Blackpool and The Flyde College students raise charity dough

It was a sea of spots as a college showed its support for Pudsey.

Students from Blackpool and The Fylde College wore pyjamas, fancy dress and baked spotty iced buns and curled hair for Children in Need.

Some brave souls even had their legs waxed while tutors became students for the day in school uniform and some dressed up as Where’s Wally.

Altogether it showed they would do anything to raise money for the cause.

Although the money is still being counted, the college raised £1,800 last year and hopes to top that total this time around.

City College Norwich staff get on their bikes to raise money for children in need

Students helped raise more than £1,800 for a worthy cause with a host of sponsored fun.

City College Norwich’s fundraising efforts were joined by former Norwich City footballers Darren Huckerby and Darren Eadie to raise money for BBC Children in Need.

The total amount raised is expected to exceed £2,000, with the proceeds from a number of the college’s fundraising events still to be counted.

It has been a fun-filled week right across the college, with a wide range of Pudsey-inspired events being organised to raise money.

Events included Hotel School students Robert Ducker and Sam Masters’ Evening of Childishness in the Debut Restaurant, students and staff taking part in a sponsored static bike ride from Lands End to John O’Groats and a Students’ Union-organised Mad Hatter’s tea party.

Lots of students and staff also dressed up in fancy dress on Friday, including their Sixth Form Centre students who wore pyjamas on ‘dress down’ Friday and Applications Administrator Diane Horrex working in full snorkelling gear, complete with flippers, for the day.

Solihull College student saves life of choking schoolgirl with first aid training

When college student Niala Ahmed left home, she had no idea her lifesaving training would be put into practice on her way into college.

However, the Solihull College student, who was on her way into college to complete the last day of her first aid course, was suddenly forced to put her hard work to good use when called upon to save the life of a schoolgirl.

Niala was travelling into college on the No73 bus in Bordesley Green earlier this month, when she looked out of the window and noticed a girl standing outside, choking and turning blue.

Despite feeling apprehensive and unsure that she would be able to help, Niala saw the girl collapse on the floor and realised she had to assist.

The 18-year-old, from Bordesley Green, said: “I was really nervous and worried that I would do something wrong, but when I saw the girl turning bright blue and unable to breathe I just tried to remember everything I had learned at college.

“I tilted her head back and removed a gobstopper from her mouth, but she was still not breathing. I then gave her CPR for about three minutes until the ambulance arrived.”

When the ambulance staff arrived they thanked Niala and said how she had helped save the girl’s life.

Niala adds: “I didn’t manage to find out the girl’s name or what school she is at, as I was more worried about getting back on the bus and arriving at college on time. But I hope she is fully recovered now and feeling better.”

Niala is studying the BTEC National Award in Air Cabin Crew and Aviation Operations, which the three-day first aid course is a compulsory part of.

Her course tutor, Ian Boulton, added: “I can’t tell you enough how proud I am of Niala.

“She is an outstanding student who acted calmly and confidently in a very difficult situation. She is a real credit to the college.”

FE Week investigates: The great SFA giveaway

We take an in-depth look at the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and five of its latest moves and policy decisions, including redundancy packages for hundreds of jobs, money offered for NEETs and the re-opening of a core growth fund.

Millions spent on SFA redundancy packages

More than £17 million will be spent on voluntary redundancy packages for hundreds of staff as the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) bids to cut long-term costs.

The agency is offering 430 workers exit packages, with increased payments costing a total of £17.4 million.

They say the move is to reduce its administration budget by nearly a quarter over the next four years.

A spokesperson for the SFA said: “We are satisfied that the payments represent good value for money, given the longer-term savings.”

However, the agency is determined the reduction in staff numbers will not affect its day-to-day objectives.

The spokesperson added: “We are confident the reduced staffing numbers and functions will allow us to fulfil our role as the funderand promoter of the further education sector and, critically, will help us to meet our commitment of reducing our administration budget by 24 per cent over the next four years.”

The severance pay of each employee will include the time they spent working in Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs).

The spokesperson said: “The agency sought to secure terms within the guidelines set out by the civil service compensation scheme and to offer an incentive to staff wishing to leave.

“The Cabinet Office approved a proposal to include TEC service when calculating severance to ensure that we could treat all staff equally and on the basis of their total continuous service period.”

The spokesperson added the SFA was becoming “more streamlined and efficient” in response to the greater freedoms being given to colleges and training organisations.

Unspent millions quietly offered for 19-24 NEETs

FE Week has learnt that additional funding is being offered to colleges to provide better support to people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET).

It is understood that only colleges that met or exceeded their 2010/11 adult funding allocation have been offered these additional funds*, and for some colleges well over a million pounds is on offer.

This additional funding is similar to that also being offered to the Third Sector. SFA Update issue 83 states: “This funding is designed to enable Third Sector training organisations to widen their engagement with NEET individuals aged 19-24 and support their entry to the labour market or progress to an apprenticeship or training.”

The allocation increases will be confirmed by the SFA in December.

A spokesperson for the SFA said: “The funding forms part of the existing Adult Skills Budget that is being redeployed as part of our normal quarterly performance review. The first quarterly review for the 2011/12 academic year is currently underway.”

FE Week is led to believe colleges have been already been offered the additional funding, but have not yet received any confirmed amounts.

The spokesperson added: “The first quarter review gives the agency an indication of how the money in the system is being utilised and if there is additional capacity.

“Colleges and providers have had discussions with their relationship managers about their proposed delivery for the 2011/12 and what additional demand they have in the 2011/12 contracting year.

“This is part of our published quarterly performance management process and intended to assist in the efforts to reduce the numbers of people not in education, employment or training.”

(*Update: The SFA has been in touch with FE Week to clarify that providers who “believe they could deliver more provision for this group in 2011/12” could also be eligible for additional NEET funding.)


Ministers re-open £60m fund to boost growth

Money is also being handed out to businesses as part of the second phase of the Growth and Innovation Fund (GIF).

Launched last week by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Skills Minister John Hayes, the fund will see BIS provide £34 million for 2012-13.

There is still £29 million available to bid for, with matched funding from businesses there will be around £60 million available under GIF this year.

Leadership for the Fund rests with the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) and the Skills Funding Agency.

Geoff Russell, chief executive of the SFA, said: “We look forward to working with employers and their representative organisations to find innovative and sustainable solutions to tackle skills gaps in their sectors.

“The GIF will secure a greater commitment from employers to invest in the skills they need, so creating jobs and apprenticeships, driving enterprise and increasing their overall productivity in support of the growth agenda.”

GIF is now open all year, meaning proposals can be submitted whenever they arise and ready to be considered for investment.

Mr Cable said: “The government understands we need to tackle the skills shortages that are holding companies back.

“Through this fund, we will support employers that take collective action to overcome these barriers, helping to rebalance and grow our economy.

“By putting the employer’s voice at the heart of the process, we will reward inventive approaches to training that deliver real help to get business moving.”

 

£250m given to employers for their skills training

The government has announced that £250 million of Skills Funding Agency funding will go directly to employers over roughly two years, and completely bypass colleges and traditional training providers.

The Prime Minister said: “Times are tough, especially for young people who are trying to get their foot in the door and launch their career.

“I am determined to do all we can to give people the very best skills, training and opportunities to succeed, and why despite tough spending decisions we are investing in record numbers of apprenticeships.

Mr Cameron added: “We are seeing an incredible take up of these apprenticeship places.

“I want that to continue, which is why we are taking action to make it easier to take on apprentices, and now we are giving employers the power to take control of the training so that it best meets the skills they need.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said the government wasn’t trying to damage the relationships colleges have with employerss.

“The introduction of this pilot might sound threatening to some providers, and perhaps to some of you, it actually represents an opportunity for the best to expand,” Mr Cable said during the Association of Colleges (AoC) Annual Conference.

“We therefore intend, as the Prime Minister has announced today, to try out a new and radical approach to promoting business engagement and investment in skills and apprenticeships – one where public money is channelled through employers.”

 

Underpeforming colleges to keep all the SFA funding

The SFA have announced that they will waive the clawback from a number of providers who deliver at least 97 per cent of their funding targets.

Issue 81 of the SFA’s weekly bulletin states: “A tolerance of three per cent will be applied to the final out turn for 2010/11, so clawback will be waived for providers who have delivered 97 per cent or more.”

The approach is intended to ensure that past and current performance is reflected in future funding allocations.

The proposals are subject to the final data return for 2010/11 due later this month, according to the SFA.

The update adds: “Where a provider has delivered more than 100 per cent of the allocation for 2010/11, the assumption will be this year that the Agency will fund over-performance, subject to a normal maximum of 10 per cent of the total allocation of £1m, whichever is lower.”

The SFA will notify providers who are having their clawback changed next month.

Award winning rapper opens new music suite at Kensington and Chelsea College

An award winning rapper raised the roof while unveiling a college’s new music suite.

Akala, a MOBO award winner, urged students to “make the most of the new college resources and grab the opportunities it brings” as he officially opened the new facility at Kensington and Chelsea College.

Thanks to a dramatic make-over, the suite will give budding musicians access to spacious recording studios kitted out with industry standard equipment.

Akala thrilled the 100-strong audience as he mingled with them, met music students and spoke about the value of education.

He said: “What the college is providing is an opportunity to nurture talent. Education is everything, and the only thing people can’t take away from you.

“It’s important to put the work in and create music that inspires. Music is a universal language, and through it you have the power to educate and change attitudes.”

The star, who has supported artists including Christina Aguilera and Richard Ashcroft, in addition to touring with Nas and Damian Marley, encouraged students to “learn to play music before intellectualising it”, adding “the theory side of music is good, but one of my biggest regrets is not having learnt to play an instrument when I was younger.”

Guests at the event were also treated to a musical performance from students before enjoying a tour of the new music suite.

Paul Hall, head of music at the college, said: “We have a thriving music department which is committed to giving students the best possible start to their career, whether that’s by investing in new equipment or using our in-house contacts to connect them to the industry.”

Granny at Burton and South Derbyshire College receives student of the year accolade

A grandmother who once struggled with her reading and writing has received a Student of the Year accolade.

Sarann Lovell (46), from Uttoxeter, received her award from record-breaking freestyle swimmer Mark Foster at a day of celebrations to mark the achievements of students at an awards ceremony by Burton and South Derbyshire College.

The celebration honoured those who have overcome adversity, achieved excellence in their field or given an outstanding contribution to their course or community.

Sarran had been unable to work for some time due to health problems when she decided to enrol on a course at the college.

Low in confidence, she had been diagnosed with dyslexia earlier in life and struggled with her reading and writing.

However as her young granddaughter edged closer to school-age, Sarann became determined to learn to read and write.

Melanie Arrowsmith-Kemp, the head of foundation learning and skills for work at the college, said: “Sarran has developed her confidence and has become a supportive, popular and positive role model to fellow students on her course.”

Sarran added: “My confidence has improved so much that I’m now volunteering as a student rep and a mentor to students with learning difficulties.”

FE Week mini-mascot (Edition 11)

Follow the adventures of FE Week’s biggest and smallest fan!

Mostly this week I have been trying to keep warm and drinking mojitos”

And also you can follow our FE Week mini-mascot on Twitter @daniellinford

AoC ‘disappointed’ in strike action

The Association of Colleges (AoC) say they are ‘disappointed’ that many unions will be protesting over pension cuts on November 30.

Evan Williams, Director of Employment at the AoC, said: “While sympathetic to employees’ anxiety about changes to their pension provision, AoC is disappointed by the unions’ decision to take national industrial action on Wednesday.

“We would have preferred to see the focus remain on meaningful national negotiations, aimed at ensuring pensions remain sustainable and affordable in the longer term, rather than see the work of college students disrupted.”

Mr Williams added: “Colleges are here for the long-term and carry heavy pension liabilities as a result of their ongoing commitment to their staff; colleges contribute some £½bn a year into pension schemes, making contributions of 14.1 per cent into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and an average of 15.5 per cent into the Local Government Pension Scheme.”

Mr Williams said the government’s short-term savings could encourage teachers on lower salaries to opt out of scheme.

“The Hutton review makes some sensible suggestions for reforming public sector pensions in the long-term and for getting a better balance between different groups of staff and between employers and employees.

“But these changes won’t take effect until 2015. The Government is making some short-term savings over the next few years by raising staff contributions by an average of 3 per cent.

“We have some concerns that lower paid staff will leave the pension scheme as a result of these changes.”

UKCES should also be reviewed

It seems that this is the season to dish-out reviews in FE. In recent weeks it has been announced that both the Institute for Learning, and the Skills Funding Agency will be reviewed, and there will also be at least three different apprenticeship reviews (NAS on duration, Vince’s employer-led on standards and then there is the BIS Select Committee enquiry due to be announced shortly).

So while we are in the mood, can I put a request in that the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) is also reviewed?

Their £73.3 million grant letter from the Government says (in bold) that their “focus will be to secure a much greater committment from employers to invest in skills”.

So how have the UKCES interpreted this instruction from their paymaster? What does the UKCES mean by ‘employer ownership’? Well giving £250m of colleges money directly to employers it seems. Without an accountability after thought of course (see page 4).

Sorry, has the UKCES, led by their Chair Charlie Mayfield from John Lewis Partnership, all of a sudden become the voice of the CBI?

Surely large employers should be paying the professionals (colleges and training providers) for the delivery of training?

So let’s review the UKCES and see if they are on a path to “secure a much greater commitment from employers to invest in skills”. Maybe would should ask Chris Banks?

One final thought, perhaps the review could include a section on whether it is time the UKCES moved beyond asking questions.

I tuned into the Apprenticeship conference last week (see page 12) at which their Chief Executive was speaking. In 20 minutes he started 21 sentences with the word ‘how’. In true UKCES report writing style, let’s see those figures in full: