Tag rugby day showcases sport

Sports students in Cheshire helped primary school children from 10 schools tackle rugby at a tag rugby festival.

Learners at South Cheshire College worked with professional rugby coaches while helping to run and officiate at the day designed to introduce children to the sport.

Graham Coffey, head of sport at the college, said: “This was a great event for our students to get involved with.”

The event was organised by Crewe and Nantwich School Sports Partnership (CNSSP), the Rugby Football Union and Crewe and Nantwich RUFC.

Featured image caption: From left: Stapeley Broad Lane Primary School pupils James Morgan-Wynne, Ollie Torjussen and Alfie Johnson, all nine, at the tag rugby festival

Hold the front page in Hertfordshire

Twelve students from North Hertfordshire College took over their local newspaper, The Comet, and its website for a week.

They took over roles in journalism, photography, design, digital and social media, as part of ‘The Big Student Takeover’.

They won the chance to get involved by designing digital adverts for the college’s open day.

Melissa Agard, 17, editor for the week, said: “It’s amazing what we’ve done in just one week. We had our occasional fights and we handled it like adults, which I really loved.”

Melissa’s hard work has earned her an internship at the paper.

“I’ve wanted to be a journalist since I was little, I would write crazy stories and show my mum and she always said I’d be successful. Now I believe her,” she said.

Featured image caption: Students who took over the Comet newspaper, with their front page

Focus on traineeships as clock ticks down to scheme launch

The long-awaited traineeship scheme was in the spotlight at an Association of Colleges conference in Central London last Tuesday.

More than 60 delegates from across the country asked questions about and discussed the programme, which will be available from September for 16 to 19-year-olds.

Traineeships will prepare young people for work or an apprenticeship through offering unpaid work experience placements, as well as employability skills training and basic maths and English.

Eoin Parker, the deputy director for pre-employment and basic skills at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, said the traineeships, first announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in July last year, developed after employers voiced concerns that many young people lacked the skills and experience to compete for work or apprenticeships.

There was, Mr Parker said, “a real need for something that was a pre-apprenticeship step, which doesn’t really exist at the moment”.

He said many of the 450 responses to the discussion paper on the scheme, launched in January, supported the government’s emphasis on providers having discretion to determine the exact content of their traineeships.

“The feeling was that individuals differ, localities differ, the needs of a business may differ and we really wanted this to be flexible for providers on the ground,” he said.

“There was a strong consensus around the importance of the work experience element that reinforced our thinking, and on the importance of collaboration between employers and training providers.”

When questioned about the decision to limit traineeships to 16 to 19-year-olds, he said that age group had been prioritised so that the scheme was available for the coming academic year.

He said that the intention was to expand it to 19 to 24-year-olds. “I can’t confirm the precise timescale at the moment but we’re working to make this happen,” said Mr Parker.

We are looking for a quality start, this is a deliberate decision by [Skills Minister Matthew Hancock] to start with a quality group of providers”

The Skills Funding Agency head of funding for pre-employment Sara Tulk acknowledged that the timeframe had been very short.

She said: “It’s very unusual to have a policy move to implementation so quickly. To say that lots has been going on behind the scenes to get us to this point is a slight understatement.”

The Education Funding Agency’s head of funding development, Kevin Street, agreed that traineeships would allow for a degree of flexibility.

“A large proportion of this development now really is up to you, and the partnership between yourselves, employers, Job Centre plus and the young people to design the programmes in the way that you see fit,” he told delegates. “Therefore the rules are deliberately vague.

“In the words of Alison Wolf, ‘only ask for what you definitely need’, the rest is up to you to decide when you’re designing your programme.”

He added: “The more guidance you get from us, the more questions it generates, the more restricted you feel when delivering your programme.”

Only providers with an Ofsted grade one or two can offer traineeships, along with some subcontractors.

Clockwise from left: Kevin Street, head of funding and development, EFA, Eoin Parker, deputy director at BIS, Paul Oginsky, Youth policy advisor to the Prime Minister, David Cameron and Sue Clarke, EFA

Mr Street said: “We are looking for a quality start, this is a deliberate decision by [Skills Minister Matthew Hancock] to start — I won’t use the word small — but with a quality group of providers.

“He is concerned that the traineeship brand, and there will be a brand in due course, is a respected one.

“Why use Ofsted grades?  We all understand they’re not perfect, they don’t say whether or not you will deliver a good traineeship, but what they do is give us a good impression of an overall well-managed operation.

“The long-term plan is to have a suite of robust destination measures to monitor
traineeships.”

One of the biggest questions has been whether trainees will be able to claim jobseeker’s allowance; critics say there would be little incentive to enrol if trainees lost financially.

Jim Patrick from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed that the rule requiring claimants to do less than 16 hours of training a week would be enforced at present, but that it would not apply under the government’s new universal credit.

He said that DWP representatives were talking with the Treasury to try to relax the 16-hour rule for those who needed basic skills training.

“We’ll just have to continue to work with and be supported by those colleagues in this because we both believe it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

The right ingredients for a job

A catering and hospitality student has proved that he can stand the heat in the kitchen by landing his dream job at one of the UK’s top hotels.

Nelson and Colne College student Jonathan Nadin, 19, will join the kitchen at Rudding Park in Harrogate, which was voted best hotel in the UK at the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards 2013.

“I am really looking forward to starting,” said Jonathan. “I’d like thank all the tutors for pushing me in the right direction and particularly Nick Hatch for taking the time to help me get through the level three course.”

Jonathan was given an interview for the job when he took his CV with him on a college tour of the restaurant.

Featured image caption: Nelson and Colne College student Jonathan Nadin, who is looking forward to starting work at Rudding Park

VQ Day – Round-up

 

Mark Harper MP, Aaron Freeman, National VQ Learner of the Year, and Skills Minister Matthew Hancock

VQ Day celebrations kicked off with a ceremony and reception in the Houses of Parliament to recognise the achievements of vocational learners from across the UK.

Lord Kenneth Baker, chair of the Edge Foundation, and Skills Minister Matthew Hancock presented a range of regional awards, as well as Learner of the Year and, for the first time, Employer of the Year.

Lord Baker said: “We’ve got to elevate the whole concept of vocational and technical education in this country; we need it desperately.”

Mr Hancock agreed. “Millions of people achieve vocational qualifications throughout the year. Today is the day that we can celebrate that,” he said.

Aaron Freeman, 24, from Gloucestershire, won the learner award. He came back into education at 19 to do a public services diploma before going on to a degree in criminology and psychology. He now runs his own business.

He impressed the judges with his commitment to his studies and his dedication to “providing invaluable work experience to former peers”.

He said: “To have this recognition makes me really, really proud. I’m really into promoting vocational qualifications — I think they have a bit of a bad name and that’s wrong.”

The Veolia Group won the employer award.

 

Students with Shadow Ministers Stephen Twigg, centre, and Tristram Hunt, far right, as part of a group discussion

Shadow Education Secretary Stephen Twigg visited a London college as part of VQ Day celebrations to chat with students about their career hopes.

He was joined by Shadow Education Minister Tristram Hunt at Lambeth College’s Clapham Centre where a ‘high street learning environment’ is due to open in September, featuring a hairdressing salon, beauty spa, restaurant, gym and shops.

The college, which brands itself as the Careers College, is also developing a Skills Exchange, where learners can register their interest in, and availability for, part time work, volunteering, apprenticeships and project work with employers as well as permanent work.

Principal Mark Silverman said: “The major new developments at our Clapham centre will enable us to develop strong partnerships with schools and employers.

“They ensure that our curriculum is fit for purpose and reflect skills gaps and future job prospects within Lambeth and South London.

“Our vision is one where learners can put their skills into practice, get ready for the world of work and obtain real work experience to put on their CVs.

“I’m delighted that as part of VQ day I can share with the Shadow Ministers how we anticipate repositioning ourselves to become a truly vocational college which will help our learners become the employees or entrepreneurs of the future.”

VQ Day celebrates vocational qualifications that give students a foot in the door to the industry they want to work in, or prepare them for vocational study or
university.

Learners and tutors line up with the evening’s host, Myleene Klass, red dress, far left

The achievements of more than 100 learners and tutors were recognised at a glamorous and glitzy ceremony last Wednesday evening at the Roundhouse in North London’s Camden.

In its eleventh year, the Lion Awards, organised by City & Guilds, are the finale for the organisation’s medals for excellence programme.

All this year’s winners were invited to attend last week’s spectacular ceremony, hosted by pianist and singer Myleene Klass, who played for the audience as things got underway.

Nominees and guests were treated to a red carpet reception, three-course dinner and, in addition to Ms Klass, entertainment from BRIT school pupils.

Nominees are selected through a points system, following the achievement of a medal for excellence.  All are judged by City & Guilds’ representatives against a separate set of criteria for each category, with the exception of the People’s Choice Award.

More than 39,000 people voted in this year’s people’s award, won by George Wingfield (pictured third from left). With almost 50 years in the plumbing industry  — he was named “Britain’s favourite plumber” in 1992. He was recognised for his teaching at West Cheshire College.

Judges also chose a “winner of winners” from the evening’s line-up. Helen Wynne, of Deeside College, who won the Small Business Learner of the Year Award also won the overall Outstanding Achiever Award.

Helen Wynne was recognised for her determination to set up Blyths Child-minding, which specialises in caring for children with disabilities and additional needs, after her son was born with a rare disability and she could not find appropriate childcare provision for him.

Respects were also paid to the late Maria O’Boyle, the Innovator of the Year, who was recognised for engaging learners failed by education. Many said they couldn’t have completed a qualification without her guidance. O’Boyle died after a long illness a few weeks ago, but her brothers were at the ceremony to collect her award.

Apprentices on the terraces of the Cholmondeley Room at the House of Lords, overlooking the River Thames in Westminster

The successes of some of the highest achieving apprentices from West Nottinghamshire College were celebrated at the House of Lords last Wednesday.

Apprentices, employers, parents and guests packed the opulent Cholmondeley Room for a lunchtime reception hosted by Baroness Prashar.

The event was an opportunity to formally recognise the positive outcome that apprenticeships generated for both learners and their employers. Twenty-five of the college’s 12,000 apprentices were formally congratulated and awarded for their achievements.

The college’s principal and chief executive, Asha Khemka, OBE, said: “It is a tremendous privilege to be here, in such beautiful and historic settings. Celebrations of this kind are the highlight of my role . . . If I had my way, I would have all 12,000 apprentices with us today.”

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock  said: “Today is a great opportunity to celebrate the high-achieving apprentices, the small and large employers that play a vital role in the delivery of apprentices and more generally the apprenticeships programme.”

The apprentices  at the reception came from West Nottinghamshire College and its subsidiaries, Vision Apprentices and Vision Workforce Skills.

AELP launches manifesto

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) has produced a ten-point action plan aimed at “driving an economic recovery based on skills acquisition and jobs”.

The association mini manifesto was launched today — day one of its annual conference — and calls for government to keep up spending on education, employment and skills at a time when budgets are “squeezed”.

It follows Business Secretary Vince Cable’s recent appeal to the Treasury for the forthcoming government spending review to invest more in training “if we are going to get the economy going”.

Among the cases made in the manifesto are for young people to be “work ready” by the time they leave school; and for targeting more resources at apprenticeships and the new traineeships programme.

It also urges government to tackle the issue of NEETs by focusing on real work experience with employers; and more coherent procurement of skills and employment programmes across the business, education and work departments.

And with the spending review just weeks away, the association further recommends progress in funding skills programmes that reward good quality providers who successfully engage with local employers, including the introduction of a level-playing field on funding for independent training organisations and FE colleges.

Association chair Martin Dunford OBE said: “It is vital that scarce government funds are rigorously targeted on apprenticeships and traineeships as the highest priority skills provision and that this targeted funding is properly made available to those providers with the demand from employers and best able to deliver successful outcomes.

“The level playing field necessary for this to happen is undoubtedly better balanced than in the past but we are still not there yet.

“We cannot continue to have providers of any type underperforming – yet retaining funding – while others are unable to obtain the resources they need to meet the immediate demand from employers, potential apprentices and those needing a traineeship to avoid joining the unacceptably high cohort of ‘NEETs’.”

The manifesto also contains bullet-pointed subsections on developing high-quality vocational choices for young people and supporting those most in need to achieve and sustain employment.

Another subsection on meeting the needs of all employers to support the effective delivery of work-based learning warns of moving away from a national skills funding system, which many have predicted with the ‘single funding pot’ recommendation of Tory grandee Lord Heseltine. His idea, for local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to bid for money from the pot, could get the green light from Chancellor George Osborne’s spending review later this month.

“LEPs and City Partnerships are important parts of the skills environment in terms of setting local priorities and bringing partners together,” it says in the association’s manifesto.

“However, the skills system needs a national system of funding and contracting to avoid fragmentation and confusion.”

Further subsections are on continuing to improve training delivery and improving outputs and results, and developing the workforce of the future.

And a bullet point under the final subsection of working with government to drive effective and efficient investment in the skills system says: “The current funding rules for 24+ Advanced Learning Loans affect apprenticeship programmes more than any other.

Employability lessons for traineeships

An OCR pilot in Kent is offering a group of 16 to 19-year-olds the same three-pronged approach as the government’s traineeships, writes Mark Dawe

About 958,000 (about 20 per cent) of 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK were out of work in the first quarter of 2013. While this is lower than in some EU countries, helping young people to take their first steps into the workplace is important for any economy and a responsibility for us all, including awarding bodies.

After nearly a year of discussion about a ‘pre-apprenticeship’ initiative to help young people bridge the gap between school or college and the workplace, Skills Minister Matthew Hancock published the framework for traineeships in May.

They start for 16 to 19-year-olds this September, with the possibility of an extension to 24-year-olds “in due course”. They will be structured around three core areas: work placements, work preparation training, and a focus on improving English and maths skills.

The employability skills qualifications that OCR provides, with functional skills and Cambridge progression qualifications in English and maths that feed into them, are all relevant to the new traineeships.
OCR will offer a ‘Cambridge traineeship’ package of qualifications and support for those who want the convenience of a
one-shop.

We are currently running a pilot with the Kent Association of Training Organisations (KATO) in Thanet and Gravesend, two areas of relatively high unemployment. The 35 young people recruited for the three-month pilot are being offered the same three-pronged approach: work experience, a focus on core English and maths skills (we have a diagnostic assessment tool to identify individual learner needs in this area), as well as work preparation (vocational skills courses and interview practice).

The pilot focuses on preparing young people to work in customer service and business administration in particular, with work experience in local employers, such as solicitors, retailers and GP surgeries.

By partnering with an organisation such as KATO, feedback from real training providers and learners can inform our planning. The pilot, although not identical, closely mirrors the traineeship programmes outlined by the government. If this shows that the programme works for 16 to 19-year-olds, it is more likely that the government will find a way to extend the initiative.

Those with other Skills Funding Agency and employability funding may be able to utilise various qualifications and/or units available within traineeships for those over 19, as many are already doing.

However traineeships are taken up from August, there is already an enormous amount of expertise in the work-based learning sector in ‘employability’ — the general skills and abilities that people need to get, keep and do well in any job. They are the skills that organisations, such as the Confederation of British Industry, say is lacking in many young people.

Demand for OCR’s employability skills qualifications has certainly grown in recent years and we are updating our qualifications to take account of new technologies and developments in the world of work.

With changes in funding, new targets, and uncertainty over contracts, these are challenging times for the work-based learning sector. OCR is keen to make its contribution and looks forward to providing an update on the impact of the Kent pilot.

Mark Dawe, chief executive of OCR

Cultivating a change in careers provision

Millions of people today work in jobs that didn’t exist when their parents left education. It’s a new world that demands more coherent national and local careers provision, says Deirdre Hughes

We are facing a significant economic challenge; there is high unemployment (especially among young people) at the same time as employers struggle to recruit people with the skills they need. As careers diversify, this topic becomes more important and more challenging.

More complex careers, with more options in work and learning, are opening up new opportunities for many people. But they are also making career choices harder for young people and adults; make the wrong one and there are financial and emotional penalties.

About 1.09 million young people are not in education, employment and/or training (NEET), yet at the same time, according to the Confederation of British Industry, more than half of businesses are not confident that they will find sufficient recruits.

This is particularly acute in certain sectors that are vital to the growth of our economy; for example, 23 per cent of businesses face difficulty in getting experienced staff with expertise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As recent studies have shown, there is a mismatch between the career aspirations of young people and the reality of the jobs market.

We also have an ageing population with many adults having to work longer. Therefore, it is vital that we create more insights to job opportunities and areas for the development and growth of vocational skills. Something needs to be done — and quickly.

In this new world, people need access to reliable and relevant information about a jobs market that is undergoing rapid, dynamic change. They need, too, to be prepared by their schools, colleges and universities to be resilient to the uncertainties and opportunities of the flexible labour market. From the start, they need to understand and think through the options open to them in terms of their future careers. And they will need to repeat that process throughout their working lives.

The days when a careers adviser could guide a young person or adult into a job or occupation for life are long gone. The role has changed, as has the landscape of careers services. As well as public sector careers services, there are now private-sector consultants, employers, recruitment companies and learning providers, all contributing to a richly varied career development landscape.

Rapid technological developments — notably online provision — mean that our population needs career management and digital literacy skills to achieve sustained employability. There are real risks of social exclusion, particularly for young people and older adults unable to afford technology or with limited access to it. Life skills now include new ways of thinking about careers and the dynamic context in which they evolve. And the pace of change can only increase.

The National Careers Council challenges the government, employers, education and the careers sector to act boldly and decisively in framing a more coherent national and local careers offer for young people and adults. We need new ideas and approaches; we need high-performing career development and labour market policies and practices, involving the public, private and voluntary/community sectors.

A council report sets out seven recommendations that together would raise standards right across career support services. Based on a greatly strengthened partnership approach, they would help to shape a highly visible careers service to meet the needs of an aspirational nation. If the government acts on them, together we can create a movement to bring about a much needed culture change in careers provision for young people and adults.

Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, chair National Careers Council