Windsor Learning Partnership
‘apprenticeships’
The hunt is on for the first permanent chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships, while potential candidates have been served notice that they should be prepared to adapt to changing ministerial whims. An online notice posted by the Cabinet Office confirms that the role will involve two days a week work, and pay £56,000 a […]
News
Industry insiders fear that new apprenticeship college training groups could unfairly distort the market and divert government cash away from frontline education services. Groups of colleges banding together to set up bodies to help broker joint deals with local employers to encourage them to take on apprentices, prompted Mark Dawe (pictured), the boss of the […]
The UCU has blasted the “woeful” lack of transparency in the area review process, after it emerged that key guidance waiting for ministerial sign-off has been circulating in draft form for months. The Department for Education has still not officially published a crucial set of implementation guidance that was originally due in July, because final […]
A firm commitment to “transform” technical education was made by education secretary Justine Greening, in a Conservative Party Conference speech that stressed the government’s Skills Plan will be a “big focus” for her. She told delegates yesterday (Tuesday) there had been a “renaissance in apprenticeships” over the last six-and-a-half years, and she was now determined […]
Ministers were in fine voice on skills at the Conservative Party conference this week, but the FE sector must now wait to find out if the lip service they paid will translate into extra financial support. Skills were at the top of the agenda at the event in Birmingham, and featured in the speeches of numerous party heavyweights including education secretary Justine Greening, […]
Mark Dawe reflects below on apprenticeship and skills minister Robert Halfon’s comments at the Conservative Party Conference on his priorities for apprenticeship reforms. I have just sat in a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference that gave the apprenticeship and skills minster, Robert Halfon, the opportunity to speak and answer questions for an hour. In summary, […]
Opinion
The apprenticeships minister Robert Halfon has sought to play down fears in the business community that some companies will “game” the new apprenticeship levy system to subsidise their own in-house training. Halfon told a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham this morning that although it was “inevitable” that there may be some “gaming […]
Apprentices should be sent into classrooms to tell school pupils about vocational career and training options, according to two learners who chose apprenticeships despite having been discouraged by their schools. Ellie Newton (above left) and Liberty Hobbs (above right), both business administration apprentices with Pimlico Plumbers, told a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference this morning […]
Plans have been unveiled to fully fund IT courses for adults, putting ‘digital literacy’ on a similar footing to English and maths. A consultation on the final details of the plans will be undertaken in due course, which will be funded from the existing £1.5bn annual Adult Education Budget. At present the Skills Funding Agency […]
