Alarm bells are sounding across the UK skills landscape, with major industries such as technology and life sciences facing daunting shortages of talent according to projections.
However, with a changing regulatory landscape and ambitious targets to ‘Get Britain Building’, construction is being hit particularly hard.
Some would say that right now we are living through the perfect storm. Apprenticeships are notoriously difficult to come by, we’ve suffered a long-term lack of training investment, the pandemic caused early retirements when apprenticeship opportunities were being reduced, Brexit meant we lost workers, and our workforce is ageing.
As a result, there’s a huge skills gap right across the construction industry – hampering the government’s mission to build fast for economic growth.
The skills gap becomes more foreboding by the day
Around 73,700 new plumbers are needed in the UK by 2032, with current construction apprenticeship drop-out rates standing at a staggering 47 per cent according to a report from the British Association of Construction Heads.
The skills gap is becoming more foreboding by the day.
Ultimately, the main solution is education and a major first step has just been taken with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) formally approving CIPHE’s proposal to develop new level two and level three plumbing apprenticeship standards.
These standards follow immense consultation and collaboration across
the industry. To develop them, the CIPHE engaged extensively with plumbing industry affiliated bodies including colleges, independent training centres,
manufacturers, merchants, industry representative organisations and government departments.
The CIPHE has also formed and consulted a plumbing employers’ trailblazer group made up of sole traders, employers, awarding organisations and end-point assessment organisations to ensure these new standards are reflective of on-site realities. This ongoing consultation will assist the group to determine the core skills modules required.
Now, with official approval, the industry is making a step in the right direction to ensure college courses will be more accessible, apprenticeship opportunities begin to increase, and, in time, we will see more people embarking on plumbing and heating careers.
More career entry points
Our education survey in 2023-24 showed 90 per cent of respondents, including industry employers, colleges and those in learning, supported the proposal to introduce plumbing apprenticeships at levels two and three.
A two-pronged apprenticeship addresses the key concerns of both attracting and retaining talent in the industry by increasing accessibility to a wider pool of potential candidates, and providing additional career entry points for those looking to join the industry.
The level two standard allows apprentices to complete an end-point assessment covering topics such as hot and cold-water installations, sanitation and rainwater systems. Successful completion provides learners with a range of options for level three progression.
The qualifications protect high standards of work whilst simultaneously providing more opportunities for plumbing apprentices – especially those who aspire to achieve professional recognition as an engineering technician or even a chartered engineer.
Crucially, these qualifications not only provide the platform to develop talent, but also function as an incentive for employers to take on an apprentice. Through this route businesses can support apprentices through level two without having to worry about providing on-the-job experience in areas outside of their usual remit or having to immediately commit to a full four-year period of training.
Reinforcements are coming
The CIPHE’s new career pathway has only been made possible by working closely with industry employers and educational bodies to understand [ITALS] exactly where the problems and opportunities lie. Their insights, opinions and discourse have been instrumental in shaping this new educational strategy.
The crisis in plumbing education is not going away anytime soon. Whilst the aim is to get this new apprenticeship up and running as soon as possible, the work with plumbing employers and relevant stakeholders to ensure apprenticeship standards will be fit for purpose only ramps up from here. This is an essential moment of progress, but it really is just the beginning.
As this collaboration continues with the stamina and enthusiasm the industry has shown in recent months, in just a few years, the first of those 70,000 missing plumbers will emerge on the horizon.
When research turns out to be counterintuitive, it’s time to turn to common sense.
Back in 1996 I was approached by the late Sir Robert Ogden, who had made millions from reclamation projects in Yorkshire and beyond.
He had an idea to invest in the education of young people in the South Yorkshire coalfield, paving the way for them to potentially attend university. Three years later I had the chance to evaluate the impact of Sir Robert’s investment in one of the most deprived parts of the UK. That programme, linked to the University of Leeds, provided the basis for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).
By 2004, the EMA had been rolled-out across the country. It invested in 16 to 19 year-olds so they could continue learning and develop ambition way beyond the cultural and educational backcloth from which many of them sought to emerge.
In other words, to inspire, raise aspiration and expectation by enabling youngsters to buy books, purchase emerging computer equipment, afford bus fares to get to college and achieve the same footing as their wealthier counterparts.
Surprise and bewilderment over IfS research
I received – from young people and tutors in post-16 education – universal acclamation for the scheme and felt great despair when it was effectively abolished in the 2011 austerity cuts.
Imagine my surprise and bewilderment when I heard about the research produced by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
All these years on, this research – far from highlighting the massive upsurge in take-up of further education by young people in the period the study covered – decided to trash it.
The researchers claimed that because young people from disadvantaged backgrounds were receiving the maintenance allowance, they didn’t experience the world of work post-16. This apparently discouraged them from earning at that time, and limited potential earnings later in life.
In plain speak, they weren’t having to survive by going out to work (and they even mention full-time work), whilst also studying.
So let’s turn the tables over: Do we think it’s been a very bad thing that young people from wealthier backgrounds have not been made to go out to work post-16 whilst studying at school and college?
Would it not have been better if those from wealthier families tasted the world of work much earlier, giving them the capacity to earn then and to earn more later?
If you believe the answer is yes, then you’re entirely in tune with these researchers.
If, on the other hand, you believe that facilitating young people being able to buy the learning materials, get to school or college (I’m presuming the researchers live in London and therefore don’t understand that free transport doesn’t exist in most of the rest of the country, post-16) then you will think that the investment made was worthwhile.
Sometimes common-sense overrides ‘clever Dicks’
Sometimes common-sense overrides what my grandfather would have called “clever Dicks”. That’s why I used the experience of young people in my own constituency of Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough to determine whether the policy was beneficial or not.
One outcome was the most enormous uptake of young people continuing education post-16 and entering university in substantially larger numbers, at least in North Sheffield. Sadly, before that investment in young people and post-16 education my constituency was the country’s third lowest area for progression into higher education.
The correlation between deprivation and opportunity is well documented by researchers over decades; researchers who don’t equate low level, badly paid menial work with progression into educational opportunity or higher paid jobs.
So too is the link between university education and future earnings – even if the far right is constantly trying to reinvent the facts, and most of those preaching the opposite encourage their own offspring to take up exactly those opportunities.
If there’s a serious question mark over whether we should be encouraging young people to take up full-time education between the ages of 16-19, then a much more thorough and extensive piece of research is needed. Not least because this would demonstrate that the whole of our thinking over the last century, and the vast amounts of money spent by a small proportion of the population educating their children privately to the age of 18, is completely thrown into doubt.
Work experience is crucial to good careers advice and guidance, and, for some, a mix of working life and continuing education or apprenticeships will be entirely the most appropriate route. But offering a choice and enabling many to take up and progress in full-time education is a moral as well as an economic imperative. I wanted my children to have that choice, and I want other youngsters to have it too.
Colleges are hurtling towards a staffing crisis that could derail the government’s growth ambitions, hike up costs and turn the youth NEET crisis into a disaster.
Faced with rapidly rising numbers of school leavers entering the sector over the next couple of years, leaders have told FE Week that sticking plaster solutions and expensive workarounds can’t be sustained.
Colleges have had to take drastic steps to keep priority courses running, including hiring teachers from overseas, recruiting former learners as teachers, and connecting learners remotely with teachers based hundreds of miles away.
Some are simply ditching courses in much-needed trade skills after failing to find suitable candidates in successive rounds of recruitment.
One college in a deprived part of the north of England which in previous years offered two level one, two level two and one level three course in electrical installation, construction and engineering, told FE Week that this academic year they could only provide one level one and one level two class for each cohort due to teacher shortages – denying dozens of aspiring youngsters the opportunity to qualify.
Last year, around 40 per cent of colleges reported being forced to cancel courses because of a lack of staff, an Association of Colleges survey found.
Despite government efforts to recruit and retain teachers in critical shortage areas through one-off cash incentives and a glitzy national marketing campaign, the situation could worsen with the number of 16 to 18 year olds set to rise from 2 million to 2.17 million in 2028.
This equates to an extra 60,000 students in colleges and sixth forms if participation rates remain unchanged, requiring roughly an extra 3,000 staff to teach them at a time when half the teaching workforce will be approaching retirement age.
Retention is also a problem. Almost half of FE teachers quit after three years, twice the rate of school teachers, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
The hardest gaps to fill
Government data suggests teacher shortages eased slightly; vacancy rates improved across the general FE and tertiary sector (from 5.9 to 5.1 per cent) between 2021-22 and 2022-23, and, anecdotally, colleges appear to be posting fewer job vacancies this year than last year.
But vacancy rates got worse in 2022-23 in 20 subjects, including computer science, maths and ESOL.
Some of the most challenging to fill have been those teaching subjects linked to the government’s “priority” industrial strategy plan sectors; advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative, defence, digital, financial services, life sciences and professional and business services sectors.
The industrial strategy green paper highlights the UK’s “lack of technical skills – such as in electrical, mechanical and welding trades, key to the advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries – as well as basic skills in English and maths”.
The biggest challenge is the chasm between FE lecturing and industry salaries.
The National Foundation for Education Research last year found that teacher salaries in engineering and digital subjects were about 11 per cent lower than average earnings in industry, while construction earnings were about 3 per cent less (likely to be an underestimate as researchers were unable to consider self-employment earnings).
In 2021-22, the average general FE college had 17, 14 and 10 unfilled vacancies per 100 teaching staff for construction, engineering and digital, respectively.
£100,000 a year? There’s no way we can compete
By the end of 2023, West Nottinghamshire College’s engineering and construction department had 20 vacancies (which later dropped to 14), three of which had been advertised for five months or more.
One college principal FE Week spoke to spotted a job ad for a pipe fitter advertising a salary of up to £100,000 a year. “There’s no way in this world we can compete with that,” they said.
The latest government data shows the vacancy rate for functional skills teachers rose from 6.3 to 7.3 per cent in the year 2022-23, although this is likely to ease with the recent scrapping of the functional skills requirement for adult apprentices.
In the last two years, Ofsted reports have highlighted recruitment issues at general FE and tertiary education providers on 26 occasions, most commonly with reference to shortages of GCSE maths and English teachers.
The “not yet good” quality of North Hertfordshire College’s English and maths teaching and learning was put down to its “heavy reliance on using temporary agency staff”, while at City of Portsmouth College inspectors blamed staff vacancies and turnover for contributing to “high number of apprentices who do not complete their apprenticeship on time”.
DfE action
Amid mounting concern over teacher shortages, the government launched a £6,000 ‘levelling up premium’ payment for eligible recruits in seven hard-to-fill “critical skills priority” subjects, extending a scheme open to school teachers since before the pandemic to FE colleges too.
Applications close in March. By January 10, the scheme had received 6,075 applications, 29 per cent of which were for construction teachers, FOI data shows.
£24.3 million had so far been paid out for 2,876 approved applications (less than half of those applying).
Just 573 applications were received for early years teachers, who are vital to the government realising its plans to extend free childcare provision.
Anecdotally, principals told FE Week the scheme had not attracted any new teachers to their colleges but had provided “golden handcuffs” preventing current teachers from quitting.
Only FE teachers in the first five years of teaching are eligible for the scheme.
Labour’s headline-grabbing commitment to recruit 6,500 new teachers by the end of the parliament encompasses schools and colleges.
Skills minister Jacqui Smith said in an interview with the University and College Union that including colleges in the target “wasn’t necessarily a given … it was a particular decision to say that’s also got to relate to colleges.”
But we still don’t know how many of those 6,500 posts have been earmarked for colleges.
The DfE has also tried to boost FE recruitment by ramping up its marketing budget. Spending on ‘Share your Skills’ publicity (including Sky Sports News-style ads promoting FE’s “unique benefits”) rose from £2 million in 2021-22 to £5.1 million for both 2023-24 and 2024-25.
One principal said their college had not had any job applications arising as a result of the government’s campaign and their own marketing efforts had attracted just one potential candidate to teach bricklaying this year. Before Covid, a similar marketing campaign attracted 50 to 60 potential candidates.
Skills minister Jacqui Smith
School teachers to the rescue?
The government is also pinning hopes on a wave of school teachers opting to join FE, given that primary schools in particular will have less demand for staff; The Education Policy Institute research suggests a 4.5 per cent fall in primary pupil numbers between 2022-23 and 2027-28.
The government told the School Teachers’ Review Body in December that with “reduced demand in primary schools” it was “possible” that the looming 16-18 population bulge would “lead to increased movement of the workforce between the FE and schools sectors in common subject areas”. This “could also be a welcome opportunity for teachers to continue developing with new opportunities throughout their careers”.
Alex Quigley, head of content and engagement at the Education Endowment Foundation, believes there are “a lot of gains to be had” by primary teachers retraining in FE, as they are “really skilled in teaching a diverse range of students”.
He added: “So many students in FE may have barriers to learning which are equivalent to those in primary, such as limited writing skills, or difficulty reading.”
Education consultant Tom Richmond believes that while a specialist primary English or maths teacher “could well find they have a lot to offer” an FE college in supporting students studying entry level and levels one and two in these core subjects, it is “harder to envisage a primary teacher who has been through a traditional graduate teacher training route suddenly being able to switch into the technical and vocational provision that many colleges excel in”.
Two of Wigan & Leigh College’s maths and English teachers came straight from the schools sector, and principal Anna Dawe believes they bring a “richness” of experience with them. But encouraging a pipeline from schools to join FE “would be a hard sell”, given the widening pay gulf between the sectors.
The IFS found the median salary for college teachers to be £38,000 – 15 per cent lower than that of school teachers (£44,000).
While schools and academised sixth forms are implementing a 5.5 per cent wage increase for the full 2024-25 academic year, sixth form and general FE colleges were given a ‘one-off’ £50 million grant to only offer the equivalent wage rise for their teachers covering the period between April and July 2025.
The IFS said the pay gulf with schools is likely connected to the high exit rates amongst college teachers, with 16 per cent leaving their jobs each year.
Wigan & Leigh College principal Anna Dawe
Turning to agencies
Colleges have turned to recruitment agencies to keep classes running, but this has led to spiralling costs and, in some cases, lowered the quality of teaching.
New College Durham spent £901,000 in 2022-23 and £821,000 in 2023-24 on contracted-out staffing services using “external agencies to ensure there was no break in learning”, its 2023-24 accounts said. It added: “The high cost was largely due to the difficulty in recruiting posts across the curriculum as national labour shortages led to delays in recruitment.”
Chelmsford College’s current risk register highlights “agency cost controls”, stating that “retention and recruitment of permanent staff continues to drain resources due to parity of salaries with schools”.
Chelmsford is currently advertising for 14 roles, including brickwork, electrical and plumbing lecturers.
Its last Ofsted report in March 2024 highlighted how “leaders use a high proportion of agency staff”. “In English, mathematics and electrical, this impacts negatively on the quality of learning”.
Heart of Yorkshire Education Group’s latest accounts mention “real challenges” around staff recruitment and “reliance on costly agency workers to fill a number of vacancies, particularly for engineering and construction courses”.
James Schofield of The Protocol Group
It’s driven by low pay, high workload and competition
One principal told FE Week their recruitment costs had “gone through the roof”, with yearly spend now double what it was before Covid.
Last year they went to market eight times to recruit an electrical lecturer, each time racking up new costs.
One of the largest FE recruitment specialist agencies is The Protocol Group, whose business solutions director James Schofield says rising FE teaching shortages are being driven by “low pay, high workloads and fierce competition from other industries”.
He believes the most acute shortages are for specialist engineering, digital and healthcare teachers, and sees high demand also for careers advisors and job coaches.
But Schofield believes that over the last decade colleges have moved from reliance on temporary workers to more permanent contracts, “driven by the demand for niche skill sets”.
For example, sessional construction teaching was becoming “less attractive for candidates as temporary pay rates were not competitive with the industry”.
“Colleges, therefore, started recruiting these roles on a permanent basis, offering better packages, pensions, and benefits than the construction industry.”
Whereas three years ago around 60-66 per cent of his college clients’ workforce were sessional, now he believes it is 50 to 55 per cent.
Some colleges have turned to technology to provide a solution to local shortages of specialist teachers.
I-Immersive’s ClassView platform leverages virtual and augmented reality to connect classrooms across geographical boundaries.
22 skills providers led by London South East Colleges (LSEC) installed connected immersive spaces, including New City College and Newham College.
The technology is also being embraced by USP College in Benfleet, Essex, where chief executive Dan Pearson (also an advisor for I-Immersive) believes there are “simply not enough” college teachers in many parts of the country, “particularly in rural or economically disadvantaged areas”.
Its technology means that “a student in a small town in the north of England can now have the same access to a top-tier maths teacher as a student in central London”.
Bolton College has invested in staff wellbeing to boost teacher retention. Its last Ofsted report in November pointed to “stabilised” curriculum team numbers in some departments. Teachers “particularly appreciate leaders’ investment in an artificial intelligence tool” to help with lesson planning, and “report favourably” on staff meditation and financial wellbeing sessions, and a menopause café.
In the past you’d just recruit an experienced tradesperson
Harlow College was praised by inspectors for being “creative” in addressing “challenges” recruiting for engineering and aircraft maintenance engineering teachers by “gaining a sponsor licence to employ staff from overseas” – although staff turnover in these areas still remained “high”.
Hartlepool College of Further Education bolstered its electrical department by recruiting two former level three students with some industry experience to “help out and ultimately teach”, says principal Darren Hankey.
“Whereas in the past you would just recruit an experienced [tradesperson] to hit the ground running, now there’s a lot more work for us to do to get them up to speed,” he says. “They’re shadowing our maintenance team to make sure they’ve got the right skills before we let them support our apprentices.”
Schofield predicts “increasing demand” in the next three years for specialist staff in higher-level apprenticeships, renewable energy and AI, “where industry experience is crucial but hard to attract due to pay and conditions in FE”.
But with the number of 16-to-24 year old NEETs now nudging a million, the highest increases in demand are likely to be for the low-level practical courses which are already currently among the hardest to recruit into.
Hankey said that in Hartlepool, “many of those at risk of becoming NEET, who didn’t realise their potential at school become engaged in technical education, whether it’s laying a brick wall or plumbing a bathroom. Not only are those courses helping the government meet its house building and industrial strategy targets, they’re also helping to keep those young people at threat of becoming NEET on board.”
Nurturing the next generation of talent is critically important for the built environment sector because a key part of meeting the growing demand for housing is having the right expertise within each organisation.
This awareness shapes our work with apprentices. On average, we are working with 150 directly employed apprentices at any one time and this year we brought in 40 new apprentices. Our apprentices work across all areas of the business, from sites through to business management. We also work with our supply chain to grow their pool of talent. In the last year, more than 325 apprentices gained new experiences on our sites – supported by key champions within the business.
How to demystify pathways
We’ve taken steps to demystify pathways into the sector for people who may not have previously considered a career in the built environment. In the past year, we have attended or supported almost 200 careers events within schools and colleges and hosted work placements to give young people an insight into what a career within Berkeley Group could look like.
But while many businesses are increasing the number of apprenticeships available, as an industry we need to do more to help young people see that there are roles to suit a wide variety of skill levels and interests.
We work closely with The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), the national body for careers education to strengthen our school engagement activity and whilst we have made good progress there is always more to be done, particularly for disadvantaged students. CEC’s recent study of over 233,000 young people found that 42 per cent of Year 11 students who receive free school meals are not confident about their next steps.
Employer capacity to offer opportunities in key areas
Another CEC study identified key barriers preventing young people from pursuing technical education pathways. One major challenge is aligning available opportunities with student interest. In some cases, businesses may not require large numbers of apprentices for specific roles, or may lack the internal capacity to properly mentor apprentices.
And some businesses may favour graduates over higher apprentices without fully recognising the fresh perspectives and valuable life experiences that apprentices bring. We work closely with managers across the business to embrace the strategic advantages of developing apprenticeship talent.
Bridging the skills gap for school leavers
All apprentices require support as they develop workplace skills, which often involves mentorship and additional training. However, this support must go hand in hand with closer collaboration between businesses and providers to ensure that course content remains relevant to industry needs. CEC’s Employer Standards provide a framework to help businesses of all sizes address skill gaps.
Businesses must ask tough questions about whether they are doing enough to showcase the exciting work apprentices contribute to. Commercial apprentices for example are integral to negotiating with contractors and suppliers. It’s important that potential applicants know the value and responsibility we place on these roles. And we should highlight the cultural aspects of the workplace—many apprentices cite a supportive and nurturing environment as a key benefit.
Too often, the financial rewards are underestimated. With starting salaries for apprentices at Berkeley Group of around £25,000, greater transparency around earning potential could make these pathways even more attractive.
Looking ahead
The government recently announced plans it hopes will unlock access for 10,000 more apprentices by removing red tape and relaxing rules around level two maths and literacy qualifications for adult apprentices- with £40 million also recently announced to boost apprenticeships in key growth areas. We welcome these positive moves and look forward to reviewing the details of how these policies work in practice.
Ultimately, there is still much to do to change perceptions of built environment apprenticeships and remove regional disparities. Even within London, there are massive differences from borough to borough in terms of awareness and availability of options which can limit our ability to take on apprentices. With further governmental support and greater partnership between the private sector and organisations like CEC, we can evidence the fact that apprenticeships are equally as credible, valuable and lucrative as more academically focussed options.
We will be opening new opportunities in this area as we’ve seen the positive impact year after year. Apprentices gain a solid foundation for a successful career in an industry where the sky is the limit.
The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) is close to one million, figures show.
The Office for National Statistics estimates 987,000 young people aged 16 to 24, or 13.4 per cent of that age group, were classed as NEET between October and December.
This is a 41,000 increase on estimates for July to September and almost 300,000 higher than the same period in 2021 when the UK was emerging from the pandemic.
Overall, 595,000 of the total – about 60 per cent – were classed as inactive because they had not sought work within the previous four weeks or were unable to start work in the following two weeks.
The figures – which include young people who are unemployed, not in training or not counted in the labour force – are labelled as “official statistics in development” due to falling response rates to a survey they are partially based on.
They were nonetheless met with concern by employment experts, including Youth Employment UK chief executive Laura-Jane Rawlings, who said without “drastic change” the total would surpass one million.
She said: “Young people who experience time NEET are at risk from significant scarring, both in terms of their health and wellbeing but also in the economic opportunities they will have across their lives – the wider cost to the economy is significant.”
Reducing the UK’s NEET rate to levels recorded in some other developed countries could generate savings of up to £69 billion for the economy, Youth Employment UK estimates.
Minister for employment Alison McGovern said: “I am determined that no one will be left on the scrapheap, regardless of where they live: that is my message to the almost one million young people not in education, employment or training.”
“Our Get Britain Working reforms will deliver genuine opportunity by transforming Jobcentres, ensuring every young person has the chance to earn or learn, and joining up fragmented work, health and skills support.”
“This is how we will unlock the potential of our future generations and make everyone better off.”
The ONS figures come three months after publication of Labour’s Get Britain Working white paper, which outlines plans to cut the UK’s “ballooning” benefits bill by raising the employment rate from 74.8 to 80 per cent.
Plans set out by the government include eight “youth guarantee” areas, £240 million for “skills, work and health” support programmes, merging the National Careers Service with job centres and £115 million for the Connect to Work scheme.
Ahead of the white paper’s publication, news reports based on briefings from government sources suggested people could face sanctions if they refused employment support, but details failed to materialise in the final draft.
Chief executive of Learning and Work Institute Stephen Evans said the youth NEET figures were the “highest in a decade” and represented a “further worrying rise, particularly for young men”, who make up 55 per cent of the total.
Men account for 65 per cent of the 392,000 young people who are unemployed.
Youth Futures Foundation CEO Barry Fletcher warned mental health was “one of the most common” issues driving the economic inactivity numbers.
He said: “As the youth employment challenge worsens, it’s imperative we continue to expand the evidence base to find out what works, and ensure policymakers, employers and others put this evidence into action.”
However, Evans urged “caution” over the ONS estimates, which are labelled as “official statistics in development.”
In a footnote on strengths and limitations of the latest youth NEET estimates, the ONS said: “Results from sample surveys are always estimates and not precise figures. This can have an impact on how changes in the estimates should be interpreted, especially for short-term comparisons.”
Response rates to the survey faced a “sharp drop” to a lowest point of 17.4 per cent in 2023, rising to 24.6 per cent for July to September 2024.
In a letter addressing concerns raised by MPs on Parliament’s Treasury Committee, the ONS’ national statistician Sir Ian Diamond said the office can “no longer rely on surveys” but admitted reform to the survey is unlikely to happen this year.
He added that implementing the online-first “transformed labour force survey” was a “difficult and challenging experience” for many staff at the statistics authority, affecting wellbeing and confidence “at all levels” of the organisation.
Nottingham Trent University vice chancellor Professor Edward Peck has been named as the government’s preferred candidate to chair the Office for Students.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said Peck “will play a vital role in supporting higher education providers’ financial sustainability and breaking down barriers to opportunity”.
If his appointment is confirmed, Peck will take over from David Behan, who was made interim chair of the higher education regulator in July after leading an independent review of the quango.
Peck has led Nottingham Trent University since 2014 but announced last month he will step down in the summer.
He holds a number of other roles in higher education. He is currently acting chair of UCAS, chair of the higher education mental health implementation taskforce and is the Department for Education’s higher education student support champion.
He was also a panel member on the Augar Review of post-18 education and funding.
MPs on the education select committee will grill Peck at a pre-appointment hearing on March 4. The government will confirm Peck’s appointment to the £59,000 two-day-a-week job shortly after.
Peck co-authored a Policy Exchange report in 2020 on higher level technical skills. The so-called “Peck plan” put forward included new “applied universities” to take the lead on growth in technical skills. The plan was criticised at the time by Association of Colleges chief David Hughes.
On his selection as OfS chair, Hughes said Peck was a “strong appointment.”
He added: “His track record at Nottingham Trent University has shown that he has a commitment to developing pathways with colleges for learners from some of the most deprived parts of the country.”
University finances will be top of Peck’s agenda as OfS chair as more institutions announce redundancies and course closures.
In December the OfS took the unprecedented step of closing its register to new higher education providers so its staff can prioritise “severe pressures” facing universities. It also froze applications for new degree awarding powers and the use of the university title.
Closing the register means new providers can’t get approval to deliver higher education courses needed in local areas. OfS hopes to lift these restrictions by August.
Susan Lapworth, chief executive of the OfS, said Peck was an “excellent candidate”.
“Alongside his leadership of Nottingham Trent University, Edward has also led important work to improve students’ mental and wellbeing across the sector,” she added.
“If Edward is confirmed following that [parliamentary] process, everyone at the OfS will look forward to working with him as we finalise our new strategy and continue to ensure that students from all backgrounds benefit from high quality higher education, delivered by a diverse, sustainable sector that continues to improve.”
Microcredentials are not new to the further education market. They have been around for years in a variety of disciplines but due to rising tuition fees and the cost of living crisis, these short online courses suddenly present a more attractive solution for both institutions and students.
The global Micro-credentials Courses Market size expanded rapidly in 2024 and will grow substantially by 2032, according to Business Research Insights‘ analysis.
A YouGov survey of almost 4,000 UK graduates found most of those who paid higher tuition fees are significantly more likely to feel that the cost of their education was bad value for money.
The poll is just the latest symptom of a growing trend where students are increasingly turning away from the traditional three and four-year university programmes in favour of other further education options.
Growth area
Short courses are a great way to build skills and boost expertise. Most of them offer a certificate upon completion, which can add credibility. This is especially helpful for people who lack on-the-job experience in the field they want to enter.
However, not all short courses are equal. The value of the certificate depends on the course itself. So does the cost and time needed to complete it.
There are more short courses than ever before, covering areas such as business, tech, hospitality, and beauty. The best ones teach practical skills that improve employability. These courses are likely to gain recognition and respect within their industries.
Short courses also make upskilling easier by reducing time and cost barriers. Many are designed for remote or flexible learning. This is an advantage over traditional university courses, which often lack such options, even after the global pandemic.
For students who are juggling other responsibilities, the flexibility of short courses can be a game-changer, offering a way to fit learning into busy schedules without sacrificing other commitments. This is particularly important in a world where balancing your professional and personal life can be challenging.
Professional development
It’s not just independent organisations offering short courses, as many companies now run in-house training programmes. These often come with certificates that are recognised outside the organisation.
For employees, this creates a new way to fast-track career development. It also means they can learn while enjoying the stability of a full-time job and regular pay.
In-house courses benefit both employers and employees. For businesses, investing in learning and development helps them stay competitive. High-performing companies often create a culture of continuous learning.
They can foster a sense of loyalty among employees
But as skills become outdated faster, keeping up is a challenge. Microcredentials, included as part of professional development plans, can help. They improve employee retention and job satisfaction.
Digital learning is making these courses even more accessible. Online short courses allow employees to balance learning with their personal lives. This reduces barriers for people who can’t attend in-person classes.
Additionally, companies offering these programmes demonstrate a commitment to employee growth, which can be a significant factor in attracting and retaining top talent. These initiatives can foster a stronger sense of loyalty and engagement among employees, creating a more productive workforce.
Flexible upskilling
Microcredentials are versatile enough to either stand alone or complement existing qualifications. They take less time and cost less than traditional courses. Their modular structure makes them accessible to more people. While not all microcredentials offer the same value, they are an affordable and flexible way to upskill.
These programmes are designed for today’s fast-changing workplace. They help people build or update their skills quickly.
Whether offered by employers or external providers, microcredentials are becoming a key part of modern education as they deliver a clear path for professionals looking to advance or change careers. They also support lifelong learning, empowering individuals to stay relevant in industries where change is constant and the demand for new skills never ceases.
As technology evolves and disrupts traditional roles, these credentials provide an agile way for professionals to adapt and thrive in their careers.
Industry Insights provides a range of opportunities, including placements, workshops and virtual group placement sessions to develop skills, build industry knowledge and engage with employers. The programme is supported by industry professionals working for leading organisations such as Amazon, McLaren Racing, Microsoft, NHS, PWC, and the ZSL. Colleges can also link with local employers to arrange workplace and site visits and work shadowing for their staff.
T Level teachers will:
Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and current industry practices.
Enrich the curriculum and their teaching with ‘real life’ knowledge and skills.
Invest in their continuous professional development (CPD).
FE and Skills providers will:
Develop mutually beneficial relationships with employers.
Improve learner outcomes and employability.
Demonstrates a commitment to staff CPD, proven to boost Ofsted ratings.
Receive funding to facilitate participation in the programme.
“My onsite visit to a Morgan Sindall project gave me a real insight into modern building techniques using ECO Modular Buildings and demonstrates the importance of industry involvement in training of T Level learners. This kind of collaboration ensures relevant and up-to-date skills are shared, and learners are prepared for the world of work. I would actively encourage other companies to find out how they can get involved and realise the benefits to their future workforce”
Simon Parker, Specialist Skills Instructor & T Level Development Lead at South Essex College
Real life experience through industry placements
ETF has put together a calendar of one-day group site visits and half-day virtual sessions with expert professionals. These events are designed to help teachers broaden and deepen their understanding of how T Level subjects are applied in industry. They cover a wide range of topics, for example: current and future trends, new and emerging technologies, and existing practices in the day-to-day life of industry professionals, as well as career pathways and progression opportunities for T Level learners. Recent events have included a day shadowing staff at The Royal Opera House for Creative and Design T Level teachers and forthcoming events include an exclusive site visit to Scolmore International in Tamworth for Construction and Engineering & Manufacturing T Level teachers.
FE and Skills providers can apply for funding to facilitate their participation in the programme. There is up to £400 available per participant for a full day event, and £200 for a half day event, to help with costs for admin, logistics and cover. If participants prefer to arrange their own individual site visits with a local employer, for example, the same funding for associated costs is available.
‘Just three weeks after attending ETF’s well-organised group industry placement session, we’re seeing a significant impact. The experience has inspired further professional development, helping us feel more confident and prepared for the delivery of our T Level provision.’
Karena Morrison, Teaching & Learning Manager, Brighton Met
Stay up to date with live events and workshops
A day away from school or college isn’t always a convenient option, so teachers can get a focussed ‘quick fix’ by joining one of ETF’s Industry Workshops. These 60 – 90-minute sector specific updates help build industry knowledge and provide the latest info on current and emerging technologies and practice. There is usually a Q&A session as well.
Teachers can access recordings of all Industry Insights Workshops on-demand on the ETF learning platform.
ETF is always adding new sessions to the workshop calendar , so teachers are advised to check regularly.
Here are some of things that participants say they value about the sessions:
“Clear concise explanations.”
“Learning up to date industry knowledge.”
“Information about the recruitment processes and qualification levels was very useful.”
“Personal experiences / real life examples.”
“The best part was the collaborating sessions with other T-Level Teachers, where we shared our different experiences and challenges.”
“The opportunity to listen to multiple speakers online without needing to travel to a conference.”
“Just superb – incredibly knowledgeable speakers and the content was relevant – thank you.”
Take your pick of practical tips and learning
The ETF learning platform has a growing number of Industry Insights and employer partnerships online courses available. T Level teachers can boost their CPD and enhance their industry-specific knowledge and skills, when they want and at their own pace.
You can find out more about the innovative Industry Insights programme on the ETF website. Colleges and teachers will need to open an ETF account to access events and to apply for funding.
Practical help for everyone involved in planning and delivering T Levels
The Industry Insights programme is just one element of ETF’s T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer, which was commissioned by the Department for Education. It was developed in collaboration with expert learning providers and employers in order to support FE and Skills providers offering T Level qualifications and is shaped around the needs of the workforce alongside relevant regional, employer and curriculum requirements.
The six elements of ETF’s TDLP offer are a rich mix of live online and face-to-face workshops, in-house delivery, e-learning resources, mentoring, networking, and industry collaboration. At the core is a range of subject specific training which provides practical help to everyone involved in the planning and delivery of T Levels. All T Level Professional Development is offered at no charge to ESFA funded FE and Skills providers. Find out more.
The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is the workforce development body for the Further Education and Training sector. We provide educators with a pathway of professional development throughout their careers, champion inclusion and enable sector change for a thriving FE and skills sector.
Ofsted has revealed how it will test its proposed new approach to inspection in the coming weeks, with trial visits to around 240 schools, FE providers and early years settings.
Ofsted piloted the proposed new framework at six education providers before it launched its public consultation on February 3, and had said it planned to trial it further once the consultation was underway.
The inspectorate said its visits would “provide an early opportunity for our inspectors to become familiar with the main features of the new approach.
“Of course, they will do this without pre-judging further changes, which may follow the consultation.”
Which settings will get a visit?
On Wednesday, the watchdog revealed it will now visit around 240 providers across the country to test its plan more widely.
It says the visits will test “how the new approach and toolkits feel, both for the providers and the inspectors”.
The trial visits will take place at childminders, nurseries, pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, independent schools, further education providers and ITE providers.
It is not known how many of each of those settings will be visited, nor how they will be selected.
All of the visits are voluntary, meaning providers approached to take part can decline.
The visits are not official inspections and will not result in official, graded assessments.
However, it is not known whether Ofsted will draw up unofficial report cards that will remain unpublished.
What form will the visits take?
Sir Martyn Oliver
The test visits will take three different forms.
Around half will be “thematic” or “paired thematic” visits – both limited to assessing specific areas of Ofsted’s proposals.
Thematic visits will test the “feasibility and validity” of specific aspects of the proposed methodology, and inspection toolkits.
Meanwhile paired thematic visits will be carried out by more than one inspector, and will test the consistency of assessments.
Reliability has long been a concern regarding Ofsted inspections, and leaders have expressed fears the proposed new framework will make judgments less reliable.
Paired thematic visits “will test whether inspectors follow the same process, and have shared views on the strengths and areas for improvement”, for the body that is being inspected.
The other half of the 240 inspections will be full, “end-to-end” visits. These will comprise a full inspection, to test the entire inspection methodology and toolkits.
Visits to test ‘validity’ of new inspection toolkits
A key facet of Ofsted’s proposed changes is the introduction of inspection “toolkits”, which would be available to providers.
These rubrics describe the quality inspectors “expect to see at each point on the scale” from ‘exemplary’ to ‘causing concern’, for each judgment area.
Ofsted said the trial visits would look at “feasibility” and “validity” of the toolkits, or how well they help inspectors gather evidence, and whether they enable inspectors to collect evidence on “the most important aspects of education”.
They will also look at “scalability” – how well the toolkits work together, whether they cover the rights areas and how to “avoid unnecessary of unhelpful repetition”.
How will feedback affect Ofsted reforms?
Sector leaders have stressed Ofsted must be open about its pilot process and the way it uses feedback to change its proposals if needed.
The watchdog said it will gather and consider all feedback from these test visits – from both inspectors and providers – and “reflect on the process and the effect of the new toolkits”.
“This will allow us to make any necessary changes before introducing our new approach later this year.”
Ofsted will publish a report on the outcome of the consultation in the summer. The final agreed reforms will then be piloted again across all types of setting, before being formally implemented from November 2025.
Pilots ‘have so far been positive’
Before launching its consultation early this month, Ofsted trialled its proposals at six settings.
Lee Owston, the watchdog’s national director for education, recently claimed the “overwhelming” response to these mock inspections had been “very, very positive”.
“The purpose of those trials was to get reaction in terms of what it is … that we’re proposing, and of course, we have made adjustments and tweaks,” he said.
Frank Norris and Colin Richards – who were behind last year’s “alternative big listen” – have created the “alternative big consultation” (ABC) to independently gather opinions on the plans.
