DIUS FE and Skills e-Newsletter
17th June 2008
Dear Colleague
Welcome to the ninth edition of the FE and
Skills e-newsletter - a direct news and information link from DIUS
to the further education (FE) and skills sector.
Please note that we have now moved to a
subscription-based mailing list. Therefore, if you would like to
receive future editions of this newsletter please complete our online subscription form. Please also forward this
newsletter to anyone who you think might be interested. |
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Contents
Announcements
Events
Updates
For Action
Publications
Useful Links
Announcements
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders
Congratulations to all those who were recognised in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours for their services to further education and skills. They are:
KBE
Sir William Moorcroft – Principal of Trafford College
CBE
Bernard Borland – Principal, St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College
Mark Haysom – Chief Executive, Learning and Skills Council for England
OBE
Godfrey Glyn – Principal Barton Peveril Sixth Form College
Peter Lobban – Chief Executive, CITB-Construction Skills
Keith Marshall – Chief Executive SummitSkills
Merron Mitchell – Director of Offending Learning, City College Manchester
Graham Hoyle – Chief Executive, Association of Learning Providers
MBE
Sandra Breen – For services to Mary ward Adult Education Centre, and to the community in Holborn, London
Keith Copeland - Improvement Engineer, One NorthEast Regional Development Agency
Jon Gamble - Director for Adults and Lifelong Learning, Learning and Skills Council
Yuet-Wah Emily Lam-Kwok - Centre Manager, Learndirect, Chinese Centre (North of England), Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Felicity Mendelson - Learning Council Project Manager, Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council
Janet Wales - Study Support Manager, Runshaw College
Anthony Taylor – Chair of Governing Body, Walsall College
For a step by step guide to making a nomination, please visit the UK Honours website
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders.
On 12 June the Government published ‘Work Skills', setting out an ambitious agenda to develop the skills and talents of everyone – those already in employment, as well as people who are out of work. It details how we plan to bring the employment and skills systems closer, be more responsive to the needs of individuals and employers, and enable people on the ground to shape services to meet local needs. Headline changes include:
- Skills Accounts (with some £7000 for adults aged 18-25 to achieve up to level 3);
- Adult Advancement and Careers Service;
- 1200 additional apprenticeship places;
- giving decision making responsibility to collaborative partnerships (meeting certain characteristics.
Pilots and trials are being developed to test different elements of the package from this autumn.The full interactive document, with video case studies showing how the employment and skills system is being transformed, is available at the link below
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Audience: All with an interest in skills for employment – as users or providers; all staff and managers of FE college and independent providers, and national partners/stakeholders; FE college principals and training providers; Local authorities and their partners, LSC, local partnership teams.
 Skills minister David Lammy launched the Training Quality Standard on 8 May, congratulating 31 organisations from across the country who have recently achieved the standard designed and endorsed by employers – a standard which will recognise and highlight excellence amongst training providers.
The Training Quality Standard was developed to give employers a simple benchmark for choosing training provision. Achieving the standard demonstrates providers’ ability to offer high quality training at a time and place to suit employers – setting them apart from the competition and making it easy for employers to find the right training solutions for them.
Employers have been involved in the creation of the assessment and certification system and for the first time their needs are really being met.
A unique attribute of the Training Quality Standard is that it is not attached to public funding or investment and is open to both publicly and privately funded organisations providing workforce training solutions at all levels, including Higher Education, Apprenticeships and Train to Gain as well as bespoke and non accredited training.
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Audience: FE college principals/governors and key stakeholders in the FE system.
Government is issuing some new guidance to local authorities and their partners on the work of Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE). The guidance makes reference to the role of colleges as key partners in this work and reinforces the importance of working collaboratively locally to tackle this difficult issue. This will be of interest to those working in colleges in areas where PVE is a live issue. John Denham will be writing to all College Principals with a shorter version of this document to update them on the work.
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders.
On 20 May, the forum on sexual orientation and gender identity in post-school education launched guidance on trans equality in further and higher education institutions. The aim of the guidance, commissioned by the forum and funded by DIUS, is to ensure that trans equality is embedded in all policies and practices in post-school education.
The guide provides background information, practical advice and examples of best practice, so that post-16 learning establishments can take positive steps to fulfil their legal requirements under the 2006 Equality Act and provide a positive environment for trans workers and students.
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, voluntary providers, school 6th forms (all post-16 providers); staff and managers of FE college and independent providers, and national partners/stakeholders; local authorities and their partners, LSC, local partnership teams.
 In response to the important changes that are happening to vocational qualifications, the Qualification Reform Support Programme (QRSP) has launched a new website to offer the support and information needed to help you prepare for the new qualification reform, come September this year.
The website offers essential key documents, checklists and an opportunity to find answers to your questions. It also includes ‘quick guides’ and a ‘readiness matrix’ to help you prepare for the changes ahead. There is also an opportunity to sign up for regular updates and forthcoming events with the first 50 people to register as community members receiving a free 512 MB memory stick.
The QRSP programme delivered by the Learning and Skills Network (LSN), on behalf of QIA, is designed to offer guidance on sector qualification reform and the QCF (Qualifications and Credit Framework), in the context of a demand led system.
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders.
 TV is changing! Starting in 2007 and ending in 2012, analogue TVservices in the UK are being switched to digital, TV region by TV region.
Maintaining continuity of television services throughout switchoverwill be important for schools and colleges, whether to support teaching and administration or as part of the provision of good quality student accommodation. Student unions will need reminding that their TVs will need attention before switchover. Planning ahead is the way to achieve this, not least so that costs can be built into future investment plans.
Responsibility for upgrading television equipment and reception systems is likely to fall to the Board of Governors who will need to ensure that timely preparations are made for switchover, wherever TVs are used.
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders.
A new improvement body dedicated to the development of the further education and skills sector was officially named on Tuesday 10 June 2008. The new organisation will be known as the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) with the strapline ‘dedicated to development’.
Dame Ruth Silver announced that Roger McClure, formerly Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council for Further and Higher Education, had been appointed as Chief Executive of LSIS. The newly appointed Board members were also announced as: Neil Bates, Walter Brown, Christine Maddock, Keith Brooker, Meredydd David, Paul Head, Asha Khemka, Stella Mbubaegbu, David McNulty, Bill Moorcroft, Ann Robinson and Simon Withey.
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Events
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders, all with an interest in skills for employment – as users or providers, local authorities and their partners, LSC, local partnership teams.
 
Volunteering England and v are working in partnership to host a one-day symposium on Wednesday 9 July 2008 in London, focusing on creating a sustainable strategy for student volunteering within the further education sector.
The symposium comes as a result of Volunteering England’s research into the impact of volunteering on the further education sector. The research identified the need for a volunteering strategy to help embed volunteering within further education.
The event will look at how volunteering can develop learners’ skill sets, enabling them to be ready for employment or progress to further educational opportunities. There will be a showcase of good practice examples to inspire people to think more creatively about volunteering and consultation sessions on what a volunteering strategy could look like and how people can take action.
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders.
Ian Pearson, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, is undertaking a series of Innovation Nation Regional Roadshows over the summer and autumn, where he will speak about his vision for innovation in the UK.
Ian will be speaking alongside regional and local partners and this is a fantastic opportunity for you to engage in a discussion around national and regional plans to raise productivity, foster competitive businesses and meet the challenges of globalisation by driving innovation.
You will also have the opportunity to network with some of your region’s leading innovative companies and meet with key regional stakeholders from innovation centres, science parks, networks and educational institutes.
The dates for the roadshows are:
- 22 May North West (Manchester)
- 24 June East of England (Newmarket)
- 10 July North East England (Teesside)
- 15 July West Midlands (Birmingham)
- 29 July South West England
- September Yorkshire and Humber
- September South East England
- September East Midlands
- September London
Don’t miss your chance to have your say on the support structures that the government is planning to put in place to realise the potential that exists within the UK.
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders, all with an interest in skills for employment – as users or providers, skills for life practitioners, teachers, support staff and anyone with an interest in literacy or numeracy, union learning reps, employers, voluntary organisations who work with the unemployed.
For too long, success in vocational qualifications has gone without the recognition and national celebration it deserves. But 23rd July 2008 is the first ever VQ Day – a celebration of the people who gain vocational qualifications every year, and those who help them achieve this success.
DIUS, AoC, ALP and many individual colleges and providers are working with the Edge Foundation, the FE Reputation Strategy Group and awarding bodies to raise the profile of vocational qualifications and celebrate vocational success.
If you’re one of the many people in the FE sector who help students gain VQs, go to the official website to see how you can take part in the day. Or just vote for your celebrity VQ Hero and sign the VQ Roll of Honour, if you hold a vocational qualification.
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Updates
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders, College principals and HR Managers
On 30 May, the Government published its formal response to the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) vetting and barring scheme consultation, which took place between 14 November 2007 and 20 February this year. The full response can be read by following the link below:
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, school sixth forms, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders
The consultation responses to ‘Raising Expectations: enabling the system to deliver’, are now being considered and the response will be published in July. Although the detail of the response is not yet available, it is clear that whatever changes are made, they will need effective management, including strong stakeholder engagement and communication.
To support this, DCSF and DIUS have put in place a set of programme management arrangements. This includes a new joint programme board, which is chaired at director general level by both DCSF (Lesley Longstone) and DIUS (Stephen Marston). Other members come from the LSC, the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS). The Board will meet on a monthly basis and strategically oversee the programme, reporting to Ministers. |
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Audience: FE college principals and training providers
Continuing their programme of visits to FE colleges and providers, ministers and DIUS senior officials have recently been to:
- York College
- Hull College
- Newham College
- Bedford College
Bill Rammell, David Lammy and Jim Knight shared the attendance at most of the regional consultation events on the ‘Raising Expectations: enabling the system to deliver’ White paper.Bill Rammell chaired the May meeting of his Ministerial Standing Group on FE, where key stakeholders from the sector discussed the ‘Raising Expectations’ White Paper; shaping the future of informal adult learning; and integrating employment and skills services.
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, training providers, local authorities, voluntary providers and national partners/stakeholders and all with an interest in skills for employment – as users or providers
 Meeting the challenges of the Leitch agenda and of the Train to Gain service require FE providers to change and expand their work with employers. QIA will be working with KPMG to deliver a new programme in support of employer responsiveness.
‘World Class Skills – delivering responsive provision’ is intended to help providers make the changes to their organisation’s structure, operations and culture which will assist them to deliver this agenda. The programme is broad in scope and will include topics on organisational design, staff skills, CRM, sales, sectors and specialisation, funding and finance. The programme will deliver a mix of organisational consultancy for individual providers and events and will start in late July 2008.
Further information will be available shortly on the QIA website. QIA are working closely with LSC and providers to ensure the programme meets their needs and helps deliver the government’s targets.
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For Action
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Audience: FE college principals/governors, College principals and HR Managers
On 5 June 2008, the Department launched a consultation on proposals to amend existing regulations that, as of 1 September 2007, require all newly-appointed principals of further education institutions to hold or be working towards the principals' qualification. The consultation proposes to:
a) require principals moving to a different principal's post to be qualified; and,
b) set a time limit of three years from the date of appointment for both newly-appointed principals and those principals who move post to achieve qualified principal status.
The consultation closes on 12 September 2008.
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Audience: All FE sector and post-16 providers, all with an interest in skills for employment, independent providers, national partners/stakeholders, local authorities and their partners, LSC, local partnership teams
 A major project has been launched to boost employability skills across the UK. Led by the new UK Commission for Employment and Skills, the project will highlight best practice in teaching and learning employability skills and in the longer term will build on this best practice to come up with ways to embed employability more effectively throughout the UK’s skills system.
Staff in schools, colleges, universities, other training providers and employers themselves, who are exceptional at giving their students and customers good employability skills, are being asked to let the UK Commission know what they are doing and how they are doing it. The Commission will analyse all contributions, and may request follow-up interviews. The most successful schemes will feed into recommendations of best practice to the highest levels of government, and to practitioners throughout the employment and skills system.
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Audience: All FE sector and post-16 providers, all with an interest in skills for employment, independent providers, national partners/stakeholders, local authorities and their partners, LSC, local partnership teams
 Calling all teachers in a LSC-funded provision – don’t miss the 30 September 2008 deadline for registration as a teaching professional.
Learning providers that deliver FE provision through a contract or funding agreement with the Learning and Skills Council are required to ensure that all their teaching staff:
- register as members of the Institute for Learning (IfL)
- undertake at least 30 hours continuing professional development (CPD) each year (pro-rated for part-time teachers)
- abide by the Code of Professional Practice.
Register with the Institute for Learning by 30 September 2008.
The government will meet the full cost of standard registration for teachers in LSC-funded providers; you will not be asked to pay any fees when registering. Teachers, trainers and tutors who do not work on LSC-funded programmes are also welcome, but will need to pay their own annual subscription.
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Publications
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Audience: All with an interest in skills and employment, people working in skills for life, college staff, union learning reps, employers, voluntary organisations who work with the unemployed
Published on 11 June, ‘Springboard for Success' illustrates the variety of opportunities for the UK's employers around London 2012, and explains how companies across all sectors can reap the benefits by participating in Government-backed skills training programmes such as Train to Gain, which offers free skills brokerage to all employers.
Through Train to Gain, employers can get expert advice on how to meet their outstanding skills needs, for example through the Apprenticeships programme, or through Skills for Life, which provides free literacy, ICT, English and numeracy training.
The Games will give firms the opportunity to create a workforce skilled at every level, helping businesses of all sizes to diversify and grow, and enabling local economies to be competitive over the longer term.
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Queen's birthday honours for FE and skills 
UK Honours website