The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) is rumoured to be shortly announcing a delay to the full roll-out of a new funding formula for 2012/13.
However, the SFA deny this is the case, and reassure FE Week that: “Work to introduce a simplified funding system, as set out in the BIS document Further Education – New Horizon, Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth November 2010 (click here), is continuing as planned”.
The 157 Group and Association of Colleges (AoC) have announced nine projects which will benefit from the Collaboration and Shared Services Grant.
AoC and the 157 Group were each given £2.3million by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) for the grant, which launched in June for the further education sector (FE).
With the process complete and decisions – ratified by the SFA – made, the bodies have announced the successful bids.
Christine Doubleday, director of delivery models and innovation for the 157 Group, said: “It is crucial that the lessons learned from these projects are disseminated within the sector in a meaningful and dynamic way.”
Julian Gravatt, AoC assistant chief executive, said: “As we enter a period of austerity, the need for colleges to deliver efficiencies has never been more pressing.
“We’re convinced these projects will provide a valuable contribution to the development and implementation of significant and fundamental changes to the business model within the further education sector.”
The 157 Group and AoC produced a joint prospectus and evaluation process to manage bids, which covered the aims, scope and objectives of the programme alongside clarity on application response content and format.
These grants will help secure maximum and quantifiable efficiencies.”
In total, 69 applications were received from 64 different lead organisations by the 157 Group and AoC, with a total bidding request of more than £20 million.
Ms Doubleday added: “We wanted to go for big impact projects and those ready to deliver savings in the short and longer term. The money is from Treasury and it is grant aided, with the condition it produces savings in the sector.
“However we also wanted to ensure that the projects chosen are in tune with political and economic imperatives and will be of real use to the sector.
“The ability to scale up and disseminate was part of the process. In addition, the 157 Group wants to ensure the learning is dynamic, useful, applicable and inclusive.”
Mr Gravatt added: “The aims of the grant are myriad. They include the opportunity to work in partnership across the sector to maximise benefits and avoid any duplication or confusion; produce concrete tools and models which are ready to be adopted across the sector, and to disseminate learning.
“These grants will help secure maximum and quantifiable efficiencies. We hope that these projects encourage the development of strategic leadership in the sector and form the blueprint for future take-up and roll-out of sustainable models of efficient practice.”
Marilyn Hawkins, treasurer and director of the 157 Group and principal of Barnet College, said: “The innovative projects put forward are testament to the quality of FE and willingness to be adaptable and flexible in an ever-changing sector.
“We hope the legacy to come out of these bids is a powerful new precedent for collaboration and innovation within the sector.”
FE factfile on…the projects
The following 157 Group projects have been accepted:
The following AoC projects have been accepted:
We have already had more than 200 entries from 40 colleges, but it is not too late to apply
September enrolment is an exciting time of the year. Thousands of fresh faces take up their favourite courses to improve their skills, knowledge and career opportunities.
But we know there are many other reasons for why students are attracted to further education.
So FE Week has set up a competition to share some of these fantastic stories (see Eddy’s below).
We are asking students to send in an article with 500 words or less explaining what brought them to college, along with their hopes, fears and aspirations. It’s a great way for students not only to express their feelings about the courses they’ve enrolled in, but how they’ll help meet their goals for the future. We also think that it is perfect for breaking the ice on their first day.
Every student works harder with a little cash incentive. Shortlisted submissions will be in with the chance of winning a brand new Macbrook Pro – arguably the perfect laptop for studying, working on demanding projects and checking e-mails. Or, if they prefer, we’ve got £1,000 in John Lewis vouchers to give away.
All entries must be e-mailed to feweekandme@feweek.co.uk by September 30, 2011. We’ll then select eight entries for a shortlist and publish them on the FE Week website (www.feweek.co.uk). Readers will then be able to read each submission and vote for who they think should be the winner.
To help spread the word and get students involved with FE Week and me, we’ve designed a poster for you to put up in college corridors, cafeterias and classrooms. You can request as many posters as you like via our SurveyMonkey here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FE-Week-and-me-poster-request
Entry from Eddy Bacon, aged 16
“I started my course, BTEC National Extended Diploma in Performing Arts (Acting), on Wednesday 7th September.
So I want to be an actor right? Wrong! I want to be a juggler! I know, so why am I doing an acting course? I’m here to learn performance skills and to gain confidence on the stage. When my course finishes I’m debating between going to The Circus Space, a contemporary circus school in London or doing another FE course while it’s free
Why did I choose City College Norwich? I chose this college because I heard great things about the acting course here. When I came to the audition, I fell in love with the colleges performing arts facilities; I felt my tutors, Nick and Ade would be great people to work with, I was right!
I’m really hoping to do well at this course and I will be aiming for distinction grade overall, I think it will be hard work, but definitely worth it. The main thing that worried me about college was that, I would know nobody on my course, I’m very lucky as my class is great and everyone is very friendly, so now that fear has vanished.
If you see me around juggling, feel free to come say hello.
I don’t bite, promise.”
Apprenticeships are most effectively delivered by colleges working in partnership with employers, according to a new policy paper.
The 157 Group has published its latest policy paper Expanding apprenticeships – colleges are key to employability during Colleges Week, run by the Association of Colleges and just before WorldSkills London 2011.
The policy paper underlines that apprenticeships are not an alternative to FE but are delivered most effectively by colleges working closely with employers.
A foreword from Rolls Royce illustrates just one of the effective partnerships happening up and down the country to deliver skills training.
Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said: “There is no better time to publish this policy paper than during Colleges Week. We need to create more awareness so that employers understand the scale of support colleges give to both individual apprentices and employers.
“Colleges not only provide training and assessment services, they are a consistent and supportive point of contact for learners and employers, from pre-apprenticeship programmes to higher-level apprenticeships.
“At present it is a shame that a young person wishing to progress from a pre-apprenticeship programme through to an intermediate, advanced and higher apprenticeship would need to be involved with five quangos plus two government departments but could learn all of this at one college.
“We urge the government to underline that colleges are at the heart of its apprenticeship agenda.”
Rob Bird, apprentice development leader at Rolls-Royce, said: “Rolls-Royce is pleased to be able to contribute a foreword to this important and timely policy paper which conveys the drive and determination of the FE sector to support the government’s apprenticeship agenda.
“We see a growing role for FE colleges in apprenticeship training if we are to improve the UK’s economic competitiveness.”
Frank McLoughlin CBE, chair of the 157 Group and principal of City and Islington College, said: “There has been some negative press recently surrounding 12 week apprenticeships which seem to have exploited those learners, but we need to emphasise the fantastic provision and the opportunities that most apprenticeships lead to, and we must ensure the government and employers understand the distinctive and critical role of FE colleges at every stage of the apprenticeship process.”
Calls are being made for guaranteed face-to-face careers guidance in the wake of a startling report.
Research released today by the Association of Colleges (AoC) shows considerable confusion among young people about post-GCSE options.
The study, released to mark the start of Colleges’ Week, found half of pupils do not feel they have received enough advice from their school or academy in planning future careers and that only half receive advice from a specialist advisor.
The research highlights the confusion among pupils about post-GCSE options.”
It comes in the wake of the government’s planned changes to create a National Careers Service by April.
Schools will be given duty to offer careers advice to their pupils – with the emphasis on how it is conducted, in their hands.
However, Joy Mercer, Director of Education and Policy at the AoC, said: “The research highlights the confusion among pupils about post-GCSE options.
“They are having to make serious decisions which will significantly impact on their futures, without enough information about the choices available to them.”
She added: “Young people deserve to know about all of the post-GCSE options available to them and their peers – including apprenticeships.
“These results suggest guaranteed face-to-face guidance from an independent source would be preferable to asking schools and academies to be the primary source of advice.
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: “From September 2012, schools will be responsible for securing access for their pupils to independent, impartial careers guidance.
“They will be free to determine how best to do that, including through engaging with external providers of face to face guidance.”
The AoC study involved interviews with 500 pupils, aged 14 and currently studying for GCSEs.
It found while 63 per cent of young people are able to name A levels as a post-GCSE qualification, few can name any other available choices.
Only 7 per cent of pupils are able to name apprenticeships as a post-GCSE qualification, while 26 per cent could name NVQs, 19 per cent named BTECs, nine per cent identified diplomas and only three per cent named foundation learning courses.
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Follow the adventures of FE Week’s biggest and smallest fan!
Mostly this week I have been having a giggle on the swings in Greenwich Park
And also you can follow our FE Week mini-mascot on Twitter @daniellinford
On Monday Nick Linford, Managing Editor of FE Week, spent the day as Editor of England’s best-selling regional morning newspaper, the Eastern Daily Press (EDP). Back in June, Nick successfully secured the opportunity by outbidding others at City College Norwich’s Charity Auction, which raised over £40,000 for its Student Opportunities Fund.
The day kicked off with an 8am meeting with the paper’s Editor, Peter Waters, who gave an outline of how the paper operates on a day-to-day basis. The paper employs over 100 journalists and has a daily readership of 59,000 people. At 8am the EDP’s offices were slowly beginning to fill, but Mr Waters explained that it “becomes more frantic at 4pm, when we have our daily conference to finalise the next edition and prepare for print.”
After an introduction to the paper it was time to set off and explore Archant’s printing press, where FE Week is printed and City College Norwich in the search of some news stories.
Once Nick had got hold of some worthy stories it was time to head back to the nerve centre of the EDP and begin to plan Tuesday’s edition with their Senior Content Editor, Peter Hannam. The atmosphere was notably different in the office in the afternoon, with journalists rapidly punching away at their keyboards aiming to meet their deadlines.
At 4pm it was time for the daily conference meeting where the team discussed all of the day’s news and thoughts about what should and shouldn’t go to press. Nick was very keen that his stories were included in the paper. After the conference meeting and subsequent conversations with the EDP team, it was time for Nick to retire as editor of the EDP and return to London and retake the helm at FE Week.
I hate Colleges Week. Colleges hate Colleges Week. Journalists hate Colleges Week.
Colleges Week (26 September to 2 October) interrupts the genuinely good stuff that colleges do. It’s a constipated, false celebration, where some group of individuals as well as the AoC and 157 Group and goodness knows who else decides to tell colleges what they will be celebrating, what to push, what to say in their press releases and generally take up the valuable time of lecturers, support staff, employers and learners.
The bold statement on the Colleges Week website is particularly grating, it says: “Colleges Week 2011 has one clear aim – to help YOUR college connect with the communities it serves and reach out to unfamiliar or new audiences, boosting your profile to promote the benefits of college education.”
Colleges don’t get funding for Colleges Week. How in a professional, serious marketplace can Colleges Week exist?”
So, for just one week a year YOUR college needs help connecting with its community. What does it do the rest of the year? Does it ignore its community? Does it ignore funding streams, take enrolment lightly and wave away its student targets?
Profile boosting – if your college’s profile needs boosting, why not have a word with your marketing department and ensure you profile is boosted all year round, instead of just one week in the autumn term?
The Colleges Week PR blurb explains that this year ‘Colleges Week is being held in the run up to WorldSkills London 2011 to deliver maximum impact’. Right, so, it won’t be overshadowed then, by skilled learners displaying world-class talent and exciting competitiveness in an international setting? Or by the massive marketing spend that the WorldSkills team have had to throw about, ensuring that media coverage will be the best skills coverage that money can buy?
Colleges don’t get funding for Colleges Week. How in a professional, serious marketplace can Colleges Week exist?
Perhaps we should have Courts Week. We could get legal firms to take a week out of their year to encourage more litigation, they could have limited BOGOF offers like… buy one industrial tribunal get another free!
Colleges should be using their marketing plans to inform their business planning and building properly costed operational plans to help meet their targets, service the needs of their communities and grow their business. This sort of ad hoc celebration with dictated themes is costly, and the return on investment is arguably poor.
The PR company ‘supporting’ the initiative will no doubt submit a hefty report, stating column inches gained, air time achieved and yadda yadda yadda, and tell us succinctly how very successful they’ve been using some kind of industry standard metrics.
But what they won’t tell us is how much valuable PR colleges get themselves anyway, despite this false celebration, or how much additional money colleges have had to fork out because of it. The won’t tell us how many college ‘man’ hours have been taken up, and, how many lessons or training sessions have been disrupted to prove that Colleges Week is worthwhile and is a glorious success.
I’m not a fan of VQ Day either, but compared to Colleges Week it’s a welcome blessing!
