The prospect of industrial action looms over FE after the University and Colleges Union (UCU) backed a call to ballot for a national strike.

At their national conference on Wednesday, union members agreed to the ballot if upcoming pay talks fell through.

The motion described college employers as “making a historic bid to drive down the value of our pay and erode our terms and conditions of service”.

It backed a strike ballot being held close to the beginning of October if pay talks scheduled for this month resulted in an unsatisfactory offer.

Talks ended in stalemate last month when the Association of Colleges (AoC), representing employers, withdrew an offer to support a 0.5 per cent pay rise after it was unanimously rejected by unions, who called for a 5 per cent increase.

The AoC said it would only return to the table if the unions, including the UCU as well as the Association of Managers in Education, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, GMB, Unison and Unite, engaged in local discussions on conditions and pay.

Meanwhile, industrial action is already set for Thursday, June 6, after UCU members at Chesterfield College voted to strike over 70 proposed job cuts across management, teaching and support positions.

This follows the voluntary redundancies of more than 100 staff in the past two years.

UCU regional official Anne O’Sullivan said: “Bringing the axe down on another 70 jobs now is a very dangerous move.

“Staff have done brilliantly to cope with the departure of their colleagues in recent times and should not be rewarded with further cuts.

“Strike action is always a last resort, but the staff have simply had enough.”

She said that the union would not rule out further action unless the college removed the threat of compulsory redundancies.

Chesterfield principal Trevor Clay said: “The continuing decline in the number of
16 to 18 year olds within the county, the growth in the demand for apprenticeships, with reduced government funding, are fundamental factors reflecting the need for restructure.

“It is of course regrettable that unions are taking industrial action.

“In regard to our proposals, so far the only alternative that has been put forward by the teaching unions is to offer an increased redundancy package to those considering voluntary redundancy.”

He said this was “highly unlikely” to achieve the needed staff reductions and was a cost that the college would struggle to find.

“As such, this would leave us in the same position we are in now,” said Mr Clay.

“We remain open to all additional suggestions of how to address these changes to our funding.”

The head of the Association of Colleges has expressed concern over “low levels” of applications for 24+ advanced learning loans.

Martin Doel, association chief executive, spoke out as the Student Loans Company (SLC) revealed 338 mature learners had applied for loans in the three weeks after the new payment’s launch on April 8.

Just 75 learners were now ‘ready for payment’ for courses starting in August, each being granted an average of £2,950, according to figures released to FE Week under a Freedom of Information request.

The Skills Funding Agency allocated £232m in loans facilities to nearly 800 training providers for the 2013/14 academic year. If learners were loaned an average of £3,000 each, according to FE Week calculations, the SLC could expect to fund just under 80,000 learners over a year.

But three weeks into the scheme just 68 men and 270 women had requested a loan.

Mr Doel said: “If low levels of applications become an ongoing trend, it may well reflect some of the significant challenges facing colleges in this first year of the new system.”

He said deterrents included “aversion to debt” among mature students, and the “absence of a national marketing drive” for the loans.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) set up a £6.5m development fund to help providers with loans facilities to market the new loans.

But FE Week has learned that the association set up a survey on loan take-up and associated issues, such as bursary funds available under the scheme, after a number of principals contacted the group to “express concerns”.

The SLC information further revealed that 198 of the 338 initial applications had been processed. Of these, the lender was waiting for final signatures from 116 applicants, while seven were ineligible.

Applications yet to be processed included 91 that were awaiting further information from the learner while 49 were “in progress”.

It said 142 applicants were aged 24 to 30, 121 were aged 31 to 40, 55 were aged 41 to 50, while 13 were over 51. Seven did not declare their age.

Toni Pearce, president-elect of the National Union of Students, said: “The introduction of loans for learners looking for a second chance in education was damaging enough, but that it was done without proper consideration of the consequences or careful planning for its implementation is cause for real concern.

“There could be genuine reasons for the level of applications to be so low at this point, including students waiting for other exam results before applying.”

Gordon Marsden, Shadow Skills Minister, said: “Ministers must watch enrolments and take-up data carefully to ensure that we do not see a lost generation of adult learners.”

A spokesperson for the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) said the group remained “concerned” about the impact of loans on apprenticeship starts.

It has sent its members a survey, commissioned by the Skills Funding Agency, to find out “how well prepared” the sector was for the introduction of loans.

A spokesperson for the agency said the results were not yet available.

A BIS spokesperson  said: “The system is up and running as planned, and as this . . . information shows, more than 50 per cent of submitted applications have already been processed.”

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Editorial : Loan course data, please

Well done to the government and its partners for getting the FE loans application system up and running.

There has been much speculation about adults rushing to apply for the loans.

After all, the £280m funding pot for loans in 2013/14 is being dished out to applicants on a first-come first-served basis.

But it appears, thanks to our freedom of information (FoI) request, there has been no rush.

With about 800 providers with loan facilities, the 338 applications in the first 21 days since launch equates to an average of less than half an applicant each.

However, a slow start is perhaps not too alarming nor surprising given the lack of marketing and it being six months before relevant courses start.

What the sector should want to know in planning for 2013/14 is which courses are proving attractive to loan applicants.

Sadly, this information was not provided despite forming part of our FoI request. It was too personal, apparently.

All we can hope is that the Data Service will come to the rescue of course planners when it publishes more data, albeit seven months away, in January. Fingers crossed.

Nick Linford, editor

The government has been urged to “rethink” any plans to overhaul the apprenticeship system in line with the recommendations of former Dragons’ Den investor Doug Richard.

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) warned against the introduction of plans outlined in The Future of Apprenticeships in England: Next Steps from the Richard Review, published in March.

The plans were described by Business Secretary Vince Cable as “radically changing” the way apprenticeships were delivered, putting employers in the “driving seat”.

More than 300 responses to the document had been received by officials at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) when consultation ended around two weeks ago.

AELP national policy manager Judy Brandon said in the association’s response to the consultation: “We are … so concerned by some of the suggestions outlined in this document that we feel compelled to urge the government to rethink before moving ahead.

“Having argued that apprenticeships are now hugely successful we are pleased that the government, in this latest consultation document, recognises that there is much to be proud of . . . it refers to ‘over 200,000 employer workplaces participated and over half a million new apprenticeships started’.

“That being the case, we really do not understand why it is now proposing to introduce what they themselves go on to describe as ‘a major programme of reform’.

“We believe that implementing all the proposals in this document would seriously threaten the continuing success of apprenticeships, which are rightly seen as the gold standard for work-based learning.”

The three-month consultation — which closed on Wednesday, May 22 — outlined Richard’s plans such as all apprenticeships targeted at skilled jobs, and new learning that would provide the foundations for a career and a springboard for progression.

It also suggested that training and accreditation of existing workers who were already fully competent should be delivered separately.

The consultation put forward 24 questions, including how to ensure that employers were better engaged with the development and oversight of the assessment in apprenticeships.

The consultation followed Mr Richard’s review of the apprenticeship system, published in November. Its 10 recommendations included a redefinition of apprenticeships and a focus on proficiency in English and maths.

However, he said that the “heart” of his proposals was a revamp of the way apprenticeships were paid for. Tax credits, or other forms of government incentives, should be dished out to employers as the government paid its part of apprentice training, he said.

Meanwhile, the Association of Colleges (AoC), in its response to the government consultation, proposed a “master” apprenticeship.

Skills policy manager Teresa Frith said: “All apprentices would ‘pass’ their apprenticeship and some may elect/be encouraged to take on an additional assignment that would seek to determine an element of ‘mastery’ over the ‘competence’ displayed within the apprenticeship.”

A BIS spokesperson said the department was “delighted” with the responses to the consultation, including contributions from employers “of all sizes”, private training providers, colleges, awarding organisations, professional and trade associations, and sector skills councils.

The government is due to publish its implementation plan for apprenticeships reform in the autumn.

*Since publication of this story, the Department for Education has said that the figures indicating Kingston Maurward needed to improve were incorrect and apologised to the college.

Three colleges have been ordered to improve after falling below the Education Funding Agency’s new minimum standards for key stage five.

In the 2011/12 academic year, South Thames College, Wiltshire College and Kingston Maurward College all failed to get at least 40 per cent of students to achieve an average point score per entry higher than 194 for academic qualifications or 172 for vocational qualifications.

According to the data released in May, 28 academies and 41 community or voluntary schools also fell short of the required standard.

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “We have written to South Thames, Wiltshire and Kingston Maurward to make clear that we expect them to address the weaknesses that this measure has highlighted.

“In the event that these colleges are still below the standard next year, further action may be considered.”

The DfE website indicates funding could be reduced or removed, new or alternative provision, such as academy conversion or open competition, considered – or possible closure.

The interim minimum standards were introduced in April to identify poor performance in all colleges and schools offering provision for 16 to 19-year-olds.

In the last academic year at South Thames College, 38 per cent of eligible students (39 out of 102) did not achieve the minimum standard for academic qualifications.

A college spokesperson said: “At South Thames College, we take a long-term view of results and performance indicators.

“[We] recognise that our position in this table does not reflect the many talented and determined students we have.

“We shall continue to review and monitor performance tables and results and use them to inform our long-term plans.”

She said these plans included the college continuing to make “significant investments” in its facilities, teaching and student welfare.

She also highlighted the college’s ‘good’ Ofsted grading, which it maintained after it was inspected in 2012. That year’s report included “positive remarks on the ongoing guidance and support of learners”.

Thirty-two per cent of Wiltshire College’s learners, seven out of 22, met the academic minimum standard while at Kingston Maurward, which failed to meet the vocational standard, 12 per cent of learners, 18 out of 153 of those eligible, achieved higher than the target figure.

No one from Wiltshire College or Kingston Maurward College was available for comment. The Education Funding Agency (EFA) said the interim standards were “the absolute minimum expected performance for all providers of 16 to 18 education or training”.

“By establishing separate measures for performance in academic and vocational qualifications, comparing like with like, we are able to build a clear picture of how institutions are performing in different areas of their level three provision,” it says on the EFA website.

The minimum average point scores are calculated by taking the average of the bottom 5 per cent of scores nationally or the fifth percentile.

The resignations of two members of the National Careers Council amid accusations that it was watering down recommendations to appease the government have been described as “regrettable”.

Heather Jackson and Professor Tony Watts walked out around a month before its first report was due to be published.

However, council chair Dr Deirdre Hughes said their resignations would not hit the report’s release or investigations.

“The resignations are regrettable, but will not affect the council’s ongoing work and its report, which will be launched on June 5,” she told FE Week.

The duo’s damning resignation statement said the report — a draft of which was presented to Skills Minister Matthew Hancock this month — proposed a rebalancing of funding that allowed the Department for Education (DfE) “to escape its responsibilities”.

They claimed the report suggested adult funding from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), which they claim funded the National Careers Service (NCS) with £83m in contrast to £7m from the DfE, might be used to pay for young people’s careers guidance.

They also criticised the report for failing to reference an Education Select Committee report critical of careers guidance services, and for not containing any proposal to boost “very limited marketing” of the NCS.

Their statement said these and other issues were left out to appease the government.

“We ultimately view this as a craven argument for a purportedly independent council to adopt,” it said.

“We are also deeply concerned about the way in which the report has been produced.

“The ‘rebalancing’ proposal, for example, was never discussed in any meetings of the council, and only emerged in a draft circulated three days before it was due to be submitted to the minister.”

Their statement added: “We asked for a postponement of the meeting with the minister, to enable the council to discuss the proposal in a considered way: this was refused. In our view, this is a totally inappropriate way for an independent council to operate.”

The resignations were raised when Mr Hancock appeared before the Education Select Committee on May 16. Committee members questioned him about the duo’s NCS funding concerns.

“Will the minister reassure us that the DfE is committed to supporting the work of the NCS properly? Will the DfE realise the opportunity that the NCS provides to ensure that we have an all-ages, competent, re-professionalised careers service?” said committee member Graham Stuart, Tory MP for Beverley and Holderness.

Mr Hancock said: “The funding issue has been raised many times. Times are, of course, tight for funding, but the central point is that the legal duty to secure independent and impartial advice in schools needs to be delivered from the schools budget.

“Schools have a whole budget to deliver this, not just the £7m the DfE put into the NCS.”

The council was set up by former Skills Minister John Hayes around a year ago to review careers policy at the Skills Funding Agency; the UK Commission for Employment and Skills; BIS; DfE; and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Members have since been involved in a number of investigations, including the Richard Review of Apprenticeships and Lord Heseltine’s report on UK economic growth. They have also given evidence to the Education Select Committee.

The government today announced a £2m apprenticeship bursary scheme for the early years profession.

Learners aiming at a career in early education will be able to apply for a bursary worth up to £1,500, with a further £300 available for more training, from September.

There will be up to 1,000 bursary places available.

Elizabeth Truss, Childcare and Education Minister, said: “Caring for and educating young children is a fantastically rewarding job.

“The bursaries announced today will make it easier for talented people to start a career in early education.

“Providing good quality early education is proven to help young children get a head-start in life, especially those who are from poorer backgrounds.

“I hope these bursaries encourage students to consider working in early education.”

In January, in More Great Childcare, the government said it would build a stronger and more professional early years workforce with more rigorous qualifications.

The apprenticeship bursary will be a transitional scheme ahead of the Early Years Educator qualifications in 2014. The Apprenticeship Bursary Scheme will also seek to support the delivery of the early learning places for two-year-olds.

The scheme, which will be run by the National College for Teaching and Leadership, will be open to applications from September.

To be eligible, applicants will need to secure an apprenticeship position in a nursery or other provision that delivers the early learning places for two year olds; and hold at least a GCSE, at grade C or above, in English and maths.

A spokesperson for the Association of Employment and Learning Providers said: “We welcome additional support for apprentices and are pleased that apprenticeships are seen as a major part of the solution in childcare training.

“We also hope that the National College will work closely with independent training providers who are already well established in the childcare sector on the allocation of the bursaries.

“We have some real concerns about excluding those without GCSEs in English or maths at grade C or above.

“We have also expressed our concern that at a time when we should be encouraging more apprenticeships in the sector, the introduction of loans for those in this group aged over 24 will reduce the potential take-up.”

Apprenticeships are expected to last an average of 20 months. They will consist of employment and study to gain a recognised qualification through various routes, including further education colleges.