Unionlearn launch dyslexia awareness campaign‏

Unionlearn, the education arm of the TUC, is launching a campaign to help employers understand more about dyslexia.

Events and assessments designed to help make workplaces more dyslexia friendly will take place during Dyslexia Awareness Week.

An online survey carried out by Unionlearn found that over half of their learning support representatives said workers with a learning disability had come across barriers while being trained for their job role.

Eighty per cent of representatives said they were aware of colleagues and workmates who had dyslexia, but almost two thirds had received no training in how to support them. 

One representative said: “Often dyslexia isn’t recognised for what it is. Managers seem to think that it is purely a difficulty with reading, when it can also lead to organisational difficulties.”

A series of documents will be provided during the campaign to help negotiate dyslexia-friendly polices with managers and HR staff, and there will be an information toolkit available online.

The British Dyslexia Association estimates that ten per cent of the population are affected by dyslexia and research has found that more than 50 per cent of them keep it a secret.

The awareness week runs from October 31- November 6 and there are lots of events going on around the country to celebrate individual achievements, and encourage nationwide understanding.

FE Week hits over 100,000 views

Since FE Week launched in early September our website has had over 100,000 page views. On average that means 2,131 visits to our site and article reads per day!

So far the FE Week team has delivered extensive coverage of key events, profiled influential figures, delivered exclusives and given expert advice.

By reporting from behind the scenes of FE, we’ve aimed to provide a newspaper that is connected with the sector’s most pressing issues.

Paul Head, principal of the college of Haringway, Enfield and North East London certainly agrees.

He said: “FE Week is really showcasing the best that FE has to offer and tackling in detail, the issues that affect our sector.”

FE Week now has a strong following that’s been growing every day. We owe a huge thank you to our readers for keeping the dream alive and can only hope our success is a sign of things to come.

Sixth-form funding expected to fall dramatically in next three years

Sixth-form spending is expected to fall by 15.8 per cent in the next three years, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

The IFS estimates that the Department for Education’s (DfE) Deparmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for sixth-form funding will drop from £2.4 billion in 2011-12 to £2.2 billion in 2014-15.

The report, titled ‘Trends in education and schools spending’, says that this is equivalent to a 17.6 per cent reduction in ‘real terms’.

A spokesperson from the DfE said: “Whilst we have had to make some difficult decisions in order to reduce costs and secure greater efficiency – including by removing the historic gap in funding between school and college funding – our priorities have been to protect funding for the core education programmes for young people as well as targeting more help and support on the students with greatest needs.”

They added that Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, didn’t dispute the figures in the report when interviewed on the BBC this morning (October 25).

The IFS report states: “It seems clear that spending on the education of 16- to 19-year-olds will receive a disproportionately large cut, as evidenced by planned real-terms cuts to all areas of spending in 2011–12 and expected cuts to sixth-form spending by 2014–15.

“These cuts will take place at a time when the education leaving age is due to start rising (from 16 to 18) from 2013, which is likely to make the pressures on individual providers even greater.”

The statistics were calculated using spending plans published by the DfE, the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA), and those in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) and the 2010 Spending Review.

The IFS says that the figures are “not exhaustive”, but are “the most comprehensive assessment published to date.”

The IFS said they expected the total cuts to 16-9 edcuation to be “of a similar magnitude” to the 20 per cent spending reductions estimated for the early years and youth services.

Cuts to the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) was later attributed to the expected 4.1 per cent fall in total spenditure for 16-19 education in 2011-12.

Study on bureaucracy expected next month

A study on reducing bureaucracy in further education (FE) is due for release next month.

The study, conducted by the National Audit Office (NAO), will examine the efforts of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) to reduce the bureaucracy faced by FE colleges.

NAO say reducing bureaucracy is a key part of the approach to freeing up the sector and supporting structured cost reduction and they will “seek to assess if the Department’s plans, and those of its agencies, to reduce bureaucracy are likely to be effective.”

FE Week today spoke to NAO, who revealed the study will be released in November, subject to the timing of parliamentary recess.

Skills Minister John Hayes meets Jaguar Land Rover apprentices

John Hayes visited Jaguar and Landrover apprentices as part of the ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ initiative earlier this week.

The Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning visited Halewood Operations to meet some of the company’s first qualified apprentices.

Mr Hayes said: “By inspiring and training the new generation of highly skilled technicians we need to fuel growth and build prosperity, Jaguar Land Rover is setting a fine example to British business.

“To help more firms open their doors to our young people, the Government is funding the biggest and best apprenticeships programme our country has ever seen.”

John Hayes was given a tour of production lines that included the Evoque, a new car which has allowed the company to hire 1,500 new employees.

Richard Else, Operations Director at Jaguar Land Rover, Halewood, said: “The automotive industry has a critical role to play in supporting a manufacturing led economic recovery. Our business is experiencing a period of growth thanks to investment and innovation and we need to ensure that we have the next generation of engineers lined up to carry us forward.”

Mr Else added: “Initiatives such as ‘See Inside Manufacturing’, will help us to get the message out that manufacturing is an exciting industry, excellent career choice, with high quality training and a bright future.”

Mr. Hayes also visited the Land Rover Experience Centre and Jaguar Land Rover Education Business Centre, meeting more than 30 local school children who were visiting the company.

‘See Inside Manufacturing’ is a collaborative initative designed to promote British manufacturing and dispel the myth that companies no longer ‘make anything’.

Free meals for hard-hit students at Newham College

Denise Brown-Sackey, Principal of Newham College

Newham College is giving out around 1,500 free meals to students each week in a bid to tackle cuts in government grants.

Managers have said that hundreds of learners would be unable to study at the college if they were not given luncheon vouchers.

Denise Brown-Sackey, Principal of Newham College, said: “The lunch is making a big difference. We want east Londoners to take part in a learning revolution and it’s one of our options to help young people in difficult financial times.

“We’ve put a lot of thought into the nutritional balance of the food and I’m pleased that to date we’ve provided over 5,000 meals to our young students.”

The scheme was implemented in September following an Association of Colleges (AoC) survey that blamed the scrapping of Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for a drop in student numbers.

The meals, which benefit more than 1,000 students,  are available to all learners under 18-years-old and to under 16s using the College for part of their school work.

Hundreds of 12 week apprenticeships advertised on NAS website are ‘under review’

The apprenticeship programmes delivered by the hotelier De Vere are under review and “likely to change” as part of an assessment into provision and standards.

The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) is looking into every short apprenticeship, alongside the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), following the introduction of Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE).

However, news of the review into De Vere follows an investigation by FE Week into programmes on NAS’ vacancy site.

More than 700 De Vere vacancies of either 12 week (customer service) or 16 week (professional cookery) are currently available to view online, taking place at a number of nationwide De Vere Academies.

The De Vere Academy of Hospitality advert says they aim “to inspire and create talented hospitality industry stars of the future through the provision of work-based learning.”

It is “open to those aged 16-24 years and no previous experience or academic qualifications are required” and pays £104 per week (the minimum apprenticeship wage) for a 40 hour week over five days.

While acknowledging that programmes delivered by De Vere do not meet the requirements of SASE, the National Apprenticeship Service say they do provide “appropriate and valuable provision for young people” who want to work in the hospitality sector.

A statement from NAS, issued to FE Week this morning (Friday), said: “We have already indicated to De Vere that their programme does not meet the comprehensive standards for apprenticeship programmes.

“However, we believe their programme provides appropriate and valuable provision for young people who want to work in the sector.”

It also added: “We intend to work with De Vere and the Sector Skills Council for the hospitality sector, People 1st, to develop a tailored ‘Access to Apprenticeship’ pathway designed to meet the specific needs of employers in the sector that will offer a high quality opportunity to young people wanting to work in the sector.

“While we work together to identify an alternative source of funding we will continue to support De Vere and the young people and employers involved in the programme.

“All live De Vere vacancies posted on the apprenticeship vacancy site will indicate that the provision is under review and is likely to change.”

At the time of going to press, the reference to “under review and likely to change” could not be found.

The SASE was published in January, which is when NAS and SFA began their review.

It was also followed by the publication of the Statement on the Quality of Apprenticeship Delivery Models by NAS in August (click here).

The statement said the review will “closely consider the circumstances of each programme with the college or training provider” which will help them “fully understand the delivery model and make a judgement on whether provision meets the comprehensive standards” which have been established for apprenticeships.

It added: “These standards include SASE, the requirements of the Apprenticeship Framework approved by the relevant Issuing Authority, the Quality of Apprenticeships Delivery Model and the Funding Requirements.

“It is anticipated that through this review we will determine some provision, while not meeting these standards, still provides appropriate and valuable training for young people who would otherwise not be in education, training or employment.”

However, NAS has warned that it will remove funding from providers which fail to meet the required standard.

The statement continued: “We will work with the providers and employers of such provision, and where appropriate with the YPLA and SFA, to secure suitable alternative funding where that is appropriate.

“Throughout the review, our priority will be to remove apprenticeship funding from provision which fails to meet the required standard, while maintaining provision that supports young people into employment or training, as well as giving them the opportunity to progress onto an apprenticeship programme.”

FE Week approached De Vere on Tuesday and is awaiting a response.

Employers use apprentices for ‘cheap labour’

Colleges and training providers say employers should pay towards apprentice training programmes.

A survey conducted by Lsect asked if employers should continue to be allowed to contribute nothing towards the training for their apprentices.

Nearly three quarters of the people who replied – 73 per cent – said the employer should pay something towards training their employees.

Fiona Davis, funding and registry manager at Boston College, said: “Some employers are seen as using apprentices for cheap labour and this will only increase if the employer no longer has to make a financial contribution to the training.”

She said that a small contribution from the employee may make them more likely to complete a course, but if the apprentice is on minimum wage to expect them to fund the apprenticeship is unaffordable.

Funding for apprenticeship training has been a source of controversy following the government’s further education reform programme.

The employer is expected to make a 50 per cent contribution to the fees but they are currently allowed to make no contribution at all.

This means that in some cases the learner will be expected to fund their own training.

Apprentices over the age of 24 are going to be charged for studying their first level 3 qualification and loans will be offered to those who cannot afford to pay fees upfront.

The maximum loan that can be taken for studying is £4,000 but there is no limit to what colleges can charge for the qualifications.

Attempt to ‘simplify’ funding may prove barrier to FE loans

A consultation on proposals for a further education loans system is set to close today (October 21).

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has said the proposals, which would charge apprentices and adult learners at Level 3 and above up to £4,000, will “be determined in a simple and straightforward way”.

The maximum loan amount available for each course would be decided by a new set of simplified funding rates, which are due to be fully implemented by the Skills Funding Agency in 2013/14.

However, a survey conducted by Lsect has shown that the sector is concerned that the proposals will in fact complicate funding for learners aged 19 and above.

In one hour there were 35 responses to the online survey, of which 60 per cent said they thought simplification would not be achieved.

In comparison less than 9 per cent said they thought the changes would make funding easier.

Arthur Smith, MIS Manager at Stafford College, said: “Every time anyone has simplified anything in FE things have only got more complex. For 15 years the bureaucratic burden has been talked about with a view to reducing it… and nothing but extra work for less funding has been achieved.”

Some respondents said a simplified model could never be suitable for managing adult funding.

Philip Smith, User Support & Reporting Coordinator at Leicester College, said: “Effective funding methodologies can’t be simple, especially for 19+ funding. What they need to be is clear and understandable.”

Martin Kennedy, Office Supervisor at Truro & Penwith College Business Centre, added: “Changes in funding always end up more complex, as they go through several drafts and the last one rarely bears any resemblance to the first.  Just look at the appalling chaos of the Specification for Apprenticeship Standards in England (SASE) and the number of missed deadlines and confusion that still surrounds it.”

Tim Porter, 16 – 24 LLDD Commissioning Support Officer at Somerset County Council, added: “I think there are too many organisations with vested interests for this to ever be fully achieved.”

Others said that the funding rates could end up being too simple and damage the success of the loans system.

Donald Lush, Manager at the Harington Scheme, said:  “I think that it’s high risk.  My view of the proposed simplification (so far) is that it is oversimplified and may need to be revisited because of the unintended consequences of this.”

You can respond to the Lsect survey via SurveyMonkey here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FE-loans

FE Week will be publishing the results of the consultation as they become available.

Responses to the BIS consultation can be made addressed to Andrew King via email (feloans@bis.gsi.gov.uk) by the end of today. You may also wish to leave a comment on the FE Week website below.