Advertisement: Active IQ launches industry first with complete apprenticeship solution

Active IQ, the awarding organisation of choice for the active leisure sector, has launched a new range of tailored apprenticeship options. Available now, the apprenticeship packages that Active IQ create offer apprenticeship providers the opportunity to access a bespoke and branded apprenticeship solution.

Because Active IQ is a unique, “one stop shop” Awarding Organisation (AO) for Health and Fitness apprenticeships, providers won’t have to work with different AO’s at various stages of the apprenticeship, significantly simplifying the overall qualification process.

Furthermore, Active IQ is able to offer a number of services to ensure the quality and efficiency of the apprenticeships, including expert analysis of the provider’s current delivery methods and, if required, the creation of bespoke apprenticeship strategies to support the delivery, assessment and internal quality assurance of the apprenticeship programmes. .

Suzy Gunn, Operations Director at Active IQ, commented:

“The government continues to support apprenticeships with an increased budget for funding.  This clearly provides excellent opportunity for employers, employees and training providers.

However, the recent changes in funding methodology have thrown up new challenges for training providers and following the demand for more cost effective and innovative delivery methods, the Active IQ technical team has worked with apprenticeship training providers to create the new Active IQ apprenticeship packages.

“These Apprenticeship packages contain everything needed to guarantee retention, achievement and timely completion and overall success.  The packages contain a prescribed learner journey which can be tailored to the specific needs of both the learner and training provider.”

She continued:

“The feedback from our training providers is extremely positive.  The packages have been produced to combine years of experience in apprenticeship delivery with the highest quality learning resources.  Our dedicated quality assurance team is on hand, to advise on delivery and best practice.”

The Active IQ Apprenticeship packages offer the opportunity for providers to:

  •  Meet the wide variety of demands from employers accurately to ensure they have a workforce of multi-skilled employees
  • Allow learners the choice to achieve a wider skill set, therefore gaining better opportunities for employment within the sector and to achieve greater earning potential
  • Allow employers to truly mould employees’ training to better meet the needs of the health and fitness industry, address narrow skill sets and develop staff to offer a wider range of services to users
  • Meet the government’s drive to offer Apprenticeships that go beyond the “bare minimum”

 

For more information on Active IQ please visit www.activeiq.co.uk.

UCU Congress 2012 Supplement

Download your copy of the FE Week supplement produced for the annual University and College Union congress.

Click here to download (10mb)

Editorial from the supplement

Over three days in Manchester around 500 delegates from further and higher education will debate a wide range of motions and set the union’s agenda for the coming 12 months.

With so much happening in both sectors there, understandably, will be a lot of discussion about where the union heads in the future. Defending pay and pensions and combating increasing workloads and privatisation will feature highly, as will more sector-specific issues such as the prospect of loans in further education and the impact of the government’s funding reforms in higher education.

You can find out exactly what’s happening when on page 3 and check out the fringe guide on page 4 for events during lunch breaks and after official congress business is concluded each day.

This special edition of FE Week takes an in-depth look at many of the challenges facing further education staff both in the UK and abroad. UCU’s head of FE, Barry Lovejoy, kicks off proceedings on page 5 with a damning critique of government plans to introduce loans for college learners over the age of 24.

As well as providing compelling evidence of how it will destabilise the sector, he argues that FE loans will make a mockery of Nick Clegg’s recent pledge to improve social mobility in this country.

On page 6 we explore the issue of staff workloads. With congress set to discuss campaigning against punitive workloads, bullying and stress, we look at the damage currently being done to morale in the sector.

Incoming UCU vice-president, John McCormack, who has taught in further education for over 20 years, gives a frontline perspective on how staff professionalism is being eroded on page 7. As well as looking at the increasing trend of downgrading staff and cutting pay, John calls for an end to punitive lesson observations.

One of the key debates at UCU’s congress this year will focus on the direction the union takes to meet the many challenges it faces. Earlier this year the union’s general secretary, Sally Hunt, was re-elected with a increased majority, standing on a platform of reforming the union and putting far more resources into front-line services for members.

On pages 8 and 9 Sally is quizzed about what exactly her proposals, which include reducing the size of UCU’s national executive committee, would mean for the union and members and why her reforms have the backing of the vast majority of the union’s membership.

On page 10 FE Week pays a special numerical tribute to the work done by staff in colleges, adult education and offender learning, showcasing the amazing contribution they make to society and why further education is needed now more than ever.

The stringent efforts of private firms to gain greater access to UK higher education is something UCU has campaigned long and successfully against.

The government was recently forced to abandon a white paper that would have given for-profit companies, embroiled in scandals in the US, greater access to UK taxpayers’ money.

However, earlier this year it was reported that the principal of Barnfield College was considering using new powers from the 2011 Education Act to convert the college in to a private limited company.

On page 11 UCU’s head of higher education, Michael MacNeil, talks about the lessons learnt from for-profit companies’ involvement in higher education and the new dangers facing further education.

The beleaguered welfare-to-work company A4e has been in the news a lot recently.

Despite being at the centre of several fraud investigations it remains the preferred bidder to secure prison education contracts worth £30m. On page 12 we look at the huge problems caused by privatisation and re-tendering in offender learning.

On page 13 we have a special feature on the dangers facing Colombian academics and trade unionists. Last year UCU invited Dr Miguel Angel Beltran to address congress.

Dr Beltran, an academic and trade unionist, was unable to attend because he was incarcerated in a high security prison.

His crime had been to speak out against human rights abuses in Colombia; the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist.

Recently re-elected vice-president of the National Union of Students, Toni Pearce, writes on page 14 about the chaos and upheaval colleges and students will face under the government’s controversial changes to the international student regulations.

She warns that as the government continues to talk tough to a domestic audience on immigration, it ignores the very real damage its proposals are doing to the economy and, particularly, further and higher education.

UCU congress sees a change in the union’s president. As one president steps down another begins their 12 months in office.

On page 15 the outgoing president, Terry Hoad (Oxford University), and the incoming president, Kathy Taylor (Newcastle College), discuss the challenges the union faces.

Geoff Hall receives knighthood

The chair of the information authority was knighted at Buckingham Palace last week.

Geoff Hall – principal of New College Nottingham until July 2011 – was one of 27 people to receive the order in the New Year’s Honours List 2012.

Sir Hall received the knighthood with his wife, Lady Hall, daughter, son and older brother.

“I enjoyed the ceremony at Buckingham Palace and sharing that very special day with my family,” he said.

“The fact that I have received a Knighthood for services to further education and skills is a real indication of the growing importance of the sector, as well as a huge honour for me.”

Geoff started his career in FE as a lecturer at South Trafford College, later becoming an officer for FE at Birmingham City Council.

He later became the director of education for the London borough of Bexley, as well as director of education programmes at the Further Education Funding Council for England (FEFC).

Kim Thorneywork new SFA chief executive

Kim Thorneywork is the new interim chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).

Geoff Russell, the current chief executive of the SFA, announced his decision to step down in January after informing the Agency last August. He agreed to remain in his position until the end of July to oversee the restructuring of the Agency.

Ms Thorneywork was recently promoted at the SFA to be the executive director of delivery, in May 2011, and has been leading its work on funding policy, investment and provider performance. She moved to the Agency to be the area director for Coventry and Warwickshire in 2006, after having worked as an inspector for Ofsted and a science teacher at Walsall College.

When the SFA replaced the Learning and Skills Council in April 2010 she became the senior account director for the west midlands, with a portfolio of 33 FE colleges and over 160 training organisations.

The skills minister John Hayes said he is “delighted” that Ms Thorneywork has accepted the position.

“Her wealth of experience in the sector and extensive knowledge of the Skills Funding Agency will be a valuable asset in this role.

“I would also like to thank Geoff Russell for his hard work and commitment in the role and wish him well in his retirement.”

Ms Thorneywork said: “Taking the Skills Funding Agency forward will be a privilege. I am delighted to accept the role of interim chief executive and I’d like to thank the minister for putting his trust in my leadership.

“Geoff Russell’s contribution to the sector has been very significant and I welcome the opportunity to build on that. My ambition is to work with the sector to meet the challenges of the future and to truly make skills work for England.”

Mr Russell congratulated Ms Thorneywork and said it was “tremendous” news for the SFA and the sector. “I am confident that Kim, along with the rest of the Executive Management Team, will help enable the sector to take FE to new levels of excellence.”

 

Franklin College receives “inadequate” Ofsted grade

Franklin College has been judged as “inadequate” by Ofsted under new pilot inspection guidelines.

The sixth form college in Grimsby, which received a grade 2 in 2008, has been criticised for “not driving improvements with urgency”.

An inspection report published by Ofsted yesterday says the leadership and management of the college requires improvement, and that strategic priorities need to be communicated more effectively to staff.

The inspection also found that the success rates for students on AS level courses is “consistently and significantly” below the national average.

“Since the last inspection there has been no trend of improvement in poor success rates in AS level and on intermediate courses,” the report reads.

Under the new framework Ofsted say too many courses at the college have poor retention rates, although it admits that in the current year “retention rates have improved.”

The report says “too much teaching remains satisfactory” at Franklin College, and also criticises “inconsistencies” in the assessment of students’ work.

“Pace and challenge are not sufficient to enhance learning and promote better and ambitious outcomes,” the report reads.

“While there is good and better teaching practice, mechanisms to disseminate this and enhance the skills of all teachers are underdeveloped.”

It later says teachers at the college are not providing enough “stimulating work” for students to complete outside of class.

However, the inspection report also praises the college for improving the range of courses which they offer.

“The college has begun to diversify its curriculum and has improved how students are placed on appropriate programmes,” the report reads.

“The number of vocational qualifications is beginning to increase (and) the drive to improve collaborations with local schools and the local general further education college is helping to shape the new curriculum to the benefit of students.”

Learning that entices, engages and inspires

At one level this is a simple story – we are delighted to be managing a new fund on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency which will support fantastic learning for thousands of people in all sorts of settings and with diverse outcomes. And yet the real story is much more than that – this is an opportunity to showcase how all forms of learning can have incredible impacts. The projects which are supported will be part of a concerted effort we are making to find ways of measuring and proving the impact of learning of all kinds; trying to reach that Holy Grail of having Treasury accept measures of social return on investment alongside and in the same regard as economic returns on investment.

Nobody who works in adult education can overlook the many different ways in which learning has a positive impact. We have all seen people blossom, gaining self-esteem and confidence, developing new understanding and skills, being able to support their children and grandchildren to learn, inspiring others to get involved, getting a new or better job and so on. We have stories from Adult Learners’ Week which really do bring tears to your eyes in awe and respect at the ways in which people have overcome all sorts of challenges and achieved so much through learning. The impact for individuals and communities is clear and it really does not matter what entices people into learning in the first place. Two people who won Adult Learners’ Week awards help show this.

Take Amanda Scales, for instance whose story shows that the initial subject and motivation for learning is irrelevant to the outcomes and positive impacts. She started in learning as a single parent by joining a belly-dancing class and is now about to start her teacher training after graduating with a BA in history from Sussex University. Hers is an inspirational story and she is going to make a great teacher. I have no doubt she will inspire hundreds of children to discover the joys and benefits of learning through her new career.

The new funding will result in more learning which entices and excites, engages and inspires because that is the type of learning which can help people become lifelong learners and go on to achieve so much.”

Another of our award winners is Anne Wallace who took over the running of her family’s fish and chip shop in Woodley Precinct near Stockport. The precinct was suffering because a number of shops and businesses had shut down. Anne tried to sell the shop but had no buyers. In an attempt to find a solution she asked her staff for suggestions of what to do and they all wanted training. The training went so well they started winning awards. Every time they won an award they were featured in the paper and the publicity meant more customers. Anne decided that to help boost trade further she would take on two of the empty units and convert them into a café. With money from the NIACE Transformation Fund the café put on all sorts of training and learning opportunities for the local community – IT, card making, knitting etc. Anne has now converted the upstairs of the fish and chip shop into the ‘School of Fish’ where they run training for local businesses. They also now run a book group. Business is booming in the precinct and there is now a waiting list for retail units. The community has been reborn and creative, exciting, enticing learning has been a central part of the story.

The new CLIF fund will support lots more people like Amanda and Anne. Both of these women are exceptional but the journeys they took are less incredible – the new funding will result in more learning which entices and excites, engages and inspires because that is the type of learning which can help people become lifelong learners and go on to achieve so much.

David Hughes is the Chief Executive of NIACE

Grants of up to £65k are available from the Community Learning Innovation Fund, applications need to be made by noon Thurs 28 June or for grants of less than £50k the deadline is noon Thursday 5th July. For full details please visit: http://www.niace.org.uk/clif

Stafford College receives “inadequate” Ofsted grade

Stafford College has been rated “inadequate” in a recent Ofsted inspection.

The college, which received a grade 2 in 2009, is said to have “uninspiring” lessons which are not planned properly and fail to challenge learners.

“Teachers know their subjects well but the quality of lessons across the college varies too much,” the report reads.

“Inspectors found good teaching and learning in over half the lessons observed but too much (of) that was satisfactory and did not challenge learners enough to reach their full potential.”

The inspection report by Ofsted, published last week, says the college’s success rates have been in decline and are particularly low for learners on advanced courses.

“Learners on AS-level courses have very low success rates and only half of those who complete progress to A levels,” the report reads.

“Nearly a third of those starting two-year advanced vocational courses do not complete the programme.”

However, the report later says the success rates for apprentices are “at a satisfactory level.”

Ofsted has admitted the college is starting to tackle low levels of retention, with in-year data showing “some improvement”.

“Most learners make satisfactory progress and their progression within the college is good,” it reads.

The inspection report blames the leadership and management at the college for the decline in success rates.

“They have not applied quality assurance arrangements consistently across all provision to ensure improvement,” the report reads.

“This is particularly so for AS and A-level provision where the college’s quality improvement arrangements within the collegiate have not halted the decline in AS-level success rates.”

It also says the college’s development plan is “insufficiently rigorous”, despite including appropriate targets for recruitment and financial performance.

The report states: “It does not have targets for success for the college as a whole and does not include an action plan to manage and measure progress towards meeting targets.”

However, Ofsted has also praised the college’s delivery of hairdressing and beauty therapy.

The report says the success rate on intermediate hairdressing is “well above (the) national average”, and the retention rate on intermediate beauty therapy has increased “markedly.”

“Learners develop good vocational and employability skills including teamwork, communication and client care,” the report reads.

“Most foundation learners develop very good creative skills in nail art.”

SFA interim chief executive to be revealed later today


The new interim chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) will be announced later today.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) say the appointment will be revealed at midday “once staff have been told.”

FE Week understands that Verity Bullough, Kim Thorneywork and Marinos Paphitis are the shortlisted candidates.

Geoff Russell, the current chief executive of the SFA, announced his decision to step down in January after informing the Agency last August.

(Note: Refresh this page at midday for full details of the announcement.)

Sir David Bell says “boldness matters” in further education

Sir David Bell addressed the education sector on the history of reform at the British Library yesterday.

The vice chancellor of the University of Reading, speaking at a lecture organised by Tribal, was introduced as “one of the most influential educators of his generation”.

The underlining theme of Sir David’s speech on education reform was the inevitable tension between politicians acting with pace and constantly aware of the need to push reform forward, and the rhythm of schools and colleges, where big changes cannot simply be made in a year.

The former chief Ofsted inspector said that the “real test” for ministers, civil servants and others seeking to drive reform is to stay focused and not “litter” the political landscape.

Sir David, who previously worked as permanent secretary at the Department for Education (DfE), highlighted three significant aspects of successful reform. He stated that “certainty can be overrated”, “boldness matters” and that “culmulative effects matter”.

The importance of “boldness” was particularly referenced throughout his speech. He said that his idea of short notice inspections was based on a “hunch”, but were not “a mad idea”. He warned the audience to “be wary of those who push too hard on the evidence question”, explaining that it can be a sophisticated way of blocking change and innovation.

A paper detailing further insight can be accessed on the event organiser’s website.