The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) programmes and support officially ended last night, and key sector figures took to Twitter to bid the organisation farewell.

FE Week first reported on the closure of LSIS in November last year after the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills revealed its planned new ‘FE Guild’, now known as the Education and Training Foundation, would take over large areas of LSIS’ remit.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock tweeted today: “With thanks to all those who worked so hard at @LSIS_Updates over these past years to deliver change.”

His Labour opposite number, Shadow Skills Minister Gordon Marsden MP, also expressed his gratitude to the organisation.

He tweeted: “Appreciation/ thanks for what LSIS has done in FE not just for standards but for succouring both individuals as well as institutions.”

The chair of the national careers council, Deirdre Hughes OBE tweeted “#LSIS thank you to Rob Wye, Ruth Silver and the team”, acknowledging the work of the chief executive and chair of the organisation respectively.

Many tweets wished LSIS staff members good luck in their future careers, and expressed hopes that LSIS resources would continue to be available through the foundation.

An unofficial Twitter account, LSIS Countdown, set up to “raise awareness” of LSIS’ closure, tweeted: “An “unofficial” thank you to everyone who has supported LSIS staff over the last few months of the #LSISClosure”

LSIS’ report into the impact it has had on the sector since its creation in 2008, ‘A legacy of learning’ said “feedback and analysis from the sector” showed that LSIS was seen as “bringing the sector together as a community of learning organisations, breaking down isolation, raising performance and offering support across a variety of critical areas of development.”

The Education and Training Foundation marked its launch today with its first board meeting in London.

Speaking last month, David Hughes, who chaired the foundation steering group, confirmed the foundation would be taking over support for LSIS’ clerks’ training and the current cohort on the senior leadership development programme, as well as the excellence gateway, which he said the foundation would “continue and try to review and develop going forward”.

He added discussions over the fate of other LSIS materials were ongoing.

 

Graduates will be offered grants of up to £20,000 to teach at FE colleges, Business Secretary Vince has announced.

The government is hoping the incentive will help improve numeracy and literacy among vocational learners, especially in areas like engineering where, said a government spokesperson, the UK had a “massive skills shortage”.

Maths graduates will be offered up to £20,000, while a maximum of £9,000 will be on the table for English graduates.

Dr Cable said: “Too many businesses tell me they cannot find young people with the numeracy and literacy skills they need.

“It’s not just those planning on going to university who need to have a firm grasp of English and maths. These basic competencies are needed for all types of employment and it is not possible to enter a full apprenticeship until then.”

The announcement follows the government’s most recent Skills for Life Survey, which showed that 24 per cent of the population (8.1 million people) lacked basic numeracy, and 15 per cent (5.1 million people) lacked basic literacy.

The grants, including up to £9,000 for those wanting to specialise in teaching SEN students, will go toward initial teacher training for 2013/14 graduates.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: “It does not matter whether you are studying vital skills like carpentry or studying at university to be a research scientist, there is not a job in this country that does not need maths and English.

“These bursaries will help us recruit the brightest and best teachers so we can improve standards and provide people with the basic skills they need for a rewarding career.

“They will also make sure that we promote excellence in special needs teaching so that we protect members of our society that are potentially the most vulnerable.”

The bursaries will be available for two years and, in addition, £1m in grants will fund high-level specialist training for those already working with students with SEN, through continuous professional development.

Lynne Sedgmore, 157 Group executive director, said: “This announcement is good news indeed, not only because it brings focus once again onto English and maths, which all FE Colleges know are vital to their learners’ success, but also because it sends a clear message to potential teachers that teaching in FE is as valuable as teaching in schools.

“As those of us in the sector know, our learners are perhaps the most enriching and stimulating, and so we are pleased that a great many more good teachers will have the chance to find that out for themselves.”

Joy Mercer, Association of Colleges policy director, said: “New bursaries will help colleges attract graduates so that they can support students who leave school without GCSE maths and English at grades A to C.

“New grants totalling £1m to support professional development for those already working with students with special educational needs is equally welcome.

“Speed and longevity are of the essence — it is useful that government has committed to initial teacher training grants for 2013/14 graduates so that colleges can start recruiting straight away, but funding has only been confirmed for the next two years and a short-term funding commitment risks limiting the benefits.

“Colleges also face considerable challenges in attracting people with excellent applied maths skills and relevant vocational expertise who may not be graduates or be looking to undertake initial teacher training — we would welcome further discussions with government, its agencies and partners as to how the sector can be helped to attract these types of people from industry into the college classroom.”

Further details on the grants, covering the application and payment process along with eligibility criteria, are expected in the autumn.

The Association of Colleges (AoC) is on the hunt for “good” examples of zero-hour contracts amid an investigation into the controversial agreements by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

The contracts have been criticised as leaving staff without guaranteed hours, sick or holiday pay, and for making it difficult to get tenancy agreements, credit cards or loans because it is impossible to show a regular income.

The University and College Union (UCU) is campaigning against their use and is expected to release its FoI findings soon on how widespread they are among colleges.

The contracts have also come under fire from Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who said this week: “Families have to plan to pay bills – everyone has to plan for what their income is and what they are going to pay out. That can cause very intense insecurity and anxiety indeed.”

Nevertheless, the AoC is looking for positive examples of zero-hour contracts in use by colleges following talks with BIS officials about the investigation.

Emma Mason, AoC director of employment policy and services, told members in an email yesterday: “AoC met with BIS officials earlier this week to discuss the review of the use of zero hours contracts.

“It is apparent that evidence of good practice will be extremely helpful in illustrating how these employment contracts benefit both the employer and the worker.”

The AoC has also been drawing up legal advice to help colleges respond to the UCU’s FoI request for details of their use of zero-hour contracts.

Marc Whitworth, AoC employment services manager, said: “There are parts of the FE sector that use zero-hour contracts and we have an interest in understanding where this might work for employers and staff.

“We have discussions with BIS as part of our representative role on a variety of issues.

“Our role is to offer advice and guidance to support colleges in ensuring their employment practices, terms and conditions are fair and lawful.

“Colleges will make local decisions on how best to resource services and meet the needs of students to ensure effective delivery of learning to students effectively.”

The Office for National Statistics said around 200,000 staff across the UK economy could be working on zero-hour contracts, but some experts think the actual number is far higher.

But the UCU is campaigning against their use, saying they denied staff the financial security or stability to operate on a month-to-month basis, and denied students continuity with their teachers.

The contracts, it is claimed, leave workers vulnerable to sudden reductions in shift patterns and last-minute shift cancellations at the discretion of managers.

However, the UCU is currently collating its own data on the prevalence of zero-hour contracts in colleges and universities and hopes to release the findings this month.

Simon Renton, UCU president, said: “Zero-hour contracts remain the unacceptable underbelly of further and higher education.

“Only the catering sector employs more people on casual contracts than our colleges and universities, and staff and students suffer from their widespread use.

“Staff are denied full employee status and key employment rights. Without a guaranteed income they are unable to make financial or employment plans on a year to year, or even month to month basis.

“Students miss out on a lack of continuity and, often, receive reduced access to staff employed on minimal hours. There are other ways to deliver the flexibility that employers claim they need while providing a level of financial security for staff and continuity for students.”

A new principal has been appointed at City College Coventry just months after its disastrous inspection report.

Former City of Wolverhampton College interim principal John Hogg has taken over at Coventry where he has begun a series of meetings with staff and students and is developing an improvement plan.

“The college has a lot to offer, excellent facilities, a capable and committed staff team and students motivated to learn,” he said.

“While turning the college around will be challenging I believe that by working together we will see a significant and sustained improvement relatively quickly.”

Mr Hogg replaced the college’s former principal, Paul Taylor, last month.

Mr Taylor had overseen an Ofsted inspection that resulted in grade four (inadequate) results across each headline inspection field.

The report, published on April 23 following inspection in March, also gave grade fours throughout the main findings board, including apprenticeships and 19+ learning programmes.

The college’s highest mark was a single grade two for teaching, learning and assessment on independent living and life skills.

Mr Taylor had been in post for 16 years and experienced two previous poor inspections.

It was unclear whether he had decided to leave or was asked to go, but the Skills Funding Agency said it had called for “fundamental changes” at the top of the 8,000-learner college.

His replacement, Mr Hogg, inherited a similar situation at Wolverhampton when he became its interim principal in August last year — five months after it had been labelled inadequate by Ofsted.

Within months of taking over he told staff he wanted to improve the college’s “long” success rates (a mixed measure of the number of learners who start and successfully finish their courses, lasting 24 weeks or more).

They had already improved from 69.3 per cent in 2009/10 to 77.6 per cent in 2011/12. At Coventry, they have slipped from 78.4 per cent in 2009/10 to 75.2 per cent in 2011/12. The national average for 2011/12 was 81.2 per cent.

Nevertheless, Mr Hogg’s full-time replacement at Wolverhampton, former South Staffordshire College deputy principal Mark Robertson, took over in May — while Ofsted inspectors were revisiting. Their reinspection resulted in an improved, grade three (requires improvement) rating.

Mr Hogg’s career spans more than 35 years. After studying law at the University of Warwick he completed a postgraduate certificate of education and then began his FE career as a law lecturer at Coventry Technical College before moving to Tile Hill College.

After a period at Handsworth College, he moved to Middlesbrough College where he was promoted to head of faculty, vice principal and then principal in 2000.

Warwick Hall, Coventry’s governors’ chair, said: “Mr Hogg’s track record and expertise mean he is ideally placed to take the college forward, improving the teaching and learning provision to the benefit of students and staff.

“We are delighted to welcome him to the college.”

Mr Hall, who has been chair since 2001, is also understood to be stepping down. No details of his replacement were available.

A Lancashire college purchasing officer could be facing a spell behind bars after she used a work credit card to rack up £21,000 of debt on holidays, sunglasses, solicitors and supermarket shopping.

Included in the spending of Shaheda Lorgat (pictured, right) at Blackburn College’s expense was also £465 on a trip to Alton Towers.

The FE sector’s new professionalism and standards organisation, the Education and Training Foundation, launched today.

The body, funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and formerly known as the FE Guild, started work with its first board meeting, in London.

It comes almost four months after FE Week revealed government funding of the foundation of £18.8m for year one and again in year two along with a series of steering group meetings.

Sir Geoff Hall, foundation interim chief executive, said: “With a focus on workforce professionalism and continuous improvement, the job of this new foundation is to ensure that education and training providers understand and meet the needs of businesses and communities, and have the most effective and best equipped workforce in place.

“We want every learner and every trainee to get maximum benefit from their experience and we want every practitioner to benefit from effective and impactful continuing professional development opportunities.

“Our priorities are to improve learner experience and outcomes, to enhance the reputation of the sector, to develop provider good practice, to make the sector an attractive place to join and work, and to promote and champion equality and diversity across the sector.”

The guild proposal was first put forward by ministers in 2011. A small project team, with a steering group with representation from the sector, issued a consultation document at the end of January.

Its implementation plan, produced at the end of March, sparked controversy when the National Union of Students criticised the decision that there be no learner representation at board level.

Nevertheless, the body was set up with board members proposed by the Association of Colleges (AoC), the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), the Third Sector National Learning Alliance, and HOLEX.

The board includes Don Hayes MBE, chief executive of voluntary skills consortium Enable; Lynsi Hayward-Smith, head of adult learning and skills at Cambridgeshire County Council; and, John Hyde, co-founder and executive chairman of HIT (Hospitality Industry Training).

Joining them is Chris Jeffrey, strategy and policy adviser for General Physics (UK) Ltd Skills Training Academy; Asha Khemka OBE, principal of West Nottinghamshire College; Peter McCann, principal of Kirklees College; and, Mark White, vice-chair of Stockton Riverside College.

David Hughes, independent chair of the guild’s development steering group and chief executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, said: “The new foundation has made a strong and early commitment to engaging with learners and the workforce.

“There will be a learner and a practitioner on the foundation board, and we are working with NUS, employee unions and The Institute for Learning to ensure that learner and practitioner voices are heard and acted upon across all areas of work.

“We will drive continuous quality improvement through genuine sector ownership, recognising best practice and tackling issues as we find them.”

Martin Doel, AoC chief executive, said: “This is an exciting time for the FE and skills sector and I am confident this new organisation will have a positive impact not just for individual learners, teachers, practitioners and organisations, but on the status of FE and training as a whole.”

Stewart Segal, AELP chief executive, said: “As a sector, we have had a very real opportunity to shape the new foundation and form its priorities.

“This is truly about self-improvement by the sector, for the sector. By listening to and involving providers, practitioners, learners and employers, the foundation will ensure we are all best-placed to meet future needs.”

The foundation launch took place at the Goldsmiths’ Centre.

The Skills Funding Agency has announced rates from £500 to £900 for work placements in the government’s new traineeship programme.

Agency officials laid out payment bands of 100 to 199 hours; 200 to 499 hours; and, 500 hours-plus in a sector webinar on Monday (see slides below). They said the bands would mean training providers were funded at £500; £700; and £900, respectively (with 20% held back until there is a positive progression into work). Click here to download the full set of SFA slides.

Traineeships were first proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in June last year for 16 to 24-year-olds. But there was disappointment throughout the sector in May when the first framework showed only those aged below 19 would be included in the programme, along with those with learning difficulty assessments up to academic age 25.

But the situation changed with this year’s Spending Review, when the government included the older age bracket for when they begin next month.

The revision resulted in new framework guidance this month, setting out what traineeships hoped to achieve.

This included work preparation training such as interview preparation and CV writing, training in English and maths, a high-quality work placement between six weeks and five months and training from providers who were rated outstanding or good by education inspectors Ofsted.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: “Young people in Britain deserve the chance to work and get on in life which is why we’re introducing traineeships to help them get on the first rung of the ladder.

“Employers value real experience which is why I’m delighted that more than 100 businesses have come forward. I now want to urge more employers — no matter what size — to sign up to the programme and make the most of the talents of our young people.

“This is vital for our economy to compete in the global race. Traineeships are just one of the ways this government is making sure young people cross the start line.”

The new FE Commissioner is yet to be appointed despite interviews by officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), FE Week understands.

A number of candidates have already been spoken to, but none has been appointed to the role — or to any of its seven advisory posts.

“The interview and appointment process is ongoing,” said a BIS spokesperson.

It had been hoped — when the powerful new role was announced in April — that posts would be filled by June. But with that date past, no new timescale was given.

The FE Commissioner’s appointment, and that of the advisers, had been managed through the National College for Teaching and Leadership’s (NCTL) e-procurement system.

BIS and the Department for Education had wanted candidates registered on the NCTL’s operational associate framework so they could issue a request for quotation.

However, it was not clear whether the same system and requirement would apply when the posts were readvertised.

The commissioner will be able to call for a college to be shut down and will be sent in if a college is graded ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted, is in financial trouble or is failing to hit learner success targets.

They will report directly to Ministers with the aim of turning the college around within a year.

They could call for institutions to be slapped with ‘Administered College’ status, thereby losing powers such as staff changes, expenditure or transfer of assets.

They could also recommend governors be kicked out, but ultimately they could also call for a college to be dissolved.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock announced the intervention measures under the government’s new Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills strategy.

“Where colleges are failing learners we will be knocking on their doors and take swift and effective action,” he said.

“It is a dereliction of duty to let failing colleges teach young people. We will not fail in our duty to act.

“All providers should meet tough standards of rigour and responsiveness. Through these reforms we will be able to intervene without hesitation where they fall short.”

For colleges who require improvement (one grade better than inadequate), Ofsted will provide enhanced support and work with them on a development plan.

But the new skills strategy also includes stronger action to support good and outstanding colleges.