AoC boss talks tough over management apprenticeships

David Hughes has “serious concerns” about the unstoppable rise of management apprenticeships and the consequent lack of opportunities for young people.

In an exclusive interview with FE Week ahead of the AoC’s national conference next week, the organisation’s boss warned that FE would end up with a “polarised system” if the numbers taking apprenticeships in management continued to balloon.

“You end up with more and more degree-level apprenticeships which are inaccessible to people who aren’t already in decent jobs,” he said.

“I, for example, could do an MBA funded through the apprenticeship levy – and I think that is wrong. If the AoC wants me to do an MBA then the AoC should pay for me to do it. Now I don’t think they do, by the way, but my development shouldn’t be through what I still see and view as a public fund [the apprenticeship levy].”

FE Week revealed last month that management has soared in popularity to become the second most common apprenticeship framework.

According to government statistics, it had 46,640 new starters in 2016/17, a figure which grew to 64,480 when counting standards.

The figures gave further validation to fears raised by other sector figures that the apprenticeship levy would encourage businesses to use funding for management courses for existing employees instead of offering lower-level apprenticeships to young people.

“I know employers say they own it, but to me it is a tax that pays for the apprenticeship programme which should be about productivity and about social mobility,” Mr Hughes said. “That really worries me, that polarisation.”

The AoC boss told FE Week he was also “seriously worried” about the government’s new Institutes of Technology, which are set to launch in 2019.

“They are too much looking at level six, where partnerships are led by universities, whereas I think it should be more starting at level three and ran by colleges,” he said.

“Having higher levels as a potential end-point is fine but actually the big trick is how we persuade people currently of the working age who actually don’t have the skills that are going to work in the next 10 years to invest in themselves to do some training.”

He said that any bids from colleges to become IoTs should require a partnership with a university, but that there is a difference between “a partnership led by colleges with progression to university” and something that’s “university-led with a little bit of progression from levels three, four and five”, and that the former “what we need”.

He discussed his fears about the government’s restructuring fund and the mandatory work placement component of T-levels.

But despite his various concerns about the technical education reforms, Mr Hughes said he wants delegates at the AoC’s conference next week to be “upbeat”.

“And what does that mean practically? I think the rub, the really important bit, is the sector needs to get its attitude to FE and to the government right,” he said.

“We can’t be seen as a sector that complains all of the time.

“Of course the funding is inadequate, we know the procurement around apprenticeships is really difficult and the reforms are causing all sorts of cashflow issues, adult funding is inadequate, the restrictions on what you can fund are really causing problems.

“There isn’t enough funding and support for people who want to do levels three, four and five, there is no capital funding and hasn’t been for years, lots of colleges are facing massive debts from previous capital. There are lots of problems.

“We could talk about those for two days and we could walk away feeling really bad or we could put those aside, not forget them or pretend they don’t exist, but start talking about what the country needs in terms of skills in the next five to 10 years, particularly because of Brexit.

“And who will deliver on that? Much of the delivery around social mobility and productivity and skills shortages will come from FE colleges, that is a massive opportunity and we have got to see that.”

My role as FE commissioner: past and future

Richard Atkins reflects on a year at the helm of one of the most important jobs in FE, and what is to come

In April last year, I retired after 21 years as a college principal, and planned to work less and relax more. By the end of October I had started work as the second FE commissioner, leading a small team of former principals, vice-principals and finance specialists to provide support and intervention to colleges, on behalf of the apprenticeships and skills minister. Helping colleges in difficulty to improve is a tough job – but having been a principal, I know leading a college through that change is even harder.

And it has certainly been a year of change! In January we moved from BIS to the DfE, and in March we completed the 37 area reviews, giving me an input to policy development. A lot has been achieved. Intervention focuses on improving colleges that are ‘inadequate’ or have failed financially. On the first we have seen very major progress: the number of ‘inadequate’ colleges halved over last year – and three have progressed to ‘good’. Seeing this progression has been hugely rewarding, and is a great testament to the leadership teams.

As for financial health, when I arrived there were a number of colleges with problems that felt intractable – often high levels of historic debt. The area reviews have really made a difference here: the colleges that I was most worried about have now either already merged with a stronger partner or are well on the way.

While intervention is effective, it’s much better to support improvement earlier, reducing the impact on learners and the cost of turnaround

I know restructuring is challenging and things do not always work out as planned. In a number of cases my team has been involved in adjusting recommendations. What matters to me is that we ultimately get good solutions. We have a limited window, while we have government restructuring funding, and before the insolvency regime, to support colleges to improve. It is really important that leaders test their financial plans and are confident of a future with no exceptional financial support.

The big change to what I do over the next year will be engaging with colleges at an earlier stage. When I began, it was clear that while intervention is effective, it’s much better to support improvement earlier, reducing the impact on learners and the cost of turnaround. Justine Greening’s announcement in July, for an expanded commissioner role, a strategic college improvement fund and national leaders of further education, was a really positive development.

My team will now be undertaking “diagnostic” visits to colleges at risk. These will have a different type and tone of visit from intervention. My team will be working with chairs, principals and senior teams to implement effective improvement strategies. We are not just making recommendations, but will bring real resources to bear.

I am excited to work with some of the best current principals, who will help improve quality at colleges across the country. While principals will be appointed as national leaders, they bring the wider expertise of their colleges to the table: FE colleges are highly complex organisations.

I am sometimes asked by colleagues in the sector what differentiates the FEC team from Ofsted or the ESFA. While we work closely and have excellent relationships with both, I believe our role is distinctive. As a non-statutory group of FE and sixth-form college specialists, we assess and recommend improvement strategies and processes for colleges in sticky situations.

We combine support with strong and informed challenge and we are not afraid to recommend significant change if that is appropriate. Our expertise lies in governance, leadership and overall institutional viability and success, and we do a different job to Ofsted or the ESFA. We very much enjoy sharing best practice across the country and drawing on our experiences of improving colleges elsewhere.

I am thoroughly enjoying my third career, and providing a role model for the DWP’s “work longer” campaign. My team and I are very much looking forward to working with more senior staff to keep up the improvement in quality, financial sustainability and reputation of this fantastic sector.

Richard Atkins is FE commissioner

End-point assessment: what colleges and training providers need to know

Based on her upcoming research, Sallyann Baldry explains how colleges and training providers should be preparing for end-point assessment

End-point assessment is the testing at the end of an apprenticeship that is set, administered, marked and graded by an organisation that wasn’t involved in its delivery, either as training provider or employer.

Each standard has an assessment plan describing what is required for the EPA. The majority of standards have only one approved assessor (known as an EPAO), although there may be more waiting in the wings, as every month sees another handful of organisations join the register and approved EPAOs are increasingly extending their range. Some standards already have good coverage, with management at level three, for example, having nearly 20 EPAOs.

Here are some tips for providers during each of the stages.

Choosing your EPAO

There is no need to stick with the EPAO named when initially registering an apprentice; there may be more to choose from by the time the apprenticeship is completed.

The employer decides which EPAO they want to work with, but the lead training provider contracts with them, on their behalf.

Registration

Providers will need to check that the EPAO is ready to offer the EPA, confirm fees and procedures, and complete registration. Fees are not always online, as they may be quoted on the basis of volume of apprentices or, if using raw materials, based on a variable market price.

Drawing up a contract

Contracts are not standard so each EPAO will have different terms. The Federation of Awarding Bodies has produced advisory guidance including template contracts for its members but many EPAOs will create their own.

Preparing for tests

Providers can expect a 10- to 12-week lead-in time after an apprentice is booked before the first test takes place. They must carefully check eligibility criteria, ID authentication requirements and send copies of certificates, for example in maths and English, well in advance of the test date. The onus is on the EPAO to ensure each apprentice is eligible; if they get it wrong it might invalidate the whole EPA.

Some assessment plans specify a fixed time between different parts of the EPA, so it’s essential to plan well ahead with the apprentice’s employer to ensure work commitments can fit in around the tests. It’s not uncommon for practical skills tests to last six hours; one even runs over 2.5 days. Some EPAOs have set up regional testing hubs, which could be some distance away, so the apprentice may need help with travel arrangements.

Find out if the EPAO has any practice tests or guidance on preparation. EPAOs I spoke to this summer are producing guidance for the apprentice, the provider and the employer. If electronic testing forms part of the assessment, check now that your CBT equipment is compatible, find out if remote tests must be recorded and that your kit is up to the job.

Communication

EPAO websites are in their infancy and some are yet to go live. Some EPAOs have not dealt with colleges and training providers before so may not use familiar terms. However, it is a government stipulation that an EPAO “promotes itself to employers to support informed employer choice”. The apprentice may also receive direct communication from the EPAO, in which case it is important the provider information is consistent.

Knowing what to expect of your EPAO is key. The completion of your apprentices’ studies is in their hands; they will apply for the certificate for the apprentice, assuming they pass the EPA. They are responsible for the internal quality-assurance of the process but they are also subject to external scrutiny from EQA.

In short, EPAOs are working incredibly hard to be ready for the expected gold rush next summer, but providers need to do their homework now to put in place a process that takes account of the complex requirements of end-point assessment.

Sallyann Baldry is apprenticeships consultant at the Federation of Awarding Bodies

Liverpool FC catering team deliver a masterclass in stadium catering

Liverpool Football Club’s executive head chef and catering team have given aspiring chefs from Hugh Baird College a masterclass in stadium catering and hospitality.

The group of students from the college’s L20 hotel school met with the club’s top chef, Chris Marshall, and hospitality manager John Hollywood, who offered up some advice on working front of house.

A tour of Anfield’s catering facilities was followed by a Q&A session where students found out about the club’s behind-the-scenes workings, as well as the skills that are required to cater on a large scale.

LFC’s catering team also paid a visit to the college the following day, to help students prepare and deliver a dining experience to paying guests.

“To have a tour of the Anfield facilities and then to work with their teams and receive one-to-one advice from them has given me an invaluable insight into the sporting catering industry at one of the biggest football clubs in the world,” said student Averyll Green.

The LFC catering department is currently helping colleges across Merseyside and St Helen’s to give students a chance to work alongside the club’s top chefs.

Apprentice becomes youngest ever person to report on BBC News at 10

An apprentice has made history at the BBC by becoming the youngest ever person to report on the News at 10.

Twenty-year-old Izin Akhabau (pictured right) was among the first ever group of digital journalism apprentices taken on at BBC News in 2015, and has now presented a report on spoken-word poetry.

The apprentice scheme attracted over 3,000 applicants, and just 10 were selected for the 18-month course, which culminates in a diploma accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists and allows participants to work in departments including BBC Politics, Newsnight and BBC News.

“It has been amazing to work with the team from the Six and Ten, and learn a new skillset,” said Ms Akahabau, who received training at the City of Wolverhampton College during her apprenticeship. “In the future, there are so many things I want to learn how to do, including coming back to work at the BBC full-time.”

The BBC took on another 22 apprentices in October, and 10 have started at local radio stations, and 12 at network news.

“Izin’s story was superb,” said Paul Royall, editor of BBC News at Six and Ten. “She reported with flair and imagination and brought an original story to the Ten. We hope to see her again.”

Stonemasons carve paving stones to commemorate Bath’s World War 1 soliders

Stonemasonry students have taken part in a stone-carving project honouring local men who served in World War 1.

The four level three students from Bath College carved commemorative paving stones honouring the last surviving combat soldier of WW1 in any country, John “Harry” Patch, as well as William George Chivers and Herbert Charles Windell, who all grew up together in Bath’s Combe Down Village.

The stones will be placed around the area’s new Mulberry Park housing development, where each street is named after the men and marked with the commemorative stones.

The ceremony to unveil the first paving stones was attended by relatives of Mr Chivers, as well as college students, representatives of Combe Down Heritage Society, the Royal British Legion, Bath and north-east Somerset council and local MP Wera Hobhouse.

“It’s my way of paying respect to those who fought in World War I, especially coming up to Armistice Day,” said Jonny Stoker, a student who helped carve the stones. “I’m looking forward to visiting the site and seeing all the stones laid together in situ. I think that will give me a massive sense of achievement.”

Top British-Asian apprentices and their employers recognised at annual Asian Apprenticeship Awards

More than 500 people descended on Birmingham’s Edgbaston Cricket Ground for an annual awards ceremony celebrating the best apprentices from the British Asian community and their employers, reports Samantha King.

Now in their second year, the Asian Apprenticeship Awards brought together apprentices, employers and representatives from across the FE sector to raise the profile of apprenticeships among those from a British Asian background.

Eight apprentices from sectors including medical, social care, construction and retail were presented with awards, with the overall ‘apprentice of the year award’ given to Naila Bibi, an apprentice at Aspire Housing.

Naila Bibi

The winning apprentices were judged on their ability to demonstrate how much they had learned from taking on an apprenticeship, as well as their overall enthusiasm and work ethic, with the apprentice of the year selected by judges on the night.

Founder Safaraz Ali explained in a recent piece for FE Week that the awards were started because “low apprenticeship take-up is more significant among British Asians than in other BAME communities”.

It wasn’t all about the apprentices however, and awards were on offer for ‘small’ and ‘large employer of the year’, ‘learning provider of the year’, ‘school or academy of the year’ and ‘overall contribution to apprenticeships’.

Sue Husband, director of the National Apprenticeship Service and a former head of education for McDonald’s UK, was presented the prize for overall contribution for her role as a leader and influencer in the sector.

Sue Husband

“To be recognised for the contribution I have made to apprenticeships in England is humbling. Making a difference to the lives of apprentices, of all ages and from all backgrounds, is something I love being part of,” she said.

Alongside the winners, guests of honour included broadcaster and journalist Suzi Mann, comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli and keynote speaker Charlie Mullins, who became Britain’s first millionaire plumber after taking up an apprenticeship after leaving school aged 15.

 

Staff member hailed as a ‘food hero’ at the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards

A member of staff from Chesterfield College has been hailed as a hero at the fifth annual Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards.

Paul Maude, the college’s hospitality and catering career pathway leader, was presented the ‘food hero’ award by a former student, for his dedication both to the hospitality industry and his learners, organising work placements for them at venues like Wembley Stadium and Jamie Oliver’s restaurants.

Mr Maude, who himself studied at Chesterfield College and helps organise catering for the awards, once made a hazelnut meringue for Princess Diana, and has served food to guests including Joan Collins and fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.

“I love what I do and it is an honour to have received the award,” he said, “definitely a highlight in my career.”

The Food and Drink awards were set up to recognise the best of catering and hospitality in Chesterfield, including categories such as ‘best pub of the year’, ‘the family friendly award’, ‘best customer service’ and ‘young chef of the year’.

Pictured: (L-R) Event host Mich Turner MBE, Food Hero Paul and his former student Adam Yeomans

Third FE college in six months rated Ofsted outstanding

A third general FE college has been rated ‘outstanding’ in the space of six months.

Fareham College was recognised as grade one in all headline fields except adult learning programmes which was found to be ‘good’.

The ‘outstanding’-overall report – up from its previous ‘good’ rating – is due to be published by Ofsted tomorrow, but the college shared it with FE Week a day in advance.

The sector had faced a 14-month wait for Ofsted to rate a general FE college ‘outstanding’ – but this changed with two published in the space of two weeks in June.

These went to Dudley College and Grimsby Institute Group.

News of this third grade one will be widely welcomed, and principal, Nigel Duncan, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the outstanding Ofsted result.

“Our dedicated team of academic and support staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure we are driving the best technical and professional education in the South.”

He added that every member of staff, no matter what role they play in the organisation, along with students and their employer partners “gave their all during the inspection”.

“Staff performance is consistently outstanding and student behaviour exemplary – what more could a principal ask for? I am so proud to lead such an amazing organisation,” he added.

The report recognises that “excellent and well-established” partnerships with employers, particularly supporting specialist engineering subjects, and that these “meet local, regional and national needs very well”.

This special relationship with employers provides “exceptional” opportunities for work experience and for learners “to learn using specialist engineering equipment and technical resources”.

“Particularly effective” performance management of teachers’ results was also praised, while governors’ diligence with securing the college’s financial health was recognised.

The report recognised governors’ wide range of industry experience and skills, and how they “provide excellent support and challenge to the senior leadership team”.

Students and apprentices were said to “make very good progress” in achieving their qualifications, and in gaining excellent technical and professional skills.

Fareham College, in Hampshire, is a large general further education college that taught over 3,000 learners last year. It was allocated over £4million by the Education and Skills Funding agency for 2016/17.

It opened a second campus in Lee-on-the Solent, in collaboration with large regional employers, which provides technical and professional training in a range of engineering specialisms such as automotive, marine, aeronautics and motor sports.

The new Ofsted report was also full of praise for the teachers.

It said: “Practical teaching for students on study programmes and for apprentices is of very high quality and closely aligns to apprentices’ workplace roles and responsibilities. Teachers are highly experienced in their vocational subjects and they use their skills and enthusiasm to inspire students and apprentices to progress and achieve.”