New Head of UKCES wrongly accuses colleges of something to hide

Accusing colleges of withholding customer information because they have something to hide, as the new Head of the UK Commission on Employment and Skills does in the TES (19th August – click here), may make for a good headline in the silly season but hardly makes a useful contribution to the debate on accountability.  Michael Davis would have been better advised to follow the recommendations published by his own organisation last year (click here) suggesting that the issues involved in improving information for customers ‘must be addressed with a positive, problem solving attitude rather than as a ‘stick to beat’ the sector’   The reality is that while providing information that helps students make well informed choices is important and something that colleges take very seriously it is also much more difficult than the armchair generals queuing up to advise FE might think.

To begin with customers of the FE sector are not short of data.  Colleges publish success rates for long and short courses annually which, along with observational data also find their way into published inspection grades.  Colleges carry out student satisfaction surveys and regularly receive ratings that many other public and private organisations would die for.  It is not true to suggest that Leicester College is the only one that makes use of more detailed data on student destinations (though it may well be the only one that uses Mr Davis’s pet scheme) and the proportions progressing into further education or employment is an integral part of the information published by every college under ‘Framework for Excellence’.   A helpful further step would be for the YPLA to analyse and publish this destination data for major types of course or by categories of student rather than simply using it as one means of grading colleges.

may make for a good headline in the silly season but hardly makes a useful contribution to the debate on accountability.”

It is good that in moving to a genuinely ‘demand led’ system of further education the government intends to give greater priority to information that serves the needs of customers.  There is no shortage of well meaning advice on how this might be done – ‘food labelling approaches’ ‘traffic lights’ or ‘scorecards’ are regularly proposed by bodies like UKCES in broad brush terms conveniently leaving the awkward detail to others.  Some suggestions are ludicrously impractical such as the Commission’s own suggestion that colleges publish the increase in wages paid to successful graduates of individual courses.  Others are possible but miss the point.  A potential student is not so much interested in average pass rates or employment rates for a programme as in the prospects for someone like me.

What most students need is not more tables of data but skilled and impartial guidance that helps them assess options in the light of their own context, ambitions and attitudes to risk.  Instead of cheap jibes at colleges UKCES would serve the country better if it challenged the serious cuts currently being made to the Careers Service that make the chances of such guidance increasingly remote.

Mick Fletcher is the Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Education

Research shows that LGBT learners are being treated better in FE

Research comissioned by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) learners are being treated better than they were before in Further Education.

The report, titled Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equality in Adult Learning, concludes that most students have a positive experience in adult learning and feel welcomed by their college or provider.

Geoff Russell, chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency, said: “Results from this research confirm that as well as clear moral and legal cases for banishing discrimination, those providers that understand equality and take concerted action to ensure their learning environment is fair, will see gains in the future.

“A welcoming environment is favoured and deemed more attractive to learners who may previously have left an institution due to discrimination.”

Less than one in six lesbian, gay and bisexual learners said that they had experienced harassment in further education due to their sexual orientation.

Only a third of participants believe that equality policies exist in their learning environment.

Other results showed that 30% of transgender learners had experienced bullying due to their gender identity.

Joy Mercer from the Association of Colleges (AoC) said: ”We are pleased to note that feedback highlights a positive attitude and developing awareness of the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.

“However, this report also identifies the further work needed and will help managers to enhance their policies, practice, curriculum and continuous professional development in the future.”

The research highlights that only a third of participants believe that equality policies exist in their learning environment.

It later suggests that providers should emphasise how they do not tolerate bullying or harassment, and to highlight the mechanisms which learners can use to report any problems.

Other recommendations include setting up a mentoring system so that LGBT learners can ‘take an active role in the learning environment’.

The research was carried out by Babcock and surveyed 450 appropriate learners that were over 19.

Previous reseach commissioned in 2006 discovered that the experience of adult learners in these groups was characterised by widespread discrimination and harassment.

Double delay announced by the Data Service

The Data Service announced on Wednesday that they would start the 2011/12 academic year by paying providers each month based on profiles rather than actual delivery,  following “a significant increase in the amount of development and testing” of the replatformed Online Data Collections Portal (OLDC).

Despite the replatforming delays, the related FAQ document made it clear that providers would still be able to use the Learning Information Suite (LIS) software to calculate funding.

In answer to the question “Will I be able to work out how much I am actually earning?” the FAQs states “Yes. The Learner Information Suite (LIS) software will be available which will contain a copy of the funding calculation and various reports.”

Yet the very next day a Data Service news item also announces a delay to the release of the LIS software.

This latest news item reads: “To ensure we deliver a robust system that is fit for purpose and assists providers to meet the requirements of a single ILR, the Data Service has made the decision to delay the rollout of LIS V19.01, originally planned to go live on 11 August.  The Data Service is currently working with its technical supplier to determine a definitive go live date and will publish this shortly. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you.”

On behalf of colleges, training providers and their subcontractors reliant on these systems and software, FE Week wishes the Data Service a speedy return to business as usual.

South Birmingham College invests £2.5m in campus refurbishment

South Birmingham College has invested £2.5million in extensive refurbishment works to improve its facilities for students.

Over the summer three of the Beacon College campuses have been undergoing work in preparation for the start of term in September.

The front entrance of the college in Hall Green is being redesigned so that it will stand out from the road and improve safety by keeping cars and pedestrians away from each other.

Classrooms are being refurbished, the student-run restaurant Karibunis is being extended and the student cafe plans to be improved.

Principal Mike Hopkins said: “We are very lucky that in a time of austerity we have been able to make such a significant capital investment in our estate. These works will improve the students’ experience at the college and will continue to ensure that South Birmingham College is a top choice for people looking to study in the region and beyond.”

Among the many renovations is a new centre on Digbeth High Street that will house fashion and textile courses, providing an additional performing space for students.

At the construction campus in Bordesley Green a new training hub will be opened which will offer courses in the renewable energy and sustainability sectors, such as grey water harvesting and solar cell installation.

The college also plans to redesign and improve Cambrai Gardens, a public area neighbouring the campus later this year.

All of the work is being carried out by local and regional businesses, many of which are employing past and current students from the college.

Paul Morris, Assistant Principal said: “Employing local businesses to do the work has not only kept our costs down but has also meant we are providing work for the community.”

Consultation report outlines plans for further education loans

A consultation report released yesterday by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) outlines a new loan system for further education learners.

Under the proposed plans FE students in England will be able to apply for a loan that pays the upfront cost of a course on their behalf.

Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, John Hayes, said: “Our proposals describe the next steps towards a more confident, vibrant further education sector, ready to meet the challenges and seize the chances that a rebalanced, high skill economy will present.”

The proposed loans could pay up to £4,000 (rather than up to £9,000 each year for HE courses) and would be used to cover tuition fees – not maintenance costs.

A student would be considered eligible for a loan depending on their residency and chosen course; their financial situation would be deemed irrelevant.

Tom Wilson, director of unionlearn, said: “We will be responding in detail to the proposal for a new loan system for FE students. Further Education should be provided free, however if loans are to be introduced they need to be equitable and fair and in line with those offered to students in HE.”

The loan, managed by Student Loans Company (SLC) and similar to those operating for HE courses, would need to be repaid once the graduate is earning above £21,000 – and would also be written off completely after 30 years.

Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said, “We welcome the steps that have already been taken to give colleges greater freedom to meet the needs of their local communities and are delighted that the government is signalling its intention to go even further.”

The consultation, titled New Challenges, New Chances confirms the funding policy that will be put in place for FE Level 3/4 diplomas and apprenticehips.

The loans will apply to all provision at Level 3/4 for students aged 24+, including Access to HE courses, Advanced and Higher Level Apprenticeships.

An AoC spokesperson said: “We welcome the intention to continue funding level 3 courses before the FE loans system is put into place. There remain many questions that need to be answered about what that system would look like, not least how the repayment mechanism might operate.”

The introduction of FE loans is said to reflect the principle ‘that those who benefit more should contribute more to the costs of their learning’ set out in Skills for Sustainable Growth, a ‘radical’ strategy published in November 2010.

You can read New Challenges, New Chances here. The consultation questions are listed below:

Issue 1: Communications

Q1) What information do learners, employers, colleges training organisations and careers advisers need about FE loans to cover learner contributions?

Q2) How can we engage individuals and employers so that they make use of loans to support skills and training?

Q3) How can we support learners who are progressing from FE to HE using loan support?

Q4) Will the introduction of FE loans to cover learner contributions for Level 3/4 for those aged over 24 create any particular barrier(s) to access provision based on (i) race, religion or belief; (ii) disability; (iii) gender; or (iv) age?

Issue 2: Model for FE Level 3/4 loans system

Q5) How can we minimise (additional) bureaucracy as we implement the FE loans model?

Q6) What safeguards should be in place to ensure that learners make the best use of the loans available to them?

Q7) Do respondents believe that payment of FE loans to colleges/training organisations should be made (i) 3 times a year (in line with HE); (ii) quarterly or (iii) monthly?

Q8) Do respondents believe that allocations should be reassessed (i) annually but not in-year, (ii) once during the year and at the end of the year or (iii) more regularly during the year?

Q9) In a demand-led system, what would be the most effective way of ensuring that our spend and commitments stay within the available loans budget?

Responses to the consulation need to be submitted by 21 October 2011. The model for the loans system will be finalised by December 2011 and launched in March 2013.