Sector in tribute to outgoing chief

The retiring head of further education and skills investment at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has told how simply helping learners has been among the highlights of her six-year spell in the post.

Dr Susan Pember, who got an OBE in 2000 for services to FE, has announced plans to retire on April 4.

A host of sector figures have line up to pay tribute to the top civil servant, describing her as “hard to replace,” a “good role model,” and “scrupulously fair”.

Dr Pember, speaking exclusively to FE Week, said: “I have supported ten FE and skills ministers and eight secretaries of state, and working with ministers and stakeholders to develop new policy has been the best bit.

“The areas I am most proud of are those directly related to improving the experience of learners, like Skills for Life, or ensuring adult learning’s economic and social value is fully understood.”

She also spoke of the “privilege” of encountering “dynamic” learners and teaching staff when visiting colleges and other training providers.

“I have witnessed inspirational teaching and met many gifted students, trainees and exceptionally committed staff,” she added.

“I will miss my staff, who are brilliant and really understand the needs of the sector, but I am very excited about what the future can offer.”

She will be sorely missed, but I do hope she will continue to be involved in the work of colleges.”

Dr Pember joined the then-Department for Education and Skills in 2000 as director of adult basic skills strategy, before taking up her current position in 2006.

She had begun her career as a lecturer and later became a senior education officer, before taking over as principal at Canterbury College.

FE minister Matthew Hancock MP tweeted his reaction to her retirement, saying: “She will be hard to replace.”

Further kind words came from the Women’s Leadership Network director, Sue Daley.

She said: “Susan Pember’s career story brought home to us what a great force she has been in the sector for such a long time and what a good role model for aspiring women.”

Association of Colleges chief executive Martin Doel said: “Colleges, their students and FE generally have benefited hugely from Susan’s advocacy and know-how at the highest levels of government.

“She will be sorely missed, but I do hope she will continue to be involved in the work of colleges.”

Lynne Sedgmore, 157 Group executive director, said: “Sue has long been a passionate advocate for and challenger of FE colleges and the wider Learning and skills sector.

“Her experience as a principal stood her in good stead as a well informed and effective civil servant. Her work on basic skills was exemplary and she will be missed.”

Graham Hoyle, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, praised her “scrupulously fair” dealings across the sector, adding: “Sue has been instrumental in ensuring the door of successive administrations has been open to work-based learning providers to put their case to ministers. Her advice has been greatly valued during challenging times.”

David Hughes, chief executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, said: “I have worked with Susan for a long time and will miss her commitment to FE and learners within the machine.
“She has long been a strong voice and advocate for the sector within government, ensuring new ministers appreciate the importance of adult learning.”

Provider goes under following ‘clawbacks’

A Liverpool-based provider that trained around 700 learners has gone into administration, putting 70 jobs at risk.

Scientiam appointed administrators from Mazars LLP on Monday, February 4.

It held a £2.5m contract with the Skills Funding Agency and had up to five subcontractors.

A statement issued by Mazars, which is looking for organisations to take on any part of Scientiam operations, said: “Our appointment reluctantly followed an internal review supported by advice from the external auditors which concluded Scientiam had become insolvent and could not continue its operations.

“Learner numbers not reaching targets coupled with clawbacks of previously advanced funding combined to drain Scientiam of its cash resources.

Our priority is to work with Scientiam and the administrator to transfer learners and apprentices to appropriate provider.”

“Although the administrators have had to announce cessation of all activity, and commenced redundancy consultations with all staff, it is nevertheless the administrators’ primary concern to facilitate as orderly a handover of these learners to a successor organisation as rapidly as possible.”

A spokesperson for the agency and the National Apprenticeship Service said: “Our priority is to work with Scientiam and the administrator to transfer learners and apprentices to appropriate providers, as quickly as possible, with minimal disruption, so they can continue their learning and apprenticeships.

Scientiam’s most recent set of accounts, filed in January last year and covering 12 months up to August 2011, showed a pre-tax loss of £29,641 from a turnover of just over £3m.

This followed losses of more than £306,000 in the previous year.

Wirral Metropolitan College is listed as Scientiam’s parent company in a 2012 Ofsted report. However, college spokesperson Sally Wysocki denied the college was the parent company.

She said: “Scientiam is not owned by Wirral Metropolitan College. It is a company limited by guarantee and is managed and operated independently of the college.

“A number of Scientiam’s non-executive directors have been college staff and, along with a number of other providers, the college has been a subcontractor for Scientiam.

“Scientiam has been experiencing financial difficulties for some time and since December 2012, additional non-executive directors from college staff were appointed to Scientiam’s board as ways were sought to assist the company with making its business more sustainable.”

She added: “The management and directors of Scientiam has done everything possible to try to assure the sustainability of Scientiam and avert the possibility of administration, however, it was with great regret that Scientiam had to be placed into administration.”

One of the company’s subcontractors was Absolute Training Solutions, a specialist glass industry training provider that has delivered NVQs and apprenticeships with Scientiam since 2009.

Sean Monaghan, director of Absolute Training Solutions, said: “It is really sad news that Scientiam has collapsed.

“We are proud of the work we have completed in partnership with Scientiam over the years.

“Our main priority now is to ensure the 111 live learners we have registered with Scientiam continue their training with us.”

An agency spokesperson said it would be writing to all learners and apprentices and a mailbox, scientiam@skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk, had been set up for concerned learners and their families. It directed any enquiries about payments due to local job centres.

For details on taking up Scientiam operations, phone Mazars on 0161 831 1100.

Survey exposes SFA staff ‘frustration at cuts’

Just one-in-three staff at the Skills Funding Agency believes change is managed well within the organisation, its own survey has discovered.

The 2012 people’s survey, completed by 1,114 civil servants at the agency between October 1 and 31, showed that 92 per cent were interested in their work.

However, dissatisfaction was covered in other areas of the annual survey with just one-in-four respondents agreeing that when changes were made, they were made for the better and just 36 per cent felt they had been given the opportunities to develop their career.

A spokesperson from the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the public sector’s biggest union, said the high levels of dissatisfaction in areas around change showed the workforce was frustrated by government spending cuts.

“They [agency staff] do not believe that the changes being demanded by this government, largely driven by unnecessary cuts, are being made for the better,” he said.

“This is because, as the experts in their fields, they can see the damage being done to the services they provide.”

The spokesperson added: “Like in other areas of the civil service staff in the agency do not feel as valued as they should for the important work they do.”

The survey is a great way for us to benchmark and work on key strengths and any areas of improvement.”

Fewer than half respondents said they were inspired by the agency to “do the best” in their jobs with the same figure — 48 per cent — answering that they felt “motivated” to achieve the agency’s objectives.

A lack of control over underachievement still seems to be a problem with only 39 per cent saying they felt the agency dealt with poor performance in their team “effectively” — but this was a 7 per cent increase on last year’s results and 2 per cent higher than the average rate across the civil service.

Only 54 per cent felt their pay adequately reflected their performance and just 37 per cent of respondents felt they have the opportunity to contribute their views before decisions were made that affected them.

The survey, completed by 85 per cent of agency staff, showed overall a positive improvement from last year’s results and 59 per cent of those surveyed said they were satisfied with pay and benefits which was a staggering 29 per cent more than civil servants across the board.

Significant improvements seemed to be within accessing the right learning and development opportunities which was 14 per cent higher than last year and confidence in decisions taken by the agency’s senior managers which was 16 more positive than last year and 22 per cent higher than civil servants across the board.

A spokesperson for the SFA said it was only the second time the agency had taken part in the survey.

“It’s pleasing to see that we have already built on last year’s findings with positive and improved results,” she said.

“The survey is a great way for us to benchmark and work on key strengths and any areas of improvement.

“We strive to build on this year’s findings and we will take them forward, consulting with our employees and putting into place necessary action plans, so that we continue to see positive improved results next year.

Monstrous opportunity for graphic design students

Young designers from Middlesbrough have been set the monstrous task of illustrating a local author’s books for children.

The BTec graphic design students from Cleveland College of Art & Design (CCAD) have been enlisted by Kiran Kaur to bring the characters from her books, The Draught and Puddle in a Muddle, to life.

Kiran, 28, wrote the stories for her own daughter four years ago, and they lay in a drawer gathering dust until she posted them online last year.

She said: “The inspiration for my first book all stemmed from telling my daughter ‘don’t let the draught in’ when she was coming in the house.

“She didn’t really understand and was a bit scared about letting in a ‘draught’ as though it were some kind of monster.”

This gave Kiran an idea for a story about an imaginary mischievous monster and the young girl who dreamed him up, Poppy.

To her surprise, US publishers who saw them on the internet snapped up the chance to publish them, but asked for pictures to accompany the text.

While searching for help to illustrate her work, Kiran stumbled upon a news story about a CCAD student whose artwork had been published and contacted the college.

“When Kiran got in touch I thought that this would be an excellent live brief for our students,” said CCAD graphic design illustration lecturer Tom.

“The illustration pathway is a brand new course offered to our second year graphic design students and having just completed a project on creating monsters they were already in the right creative mindset.”

Ten students were given a list of visual and physical characteristics of The Draught and Poppy and will research and sketch their ideas to give to Kiran who will pick her favourite of the students’ illustrations this month.

She said: “I definitely made the right decision coming to CCAD. What I have seen so far has been amazing – the standard has been so high.

“I initially had a picture in mind of what I thought the characters would be like, but these young designers have really opened my mind to new possibilities and it is going to be an incredibly hard decision to choose just one winner.”

The Draught is set for worldwide distribution this summer with the possibility of an animated series being developed in the future.

Illustration student Blue Lunn, 17, from Saltburn, said: “It is very exciting having such a high profile brief.

“It is quite difficult to come up with ideas that match the clients but we have been given a lot of freedom to put our own stamp on the work.

“Winning a competition and seeing your work published all over the world would be an incredible honour.”

Learner recognised for volunteering efforts

A Derbyshire sign language student who helped kick off the FA’s new national football centre has been honoured with an award in Princess Diana’s memory.

Eighteen-year-old Usman Ahmed received the Diana award for his volunteering efforts after assisting the FA in opening its football centre, in Burton on Trent.

He had helped out at open evenings at his Burton and South Derbyshire College as well as a range of charity events during his travel and tourism studies before taking up sign language.

John Beaty, vice principal, said: “Usman was delighted to receive an award in recognition of his commitment to helping others and supporting the community.

“We are all extremely proud of Usman and hope this award will inspire others to volunteer in their colleges and communities.”

The Diana award was established in 1999 and has celebrated 39,000 young people for their commitment to the community and improving the lives of others.

Learners step to it with dancing workshop

Young dancers from Hampshire had the chance to be inspired by two dancers who wowed the world in the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony.

The 30 A–level dance students at Barton Peveril College in Eastleigh, Hampshire, took part in a day of workshops with Jose Agudo and Andrej Petrovic, from award–winning Akram Khan dance company, which choreographed the section of dance which accompanied Emeli Sandé singing ‘Abide With Me’ at the ceremony.

Student Emma Stansall, 17, said: “I absolutely loved the intensity and pace of the day. In particular the rhythmic section was so clever, challenging and interesting.”

Will Hodson, 18, who has been offered a place at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, added: “The two dancers were brilliant fun. It was an amazing experience to work with such highly respected professionals.”

Courageous student takes on big challenge

A Welsh outdoor activity student is scaling new heights to celebrate her 30th birthday and raise money for charity at the same time.

Rather than throwing a party, Coleg Gwent student Kyleigh Hill will complete one challenge for every year of her life so far, raising £4,000 for The Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal, Wales Air Ambulance, Severn Area Rescue Association and the Victoria Cross Trust.

Kyleigh said: “When a friend suggested doing a challenge for each year of my life, I couldn’t say no.”

Kyleigh’s challenges began on her birthday, when she started her task to climb all 24 of the Brecon Beacons — just one of her thirty quests which also include navigating the Wales coastal path, a skydive and a fire walk.

She added: “I’ve chosen a few things well within my capabilities, along with many more that will test me and require willpower and training for.

“My thoughts are that if it is easy to do, it isn’t a challenge.”

Kyleigh, from Ebbw Vale, hopes to become an outdoor activity instructor and work to rehabilitate injured service personnel.

Visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/30-4-30 to sponsor Kyleigh.

World class catering on the coast

Culinary education has never tasted so good for young chefs in Dorset, after the world’s leading chefs recognized their college’s catering department as among the best in the world.

Bournemouth and Poole College is the first FE college and only the third college in Europe to receive the Recognition of Quality award from a global network of top cooks, the World Association of Chefs Societies.

The college currently has students on placements at some of London’s top kitchens, including 12 at The Ritz, four at Claridges and three at Buckingham Palace.

Bournemouth and Poole college head of hospitality Adrian Martin said: “Our catering department has long been considered one of the best in the country and has won multiple awards and acclaim over the years. However this award is very different.

“We are all buzzing here. It is due to a huge amount of hard work on the staff’s part but also to the work students have put in.”

Dulux reps get their hands dirty

Dulux workers brushed up on their knowledge and put their products into action with an intensive course in painting and decorating.

The 11 Dulux sales representatives and managers learned how to do it themselves on the five-day course delivered by Walsall College, enabling them to offer better customer advice.

Dulux regional sales manager Steve Guice said: “I’ve picked up some great tips on the course and now have a better understanding of our products and how they are used in real situations.

“I really enjoyed the course as it was a mixture of classroom lessons and applying this new knowledge on practical tasks.”

The course covered surface preparation, wallpaper and paint application techniques and choosing the right tools and products for the job, and resulted in a City & Guilds level one qualification.

It may have other benefits, as Mr Guice added: “I’ve also been inspired to do some DIY projects in my own home that I’ve been putting off.”