An ethnic minority representative group has slammed a prime ministerial commission’s proposal for an apprentice recruitment campaign “highly targeted” at diverse communities. 

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities claimed this week that “prejudice and ignorance” within ethnic minority families led to a low take-up of apprenticeship starts in their communities. 

FE Week analysis of government data shows that 42,100 (13 per cent) of the 332,500 apprenticeship starts in 2019/20 were by black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) learners. 

This is slightly out of kilter with the 15 per cent of England’s population who are BAME, according to NHS England data collated by the Nuffield Trust in 2020. 

Commission proposals ‘fundamentally avoids tackling unfair practices’

The key proposal of the commission to tackle this issue was a “highly targeted” apprenticeship recruitment campaign, designed by the Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions, and delivered by FE colleges and school career hubs. 

“Our view,” the report states, “is that such a campaign could be of particular benefit to young people who face discrimination or disadvantage and currently lack access to in-depth information about the full range of career pathways”. 

However, the commission’s proposal has been criticised by the Black Training and Enterprise Group, which said the recommendation “fundamentally avoids tackling unfair and discriminatory employer recruitment practices”. 

This, the group says, has affected sectors including construction, engineering and technology, where BAME people “continue to be under-represented in jobs and apprenticeships. Far too much recruitment in the UK relies on word-of-mouth recruitment, informal methods, attending the right schools and universities, and looking like the recruiters and having similar sounding names,” the group explained. 

Chief executive Jeremy Crook (pictured top) said the report overall “failed to grasp the considerable evidence of institutional and structural racism in the UK,” and BTEG was calling on the government to “rethink its approach”. 

In response to the report, chair of the government’s Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network Lia Nici admitted: “There is still a lot of work to do to ensure our apprenticeships, and the careers that develop from them, fully represent the diverse mixture of people in the UK.” 

She said the report “highlights a wide range of issues with regard to diversity and race in the UK,” not just in terms of ethnicity. 

“We also know that there are fewer apprentices who have disabilities, as well as females working in science, engineering, technology or maths-based roles. We want to encourage apprentices from a broader range of backgrounds.” 

Nici said the champions network, a group of employers formed in 2017, was already discussing “a range of targeted activities” to encourage apprenticeships in communities that have not seen strong take-up. 

Apprenticeships ‘not seen as enabling aspiration’

Under-representation of BAME people in apprenticeships is by no means a new revelation, nor is the claim that ethnic minority families do not place a high value on apprenticeships. 

Crook reported in a 2018 essay for the Learning and Work Institute on a group of mostly-BAME foundation year degree students who told them “more academic qualifications will give them a better chance of success in the labour market”. 

However, he wrote, “the reality is that BAME graduates have higher rates of unemployment than white graduates”. 

A 2018 report, Apprenticeships and Diversity in Context in Greater Manchester by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, found BAME young people “aspire to and are encouraged towards high educational attainment”, with family and community expectations being “especially significant [whereas] apprenticeships are not seen as enabling aspiration to the same degree”. 

The Department for Education’s public attempts to redress low ethnic minority take-up goes back to when Justine Greening was education secretary under Theresa May. Greening was accused of being “all talk” after telling the education select committee that the government had a “big focus” on encouraging “a higher proportion of BAME young people going into apprenticeships”.

This was after FE Week found at the time that just eight per cent of England’s young apprentices were BAME. 

Since then, the DfE says it has “ensured that young BAME role models are visible in campaigns such as ‘Fire It Up’, and that we are hearing the voices of young apprentices (including BAME) through apprentice networks, such as the Young Apprentice Ambassador Network and the Apprentice Panel”.

The Department for Education and the Government Equalities Office, which is leading on the commission’s report, were approached for comment.

A struggling college has announced plans to merge with one of the biggest college groups in the country next year.

Greater Brighton Metropolitan College (GB MET) hopes to join Chichester College Group (CCG) in August 2022 following a “robust” selection process overseen by the FE Commissioner’s team.

Sue Berelowitz, GB Met’s chair of governors, said the board “unanimously approved” the plans which she says are in the “best interests of current and future learners”.

The FE Commissioner’s team intervened at GB Met last year following a request for emergency funding and a Notice to Improve from the Department for Education.

It has since gone through a leadership change and management clearout.

Chichester College Group’s executive principal Andy Green was seconded to GB Met on an interim basis last July when principal Nick Juba resigned.

Berelowitz became GB Met’s chair in April 2020. She said she was “confident” that becoming part of a large “outstanding” college group is the “right course of action to ensure we are providing an exciting and relevant curriculum delivered to the highest standards and which reflects the vibrancy and energy of our city and coastal strip”.

CCG’s current chief executive Shelagh Legrave, who has today been named as the new FE Commissioner, said this merger will create a “dynamic organisation to serve the education and training needs of Brighton & Hove, West Sussex and the wider region”.

“We are committed to maintaining and enhancing the local identities of Brighton MET and Northbrook MET and ensuring local leadership of the campuses,” she added. “We will work with local stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors to ensure that we meet the needs of the local communities.”

A statutory consultation is set to take place later this year. The colleges said their priority will be to “minimise disruption to staff and students and to ensure a seamless transition period”.

The merger will create one of the largest further education groups in the country – consisting of colleges in Brighton, Shoreham, Chichester, Brinsbury, Crawley, Worthing and Haywards Heath. 

It would have 36,000 students and 2,200 staff.

The first college in the country to have its own nursing provision approved for direct delivery has been revealed today.

South Devon College has gained Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approval and can now deliver its own nursing associate programme rather than having to partner with a university.

The NMC is the regulator for nursing and midwifery professions in the UK and has traditionally only given higher education providers permission to deliver qualifications for the industry.

South Devon College is one of only nine colleges nationwide that has its own foundation degree awarding powers, which made the move possible. It applied for Approved Education Institution (AEI) status with the NMC two years ago. No other colleges have applied for approval to date.

Maria Woodger, assistant principal at South Devon College, described the success following a “rigorous process” as a “fantastic achievement” that means “so much to the college, our students and the wider healthcare community”.

The college said its two-year pre-registration nursing associate foundation degree course on offer provides a direct route to becoming a registered nursing associate. After two years, students are also able to take the new nursing apprenticeship route.

As the college has foundation degree awarding powers, it can also offer the level 5 nursing associate apprenticeship.

 

‘I hope they will be the first of many colleges seeking direct nursing approval’

Lucy Hunte, the national programme manager for apprenticeships at Health Education England, said she was “delighted” to see a college move into the direct nursing delivery space.

“There are other examples across the country of partnerships with employers and HE and we recognise that FE colleges have apprenticeship expertise and partnerships like these will allow the NHS to achieve our ambitious targets for the level 5 nursing associate apprenticeship and progressions onto the registered nurse degree apprenticeship,” she added.

Alexander Rhys, NMC’s assistant director of professional practice, said this was a “fantastic step” for both South Devon College and the council in “helping aspiring professionals achieve the nursing associate qualification in the most safe and effective way possible”.

He added that he hopes “they will be the first of many colleges seeking direct approval to run a nursing associate programme”.

The college said that since the Covid-19 pandemic, applications to nursing courses nationally have increased by 32 per cent in the last year, with more than 60,000 people interested in nursing as a career.

You now have until Friday 16 April (midnight GMT) to submit a nomination for the BTEC Awards 2021. 

We know this year has been filled with uncertainty and challenge, and we’re keen to hear how your centre has supported staff and learners through it. It’s quick and easy to enter the BTEC Awards – and you might just be our next winner!

Why should you submit a nomination? 

• • Recognise exceptional achievement
    • There will be some extra special stories to celebrate in 2021 and we want to hear about those learners, educators, schools and colleges that lit the way during an extraordinary year.
  • A great PR opportunity for your centre
    • BTEC Award winners will be offered many press opportunities and will also have a professional video case study created.
  • Looks great on a CV
    • A BTEC Award offers kudos and recognition on an international level.

BTEC Awards Categories

Learner Awards:

• BTEC Art and Design Learner of the Year
• BTEC Business and Enterprise Learner of the Year (we also accept Esports, Law and Marketing qualifications in this category)
• BTEC Child and Social Care Learner of the Year
• BTEC Construction Learner of the Year
• BTEC Creative Media Learner of the Year
• BTEC Engineering Learner of the Year
• BTEC Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Learner of the Year
• BTEC IT and Computing Learner of the Year
• BTEC Land-based Learner of the Year
• BTEC Music Learner of the Year
• BTEC Performing Arts Learner of the Year
• BTEC Public Services Learner of the Year
• BTEC Science Learner of the Year
• BTEC Sport Learner of the Year

Educator Awards:

• BTEC Teacher of the Year
• BTEC Tutor of the Year

Provider Awards:

• BTEC College of the Year
• BTEC School or MAT of the Year
• BTEC International Centre or Institution of the Year

To find out more about the BTEC Awards and enter, visit: btec.co.uk/awards

 

Over 9.4 million people are working in sectors excluded from the government’s new adult level 3 offer under its lifetime skills guarantee, analysis by Labour has found on the eve of the scheme’s launch.

FE Week was first to reveal that key economic sectors such as retail, hospitality and travel and tourism have been left out of the flagship scheme which prime minister Boris Johnson hopes will help people retrain after the pandemic.

The Labour Party has now analysed House of Commons Library data and found that over a third of all current jobs will be excluded from the training programme as a result.

This follows another recent FE Week investigation that revealed how the offer is being misrepresented.

The DfE and skills minister Gillian Keegan have repeatedly said the policy will enable eligible adults to achieve “their first full level 3 qualification”. However, this publication’s analysis found over half of the qualifications on offer do not meet the Department for Education’s own definition of a “full” level 3 qualification, with over a third below an indicative 360 guided learning hours.

Labour has also pointed out that adults who already hold a level 3 qualification are also excluded from accessing the scheme, which is due to rollout from April 1. The scheme is backed with £95 million from the National Skills Fund.

Shadow further education and skills minister Toby Perkins said: “You would be forgiven for thinking the Conservatives’ Lifetime Skills Guarantee is an April Fool’s joke, rather than a plan to help reskill our country after this pandemic.

“The Conservatives’ mishandling of the Covid crisis has led the UK to experience the worst economic crisis of any major economy. Their limited plans will now leave millions unable to access the skills they need to play their part in our recovery.”

He called on ministers to “urgently” widen eligibility for the level 3 adult offer to “ensure it reaches all adults who could benefit”.

The DfE declined to comment on Labour’s analysis, but in a press release about the launch of the scheme, education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “This offer will help give millions of adults the chance to gain the skills they need to secure rewarding careers in key sectors.”

And prime minister Boris Johnson added: “As we cautiously lift lockdown restrictions, the government’s focus is on recovering from the pandemic and building back better.

“The Lifetime Skills Guarantee is fundamental to that – with free courses giving adults the expertise they need to find new, better jobs.”

Ahead of the April 1 launch of the policy, the DfE said the government will pilot an extension to the length of time that people can receive Universal Credit while undertaking work-focused study, which is currently set at eight weeks.

They will now be able to train full time for up to 12 weeks, or up to 16 weeks on a full-time skills bootcamp in England, while receiving Universal Credit to support their living costs.

The qualifications that are on offer range from engineering to social care and are available to any adult who has not already achieved a qualification at level 3.

There are 387 currently available, but the list is still in its first draft. The list is expected to expand over time as the government allows mayoral combined authorities and awarding bodies to make requests for other qualifications to be added.

Employers have however branded the process for adding qualifications to the list “bureaucratic” and “frustrating”.

Independent training providers have meanwhile been given just a four-month window to start and complete the courses through the offer, while colleges have warned of a slow start owing to a lack of detail from the DfE and strict eligibility rules.

The scheme builds on a similar policy that has been in place since 2013 which allows adults up to the age of 23 to be fully funded for their first full-level 3 qualification from the adult education budget. Those aged 24 and over have since had to take out an advanced learner loan to pay for the course.

The current entitlement for those aged 23 and below spans 1,178 qualifications which are all classed as “full” level 3 courses.

Frances Wadsworth is set to be appointed as the interim FE Commissioner, FE Week can reveal.

The former college principal and one of six current deputy FE Commissioners will take over from Richard Atkins at midnight until his permanent successor is in post.

The government said this afternoon that an announcement on the new full-time FE Commissioner will be made “shortly”.

Wadsworth currently sits on the board of Ofqual and has worked in further education for over 20 years.

Her previous roles include principal of Croydon College, as well as principal of East Surrey College.

She became a deputy FE Commissioner in May 2018.

Today is Atkins’ last day as FE Commissioner after more than four years in post. You can read his final interview as commissioner here.

The chief executive of one of the country’s largest college groups has been appointed as the next FE Commissioner.

Shelagh Legrave, who has worked at Chichester College since 2003 and became leader in 2010, will succeed Richard Atkins on a permanent basis from October.

As FE Week revealed yesterday, current deputy FE Commissioner Frances Wadsworth will be in the post on an interim basis from today until Legrave takes the reins.

Legrave is a qualified accountant and currently chairs the Coastal West Sussex Skills & Enterprise Group as well as Bourne Community College and Stonepillow, a homeless charity.

She is also vice chair of the Collab Group and sits on the Chichester Festival Theatre board.

Chichester College has grown into one of England’s largest college groups under her leadership. She has led it through two mergers to achieve an ‘outstanding’ judgement from Ofsted in 2020.

Legrave, who was awarded an OBE in 2015, said it was a “great privilege” to be appointed FE Commissioner, particularly at “this critical time when skills will be vital to rebuilding our economy and communities”.

“As the FE White Paper has set out, colleges will be at the forefront of education and training that will enable social mobility and address the needs of employers,” she added.

“I look forward to supporting the Secretary of State and skills minister to ensure that further education and sixth form colleges across England are in the strongest possible position to change people’s lives for the better.”

 

‘I look forward to working with Shelagh to support and challenge the sector’

Education secretary Gavin Williamson, who announced the appointment today, said: “I am delighted to appoint Shelagh to this vital role. She is hugely experienced in the sector, with a track record of outstanding success and improvement.

“At this crucial time for the country, an outstanding further education sector will be more important than ever and I look forward to working with Shelagh to support and challenge the sector to be the best it can be.”

The FE Commissioner role was introduced in 2013 as a key adviser to ministers in the Department for Education. The commissioner intervenes in struggling colleges, where visits turn into published reports which assess quality and financial health, as well as the existing governance and leadership.

Its inaugural post holder was Sir David Collins, who was replaced by Atkins in 2016.

The FE Commissioner leads a team of around 18 deputy FE commissioners and FE advisers, made up mainly of former college principals or deputy principals and directors of finance.

The four-day week role will earn Legrave £135,000 per annum. It is a two-year term.

Williamson thanked outgoing FE Commissioner Atkins for his more than four years of service.

“He has made a huge impact in the role, which has developed significantly under his leadership and I wish him all the best in his retirement,” the education secretary added.

Colleges will not be allowed to submit a business case to avoid adult education funding being clawed back, the government has announced.

Sector experts had hoped grant-funded providers would be able to put forward reasons why they should cling on to the money if they did not reach the controversial 90 per cent threshold.

But in an update published this morning, the Education and Skills Funding Agency said there “will not be a business case process,” and the 90 per cent threshold will be “the final position for the 2020/21 academic year and will not be subject to change”.

Association of Colleges deputy chief executive Julian Gravatt said it seems “self-defeating” to have a “blanket line and not consider the context in which colleges got to the point where they under-delivered, especially when it’s evident that it was largely out of their control”.

“This does not help colleges, it does not help the government deliver its commitments, and it does not help our communities and businesses.”

Situation ‘still difficult’ for providers

FE Week exclusively revealed last week the threshold, much less generous than the 68 per cent allowed for 2019/20 allocations, was demanded by the Treasury.

This is after officials successfully argued colleges have had enough time to reorientate provision and run courses online, where needed, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

College leaders, and allegedly senior ESFA officials, were shocked by the decision, with many leaders saying they did not believe they could make the 90 per cent bar.

Leicester College said it forecasts using just 53 per cent of its allocation this year – and would lose more than £4 million to the clawback.

It is forecasting the clawback will set their finances back five years, and principal Verity Hancock said the college has already suffered consequences, having had to back out of a capital funding bid for T Levels. These are qualifications the provider is due to start delivering from September 2021. The bid was worth £6.6 million and would have involved the college match funding £3.8 million, which, Hancock says, “we can no longer afford”.

Leicester College, along with the rest of the city, has been in continual lockdown since March 2020.

So on the ESFA’s decision to rule out business cases, Hancock, a former Skills Funding Agency executive director herself, said she doesn’t “understand the basis for a decision that refuses to recognise the very exceptional position that Leicester College is in, given that it was the worst affected city in the country from continuous lockdowns, and has the largest AEB offer in the country, focused on those furthest from the labour market, who for very, very legitimate reasons have not been able to learn at Leicester College this year.”

Derby College Group has predicted it will use 65 per cent and lose nearly £1.8 million, and called the government’s decision “tremendously disappointing”.

The Association of Colleges has forecast most of its members will deliver between 75 to 85 per cent of their allocations, which would mean a total clawback of between £22 million and £62 million.

The ESFA said, when the threshold was announced, it was a “fair representation of grant-funded providers’ average delivery” in 2020/21.

Though they admit “the situation is still difficult for providers”.

Department hopes to recover money next financial year

Today’s update said the agency is “announcing this change now to help providers better plan their provision for the remainder of the 2020 to 2021 academic year”.

“Our primary aim is to support providers to continue to deliver as much quality provision as possible, including above the 90 per cent threshold.”

This provision can be face-to-face, online, or otherwise remotely, including through subcontracting in the case of AEB-funded provision.

The agency made clear that where providers deliver less than 90 per cent, they will recover the difference between their actual delivery and 90 per cent. For example, delivery of 85 per cent would result in a recovery of 5 per cent of the allocation.

Recovering funding will be scheduled from this December, and the agency will “preferably” recover money in full in the 2021/22 financial year.

It has promised to “work with providers that would like to request a phased recovery plan,” of up to four months.

“Where this would cause financial difficulties, we will consider cases beyond this with your ESFA territorial team.”

Also included in today’s update was confirmation the Covid-19 skills offer will have a 97 per cent threshold for 2020/21 – which is the usual adult education budget threshold.

The ringfenced offer includes funding for the new level 3 entitlement, which is rolling out with the National Skills Fund next month.