WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show launches

If you were one of the many thousands of visitors to WorldSkills London 2011 last October it will come as no surprise as to why we are launching the UK’s first ever national skills event, WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show.

Nearly 200,000 people visited WorldSkills London 2011 when the UK hosted it, making it the most successful and largest WorldSkills event ever held in the 60 year history of the competition.

Young people, parents and employers were inspired, informed and entertained as the UK demonstrated how apprenticeships and vocational training really can lead to successful careers.  There was also the medal winning performance of Team UK.  Winning five gold, two silver, six bronze medals and 13 Medallions of Excellence, Team UK delivered the best ever performance by the UK at a WorldSkills competition.

As the event drew to a close last October, we were already being asked by training organisations, colleges and employers who had been involved how we could use the excitement and interest generated by the event to benefit the skills framework in the UK.  By hosting a UK only skills event, WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show we can showcase the very best of what the UK’s apprenticeships and further education system has to offer.

The Skills Show will feature an array of some of the country’s most outstanding apprenticeship and student talent.”

We will also use the event to celebrate the achievements of apprentices and other highly skilled young people who are contributing to the new era of skills in this country.

Skills Minister John Hayes launched WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show during National Apprenticeship Week 2012.  This followed the announcement made earlier in the week by Prime Minister David Cameron who pledged the government’s commitment to making apprenticeships the gold standard for ambitious young people.

This endorsement shows the government’s commitment to strengthening the UK’s economy by helping employers take on apprentices.  It is information and guidance both for young people on how they can enroll on training and for employers on how they can employ apprentices that will be a key part of the activity on offer at The Skills Show.  Visitors will be able to attend sessions where they can hear first hand from people in a vocational career and ask them about their experiences.  Employers will be able to connect with potential employees, take part in advice sessions on how to take on an apprentice and find out more about WorldSkills UK skills competitions.

We are also looking for colleges and training providers from across the UK to be part of our national skills showcase.  The Skills Show will feature an array of some of the country’s most outstanding apprenticeship and student talent.

The key element of WorldSkills London 2011 was the competitions taking place in over 45 skills areas.

These competitions saw over 1000 young people from all over the globe battle it out to be named the ‘best of the best’ in their chosen skill.  As I mentioned before Team UK did rather well and were ranked fifth.  We select competitors for Team UK from our WorldSkills UK national competitions.  The competitions are run in over 50 skills and are open to current apprentices and learners, or those who have completed a relevant programme of study within the past 12 months.

Many of these national finals will be taking place at The Skills Show and most importantly the competitors will all be UK based. Visitors really will get the opportunity to see the ‘best of the best’ in the UK in action and see the high level of talent that exists in the UK.  We hope this will motivate more people to get involved with apprenticeships and vocational training.

If you have students or apprentices who you think have got what it takes to compete on a national stage make sure you sign them up by March 15.  For more information visit
www.worldskillsuk.org

WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show is a vital part of the new era for skills in this country.  I urge you all to be part of it and ensure we continue to inspire the workforce of tomorrow to gain the skills that businesses need to remain competitive.

WorldSkills UK is taking place from 15 – 17 November at the NEC Birmingham.  For more information visit:  www.theskillsshow.com

Jaine Bolton, Director at the National Apprenticeship Service

 

Where next for 14-19 vocational qualifications?

The Department for Education’s recent cull of more than 3,000 vocational qualifications taught in schools sparked a media response that exposed the bitter rift that continues to dog the thinking about our children’s education.

The print and broadcast media fastened onto – and belittled – nail technology and fish farming as examples of worthless qualifications. They fed the prevailing orthodoxy that only ‘real’ subjects like Latin and geography should be taught in schools, harking back to a time when facts were relentlessly drummed into young skulls.

While memorising information is, of course, a very important skill, it is questionable whether deep learning takes place. It also has almost no correlation with the world of work. Good vocational education teaches transferable skills which can be applied in the workplace.

The axing of so many school-based vocational courses is part of the implementation of the Wolf Report and aims to prevent what Professor Wolf saw as students being encouraged to pursue useless qualifications with no progression route.

The solution must be to allow pupils to study full-time at a college from 14″

For Education Secretary Michael Gove it put an end to the ‘gaming’ of the school performance tables by allocating the equivalence of two GCSEs to some of those vocational qualifications.

At their best, vocational qualifications offer a good general education with the hook of motivation – a powerful combination of learning the theory and then applying it. For example, a student on an A-level business course will learn about the theory of running a small business; on a vocational BTEC Business and Finance course the student would be asked to actually create a business.

Learning by doing is an unassailable theory of how we learn best; where would our Olympic hopefuls be if they could only watch top athletes perform before taking to the field of competition themselves? Vocational qualifications have always recognised that people learn in different ways but this does not mean that one approach is of less value. There is a place for both.

Fifty per cent of pupils leave school without the five A*-C grades at GCSE that are considered by successive governments to be the mark of an educated young person. For those students for whom that ‘traditional’ route has failed – those who leave school, disillusioned, before reaching their GCSE exams – vocational learning is often the answer. But it should not be delivered in schools where the physics teacher has been reassigned to teaching an engineering qualification in a design technology classroom.

They must provide progression to the next stage. Colleges, as hubs of vocational excellence, have found that students who had supposedly achieved a Level 2 in a vocational qualification at school were ill-prepared for Level 3 courses.

Vocational qualifications must be delivered by expert teachers in industrial or business-standard environments. Such experts integrate relevant maths, English, critical thinking and problem-solving skills within the course.

They develop an individual through the assignments they undertake, often including real projects for local employers, and turn out young people who are work-ready and future-proofed. Chef Jamie Oliver and TV gardening guru Christine Walkden both started their illustrious careers at college – Westminster Kingsway College, London, and Myerscough College, Lancashire, respectively.

So, what will be the result of the new direction for school league tables? There is enormous concern that schools will teach subjects that contribute to the E-Baccalaureate and will continue to plug away at the diet of academic qualifications which continues to fail half of our young people at 16.

The solution must be to allow pupils to study full-time at a college from 14; to resource schools so they can continue to allow young people to make an informed choice at 14 and 16, to recognise that one orthodoxy does not suit all. If not, we are in danger of driving more young people into the NEET classification, where their talents and ambition will be crushed and society as a whole will lose out.

Joy Mercer, Director of Education Policy at the Association of Colleges (AoC)

Jason Holt takes charge of employer-led review into SMEs and apprenticeships

Social entrepreneur and jeweller Jason Holt is to head-up an employer-led review into apprenticeships.

Mr Holt, CEO of Holts Group of Companies, will speak to the sector about what can be done to encourage small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to hire an apprentice.

Skills minister John Hayes announced the appointment earlier today. He said: “I am delighted Mr Holt has agreed to lead this review.

“His experience, both as a business man and through running a training academy, gives him invaluable insight into the needs of both small businesses and apprentices.”

Mr Holt runs Holts Lapidary, a jewellery manufacturer and retailer, Holts Academy, a training provider for the jewellery industry and Jewellery Innovations, a social enterprise which helps apprentices work in UK manufacturing, among others.

Mr Holt said:”I am delighted to have been asked by Ministers to lead this Review.

“It is vital that we make the apprenticeship route as accessible as possible for SMEs.

“As the owner of several such companies, including an Academy, I hope that I can use my experience to add value and make a positive and practical contribution to something so fundamental in the growth of business.”

The review is meant to examine and build on the following government initiatives:

· Reducing the time taken to advertise an apprenticeship vacancy to within one month of deciding to take on an apprentice.

· Removing SFA health and safety requirements on providers that go beyond regulatory requirements.

· Allowing micro companies to add up to two broader business skills units to apprenticeships (recognising the wider skills range that is often required in such companies).

· Simplifying guidance for SMEs and establishing a dedicated team at the National Apprenticeship Service.

· New employer incentive payments of £1,500 to support up to 40,000 additional places for young people (16-24), where these are new jobs with smaller employers.

Mr Hayes added: “I want to ensure that small businesses can enjoy the multitude of benefits that apprentices can offer a company – including improved productivity and the chance to build a better-skilled and dedicated workforce.

“This review will play a vital role in achieving that aim.”

Mr Holt will present his report to Ministers in May 2012.

Youth unemployment on the rise despite apprenticeship initiatives

Youth unemployment rose by 22,000 in the three months leading up to December 2011, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24 rose to 22.2 per cent in the quarter, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from July to September 2011.

The labour market statistics, published today, show there were 1.04 million unemployed young people in the three months leading up to December 2011.

The figure decreases to 731,000, however, if learners in full-time education are removed.

David Miliband MP said: “Today’s rise in youth unemployment strengthens the case for action on this tragic issue.

“We now know that the cost of current levels of youth unemployment is going to be close to £30 billion over the next decade.

“I again call on the government to double its proposed number of wage subsidies for employers taking on young people this year, offer a part time job guarantee to prevent long term unemployment becoming lifetime under-employment, and open up access to apprenticeships of higher quality and consistency.”

The total jobless figure is now at 2.67 million, up 48,000 on the previous quarter and 179,000 from the same time last year.

The government has launched a number of initiatives to try and combat youth unemployment, including a £1,500 cash incentive for small businesses to take on a new apprentice.

Simon Waugh, chief executive of the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), says apprenticeships shouldn’t be seen as a vehicle for putting young people back into work.

Mr Waugh told the Guardian: “Apprenticeships are not about unemployment.

“These are real jobs that exist anyway and this is about training people and giving them the best foundation they will ever have in their lives.”

(A summary of the ONS statistics can be downloaded here.)

Employers think apprenticeships are most suitable for young people, YouGov survey reveals

Less than three per cent of employers think an apprenticeship is most relevant to someone aged 22 or above, a YouGoV survey has revealed.

The research, commissioned by Pearson in partnership with NIACE, asked more than 1,000 businesses what they thought of the apprenticeship programme.

In contrast, 57 per cent of survey respondents said an apprenticeship was most suitable for someone aged 16 to 18.

Tess Lanning, a research fellow at the IPPR said: “Apprenticeships are principally about supporting the school to work transition.

“They are supposed to offer a combination of classroom and work-based training and to give young people the broad skills and knowledge that underpin mobility and progression in the labour market.

“Older workers do not generally require the general education that the off-the-job component is supposed to provide.”

The survey responses follow further increases in the number of new apprentices aged 25 and above.

More than 80 per cent of survey respondents said they had no plans to recruit an apprentice under the age of 25 in the next 18 months.

David Hughes, chief executive of NIACE, said: “Despite the welcome investment that Government has made in Apprenticeships, a huge number of employers remain unaware of the business benefits of taking on apprentices.

“We know that a well-run apprenticeship program helps businesses to thrive, we just need to get that message across to more employers.

“There is work here for everyone concerned.”

However, a further 40 per cent said they would hire a young apprentice if they had all the support they needed from government.

Trevor Luker, managing director of Pearson Work-Based Learning, said: “We fully support the Government’s strategy to make Apprenticeships appealing to firms of all sizes.

“We believe the best way to do this is by ensuring Apprenticeships are high-quality and rigorous programmes; giving employers the information and support they need to think Apprenticeships first when recruiting; and making it as easy as possible for an employer who’s interested in taking on an apprentice to cut through the hassle and paperwork.”

AELP backs minimum duration for young apprentices at end of #NAW2012

The new minimum length of delivery for all apprentices aged 16 to 18 has been backed by the head of the association of employment and learning providers (AELP).

Graham Hoyle said the new policy, announced by John Hayes MP last December and effective from August 2012, reflects current industry practice.

“We have of course already accepted the government policy placing a 12 month minimum period on all apprenticeship frameworks for 16-18 year olds,” Mr Hoyle said in Issue 557 of the AELP countdown.

“That after all reflects the current norm anyway.”

The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has said they will look at extending the new minimum length of delivery to older apprentices aged 19 and above.

Mr Hoyle said any minimum period for adult apprentices would need need to be flexible and consider prior learning.

“Potential minimum periods for adult apprentices is under review and we are still firmly of the view that much greater flexibility needs to be both available and exercised to fully take into account the varying levels of skill and experience that these older workers (19+) bring to the completion of a full apprenticeship framework,” Mr Hoyle said.

The comments follow a number of government announcements made during National Apprenticeship Week (February 6-10).


Bidding launched for Employer Ownership of Skills pilot

The prime minister opened the bidding for the “Employer Ownership of Skills” pilot on Tuesday.

Businesses can submit proposals for up to £50 million of direct public funding, bypassing colleges and training providers in order to deliver innovative apprenticeships and vocational training.

“By focusing investment where it is most needed to deliver sustainable growth and offering real ownership of vocational training to employers, we are equipping businesses with the skills they need to rebalance our economy and distribute opportunity more widely,” David Cameron said.

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has launched a prospectus for the scheme explaining how businesses can bid for the first £50 million of the pilot.

Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) said: “I believe that to improve both the quality and sustainability of vocational skills, we need a shift in the balance of power away from government and towards employers.

“They are the people who really know what their business needs to grow and thrive.”

The UKCES says successful bids should include an increase in the number of people taking part in vocational training, such as apprenticeships, and make a significant impact on employer productivity and growth.

Employer proposals need to be submitted by April 26, 2012, before final decisions are given in June and July.


Second round of bidding for higher apprenticeship fund launched

The prime minister opened a second round of bidding for the higher apprenticeship fund on Tuesday.

Businesses and training providers can submit proposals for a share of £6 million, used to develop apprenticeship schemes up to “degree equivalent”.

The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) say they want proposals to target the following sectors:

  • Accounting
  • Aerospace / Aviation
  • Early Years Professional
  • Health
  • Land based engineering
  • Law (Paralegal)
  • Renewable technologies / micro-generation
  • Retail and hospitality
  • Space Industries
  • Utilities and energy
  • Education (online / e-learning)

The invitation to tender will be available from February 13 through Bravo, the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) e-procurement website.

The funding follows successful bids for 19,000 higher apprenticeships in December 2011, amounting to almost £19 million.


Nick Clegg launches £1,500 cash incentive for small employers

The deputy prime minister launched the new £1,500 cash incentive for small businesses on Monday.

Nick Clegg made the announcement, which hopes to encourage more local firms to take on a young apprentice, in an video message uploaded to YouTube.

Mr Clegg said: “Recently we’ve seen some big British names announce they’ll be taking on more apprentices – HSBC, Jaguar, McDonalds, Asda and that is fantastic news.

“But we’re also making it much easier for small firms to take people on, cutting red tape so it isn’t a bureaucratic nightmare and introducing a new £1500 cash incentive for small businesses taking on their first apprentice under the age of 24.”

The prime minister David Cameron confirmed on Tuesday that the funding would be available to businesses from this week.

“I’m delighted to underline our commitment to strengthen our economy by helping employers take on apprentices and ensure that the UK workforce has the skills that businesses need,” Mr Cameron said.

“Under this Government apprenticeship starts are increasing at a record rate, with improvements across the age range, in all sectors, throughout the country.”


John Hayes MP announces WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show

The skills minister announced a UK successor to the WorldSkills London 2011 competition at the House of Commons on Wednesday.

The new annual showcase, named ‘WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show’, will be held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham from November 15-17, 2012.

John Hayes MP, speaking at the Parliamentary Reception for National Apprenticeship Week, said: “It will showcase all that is best in our world and by that, I mean the world of skills here in the UK.”

The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) say they hope to host all of the existing national competitions at the event, as well as providing an apprenticeship showcase similar to the hugely successful WorldSkills London 2011.

The showcase will include the popular ‘Have a Go’ activities, as well as a number of experts to give out expert information, advice and guidance.

Jaine Bolton, national director for business development at NAS and official UK delegate for WorldSkills, said: “We’re hoping to get a couple of international teams there too, to do some of their own pressure testing ready for Leipzig, which of course only comes in July next year.”

BIS Select Committee to visit Sheffield for apprenticeship inquiry

The Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Select Committee has announced it will be visiting Sheffield as part or its ongoing inquiry into apprenticeships.

The committee will hold a number of formal oral evidence sessions between March 5-6, 2012 with employers who promote or offer apprenticeships, as well as learners currently enrolled on apprenticeship schemes.

Adrian Bailey MP, chairman of the BIS Select Committee said: “Sheffield is home to a number of significant organisations and employers offering innovative and meaningful apprenticeship schemes.

“This is something that is being replicated right across the UK and is something the Committee wants to experience first-hand.

“Visiting Sheffield will allow the Committee to take evidence from a wide range of interested parties.”

The committee says other visits and formal evidence sessions will be announced shortly.

Written evidence needs to be submitted to the BIS Select Committee by the end of today, following a deadline extension last week.

“This is a hugely important inquiry; apprenticeships are vital to boosting employment and growth throughout the country,” Mr Bailey said.

“The Committee feels it is vital that apprenticeships are structured in such a way so as to maximise their potential and to provide young people in the UK with requisite skills for future success.”

The terms of reference for the inquiry are:

– How successful has the National Apprenticeship Service been since it was created in April 2009? Has it helped bridge the gap between the two funding Departments? (BIS and DfE)

– Is the extra funding promised by the Coalition Government necessary for apprenticeships? How can this funding best be spent?

– Are apprenticeships of a high enough quality to benefit apprentices and their employers? Should there be more Level 3 apprenticeships?

– Apprenticeship bonuses – how should they function? Will they encourage the involvement of more small and medium sized businesses to take on apprentices? If not what will?

– Is the current funding arrangement for training of apprentices of 100% for 16-18 year olds and 50% for 19-24 year-olds appropriate?

(Written evidence should be sent to the Committee using the following e-mail address: biscommem@parliament.uk)

EMA replacement is inadequate and under-funded, says Barnardo’s

Young learners from disadvantaged backgrounds are being let down by the 16-19 Bursary Fund because it is inadequate, inconsistent and under-funded, according to a report by Barnardo’s.

The children’s charity says the replacement for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is discouraging poor students from staying in further education because they are unable to pay for everyday expenses such as food, travel and books.

Anne Marie Carrie, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: “It is an absolute disgrace that some students are now being forced to skip meals in order to afford the bus to college.

“The Bursary Fund is an unfair and totally inadequate replacement for the Education Maintenance Allowance.”

The Barnardo’s report, entitled “Staying the course: Disadvantaged young people’s experiences in the first term of the 16-19 Bursary Fund”, says the varying payment models used by providers has quickly created a “postcode lottery” for young people.

The charity says the government risks losing a significant number of young people to long-term unemployment unless the system is re-examined and fixed.

“The government has a moral duty to urgently invest in adequate help for 16 to 19 year-olds from poorer backgrounds to stay the course and complete their education or training,” Anne Marie Carrie said.

“The alternative is to risk losing a whole generation to the trap of long-term unemployment because they don’t have any qualifications.”

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU, added: “The very least the Government must do is look again at providing the financial support required to give the poorest teenagers in the country a fair crack at an education.

“We see no benefit whatsoever in consigning them to the ever-increasing number of young people in the dole queue.”

The EMA scheme, which gave students weekly payments for staying in further education, was scrapped by the government last year.

The new system, known as the 16-19 Bursary Fund, gives out a guaranteed payment of £1,200 to young people who are in care, have been in care, claiming Disability Living Allowance, Employment Support Allowance or claiming income support.

The remaining funds are then allocated to other students at the discretion of the college, school or training provider.

“The decision to axe the EMA was rushed and ill-thought through and has been a farce from start to finish,” Sally Hunt said.

“Ever since ministers started cherry-picking research to drive through the end of the grant it has been clear to us that thousands of the country’s poorest teenagers would suffer.”

The Barnardo’s report, based on 51 face to face interviews, says the administration of the 16-19 Bursary Fund is overly-complex and fails to give “a reasonable, predictable level of financial support” to disadvantaged young people.

Anne Marie Carrie said: “Immediate improvements to the way the Bursary Fund is targeted and administered are urgently needed to prevent a shameful waste of young talent.

“Without access to vital funds, our most vulnerable young people may lose the opportunity to improve their life chances.”

Recommendations in the report include giving a bursary, in line with the Pupil Premium, to all young people who used to receive free school meals.

The report also suggests giving bursary support to all young people undertaking a foundation learning course, as well as learners who are care experienced.

“This is in keeping with the Government’s aspirations to improve social mobility and educational outcomes for this particularly challenged group,” the report states.

Darryl, 18, a trainee warehouse operative from the Newcastle area, said: “If you’re training, you don’t get much help, but if you sit around doing nothing you can still get benefits, which doesn’t seem fair.

“My family is finding it hard to afford the everyday costs of living, so they can’t always help me out.

“I want to train to get a job to support myself, but how can I finish my course if I can’t afford the costs?”