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STEM subject brought to life at Brooklands College

Brooklands College held an event showing Surrey schools engineering learning opportunities yesterday.

The event, organised with Reading University, gave local teachers the chance to talk with engineers, teaching staff and Reading University STEM ambassadors.

David Larkin spoke about ‘Engineering in Motion’ and two initiatives which Brooklands College will play a key role in delivering to students from local schools, utilising their engineering facilities and staff expertise.

The first initiative is the ‘4×4 Skills technology challenge for schools’, which involves four to six students working together to design and build a radio controlled 4-wheel-drive vehicle, that can negotiate a specially designed test track that emulates what a full scale 4×4 vehicle can do.

The ‘F1 in Schools’ programme for students from 11 to 19 was also demonstrated. The multi-disciplinary challenge sees teams of students deploy CAD/CAM software to collaborate, design, analyse, manufacture, test, and then race miniature gas powered balsa wood F1 cars.

LGA skills mismatch report is, to put it politely, inadequate

The publication of the recent LGA report on a so-called ‘Skills Mismatch’ in further education is deeply disappointing. It represents a backward step to outdated and discredited approaches to labour market planning and threatens to undermine moves towards a more fruitful strategic co-operation between colleges and local authorities which we in the 157 group have been seeking to encourage.  If local authorities seriously think that it is practicable to manage the supply of courses on the basis of incomplete and imperfect statistics about jobs and vacancies they will find themselves seriously out of step with current thinking in vocational education.

The links between education and employment are complex and the public debate is not well served by oversimplifying them.  In relation to jobs for example one needs to take into account opportunities for self employment as well as advertised vacancies; one has to take account of informal as well as formal channels of recruitment and reflect the fact that when employers recruit they do not always select using those qualifications that observers think they should.  Occupations differ in the extent to which they train and promote in house, and the extent to which they recruit young people rather than adults.

it is sad that the LGA report continues to churn out tired stereotypes on the basis of highly imperfect data”

In relation to vocational education for young people we need to remember that it is more than training in a narrow set of skills for current jobs.  It is concerned to prepare them for a lifetime as citizens as well as employees; for a world in which they are likely to change jobs several times and where they will need regularly to update their skills: and as countless opinion surveys repeat ‘soft skills’ such as attitude to work, adaptability and the willingness to learn are far more important to employers than specific skills or knowledge.

In the light of these complexities it is sad that the LGA report continues to churn out tired stereotypes on the basis of highly imperfect data – by their own admission around two thirds of their qualifications data cannot be neatly fitted into a sectoral analysis of occupations.  Those in further education know for example that hairdressing offers lots of opportunities for self employment and part time work; and furthermore it provides transferable skills that are valued in many other contexts such as reception and call centre businesses.  It is no surprise to anyone who knows more than just statistics that industry doesn’t recruit health and safety officers from 17 year olds with shiny new certificates; and it doesn’t need much research to find out that there are more vacancies per qualified individual in London than in the North East.

Local authorities have much to offer the learning and skills system if they step back from attempting to micro-manage provision.  They have important roles in promoting economic development, in leading social regeneration and in helping shape and support communities.  Working with employers and others in LEPs they have the potential to catalyse growth in their locality.   If they act as strategic partners to colleges sharing their aspirations and knowledge, and aligning their resources with those of the sector they will find that colleges are only too ready to respond; but if they hark back to the days when town halls tried to dictate course planning they will condemn themselves to sitting on the sidelines as decisions are taken elsewhere.

Lynne Sedgmore is Executive Director of the 157 Group

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EFA unveil funding per student system

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) is to replace the current funding formula with a payment per student system in 2013/14.

The reforms, outlined in the ‘16-19 funding formula review’, will affect all EFA funded provision for 16 to 19 year-olds, as well as students aged 24 or below with a learning disability or health and care plan.

Total programme funding will be calculated using student numbers, multiplied by a number of other factors including the national funding rate per student, level of retention and programme cost.

This will fund a programme of study for around 600 guided learning hours for all students”

The simplified formula will replace the existing system entirely, which currently funds each qualification a student is enrolled on individually.

The Agency said they hope to fund all full time programmes at a single funding rate, and remove the need to convert guided learning hours into a standard learner number (SLN).

The report reads: “We are introducing a single basic funding rate per full time student per year regardless of where and what they study. This will fund a programme of study for around 600 guided learning hours for all students.”

Meanwhile Additional Learning Support (ALS) will be calculated on a flat rate, rather a sliding scale, removing the need for a two part calculation.

Other changes include reducing the number of programme cost weightings, removing the achievement element of the success factor, and removing the short course modifier, among others.

“Our ambition is for a simple, transparent and fair funding system for all 16 to 19 year olds and those up to age 24 if they have a Learning Difficulty Assessment, to support full participation,” the EFA said.

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Sign-up for a free webinar with Nick Linford (MD at Lsect) to consider the funding proposals. Friday at 11am. Click here to register

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South Cheshire College get on their bikes

Staff at South Cheshire College have been wheeling into work as part of a national campaign to promote cycling. Bike Week, sponsored by Samsung, is one of the UK’s biggest annual cycle promotions.

It hopes to encourage more than half a million people to join in events rethinking journeys and switching to cycling as the most convenient way to get around.

Jenny Harris, sustainable development manager at South Cheshire College, said: “We are pleased to support national Bike Week and a good number of staff have cycled in to work to show their support.

“The week aims to get people to give cycling a go all over the UK, whether it’s to get to work, for fun, or for getting to the local shops.

“Cycling is a great way to keep fit and staff have used their bikes as an alternative to bringing the car to work.”

College staff supported Walk to Work Week earlier in the year; both events tie in with the College’s Green Travel Plan to promote health and fitness.

Warrington College students beat the tutors

Students and teachers at Warrington College battled it out at a charity football match in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

The event was organised by Level 3 travel and tourism students after an inspirational talk from Nicola Williams, ambassador for Macmillan Cancer Support, who came to college to tell her story and outline the tremendous support she received from the charity.

Jen Wills, a travel and tourism student, said: “We were really touched by Nicola’s story and decided to raise funds and awareness of everything that Macmillan Cancer Support do for people.”

Nicola Williams said: “It’s really great that the students have chosen to support Macmillan with this football match. Macmillan has helped both me and my family since my diagnosis 18 months ago. I would like to say a huge thank you to them for raising awareness of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Despite fierce competition from the tutors’ team, the students won the match 6-3.

The winning team received the trophy from Nicola and did a victory lap to celebrate their win.

Whitbread celebrates 3,000th Skills for Life

Whitbread staff joined longstanding e-learning partner MindLeaders to celebrate the 3,000th skills for life learner on the Whitbread programme since it began in 2008.

Kevin Crocker (right) is the 3,000th learner to enrol on his skills for life qualifications in literacy and numeracy at Whitbread.

He is currently senior grill chef at the Gordano Gate in Portishead, Bristol, and joined the Whitbread team two years ago.

“I’ve always pushed myself to learn and improve my skills,” Kevin said.