York College
‘Jobs’
Matching students with a course that will lead to employment is “not a high enough priority” for FE providers, according to a report published by Ofsted today. Their Skills for Employment report found that too many courses focused on the achievement of qualifications and did not extend to training that led to job specific skills. […]
News
The inadequate focus of FE providers on the job outcomes of students was a critical talking point at Ofsted’s annual learning and skills lecture today. Matthew Coffey, the national director of learning and skills at Ofsted, discussed in detail the Skills for Employment report published by Ofsted this morning. The report found that too many […]
During a recession it would make more sense for people to be supported to learn new skills in further education than paid to look for jobs that don’t exist. That is the simple headline message of a new report prepared by the 157 Group to be published this week. Colleges maintain that there are many […]
Opinion
David Cameron has created a National Childcare Commission in the wake of Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s review of qualifications for the Early Years workforce. Nutbrown wants tougher entry requirements, starting at level 3, to raise the quality and status of childcare workers. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Truss MP, in a recent report for the think tank Centreforum, calls […]
The publication of the recent Local Government Association (LGA) report on a so-called “skills mismatch” in further education is deeply disappointing. It represents a backward step to outdated and discredited approaches to labour market planning and threatens to undermine moves towards a more fruitful strategic co-operation between colleges and local authorities that we in the […]
Krissy Charles-Jones is determined that the subcontracting of apprenticeships has to change. The chief executive of Bright International Training told the Apprenticeships England conference last week about the impact on her business when her prime contractor pulled the funding of a cohort of learners on a pilot programme. “This left us in a difficult position. […]
Uncategorized
What has been your greatest achievement at the SFA? “The biggest thrill for me and the greatest intellectual high is to be able to see one of your ideas implemented – and find that it works. The shift to outcomes, and how I wanted to introduce more competition around price, the simplifications in the sector, […]
More than 120 students from Derby College helped to keep spectators and runners safe during the Olympic torch relay last month. The students, who all underwent stewarding and door supervisor training as part of their public services’ course, acted as marshals along the route. They had a wide range of duties including traffic management, maintaining […]
Bulletin
The deputy prime minister has revealed plans for a new pre-apprenticeship scheme that he called “traineeships”. Nick Clegg, speaking at an event held by the Confederation of British Industry on youth unemployment, said the scheme would provide support for people leaving school with minimal work experience or qualifications. It was a package of training and […]
