The results of FE Commissioner David Collins’ inspections of failing colleges are to be made public, FE Week can reveal.
Dr Collins, who can call for college leaders to be stripped of powers and even advise the Skills Minister to shut a college down, took up the newly-created post in December, but his reports and recommendations have been largely kept under wraps.
However, a spokesperson for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) told FE Week: “The decision has been taken to publish summaries of the findings from the FE Commissioner to enable the sector to see and learn lessons from those that have been through the process.
“The timing of publication for each summary will be determined on a case by case basis and the first report is due to be published at the end of this month.”
So far Dr Collins has visited at least six colleges — K College, Stockport College, Barnfield College, City of Bristol College and City of Liverpool College.
He has also been to LeSoCo, but his warning of weaknesses in leadership at the grade four South London college failed to result in a change in either principal or chair of governors.
However, the weight of public pressure could now be behind commissioner findings with publication of his judgments.
Martin Doel, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “There’s a difficult balance between ensuring that any information published following a visit from the FE Commissioner doesn’t disadvantage the college in question, and the need for openness and transparency.
“The department appears to have found a reasonable compromise.”
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: “There is no sense in keeping important transferable learning under lock and key at a time when the sector needs to improve its leadership effectiveness and the effect this can have on jobs.
“More broadly there is a real need for greater openness in the sector to learning from the things that aren’t working well, rather than seeking to bury these for fear of reputational loss or simply labouring under the mistaken belief that there is no other way forward.
“We’d rather colleges did not have to find there are other ways forward following a visit from the commissioner.”
The news emerged following an FE Week request to the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), under the Freedom of Information Act, for the commissioner’s findings. The SFA refused, but also said it “notes the currency of the information and the plans held by BIS to publish information relating to the outcome of the requested information, including the implementation of a process for publication”.
Dr Stephan Jungnitz, colleges specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders said: “The work that the FE Commissioner undertakes is of such significance that it should be transparent and open to wider scrutiny.
“The opportunity to learn from others is always welcome, it’s an important part of the quality improvement process.
“Hopefully the reports will be analytical, objective, and resist the current fashion for scapegoating individuals.”
University and College Union general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: “We need to see the details of these reports to better understand what has happened and to ensure we learn from mistakes.
“We were not the only ones surprised at how well rewarded some college leaders have been despite failings at their institutions.”
She added: “The time has come for proper transparency in the sector.”
The results of commissioner visits currently already carried out are expected to be among the first published.
A report that warned dual role college principals might not “understand” their chief executive duties has been welcomed by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).
The report, A New Conversation: Employer and College Engagement, by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), The 157 Group and Gazelle questioned such principals’ knowledge of what their chief executive role entailed.
It 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.”
It continued: “We wondered whether more is needed to understand what being a business leader means in this context.”
Stephan Jungnitz, ASCL college specialist, said the paper was “a very welcome addition to the national debate on how we address the increasing need for vocational education and training”.
“Within the paper it is recognised that colleges have a pivotal role to play and that employers often need better information about how they can capitalise on these opportunities,” he said.
The information in the 24-page report was compiled through a series of interviews, an online survey, workshops and college visits over the last 12 months.
It 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 covered the role of governors, saying: “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.”
It further made recommendations for future leadership development programmes, such as those currently being developed through Education and Training Foundation, saying they should aim to increase market understanding.
John Cridland, UKCES Commissioner and director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said: “Building stronger bonds between colleges and employers is no easy task, but with the launch of this new paper we hope to initiate a wider discussion and create a better future for all.
“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.”
Lynne Sedgmore, executive director of The 157 Group, said: “We 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 local enterprise partnerships and localities.”
The report, published on Tuesday, April 29, and available on the UKCES website, further identified “discussion topics,” including the importance of the college in contributing to its economic community, and the need for employers to be familiar with the college and its offer.
Business Secretary Vince Cable delivered a speech last month at Cambridge University entitled Where next for Further and Higher Education? Mark Corney looks in detail at what Dr Cable said.
In 1976, Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan began a ‘great debate’ on education with a speech at a college in Oxford.
Nearly 40 years on, a Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, Vince Cable, asked where next for ‘further and higher education?’ in a speech at Cambridge University.
The speech calls for a shift from a low-skilled to a high-skilled vocational education and training system. It calls for greater specialisation of the FE sector and an expansion of national colleges. And it calls for colleges to have the power to devise their own curriculum and qualifications in line with universities.
But read carefully it is what the speech says about higher education, especially the funding of higher education, that really counts.
Essentially, the speech emphasises some of the critical, unintended consequences of our ever expanding and successful, higher education system.
Entry into full-time undergraduate higher education dominates the system, and the key year for entry is age 18. The pulling power of GCSEs and A-levels as the royal route into full-time higher education at 18 has resulted in a ‘hollowing out of our post-secondary provision’.
The ‘academic’ dominates the ‘vocational’ — unless practical learning is delivered by universities themselves — and they, of course, get the best young people and industry with the odd exception gets the rest.
A result of our ever-expanding full-time undergraduate higher education system — which will grow further when the cap on student numbers is lifted in 2015 — is the low number of students on vocational sub-degrees, especially part-time courses.
Another is the failure of successive governments to develop and fund employer-based higher apprenticeships (levels four and five) as well as undergraduate and master degree apprenticeships (levels six and seven).
England is out on a limb on the low numbers of young people and adults on high level vocational education and training programmes compared to other countries.
Although the language is less forthright, the speech reframes the policy debate.
Rather than ask how do we create a world class apprenticeship system, we must ask how do we create a world class apprenticeship given a large and growing full-time higher education system?
Rather than ask how do we create a mass apprenticeships system when the taxpayer spends around £1.5bn on them, we need to ask how do we create a world class apprenticeship system spending £1.5bn alongside a world class full-time undergraduate higher education system spending £15bn when taking into account tuition and maintenance funding?
And rather than asking what happens to adult ‘vocational education and training’ when the money runs out, we need to
ask how can the taxpayer continue to fund adult skills appropriately while simultaneously spending £15bn on higher education?
Indeed, the speech candidly highlights the competition for public funds between adult skills — adult apprenticeships and adult FE — and higher education.
In May 2010, when the Coalition entered office, cuts to adult skills were already pencilled in to protect the higher education budget.
But by turning grant funding for tuition fees for full-time students into loans, spending on adult apprenticeships was protected and cuts to adult FE much less than could have been the case. College and university leaders must look at higher education and adult skills funding in the round.
And the theme of greater college specialisation is a neat way to revisit the fact that maintenance loans and grants are not available to full-time adult FE students compared to full-time higher education students.
“As FE becomes more specialised,” argues Dr Cable, “we may need to think about provision for students studying for high level qualifications who may need to relocate to be close to national centres of expertise.”
Time will tell whether the Cambridge University speech of 2014 will attract the same level of interest and kudos of the Ruskin College speech of 1976, but it is surely one of the most thoughtful contributions to the future of English education and training for many a year.
Prison learning practitioners attended a conference organised by the Prisoner Learning Alliance (PLA) last month. Alexandra Marks outlines the FE and skills sector concerns that emerged.
Ofsted Inspector Stephen Miller, addressing a conference of 200 delegates including prison education professionals and managers, highlighted many challenges to those teaching in prisons — classes fluctuating as prisoners are released or transferred, learners possessing widely differing and complex needs, and many prison learners having been let down by the school system.
The conference, organised by the Prisoner Learning Alliance (PLA) to improve policy and practice, took place at Open University’s Milton Keynes campus on April 25.
Ofsted’s most recent annual report revealed that prisons came bottom in the whole FE and skills sector. More than half (58 per cent) of prisons Ofsted had inspected in 2012/13 were graded inadequate or requires improvement in terms of leadership and management.
This is hugely disappointing when we know that enabling prisoners to learn reduces reoffending by more than a quarter, according to new research on Prisoners Education Trust’s (PET) work by the Ministry of Justice.
When the cost of crime committed by ex-offenders is up to £13bn per year (equivalent to hosting the London Olympics annually), it is vital we do something about this.
PLA’s vision is that learning should be at the heart of every prison’s approach to rehabilitation.
We want to support teachers and encourage managers, governors and policy-makers to recognise the value of a wide range of learning opportunities.
Our conference presented discussions, workshops and three films of good-practice in action.
One of the key inadequacies troubling Ofsted is the focus on lower level qualifications in prisons, rather than enabling learners to progress beyond level two. We agree
The conference focused on the themes of PLA’s report, Smart Rehabilitation, setting out a blueprint for prison learning that is value–driven, outcome-focused and joined-up.
We were pleased to hear Mr Miller announce that this May, inspectors will begin a ‘support and challenge’ package for the 30 prisons rated as inadequate or requires improvement last year to help them move at least to good.
One of the key inadequacies troubling Ofsted is the focus on lower level qualifications in prisons, rather than enabling learners to progress beyond level two. We agree.
Basic understanding of maths and English is clearly essential, but once a prison learner is beginning to achieve and overcome his or her pre-associated fears of the classroom, we must encourage them with FE opportunities.
Ofsted has repeatedly said it wants prisons to have ‘the best teachers, the best managers and the best advisers to improve the quality of teaching and learning in prison. In February this year, a report by the University and College Union (UCU) found prison teachers weren’t getting enough support to do their jobs.
At the conference, prison tutor Ros Foggin, who has had a varied and extensive career working in schools and FE colleges described herself ‘the naked teacher’ with few resources to cover herself.
Often, she found herself the main, sometimes the only, resource. Trying to engage a challenging class for three hours at a time, without access even to a photocopier let alone other ICT tools, left her feeling adrift from teachers in the rest of the FE community.
Ros told delegates her three wishes for herself and colleagues; first, improved staff development opportunities; secondly, access to secure e-learning; and thirdly, a more enriched and holistic curriculum.
The idea of using informal support mechanisms resonated with other teaching staff at the event. During a workshop on developing excellence in prison teaching, a group of tutors discussed the importance of mentoring and debated the lack of formal teacher training for working in prisons.
PLA strongly endorses the need for improved resources and continuous professional development (CPD) in prison teaching.
After all, it is usually the belief a teacher places in a student that makes all the difference.
Alexandra Marks, chair of the Prisoner Learning Alliance (PLA)
One of last month’s interesting discussions was with colleagues from the Association of Colleges (AoC) and our own sports development manager around the increased promotion of fitness and wellbeing to students.
Any readers who’ve met me will have registered that I’ve hardly got the physique of a great athlete, and they’d be right. Captaining my school’s second badminton team to a number of defeats remains my proudest sporting achievement.
Perhaps it’s that which makes me even keener to see colleges with proper facilities and resources to offer a full programme of sporting activities.
There are significant issues with delivery, of course.
For urban colleges in particular, space is already tight, and while our college has invested time and energy in improving sports facilities, we are inevitably limited by our locations (whatever the other advantages they bring).
This is where partnership becomes so important, whether with other centres of education, with voluntary organisations, or with council facilities. Staff resources can also pose challenges, although the AoC and its partners have made great steps in supporting the needs of colleges.
Unlike schools, most of our students are part-time, so ensuring access at convenient times — and increasing awareness of the gym’s very existence — requires dedicated personnel and effort.
But if the challenges are great, so too are the benefits.
A recent study by the AoC found a “positive relationship between engagement in sport, future income and employability from both the employer and admissions tutor perspective”, and concluded that participation in sport was “a ‘good investment’ for students in both the FE and higher education sector”.
Other research, here and abroad, has confirmed this view. A 2007 study in Germany concluded emphatically that participation in sport “has significant positive effects on educational attainment,” but also pointed to lessons for policy and parenting: “Positive effects of sport activities should encourage politics to strengthen sport activities in school and out of school [and] parents should … encourage their children to get involved”.
More broadly than sport, there is growing evidence on the impact of other non-classroom activity on learning.
There is compelling evidence thwat the creative arts, for example, have a tangible positive impact on achievement in other subjects, and on a range of social measures such as community engagement and less boredom in education.
Like sport, the arts can also have a positive effect on attendance and behaviour.
For older adults, 2013 research by the Institute of Education concluded that those participating in music were happier, healthier and had more positive relationships.
Extra-curricular engagement, therefore, doesn’t just contribute to colleges’ core aims of improving student achievement, progression and employability, but can make students more rounded citizens with higher levels of wellbeing too.
The implications of this, for colleges and policy-makers, are therefore wide and evidence-based.
Colleges will clearly wish to focus on anything improving their students’ lives and experiences, but the capacity for FE to provide extra-curricular activities also meets wider goals on engaging with our communities and offering a service to a whole local area.
Of course, capacity costs. As every reader knows, colleges are facing a period of unprecedented financial attack, with cuts to various funding streams precipitating some difficult times ahead.
It may be tempting (and necessary), under such circumstances, for leadership teams to focus on what we believe to be colleges’ “core business,” but to underestimate the non-classroom aspects of that would perhaps be shortsighted.
Colleges, which have proud traditions of open access and of a holistic view of education, will doubtless want to find ways of continuing their commitment to extra-curricular activities — and the work of organisations like the AoC in supporting that are to be applauded.
Having quoted Enid Blyton in a previous FE Insider column, I’d hate to seem obsessed with the venerable first-form teacher Miss Roberts, but she might well have been speaking for FE colleges when she said that “there are other things as important as lessons”.
As the evidence-base — from our own knowledge and from research — grows and grows, we must make sure that cuts and policies do not damage this aspect of our students’ attainment and experience.
Former Rolls-Royce apprenticeships learning and development manager Neil Fowkes has been appointed director of apprenticeships and engineering at Derby College.
Mr Fowkes studied at Mackworth Tertiary College, which is now part of Derby College during his own apprenticeship, and has worked in engineering for the past 27 years, initially at International Combustion and then Rolls-Royce.
As lead for apprenticeships and workforce development at the Ofsted grade one-rated car firm, Mr Fowkes has worked in partnership with Derby College for a number of years.
He said: “I am joining Derby College at an exciting time both for the organisation and the regional business community.
Neil Fowkes
“Engineering and manufacturing is expanding in the city and beyond but employers face widespread skills shortages with their established workforce heading towards retirement.
“Employers are going to find it increasingly difficult to find the skilled staff that they need to retain and improve their competitive edge. Young people and particularly apprentices will become increasingly important to their business across all sectors as the pipeline of talent for future growth.
“And the challenge and opportunity for Derby College is to work more closely with employers to support them in the recruitment, training and development of these young people.
“The college is committed to expanding its apprenticeship programmes and its engineering provision to support employers’ needs both now and in the future.”
Derby College chief executive Mandie Stravino said: “Our core objective is to work with employers to ensure the training support that Derby College provides — whether at college or the workplace — meets their needs both now and in the future and provides them with the skills to be competitive and grow.
“Neil’s credentials of working with a global business and understanding employers’ training requirements will be invaluable as we develop our engineering curriculum for future decades and embrace the needs of businesses large and small.”
She is charged with keeping England’s FE colleges and independent learning providers on their toes, but Lorna Fitzjohn hasn’t let go of her rural roots.
The new Ofsted director for FE and skills, who replaced Matthew Coffey last month, says she still takes time off in lambing season and enjoys helping out on the working farm in Hertfordshire she calls home.
Born in Welshpool, mid-Wales, in 1956, Fitzjohn grew up in a rural community and attended local schools where her father knew all the staff before training to be a teacher herself.
Lorna Fitzjohn pictured as a young girl
She is no stranger to transition, having been catapulted fairly early in her career from tiny primary school classrooms in Wales to large institutions in London.
“When I came down as a primary teacher to London, I had more children in my class than there were in the whole school when I started in a primary school,” she says.
“One was very rural and the other was a very urban setting, so it was a substantial change but I very much enjoyed working in those kind of environments, particularly in London.
“I had lots of opportunity for promotion within the primary sector, but more importantly, the bulk of my time has been spent teaching in FE and in management roles in FE.”
By her own admission, a career in FE was not something Fitzjohn had considered until a friend approached her about working in a college. By then a mother of three young children, she accepted the offer and never looked back.
What appealed to me in FE was the employability side of it — you are preparing people for employment
“I went in as a part-time lecturer for two hours a-week, and I loved it,” says Fitzjohn, who completed a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Hertfordshire in 1998.
“I absolutely loved teaching in FE. I enjoyed the young people, I enjoyed teaching that age group, I enjoyed teaching adults, and very soon I became a full-time lecturer, then a senior lecturer, then a head of department, then I became a senior member of staff, senior management team, at more than one college in London.”
Rising through the ranks in FE, the frustrations which plague professionals across the sector were only too familiar for Fitzjohn.
“I’ve always been very learner-centred,” she says, “and I suppose the frustration with me sometimes, in FE, is that some of the colleges might have lost their way a little bit in that they spent more time than I wanted to talking about premises and buildings, and perhaps the financial side.
“Important as they are, I have always wanted to be very much centred around learners and learning and the quality of teaching, and getting learners from their starting point to where they need to be.
“And what appealed to me in FE was the employability side of it — you are preparing people for employment, ultimately — so you’ve not only got the qualifications that they need to get, but also that more well-rounded education with them as individuals to do with their attitudes and behaviour and where they wanted to be, things like work experience, things about linking the workplace to what they are learning at college, was always, you know, an exciting part of it for me.”
While in a senior post at Oaklands College, in Hertfordshire, Fitzjohn was approached and asked to join the Training Standards Council, which then became the Adult Learning Inspectorate before it merged with Ofsted in 2007.
She says her teaching background had prepared her well for inspecting.
It’s really nice to get home and deal with some of the — perhaps you might call mundane — parts of farm life, like looking after animals. I think that’s a nice balance, actually
“I actually think that being inspected yourself is a very good training ground for how you want to be treated when you are being inspected,” she says, “so my experience of being inspected and how much I valued the feedback that came from inspectors, and their view of what we were doing, and the respect they showed me, is what I think we then need to do when we’re inspectors.
“And as a senior manager in an FE college, I was observing people’s teaching and feeding back on people’s teaching and feeding back on people’s teaching as part of performance management and as part of the training programme, so doing that in someone else’s establishment wasn’t as much a jump as you might have thought, really.”
By the time of the merger with Ofsted, Fitzjohn was already in a management role, and would go on to become deputy director for FE and skills, and role in which, she says, she was keen to make a difference.
“I think we can always improve what we do,” she says. “You can always improve, either as a teacher or working in FE. We, as Ofsted, can always also improve what we are doing and how we inspect.
“The sector is changing, policy’s changing, the economy has changed since I have been working, so we’ve got to move with the times.
“So actually, changing and moving the framework and, inevitably, raising the bar in the framework, as we do, is an important part of it. I enjoy doing that. I enjoy doing the policy work. I have particularly enjoyed working with people in the sector — the Association of Colleges, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, 157 Group, the wide range of stakeholders that are out there — as well as learners and parents, but particularly employers, to get their view of how useful inspection is.”
Despite being in what many in the sector might see as a desk job, Fitzjohn has no intention of staying seated. She retains her brief as a regional director and, living on a farm in Hertfordshire, hopes to split her time between London’s Ofsted HQ near Holborn and her office in Birmingham.
She says: “I wouldn’t want it to be a desk job. I’m also regional director for the West Midlands, so I have kept that role.
“That’s really useful because it does actually give me an oversight of provision, right through from early years, through schools, FE and skills, social care, so right across whatever happens in the West Midlands.
Lorna Fitzjohn and her dog, Dylan, out for a spin on the tractor at her farm in Hertfordshire
“I’ve got a team of senior inspectors who work for me, some of which are specialists in FE and skills, some in schools, some in early years — so, that role, but also then the policy role, is I suppose a general overview of how effective inspections are. I need to keep tabs on government policy, I need to keep talking to the sector, I need to involve myself with employers and learners.
“I will certainly be out on inspection where I get the chance. I don’t have time to lead inspections any more, but actually getting out there and talking to people is the best way of finding out the impact of what we do. Because it’s really important that we have that kind of impact.”
Fitzjohn says she still enjoys life on the farm near Bayford, Herts, run by farmer husband Alan, and adds that her slightly unusual home life is often a talking point.
She says: “People have almost always got someone in their family who has been involved in farming, so they are interested in that bit of it. Actually it’s really nice to get home and deal with some of the — perhaps you might call mundane — parts of farm life, like looking after animals. I think that’s a nice balance, actually.”
And with two grandchildren of school age and a son just starting an apprenticeship in engineering, Fitzjohn certainly has her eyes and ears in education, beyond those of her trusty inspectors.
She says: “It does actually give you that interest in another generation coming on, and you would want it to be better for them. My children, I wanted it to be better for them than perhaps it had been for me, and you would want your grandchildren to have the same — so it keeps you interested.”
A new report which puts an annual cost on a “benchmarked” careers guidance provision in schools has been welcomed by the Association of Colleges (AoC) as showing “how little” the service would hit taxpayers.
In the report, PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP presents the findings of a costing exercise, and reveals providing a careers service which reaches eight benchmarks set out by report commissioners the Gatsby Foundation could be as low as £38,472 a-year for some schools.
The findings have been welcomed by the AoC, which has long campaigned for effective careers advice and guidance.
The report said: “We estimate that the total cost of delivery will range from £45,209 to £92,466 in year one and £38,472 to £77,445 from year two onwards in small schools in the rest of England and large, Inner London schools respectively.
“We then use DfE data on school size and location and the total number of pupils to estimate the overall school delivery costs across England as a whole. We estimate the total cost of achieving all the benchmarks across England will be £172m from year two onwards.
“This is equivalent to approximately 1.8 per cent of gross expenditure and £54 per pupil. Considering these costs over the course of a pupil’s journey from year seven to year 13, we estimate the total cost per pupil will be £196.”
Joy Mercer (pictured), director of policy at the AoC, told FE Week: “Good careers advice and guidance is important at all stages in a student’s education and it is crucial for schools and colleges to work together to make sure all students have information about all their options post-16.
“The benchmarks set by the report would certainly make sure this was available.
“For the first time a report on careers education has attempted to cost how much, and in fact how little, schools would need to spend to meet a definition that AoC shares of good careers advice.
“We hope that this calculation and what this investment would realise to the economy, the individuals who ‘drop out of the system never to return, will be persuasive to policy makers.
“It seems that the tide of enthusiasm for ‘fixing’ careers advice is coming from all quarters. A fundamental change is needed.”
Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Stewart Segal said: “We agree that schools must have the responsibility for delivering effective careers advice but accept that schools have a vested interest. That is why it is important that guidance for schools establishes a minimum requirement to providing employers and other training organisations access to their students and parents.”
1.
Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers and employers. Cost: £18,525 (year one), £9,564 (thereafter)
2.
Every pupil, and their parents, should have access to good-quality information about future study options and labour-market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information. Cost: £2,864
3.
Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout. Cost: £3,652
4.
All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide
range of future career paths. Cost: £15,435
5.
Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work and employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of activities such as visiting speakers, mentoring, enterprise schemes and a range of other enrichment activities. Cost: £1,363
6.
Every pupil should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks. Cost: £8,074
7.
All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace. Cost: £1,633
8.
Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made and should be expected for all pupils, but should be timed to meet their individual needs. Cost: £2,091
Projections by PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP based on employment costs and expenses associated with implementation in a typical school (i.e. a medium sized school outside London and the Fringe Area). Source: The Gatsby Foundation
The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCas) has welcomed an invitation for talks on promoting higher apprenticeships.
The organisation, which already matches learners to some higher-level FE courses under the banner of UCas Progress, responded to a call from Business Secretary Vince Cable for it to cover higher apprenticeships.
Helen Thorne
Dr Cable, during a University of Cambridge public policy lecture, said: “We already have a well-recognised and effective system for applying to university through UCas, which operates independently of government. What is less well known is that UCas also acts as a portal for candidates applying to study Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas, including at FE colleges.
“I have asked my department to work with UCas to examine the scope for integrating higher level apprenticeships into their services.”
Helen Thorne, UCas director of policy and research, said: “Our website encourages students to think about a wide range of future options, including alternatives to higher education such as apprenticeships, and the conventions that we hold across the UK have dedicated ‘CareerZones’ where students can discuss work-based learning. We also email unplaced students with information about a broad range of educational opportunities.
“In UCas Progress we offer a search and apply service that helps younger teenagers make the right choices after GCSEs — whether that is an A-level in maths, a BTec in business or a plumbing apprenticeship.
“This year, around 700,000 young people are using the service and we will be delivering a more comprehensive national service from autumn this year. This will include information and careers advice and the ability to search and apply for courses right across the country. It will be free to use for all learners.
“We look forward to discussing higher apprenticeships with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and working together to ensure that students have access to the best possible information as they make decisions about their future education and career pathways.”
The number of higher apprenticeship starts has rocketed to 9,800 in the last academic year from just 200 in 2008/09 and their potential inclusion by UCas has
Nick Davy
been welcomed by sector leaders, including Association of Colleges (AoC) senior higher education policy manager Nick Davy.
He told FE Week: “We’re very supportive of Dr Cable’s comments and the government’s backing for developing higher vocational education in England, including higher apprenticeships.
“Applying through UCas would probably raise the profile of higher vocational education in colleges, but AoC would want to discuss with officials how it would work in practice.
“Applications for higher apprenticeships tend to be made locally, which means it’s not the same as traditional higher education where students apply from across the country, so we need to look at that.”
And Stewart Segal, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), said: “AELP has been encouraged by the growth of higher apprenticeships over the last two years and welcomes the Secretary of State’s latest commitment to tackling the parity of esteem issue.
“Our members have been taking on school leavers with good A-levels as apprentices for a long time and we saw an increase in numbers when university tuition fees were raised.
“Nevertheless there is still much to be done in terms of increasing awareness about higher apprenticeships and so we are pleased that the government has asked UCas to use its website to promote them as an alternative option.”
