Five aspiring chefs have been serving lunch to elderly residents of a sheltered housing scheme in an initiative to develop their employability.
Serving sandwiches and hot soups to 30 residents every Friday afternoon, the Gateshead College learners all have learning difficulties, and are taking part in a work-placement initiative to develop their independence and build their confidence in working with members of the community.
The placement is delivered in partnership with Cambian Dilston College, and job coaches are accompanying the students on their visits to Karbon Homes in County Durham.
“Through the medium of work experience, students are able to develop their interpersonal skills and self-presentation, along with a whole host of other skills which are constantly being shaped and developed for life after college,” said Carli Hayes, one of the students’ job coaches.
“The tenants are delighted with the service and the smiles the young people bring with them,” said Deborah Kennedy, housing support officer for Karbon Homes. “It has become a very popular activity and the residents look forward to their Friday afternoons. The interaction between the generations is truly satisfying.”
The first ever report of an Ofsted monitoring visit into subcontracting has found that governors and senior management at Wigan and Leigh College have been too slow to improve performance.
The report out today recalled that Paul Joyce, Ofsted’s deputy director for further education and skills, warned last month that the inspectorate planned to focus more on the quality of subcontracted provision.
He said in a letter that Ofsted would carry out a series of monitoring visits to a sample of providers, and this is the first report to emerge.
There was insufficient progress with how leaders from Wigan and Leigh College oversee subcontracting.
“The actions of governors and senior leaders to improve the performance of subcontractors have not been rapid enough,” inspectors warned. “The proportion of apprentices on subcontracted provision who achieve their qualifications is too low and has fallen over the last three years.”
It was pointed out that in 2016/17, only just over half of apprentices with subcontractor Citrus Training Solutions completed programmes successfully.
Wigan and Leigh College currently subcontracts around a third of its apprenticeship provision to Citrus, which accounts for over 500 apprentices, mainly in business management and administration.
“Quality-assurance arrangements for CTS have had too little impact for too long,” the report warned. “Until recently, arrangements relied too much on college managers ensuring compliance with quality-assurance processes at the expense of evaluating with rigour the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.”
Recent changes have resulted in “an improved approach”, but the quality of subcontracted apprenticeships at Citrus was still “not yet high enough”.
The college also subcontracts a proportion of its education and training provision to five local, community-based partner organisations: Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside (Groundwork), Power in Partnership, Progress Sports Limited, The Skills Network and Wigan Council.
Around 200 learners were enrolled on such subcontracted education and training programmes at the time of the visit.
Most learners on subcontracted community-based education and training programmes “make good progress in developing their personal, social and work-related skills”.
But the proportion who achieved their qualifications in 2016/17 was lower overall than those on the college’s directly delivered provision, and “too low at Progress Sports Limited and Power in Partnership”.
Senior leaders at the college, rated ‘good’ overall through its most recent full inspection report (which did not look at the quality of its subcontracting provision arrangements), were said in today’s report to have established a “clear strategy” to reduce the volume of subcontracted provision.
And the report recognised that “managers and teachers at Groundwork, Power in Partnership, Progress Sports Limited, The Skills Network and Wigan Council ensure that most learners make good progress in developing the skills and personal attributes that they need for their next steps”.
An example was given of an inspirational project involving learners on a Prince’s Trust programme run by Groundwork.
They carried out a neighbourhood improvement project and were “able to talk clearly and confidently at a presentation event about the skills that they had gained through the project”. For many, this was said to be the first time they had spoken in public.
Safeguarding arrangements at all subcontractors are “effective”, but while assessors at Citrus provide “effective support” to enable apprentices to improve their English and digital skills, they do not support apprentices “well enough” to improve their mathematical skills.
Ofsted said it would start on “a sample of risk-based monitoring visits to directly funded providers to look specifically at management and quality of subcontracted provision for specific subcontractors” in February, apparently in reaction to mounting demands for a crackdown.
Robert Halfon, the education committee chair asked for a “wholesale review” into why Ofsted is not directly inspecting subcontractors in November.
Chief inspector Amanda Spielman also warned delegates that Ofsted will expose training providers who rip off apprentices by collecting subcontracting management fees without taking “responsibility for quality”, during her speech last week at FE Week’s Annual Apprenticeship Conference.
A spokesperson for the college spoke to FE Week about the monitoring visit report.
‘The college, as always, has taken on board the feedback from Ofsted,” she said. “Subcontracting in the college has been significantly reduced over the past two years and constitutes less than eight per cent of all the activity undertaken and this is set to further reduce next academic year.
“We value highly the work undertaken by partners and in 2016/17 had already made a significant investment in our capacity to support them. We are however committed to our partners who provide specialist provision and value highly the contribution they make. The college was inspected less than 18 months ago by Ofsted where it was judged to be ‘good’ and the monitoring visit does not affect that judgement.”
The proportion of young people who complete a traineeship and move on to an apprenticeship has risen but it still sits below 40 per cent.
A pre-employment programme, traineeships were launched five years ago in the government’s drive to support low-skilled unemployed people below the age of 25 onto apprenticeships. But interest – which was never massive in the first place – has been flagging lately: starts fell from 24,100 in 2015/16 to 20,300 in the last academic year.
Part of the problem has been confusion over their purpose. It was never specified that traineeships should primarily be to prepare people for apprenticeships, and the government also accepts progression to a job, further full-time education, or other training as acceptable outcomes.
FE Week reported on concerns last year that the proportion of progressions to apprenticeships had fallen below 20 per cent in 2015/16, but things have now somewhat improved.
Any increase in traineeships leading to apprenticeships is welcome
The Education and Skills Funding Agency has said the rate stood at 37 per cent in 2016/17, or 3,620 of 9,760 total progressions.
“Any increase in traineeships leading to apprenticeships is welcome – it comes on the back of persistent pressure from our front bench and a range of stakeholders, including FE Week itself,” said the shadow skills minister Gordon Marsden.
“There is still a huge way for this government to go – they are not even yet at 40 per cent yet.
“The number of traineeships on offer needs to be rapidly expanded, and the persistent failure of this government to give proper support, marketing and resources to this key enabler of social mobility is costing our young people dear.”
The overall rate of progression is less encouraging in 2016/17. If total starts are compared to total progression, the figure is 48 per cent, meaning that just over half of all trainees failed to progress to any desired outcome.
Mr Marsden hosted a parliamentary event with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers in January, in which he attempted to renew enthusiasm from the government and the wider sector for traineeships.
Qube Learning was among the providers present, and admitted at the time that there is a problem with perception.
The company’s boss Joe Crossley was pleased to learn this week about the improved progression rate.
Mark Dawe
“In our experience, the traineeship learners that are most likely to stay on programme are the ones who spend three or four months focusing on their employment, before enrolling onto an apprenticeship,” he said. “So yes, this progression is a positive thing.”
AELP boss Mark Dawe was also heartened by the upturn in progressions.
“But AELP still firmly believes that getting a job or some further education is an equally positive outcome from the programme for young people, who often come from a very disadvantaged background,” he added.
“It means that most are earning and many then have the opportunity to go on and do an apprenticeship.”
The government has launched a new social media campaign to promote traineeships.
It is part of its existing ‘Get in go far’ drive which it has already used to spread the word about apprenticeships through Facebook and Twitter.
This new branch of the campaign will operate under the slogan ‘Traineeships: Everything you need to know’.
The campaign states that “traineeships are designed to help young people aged 16 to 24 who don’t yet have the skills or experience needed to get an apprenticeship or job”.
“Traineeships are providing great opportunities for young people to get the skills and experience they need to get apprenticeships and other jobs,” said a DfE spokesperson.
“We are working hard to promote traineeships through campaigns like ‘Get in go far’, so many more young people can benefit from the amazing opportunities apprenticeships bring.”
A strong week for adult and community learning providers saw three climb up from ‘requires improvement’ ratings.
Slough Pitstop Project Limited was rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted.
Inspectors recognised that “leaders, managers and trustees set a clear direction for the charity”, and “welcome all learners to their courses, which benefits the local community”.
It was noted that as a consequence of attending, learners “improve their confidence and behaviour, they learn to value education and become more self-assured”.
The project, which is also known as ‘the Gateway’, delivers programmes with the aim of engaging and motivating disadvantaged young people. They work with those not in education, employment or training (NEET) to equip them “with the confidence and skills to succeed in life”.
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council also went up a grade to ‘good’ overall.
This service provides courses in English, mathematics, family learning, English for speakers of other languages, basic digital skills, employability and wellbeing. The courses range from pre-entry to level two.
Leaders and managers have redesigned the provision effectively to primarily improve the life chances of the disadvantaged communities in the Wirral
“Leaders and managers have redesigned the provision effectively to primarily improve the life chances of the disadvantaged communities in the Wirral and develop learners’ English and mathematics skills,” inspectors wrote.
Governors were praised for a “good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses” of the service”, and maintaining “high expectations”.
Learners on family learning courses were also said to “gain useful knowledge and skills that help them and their children develop”.
Hampshire Futures was recognised for the same level of improvement to ‘good’ overall.
“Leaders and managers have dealt effectively with the vast majority of weaknesses identified at the previous inspection; as a result, learners’ experiences and the quality of provision are now good,” the report said.
Learners’ achievements were said to have improved significantly since the previous inspection.
Hampshire Futures is part of Hampshire County Council and is based in Winchester.
The majority of its learners are adults taking mainly non-accredited community learning courses. Programmes for adults include mathematics, English, languages, information technology, art, dance and wel-being courses.
Training 2000 Limited, another adult and community learning provider, however, travelled in the opposite direction, from grade two to three.
It was described by inspectors as the largest group training association in England. The company became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Central Lancashire in July 2017.
Approximately 80 per cent of its revenue is from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, “of which around three quarters is for apprentice training,” the report said.
Leaders and managers were criticised for failing to ensure “that 16-to-19 study programmes fully meet the needs of learners; many learners do not stay to complete all aspects of their programmes”.
Managers do not have effective measures to improve weak teaching, learning and assessment practices
“Managers do not have effective measures to improve weak teaching, learning and assessment practices,” it warned.
A report was also published on Waltham Forest College in London, which went from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’.
“The good range and high quality of adult provision enable learners to improve their life chances and develop valuable personal, social and work-related skills,” inspectors said.
The large majority of teachers were also praised for setting interesting, relevant work, and using a wide range of teaching strategies to engage learners.
And from the independent sector, Key Training Limited also went from grade three to two.
This report recognised how there had been a “relentless leadership focus on the experience of all learners has resulted in significant improvements to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and to levels of achievement”.
Key Training provides apprenticeships for all age groups, both with levy and non-levy employers, traineeships and study programmes.
Its provision is national, with “study programmes delivered from a centre in Wellingborough”.
Referring to its apprenticeships, the inspectors said that “the good selection process and high quality of information, advice and guidance have led to an increased proportion of apprentices who sustain their employment, remain on their programmes and progress to higher-level courses”.
There were short inspection results published for ProVQ Limited; JBC Skills Training Limited; QDOS Training Limited; Tower College Of Further And Higher Education London; Superdrug Stores; The Cornwall Council; and Leicester Adult Skills & Learning.
Jon O’Boyle, Operations and quality director, Umbrella Training
Start date: January 2018 Previous job: Operations director, Qube Learning Interesting fact: Jon is ambidextrous.
____________________________________________
Lisa Harrington, Managing director – learning division, QA Group
Start date: March 2018 Previous job: Chief customer officer, BT Interesting fact: Lisa began her career as a teacher in the Bavarian Alps.
____________________________________________
Jane Townsend, Principal, Easton and Otley College
Start date: March 2018 Previous job: Interim principal, Easton and Otley College Interesting fact: The achievement Jane is most proud of is getting a gold Duke of Edinburgh award, which helped her apply for her first teaching job.
____________________________________________
Natalie Sketchley, Vice-principal, Wilberforce College
Start date: September 2018 Previous job: Assistant principal, Franklin Sixth-Form College Interesting fact: Natalie is a fully qualified yoga teacher.
____________________________________________
Robin Glover-Faure, President, L3 CTS
Start date: January 2018 Previous job: Vice president – airline training, L3 CTS Interesting fact: Robin began his aviation career over 30 years ago as a fast jet pilot in the Royal Air Force.
Ifyou want to let us know of any new faces at the top of your college, training provider or awarding organisation please let us know by emailing news@feweek.co.uk
A university technical college which was found to have owed the government over half a million pounds after it overestimated its pupil numbers has been served with a financial notice to improve because it failed to produce a balanced budget or submit its audited accounts on time.
UTC@Harbourside, a specialist marine engineering college in East Sussex, has been criticised for its “weak financial position” and “governance and oversight of financial management”, and had requested financial support from the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
Its trust has now been ordered to identify savings and create a recovery plan to show that no further funding will be needed after 2018-19, and demonstrate that it will be able to create a balanced budget by 2019-20.
The recovery plan must also include a full repayment of this money and any advances received by 2018-19.
The UTC has been told it must be able to demonstrate “pupil growth at a realistic rate supported by evidence such as local demographics or feeder school knowledge”. It must also submit its audited financial statements for 2016-17 and 2017-18 by the end of the year.
The ESFA has asked for minutes of each meeting of the trust and its subcommittees, monthly management accounts, cashflow forecasts and monthly pupil number forecasts.
“The trust is responsible for its own financial management, control and governance and is expected to take appropriate action to strengthen the weaknesses identified,” said the notice.
If the trust is unable to fulfil the requirements within the timescales, ESFA will “begin to consider and explore the contractual intervention options available”, which could include termination of its funding agreement.
The notice was sent to the UTC’s chair of governors Dianne Smith on March 16, and published by the DfE today.
UTCs around the country were left with a combined debt of over £11 million after missing recruitment targets last year. Three owed over £500,000: UTC@Harbourside, Derby Manufacturing UTC and Cambridge UTC (now known as Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology).
The UTC movement launched in 2011 with the backing of former Conservative education secretary Lord Baker.
These specialist technical education providers, which typically recruit learners aged 14 to 19, are seen by many as unwelcome competition to more established general FE and sixth-form colleges.
Construction learners have helped raise £20,000 for Mary Steven’s Hospice by helping stage a charity performance of The Wizard of Oz.
Tutors at Dudley College of Technology’s construction apprenticeship training centre (CAT) were approached by the hospice to build props including a prison cell and a scarecrow stand with just a week to go until the show.
Staff and level two carpentry students at CAT worked together to gather materials and design and build the props in time for the show, which starred the one-time X-Factor finalist Wagner as the wizard.
“Responding to real-life project briefs is a key part of the way in which students enhance their learning experience,” said Neil Thomas, the college principal. “We were delighted to support such a good cause and are thrilled the pantomime helped to raise much needed funds for the hospice.”
“The fantastic support shown to our cause has been overwhelming. They are very talented and created some fabulous props,” added Amanda Bowen, deputy head of fundraising at Mary Steven’s.
The maths and English departments at North Shropshire College pulled out all the stops to celebrate National Pi Day last week.
Staff and students took part in activities to celebrate the irrational number, calculated as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, and extending into an infinite number of decimal places.
Real pies
From planting circular flower arrangements to playing circle-based sports, the day showed students the importance of maths and its context in day-to-day life.
Freshly made pies were also available at the college’s refectory.
“This has been a wonderful opportunity for students to find out more about the mathematical symbol Pi, and also the importance of maths in everyday life,” said Jo Millington, the curriculum manager for math and English at the college.
The origins of the day lie in the way March 14 is written in the United States, which appears as 3/14 – similar to Pi’s numerical value, which is approximately 3.14159.
The nation’s best training providers, employers and apprentices have been enshrined at the inaugural Annual Apprenticeship Awards at a glitzy gala dinner.
The ceremony, attended by 500 people, was one of the highlights of this year’s AAC conference in Birmingham.
The full slate of winners are listed below, and Shane Mann, the managing director of LSect, the body that runs both FE Week and the awards, was full of praise for everyone who entered.
“I would like to say a huge congratulations to all of our winners,” he said. “Each is a tremendous example of the outstanding work those within the apprenticeship sector contribute. They truly deserve the recognition,” he said.
“We were stunned by the number of applications we received this year and will now commence preparations for the 2019 awards.”
Former skills minister Robert Halfon, who is now chair of the Commons education select committee, took home this year’s ‘Special recognition’ award.
Shane Mann, Robert Halfon, and FE Week editor Nick Linford
“He fully deserves this,” said Mr Mann. “He has been a staunch supporter of apprenticeships before and throughout his time as skills minister, and has continued to fight their corner as chair of the education select committee.”
FE Week and our award partners AELP announced the shortlists in association with CMI in February. The regional winners were announced last month in Parliament.
“The future for apprenticeships is bright and the awards this year and beyond illustrate why apprenticeships have become the country’s flagship skills programme and why other countries are now tapping into UK expertise and experience to build their own programmes,” said AELP boss Mark Dawe.
Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Apprenticeships (individual) – Phil White
Phil White was recognised for years of dedication to apprenticeships culminating in his role in the development of new employer-led training programmes.
He started with United Utilities in 1997 as a mechanical engineer apprentice, and worked his way up to head of learning and development.
The judges recognised that trailblazer apprenticeship standards “for water process technician and utilities engineering technician were only ready for delivery thanks to his unique, sustained input”.
And the outstanding contribution to the development of apprenticeships – an individual prize – goes to … Phil White!! #FEWeekAAC18pic.twitter.com/edK5Kka97R
Promoting Apprenticeships Campaign of the Year – Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group
NSCG’s application covered both their annual apprenticeships marketing campaign plan and promotion activity for National Apprenticeship Week.
The judges said: “They demonstrated a planned and effectively carried out a campaign, showing how teams had worked together to deliver, providing evidence of apprenticeship achievement above the national average, with data showing high rates of positive outcomes. Their activity covered a range of media, events and recruitment activity.
Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Apprenticeships (employer or provider) – Learning Curve Group
This award went to Learning Curve in recognition of its “all-encompassing” support for the roll-out of the apprenticeship levy from April last year.
Their entry stressed the importance of “investment, insight and innovation”.
“IT demonstrated a partnership relationship with employers to support it with the introduction of the levy, but also continuing those relationships beyond the levy, where apprenticeships were not the right avenue,” the judges said.
Apprenticeship provider of the year – Gen 2
Cumbria-based Gen2, part of the City & Guilds Group, was praised for commitment to apprenticeships across its whole business.
“They provided data that demonstrated the quality of their provision, including through the employer satisfaction survey, which gave high scores, significantly above national average,” the judges said.
“Timely success rates are consistently high and in 2016/17, 94 per cent of apprentice learners had a positive destination outcome.”
Apprentice Employer of the Year – Clarkson Evans
Gloucester’s electrical specialists Clarkson Evans employs over 230 apprentices, which were recognised for being “the lifeblood” of the company.
“They demonstrated how they have been extending apprenticeship opportunities, broadening the range of subjects over the last two years,” the judges said.
Their training programme was actively developed “to support business growth”. It provides “exceptional support services” to learners.
Apprenticeship Provider of the Year: Business and Administrative – DBC Training
This provider stood out because of its special efforts to work in partnership with every customer.
“It demonstrated high employer-satisfaction scores, timely achievement rates and high levels of learner satisfaction,” the judges said of Derby-based DBC Training.
It designs all its apprenticeship programmes with the employer, learners and parent or carer in mind, and “continually monitors feedback throughout the programmes”.
Apprenticeship Provider of the Year: Construction – Construction Industry Training Board
CITB was recognised for its unwavering commitment to employers.
It designs its apprenticeships programmes “specifically to enable the construction industry to be as efficient and effective as possible”.
“We are relentless in our efforts to improve learner retention and success rates and have sector leading achievement rates across nations,” it wrote in its entry.
Judges also recognised its “well-developed recruitment and selection strategy for learners”.
Apprenticeship Provider of the Year: Digital – Firebrand Training
The London provider was credited for impressive skills training in support of the UK’s digital sector.
Firebrand is “dedicated to delivering apprenticeship training to small, medium and large enterprises”.
“The provider boasts 87- to 92-per-cent achievement rates for apprenticeship frameworks and a 95-per-cent retention rate for trailblazer apprenticeships, paying testament to high-quality delivery provided throughout the duration of an apprenticeship,” judges said.
Apprenticeship Provider of the Year: Engineering & Manufacturing – Babcock Skills Development & Training
The judges were impressed with Babcock’s “exceptional” success rates and commitment to diversity.
“Success rates are exceptional, 95 per cent timely success for 2016-17, with the bespoke technical solution delivering work-ready year three apprentices to their workplace,” they said.
Impressive dedication to increasing diversity was also demonstrated, while its approach to training is “an extension of the employer’s place of work, inducting the apprentices into a work ready ethos”.
