WorldSkills Shanghai cancelled again due to Covid

The WorldSkills competition that was set to take place in Shanghai in October has been cancelled.

Organisers of the global event, which the UK was preparing to send 39 students and apprentices to, called it off today due to current lockdowns in China and ongoing prevention and control restrictions.

Following the decision, WorldSkills members and their partners said they began discussions on “alternative opportunities” for the competitors that were preparing for the competition.

WorldSkills UK, which organises and trains the UK’s team for the global competition known as the “skills Olympics”, said the decision was “extremely disappointing” for its competitors.

WorldSkills UK chief executive Neil Bentley-Gockmann said: “This is extremely disappointing for everyone involved in Team UK and for young people around the world who were looking forward to competing in China. After the delays and difficulties of the past couple of years, we are extremely proud of the skill and determination members of Team UK have shown to make it this far. Our number one focus is supporting them.

“WorldSkills International is considering a number of options that could allow Team UK members to still compete on the international stage. We are actively exploring these ideas and how else we can recognise the achievements of Team UK members and give them the chance to demonstrate the excellence and skills they have developed over the last four years. We will be discussing options with them and their training teams in the coming weeks.”

The WorldSkills Shanghai event was due to take place from October 12 to 17, 2022. The competition was originally planned to take place in 2021 but was postponed due to Covid.

An international WorldSkills tournament hasn’t taken place since the pandemic struck. The last one to take place was WorldSkills Kazan in 2019.

Major review launched to bring colleges back into public sector

A major review has been launched which could see colleges brought back in to the public sector. 

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today announced that further education colleges, sixth form college corporations and designated institutions are to be assessed and possibly reclassified. 

The ONS is run by Sir Ian Diamond, the UK’s national statistician, who also chaired the Independent Commission on the College of the Future. The stats body carries out regular reviews of parts of the economy to decide how they should be accounted for in the national accounts. 

Currently, colleges are classified as part of the private sector, a decision the ONS took in 2012.

Possible reclassification of colleges to the public sector was first revealed by FE Week two years ago when the government’s further education white paper was being developed.

The very same white paper, Skills for Jobs, and its resulting legislation, the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, appear to be the catalyst for the ONS’ current assessment of colleges’ classification status. 

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our colleges play a vital role in making sure young people and adults continue to gain the skills they need to progress and secure jobs and we want that to continue.

“Any decision to reclassify colleges will not change this driving mission. We will await the decision of the Office for National Statistics review and, if required, will work closely with colleges to ensure any transition from the private to government sector happens in as smooth and seamless way as possible.”

The ONS expects to have completed its review of colleges by September, and will conduct a similar review of universities in January 2023.

Documents published by ONS on their plans to assess the classification of colleges say:

“Following the Skills for Jobs White Paper published in January 2021, and subsequent legislative changes with the aim of improving the skills and post-16 education sector in England, ONS will carry out a review of the sector classification of FECs, SFCCs, and Designated Institutions, in England in the context of the latest international guidance.

“As part of this process, ONS will consider the content of the Post-16 Education Act 2022 alongside other relevant Acts, such as the Education Act 2011 and the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.”

Status change could mean financial windfall for colleges

While it’s not an official consultation, FE Week understands that sector organisations will be able to make representations. 

In a statement David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “It’s important to understand the decision to hold a consultation – and the review itself – is taken by the ONS and DfE and politicians are not driving it. How the government responds to any changes, if indeed there are any, is largely up to them. 

“Many other institutions deemed by ONS to be public sector operate under a variety of different rules already. Colleges in Scotland and Northern Ireland are now public sector and we have been learning from their experiences since that happened.

“Nonetheless, this is a significant review, and we will be active in the discussions to inform any decisions by ONS, and help them navigate the framework of laws, policies and rules which govern the relationship between DfE and colleges. Our initial sense is that DfE is taking a very open-minded approach to see what positives this might bring as well as trying to avoid any potential negatives, should ONS decide to make a change in status.”

In a briefing for college leaders, seen by FE Week, Hughes states that officials at DfE have used the private sector status of colleges “as a justification for excluding colleges from some of the funding paid to schools (most recently the national insurance compensation but also VAT relief, business rate compensation, risk protection, financial support for teacher training etc).”

A change to public sector status could, Hughes adds, allow DfE to decide to “make changes in many or all of these areas in the future” and possibly backdate any extra funding.

Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said: “Sixth form colleges will continue to do an outstanding job for students, irrespective of whether they remain in the private sector or move to the public sector. The key issue is what a move to the public sector would mean in practice, and there are a lot of unknowns and details to work through.

“Our assumption is that sixth form colleges would be treated in the same way as 16-19 academies and other public sector providers, which would include benefiting from a VAT refund scheme. We’ll be working with ONS, HMT and DfE in the months ahead to ensure there is a fair and swift conclusion to this major review”.

College borrowing rules shouldn’t change until 2025

Sector representatives are keen to stress that colleges should proceed as planned with existing contractual commitments. AoC’s briefing advises colleges to continue to sign construction contracts on imminent capital projects where loans are required to cover costs.

AoC’s briefing advises colleges that changes to college borrowing rules shouldn’t come in to effect until 2025 at the earliest so that it aligns with DfE’s current capital funding cycle. This “should not hamper colleges from investing in their estate”.

Recent college accounts data shows that the FE college sector owes just over £1.1 billon in borrowing.

The government must act now to save apprenticeships

It’s the first time in our organisation’s 50-year history that the number of apprenticeship vacancies is outstripping applications, writes Mike Driscoll

We have almost reached the end of another challenging academic year – and what a year it has been!

We have witnessed the coronavirus pandemic come, go, come back and then go again.

Even today, with restrictions lifted, the virus threatens the continuity of apprenticeship training, with staff illness and ongoing absences among our apprenticeship community.

As the weather improves, so does our optimism for better times ahead. We look to the future to tackle any emerging signs of reduced interest in engineering apprenticeships among young people.

But unless action is taken by the government to support employers and providers who are re-engaging with schools on quality career guidance, apprenticeship schemes may become a bit of a Cinderella story.

They are at risk of disappearing among the plethora of other educational routes that young people can choose to take. Has anyone else spotted this?

At a recent internal meeting, I asked our pastoral team to verify uptake across our apprenticeship schemes.

Southampton Engineering Training Association (SETA) advertise apprenticeship vacancies in partnership with our employers, and there is growing demand from employers for recruiting apprentices as they rebuild their businesses.

But the pastoral team’s feedback was, frankly, not great, and I was flabbergasted to learn that the number of apprenticeship applications received for this current academic year was well down on the previous year.

I sought clarification only to be told that in recent years, for every one vacancy advertised, SETA would typically receive eight applications.

However, this year only a few applications have been received per vacancy and in some cases, no applications have been received. This is the first time in our 50-year history at SETA that the number of apprenticeship vacancies pledged by employers outstrips the number of applications from candidates.

In some cases, no applications have been received

Feeling somewhat perplexed, I began to research what other providers have experienced and made some phone calls.

Exactly the same is being reported across other providers within our network: the number of applications being received are far fewer than in recent years, and interest among young people has almost diminished.

Not good news at all.

The cause? That’s a tough one.

The pandemic forced enormous pressure on all education providers to rapidly reform education and training systems and safeguard the achievement of qualifications. Career advice and guidance for young people had to take a back seat.

The solution? That’s a tough one too.

Like many providers, SETA has begun to re-engage with schools and while we work hard to “dampen the flames” from the pandemic, more fires are being lit.

Sources of ignition appear to include the introduction of new qualifications, T levels, traineeships and Kickstart schemes which are attractive alternatives to apprenticeships.

Employers are still recalibrating their business plans and desperately need more young people to fill apprenticeship vacancies now and those planned in the future.

But with spiralling operational costs in both industry and education, the impact of what can be reasonably achieved to address this issue is limited. Also, without opportunities to work jointly to provide quality career guidance we risk being unsuccessful.

Could the solution therefore be to harness funds within the apprenticeship levy somehow? Can employers and providers be given the opportunity to design and rebuild high-quality, meaningful career advice in partnerships with schools?

Millions of pounds have been invested designing standards, endorsed by employers, professional institutions and providers. Perhaps “tapping into” the very system designed to encourage apprenticeship training is a way forward to promoting the benefits of apprenticeship training to all.

The engineering sector desperately needs young people to engage with apprenticeship training and join the sector.

So the UK desperately needs the government to recognise this issue and support our fight to save apprenticeship training from becoming an upskill exercise only attractive for existing employees.

Education is crucial amid spiralling living costs

FE must focus on delivering a versatile workforce to help tackle the cost of living crisis, writes Mark Dawe

Following two years of political, social and economic disruptions, the government announced its levelling up white paper earlier this year.

With widespread devolution and the recognition of skills in socio-economic development, the white paper shared an optimistic view of opportunities development but left questions on how such proposals would successfully be delivered.

Now, three months later and after Ofgem has increased the energy price cap by 54 per cent, a cost of living crisis has gripped the country, with nationwide poverty gaps only growing. 

How wide are poverty gaps in the UK?

The variation in household income between regions and countries in the UK is increasing, with factors such as ethnic groups and disability status further exacerbating this. Those households in the north-east of England, alongside households from a Pakistani ethnic group, had the lowest median incomes before housing costs.

This is in contrast to the south-east, the wealthiest region in the UK, between April 2018 and March 2020, which has experienced a rise in median wealth by 43 per cent since 2006.

Now, amid skyrocketing energy bills, inflation, tax hikes and stagnant wages, food insecurity and widespread fuel and food poverty, those on the lowest income are most heavily affected.

Despite being the fifth wealthiest country in the world, the UK now has four million children experiencing food insecurity, alongside a 33 per cent annual increase in demand for food parcels, according to food bank charity the Trussell Trust. 

Something must be done to support the recovery and security of the British economy and those individuals living within in.

Here are 7 ways FE helps to support the economy. Education does the following:

1.         Helps close poverty gaps

2.         Increases the productivity of an existing workforce

3.         Encourages migration to highly demanded skills area

4.         Creates a workforce with a versatile skillset

5.         Creates a better-paid worker

6.         Raises the overall skill levels of society

7.         Supports government funding schemes

One of the biggest contributors to global poverty is education, with most of those living in extreme poverty lacking basic levels of education.

Known as “the great equaliser”, at a basic level education opens the doors to jobs, resources and skills, allowing individuals to break cycles of poverty, boosting the economic state. 

In 2016, The World Economic Forum highlighted the ability of education to affect a country’s productivity. Education increases the collective ability of the workforce to carry out existing tasks more quickly, facilitating the transfer of knowledge about new information, products, and technologies and increasing creativity.

The combined effects of education and its boost to economic output offer better opportunities on both an individual and a societal level.

A recent report by The Skills Network shed light on the changing skills demands of the labour market following the pandemic, with a growth in the demand for mental health and green skills on a national scale.

It means a workforce equipped with a varied and versatile skillset is key.

Similarly, as the government works to boost economic activity through the introduction of skills funding streams, such as digital bootcamps and the Multiply numeracy programme, the role of FE providers in developing and delivering on this is fundamental.

The role of digital resources in modern education is pivotal, creating the most accessible learning provision through digital means, allowing individuals and businesses around the country to upskill and re-train regardless of location and lifestyle.

As we navigate challenging economic periods and look towards a more settled economic future, the education sector has a responsibility to provide support.

7 ways to challenge college culture and get back to ‘good’

In 2019 I left higher education to become chief executive of the UK’s biggest national FE college group, comprising seven colleges.

The year previously, Ofsted had downgraded NCG to ‘requires improvement’. A significant step change was required for the colleges all to reach the threshold for a ‘good’ grade.

NCG’s two challenges were sustainable financial stability and quality improvement. Firstly, we had to stop being seven colleges plus a centre, and become “one NCG”.

We then had to undertake a quality, learner-led journey towards Ofsted’s 2022 judgment of ‘good’.

Here are my 7 key lessons from that journey.

1. Clarity of purpose

Why are we doing what we do?

First, we designed a “strategy towards 2030”, through wide consultation about our mission, vision and values. This strategy underpins every decision – all business planning must contribute to the strategy’s delivery, and all colleagues must “own” the strategy.

2. Visibility of leadership

All seven college principals joined the college executive group to raise the visibility of leadership.

To become “one NCG” we had to understand that the core business of education happens in college, so college leadership must be part of the leadership of the group.

Consistent standards, expectations, alignment to the strategy, vision and values, had to be seen in the behaviours of the leadership group-wide at every opportunity. And so, the concept of “one NCG” became reality.

3. Clear, two-way communication

Sustainable cultural change across a large, dispersed group requires clear, consistent and two-way communication. Videos, town hall meetings (ironically, made easier by Covid and Microsoft Teams), regularly updated FAQ lists, and progress updates all contributed to “one NCG”, and ultimately one ‘good’ NCG.

During our Ofsted inspection, update communications were shared in near real time.

4. Building up willingness to change

A willingness to change was a vital cultural shift for moving us to ‘good’. Strong leadership, consistent communication and clarity of purpose reinforced the ambition to prove to Ofsted that we were now a learning organisation with the prerequisites for a ‘good’ judgment.

During the two years before inspection, a willingness to change evolved group-wide from an ambition to succeed.

5. Collaboration

A key element of “one NCG”, essential to achieving our Ofsted judgment, was collaboration. Covid created the opportunity to work across the geography – frequently meeting remotely to manage the pandemic, then to discuss policy change and the white papers, managing financial challenge and, critically, preparing for inspection together.

Every college wrote a student aid report (SAR); colleagues from other colleges and professional services became critical friends; the final versions formed the basis of our group SAR and this proved critical for a single judgment.

6. Communities of best practice

A tangible outcome from collaboration was the emergence of communities of best practice.

A huge benefit of being a large national group is our talent pool of varied experience and understanding of the differences between delivering education in inner cities, in rural communities, in areas of high deprivation or where there is dense industry.

This talent pool created virtual, group-wide communities of best practice, supporting teaching enhancement, good mental health, subject specifics and functional skills improvements. They showed Ofsted our consistent approach to quality enhancement and student-first teaching and assessment.

7. Shared ownership and accountability

Clear vision, collaboration and communication led to group-wide shared ownership and accountability for our actions. This led to shared success when Ofsted judged our provision to be ‘good’.

The biggest lesson NCG has learned throughout the last two and a half years is that to be “one NCG” we have to work together. Then we can celebrate together!

This was my first experience of Ofsted; I hope it will not be my last. “One NCG” was the basis for collaboration in all areas across our inspection, and we will build on this to move from good to ‘ambitious for outstanding’!

Corporate social responsibility strategies are a win-win for FE

ITPs and colleges without a CSR focus risk losing employees and potential new talent, writes Lee Dale

A socially responsible organisation is an attractive proposition for prospective employees.

Currently there is no current formalised regulation around the reporting of corporate social responsibility activities for independent training providers and colleges.

But a seismic shift in this field has recently been seen, with education providers championing these projects.

This area is a particular passion of my own. I strive, like many in education, to make a positive impact on the future world through my career activities today.

With government regulations such as net zero gaining more traction and feeding into economic strategy, the pace and focus on corporate social responsibility and sustainable approaches is only going to increase.

Not only does an early focus by ITPs and colleges feed into an ethical approach, as well as attracting new employee and learner talent – but by clearly communicating their commitment, and educating the future workforce, FE can help shift cultural thinking in these areas.

Shifts in cultural thinking and approaches only turn into positive action when individuals understand the reasons why change may be beneficial.

Author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek advises us that we should “start with why”. If we can educate people about why a change needs to be made, this allows individuals to emotionally engage, which often prompts more effective positive action.

Education providers are well poised to offer this approach through story-led learning, and teaching topics supported with case studies. This allows individuals to buy into a more sustainable and responsible future approach more readily, while role-modelling good practice.

At Estio Training, we have considered corporate social responsibility in recent years through the lens of social impact.

While leading to typical change initiatives, such as recycle bins, going paperless and no longer using one-use plastic cups, we have also been innovative in our approach. This includes everything from workplace culture to considering our carbon footprint.

We have also recently installed working groups with a core focus around charity, environment, equality, equity, and diversity, as well as staff experience.

This allows the process to no longer be only a top-down strategy, but a truly collaborative one, with buy-in at all levels of the organisation.

Staff being able to contribute towards these areas helps instil motivation, passion and drive in our overall strategy and ambition.

For those organisations who may not yet be considering CSR, there is the risk that talented individuals may not apply or may leave, as the corporate focus does not align with their personal ethical and moral approach.

It may also be the deciding factor when learners select which providers they wish to study with, if that provider seems to be lacking content and focus around this area.

With government initiatives and duties due to be imposed in coming years, it seems a wise move to place CSR high on the corporate strategy and agenda, while also positively impacting the world.

In order for CSR to reach maximum potential impact, there needs to be an evolution from voluntary championing of these topic.

Instead the approach requires a truly embedded curriculum which places CSR at the heart of delivery, and facilitating learners to critically assess approaches, as a core element of educational strategy.

Education also holds a unique position in being able to influence the decision-making within industry and labour markets, especially where apprenticeship provision is involved, with direct communication lines with employers.

Education plays a pivotal role within this shift, as we all contribute towards the development of tomorrow’s leaders and thinkers.

At this point I ask you to consider your approach towards CSR. Could the small changes you make today have a positive impact on tomorrow’s world?

New DfE employer and apprentice surveys reveal reasons behind huge drop-out rate

Personal or domestic factors such as a better job offer, mental health issues or caring responsibilities are among the key reasons for apprentices dropping out, new Department for Education research has found.

And when it comes to apprenticeship-related factors for withdrawals, the most common reasons were that apprentices felt they did not have enough time for training, poor quality training and badly run programmes.

Former skills minister Gillian Keegan ordered an investigation into the “astonishingly” high drop-out rate for apprenticeships last year after original 2019/20 figures showed 39.8 per cent of learners on the government’s new-style “standards” withdrew before completing. This figure was later revised up to 53.4 per cent after statisticians spotted an “error”.

Figures for 2020/21 show 47 per cent of apprentices on standards dropped out.

By comparison, latest DfE data shows the drop-out rate for A-levels in 2019 was less than one in ten (8.7 per cent).

The DfE published its employer and apprentice evaluation surveys for 2021 on Thursday and included a section on “reasons for not completing” for the first time.

From a survey of 541 “non-completers”, the research found multiple and complex reasons that all contribute to dropouts.

Four in ten cited “personal or domestic” factors. Most commonly a this was job or career change (11 per cent of all withdrawals), mental health issues (9 per cent) and caring responsibilities (8 per cent).

The most common apprenticeship-related reasons that contributed to apprentices not completing were: not enough time for learning/training (44 per cent), training not being as good as they had hoped (43 per cent) and the apprenticeship being badly run or poorly organised (41 per cent).

The single most common main reason for not completing was being fired or made redundant (11 per cent), followed by not getting on with employer (10 per cent), not having enough time for learning (9 per cent), a job or career change (9 per cent), the apprenticeship being stopped or cancelled (7 per cent) and no longer wanting to work in the field of the apprenticeship (7 per cent).

And 2 per cent said they left their apprenticeship because of low pay.

Overall, 48 per cent of non-completers said they were dissatisfied with their apprenticeship experience. The most common reason for dissatisfaction was a lack of support from the training provider, college or tutor.

The DfE also found that 83 per cent of non-completers continued in work immediately on after leaving their apprenticeship (44 per cent with their apprenticeship employer).

Paul Warner, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ director of strategy and business development, said: “The reasons for apprenticeship drop-outs are complex and wide ranging, with higher rates of non-completion particularly impacting sectors like hospitality, care and retail. The majority of drop-outs are for reasons beyond a provider’s direct control. The pandemic and subsequent cost-of-living crisis have exacerbated many of these, such as changes in job roles, or the need for higher pay resulting in job moves in what is a tight labour market.”

He added: “There is a consensus amongst AELP members that a leading cause of apprenticeship non-completion is a result of an inability to pass functional skills exams in English and particularly in level 2 maths. The new rules on level 2 functional skills announced by the Education and Skills Funding Agency last week are a step in the right direction.”

A DfE spokesperson said they will consider intervening in providers where they are failing to support apprentices to achieve.

“We know more needs to be done to ensure as many people as possible complete their apprenticeship to gain the full value from their experience.

“Providers have a responsibility to support apprentices through to achievement.  Where this isn’t happening we will consider intervention on a case by case basis.”

Other interesting things we learned from DfE’s surveys (apprentices)

The main learner research comprised 5,122 interviews with current apprentices and those that had completed an apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship duration increases

The average intended duration of apprenticeships was reported as just under two years (22 months), an increase of two to three months compared with 2018/19. DfE said this was a continuation of the trend for longer apprenticeships over recent years, partly a reflection of the shift towards higher level apprenticeships.

Over half of apprentices receiving non-compliant levels of off-the-job training

Over half (54 per cent) of apprentices reported receiving at least 20 per cent of off-the-job training. On average, 19 per cent of an apprentice’s working hours were spent on off-the-job training.

The DfE announced on Friday that it is moving away from the 20 per cent requirement and moving to a baseline of at least six hours per week (click here for full story).

1 in 12 apprentices haven’t heard of EPA

Nearly two-thirds of current apprentices (71 per cent) on standards had at least reasonable knowledge of end-point assessment, tended to be informed within at least the first month of starting and in nearly all cases by their training provider. However, one in twelve had not heard of EPA.

Other interesting things we learned from DfE’s surveys (employers)

Overall, 4,085 interviews were conducted with employers.

Big drops at level 2

The percentage of apprentice employers with level 2 completer apprentices on the fell from 62 per cent to 49 per cent (a reduction in the absolute number of apprentices of 43 per cent).

Meanwhile, the percentage with level 3 completer apprentices increased from 49 per cent to 53 per cent (although this was an absolute terms reduction of 21 per cent). The numbers with level 4 completer apprentices rose substantially from 2 per cent to 5 per cent (an absolute terms increase of 70%).

Financial incentives didn’t encourage growth

There was a fall in recruitment of apprentices in 2019/20 and 2020/21 (of 18 per cent relative to 2018/19), mainly due to the impact of Covid-19. To help address this, a financial incentive of £3,000 per new apprentice was put in place for employers, excluding existing staff.

The DfE researchers said the role of the financial incentive in causing employers to recruit more apprentices “is relatively small” with a best estimate of a net increase of 11 per cent in recruitment of apprentices, or 6 per cent taking into account that some recruitment was brought forward.

For most employers not recruiting (69 per cent), the incentive did not trigger recruitment because they had no work for more apprentices.

The FE Week Podcast: New college, new country – Refugees in FE

After travelling thousands of miles, facing extremely dangerous situations, often stuck in legal limbo – refugee and asylum-seeking students arrive in the classroom.

What are the stories they bring with them?

What systems are they facing here?

And how can FE unleash their skills and experience?

Join education journalist Jess Staufenberg as she speaks to students and the staff working with them, from all over the world.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 391

Sheraz Amin

Executive director -Digital Transformation, The Bedford College Group

Start date: May 2022

Previous Job: Head of Digitial Transformation, Santander UK

Interesting fact: Sheraz has worked ten different countries and across England, but has yet to visit Scotland or Wales

Charlotte Rawes

Vice Principal – Progress and Performance, Lancaster & Morecambe College

Start date: April 2022

Previous Job: Director of Apprenticeships & Employer Engagement, Lancaster & Morecambe College

Interesting fact: Charlotte is a former student of LMC, having studied there between 1993-1995, completing a BTEC Level in 3 Leisure Studies

Dr Helen Gray

Chief Economist, Learning and Work Institute

Start date: July 2022

Previous Job: Principal Research Economist, Institute for Employment Studies

Interesting fact: Helen sings in a chamber choir which once performed to Madonna in Lisbon

Lee Jamieson

Vice Principal – Curriculum & Quality, Solihull College and University Centre

Start date: September 2022

Previous Job: Assistant Principal, Solihul College and University Centre

Interesting fact: Lee once climbed the tallest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales in 24 hours. While he didn’t experience the spiritual awakening he was hoping for, he did raise money for cancer charities that are close to his heart