT has been a privilege and a pleasure. AAT changes people’s lives and helps them achieve their full potential. The organization I joined
with a staff of 37 and 40,000 members has grown to a staff of over 200 and a membership of 125,000.

“I am proud of what AAT has achieved over that time and of the fantastic people I leave behind. I am pleased to be handing on to my successor an organisation in good shape and have every confidence that Mark Farrar will take it to new heights.”

Mr Farrar said: “I have big shoes to fill. Under Jane’s leadership, AAT has grown considerably and is renowned and respected throughout the profession.

“I look forward to building on the tremendous work that Jane has done and being part of the AAT team.”

It comes with the principal of Walsall Adult & Community College (WACC) having also announced plans to leave her role after more than four years with the organisation.

Maria Gilling will take up her new post as principal at West Lancashire College, in Skelmersdale, this month.

West Lancashire College is a member of NCG (formerly Newcastle College Group) and, as well as leading the college, she will take up a position as an executive member of the NCG executive board.

Ms Gilling was appointed by Walsall Council as the first principal at WACC in September 2009 following the amalgamation of The College of Continuing Education and Walsall Community College.

Under her leadership WACC was rated by Ofsted outstanding in January last year.

She was previously vice principal at Calderdale College, in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Ms Gilling said: “I have truly loved working with governors, colleagues, partners and learners to develop WACC. I have learned so much from them.

“Although I will really miss Walsall, I am delighted to be taking on a new challenge at West Lancashire College which is an excellent college, providing such important services to the people, communities and the businesses in the area.”

Jev Bhalla, former deputy principal at Walsall College, is to act as interim principal of WACC until a permanent appointment is made.

Huge survey lifts lid on sector

More than 1,000 FE and skills staff took part and vast majority revealed concerns about levels of institutional funding.
It was the same story with worries over learner funding.
External bureaucracy worried 95.6 per cent of respondents while the pace and volume of change concerned 91.9 per cent.
The broad government direction of travel for FE concerned 92 per cent and 87 per cent thought the complexity of the sector was an issue.

“Government agencies have to involve the sector in constructive discussions if providers are to meet the challenges which are clearly recognised in this survey”
Stewart Segal, Association of Employment and Learning Providers

“We understand politicians are keen to make a difference, otherwise why do the job, however, they need to be wary of pushing change too quickly with little assessment of what is — and isn’t — working”
Gill Clipson, Association of Colleges

“FE institutions can’t keep doing more with less, and the government must be careful not to undermine its overall objectives by cutting provision which targets those who are hardest to reach”
Sally Hunt, University and College Union

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Funding tops the bill as the biggest area of concern for the sector in the results of The Great FE & Skills Survey of 2014.

More than 1,000 college leaders, staff and other sector professionals answered questions based on their concerns in various areas affecting FE*.

Middle managers were by far the most engaged with the survey, with more than 30 per cent of the respondents coming from the group. Senior managers made up more than 18 per cent of respondents, while support and admin workers formed the third largest group at just over 15 per cent.

In total, 10 per cent of respondents were tutors or lecturers, 8.8 per cent were principals or chief executives, 7.7 per cent consultants, 7.3 per cent vice principals, while just 1.6 per cent were governors. Six inspectors also responded, which amounts to 0.6 per cent.

Of the respondents, 54.7 per cent spend the majority of their time working in general FE colleges, while 15.3 per cent were from independent or private learning providers. The remaining responses came from adult and community education providers (7.5 per cent), specialist colleges (5 per cent), sixth form colleges (4.1 per cent) and other providers.

Of all the questions, the one which produced the biggest response in the “extremely concerned” category was about institutional funding (fig 1).

Of the 860 people who answered the question 96.5 per cent said they were either somewhat, moderately or extremely concerned about levels or rates of institutional funding. 67.9 per cent were in the “extremely concerned” camp.

This focus on funding has come as no surprise to sector leaders, including Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) deputy chief executive James Kewin.

Mr Kewin said: “We understand that the public finances are in dire straits and the government needs to make spending cuts. But we don’t believe that sixth form students should bear the brunt of these cuts, particularly when they already receive 20 per cent less funding than students in secondary schools.

“[Skills Minister] Matthew Hancock’s comments last week [in FE Week] that all 16 to 19-year-old students are treated exactly the same in funding terms were disingenuous at best. School and academy sixth forms benefit from a VAT rebate (worth more than £250,000 a year to the average sixth form college) in addition to receiving support to meet the costs of their rates and insurance bills.

“Loan repayments are a further drain on the resources of colleges that schools and academies (that receive 100 per cent capital grants) do not have to contend with. Students should receive the same level of investment in their education irrespective of where they choose to study.

“While subjecting existing sixth form colleges to savage spending cuts, the government has found £62m to spend on new, largely unneeded, free school sixth forms and plans to invest £45m on just one Free School sixth form in Westminster.

“It would make educational and economic sense to increase investment in existing sixth form colleges, or at the very least to allow them to compete with their Free School imitators on a level playing field.”

Bureaucracy also seemed to be an area of concern for the sector, with 95.6 per cent of people saying they were concerned about external bureaucracy (figure 3), and 35.6 per cent of people moderately concerned about levels of bureaucracy within their organisations.

Lynne Sedgmore, executive director of the 157 Group, said: “This survey provides a really useful snapshot of the ‘state of the nation’ as far as FE is concerned. It is not surprising that the things which cause most concern are those which directly impact upon the front-line delivery of high quality teaching and learning for all.

“The 157 Group has called for a period of policy stability, and the concern over the pace of change would suggest that many in the sector agree with us.

“Unnecessary bureaucracy can result as an unintended consequence of policy initiatives, and this, too, lends weight to the idea that we should take time and take stock within our skills system over the coming years and months.

“We hope that policymakers and influencers will heed these messages and that a political consensus will emerge which will allow time for the many new initiatives of the last few years to ‘bed down’ and prove their worth in delivering for the economy a skilled workforce and a population eager to learn.”

More than 81 per cent of people said they also had concerns about levels of capital funding available.

Other notable areas of concern were about the pace and volume of change in the sector (figure 4), which 43 per cent of people said they were extremely concerned about, with 92 per cent saying they were concerned to some degree.

More than 84 per cent said they were concerned to some degree about maths and English assessment and delivery (figure 5), and roughly the same proportion said they were concerned in some way about the administrative burden of quality and inspection systems.

Stewart Segal, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said: “The survey has reinforced the key concerns expressed by our members in our own surveys. Providers are concerned about the pace of change in the sector and the fact that budget and rate reductions create pressures on the ability to respond to learners and employers and the quality of provision.

“Overall 92 per cent expressed a concern about the direction of travel which no doubt reflects the proposals on issues like apprenticeships where the changes are clearly not supported by providers or employers. There are specific concerns about the provision of English and maths and the level of capital support. Private training providers of course have no access to capital funds. Similarly there were major concerns about the levels of bureaucracy and the quality and inspection systems.

“The employment and skills sector remains complex and therefore the pace of change remains a real concern for providers. Government agencies have to involve the sector in constructive discussions if providers are to meet the challenges which are clearly recognised in this survey.”

Perhaps the most telling were responses to broader questions about the sector as a whole and its future. More than 92 per cent said they were concerned to some degree about the “broad government ‘direction of travel’ for FE” (figure 6), with 53.7 per cent saying they were “extremely concerned”.

The complexity of the sector, with the boundary between the Department for Education and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills used as an example, was also concerning to some degree for more than 87 per cent of people (figure 7), with 41.9 per cent saying their concern was extreme.

Stephan Jungnitz, a college specialist for the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “We are arguing the case with other sector organisations for an improvement in post-16 funding with ministers. Unfortunately it comes as no surprise that funding worries are such a deep concern among college leaders.

“Government needs to recognise that continuous cuts to post-16 funding are damaging provision. There is a real danger that the government’s stated ambitions for FE will seem like empty rhetoric, as colleges are denied the essential resources. It’s time we had a change. Government needs to recognise that sufficient resourcing for FE is essential for a skills and education system that supports future economic prosperity.”

University and College Union general secretary Sally Hunt said: “Sadly, it is not surprising that those working in FE are seriously concerned about the funding available for their institutions, as well as the general direction of travel in terms of support for the sector. FE institutions can’t keep doing more with less, and the government must be careful not to undermine overall objectives by cutting its provision which targets those who are hardest to reach.”

Click here to view the tables

Click here for an expert piece by Mick Fletcher

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Poor management and interpreting rules among list of staff bugbears

he comments of FE professionals who took part in the Great FE & Skills Survey make for gloomy reading, with many lamenting the direction in which the sector is heading.

Hundreds of respondents used survey response sections for extra comment to anonymously vent frustration — and many focused on funding.

Anger in the comments has been directed at politicians, government departments, and even at badly-run colleges.

One respondent said: “Rates of funding are complex and subject to change for political rather than educational motives. The FE sector is under-funded when compared to either higher education or school sectors. This is reflected in a general contempt for “skills” as somehow second class rather than the lifeblood of our economy.”

Another said: “At a time when post-16 education is becoming compulsory it seems crazy to be cutting rates and reducing payments. Furthermore we have a number of students who are 18 going into their second year of a level three course, having not known what to do initially in year 12 and changing tact. To then further cut funding for these students seems unjust and not a positive way of ensuring the skills required by the nation are met.”

And another wrote: “There is too little information made available to enable an informed response from anyone. Changes are implemented without real forethought only to be retracted (also without informing those on the ground) — this is a huge waste of public funds that could be better spent on providing learning opportunities.”

Comments also focused on difficulties faced by colleges and independent learning providers battling red tape.

One respondent wrote: “I see no evidence, despite decades of ‘bureaucracy-busting taskforces’ et al that external bureaucracy has improved. Civil servants seem to delight in creating ever-more impenetrable funding mechanisms which would be far more effective if simpler.”

Another said: “The cost of employing specialists to translate the funding system is a necessary overhead, but just goes to reinforce that the sector spends too much time having to interpret the rules rather than focusing on delivering excellent learning opportunities.”

And others painted a pessimistic picture of a future without government funding for FE.

One said: “My vision of the future is that there will be no adult funding at all, and that all our provision will have to be full cost or funded via student loans. While this is a concern to the college as a business, it should also be a concern to all adults who have long bought into the ‘lifelong learning’ education system we have nurtured over many years.”

Some respondents highlighted problems in FE institutions, and said poor leadership was partly to blame for problems.

One said: “Over the years funding has been made too readily available to those clearly inadequate to deliver. Funding should be made available to those organisations that can clearly and transparently show that they have good success at being able to deliver quality provision.”

Another wrote: “Senior managers in FE have become very poor at leading, strategy, commercially focussed, people skills, are general focussed on international politics and covering their backs, with a single track management skills and not a broad range of skills. The FE sector badly needs commercially focussed leaders who understand business and have had business and commercial exposure.”

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Survey success could become an annual event

The Great FE and Skills Survey of 2014 was carried out by the Policy Consortium in partnership with FE Week and is expected to be run again next year.

The online survey closed on April 4 having been open for a fortnight, during which time 1,091 responses were registered.

It posed a range of questions relating to the levels of concern about certain problems faced by the sector, such as funding, bureaucracy and quality of provision.

By asking people to rate the level of concern, it uncovered the most and least worrying areas for the sector.

And by cross-referencing the answers to the survey with the context of who was answering it, the Policy Consortium has produced a quantitative analysis of the results.

The analysis shows not just what the sector worries about as a whole, but what areas worry specific types of providers, and what those in different job roles see as priorities.

Visit policyconsortium.co.uk for the full 34-page report on the survey results

Celebrating 100 editions of FE Week

Click here to download Edition 100 of FE Week

Click here to download edition 100 and our special celebratory edition.

Taking a loan stance

With official figures having revealed that qualifications from the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (Cache) featured among the most popular for FE loans, Marc Ozholl discusses the awarding organisation’s success.

As the awarding organisation synonymous with quality in the childcare sector, we were delighted to learn that three of our qualifications appeared in the top ten most popular 24+ loan-funded qualifications.

We pride ourselves on offering a portfolio of qualifications that meet the diverse needs of the care sector, so it was especially pleasing that Cache qualifications, which cover the care of children and young people from birth to age 19 in a wide range of settings, from nurseries to residential care homes to school classrooms, were among the most popular loan-funded qualifications.

The introduction of 24+ loans was widely predicted to lead to a dramatic fall in the number of adult learners undertaking vocational qualifications.

With increased rigour and responsiveness demanded by government, we took up the challenge of ensuring a highly-skilled, appropriately-qualified workforce continued to offer the highest standards of care for children and young people.

This has certainly not been an easy task.

Despite the vital importance of the provision of high-quality childcare, the sector remains among the lowest paid of all employment sectors.

With a lack of funding available for learners aged 24 and above, who traditionally make up the majority of the childcare workforce, and in the absence of a national advertising campaign for 24+ loans, we continued our long-standing tradition of providing a personalised service to Cache centres.

The introduction of 24+ loans was widely predicted to lead to a dramatic fall in the number of adult learners undertaking vocational qualifications

Our regional team visited providers to explain the benefits and opportunities 24+ loans brought, while our funding team supported customers in understanding the detail around loans, providing regular guidance and updates about loans policy.

In the midst of government austerity measures, reticence from learners to take out a loan was expected. With the cost of living increasing, studying for a qualification could have been considered an unjustifiable luxury.

However, once we informed providers of the key points from the loans policy, including that loans wouldn’t need to be paid back until learners were earning over £21,000-a-year and that repayments would be minimal due to the low pay of the sector, they were better-equipped to advise and guide learners about the feasibility of studying a qualification. Our strong relationships with care departments within providers allowed us to communicate pertinent information directly to those who advise learners.

Starting with the NNEB in 1945, Cache qualifications and assessment methods have been designed by early years experts, with input from employers, providers and learners, to ensure they instil the knowledge and skills required to provide the highest quality care for children and young people.

It has been well-publicised that careers advice in schools often fails to promote vocational education as a high quality route for younger learners, so it is especially pleasing that adult learners, who are more likely to base their decisions on quality and affordability, choose Cache as their preferred provider.

As unemployment in the UK remains high, it is a testament to the quality of our qualifications that learners see Cache as the standard to aspire to, and continue to study towards a career in childcare despite the low pay and lack of funding available.

A significant number of adult learners studying childcare qualifications return to work after a break, often after starting a family of their own. As a registered charity our objective has always been to ensure all children and young people are given the highest quality care to give them the best possible start in life.

Edition 93: Andrew Patience, Jon O’Boyle

Three decades of service to FE will come to an end in August with the retirement of New College Stamford principal Andrew Patience.

He took the Lincolnshire college job in 2010 having moved from his deputy principal role at Bury College.

He had already spent 31 years in the sector and in his first year at New College Stamford he guided it to a grade two Ofsted inspection result.

It was to be the last of 62-year-old Mr Patience’s Ofsted inspection experiences as he looks forward to spending more time with his family and walking his dog in retirement.

“I’ve enjoyed being principal at New College Stamford and am very proud of the achievements during my time here,” he said.

“The commitment and dedication of the staff, coupled with the enthusiasm and motivation of our students, has helped us develop and grow, providing the people of Stamford and surrounding areas greater access to a wide range of education opportunities right on their doorstep.

“This really is a lovely college, which I am sure will continue to flourish, and I wish all the students and staff every success in the future.”

Pat Terrey, college governors’ chair, said: “Andrew’s leadership as principal has made a significant impact on the success of New College Stamford.

“Not only have we have seen an increase in student numbers, but our performance table success has been exceptional, and the students and staff have benefited from many physical changes within the college that have led to an improved learning and working environment.”

Recruitment is currently under way to find a replacement principal for September.

Meanwhile, Jon O’Boyle has been appointed operations director at Oxfordshire-based Qube learning.

He is a former apprentice chef who completed his training at Rotherham College of Arts & Technology, rising up through the kitchen ranks from commis chef in 1992 to head chef in 1996 at just 24 years old.

He began working alongside local training provider Spring Skills (formerly Link Training) employing YTS learners into his own kitchen graduate programme.

He joined Spring Skills in 2000, embarking on a new career as a training consultant and then moving from internal verifier, operations manager and, more recently, Northern regional director.

He said: “I am immensely proud of my background in training and worked-based learning and am very much looking forward to the challenge ahead with Qube

learning.

“My operational background and experience working with a national training provider have given me the knowledge and confidence to be able to support, coach and develop staff and to take up this opportunity to influence the direction of a very innovative and forward thinking business from the top down.”

Debbie Gardiner, Qube chief executive, said: “I’m very excited to welcome Jon into the business. Jon brings a raft of experience from his previous roles and a new dynamic to the senior management team.”

Principals ‘may not’ understand their chief executive role

College leaders who are both principals and chief executives may not fully understand both parts of their role according to a report published today (Tuesday April 29).

The report, A New Conversation: Employer and College Engagement, by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), The 157 Group and Gazelle, questioned whether dual principals and chief executives were certain of what the latter element of their role entailed.

It warned principals needed to understand their role as business leaders in order to communicate effectively with employers.

The report said: “We… noted that many college principals use ‘chief executive’ in their title and when questioned described how they saw themselves having two distinct roles: the academic leader and the business leader.

“We wondered whether more is needed to understand what being a business leader means in this context.”

The information in the 24-page report was compiled through a series of interviews, an online survey, workshops and college visits over the large 12 months.

The report said: “Not surprisingly leadership came out as the most important ingredient in a college’s ability to contribute to and drive economic growth.”

It also made recommendations for future leadership development programmes such as those currently being developed through Education and Training Foundation.

“We put forward the view that all major development programmes for further education leaders should include the knowledge and skills required to understand the market within which the college operates and to position the college effectively,” said the report.

John Cridland, UKCES Commissioner and director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said he hoped the paper would “initiate a wider discussion”.

He said: “Building stronger bonds between colleges and employers is no easy task.

“By forging more links between local colleges and firms in their area, we can help ensure that colleges produce students with the skills and characteristics employers need to thrive.”

It added that there was also a part for governors to play in helping principals to understand both sides of their role.

It said: “Governors make a range of contributions to the leadership of a college but we believe that there is more that can be gained, especially from those governors that come directly from the business world.

“Effective business governors can help colleges understand local business needs in much more depth, and, using their networks, spread the word among employers about how colleges contribute to the local economy.

“They bring clarity about direction, targets, priorities and expectations, challenging managers on what employer engagement really means in practice.”

Lynne Sedgmore, executive director of The 157 Group, said: “The 157 Group hope this seminal report will radically shift and improve employer and college strategic conversation and partnerships.

“We know how important it is to expand the good work already being done as well as supporting colleges to play an even more powerful role in LEPs and localities.”

Apart from the issue of dual principals and chief executives, the report identified “discussion topics” for the sector, including the importance of the college in contributing to its economic community, college’s credibility with employers in relation to its offer and the need for employers to familiar with that offer and the college itself.

Fintan Donohue, chief executive of Gazelle, said: “Gazelle, 157 and UKCES are united in the desire to see colleges engage more strategically and imaginatively with employers

“The report highlights the value of entrepreneurial leadership and the need for curriculum that prepares students for self-employment and independence as well as skilled employment.”