Loans process ‘putting off learners’

Fears have been raised that a lengthy application process for FE loans could be putting people off starting courses.

worrying conversion rate”

David Hughes (pictured top), chief executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace), claimed there was a “worrying conversion rate” between the number of students offered 24+ advanced learning loans and those who took up the offer and started courses.

He told FE Week this could have been caused by slow processing of loans — an issue the Student Loans Company (SLC) said had “improved”.

Mr Hughes pointed to government figures published last year that showed there had been 52,468 loan applications up to the end of October — of which 39,043 were ready for payment by that point.
But just 25,200 loans were taken out by the end of October, according to provisional figures from the latest Statistical First Release (SFR).

It indicated that only 65 per cent of potential learners offered loans had taken up the offer and started their courses by the end of October.

Mr Hughes said: “The longer loans take to be processed, the more likely people are to miss the start of their course or even change their mind over starting altogether.
“It is probably one of the reasons why there is a worrying conversion rate from those who have applied for loans and those taking up courses.”

Meanwhile, the most recent figures from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) (published last month) showed 57,181 loan applications had been lodged by the end of December — of which 20 per cent were not ready for payment.

A spokesperson for the SLC claimed its processing rate had improved since the end of December — with 77.5 per cent of 61,935 loan applications received by February 2 being processed.
She said: “These figures demonstrate that SLC continues to efficiently process applications for funding.

“If a customer has been asked to provide evidence to support their application they are advised to send in their evidence as soon as possible to allow us to complete their application and prevent any delays.”

Christine Doubleday (pictured centre), deputy executive director of the 157 Group, said: “The ongoing lag in the readiness of payments is clearly worrying.

“Concerns raised earlier in the year are not being rectified quickly enough.

“Behind the statistics lie significant numbers of people who are either unable to start their learning or trying to do so on very little money.”
Shadow Skills Minister Liam Byrne (pictured right) said: “It is vital that people who miss out the first time [on education] get a chance to gain skills and qualifications.

“But the government is letting these people down. Ministers must tell us why these loan applications are not being dealt with quickly enough.”

A spokesperson for BIS declined to comment.

Hayes in FE ‘comeback’ after year out

Former Skills Minister John Hayes has called for more to be done to improve careers advice for young people in what he jokingly called his “comeback” to FE.

Speaking on FE and skills for the first time since leaving the role, Mr Hayes said the sector had a lot to be proud of.

But, Mr Hayes, who is currently Minister Without Portfolio, said: “Whatever our achievements I don’t claim we’ve got everything right yet.”

He added: “I’m very proud that I established the first and long overdue National Careers Service.
“But I think there is more that we can do in that respect — we need to give careers education the priority it deserves.”

In calling for improved careers guidance, Mr Hayes, who was at the NCFE Upskilling the Nation conference on Thursday, February 6, joins voices from across the sector including the Association of Colleges, which recently launched the Careers Guidance: Guaranteed campaign on the issue. Careers guidance in schools has also come under fire from Ofsted itself.

Mr Hayes, who served as Shadow Skills Minister between 2007 and 2010 and then Skills Minister from the 2010 General Election to September 2012 when he was succeeded by Matthew Hancock, further said the reforms to the school system under Education Secretary Michael Gove would have a positive impact on colleges.

“By reforming the school system way we will remove the need for the FE system to act as a remedial sector which compensates for the failures earlier on,” he said.

“And that will change both the priorities and expectations of further education, the character and status of the sector.”

He also spoke to FE Week about the Education and Training Foundation, an organisation which was first thought up as the FE Guild during his time as Skills Minister, but was brought to life under Mr Hancock.

Mr Hayes said: “I think the journey we travelled is a long one it’s an ambitious set of objectives that we set out and I think we’re on the road to achieving those ambitions.

“I remain committed to the idea that part of the solution to the problem of driving up standards is that you have to have a twofold approach, with employer involvement and with an FE sector which has sufficient status to be regarded by employers as the right place to go to get what they need.

“For me the two things can only work when they happen in parallel… and I hope that’s what we deliver over the course of this parliament.”

He finished by saying that he was optimistic about the raised profile of the FE sector.
“When I first became the Shadow Minister, how often did you hear ministers talking about skills and apprenticeships as part of their routine political dialogue?” he said.

“Now, the Chancellor or the Prime Minister barely go a day or a week without mentioning skills, and they have listed apprenticeships as one of the core achievements of this government.

“When I first started talking about apprenticeships, I was regarded as a bit odd.
Referring to comments he had made as Skills Minister which portrayed FE as “the Cinderella sector” in comparison with schools and HE, he said: “There are clear signs that something I’ve always hoped for is starting to happen, FE and skills are no longer the Cinderella they were once described as.”

£20m scheme to recruit 500 extra maths teachers for FE sector unveiled

Graduate maths teachers who choose to teach in FE colleges will get a bonus of up to £10,000 under a £20m plan unveiled by the Government to recruit 500 new maths teachers in the sector.

Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock announced the new measure today in the wake of changes to traineeships, apprenticeships and vocational education which places more importance on maths.

Under the scheme, graduates who choose to teach in the sector will receive a bonus of £7,500, payable in their first year, and rising to £10,000 if they train to support learners with special educational needs.

The policy will also reward colleges with up to £20,000 if they recruit a specialist grade maths teacher, and £30,000 for those which share teaching expertise with other colleges and learning providers.

Mr Hancock said: “Maths is an essential foundation for any career. Taught well it opens up a range of possible jobs and makes a real difference to progression to the highest levels.

“Attracting the brightest and best graduates to teach in maths in further education will help ensure learners get the educational grounding they need.

“This is an important step in creating a skilled workforce that meets the needs of employers and can better compete in the global race.”

Mr Hancock also announced that a scheme to give bursaries to trainee maths teachers, reported by FE Week last August, has been extended to the 2014/15 academic year.

Royal seal of approval from Duke of York

Buckinghamshire University Technical College (UTC) got the royal seal of approval when it was visited by The Duke of York.

Andrew was at the UTC’s official opening ceremony with former education secretary Lord Baker, who is chair of the UTC brand.

Andrew spent time with information technology and construction students who
showed him a new computer game they had created and their bricklaying skills.

He said: “Having listened to the students today, I can see that they have clearly grasped the the purpose of the UTC which I believe they will make a significant difference both to their own futures and their community.”

The UTC, which specialises in IT and construction, cost £10m to build and opened to students last September.

It currently has 100 students, but still has the capacity for another 400.

Cap: Construction student Matthew Greaves, aged 16, with Prince Andrew and Nick Hand, head of construction.

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Dance show crosses the generation divide

Younger learners shared the stage with a group of dancers aged over 60 for a show organised by Richmond-Upon-Thames College.

Second year dance students performed a routine to the song Lost in Paradise, by rock band Evanescence, while first year dance students performed a routine to Money Makes the World Go Around, from the musical Cabaret.

Alena Bennett, a dance lecturer who organised the show, also brought in acts from outside the college including a group of people aged over-60, called Age Of Grace, who did a Charleston-style dance to the song Hot Honey Rag, by Valarie Pettiford. Ms Bennett said: “It was wonderful to showcase all the talented dancers, both young and old, that the local area has.”

Cap: Students performing to Money Makes the World Go Around, from the musical cabaret

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Visitors can hardly ‘baa’lieve their eyes as newborn lambs delivered

Visitors to Sparsholt College could have been forgiven for thinking spring had arrived early as they watched agricultural students helping to deliver dozens of new-born lambs.

Members of the public weren’t sheepish as they were welcomed into the Hampshire-based college’s lamb baa-rn during an open weekend.

The college shepherd John Garrett provided a running commentary as a group of eight students delivered 33 lambs under his guidance.

Philip Holroyd-Smith, who organised the event, said: “I can’t imagine there are many opportunities for people to get so close to a new born lamb and to witness one being born is pretty special.

“There were a number of occasions when visitors let out a collective aaah as they saw a new lamb arrive in the world.”

Cap: From left: Student Harry Benney, aged 17, shepherd John Garrett and student Tom Van Oppen, 17, with a newborn lamb

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