Latest news from FE Week

Citrus fruit suppliers and Europe’s largest equine hospital exhibit at careers fair

Seed merchants, citrus fruit suppliers and Europe’s largest equine hospital were among the businesses exhibiting at Writtle University College’s careers fair.

Over 60 organisations were in attendance at the fair in Essex, including Colchester Zoo, the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery and representatives from the Sanger Institute’s genomic research centre, who showed students a few of the options available to them post-study.

Alongside exhibitors, there were workshops on how to use social media to find work, how to cope with assessment centres and even a crash course in running your own business for students on courses ranging from global ecosystem management to garden design.

“The nature of our specialist courses means that there are some very interesting career options for our students, such as nutritionist, equine behaviour consultant or government research scientist,” said Mark Yates, Writtle’s careers coordinator. “It’s a great chance for students to think through how their studies will improve their future career and studies.”

College senior management team take part in cooking challenge

Members of Barnsley College’s senior management team have taken part in a Masterchef-style cooking challenge at their on-site student restaurant, the Open Kitchen.

Under the watchful eyes of the college’s catering students, staff had to prepare, cook and serve four different dishes to diners, including beer-battered plaice, trio of sausages, burgers and chick peas, and spinach and butternut squash bhuna.

The winner of the event, as voted for by chefs and students, was the vice-principal for corporate services, Tony Johnson, who impressed the judges with his energy and cooking ability.

“It was exciting and a lot of fun to make the dishes. The event was fantastic and I now have a better understanding of the pressure our catering students feel on a regular basis,” said Phil Briscoe, vice-principal for quality and student experience at the college. “I will take home a lot of skills that I can use in the future.”

The college’s Open Kitchen restaurant currently has a 4.5 rating on TripAdvisor, and is ranked the 96th best place to eat in Barnsley out of 360 eateries on the website.

Performing arts students invited to perform refugee play at Parliament

Performing arts students from Leyton Sixth Form College have been invited to perform their self-written play about refugees at Parliament.

They were the only college chosen to perform in the under-18s category at The Sunday Times National Student Drama Festival in Hull, for their play No Human is Illegal, and went on to stage it at a venue in Newport, where it was spotted by the local MP, Paul Flynn.

Now the 40-minute play, which explores UK foreign policy and the Syrian refugee crisis, will be performed in front of an audience at parliament in February after an invitation from Mr Flynn.

The majority of the cast members come from BAME backgrounds, and are nearly all first-, second- or third-generation immigrants.

“The students that I teach come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, many of them are migrants themselves, yet they were oblivious the harsh reality of the current global crisis that I presented to them,” explained Katy Arnell, a performing arts tutor. “I found this fascinating and this directly fed into the devising process.”

Students paired with the elderly as part of T-level work placement pilot

Over 30 students at Sunderland College have been paired with elderly people in a T-level pilot project that flips the traditional model of students shadowing carers on its head, reports Samantha King.

The college’s new intergenerational advocate scheme, designed in partnership with Sunderland City Council, has level three health and social care students working closely with residents of care homes and extra-care housing schemes to provide companionship and increase social engagement in older people, especially those with cognitive impairments such as dementia.

It’s not traditional placement work where students shadow a carer in practice

Students are running group activities such as biscuit decorating, and organising parties and musicals, as well as one-on-one projects with residents, including making memory boxes.

The project is being funded by the Department for Education ahead of the new T-levels, as part of a pilot looking at which work placement models work best.

Sunderland College is one of six colleges in England to be supported by the government to pilot the proposed reforms, which include longer work placements to replace the current one-to-two-week programmes.

“There are a few colleges involved in the pilot, but I only know of ours that is an intergenerational project,” explained project lead Carla Raine, a health and social care lecturer at the college. “This initiative gives our students a meaningful opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of members of our older community.”

The first 15 students taking part have already started their placements at two extra-care housing schemes, Bramble Hollow and Willow Brook, and at Belle Vue House, a care home in Hedon. They are expected to last until February when the next wave of students will take over.

“One student is paired with a resident who moved over from South Africa and doesn’t have family over here, but is really interested in shipyard building and industrial history,” said Ms Raine. “She researched ship-building in Sunderland and now they’ve gone on trips to museums and are going to create a model boat together.”

Social workers from the council’s adult social care team provided students with training before they embarked on their placements in November, covering everything from safeguarding and confidentiality to what to expect working in a care setting.

“It’s not traditional placement work where students shadow a carer in practice. This one is very much about students taking ownership and working with the resident,” Ms Raine added.

Brian Cox delivers talk on the origins of life at Stafford College

The TV presenter, author and lecturer Brian Cox has given students a talk on astronomy, cosmology, astrobiology and the origins of life during a visit to Stafford College.

The acclaimed physicist delivered the wide-ranging 50-minute talk to more than 130 learners on physics, chemistry, biology and maths courses across Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group.

After the talk, Mr Cox took part in a Q&A session with staff and students, with questions including ‘What would you say to Einstein if you could meet him today?’ and ‘What is the fabric of the universe?’

“The quality of the questions that the students asked were fantastic, you can definitely tell that they had a real enthusiasm for the subject,” Mr Cox said.

He was also presented with three portraits of himself which he autographed, which were painted by students Sophie Whittington, Lydia Cheung and Lewis Walker, which were commissioned by the NSCG ahead of his visit.

“We were delighted to welcome Professor Brian Cox. He met many students who have been inspired by his work and hope to follow in his footsteps,” said Karen Dobson, the principal and chief executive of NSCG.

Movers and Shakers: Edition 228

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

Adrian Cottrell, Deputy principal, Waltham Forest College

Start date: January 2018
Previous job: Interim vice principal for finance and resources, Amersham & Wycombe College
Interesting fact: Adrian wants to take up shepherding with his own flock of sheep. He hasn’t told his family yet.

____________________________________________

Dominique Unsworth, SME ambassador for Apprenticeships, Apprenticeship Ambassador Network

Start date: October 2017
Previous job: Managing director, Resource Productions (ongoing)
Interesting fact: Dominique used to work at Slough Museum and co-wrote a book on the modern history of Slough, called The Changing Face of Slough.

____________________________________________

James Bagley, Principal, Gateway College

Start date: November 2017
Previous job: Vice-principal for curriculum and quality, Gateway College
Interesting fact: James loves spicy food and grows a range of chillies to dry, cook with, and make into sauces.

____________________________________________

Joe Crossley, CEO, Qube Learning

Start date: December 2017
Previous job: Business development director, Qube Learning
Interesting fact: Joe is a car enthusiast and his favourite car is the classic Porsche.

____________________________________________

Angela Walsh, Group apprenticeship coordinator, NEC Group

Start date: September 2017
Previous job: Tutor and assessor, Solihull College and University Centre
Interesting fact: Angela’s perfect Friday night involves Italian food and a large glass of red wine.

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

Consultation launched on closure of 18th studio school

A studio school in Manchester plagued with financial and performance problems since it opened three years ago faces closure, after its schools commissioner admitted turning it around would be a “challenging task” for any new sponsor.

The regional schools commissioner, Vicky Beer, has written to everyone involved with the Manchester Creative Studio to inform them of a consultation on whether it should be closed or passed to another sponsor, according to the Manchester Evening News.

If closed, it will be the eighteenth studio school to shut, leaving just 34 nationwide.

The institutions are an alternative to mainstream education for 14- to 19-year-olds, taking on cohorts of up to 300 pupils.

They provide a work-related curriculum with pupils receiving vocational and academic qualifications, as well as work experience, and like the similarly-troubled university technical colleges, are viewed by many in FE as unwelcome competition.

In many cases they have struggled to recruit the necessary number of pupils to be financially viable.

Ms Beer said in her letter that making the Manchester studio school viable would be “challenging” for any academy chain that took it on, and the school now says the option of closure is being “strongly considered”.

An original plan was made to rebroker the school and its sister institution, the Collective Spirit free school in Oldham, in January, after Manchester Creative Studio was handed a financial notice to improve and Collective Spirit was placed in special measures.

The option that is being strongly considered is that the school will close at the end of this academic year

But Collective Spirit closed in the summer and the Manchester Creative Studio, which is also in special measures, deliberately avoided taking on new pupils in September, in preparation for a potential closure at the end of the academic year.

Both free schools were founded by Raja Miah, the former charity head who won an MBE for his social integration work in 2004.

The school has received support from another academy chain, the Laurus Trust, for the past six months, and claims to have made some progress in strengthening its position.

However, Martin Shevill, who took over as chair of the school’s board in July, said it had become “increasingly clear” that the school “does not have the capacity and resources to continue this trajectory over a sustained period of time”.

“The school has significant financial challenges and the reality is that, without considerable support from outside bodies, it is unable to deliver on its educational aspirations,” he said.

“The option that is being strongly considered is that the school will close at the end of this academic year.”

In a letter from Beer, the commissioner said the school would need a new sponsor “that could reverse its falling pupil numbers to make it financially viable”.

“The difficulties in securing the necessary viability would be a challenging task for any trust in the school’s current circumstances,” the RSC wrote.

“We have therefore decided to consider the possibility of closure of the school, subject to conducting a ‘listening period’ to gather views on the proposed closure.”

Since their inception, 17 studio schools have closed, leaving just 35 open nationwide.

The rate of closure has apparently caused unease at the Department for Education, and FE Week’ reported earlier this year that the former academies minister Lord Nash met with officials from the programme to discuss a review of the model’s concept.

Meeting records show that Nash met the Studio Schools Trust in March, with the purpose of the meeting listed as being “to review the concept of studio schools”.

The main issue for the 14-19 institutions is their battle to recruit enough pupils, just like UTCs.

Since the UTC movement began in 2010, a total of eight of the technical institutions have now closed.

The government is however seemingly holding faith in their success, as five more opened this September, bringing the UTC total to 49 across the country.

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Independent Learning Providers (ILPs) have one of the most interesting and challenging jobs in education. Teaching everything from yoga to degree-level apprenticeships, ILPs have to cater for a diverse and eclectic student base with a range of very different needs.

They’re also in the midst of a period of substantial change, as apprenticeships hit the headlines and public attention is firmly on the power of vocational education.

Organisations that rely on public money must be able to prove their worth

Organisations that rely on public money must be able to prove their worth, and ILPs must offer flexible, scalable solutions that deliver value to learners, industry and beyond. Cautionary tales like Learndirect, which has faced ongoing difficulties, demonstrate the importance of being both accountable and innovative, and capable of providing the best training now and for the future.

So, quality is the watchword for ILPs, and we know that our own customers in this space have three main priorities.

First, to attract students: being able to persuade potential recruits and/or employers that vocational training will meet their needs, and prepare them adequately for employment.

Second, with student engagement and insight, providers must ensure an immersive and valuable learning experience.

This leads onto the third: course completion. Learning providers are often financially incentivised by completion rates and, of course, their reputation and ability to compete in a fast-moving market depends on the success of their students.

Preparing for the unknown and embracing new delivery methods

To prepare for market changes and to meet unprecedented demands from employers, ILPs must future-proof as much as possible. We know that up to 80 per cent of jobs that will exist in 2025 don’t exist today, so training providers have to prepare learners for a working world that’s uncertain. Diversification, and the ability to pivot and adapt to the market’s changing needs, are key.

Changes to funding have also prompted providers to reconsider how they deliver training. Several providers have gone so far as to claim that they will go out of business if they don’t adopt blended learning.

So ILPs’ focus is moving away from rote learning towards self-directed and independent study, which prioritises critical thinking skills and readies students for an unpredictable workplace. And no longer will technology be a luxury in vocational education, rather than an all-important necessity.

Technologies like Canvas can help learning providers change teaching and deliver a flexible, progressive and student-centred learning approach that focuses on meeting these demands.

Technologies like Canvas can help learning providers change teaching

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Introspection for progress

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Ultimately, an employment market that is changing at an unprecedented pace in the wake of globalisation and automation means that teachers need to provide education and skills for jobs which may not even exist yet. But technology like Canvas allows ILPs to focus and to do what they do best: providing great teaching experiences which create independent and flexible learners, able to cope with an uncertain future.

Find out how we are working with ILPs to fuel growth and help them prepare for the future.

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How can we get more adults to learn?

We are already looking at the supply of skills training, writes Fiona Aldridge. Now we need to encourage people to want grow these skills.

In yet another busy news week for the sector, it can be easy to miss some of the most interesting developments, especially when they’re launched without the major fanfare of an industrial strategy, or the wider news appeal of a decline in apprenticeship numbers.

For me, one such development was last week’s government foresight review into the Future of skills and lifelong learning, bringing together an impressive body of evidence to consider the policy implications for five of our most important challenges: low levels of literacy and numeracy, work-readiness of labour market entrants, mismatch in the demand for and supply of skills, low skills equilibriums, and how we support learning across the life-course.

This will be a valuable evidence base for many years to come. It has already played a role in shaping one of the more overlooked announcements in Justine Greening’s speech at this week’s Skills Summit.

One million fewer adults are learning than five years ago

Alongside a series of announcements aimed at developing the skills of young people – a new skills partnership, the T-level consultation, the Institutes of Technology – a £10 million investment was announced to “test the best ways of incentivising adults to train in the skills that their local economy needs”. This is important; if we are to address the skills needs both of today and the years to come, we must focus on those who are already in the labour market, not just those who are entering it.

This is the second announcement in as many weeks, detailing how the £40 million “career learning” package, first mentioned in last year’s spring budget, will be spent. The £10 million Flexible Learning Fund is designed to address a range of challenges in the supply of adult skills provision. This investment is focused on increasing demand.

Over the coming months, Learning and Work Institute will be working with local partners in Leeds, Devon and Somerset, Lincolnshire, Stoke-on-Trent and the West Midlands to design and support a range of outreach and cost pilots. Each pilot will explore different approaches to engaging more adults in learning. It will also trial and test ways of overcoming some of the financial barriers that adults face. Our learning about what works will inform the National Retraining Scheme.

As the foresight review shows us, the challenge is significant. One million fewer adults are learning than five years ago, and many lower-skilled workers say that they aren’t interested in developing their skills, that they feel too old or don’t have the confidence to learn new things.

But it also shows that the prize is high. Learning benefits not just the individual, but also their families, their communities, their employer, as well as the wider economy.

Developing your skills is associated with higher wages and a greater chance of being employed and progressing at work. And as our local partners recognise, it is critical in addressing skills gaps, boosting productivity and stimulating growth. These are exciting times and we look forward to sharing progress with you as the pilots develop.

Fiona Aldridge is assistant director of research and development at the Learning and Work Institute