T Levels will hit sustainable levels ‘by 2029’ 

T Levels need 60,000 to 70,000 students enrolled on courses each year to be viable – and officials are confident of meeting that number by 2029, top education civil servants told MPs today.

The public accounts committee was also reassured that previous internal concerns about capacity for only 48,000 T Level industry placements annually had been quashed after rules were relaxed.

Department for Education permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood, director general for skills Julia Kinniburgh, and interim Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education CEO Carmel Grant were quizzed by the committee on Thursday.

The hearing followed last month’s National Audit Office report which cast doubt on the scalability of T Levels after finding student number forecasts were missed by three-quarters – resulting in a near-£700 million spending shortfall.

Here’s what we learned…

New student number target on track

Original DfE forecasts estimated 102,500 T Level students by the 2024-25 academic year, but just 25,508 learners were recruited.

After a series of “refinements”, the department now predicts 66,000 starts on the flagship qualifications by 2029.

Acland-Hood admitted that growth “hasn’t been as rapid as we first projected” but stressed the new numbers are achievable.

She told MPs: “Our latest projections look towards somewhere in the region of 60 to 70,000 T Level learners in steady state. We’re making good progress towards that number. 

“We are now tracking our most recent growth forecasts quite well. So having revised and looked at those again, learning from what we’ve seen in the early years of the programme, we’re confident that we’re now meeting the forecasts.”

Employer placement capacity no longer a concern

The NAO’s report revealed the DfE had estimated in August 2023 that the number of T Level places could be limited to around 48,000 because of “constraints imposed by shortages of teachers and industry placements”.

Quizzed on this figure by the committee, Acland-Hood said it was made “assuming we didn’t make any changes to the structures and systems” around placements, before highlighting “some quite significant changes” to the DfE’s rules announced in December.

Industry placements of at least 45 days are a mandatory component of T Levels and originally had to be fully completed in person.

Learners on nearly all T Levels are now allowed to complete 20 per cent of their placement remotely instead of at a physical workplace – with this allowance increased to 50 per cent for students on digital T Levels.

Ministers have also decided to allow placements to be carried out as “simulated activity” on the school or college’s own site, but only if this is overseen by their industry placement employer.

Owing to these changes, “our assessment now would be that we don’t think industry placements will be a constraint on getting us to the targeted [enrolments] figure,” Acland-Hood said.

She added the DfE doesn’t want to “go beyond” the hybrid working and simulated activity thresholds recently announced as “we still think it’s very important that there’s a strong face-to-face element in the work placement, because I think that’s important for the young person’s learning and engagement”.

But “early analysis” from DfE polling with employers suggest that those flexibilities “could create something close to a 55 per cent increase in the number of placements offered, because that really was proving a constraint for employers based on ways of working”, Acland-Hood claimed.

The adaptive price is right

Senior officials also defended moves to increase future T Level fees paid by colleges, blaming awarding organisations for previously charging too little. 

PAC committee member Michael Payne asked why generation 2 contract T Level prices were more expensive for colleges than currently.

Acland-Hood suggested awarding organisations (AOs) intentionally bid for lower fees in order to win the contracts, but suffered the consequences later.

“Our analysis is, we think in the first competition [AOs] underpriced rather than overpriced. And if you look at the typical fee cost of three A-levels, it’s over £300. Typically, [AOs] were setting £150 fees.

“The issue was that because they priced very low, they were essentially loss-leading. They were priced low to win the contract. Then the volumes were a bit lower, and then some of the AOs have had challenges with that.”

T Levels are awarded under licence from IfATE, with new AO contracts now being procured for ‘generation 2’ T Levels. 

Officials claimed that higher fees, plus more accurate learner number forecasts, should avoid any more AOs losing money on T Levels. 

However, if the forecasts are still out, awarding organisations will be able to increase fees again to prevent losses. This mechanism was introduced to make T Levels more commercially viable for prospective AOs. 

“One of the reasons we’ve introduced the adaptive pricing is both to protect colleges but also to make sure the [AOs] aren’t holding all of that volume risk themselves”, Acland-Hood said.

But colleges should not expect to be funded for those higher fees. 

Committee member Anna Dixon asked whether colleges would receive more funding to reflect higher fees.

Acland-Hood did not commit. “Even the new higher fees are very comparable with the fees for three A-levels or for other large vocational and technical qualifications. They’re a very small proportion of the total cost to the college as well,” she said.

Kinniburgh said fees for three A-levels were typically around £364, whereas the T Level range is now £214 to £395.

Acland-Hood concluded: “It’s not surprising that awarding bodies would like to charge more and the colleges would like to pay less.

“The adaptive pricing helps to manage that risk in both directions. So if the volumes go down, the prices can go up, but if the volumes go up, the prices go down. And there’s a cap and collar on that, so that’s not unlimited, it keeps it within a reasonable range.”

The adult writing class that changed a life story

Isle of Wight College principal Ros Parker tells how her passion for adult education was sparked by village hall sessions that led her, and her young daughters, out of poverty

Parker’s incredible story captures the life-changing power of adult education far better than numbers and data ever could.

As a hard-up single mum aged 25 struggling with mental health problems and with no job or qualifications to her name, an evening creative writing course in a village hall changed her life forever. She went on to teach, then rose through the ranks of councils and colleges to lead FE provision on England’s sunniest shores.

A particularly harrowing memory sticks in her mind of her two daughters, Emily and Boo, sat at the kitchen table of their rented home in Essex waiting for their dinner. She could not bear to tell them that she had nothing to give them.

She had already gone without dinners herself many times before that – and she weighed just six and a half stone. “All I was doing was surviving for my two little girls,” Parker says.

She “couldn’t look” at Emily and Boo and instead looked out the window – where she spotted her neighbour approaching to offer a bundle of fish he had just caught.

“I knew from that day onwards that I had to change my stars.”

Parker, Emily (6) and Bea (3) in 1996

Growing adult education

Parker’s story of how joining an adult education course “saved my life” is particularly poignant given providers are bracing for yet more funding cuts.

But on her island, Parker is committed to investing in adult education opportunities amid soaring demand.

When her college advertised a course in carpentry and welding last year, it had to close early after receiving 500 applications overnight. Parker plans to open more evening courses next year because “we need more people in construction”.

“We’re missing so much just thinking about 16 to 18 when we have these massive skills gaps to fill,” she says. “And it’s important people feel they have a second chance in life.”

Survival skills

The years leading up to Parker’s own second chance were “really hard”, but gave her strong survival skills. After giving up an office job at an insurance company when she became a mum aged 18, Parker and her then husband spent two years living in a caravan before moving to a small farmhouse in Dengie marshes in Essex, two miles from the nearest neighbour. They drank water from a well and huddled in a room with a fire to keep warm.

Parker kept rescued chickens for eggs and learned from library books how to grow vegetables, spending her £4 weekly budget on potatoes and flour, with “all day Fridays spent baking”.

She was used to coping with “next to nothing”. But after being compelled to move out with her daughters (then four and seven) she “actually had nothing” – with no child support, chickens or vegetable patch to fall back on.

Parker felt “broken” and “not in the right mental health to cope with a job”.

Instead, she started making money by writing articles; a crafts magazine paid £10 for her idea for making a caged Easter bunny using tangerine bag netting and cotton wool buds.

Parker and her two daughters at different moments of their childhood

Courage calls

She wanted to join a local creative writing class, but was so nervous at the prospect of returning to education that it made her physically sick the night before.

Parker had always hated school. She had spent a year out of primary school while living in different holiday parks after her mum split up from her father. After “always being at the bottom for everything,” she left school aged 15 with no qualifications.

“It took all my courage to go back into an education setting,” she says. “It was only the fact it was in a village hall that enabled me to go. If it hadn’t been for that class, I don’t know where I’d be now.”

When her creative writing teacher retired, she was encouraged to apply for his role.  The adult community college’s principal saw something in Parker that “no one else had seen” and laid on a Saturday creche so she could do her teacher training, and English and maths qualifications. Within two years she was a team leader, teaching dance and drama to adults with learning difficulties.

She says: “I started caring so much about the difference education makes to people’s lives because it saved mine. I wanted to share my experience.”

At this point I am moved to tears – something that does not normally happen during interviews. Parker hands me some tissues before continuing. I am moved not just by Parker’s heartrending story in the light of adult education budget cuts, but how her experiences have clearly shaped her caring and inclusive approach to leadership.

As she walks around her college, she tenderly refers to the learners she greets as her “luvvies” and “gorgeous ones”; they call her “Ros”.

Isle of Wight College

Courage calls

While teaching in Essex, Parker ran a family learning project at Bullwood Hall women’s prison in Hockley which gave her extra cash to take her daughters to the cinema for the first time, and led to a job teaching English there. As a child, Parker’s father had been a prison officer at HMP Hollesley Bay in Suffolk.

Parker helped her learners produce a book, ‘Inside Out’, about “their feelings inside prison and their hopes for the future”.

One particularly “troubled” inmate who was “very dependent on the services around her” was “very nervous” about being released, causing her one day to throw a chair across Parker’s classroom. Prison officers came “storming down the corridor to restrain her”. Before being escorted away, she turned to Parker and said “I just want to say thank you for turning my life around”.

Another girl, aged 17 when she was locked up, was “heartbroken” she could no longer care for her younger autistic and deaf twin brothers.

Parker helped her make an alphabet book for them, but on visiting day she was so scared they would not like it that she started shaking. When they entered, she “swept them up in her arms” and Parker looked on with pride as the girl read to them for the first time.

Ros Parker at her graduation ceremony

Refusing to cut

She moved on to West Sussex to lead the council’s adult learning service and later as it transferred to a new charitable company.

Although other areas were cutting their community learning provision, Parker went “against the curve” by refusing to do so, instead subsidising it through contributions from those who could afford to pay.

A report she compiled found the council’s “small investment” in adult education saved £250,000 a year on health, wellbeing and welfare savings. Parker smiles as she recalls how, when asked whether her yoga class kept her healthy, one elderly lady remarked: “My dear, the doctor doesn’t even know who I am.”

She would “batten down the hatches” on the weekends that her daughters were staying with their dad to study for her degree, and later a master’s in education and training. Studying “distracted” her from not having them around.

A photo of Parker’s graduation, her daughters at her side, is “very poignant” because they were “an inspiration” to her.

Back to Essex

Parker then returned to Essex to head up the council’s ‘delivery transition’, tasked with making council-run school crossing patrols, county parks, sports and leisure and adult education services “more viable”. It gave her the opportunity to turn what she had learned in her career so far, “sometimes in quite painful ways, into something positive”.

Parker next joined Prospects College of Advanced Technology in Basildon, a former independent training provider specialising in engineering and construction, before taking the helm at Southend Adult and Community College where her “biggest issues” were gangs who would “storm the building to sell drugs – they weren’t frightened of going into a class and actually picking kids out”.

Parker in the grounds of Isle of Wight College

During Covid, college rooms were emptied for the local authority to use as morgue space. Fortunately, they were never needed.

Parker and her colleagues also prepared and delivered 4,000 meals for the homeless staying in local hotels at that time, as “the council and charities couldn’t cope”.

In 2021 she was awarded an OBE in recognition of that work.

The following year she became Isle of Wight College principal, and when that community was hit by crisis 12 months later – serious flooding to over 300 homes – she opened the college’s doors for residents to shower, wash clothes and charge devices.

Island life

Moving to the Isle of Wight proved a “gentler way of life” than in Southend, but the island has its own challenges.

The seasonal highs and lows familiar to all college staff are particularly acute. With the holiday season now picking up, student attendance drops off as work opportunities take precedence for many learners.

The college engages in a “massive push on attendance” until the Isle of Wight festival in June to “front-load” learning and “get them through the qualifications as early as possible”. “Then if their attendance does start getting erratic, at least they’ve got their qualification in the bag”.

In many ways, Isle of Wight College has more in common with those on the Channel Islands and the Outer Hebrides than English colleges.

Parker recently visited the Hebrides, which share the Isle of Wight’s “stark” demographic challenges, to discuss “how they were managing to continue to be financially viable and innovative”.

The Isle of Wight’s birth rate has dropped by a third (the number of children entering school is forecast to fall from 1,404 in 2018 to 920 in 2027) while its elderly population continues to grow, resulting in skyrocketing demand for adult social care.

The top floor of the college’s pink block mimics two hospital wings and boasts an immersive room that releases hospital smells including “sick and poo” to “prepare” learners for the realities of caring roles.

Parker with some of her students who recently went on a Turing-funded trip to Thailand

Locked in

Being cut off from opportunities on mainland England can be a barrier for Parker’s learners. She introduces me to graphic design student Tim, who will commute by ferry from his island home when he starts at the University of Portsmouth in September, but knows “there will be times when I’ll miss lectures because I can’t get across that tiny little stretch of water”.

“The ferry is just not reliable and feels quite tethering, like we’re locked in by capitalism,” he tells me.

For many other learners, Parker says the costs of leaving the island prohibits them from aspiring to university. The college is a university centre, and Parker’s “big ambition” is to expand that provision so in the future “no one should have to leave the island for healthcare, education or employment”.

The college operates in every vocational area and Parker offsets the cost of smaller classes against larger-sized ones.

But her biggest passion is adult education.

From being potentially destined for a life on benefits, she is now “paying back thousands in tax and National Insurance and transforming the lives of others”.

Her message to the government now is a simple one. “Your small investment in adult education changes futures forever. Don’t write off adults. They’re the ones that can retrain and become your future leaders.”

AI’s double-edged sword: Boosting finance, widening skills divide

AI is not just transforming industries, it’s redefining who drives them.

Nowhere is this transformation more evident than in financial services, where AI is solving inefficiencies, streamlining fraud detection and redefining customer experiences. Yet as AI adoption accelerates, so does a critical challenge: the widening digital skills gap.

At a recent House of Commons event hosted by Code First Girls in collaboration with HM Treasury and the Women in Finance Charter, financial leaders gathered to discuss AI’s role and the pressing need for ethical implementation and workforce transformation. The key takeaway was clear: AI is not just changing what we do, but who gets to do it.

The challenge is not just keeping pace but ensuring that AI is a force for inclusion. It presents an opportunity to create a financial system truly representative of the diverse customer base it serves.

AI, gender parity, and workforce diversity

One of the most urgent discussions at the event was around gender parity in financial services. Emma Reynolds, economic secretary to the Treasury, warned that at the current pace it may not be achieved until 2038 – an unacceptable timeline given AI’s potential to open new leadership opportunities for women.

At Code First Girls, we see first-hand how AI can either be a catalyst for progress or a tool that reinforces existing inequalities. AI-powered hiring tools and credit-scoring models have already demonstrated how bias in data can lead to real-world discrimination.

Representation is critical for the development of ethical AI but only 22 per cent of people working in AI and data science are women. Without intervention these biases will persist, deepening disparities in career progression, pay equity and leadership opportunities.

We need urgent investment in AI upskilling programmes to support underrepresented groups. Code First Girls’ AI conversion courses have helped to diversify the AI pipeline, but only at the top. Government should invest and build on such initiatives to ensure diversity throughout the education pipeline.

This is not just about fairness; it is about ensuring AI teams are as diverse as the populations they serve. We need more women, more diverse voices and more inclusive leadership shaping the future of AI.

Skills needs changing fast

AI is predicted to add £35 billion to the financial and professional services sector over the next five years. This rapid expansion presents opportunity and challenge. AI will create thousands of new roles but risks leaving behind those lacking the necessary digital skills to transition into these jobs. Indeed, skills needs are changing so rapidly that flexible training methods and continuous learning are imperative.

In a recent PwC survey, 69 per cent of global CEOs expected AI to require most of their workforce to develop new skills but businesses are not moving fast enough to bridge this gap.

At Code First Girls, we see how targeted AI education programmes open doors to new careers, particularly for women entering the tech industry. The challenge is scaling these efforts and ensuring businesses prioritise ongoing reskilling as part of their AI adoption strategies.

Ethical AI adoption

Beyond skills development, ethical AI implementation must be at the top of the agenda. AI should enhance trust in financial services, not erode it. The risks of biased data models that disproportionately disadvantage minorities, if left unchecked, will undermine public confidence in AI-driven decision-making.

Businesses need to implement rigorous bias testing, ensure transparency in AI-driven decisions and foster diverse and technically skilled teams to oversee AI development.

The adoption of AI is not solely the responsibility of data scientists and engineers. As Skills England chair Phil Smith recently pointed out, AI innovation must be a collective effort involving leadership, compliance teams, policymakers and frontline employees.

At Code First Girls, we are working to close the digital skills gap by providing AI upskilling opportunities that are accessible and inclusive. Through structured training programmes, mentorship initiatives and partnerships with businesses and policymakers, we are ensuring AI is not just a tool for the few but an opportunity for the many.

The time for action is now. By prioritising inclusive AI education, fostering diversity and embedding ethical principles in AI deployment, we can ensure AI is a force for progress, not division and disadvantage.

What the Supreme Court ruling on ‘sex’ means for FE colleges

The Supreme Court ruling on the legal interpretation of “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 will have implications across public life, including in relation to FE colleges.  The narrow point which the court decided was whether the appointment of a trans woman who has a gender recognition certificate (GRC) counts as the appointment of a woman for the goal that boards of certain Scottish public authorities are to have 50 per cent non-executive members who are women. In the court’s judgment, it does not and therefore the Scottish government’s guidance on that point was incorrect. 

The judgment is of particular relevance to individuals with GRCs, which are not available to those under 18 years old. But it also brings the long-standing issues relating to students or staff who are transgender or questioning their gender identity into sharp focus.

College guidance gaps

There is a current gap in terms of clear and comprehensive guidance on this topic for colleges.  The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published codes of practice including those for services, public functions and associations (currently under review) which contain guidance relevant to colleges.

But the only publication with a college-specific focus is the draft non-statutory guidance on gender questioning children for schools and colleges in England, published in December 2023.  This consultation document issued by the previous government attracted a significant response but was never finalised. 

Protections for trans people continue

The draft guidance dealt with practical issues such as name changes, use of pronouns, single sex spaces and sport.  Whilst the draft guidance was in line with the recent court judgment insofar as it stated that legal duties regarding sex should be framed around biological sex, neither the guidance nor the judgment fully considers the complex legal issues colleges are regularly dealing with when balancing safeguarding, data rights, regulatory and Equality Act duties for students with different protected characteristics.

The April 2024 Cass Review highlighted issues related to young people socially transitioning which are relevant to colleges, but did not offer specific guidance to the sector.  Following the recent judgment, the EHRC confirmed that the code of practice will be revised.  It is hoped that the revised code and finalising the gender questioning children guidance will be considered by DfE and/or EHRC in the coming months.

It is important to note that there continues to be significant protections for trans people under the Equality Act, relevant to students, staff and the wider college community.

The Supreme Court’s decision does not change the fact that gender reassignment is a protected characteristic and emphasised that trans people have exactly the same level of protection in the Equality Act against discrimination, harassment and victimisation as other groups. The judgment is not a rollback of rights on the scale that some have suggested.

Emotive issue

For colleges as employers, there may be some immediate impact; staff with a GRC will no longer be able to make an equal pay claim based on the gender stated on their GRC (they may still do so on the basis of biological sex).

In terms of the practical day-to-day management of trans employees, little has changed. As things stand, we would urge caution before making significant changes to staff policies or practices. 

Colleges know that this is a very emotive issue for both trans people and those who hold gender critical beliefs, which also have the potential of being protected beliefs under the Equality Act.  It may be sensible to consider if any support or clarifications should be offered to affected individuals.

Pending further guidance from the DfE or EHRC, it is important for colleges to continue to proceed with caution in dealing with the complex and sensitive issues which arise. Look carefully at the circumstances, taking all relevant legal and practical considerations into account.  Be cautious about taking a blanket approach and, where necessary, take legal advice. 

Inclusion must extend beyond FE students to staff

I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism as an adult, after struggling with symptoms for many years without understanding why certain things felt more difficult for me than they did for others.

Learning about my neurodivergence was a revelation – it helped me make sense of my experiences and, most importantly, find ways to work with my brain rather than against it.

Since joining London South East Colleges, I’ve been really well supported and that’s made all the difference. It has also made me passionate about encouraging other colleges to create environments where neurodiverse staff can thrive. Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) isn’t just about race and gender – it also includes neurodiversity, and this is something I am committed to raising awareness of.

Understanding neurodiverse employees

One of the biggest challenges neurodiverse people face in the workplace is a lack of understanding. Autism and ADHD aren’t one-size-fits-all conditions; we all experience them differently. Yet, neurodivergent employees often struggle with common barriers such as sensory overload, difficulty with social interactions and rigid working structures.

Many autistic adults find it difficult to secure employment, with only three in 10 currently in work. And even when we do find jobs, accessing the right support isn’t always easy. Workplace stigma means many of us don’t disclose our diagnoses, and over a quarter of those who do ask for accommodations are denied them.

FE colleges are inclusive by their very nature. We support many neurodiverse students across different provisions, so extending this to staff is a natural progression.

Here are some of the key changes that have made a real difference to me personally – and will help others:

1. Flexible working: Many neurodiverse employees benefit from hybrid or flexible working. For me, working from home most of the week helps me manage sensory overload and social fatigue. My manager is open to adjustments based on my needs, which allows me to perform at my best. Offering flexibility in work location, start times and even communication methods where possible can make a huge impact.

2. Improved communication: Good communication is essential for everyone, but it’s especially important for neurodiverse staff. I need to know things in advance so I can plan accordingly – last-minute changes can be extremely stressful. Providing clear instructions, avoiding vague task descriptions and sharing meeting agendas ahead of time are all small but effective ways to improve workplace communication.

3. No hot-desking: A consistent workspace is important for many autistic people. Hot-desking can create unnecessary stress due to unpredictability. Having a dedicated, familiar workspace helps with focus and reduces anxiety – which is very important to me.

4. A culture of belonging: Neurodiverse staff should feel comfortable discussing their needs without fear of stigma. Creating safe spaces for open conversations and ensuring everyone in the team understands neurodiversity can go a long way. Training from external organisations, peer support networks and visible role models in leadership positions (like my manager) all help to create an inclusive environment.

5. Recruitment: Many hiring processes aren’t designed with neurodiverse candidates in mind! Standard interviews often rely on skills that don’t reflect a person’s true abilities, such as small talk or reading social cues. Offering interview questions in advance, allowing different assessment formats and making job descriptions clearer can make the process more accessible and equitable.

Neurodiverse employees bring unique strengths to the workplace. My autism allows me to see things from a different perspective, bringing fresh ideas and problem-solving skills. My ability to hyperfocus helps me be productive, and my attention to detail ensures my work is thorough.

Employers who embrace neurodiversity gain dedicated, innovative employees who can offer valuable insights and skills. The key is to provide the right support – because when neurodiverse staff are set up to succeed, the whole organisation will benefit.

I hope that this month – which is Autism Awareness Month – the sector takes a moment to reflect on how we support neurodiverse employees – as well as students. Neurodiversity isn’t something to be accommodated as an afterthought; it should be recognised as an integral part of creating a genuinely inclusive workplace.

Why it’s time for FE to flex its muscles

In September last year, the second part of the Health Survey for England was published. It covered, among other things, the current state of adult health and obesity rates for adults and children.

Based on statistics from 2022, the report highlighted that 41 per cent of adults had at least one long-standing illness or condition. Meanwhile, 64 per cent of adults were overweight or living with obesity.

For children aged two to 15, more than a quarter were classed as overweight or living with obesity, with deprived children more likely to be obese – and the gap is widening.

The survey was followed by the news that more than half of all adults and a third of children, teenagers and young adults around the world are predicted to be overweight or obese by 2050.

Brain gains

So why is it relevant to the FE sector? I believe the health of the nation and the health of our education sector are inextricably linked.

If we can provide the right knowledge and skills to our fitness professionals, they can in turn support the nation to become more active, to understand their bodies, and to make healthier choices for themselves and their children.

But we know there’s work to be done. Active IQ’s Skills Gap report last year highlighted that over a third (35 per cent) of fitness professionals struggle to tailor fitness programmes for individuals with physical disabilities, and even more (41 per cent) find it challenging to adapt for those with chronic illnesses.

With well over a third of adults in England having at least one long-standing illness or condition, this seems like an obvious issue that, if left unchecked, will only exacerbate the health challenges we face as a country. 

We also know that 42 per cent of gyms and leisure centres say they are struggling to find people to fill fitness instructor roles. Despite this, our Skills Gap report showed that 43 per cent of fitness professionals believe there are limited or no opportunities to develop and progress their careers.

Lifting the bar

The timing of NHS England’s report was quickly followed in December by the latest outcomes of the post-16 reforms.

Through these decisions we’re beginning to see what the future of skills provision looks like for key sectors such as education and early years, health and social care, and of course active leisure and wellbeing.

It’s important that we continue to keep up with developments within the fitness space to combat some of the health issues we face. At the same time, we must simplify the choices and support learners to find direct pathways into employment, to tackle some of the challenges employers are finding in hiring key roles.

As a specialist in this area, we were delighted to work with IfATE, Ofqual and the Department for Education to gain approval for 11 new Active IQ qualifications across Level 2 and Level 3. But it’s not just about volume. It’s about ensuring fitness professionals have the right knowledge and skills to support those they work with.

This includes qualifications covering physical activity for children and adolescents, as well as antenatal and postnatal fitness and how to work with ageing clients. If we’re to get people of all ages and abilities moving more and feeling confident about physical activity, it’s the current and future fitness professionals that hold the key.

Tracking progress

The fitness sector doesn’t hold all the answers to the health problems we see across the country, but I’m convinced it has a bigger role to play.

With challenges in the NHS well publicised, how can we support more people to take ownership of their health and begin to reduce the volume being placed on our primary and secondary care services?

Better awareness of the issues and therefore the opportunities for developing skills and knowledge is a starting point. Improved qualifications and access to outstanding education providers is how we can truly level up.

We’ve just had a ‘low-stakes’ inspection – Here’s what worked

Ofsted’s proposed changes seek to deliver a more nuanced view about the quality of provision, to address concerns about the high stakes nature of inspections and the potential stress the inspection process involves. So have they got it right?

At Blackpool and the Fylde College, we are somewhat concerned that switching from a single judgement to a balanced scorecard will make inspection more onerous and difficult to understand. This could potentially be confusing for parents and students. We’re also concerned about what is now meant by ‘inclusion’ – a word which still lacks a clear consensus. So we’re interested to see what the consultation brings. 

However, we are supporters of the inspection process itself – and see two issues as critical.

Consistency

First is the need for Ofsted to be consistent. We’ve seen significant improvements in recent years, particularly a focus on the learning process and students’ progress. In FE, it’s welcome that inspections are much more demanding in terms of pedagogical practice, curriculum design and delivery, and support for teachers than they were in the noughties.

Two areas of weakness in any inspection process are faddishness and behaviour – and these appear to have been problems in recent high-profile cases. The issues at Caversham Primary School seemingly arose around a particular interpretation of safeguarding which escalated into an adversarial inspection. Ofsted has a responsibility to ensure this doesn’t happen, so professionals can trust the process and the temperature doesn’t reach boiling point.  

At our inspection in February, it was clear Ofsted is making significant progress in this respect. Their team was well-led, transparent, communicated clearly and behaved reasonably throughout. Senior leaders, including board members, all found them engaged and willing to listen.  

Frontline teachers and support staff reported that they actually enjoyed their interactions with inspectors and found it to be an excellent learning experience.

Mick Bullock, our automotive operations manager, praised the “collaborative atmosphere…appreciated by all involved”.

Mary Roberts, advanced practitioner for access and continuing education, hosted three deep dives. During these, she “felt like the inspectors and I were on equal footing…a refreshing and empowering experience” compared previous inspections over her 19 years in FE.

Leaders must change too

But it is not all down to Ofsted to change. Leaders must do the same.

Too often, pre-inspection tension comes from the top with senior managers actively spreading totally unnecessary anxiety amongst colleagues.

One of a leader’s responsibilities is to be the lightning conductor: absorbing the shocks so others can get on with their job safely and securely. There’s no point getting stressed when Ofsted knocks at your door. They will see the results of work which honestly should have been in place for months, if not years, before. 

We’ve had an internal conversation about improvement every day since the previous inspection.  What’s truly important is setting out our own purpose, mission and standards around the quality students, apprentices and employers should expect. 

We’ve defined standards of teaching, learning and assessment for ourselves, and have a methodology for embedding effective practice.  We found the Walkthrus techniques, combined with our own performance system, to be particularly useful. 

We don’t see Ofsted as our reason for being. But we use their handbook as a checklist to ensure our plans for student experience are aligned.

Since 2019, the inspection framework has been more focussed on the learning process (curriculum intent, implementation and impact) rather than performance data per se. This reflects our own approach, so the potential for dissonance is lower. 

When ‘the call’ comes, we aim to make it a “low stakes” moment. Instead of asking people to work late and over the weekend, we encouraged them to go home early and enjoy their time beforehand. This helped them feel confident about showing inspectors what they do. And they delivered.

Sam Bailey, our head of people, heard from many teams that their experience was seen as a moment of “collective pride”. 

“Colleagues felt trusted in what they do every day delivering excellence for learners”, she said. “They felt that psychological safety to say, ‘this is excellent, but this over here is something we want to improve’. There was no fear factor or panic, just genuine excitement to show what we do and the impact it has.”

Replace level 2s with foundation apprenticeships, says report

The government should scrap level 2 apprenticeships and replace them with incoming foundation apprenticeships, a new report has said.

The call, which was floated to some extent by the Labour party while in opposition a decade ago, was put forward by Professor David Phoenix, vice-chancellor of London South Bank University, in a policy paper for the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) today.

He argued that apprenticeships in their current form are encouraging employer investment in higher level skills at the expense of entry levels. And the “evidence suggests” that “many” level 2 apprenticeships have “not offered high-quality education and training, nor been sufficiently accessible to potential learners”.

He said that the government’s decision to introduce foundation apprenticeships, set to launch this autumn, “presents an opportunity to address the situation”.

“If foundation apprenticeships were to become a publicly-funded replacement of level 2 apprenticeships, they could potentially offer a high-quality and accessible route for learners to achieve essential qualifications alongside work experience,” Phoenix said.

This would also free up funding to make the proposed defunding of level 7 apprenticeships “unnecessary” and enable a “more strategic and nuanced approach to funding priorities”.

Labour announced foundation apprenticeships in September, describing them as an option that will “give young people a foot in the door” that will be backed with an initial £40 million from Treasury.

A government press release at the time said: “These new apprenticeships will give young people a route in to careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage whilst developing vital skills.”

Ministers have however failed to outline the exact detail of foundation apprenticeships since September, despite the introduction of the courses coming in a few months’ time.

Phoenix’s report pointed out that in 1993, the then Conservative government launched “modern apprenticeships” which required apprentices to work towards an NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) at level 3 as part of their programme. 

These were supported by the creation of level 2 “national traineeships” – designed to provide progression routes into apprenticeship programmes for young people.

In response to the Richard Review in 2012, the previous government created the apprenticeship system as it is currently constituted, with apprenticeship standards from levels 2 to 7 set up by employer groups, and a levy for all UK employers with a pay bill of over £3 million per year (set at 0.5 per cent of a company’s annual wage bill), which can be recouped on apprenticeship training costs.

The Labour party, under then leader Ed Miliband, put forward a proposal in 2015 to scrap apprenticeships of less than two years’ duration and below level 3. A report by Labour’s Skills Taskforce at the time said: “To protect the apprenticeship brand, level 2 training should be renamed as a traineeship or similar.”

Phoenix’s paper highlighted plummeting starts at level 2 for apprenticeships, as well as cases of big-name employers like Halfords ending their in-house apprenticeship training at entry level.

Current Labour ministers have made no indication that foundation apprenticeships will replace level 2 apprenticeships.

Phoenix, who recently hired former Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education CEO Jennifer Coupland at LSBU, said the idea of foundation apprenticeships acting as “feeders into level 3 apprenticeships is a positive step forward and could provide a more cost and pedagogically effective route into level 3 and above”.

He said around £421 million of the apprenticeship levy budget is currently used on level 2 apprenticeships, and added: “While a swap to public funding may see the numbers of learners on these programmes increase, the cost of this could be offset by designing shorter and more focused programmes. 

“The government has already taken a step in the right direction in this regard by reducing the minimum length of apprenticeships from 12 months to eight months.”

However, Simon Ashworth, deputy CEO at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, warned that “switching out” level 2 apprenticeships for foundation apprenticeships would be a “mistake and would remove access routes and reduce opportunities for thousands of young people and adults”.

He said: “Let’s not give up on level 2 apprenticeships – there are promising developments coming. This includes the new business administration standard, reducing bureaucracy in the apprenticeship service, new shorter programme durations tailored to employer needs and adopting a more proportionate end-point assessment model. If deployed, the sums of these parts effectively could help revitalise level 2 apprenticeships.”

Ashworth added: “Foundation apprenticeships, targeted at young people and focused on key sectors, will have a big role to play in future. However, with nearly one million young people currently not in employment, education or training, the government’s opportunity mission can only be achieved by expanding, not narrowing, access to high-quality training routes.”

The DfE was approached for comment.

Skills England: Ministers will make decisions on FE resources, not us

Skills England bosses have defended their independence from government but dodged questions about whether they will challenge under-funding of training and apprenticeships.

As part of its inquiry into FE, Parliament’s education select committee heard from the chiefs of new executive agency Skills England this morning on its work so far and its priorities once the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is abolished later this year.

Committee members grilled the agency’s chair Phil Smith, vice chair Sir David Bell, and joint CEOs Sarah Maclean and Tessa Griffiths.

The committee was told to expect the new executive agency to be fully up and running in the “next couple of months” and will announce who will make up its board imminently.

The inquiry was first opened in January, which sought to explore the current reforms and challenges in further education, has already heard from college principals, FE policy experts and economists.

Here were the key takeaways from Skills England’s leaders…

Don’t rely on Skills England to fight for resources

Committee chair Helen Hayes quizzed the panellists on what risks there are to Skills England operating as an executive agency, which means it will have “less operational independence” than the predecessor organisation, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE).

Skills England chair Phil Smith said executive agencies are “powerful” whilst also having a “tie in” to the Department for Education.

“I think what we’re trying as much as possible to do is not to focus on barriers and obstacles, but to focus on opportunity,” he added.

Vice chair Sir David Bell, a former DfE permanent secretary, claimed that other executive agencies such as the Met Office, the Health Security Agency and the Forestry Commission “have a strong role to play” and that people are not “terribly consumed” by their constitutional status.

Later in the hearing, MP Mark Sewards pushed the panel to agree that FE was underfunded and outline how this would affect Skills England’s work.

Smith said it will provide Skills England the opportunity to “rally” the assets of “regional organisations” to respond to data-driven skills gaps.

“Clearly in today’s environment, we’re working within a particular envelope of funding, which is difficult,” he said.

Sewards continued to press the bosses on what representations of funding Skills England will make, but the panellists continued to avoid giving direct answers.

Maclean added that it was worth bearing in mind the decline in employer investment in training.

“Some of the things that can be friction in the system can be best solved by industry themselves, employers,” she said.

Education select committee grills Skills England bosses at inquiry

Hayes hammered the panel over the historic underfunding of FE and asked if Skills England has the operational independence to speak about resources issues within the skills sector, as “our evidence certainly says it really is”.

“Are you really saying that you’re not making any representations to the department or within the department at the moment in relation to the comprehensive spending review?” she asked.

Griffiths did not answer the question but instead said the quango’s role was to “very clearly” articulate where the skills gaps are.

Bell added that the executive agency will provide the “evidence base” for England’s skills requirements but it is up to ministers to make decisions on spending and resources.

Hayes pushed back that for Skills England to be successful, FE must work as “effectively” as possible, but in some parts of the country, colleges are “absolutely on their knees” because of prolonged underfunding.

Bell replied: “I think it is then during the spending review for ministers to determine what the priority should be, both within the department and across government as a whole but I think what we have done already is really powerful in providing that evidence, but I think the decisions quite rightly will fall out of the spending review.”

Crickets on level 7 apprenticeships decision

Committee members asked the panel for an update on its progress made of its “crucial role” in determining which training will be eligible for the new growth and skills levy.

Smith said Skills England received much feedback on modularisation and employer input.

He confirmed the body is informing the government “as much as possible” where the shortcomings are and where flexibility around the levy would create growth.

Co-CEO Tessa Griffiths pointed to last month’s announcement from DfE on pouring £600 million into construction training as a “blueprint” to work on government and industry working together to plug gaps.

Skills England chair Phil Smith

Sarah Maclean, Skills England’s other co-CEO, added that the agency has heard from a number of stakeholders on how to shape decisions on apprenticeship standards, such as the PM’s announcement last year on shorter apprenticeships.

“We’ve heard a lot about some apprenticeship standards. Some apprenticeships may be too long, hence, shorter apprenticeships in some areas, some difficult to access, hence foundation apprenticeships in some areas,” she said.

But there was a marked silence on Labour’s policy proposal to move level 7 apprenticeships outside the scope of levy funding.

The controversial reforms were criticised by Ben Rowland, chief executive of AELP, who was questioned by the committee in a later session.

He said defunding level 7 apprenticeships was “unnecessary” but should be introduced gradually.

“Employers are upset enough at some of the changes that the government’s brought about in terms of [national insurance contribution] and upcoming employment legislation, so to suddenly pull the rug away with no time to adjust just doesn’t look like its very business savvy at all,” Rowland added.

Skills England will sell its ‘products’

Smith did acknowledge waning apprenticeship participation, saying he wants the system to be “holistic” and “easy to navigate”.

“I’m not just talking about apprenticeships; bootcamps and all the other things, T Levels and so on. How do they fit together? We’ve got to do a better job on that,” Smith said.

“’IfATE is essentially a product organisation,” he added. “It’s built great products and it’s maintaining those great products but it didn’t have any sales and marketing function. […] It would be crazy to have an organisation that made products and didn’t tell people why they should buy them.”

Skills England is expected to inherit IfATE’s responsibilities on developing standards for technical education and apprenticeships once it’s fully up and running. It also has a role in analysing data on skills shortages and training needs, and a convening role to bring together providers, unions and local governments. Running marketing campaigns is yet to appear in any official description of Skills England’s role.

Power at the top

Griffiths and Maclean were asked to respond to concerns their roles were too junior to have an impact.

Skills England’s CEOs are at the director-level civil service grade, reporting to Dfe’s director general for skills, Julia Kinniburgh. When the role was advertised, some argued it should have been a grade higher, director general, to have the heft to influence policy across government.

Both said they were privileged to be sharing the role and and pointed to other executive agency heads who are also placed at the director grade.

“It’s about impact, it’s about influence. The level of the CEO role is actually the same as in other executive agencies,” Maclean said.

She added: “It’s the same as the CEO of IfATE, for example. So we don’t see that as an issue, but I guess the proof will be in what we managed to deliver and how well we do that.”

Board appointments ‘ready’

Smith ended the session committing to return to the committee in the future and added that the Skills England long-awaited board is “ready to be announced”.

DfE advertised for Skills England board members last August but is yet to confirm who has been appointed.

They will be paid £10,000 to £15,000 per year and are expected to provide “independent perspective and insight” to the responsible minister, helping set key strategic objectives and identifying “high-quality feedback loops” between the government and skills bodies across the country.