Less than half of the £30 million earmarked for the government’s 16-to-18 traineeships market entry exercise is set to be awarded, FE Week understands.
Sixty training providers have won contracts of between £100,000 and £300,000 in the procurement that was finally launched at the end of September.
Outcomes are being communicated to bidders this week with delivery due to start at the beginning of December.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency has remained tight-lipped about the total number of providers that submitted bids and contract values, but FE Week understands only £13.7 million will be allocated.
It is not clear at this stage whether the underspend will be put back into the traineeship programme.
The ESFA said it would not comment on leaks when approached for comment.
The market entry exercise was launched in a bid to rapidly ramp up the number of young people taking part in the pre-employment programme, which has experienced low engagement since its launch in 2013.
To be eligible for this round of funding, training providers needed an ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ Ofsted rating unless they hold an existing contract for 19-24 traineeships.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak set a target to triple the number of starts in both the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years, backed with almost £250 million.
A progress report for Sunak’s Plan for Jobs was published in September and revealed there were 17,000 traineeship starts last year – 46 per cent of the government’s 36,700 target.
Ministers hope to achieve 43,000 starts on the scheme this year.
Two weeks ago, at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers autumn conference, the ESFA’s director of FE Kirsty Evans admitted the government will “not quite” achieve its starts ambition again this year, as she expressed “frustration” at delays to the programme’s expansion.
Officials had been promising a 16-to-18 traineeship market entry exercise all year but it was slow to get off the ground. This is despite the agency running a procurement to expand the 19-to-24 traineeship provider base, although that was beset with delays.
Axing the requirement for T Level students to achieve GCSE-level English and maths by the end of their course risks devaluing the brand of the new qualifications, sector leaders have warned.
Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi revealed the move this week, saying it has been made after the Department for Education “consistently” heard of some students being put off taking a T Level because of the rule.
It will bring T Levels in line with other qualifications, including their academic equivalent A-levels.
But former DfE director of FE funding Sue Pember believes the decision “sends the wrong message” to young people.
She told FE Week that removing English and maths GCSEs as the entry criteria for T Levels was “bad enough” and stopping the exit requirement will make their appeal to universities and employers “suffer”.
Ruth Spellman, former chief executive of the WEA, added: “Devaluing T Levels by reducing entry requirements will boost the take-up but risks increasing the fall-out. Can this be the right way to address skill shortages and build credibility with students or employers?”
Shadow education secretary Kate Green has also questioned what other support will be put in place to “ensure students do achieve these essential skills”.
Until now T Level students have been required to achieve either a grade 4 in English and maths GCSE or level 2 in functional skills in order to pass their programme.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, which has responsibility for T Levels, has been told to remove it with immediate effect for all pathways. The Education and Skills Funding Agency said it will provide guidance “shortly” on how this will be implemented.
The DfE hopes the moves will boost T Level take-up. Around 1,300 young people started T Levels last year – the first year of their rollout.
Starts figures for this year’s enrolments will not be available until “the end of the year”.
While there is some scepticism about the removal of the exit requirement, colleges that deliver T Levels have welcomed it.
Deputy chief executive at Luminate Education Group and principal of Leeds City College, Bill Jones, said the rule “might have created an unnecessary barrier to otherwise technically highly able and competent students”.
Luminate’s deputy chief executive for curriculum and quality, Gemma Simmons-Blench, explained that the requirement had “prevented a number of students from accessing the provision”.
“Enabling more inclusive access to T Level programmes can only serve to cement their importance and relevance in the curriculum landscape,” she added.
Corrienne Peasgood, principal of City College Norwich, described this as a “welcome announcement because of the parity it puts in place between T Levels and A-levels, given that students are able to achieve three A-levels without having passed GCSE English and maths”.
However, she doesn’t believe this change will affect large numbers of T Level students, “simply because having a good level of literacy and numeracy is essential to access the T Level curriculum”.
Pember, who now leads adult education network HOLEX, warned that this country has a “history of poor English and maths skills which results in lower productivity and poor economic performance” and said that making GCSEs an integral part of T Levels was a “robust way of showing their importance”.
She told FE Week that although English and maths have been removed as an “exit requirement” for T Levels ,“they are being transferred to being a ‘condition of funding’.
“So where a 16-to-19-year-old does not have grade 4 or above GCSE, they will be required to study towards a GCSE or level 2 functional skills.”
This special episode comes straight from the Association of Colleges annual conference in Birmingham, one of the biggest FE events of the year!
Shane is joined by two leading principals: Sally Dicketts, chief executive at Activate Learning, and Jo Maher, chief executive at Loughborough College.
Together they take a closer look at Nadhim Zahawi’s speech that day, in the education secretary’s first appearance to the sector…
Listen to the special episode 7 below, and hit subscribe to follow the podcast!
Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has issued a call to arms after learning that less than a third of apprenticeships are currently delivered by colleges.
He told the Association of Colleges conference this morning that he “knows colleges are more than capable” of expanding in this space.
In an interview with FE Week after his speech, Zahawi stopped short of setting an “arbitrary target” for colleges to aspire to because it “is wrong for us to do that” but urged leaders to be “ambitious as possible”.
His message comes six years after then skills minister Nick Boles told the same conference to stop letting private providers “nick your lunch” – criticising colleges for failing to secure more government apprenticeships cash.
At the time, in 2015, around 27 per cent of apprenticeships were delivered by colleges.
Zahawi told delegates today: “I would love to see even more colleges involved in delivering apprenticeships.
“Currently around 30 per cent of apprenticeships are carried out in colleges, but if we really want to transform supply we will have to grow that number. I know colleges are more than capable of it.”
The education secretary said the country needs to “ensure far closer alignment between colleges and employers right across our skills system” – and listed off colleges’ role in upcoming local skills improvement plans and urged them to also get involved in other programmes like skills bootcamps.
Just 10 out of the 36 providers signed up to deliver the national rollout of bootcamps.
Zahawi refused to share his hypothesis about why colleges have not stepped up their apprenticeship delivery over the past six years.
But he told FE Week: “My call to arms is to say, look, the colleges that have really focused on this and are doing it well, I’d love you to learn from them, I’d love you to scale up because you are very much at the heart of communities.
“Join us on this journey and be ambitious about it.”
Over half of FE college boards have no black board members, while less than a third have no Asian members, new research by the Association of Colleges has found.
The report also shows nearly half of boards surveyed had 10 or more male members, but only eight reported 10 or more female members.
Association chief executive David Hughes said there is “more work” to be done “to be representative amongst senior staff and leaders” as colleges are “some of the most diverse institutions in the country in terms of students”.
This report, carried out by education and skills questionnaire provider QDP Services, provides a “baseline to work from and highlight the challenges that remain around representation, diversity and inclusion in our sector,” Hughes said.
David Hughes
As well as 32 per cent of boards having no Asian members and 51 per cent having no black members, the report also found 63 per cent had no members declaring a physical disability.
Ninety per cent of boards had fewer than three members aged under 24 and less than one per cent had a member who identified as non-heterosexual or which had a gender reassigned member.
Despite this, 70 per cent of governance professionals – paid employees who work with the board – described their board as diverse.
Only 36 per cent of board members felt their board pays sufficient attention to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and one third felt their board was failing to implement EDI.
Boards most commonly monitored EDI within the organisation using an annual report on the matter, but the report called this “often a rather token mechanism”.
The report recommends all boards have a clear and contextualised definition of EDI, as it found: “Confusion over their meaning and relative stature is a common ground on which EDI stalls.”
Boards must put in place evidence-based strategies to promote EDI and “bookend” efforts to improve it with audits of issues and outcomes.
The most effective training interventions to promote EDI should also be promoted and government needs to put resources into supporting the FE sector on this.
A call for further research to come up with objective measures with a “360-degree view of EDI” is also needed.
Diversity in FE leadership has become a hot topic in the sector, with FE Week reporting in July 2019 that less than seven per cent of college principals were non-white.
The following October, the Education and Training Foundation announced its Diversity in Leadership programme including one-to-one coaching for aspiring black, Asian and minority ethnic leaders.
Ofsted has bagged an extra £24 million from government to inspect every school, college and further education provider by summer 2025.
For colleges specifically, they will receive a full inspection from September 2022 regardless of whether they are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. These colleges would typically receive a short inspection.
The inspections will also be “enhanced” to take account of “local skills needs”, in line with proposals set our in the skills for jobs white paper.
Ofsted said the decision to accelerate inspections has been made to give a quicker assessment of how well education is recovering from the pandemic.
Without the new cash, funded through the spending review, it would have taken a further year for all schools, colleges and providers to be completed, according to a spokesperson.
Chief inspector Amanda Spielman expanded on the announcement at today’s Association of Colleges conference.
She said: “I’m confident that this is a positive development and one that will be welcomed by the sector. It followed discussions with the DfE about how inspection can respond to the focus on local skills needs.
“I’m in favour of assessing the extent to which colleges have regard to local skills. We’ve had concerns about mismatches in the past between courses that are popular and courses that really open doors. There is a moral imperative here on two fronts – both to help the economy thrive and to present students with realistic pathways.”
Spielman added: “It’s really important that we get a true feel for the local economy so we can properly consider the contribution of colleges. This work clearly doesn’t lend itself to light-touch inspection. We need full inspections, with some enhancements, which I’m pleased government has recognised.”
The chief inspector said Ofsted has already started to pilot its methodologies for inspecting skills needs, and the watchdog will be seeking the sector’s input.
FE Week understands Ofsted is on a recruitment drive to hire between 18 and 25 new inspectors to build capacity for the accelerated inspections of colleges and other FE providers.
Following today’s announcement, Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders warned “the government has some strange ideas about the priority for education recovery”.
She said the “government hasn’t committed anything like the level of investment which is needed” to deliver recovery programmes at the scale provided. The prospect of having “deal with a visit from an inspection team isn’t particularly helpful” when schools and colleges are still dealing with pandemic disruption, she added.
Ministers’ one-year delay to defunding many BTECs and other applied general qualifications does not go far enough, the Labour Party has warned.
Addressing today’s Association of Colleges annual conference, shadow education secretary Kate Green called on the government to introduce a four-year moratorium on scrapping any of the qualifications so that none are removed before 2025 – as called for by the House of Lords.
Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi last night announced that qualifications like BTECs, which will be subject to a planned cull of level 3 qualifications that overlap with T Levels and A-levels, would not have their funding stripped until at least 2024 instead of the original plan of 2023.
He also revealed that the requirement for T Level students to achieve level 2 English and maths by the end of their course will be removed.
Green said today: “For me this doesn’t go far enough. Some BTECs will survive – but the secretary of state won’t tell us which. That undermines confidence among employers and students.
“The announced removal of the requirement for GCSE English and maths to access T Levels came without any indication of what support will be put in place to ensure students do achieve these essential skills, or how the additional need for work placements that might result will be accommodated.
“Meanwhile, pilots continue with the English and Maths GCSE requirement in place – what does last night’s announcement mean for these students?”
She added: “Ensuring the right choices remain for all students, is so important especially for the most marginalised, and that’s why Labour will continue to urge ministers to take the time to get all this right and to accept our amendment passed in the Lords with cross party support for a four-year moratorium on scrapping BTECs.”
Green also used her speech to reiterate Labour’s plans for skills.
It includes the creation of a new “further education recovery premium” – which would essentially be a post-16 pupil premium – as well as a commitment to giving every school and college access to a professional careers advisor one day a week.
A Labour government would also reinstate the equivalent of at least two weeks of compulsory work experience, Green said.
FE Week is media partner for this year’s AoC conference. Read our edition coming out on Friday for full coverage of the event.
We work in a sector that is notoriously diverse. Further education and skills is an ecosystem of differences; national and local funders, global and micro employer customers, large and small qualifications in every subject imaginable, and massive college groups and small local training providers serving learner populations that are often more diverse than the communities they come from and who are learning for all sorts of reasons.
Ask people why they work in FE and skills, though and you’re likely to get a unified response – it’s all about the opportunity for the learners we serve.
Education is a values-driven service with a social as well as economic purpose. The best educators know this and thrive in those ‘light bulb’ moments with their learners and get their kicks developing a curriculum and experience that they know sets them up for their next steps.
We also know that a worthwhile curriculum isn’t just about the trade, the craft or the academics. Getting a learner through a study programme, apprenticeship standard or qualification spec is only half the job. We also want our learners to be good people that can understand and thrive in the world around them.
That’s why the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) agenda is so important and why I wanted to shine a spotlight on the important work being done, and that is yet to be done, on making FE an inclusive place to work and learn.
Eyes are, rightly, on the sector’s national organisations to show leadership and on provider leaders to take action.
In this special supplement, you will find honest appraisals and critical reflections from leaders at all levels as well as insights from expert EDI practitioners who are at the cutting edge of culture change in their organisations.
You will find some emerging themes, like the importance of role models and smart use of data. What I hope you don’t find in these pages is complacency.
All of this, I hope, will inspire accountability, more self-reflection and, crucially, even more change.
When we think of Further Education, we tend to think of specific subjects that may lead to university courses or vocational and professional qualifications that give students ‘hard skills’. But what of the ‘soft skills’ – the art of social interaction, empathy and self-awareness? Do colleges bring enough emphasis to these? And is there a college equivalent to PSHE studied at school that will give students a good steer on their personal wellbeing, diet, lifestyle and exercise choices?
On leaving college and seeking employment, students with life skills and social skills will be favoured by employers. Candidates who display health, confidence, self and social awareness will stand head and shoulders above other candidates.
The welfare of workforces during the pandemic put workplace wellbeing in the spotlight. Employees’ mental health and physical health were of as much a concern as their work performance. Employers were increasingly being held to account for managing the wellbeing of their staff. Not surprisingly, as people struggled to adapt and cope, empathy and social awareness became of paramount importance. As further education, internships and recruiting youngsters into their first job return to a more ‘normal’ pattern, it’s important we don’t forget the value of life skills and soft skills among students.
Importance of life skills
Life skills enable us to adapt and manage day-to-day events – from interacting with others and dealing with our emotions to behaving appropriately in any given situation. Knowing and valuing oneself is key to success, as well as having empathy for colleagues, friends and people at large. People with strong life skills have a greater awareness of themselves and those around them. As such, they make good managers and leaders and can expect to progress well at work.
It could be argued that time is the best teacher of many life skills and social skills as experience at work and in the wider world helps to shape a person. Learning from your mistakes rings very true for us all and is referred to as ‘learning the hard way’ for good reason.
But what if there was an easy way for further education providers to guide the student journey from college to work? By supporting their personal and social development, building an appreciation of their personal wellbeing and raising their awareness around healthy eating and drinking?
Ready-made menu of wellbeing courses
It can be a minefield for tutors to find the right courses and put them together for the best effect. But help is at hand thanks to a new collaboration between two of the UK’s most highly regarded Awarding and End-point Assessment Organisations – Active IQ and Skillsfirst.
They’ve joined forces to create a unique Wellbeing Package to meet the growing demand from employers for staff to have both physical and social wellness skills.
The new Wellbeing Package comprises eight qualifications and offers a broad range of topics at Level 1 and Level 2, making them accessible to the majority of learners.
The qualifications complement each other and dovetail nicely. Two or more can be studied in tandem thus maximising the opportunity for learners to gain multiple skills in a short space of time.
“We are increasingly aware that employers are looking for multi skill sets in the wellbeing field,” says Gavin Baxter, Active IQ Business Consultant. “Our bespoke Wellbeing Package will equip learners with a number of skills that are sought after in the workplace.”
“We each chose four qualifications to offer a good range of social and interpersonal skills,” says Faye Moore, Skillsfirst Head of Business Engagement. “All of our qualifications can be delivered face-to-face or in a blended model and meet the requirements of funding provision.”
Wellbeing training can be embedded into apprenticeship programmes, offered as standalone or provided within the induction programme when students join the college. Before embarking on delivering these new qualifications, Faye advises colleges to set time aside to develop their staff so that they, in turn, can support their learners.
Important life lessons
Why is it important for FE facilities to offer training / qualifications in wellbeing?
Individuals, employers and learners are increasingly invested in wellness, especially in the current climate. It’s increasingly expected that colleges will offer such qualifications and training as people realise that education plays a key role in helping young adults understand their own wellbeing.
“Students who undertake wellbeing courses will be well rounded and have a better chance of employment,” believes Gavin. “The aim is that not only will they learn about their own mental and physical health, but also gain an appreciation of the health and wellbeing of those around them.”
A good balance
The Wellbeing Package enables colleges to offer social/mental wellbeing skills training alongside physical wellbeing.
“Although we commonly think of the mind and body – our mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing – as separate, we need to think of them as a whole,” says Faye. “Physical wellbeing – being fit and healthy, having strong bones and muscles and good posture – has a positive effect on our mood and general wellbeing, as do our social connections. Training students in these complementary disciplines makes perfect sense.”
The Wellbeing Package also includes personal and social development and personal wellbeing to give learners confidence to manage their day-to-day needs. Much sought after by employers, self-awareness of one’s own wellbeing is itself a key employability skill.
Broaching sensitive topics
Some of the qualifications on offer – smoking cessation, alcohol awareness and LGBT inclusion – broach important topics that may be sensitive for younger learners. However, as these issues are highly likely to affect young adults, shying away from them in the classroom is not the answer.
Focus on the person – not just the skill
Responsible employers will look at the whole person, not just their skillset, as they understand that optimum productivity can only be achieved by an individual who is physically, mentally and socially on top of their game. The best skilled person in the world won’t see their competency fulfilled if they don’t have life skills and soft skills.
A number of FE colleges and training providers are already successfully incorporating Active IQ and Skillsfirst personal and workplace wellbeing qualifications. As life skills grow in value and importance to employers and students respectively, wellbeing skills training within colleges looks set to have a very healthy future.
Active IQ & Skillsfirst Wellbeing Package includes:
