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International learners publish a book on their stories of home

A group of international students at Derby College have written a book about their memories of home for a local book festival.

The group of 28, who all study the college’s Lexis intensive language programme, officially launched their book, entitled ‘Stories from Home, Journeys of Hope’, at the third annual Derby Book Festival.

Three of the students whose stories are featured in the book, read out extracts at the launch, including 18-year-old Silvania Teixeria (pictured left), who shared a tale of being attacked by a dog near to the Cape Verdean village where she grew up.

The Derby Book Festival has now officially published the students’ book, which is on sale for £3, and has been illustrated by art and design students at Derby College.

Derby College’s chief executive, Mandie Stravino, said: “We are extremely proud of our students who have worked incredibly hard to produce this book – sharing personal experiences in life which have had a profound impact on them.

“The Lexis students arrived in the UK at various intervals during the last few years. Many have little prior knowledge of English and a few had had no previous formal education.”

Animal care students run cattery for homeless felines

A college offering animal care courses has teamed up with a national pet charity to open a cattery for homeless cats.

Construction of the new facility at Moreton Morrell College was paid for by pet charity Blue Cross and it will house the stray felines until a new home can be found for them.

The charity also provided training for staff at the college, after approaching them with the idea of opening a rehoming centre due to a gap in their coverage of the Warwick region.

Cats will stay in five double pens, with students on the college’s animal care and management courses caring for them under the supervision of their tutors.

Katie Macalister, a regional rehoming network manager at Blue Cross, said: “Our partnerships with colleges give homeless cats the best chance of finding a new home, while helping students gain first-hand experience of looking after animals. So it really is win-win for all of us – including the cats!”

Level three animal management student Jade Fox added: “It’s great having cats at the college. Helping them gives us the opportunity to put into practice everything that we are learning on our course.”

Manchester United’s class of ’92 launch football programme with Trafford College

A new programme launched by Trafford College and Salford City FC will allow the UK’s top young footballers to pursue a professional career in the game while gaining qualifications along the way, reports Samantha King

Twenty-one aspiring footballers have been selected to take part in Academy 92, an initiative founded by Salford City FC, which is owned by Manchester United’s famous ‘class of ‘92’ players Phil Neville, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

The programme will combine coaching and practical football training with further education – with youngsters spending at least two days a week at Trafford College studying for a level three diploma in sports science, alongside an additional A-level depending on the GCSE grades they achieve.

The principal of Trafford College, Lesley Davies OBE explained: “For those young players that have the right entry qualifications and want to do more, we will make sure they can undertake an additional A-level, so that will give them a three A-level equivalent should they want to go on to university in the future. If there are players that need English and maths retakes, we will also provide that.

“We’ve got a view of what we believe their attainment will be from their schools this year, but we will tailor the programme to meet the needs of each individual.”

The group of 16- to 18-year-olds will study at the college for two years, and can undertake training in areas such as hospitality, business, media and literacy, with specialist staff from Academy 92 delivering football training at a nearby facility.

Davies highlighted the importance of providing a career safety net in the scheme, adding: “Should the students, for any reason, be unable to follow their career aspiration to be a professional footballer, this will give them a safety net of an alternative career.

“It’s great if you make it, but if you don’t, it gives you the skills and sound education base to go onto something else.”

The first cohort of youngsters, who have been selected from across the UK, signed their official contracts at a recent launch event at Trafford College, attended by former United players Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs. The scheme will begin after the summer.

Gary Neville, who spent his entire footballing career playing for United, said: “The football industry is a challenging one which can see players’ careers end prematurely. We have teamed up with Trafford College because our beliefs and ethos are the same.

“Their approach is innovative, exciting and they clearly want the best for their students, as do we.

“Our academy graduates will leave in two years and they may go onto university, have successful playing careers, work within the sports industry, coach or even go into the business sector. Whatever they decide the best option is, they will be prepared and ready to take on that challenge.”

Milton visits first FE college since becoming minister

A college in the midst of completing a three-way merger was chosen by Anne Milton as her first FE provider to visit since she became skills minister.

Ms Milton (pictured above right), who replaced Robert Halfon after a shock sacking last month, was given a tour last week of Surrey-based Carshalton College – which is due to merge with Kingston College and South Thames College on August 1 and will thereafter be known as The South Thames Colleges Group.

During her maiden speech as skills minister last week at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers conference, Ms Milton insisted that she would “listen and take notice” of what the sector had to say. So far this is her visit to a provider.

She met with groups of apprentices, supported learners, and engaged in discussions with local businesses about their work to boost skills in the area.

She also spoke at length with principal Peter Mayhew-Smith about the college’s personable activities, including its merger, as well as the pressure FE colleges are finding themselves under currently with the sector-wide reforms being introduced such as T-levels and the apprenticeship levy.

Ms Milton said afterwards: “What a fantastic first visit and it was a great chance to meet apprentices in action.

“It was also good to see the college working so well with local businesses and the NHS who clearly understand what an apprentice can bring to the work they do.

“I would love to see more people thinking about becoming an apprentice to get the skills they need for a successful career – it’s a great way to earn while you learn.”

The minister took a tour of the college’s Technology, Engineering and Construction Centre with Mr Mayhew-Smith and met construction apprentices, and supported learners.

“We were delighted to welcome minister Anne Milton on her first official College visit,” Mr Mayhew-Smith said.

Speaking to FE Week after the visit, the principal of the grade three Ofsted-rated college, which was allocated over £3.7 million in government skills contracts as at March 2017, added that the minister was well-informed and very personable, “taking an interest in the work being done right around the college at every level”.

“Her questioning around our merger, the pressures we’re under and the optimism we’re trying to feel for qualification reform and the apprenticeship levy was accurate and insightful.

“She was very interested in how businesses are trying to respond to the various challenges around at the moment. I’m looking forward to seeing how she delivers.”

FE Week asked the Department for Education for details of what other visits to FE providers Ms Milton has lined up, but the department said it could not give out the minister’s diary ahead of time.

Has Ms Milton visited a college near you? If so, get in touch!

Main image: From left: Supported learning tutor Beverley Kinsey, supported learner Jade Potter, aged 22, and Anne Milton

Movers and Shakers: Edition 215

Your weekly guide to who’s new and who’s leaving

Steve Hearty is the new director of apprenticeships and standards at the Construction Industry Training Board.

The CITB is a partner in the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry across England, Scotland and Wales, working closely with industry to ensure high standards and fully qualified workers.

In the new role – which has been created in anticipation of an expansion in apprenticeship and services work – Mr Hearty will regularly meet with the Department for Education to ensure that both the government and employers have the information they need to create a T-level for construction.

His role will also see him developing construction qualifications and career pathways in Scotland and Wales.

Mr Hearty said: “I’m delighted to start my new role, and I am looking forward to working with the industry and government across the three nations to ensure the delivery of high-quality construction apprenticeships.

“I’ll be focusing on building a strong relationship with the Institute for Apprenticeships and will work collaboratively in developing the new employer-designed standards.”

Mr Hearty began in the role on July 1.

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Angela Foulkes has been appointed principal of the Sheffield College.

Currently the vice-principal for curriculum and support at the Manchester College, she will take up her new post on September 4.

Ms Foulkes has 25 years’ experience in the further education sector, holding senior leadership roles in a range of London colleges and as vice principal at Barnsley College.

Prior to this, she taught English for several years before leading a team focussed on adult education in London.

Ms Foulkes says her priority in the new role is to “strengthen the curriculum offer”.

“I am thrilled to take up this exciting role in a city that I greatly admire and am proud to be part of, and where I already have very strong ties,” she said.

She will take over the role from current principal Heather Smith, who is retiring after 33 years working at the college.

Paul Corcoran, chief executive of the Sheffield College, said: “Angela brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise as we progress with investment in teaching and learning, and strongly position the college to respond to national changes in vocational education, training and skills.”

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The UK’s only specialist further education construction college, Leeds College of Building, has appointed Ian Hirst as faculty director of construction crafts.

Mr Hirst previously led the craft, construction and engineering department at Oldham College, before joining Greater Manchester University Technical College as assistant principal for teaching and learning.

In his new role, he will oversee courses including bricklaying, painting and decorating, roof slating and wood occupations, as well as heading up the college’s 14-to-16 skills academy, which offers local schools construction-related programmes and qualifications.

He said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last 12 years working in construction education and felt the time was right to move to the next level. Leeds College of Building is where I aspired to work, because it’s the recognised leader when it comes to best practice in construction training and education.

“We’re already building on our relationships with local schools across the region by launching a new week-long work experience programme for pupils.”

If you 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

Most eligible employers not yet on levy system

Less than half of the employers eligible to register on the government’s apprenticeship system had done so by the end of May this year, new government statistics suggest.

A total of 8,200 accounts were registered by May 31, according to figures published for the first time by the Department for Education on July 6.

But figures published by the DfE last August estimated that 19,150 companies – which represent just 1.3 per cent of all employers – would be eligible to pay the apprenticeship levy.

This suggests as many as 11,000 large employers have yet to sign up with the online service that enables them to spend their levy funds.

March was the most popular month for registering for an apprenticeship services account this year, with 3,390 accounts set up, followed by 2,060 in April.

When FE Week asked whether the Department for Education was happy with the progress and if it would be doing anything to try to encourage more employers to sign up, a spokesperson said: “We have been working hard to support employers, and our records show they are engaged and ready to use their funds to invest in quality training for apprentices.

“Currently nearly 90 per cent of top levy paying employers have registered to the apprenticeship service.”

Mark Dawe, the chief executive of the AELP, said the figures fitted with what he had been hearing from providers about their conversations with employers.

“Levy payers have two years to spend their money and some are carefully considering what their mix of apprenticeship training should be, whether via recruitment or training up existing members of staff and at what levels,” he told FE Week.

“There is still a big job to do for providers as the government’s salesforce for apprenticeships to explain to a significant number of employers the benefits of using their levy funding and a key message is that Brexit means investment in skills via apprenticeships is more important than ever.”

The latest DfE figures also showed that employers had made 5,200 commitments to deliver apprenticeships on the apprenticeship service by May 31, while a huge 4,190 of these planned to start delivery that month.

A further 600 commitments were made with June as the training start date, and 250 for July.

The numbers dropped to single figures for August and September.

Speaking at the AELP 2017 conference on June 26, Keith Smith, director of funding and programmes at the Education and Skills Funding Agency, praised the work of his department for simply getting the apprenticeship service up and running.

“The first question is ‘how many people in the room lost money betting that the system wasn’t going to be ready on time?’ So, that was a huge achievement for us,” he said.

“A year ago I came and spoke at this very conference, put this very slide, and said this is what the service was going to encompass, this is what we’re going to stand up for levy paying employers, and importantly change the way that you guys interact with the system and the service.

“This is what we’ve done, and this is what we’ve achieved. So we’ve delivered it pretty much to the letter.”

Investigates: Are T-level plans in trouble?

– Greening begs big business for help with “substantive” work placements, while DfE refuses to commit to original plan for 2019 launch

The education secretary has explained to FE Week how she’ll tackle the mammoth task of convincing huge numbers of employers to run three-month work placements for T-level learners.

Justine Greening called on businesses to help develop and deliver the government’s new T-levels.

In an exclusive interview with FE Week, she outlined plans to urge business groups to help deliver substantial work placements.

She also pleaded with employers to throw their support behind the “gold-standard” technical qualifications, which were first detailed a year ago by the government in its post-16 skills plan and are set to be introduced from 2019, during a speech at the British Chambers of Commerce Education summit.

The project, she said, would require a major commitment of time and resources from businesses across the country, as was explained in the Conservative Party’s general election manifesto, which stressed that the government would “make sure each student does a three-month work placement as part of their course” during their T-levels.

“Today was a clarion call to businesses to say ‘I need them to help us deliver this’,” she said, after her speech.

“Part of the work will involve talking to the big organisations like the BCC, the Confederation of British Industry, or the Federation of Small Businesses about how their members can help.

“But it’s why we really need this much broader push, it’s why we are going to follow up straight after the summer, getting our biggest and best companies into the DfE to have one plan on doing things like work placements, because they are critical.”

In the speech she told delegates that “I want to create an army of skilled young people for British business”, but, she said “I need your help: government can’t do it alone.”

Before she spoke, the Department for Education revealed plans to invest £50 million from April 2018 in “high-quality work placements” at T-Level, and £15 million “to contribute to improvements in FE so we have the colleges and teachers we need to deliver” the qualifications.

This will be the first instalment of the £500 million annual investment in T-Levels that was pledged during the budget in March.

The qualifications won’t be taught until at least September 2019, and won’t be fully rolled out until 2022, so the £500 million is expected to begin in 2022.

Before that, however, it will be phased in, with the £65 million coming in April 2018, more than a year before any of the new courses are taught.

But when FE Week asked for detail, the DfE was unable to explain how this £65 million would be spent, or whether it would include financial incentives for the employers.

It is clear, though, that the DfE is desperate for help from firms not only to develop the content for the T-levels within the 15 vocational routes, but also to deliver “substantial work placements” that should last between one and three months (140 and 460 hours).

“I will bring together top leaders from the business community – to agree the overall shape of the reforms,” said Ms Greening during the speech.

“One of the main areas of focus will be the high-quality work placements that are a component of every T-level. These will help to prepare young people for skilled work. Our research shows they are beneficial to businesses, colleges and young people.

“I can’t do that important piece of work without you. I need your help again. T-levels will only work, only be successful, if we can deliver these work placements together.”

She also stressed her determination to help “every FE college” to be ready for “a streamlined set of just 15 technical skills routes”.

“Because we need to beat countries with the best technical education – we need to invest in more hours of skills training.”

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T-level timeline branded ‘impossible’

Evidence is mounting that the government’s T-levels plan is already in trouble, amid desperate pleas from awarding bodies for a rethink on the “impossible” timetable.

According to the Skills Plan published July 2016, the first two pathfinder routes are meant to be ready for teaching from September 2019 – but this depends on reaching a number of milestones on time.

Panels of industry experts were meant to have begun meeting earlier this year to set out new occupational standards for each of the 15 routes.

The Department for Education advertised for panel members and chairs back in January – but has kept quiet since then on who has been appointed, or whether the panels have been going ahead as planned.

FE Week also understands that the DfE’s consultation on developing T-levels had been due in the summer, but has now been put back until the autumn.

Kirstie Donnelly, the managing director of City & Guilds, said the government had been “worryingly quiet” on the T-level timetable – and “with summer recess fast approaching we can only assume there will be no detail until the autumn”.

“This is a concern for those of us who need to develop the new qualifications as we are already faced with unrealistic timelines and any further delay means a successful outcome gets less and less likely,” she said.

Ms Donnelly urged new skills minister Anne Milton to “review what are simply unrealistic and impossible timelines” and to “listen to the experts who have experience of developing and delivering high-quality qualifications”.

Andy Walls, the head of vocational policy at the Joint Council for Qualifications, which represents the seven largest awarding bodies in the UK, said he was waiting “with interest” to hear from the DfE on its T-level proposals.

“JCQ and its member awarding bodies expressed our concern to the DfE that their original proposed timeline – with first teaching of new technical qualifications from September 2019 – was unrealistically tight,” he said.

“This could well be counterproductive to developing the high-quality qualifications that employers and learners need,” he warned.

Other important stages in the current timeline for T-levels include procurement for the new technical qualifications, which is due to begin in October 2018.

The first two pathfinder qualifications are scheduled to be approved by February 2019, with the teaching of these two routes beginning in September of that year.

The remaining routes are intended to be phased in from 2020 to 2022.

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Work placement ‘fatigue’ sets in before T-levels begin

Employers may already be experiencing work placement fatigue, before the government’s reforms to technical education have even kicked in, according to research commissioned by the Department for Education.

A report by the Learning and Work Institute, published on July 6, examined one of the central requirements of the new T-level qualifications – the introduction of a lengthy work placement for every learner.

T-Level work-placements are planned to be “substantial” and will last between one and three months (140 and 460 hours).

“The evidence suggests further investment will need to be made to increase providers’ capacity to successfully engage employers and boost the number and range of work placements offered to the levels described in the Skills Plan,” the report said.

However, “concerns were raised at the workshops that employers may already experience fatigue as a result of the number of requests they receive from learning providers, and that a more coordinated approach will be necessary to ensure this issue is not exacerbated”.

Justine Greening recently committed £50 million from April 2018 to fund “high-quality work placements – a key component of every T-level – to help prepare young people for skilled work” during her speech at the British Chambers of Commerce education summit on July 6.

The issue of finding enough good work placements for all learners on T-levels is one that many across the sector have raised concerns about.

Difficulty is anticipated in persuading thousands of businesses around England to offer the placements, which are likely to require financial incentives.

Sufficient availability of local placements and travel costs – particularly in rural areas – could also be a major barrier for policy makers to overcome.

The LWI’s research was one of two projects commissioned by the DfE to look into the issues around work placements.

The institute, in partnership with workforce development body Fair Train, was charged with looking into what effective practice in work placements looks like and how it can be scaled up to the level required by T-levels, as well as identifying any challenges.

As well as calling for extra investment, it also recommended a “nationally mandated set of standards and guidance for implementation, moderation and assessment of work placements”, to ensure “a consistent approach across the country and ensure parity of learning for young people”.

The second project will be delivered by social cohesion charity The Challenge, and will focus on developing model work placement projects, based on research into existing good substantial work placements.

The contract for that work began on March 16, and is due to run until the end of July.

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Institutes of Technology still just words

There was an especially notable absence from Justine Greening’s speech on the the technical education reforms: any reference to Institutes of Technology.

The institutes were first announced in July 2015, and mentioned again in the Skills Plan in July the following year.

At the time, they were intended to “provide technical education in STEM subjects at levels three, four and five”, in order to address the “particular need to improve higher-level STEM skills”.

But material on the next steps, originally expected last autumn, has so far failed to materialise.

Tantalising glimpses of the government’s thinking were revealed in the industrial strategy green paper in January – along with a commitment of £170 million in capital funding.

It suggested the aim was to “increase the provision of higher-level technical education”, and ensure that it is available “in all areas”.

A person “could study a level three at a local college, before moving on to study a higher-level technical qualification at an institute in a nearby city”.

The government would expect most of the IoTs “to grow out of high-quality provision”, according to the green paper – which meant they would be based at existing providers.

But a leaked document, seen by FE Week the following month, indicated that they could be based at “wholly new” institutions.

Amongst the suggested delivery and governance models were ideas such as “extending technical education provision from within an existing high-performing college”, “delivery through partnerships of FE and HE”, or “a group of employers partnering with an education provider to create an IoT”.

The Conservative Party manifesto, published in the run-up to June’s general election, caused more confusion by hinting at a change of policy on the institutes.

It committed to establishing an IoT in “every major city in England” – though these would be “linked to leading universities” and would “provide courses at degree level and above, specialising in technical disciplines, such as STEM, whilst also providing higher-level apprenticeships and bespoke courses for employers”.

Anyone hoping for clarification will have to wait some time, it appears.

In a written response, dated July 3, to a question from shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, skills minister Anne Milton said: “As part of our industrial strategy, we will launch a call for proposals to establish new Institutes of Technology later this year.

“The number of new institutions we approve will depend on the quality and number of bids we receive.”

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Editorial with Nick Linford

As reported last week, the new Skills Minister Anne Milton is seen as a fixer, brought in to sort out the stumbling apprenticeship reforms.

And this week we have revealed how DfE plans for T-Levels appear in trouble, so its little wonder Ms Milton (who is also responsible for them) has already spent so much time with her civil servants.

Where the former minister Robert Halfon was keen to be out on the road visiting colleges, so far she has only toured one provider (Carshalton College) after 18 days in the job.

We understand Ms Milton is knee-deep in paperwork and civil servant briefings, rapidly getting up to speed on policy developments.

This bodes well for quick decision making, something the sector has sorely missed since Theresa May’s administration first took office a year ago.

It is clearly too early to judge if they will be good decisions, but decisiveness and clarity it badly needed.

And don’t think if apprenticeship and T-Level reform gets back on track, Ms Milton will have it easy.

Does anyone have the faintest idea how to implement devolution of the adult education budget from next year?

Employers already experiencing work placement ‘fatigue’, DfE commissioned research reveals

Research commissioned by the Department for Education has found that employers may already be experiencing work placement ‘fatigue’ – even before the government’s reforms to technical education have kicked in.

The report, published today by the Learning and Work Institute and published this morning, addressed one of the key issues in the development of the new T-level qualifications – the introduction of a one- to three-month work placement for every learner.

“The evidence suggests that further investment will need to be made to increase providers’ capacity to successfully engage employers and boost the number and range of work placements offered to the levels described in the Skills Plan,” the report said.

But it added: “Concerns were raised at the workshops that employers may already experience fatigue as a result of the number of requests they receive from learning providers, and that a more coordinated approach will be necessary to ensure this issue is not exacerbated.”

It comes as Justine Greening addressed business leaders at the British Chambers of Commerce education summit in London today on the government’s plans to reform technical education, as outlined in last year’s Skills Plan.

These included a commitment of £50 million from April 2018 to fund “high quality work placements – a key component of every T-level – to help prepare young people for skilled work”.

This was not new money, but was instead part of the cash previously announced by the Treasury, which would see £500 million annual investment in T-levels from 2022.

The funding is being phased in, with £65 million coming in April 2018 – enough to cover the work placements commitment, with the remaining £15 million being used to “contribute to improvements in further education”.

Concerns have been raised across the sector about the difficulty in securing enough good quality work placements.

A key issue will be how to persuade thousands of businesses around England to offer the work-placements, something which is likely to require financial incentives.

Sufficient availability of local work-placements and travel costs could also be a major barrier for policy makers to overcome.

The LWI’s report was one of two projects commissioned by the DfE to look into work placements.

BREAKING: official figures show huge increase in apprenticeship starts in month before reforms kicked-in

Apprenticeship start rocketed in the months before May when mandatory cash contributions from employers kicked in, the latest Department for Education figures show.

In the first half of the 2016/17 academic year apprenticeship start volumes were similar to the previous year, but between February and April they grew by 52,700 (47%).

Source: DfE Statistical First Release figures published in July 2017 and June 2016

FE Week understands the majority of this growth took place in April, a month before the levy reforms began, which for the majority of employers requires mandatory cash contributions for the first time.

As reported in FE Week, the unofficial estimates put apprenticeships starts in May as very low.

So the figures released today strongly suggest providers and employers rushed to start before apprentices before the new rules and funding regime kicked in.

More to follow.