Mr Lammy spoke at an event hosted by the Association of Colleges to launch the new Safe Colleges website:

“Colleges are at the coal face, not just supporting young people, but often very vulnerable young people. This is work that goes unsung and requires immense expertise, which is why you are at the forefront of the battle against guns, gangs and knives.

“It’s my hope and belief that the website we’re launching today, the resources and the practical experience that it will allow colleges to share, will play its part in taking that work to a new level.”

The website features guidance drawn up by colleges and the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Home Office.

The guidance suggests:

• Promoting the college as a ‘safe haven’ for learners;
• Developing a closer working relationship with local police to raise awareness of gang-related issues;
• Having a strong pastoral network and including learners on all committees;
• Making employment and careers aspirational, so that young people see them as a positive alternative lifestyle to gangs and crime;
• Recruiting staff, both teaching and support staff, including security, from the local community and reflecting its diversity;
• As appropriate for the local situation, having some or all of: passes, ID cards, turnstiles, “hoods down” policy, knife arches, metal detector wands, random testing/searching; and
• Ensuring staff training includes knife awareness, incident handling and conflict resolution.

Video

Speech
Read David Lammy’s full speech here

Website
The new Safe Colleges website can be viewed here

Press notice
Read the BIS press notice here

The project was financed by the Building Colleges for the Future programme, which since 2001 has funded more than 700 projects at nearly 300 colleges.

The new Wandsworth campus building includes industry-standard hair and beauty salons, a gymnasium, forensic science labs and music technology studios.

Speaking at the official launch of the building, Mr Brennan said:

“New college facilities improve the lives of learners, regenerate communities and inspire local people to learn and develop. This new modern campus will equip those in the Wandsworth area with the skills they need to get work and get on at work.”

Video

Flickr

View all images at the BIS Flickr album here. They are available for re-use by media and bloggers under Crown Copyright.

Press notice
South Thames College press notice

The conference, taking place between 26-28 October this year, will be bringing together creative businesses and leaders from around the globe to look at a number of key themes such as access to finance and securing creative content, along with developing talent and new business models.

The event will be streamed live at www.cabinetforum.org where you can also access the latest up to date agenda. Keynote speakers across the three days include some of the most influential people at the heart of the sector who will be ready to share their experiences such as Jean Bernard Lévy, Chairman of Vivendi, the media and communications group.

The conference will feature keynote speeches from Jean-Bernard Lévy, Rt Hon Lord Mandelson and Rt Hon David Lammy MP, as well as sessions on the creative economy, copyright and advertising on digital platforms.

Via the c&binet website you’ll be able to comment on the sessions during the live streaming and feed in to the debate. You can also submit your comments and questions in advance and follow the ongoing debate through the blog and via the c&binet twitter feed.

Speaking at a CBI conference ahead of the publication of both the Higher Education Framework and the Government’s Skills Strategy he will argue that a system that is more targeted on delivering the specific and general skills that employers needed also came with a new responsibility for business to support it financially and strategically through greater collaboration with universities and colleges.

Read Lord Mandelson’s speech

Lord Mandelson will say: “Over the last decade or so our expectations of the HE system in delivering economic impact have risen sharply – and rightly. Universities have responded to that willingly and actively. But it is a partnership, in which business has to be central. After students themselves, employers are the key clients of the higher skills system…

“Business has to get better at communicating its needs, so that the system can respond and our universities are not left to make educated guesses about what business wants. Business can and should also contribute more financially for a system that will be more vocational and more targeted on generating economic impact than ever before.

“But that relationship should clearly be collaborative and mutually beneficial and preferably long term. It is not something for nothing. It’s greater business engagement and support in return for a system better equipped to produce the right skills at the right time”

Calling the huge expansion in UK apprenticeships “one of the great achievements of this government”, Lord Mandelson will also argue that the time has come to see higher and further education in Britain as a closely integrated single agenda: “For me, HE and FE are two systems, joined by one goal. There was a time – well within most of our lifetimes – when… universities provided elite education and a training in the mores of professional life and apprenticeships were for craftspeople – or rather craftsmen – who would go on to spend their lives in a particular trade.

“It was a division based on social prejudice as much as economic reality, and if it isn’t yet dead, it needs to be. Modern craftspeople…are the technicians, designers and engineers who are the foundation of the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector… Obviously universities and the further education system do not do the same job. But they have the same essential role which is building human capacity and higher skills”.

Lord Mandelson will defend the government’s target of 50% participation in Higher Education but say that the target “should never alone be the proxy for whether Britain has the high level skills needed to compete in a globalised world.

“We are right to insist on continuing to widen access to university education and we are right to invest heavily in making our university system and the research it does the best in the world. But we also need to see the alternative routes to higher skills provided by apprenticeships and further education as no less valuable”.

He will say that the new skill strategy will set out ways of ensuring “more apprenticeships at higher levels to help address shortages in areas like skilled technicians”.

Read Lord Mandelson’s speech

• the competitiveness of UK institutions
• the benefits of postgraduate study
• the needs of business and other employers for postgraduates
• the levels of participation and potential barriers

Comment on the postgraduate review

As agreed last year by the TUC and CBI, the changes will give agency workers the right to the same pay, holidays and basic conditions as permanent staff after 12 weeks on a given job.

Publishing a consultation on draft regulations to implement the EU Agency Workers Directive, Business Minister Pat McFadden said:

“As the Prime Minister has said, the Government is committed to getting this legislation on the Statute Book by the end of this Parliament. The law will come into force in the UK in October 2011, giving recruiters and their clients time to prepare and plan. We are also mindful of the need to avoid changing requirements on business until the economic recovery is more firmly established.”

Proposals include:

• Agency workers entitled to equal treatment on basic working and employment conditions, including pay and holidays, as if they had been recruited directly by the hirer after 12 weeks in a given job
• Information about vacancies in the hirer to give them the same opportunity as other workers to find permanent employment
• Equal access to on-site facilities such as child care and transport services
• Improved rights to protect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers including right to reasonable time off to attend ante-natal appointments and adjustments to working conditions and working hours.

View the consultation (runs until Friday, 11 December 2009)

View the press notice

Publication of the Forward Programme is a key component of a series of reforms that the Government is introducing to strengthen the management of regulation.

It brings a new openness and clarity to the regulatory process and will enable decisions on new regulations to be taken in the context of the cumulative burden of the Government’s regulatory programme on business and the wider economy. This is more important than ever in the current economic environment.

Read The Government’s Forward Regulatory Programme (PDF, 651KB)

The Low Carbon Transition Plan sets out how the Government will meet the cut in emissions of 34% on 1990 levels by 2020.

The Low Carbon Industrial Strategy sets out how the Government will invest in areas such as tidal, wind and nuclear energy, as well as supporting electric vehicle infrastructure.

Low emission and electric vehicles offer new opportunities for UK manufacturers, but also new challenges for scientists and engineers. At the Low Carbon Vehicle 2009 event last month, Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Drayson, said:

“What we have to do is use science and technology to offer cars with great performance but also great efficiency and low emissions.”

For more information on the Government’s low carbon policies, see the Low Carbon News hub, a resource for media, bloggers, stakeholders and the public.

Other Government departments are also participating in Blog Action Day. Read the Prime Minister’s blog on Number10.gov.uk here and Foreign Office Secretary of State David Miliband’s blog here.

For more information about what you can do to reduce your CO2 emissions and slow the effects of climate change, visit Directgov’s Act on CO2 website.

The event is being held at the BIS Conference Centre.

Further information on UK National Contact Point Event (PDF, 75KB)

The IWF was founded by the internet industry in 1996 and works in partnership with the police, government, the wider online sector and the public to combat the availability of potentially illegal online content within its remit. As a result of this self-regulatory approach, less than 1% of online child sexual abuse content has apparently been hosted in the UK since 2003, down from 18% in 1997.

Through the ‘Hotline’ reporting system, the IWF helps the online industry combat abuse of its services through a ‘notice and take-down’ initiative by alerting them to potentially illegal content within IWF’s remit on their systems and enabling the police to investigate those responsible. This partnership approach is recognised internationally and the IWF is committed to sharing its good practice, expertise and experience around the world, contributing to dialogue beyond the UK and Europe, to ensure greater awareness of global issues and responsibilities.

For more information or to report a website visit www.iwf.org.uk.

People attending an innovation event

The Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) was announced in Budget 2009.  It is a £750 million fund for the UK government to support a range of targeted investments across the UK economy to support growth.  Since the creation of the SIF, the Government has committed funding to a range of investments. 

The UK Strategic Investment Fund – Interim Report (PDF, 490KB) sets out the principles behind the SIF and the investment commitments that have been made so far.

See the ECO Academy webpages for more information.

Kevin Brennan joins a huge range of key informal adult learning stakeholders today for the launch of The Learning Revolution Festival, a month-long celebration of informal adult learning and the benefits it brings for individuals, families, businesses and communities.

Throughout The Learning Revolution Festival hundreds of events, such as taster sessions, workshops, demonstrations, performances, competitions and classes, will take place across England giving current learners the chance to celebrate what they enjoy and others the opportunity to try something completely new. By highlighting the richness and sheer diversity of what’s available, The Learning Revolution Festival will encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to get involved in learning.

Find more videos like this on The Learning Revolution

Today’s launch Expo will give stakeholders the opportunity to network and form partnerships to help improve and promote their services to their local communities and the wider public. Learning activities will be taking place throughout the day and all attendees will be encouraged to get involved and learn something new. Kevin Brennan will be making a formal address to those attending.

Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Apprenticeships, Skills and Consumer Affairs, said:

“Informal learning brings proven mental, physical and social benefits and the Learning Revolution Festival is all about highlighting these benefits. Through our commitments in the Learning Revolution White Paper, the Government is doing its best to encourage organisations, groups and individuals to get involved and get learning.

“Today’s Expo is the perfect opportunity for partners to share ideas and combine resources, ensuring adults across the country can benefit from even more learning opportunities.”

The Festival is part of The Learning Revolution movement kickstarted by the Government White Paper published in March 2009. The Government already spends £210 million each year on informal adult learning and the White Paper committed an additional £30million for 2009-10 to strengthen the infrastructure for informal learning across England. Of this, the £20m Transformation Fund recently awarded grants to 231 informal learning initiatives and a new £3m support package for community learning champions will be launched 8th October.

People wanting to join the Festival and try something new should visit www.direct.gov.uk/learningrevolution where they can find details of hundreds of events taking place up and down the country.

Find more videos like this on The Learning Revolution

Organisations wishing to support The Learning Revolution Festival and access materials available should visit thelearningrevolution.ning.com.

Watch Lord Mandelson’s video on the Government’s Learning Revolution initiative.

To save business time and money Government departments now issue all their changes to business regulations on two dates per year – 6 April and 1 October. This is part of the Government’s commitment to promote better regulation, regulating only where necessary, doing so in a proportionate and targeted way, and reducing bureaucracy wherever possible.

From today, new businesses will be able to save valuable time and money with simpler model articles, making it easier to start up and run companies. Other measures will help shareholders and investors by encouraging disclosure of strategic, forward looking information through enhanced business review [not new – commenced 1 October 2007].

Key provisions of the Companies Act 2006 include:

• Creating separate and simpler model Articles of Association for small companies, reflecting how they operate
• Enabling greater use of electronic communications with shareholders therefore avoiding unnecessary cost and time consuming administratio
• Making it an offence to carry on business in the UK under a name that gives so misleading an indication of the nature of the activities of the business as to be likely to cause harm to the public.

Business Minister Ian Lucas said:

“We are working hard to create the best environment for businesses to thrive and it is paying off, with the UK recognised by the World Bank as the best place in Europe to do business.

“Common Commencement Dates help companies to plan ahead, saving them time and money. The changes under the Companies Act will help 2.5 million British companies and deliver benefits to business of around £300M a year.”

The changes have been widely welcomed by businesses because many of the measures have been introduced to reflect how companies already operate, minimising the burden on business to adapt to new regulation.

The following regulations are also coming into force:

Department for Business – National Minimum Wage and Tipping

Department for Transport – Local Transport Act

Credit Rating Agencies

Notes:

1. The Better Regulation Executive is taking forward the Government’s better regulation agenda. 

2. Examples of how individuals and businesses are benefiting from changes to regulation can be found on http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091026122636/http://www.betterregulation.gov.uk. The site also invites suggestions for what else can be done to reduce red tape.

The automotive sector supports R&D, technological innovation and skills and a manufacturing supply chain that are a mainstay of the wider manufacturing sector in the UK. Industry figures have reflected the positive impacts of the scheme both within and beyond the automotive sector, with manufacturing benefitting and the whole supply chain, from plastics and steel, to individual component manufacturers receiving a boost.

So far 227,750 orders have been placed through the scheme. The increased funding enables the scheme to fund a further 100,000 vehicles, bringing total budget to £400 million and covering up to 400,000 vehicles in total. The extension continues as a Government and manufacturer partnership, with matched funding providing the £2,000 discount for each scrappage order.

Alongside the increased funding the Government will work with manufacturers to extend the benefits to van owners with vehicles over 8 years old rather than the current 10 year requirement. Car owners will also get a boost, with the age qualification changed by 6 months to extend the benefits to cars registered on or before 29 Feb 2000 (V registration). The scheme will come to an end in February 2010 or when the funding runs out, which ever is sooner.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:

“The sector has been strongly affected by the recession, but the scrappage scheme has delivered a boost to manufacturers and the supply chain. We have listened to the concerns of manufacturers and are increasing the funding of the scheme to £400m.

“But we must make sure that the help we do offer is targeted, limited and proportionate. This is not a blank cheque to the auto manufacturers but recognition that there is still a short term challenge to boost demand and confidence in the sector.”

Notes

Because of additional funding by the Government and manufacturers, the Scheme will now cover up to 400,000 transactions. It will still come to an end on 28th February 2010 or when the funding runs out, whichever is the sooner

To ensure all 10 year old cars will qualify for the scheme, the date by which vehicles must have been registered in the UK to qualify for the scheme will be changed to 28 February 2000 (V registration) except in the case of vans where the date will be changed to 28 February 2002 (Y registration or earlier, or new style number plates where the 3rd and 4th digits of the registration number are 51)

Government will work with manufacturers to implement these changes, and these will come into effect as soon as possible.

The Government scrappage subsidy is matched by equal funding from manufacturers.

The scrappage scheme figures are updated on a weekly basis on the BIS website, where you can also find more information about the changes to the scheme: http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/sectors/automotive/scrappage/page51068.html

The £2,000 grant is made up of £1,000 from government with matched funding from vehicle manufacturers.

How to apply

The dealers will do all the paperwork for motorists participating in the scheme and arrange for the old vehicle to be scrapped. The dealer will check that the vehicle being traded in and the new one being bought qualify under the scheme:-

OLD VEHICLE

• Passenger car or small van not exceeding 3.5 tonnes
• Registered in United Kingdom on or before 31 August 1999 [NB - expected to change shortly in line with today’s announcement]
• Currently registered with DVLA or DVA to the registered keeper making the application
• Vehicle has been registered to the customer continuously for 12 calendar months before the order date of the new vehicle
• Vehicle has a UK address on the registration certificate (V5C)
• Vehicle has a current MOT test certificate before the date of order for the new vehicle, or one that has expired no more than 14 days before the order for a new vehicle was placed
• Vehicle is taxed, or has a tax disc that has expired within 14 days of the order and insured

NEW VEHICLE

• Passenger car or small van up to 3.5 tonnes
• First registered in the UK on or after the date the scrappage scheme is launched and declared new at first registration in the UK with no former keepers
• UK specification vehicle (can include left-hand drive vehicles that meet UK specifications)
• Registered to the same registered keeper as the registered keeper of the eligible vehicle to be scrapped

Visiting the BRIT School in Croydon, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said it was vital for jobs and growth that Britain’s world-renowned creative industries are given the chance to flourish. He said the Government welcomes the current debate on digital piracy, including views put forward by the music and film industries, consumer groups, unions, ISPs and musicians themselves.

Lord Mandelson said:

“Downloading somebody’s work without paying for it – whether it be music, film or computer games – is not a victimless act. It poses a genuine threat to our creative industries and to the livelihoods of talented, hard-working people striving to get a foothold in them. It’s essential that the voice of young artists is also heard.

“In the end this problem will be solved not simply by new laws but by new approaches to doing business. We believe that temporary account suspension as a last resort, in the most serious cases, is worth considering to allow these new business models to develop.”

He added that the Government welcomed new commercial offers like Spotify or Vodafone’s DRM-free music deal that give consumers a range of legal choices.

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw said:

“Britain’s got talent – and the BRIT School is a shining example of that. But if we want the next generation of musicians, filmmakers, developers or designers to succeed, we need to address urgently this threat to the sustainability of our creative industries. Unlawful file sharing costs businesses that invest in new talent millions each year.

“Tomorrow’s stars are born digital. We need the industry to match their ingenuity and devise new business models that work in the digital age. It is right that artists are rewarded for the time, energy and creativity they invest in producing something the public wants. And if we are to retain our creative edge in the long term and enjoy the cultural benefits that brings, we need innovation to allow that talent to shine.”

Lord Mandelson and Mr Bradshaw praised the work of the BRIT School providing young people with the grounding and skills they will need to look for careers in the creative industries.

Video

Press notice
Read the full press notice here.

Images
To view images of the visit to BRIT School (and for online journalists to download and re-use), see the Flickr album here.

Blog
For more on the development of our policies on Digital Britain, including a discussion of the government’s approach to the file-sharing issue, visit the Digital Britain Forum blog.

Consultation
To have your say on proposed filesharing legislation, see the Consulation on Legislation to Address Illicit P2P File-Sharing. It closes on 29 September 2009.

Speech
Minister for Digital Britain, Stephen Timms, spoke about the importance of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) earlier.  Read the full speech here.

Baroness Vadera

The Prime Minister has today announced that he has appointed Baroness Shriti Vadera as adviser to next chair of G20, the Republic of Korea, following a request from President Lee.

Her new role, which she will take up from mid October 2009, will be to help manage the transition from the UK to the South Korean Presidency and reflects the growing importance of the G20 group and the UK’s engagement with it.

Baroness Vadera is currently the Minister for Economic Competitiveness, Small Business and Enterprise.

Lord Davies of Abersoch, the Minister for Trade Investment and Business, will assume her BIS ministerial responsibilities. She will not be replaced in her role as joint Cabinet Office minister.

The Prime Minister said:

“The G20 is an increasingly important global group. The previous year has shown the vital importance of working together to deliver jobs, growth, and stability. In her new role Shriti will significantly strengthen the UK’s engagement with the G20, including working with the Republic of Korea as the next chair. I thank her for her dedicated work as a Government minister.”

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:

“Shriti has made a tremendous contribution to the Department for Business. She has worked tirelessly to ensure businesses, especially small businesses, are supported through the Recession and emerge stronger at the other side.

Shriti has real passion for the G20 and has done excellent work already promoting international action to tackle the financial crisis. So this is a logical move for her and us.

And I know Mervyn Davies is looking forward to taking on her departmental responsibilities. He will do a great job for small business.”

Notes

1. Shriti Vadera will take up her new role from mid October 2009, for which she will not be paid a ministerial salary.

2. Shriti joined the Department for Business as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Competitiveness in January 2008. In October she was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Economic Competitiveness, Small Business and Enterprise, jointly with the Cabinet Office and Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Prior to that she spent 8 years on the Council of Economic Advisers, HM Treasury and was advisor to Gordon Brown when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.

She was responsible for advising on business and city issues, productivity, enterprise, PPPs, public enterprises and amongst other things, was responsible for the creation of the Shareholder Executive, the Better Regulation Executive and initiating the Hampton, Barker, Eddington, Higgs, Myners and other Reviews.

She served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for DfID from June 2007 to January 2008. She has 14 years’ experience as an investment banker, advising on banking, capital markets, project finance and corporate finance internationally.

Vulnerable workers will be able to seek advice about their workplace rights and report abuses of those rights through a new helpline launched by Business Minister Pat McFadden today.

The new Pay and Work Rights helpline is part of a wider campaign to raise awareness of workplace rights enforced by Government. It provides a unified point of contact for both employers and workers.

The helpline telephone number is 0800 917 2368.

It has been developed in cooperation with employers, trade unions and the different enforcement agencies across Government.

The employment rights in question are:

• National Minimum Wage
• Agricultural Minimum Wage
• Working Time (48 hour average working week)
• Employment agency standards
• Gangmaster licensing

Previously calls on each of these rights were taken by five separate Government bodies. Workers can now report abuses of these rights to one point of contact that can address multiple complaints.

The launch of the single helpline comes as a new poll showed that nearly half of people (48 per cent) wrongly thought employment agencies can charge workers a fee for finding them a job.

Business Minister, Pat McFadden said:

“This Government has done a lot to improve rights at work but it’s also essential to make sure these rights are properly enforced. A simple system for reporting abuses and giving advice and information to employers and workers is a critical part of that.

“By consolidating the current complex system of different helplines for different issues into one single number we are making it easier for workers to report abuses and for Government to respond. We want to transfer the burden of navigating the system from the worker to the Government. This is an important step and we are determined that the recession does not become an excuse to deny people their basic rights at work”.

The helpline is based in Manchester and staffed by specialist, trained advisors able to offer help and advice. Information is then passed to the relevant enforcement body to take further action where appropriate.

Video
A video has been produced to explain how the line will work and allows the specialist, trained advisors that staff the line explain how they can help:

Photos
The below photos are available for download and reuse from the BIS Flickr site.

Mr Lucas made the comments as he published the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ (BIS) response to the Business & Enterprise Select Committee’s report, The Automotive Industry in the UK.

Government has already taken substantial action to support the UK car industry and last week made the first loan from the Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP). Tata Motors European Technical Centre plc (TMETC) has been given a £10 million loan to support the production of electric vehicles in Coventry.

Business Minister Ian Lucas said:

“These are tough times for the car industry, and because it is one of the key sectors of our economy we must support it now and in the future.

“We have acted to support it in the short term through £300 million support through the scrappage scheme, helping over 200,000 people to order a car now instead of waiting, and I have heard direct from the industry that it has benefitted enormously from the scheme.

“Our assistance does not stop there. It’s not just about what we can do in the short term. We must invest in the future. That’s why, in addition to AAP, we are helping the car industry to take advantage of the opportunities that moving to low carbon represents. We have already set aside £250 million for consumer incentives and infrastructure, and we will continue to support low carbon car development.”

Ministers continue to consider a number of other bids for assistance from the programme’s budget to help the industry meet consumer demand, protect it from the downturn and help it become a world leader in low carbon cars. There are already ongoing negotiations with companies on more than £1 billion of applications with a total project  value of some £2 billion. The Government is also considering applications to the scheme that are below the £5 million project limit in order to extend support to smaller companies in the supply chain.

Notes

1. View a copy of the Government’s response to the BERR Select Committee’s report The Automotive Industry in the UK.
2. The Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP) is the Government’s long-term reinvestment of the automotive industry through a support package. It provides loan guarantees (or, exceptionally, loans) to the UK automotive sector.
3. The AAP aims to unlock a total bank and EIB support package of up to £2.3 billion to provide support for automotive companies as they invest to create or sustain jobs, develop cutting-edge technology, bring special value to the UK, maintain R&D in UK vehicle manufacturing and support the development of green technologies.
4. To be eligible, vehicle manufacturers and/or suppliers need be viable as at 1 July 2008, with turnovers in excess of £25 million, who wish to undertake a project valued at £5 million or more. The projects could not otherwise be undertaken without government support.
5. The scheme was announced by the Secretary of State on 27 January 2009, and received state aid clearance on 27 February.
6. The Business & Enterprise Select Committee launched their inquiry into AAP on 25 March, and published their recommendations on 17 July.

The event, titled “Science reporting: is it good for you?”, was chaired by Radio 5 Live presenter Simon Mayo.  Scientists, science communicators and journalists also took part in the debate, both live at the event and online via Twitter.

Free tickets to the event sold out in just 90 minutes after they were announced on Twitter. If you missed the debate you can watch it on demand at the Times Higher Education website here.

To follow the discussion on Twitter, use the hashtag  #scidebate

For photos of the event, visit the BIS Flickr album. Images are available for re-use by media and bloggers under the creative commons license.

A total of £2.46 million will be made available to help unions improve their ability to meet the needs of hard-to-reach groups of vulnerable workers. It will be matched with at least an equivalent union contribution.

The money will be distributed under Round Three of the Union Modernisation Fund which provides financial assistance to trade unions and their federations for innovative projects with the potential to transform their effectiveness. Bids are assessed by an independent Supervisory Board comprising individuals from union, academic and industry backgrounds.

Speaking at the TUC Annual Congress, Minister for Employment Relations, Lord Young said:

”The latest round of the UMF focuses on protecting some of the most vulnerable people in the working population. Unions have demonstrated genuine enthusiasm for helping vulnerable workers and working with community and voluntary organisations.

“The overall quality of the applications was very high but the bids selected for funding are those which are the most forward-looking and offer the most transformational potential.

“I’ll be following all the projects with interest as they go on to develop new services and design innovative mechanisms for accessing hard-to-reach groups of vulnerable workers”.

A total of 23 applications were received with successful bids including projects from the TUC, GMB, Unison and a range of other unions.

The full list of projects is here

The report shows that a number of significant achievements have been made in the last year, with the passing of the Climate Change Act, developments under New Industry New Jobs, publication of the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy, and the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan.

One example of these steps towards a greener construction industry is the commitment, by construction organisations representing more than a quarter of the industry by value, to the Strategy’s Halving Waste to Landfill target.

The Strategy is also supporting the work of the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, which is on target to achieve a 34% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the UK by 2020.

Ian Lucas, Business Minister with responsibility for construction said:

“This progress report demonstrates the Government’s commitment to put in place measures to drive forward the sustainability agenda and support industry with these aims.

“I am pleased to see we are making steps towards reaching these targets, but there is further work to be done to build on these achievements and reach the overarching goals of the Strategy.”

Ian Pearson, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, the minister responsible for improving the sustainability of operations and procurement across Government said:

“We’ve made great strides to develop an effective working relationship with industry to deliver our sustainability objectives, in particular the work led by the Office of Government Commerce on improving the sustainability of the Government’s estate.

“Now our challenge is to maintain this momentum in the face of the current economic climate to ensure we continue to improve the estate and meet our Climate Change Act targets for 2020 and 2050.”

Graham Watts, Chief Executive Construction Industry Council said:

“The first annual progress report from the Delivery Board responsible for rolling out the Strategy for Sustainable Construction shows that much very good work has been done since the strategy was launched in July 2008 but that there remains a great deal yet to do.  The industry – in its broadest sense – is certainly alive to the need for sustainable construction and to the importance of the Construction Commitments and the progress report serves as a very concise point of reference with which to assess progress and exert more combined effort from government and industry”

The construction programme of the London 2012 venues and infrastructure is an example of sustainable construction in action, with the Olympic Park being built to the most comprehensive range of sustainability criteria ever adopted by a large scale project in the UK.  Recycled materials have been used to build the site, and more than half of these have been transported to the site by low carbon transport.

Moving forward, the delivery of the Strategy will be overseen by the newly announced Chief Construction Adviser who will be chairing an enhanced Delivery Board for the Strategy.  This will ensure a higher level of cooperation and accountability between Government and industry in the delivery of its sustainable construction agenda.

Read the Progress Report on the Sustainable Construction Strategy here

The Know Your Consumer Rights campaign begins as a new BIS-commissioned survey shows that one in three people feel their consumer rights have been ignored. And more than a quarter of people (28%) say they are more likely to complain about goods they have bought during the economic downturn.

Consumer Minister Kevin Brennan said: “Robust protections are in place to support consumers. But we want to see a dramatic improvement in awareness of those protections and rights.

“Knowledgeable, confident consumers are much more likely to get a fair deal, save money and get the right result when things go wrong. This is especially important in the current economic climate, when every penny is even more precious than usual.”

The survey of 2,000 people found that 58% have complained to a store about goods, asked for a refund or an exchange between one and three times in the past three years. A third of respondents have done so more than three times in the past three years.

Know Your Consumer Rights is focused on making sure consumers know they are protected and are confident using, the key legal rights if something goes wrong:

• Goods must fit the description given.
• Goods must be of satisfactory quality.
• Goods must be suitable for purpose.

The campaign is signposting people through to the Consumer Direct website for more detailed advice on their rights.

BIS is working with the Office of Fair Trading, the Trading Standards Institute, Consumer Direct and Consumer Focus to deliver the campaign, which will run until 2010.

Vivienne Dews of the Office of Fair Trading said: “When people are aware of their rights and businesses respect their obligations, consumers can shop with confidence, which is good for them and good for business.”

Read more on the Consumer Direct website

The Know Your Consumer Rights campaign also aims to provide best practice advice and training to businesses.

Visit BusinessLink for free online training and information

The 2008 Fair Treatment at Work Survey (FTWS) also shows that problems with specific employment rights have fallen with more people prepared to seek information and advice on problems that do arise. In particular, problems with pay and working time (including annual leave) have more than halved since 2005.

Minister for Employment Relations, Lord Young, said:

“The results of the Fair Treatment at Work Survey are very positive. They show the real progress we have made in raising awareness of workplace rights amongst employees and employers”.

“But whilst these are good results, there are a number of vulnerable groups who are still more likely to have problems at work and be less aware and knowledgeable about their rights than the general population. That is why the Government will be announcing further help for vulnerable workers later this month”.

Key findings include:

78 per cent of the working population feel well or very well informed about their rights generally compared with 65 per cent in 2005

85 per cent claim to know where to find information on their rights if they need it compared to 76 per cent in 2005

Specific employment problems affect around 27 per cent of the working population compared with 41 per cent in 2005

In particular problems fell significantly with; pay (22 per cent in 2005 to 10 per cent in 2008), hours/days required to work (12 per cent to 6 per cent); rest breaks (13 per cent to 5 per cent) and annual leave (13 per cent to 5 per cent).

More people with problems are prepared to seek advice or information for their problem (72 per cent) compared with 2005 (53 per cent)

The Government is currently in the second year of a three year campaign to raise awareness of the workplace rights they enforce. The first year targeted agency workers, and led to an increase of 300 per cent in calls to the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate helpline. The next stage of the campaign will be announced later this month.

Gervase MacGregor FCA and Guy Newey QC were appointed as inspectors under section 432 of the Companies Act 1985 and instructed to investigate the affairs of MGRG, its parent company Phoenix Venture Holdings (PVH) and MGR Capital Limited between the purchase of MGRG from BMW in May 2000 and the date of it entering administration.

The inspectors investigated the actions of the directors of PVH throughout their 5 year ownership – particularly Peter Beale, John Edwards, Nick Stephenson and John Towers, known as the Phoenix Consortium.

They also investigated restructuring changes within the Group which led to the creation of 33 separate companies throughout that period; the scale of financial rewards made to the directors and the events which led to administration itself. This included the role of Government to secure bridge finance while take-over discussions took place with Chinese car manufacturers Shanghai Automotive (SAIC).

The inquiry studies the role played by professional advisors including auditors and corporate finance advisers Deloitte and lawyers Eversheds; aspects of corporate governance; and financial statements and audit arrangements including the transfer of assets.

Report on the affairs of Phoenix Venture Holdings Limited, MG Rover Group Limited and 33 other companies – Volume I – size 3.5 MB

Report on the affairs of Phoenix Venture Holdings Limited, MG Rover Group Limited and 33 other companies – Volume II – size 3.0 MB

Many of these new business partnerships demonstrate UK capacity in low carbon business solutions, which will benefit British businesses while helping China meet its tough environment and energy efficiency targets.

Addressing a low carbon business solutions forum organised by UK Trade & Investment in Beijing on 8 September, Lord Mandelson said:

“Across the board, the UK can offer the knowledge, technology and experience to help our two economies de-carbonise. The UK has world-class climate change research institutions and consultancy services in carbon measurement and management. Our architects and engineers are creating designs for the low-carbon cities of the future”.

He later added:

“Pilkington, Greens Power, Zed Factory and The Carbon Trust are examples of outstanding UK companies working with advanced and low carbon technology. These new contracts not only demonstrate the strength of economic ties between the UK China, but also our shared commitment for developing a low carbon economy”.

As well as emphasising business to business collaboration, Lord Mandelson signed with the Mayor of Changsha, home to six million people in China’s Hunan province, a bilateral governmental agreement establishing Changsha as the third “Sustainable City”, alongside Wuhan and Chongqing. UK companies are well positioned to win business opportunities arising from the launch of the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan city cluster project by Hunan government with an initial investment of 70bn RMB (£5.5bn) on 134 key projects.

In Beijing Lord Mandelson also argued for greater access for UK goods and services suppliers to China’s rapidly developing domestic markets. He was delighted to receive confirmation from the Chinese government that regulators are in the final process of approving a new business combination of Bank of China, Standard Life and Tianjin Economic & Development Area.

In Shanghai Lord Mandelson also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for AstraZeneca’s new US$100m Innovation Centre China in Zhangjang Hi-Tech Park – one of three flagship R&D projects by major UK companies in Shanghai, along with GSK and Unilever.

Premier Wen praised “the tremendous contribution made by Lord Mandelson in strengthening and deepening EU-China and UK-China relations over many years.”

The meeting was very friendly and warm and focused on a number of areas including strengthening co-ordination between the UK and China ahead of the forthcoming G20 Summit in Pittsburgh.

Both sides agreed on the need to keep markets open and resist any temptation to erect barriers to free trade. They were very clear that protectionism was not in the world’s interest and agreed on the enormous importance of concluding the Doha world trade talks as soon as possible.

Lord Mandelson, who was accompanied to the meeting by a British business delegation which has been with him throughout his visit to China, also stressed the importance of further work to allow companies to list and invest on each other’s Stock Exchanges.

Lord Mandelson and Premier Wen were united on deepening and strengthening co-operation between their two countries, Premier Wen recognising that China now invested more in the UK than in any other European economy and that Britain invested more in China than any other European country.

On climate change Lord Mandelson urged greater co-operation given the importance of December’s Copenhagen Climate Change Summit and the business opportunities which flow from the production of green technologies and goods. He also urged China to agree a carbon emissions target. Premier Wen said China would work hard for success at Copenhagen.

In the context of EU-China relations both regretted the lack of progress in relation to Market Economy Status (MES).

The £20 million Transformation Fund, launched by Government to offer grants for more than 213 innovative informal adult learning projects in England, will bring to life The Learning Revolution, a White Paper presented to Parliament in March 2009.

The projects, many spearheaded by partnerships between public, private and third sector organisations, will help improve mental health, physical well-being, active citizenship and community cohesion, as well as providing a stepping stone towards further learning, qualifications and employment for many people.

Projects include:

• An initiative to engage more than 2,000 adults who are not currently in training, employment or education, through celebrity-led creative music and media tasters, master classes and workshops, led by a partnership which includes Global Radio, the parent group of Heart FM, LBC and Galaxy stations.
• A partnership between Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, Merseytravel, Urbis and a National Trust property which will create ‘learning journeys’ for young people 19-25, older people living in isolation and people recovering from substance abuse. Each learner will use a free bus pass to take journeys around travel ‘lines’, including the Engineering Line, the Football Line and the Mersey Beat Line.
• A project at Tyneside Cinema, in partnership with Newcastle University, to use the cinema’s new spaces and facilities to deliver digital technology, moving image, communications and IT learning to a wide range of people from different social backgrounds and develop online learning tools for others to share.
• A massive campaign, led by Booktrust and delivered through GP surgeries, libraries and Adult Education centres, to inspire thousands of over-60s to take up reading or writing for pleasure.

Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Skills and Consumer Affairs, said:

“We’re happy to announce 213 successful recipients of our Transformation Fund grants, awarded in the face of stiff competition from a field of 1,400 applications. With projects ranging from creative writing and music to reading and art, it’s encouraging to see so many imaginative ideas for giving adults more opportunities to learn for the love of it.”

“The benefits of learning for pleasure in an informal setting are wide-ranging, and they benefit the community as well as the individual. I hope that many people will develop the confidence and the local connections to take a big step towards a brighter future.”

The announcement about the latest Transformation Fund grants follows the award of £1 million worth of ‘early bird’ funding in July.

Alan Tuckett, Chief Executive of NIACE, added:

“NIACE is proud to have the role of supporting the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in managing the Transformation Fund. We argued in our response to the Informal Adult Learning consultation that there is no better stimulus for local adult learning providers than the creation of a fund to trigger innovation and new partnerships.”

“There’s already evidence from the ‘early bird’ bids of how creative and imaginative community-based adult learning can be when given the funding to put ideas into practice.”

Informal adult learning encompasses a wide variety of activities and can range from a self-organised reading group in a village hall to a guided visit to nature reserve or stately home. Other Learning Revolution activities include The Learning Revolution Festival: a month-long celebration of informal adult learning that kicks off in October 2009.

To find out more about The Learning Revolution, visit: www.bis.gov.uk/learningrevolution

The team – who were up against 900 competitors from 46 nations – won an impressive three gold and six bronze medals in skills ranging from painting and decorating to floristry and autobody repair. The UK also won 14 Medallions of Excellence – awards given to competitors who achieve more than the world-class standard of 500 points.

Mark Nevin, 22, (pictured) who won a gold medal and Best of Nation for painting and decorating, said: “This is the most fantastic feeling. I really do feel on top of the world!

“The last year has been absolutely brilliant. To have been given the chance to learn what I’m capable of, to train with some of the best in the industry and to be part of such a great team has been unbelievable.”

Simon Bartley, chief executive of UK Skills which manages Team UK, said: “It’s a tremendous result not just for the competitors, but for their employers, trainers and colleges. We hope to build on this success as we move towards the next WorldSkills Competition, which London will be hosting, where we hope to do even better.”

Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said: “These inspiring young people have demonstrated to the rest of the world just how able and highly skilled the UK is.

“The world-class skills this team have demonstrated are vital to the future success of our economy in key industries such as construction, manufacturing and engineering. It’s more important than ever that we continue to support and invest in the skills of our workforce, helping individuals get into and stay on at work as well as helping businesses stay competitive and prepare for the upturn.”

Read more and see the full list of winners on the UK Skills website.

UK Skills is a not-for-profit organisation and a BIS delivery partner.

The Prime Minister, Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper and top employers signed up to Backing Young Britain met 250 young people at a Youth Summit at Birmingham City Football Club today.

The Government pledged 85,000 new opportunities for young people. These include:

• Morrisons pledging new training for every one of its 36,000 employees under the age of 25
• Government providing help to get 45,000 young people into jobs in retail, tourism, leisure and hospitality
• 5000 new apprenticeships from companies including Centrica, Carillion and Royal Mail
• Other companies backing the campaign include Microsoft, Bovis Lendlease, Pfizer and Phones4U.

For full details of today’s Backing Young Britain announcement, see the latest press notice.

Read the Jobs of the Future document (pdf) here.

If you are an employer and want to get involved, see the Backing Young Britain website.

If you are a young person and require more information on your options and the support available to you, see Directgov’s What’s Next campaign.

The new survey questioned business leaders from across eight sectors and found that nearly half (43 per cent) of those questioned believe that cleantech will grow at the fastest pace by 2020, followed by science and technology (20 per cent) and media and entertainment (15 per cent).

The survey highlights how the current economic climate presents new opportunities for new areas of the economy to thrive.

Combined with a growing awareness to find solutions for some of society’s greatest challenges – from tackling climate change to supporting an ageing population – investing now in innovative, high-growth areas will be essential for bolstering the UK economy once recovery kicks in.

Driving the awareness, investment and skills required to power these high-growth markets is essential for Britain’s future. Britain’s chance to showcase our strength to the rest of the world, including our cleantech innovations in the run up to Copenhagen 15, and how our digital strength will enable the first digital games in 2012, is essential for the UK’s ability to meaningfully contribute to the global economy. It is therefore essential for both government and business to properly recognise and promote the importance of these sectors.

As part of meeting this need for recognition; Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson and entrepreneur James Caan recently launched the iawards – the first ever Government backed-awards to celebrate achievements in science, innovation and technology.

Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson said:

“Cleantech and renewables will play a huge part in helping the UK economy to grow sustainably, but we need to do more to encourage innovation in these and other high tech sectors.

“And that means recognising our best innovators, those who are creating the household names of tomorrow. The iawards will do just that, this inaugural year and in years to come. Make sure to get your entries in by 16 September!”

James Caan said:

“The UK is home to some of the most innovative minds in the world and we must continue to recognise and celebrate the work of these talented individuals. The iawards are all about recognising British achievements, the visionaries behind them and showcasing new the latest developments that will make the UK a better place to live and work. In doing so, we will continue to draw investment, energy and skills to the high-growth industries that will drive our economy forward.”

Further findings:

- 73 per cent of those polled believe that business and government must work together to promote the development of skills needed to bring the UK out of recession

- One in five of those surveyed chose web 2.0 as the best technological development of the last ten years

The iawards in association with QinetiQ includes 13 categories which are open to all organisations, but all entrants must specify the British involvement in any innovation – demonstrating that innovative thinking and development came from a British organisation or team. Siemens sponsor the ‘Next Big Thing’ category and Microsoft Bizspark sponsor the best technology start up category.

The awards categories reflect the greatest challenges we face as a country where science and innovation offer the best chance of developing viable solutions. Each entry must demonstrate how its innovative qualities relate to at least one of the following challenges:

• Addressing the healthcare needs of an ageing society;
• Increasing international security from tackling global poverty to minimising the threat of terrorism;
• Preserving finite natural resources in the face of population growth and climate change; and
• Delivering public services which make best use of new technologies.

They must also demonstrate that the innovation has an impact on one of the Government’s grand challenges for science.

Winners of the awards will be helped by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) to meet potential business partners at key industry events such as the giant Medica trade fair in Germany and Technology World in Coventry this autumn. They will also receive public relations support from the iawards team. All shortlisted entries and the winners will also have exclusive access to the iawards logo.

Science and technology has been a driving force behind Britain’s export success. Exports for life sciences, for example, rose 19 per cent in 2008. Innovation is also important in keeping the UK as the number one destination for inward investment in Europe. UKTI statistics show that the number of investment projects in creative industries increased by 65 per cent in 2008/9 and in software and computer services by 36 per cent.

James Caan will be hosting a live Web TV show to discuss the findings of the survey on Thursday 27 August, 13:00.

For more information, and to enter, visit www.iawards.org.uk. The closing date for entries is 16 September. The iawards gala dinner will take place at the Science Museum, 16 November, 2009.

The Employment Agency Standards inspectorate – which over the last year has boosted its powers and doubled in size – has won back more than twice as much money for workers since April than in the entire previous year.

Business Minister Pat McFadden said:

“Over the past year we have given the Agency Standards Inspectorate more staff and more powers to protect agency workers. I’m pleased that the bigger, more powerful agency standards team is out there delivering results for agency workers.

“The recession should not be used as an excuse to deny people their employment rights, and the agency standards inspectors are a crucial tool in ensuring this.”

In June, EAS inspectors recovered over £17,000 for four engineers in West Sussex. As a result of not being paid on time, one man had to sell his car to pay his rent, and another had to borrow money from relatives to pay his mortgage. But once EAS inspectors were contacted, the workers received £15,000 within three days, with the remainder arriving shortly after.

Kevin Green, Chief Executive at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said:

“At a time when many workers are using agencies as a route back into the labour market we must drive workers and employers alike to use agencies which abide by the law and industry standards.

“For many years the REC has argued for better enforcement on the sector and we are pleased to see the inspectorate is taking action at a time when the industry itself has launched its own ‘Serious About Standards’ campaign.”

Kirsty Craig, Managing Director of TEAM (The Employment Agent’s Movement) UK commented that it is great to see the EAS using its teeth to deal with rogue agencies:

“This sort of behaviour does our industry no favours whatsoever and whilst most recruitment agencies more than fulfil their obligations to their temporary staff, there are others who consistently flout the law time and again. These people need to understand that they are not above the law and that appropriate action will be taken”.

The inspectors also recovered almost £30,000 owed to 55 models after a London agency ceased to trade.

Katie Froud, of Albamodel.info, who runs the Model Alliance said:

“The Alliance is grateful to the Agency Standards inspectorate team who acted immediately upon our request to secure funds for models when we were alerted to an agency ceasing to trade.

“It is totally unacceptable that models who work irregular hours with irregular pay can lose the money paid by clients which is due to them”.

The Employment Agency Standards team has recovered money for workers in a number of circumstances, including where agencies had not paid wages owed, where money had been unfairly deducted by the agencies and where workers were charged for services by the agencies that they had not signed up to.

Agency workers can find out more about the rights they are entitled to by visiting www.direct.gov.uk/agencyworkers or by calling the Pay and Work Rights helpline on 0800 917 2368.

The Government plans to appoint a Chief Adviser to Government on Construction to equip Britain’s construction industry with the skills and knowledge to become competitive in the 21st century. He/she will chair the Board responsible for securing value for money from the Government’s procurement of construction, promote innovation and sustainability in the industry, and be responsible for ensuring Government takes full account of the impacts of the regulatory regime on the construction industry.

The Chief Construction Adviser will be independent and report to BIS and HM Treasury Ministers. The successful individual will:-

Chair a new Construction Category Board, which will build on the existing Public Sector Construction Clients Forum (PSCCF), to oversee the implementation and further development of best value Government construction procurement.

Chair an enhanced sustainable construction strategy delivery board to help ensure policy regarding the industry is effectively co-ordinated.

Assess the key barriers to growth in the UK’s Low Carbon construction sector to ensure the UK industry is well placed to serve developing needs and markets

Work with the industry, through the Strategic Forum for Construction, to deliver the industry improvement agenda, including the Construction Commitments.

Promote innovation in the sector, working closely with the Technology Strategy Board and other funding bodies.

Co-ordinate the Whitehall response to reports featuring construction.

Ian Lucas, the Business Minister with responsibility for construction, said:

“We have taken our time to get the role right to ensure that it fits well with a range of new and existing initiatives. But I have heard the calls from the Construction Industry loud and clear since my appointment in June. We are now pressing hard ahead with recruiting. I want to see a high quality individual in place by November”.

Ian Pearson, the Economic Secretary, said:

“This role will provide a central “focal point” for the construction sector acknowledging the value of this sector and the importance of delivering a sustainable and low carbon economy that remains competitive. The Chief Construction Adviser will help ensure that Government secures maximum value for money in its procurement of construction and thus support the aims of the Operational Efficiency Programme”.

Their call to action comes as a new survey shows that businesses believe British innovators are unsung heroes whose contribution to making Britain a better place to live and work often goes unnoticed.

The survey, commissioned by the Department for Business Innovation & Skills, reveals that more than nine in ten business leaders agreed that giving employees recognition will drive entrepreneurship in the workplace.
The survey also found:

• 43% of senior executives surveyed across the UK believe that UK organisations are good at supporting innovative business areas and ideas.
• 63% feel that open communication to discuss new ideas will encourage greater innovation from their employees;
• 43% per cent would consider implementing innovation sessions; and
• 36% would offer cash or stock option incentives.

Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson said:
“Businesses are doing a great job in developing the innovations that will drive the country out of recession. It’s time to recognise and honour our best innovators – those who are creating the successful companies of tomorrow. The iawards will do just that – not just in these extraordinary times we find ourselves in, but for years to come. Make sure to get your entries in by 16 September 2009 to take part in this inaugural year.”

Leading entrepreneur and businessman James Caan said:
“The economic downturn presents an opportunity to transform UK business and create a positive climate for the creation of new innovations. Some of the world’s most successful companies, including Microsoft, were conceived during a recession. The UK has some of the greatest minds in the world and thanks to the existing efforts of our entrepreneurs SMEs still make up more than 55 per cent of UK GDP. They must be encouraged and recognised for their work.

“I firmly believe that businesses who focus their energy on nurturing the talent available to them can lead the UK out of the recession. This is why I support the iawards, a long awaited opportunity to fully celebrate and recognise the strength of science, technology and innovation in the UK.”

For more information, and to enter, visit www.iawards.org.uk. The closing date for entries is 16 September. The iawards gala dinner will take place at the Science Museum, November 16, 2009.

Read the full innovation survey press notice here.

You can also follow all iAwards news on Twitter.

Information on the formation of the iAwards can be viewed here.

Higher Education Minister David Lammy said:

“I want to congratulate the hundreds of thousands of students who have worked hard and got the grades they needed to go to university this year and with more than 370,000 students having their places confirmed, more students than ever before will be heading into higher education.

“The Government is committed to funding and growing higher education. This is why students this year are taking advantage of the record number of funded places on offer backed by a generous financial support package.

“Those students who don’t get the grades they need shouldn’t panic as there’s a broad range of options open to them including clearing, reapplying for next year or seeking work experience or training supported by our Backing Young Britain campaign. To find out more you can speak to a trained advisor on the exams helpline on 0808 100 8000.”

For more information on the various options, see the below links.

UCAS helpline
For help with clearing, adjustment or specific questions about an application.
0871 468 0 468

National Exams Result Helpline
The National Exam Results Helpline welcomes calls from students who’ve done A levels, AS levels, GCSEs, Diplomas and equivalent qualifications – including mature students. It’s also open to parents and guardians.
0808 100 8000

Student Finance England helpline.
For those making enquiries about their application for Student Finance.
0845 300 50 90
(Those who haven’t made an application for Student Finance should go to the Directgov student finance page).

UCAS
The official organisation responsible for higher education applications. Students can manage their applications using ‘Track’ and access information on universities and colleges.

YouGo Further
UCAS’ online community for students featuring web chats, essential information and online advisers.

Directgov advice
Official UK Government information on post-exam options and more general advice for 14 to 19 year olds.

The Student Room
Share your personal experiences of Clearing, and student issues in general, in the UK’s largest online student forum.

Make your mark
Advice and inspiration for entrepreneurial young people.

Building on the New Industry, New Jobs agenda as well as our latest advanced manufacturing initiatives announced on 29 July, the support further demonstrates the government’s commitment to the our advanced manufacturing sector, as part of a balanced economy helping to build Britain’s future.

The support, drawn partially from the Government’s £750m Strategic Investment Fund, will enable Airbus in the UK to strengthen its position as a world leader in wing, landing gear and fuel integration systems technologies and ensure the UK plays a leading role in the development of the A350 XWB, as it has done on previous Airbus programmes. This support will create and sustain more than 1,200 jobs within Airbus across Filton and Broughton sites as well over 5,000 within the supply chain across the UK.

Through increased use of advanced composite materials in the construction of the wing and other parts of the aircraft, the A350XWB will be lighter – delivering significant environmental benefits, including around 15% reductions in CO2 emissions – essential to delivering on our low carbon agenda.

Today’s announcement of £340m of support follows on from our commitment to provide £60m of support for GKN to design and develop the rear spar and trailing edge of the A350 XWB.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:

“This agreement is excellent news for the UK aerospace sector and for the thousands of British workers within Airbus and its UK-based supply chain”.

“The UK’s aerospace industry is world-class and capable of competing successfully with companies across the world. We recognise the vital role Airbus, and its supply chain, play in the UK.

“Aerospace is a sector that we are rightly proud of in the UK. It stimulates innovation across industry, demonstrates our capability to work with the most advanced technologies, and provides high-quality, highly skilled employment. It is a sector at the heart of our advanced manufacturing strategy.

“This agreement is further evidence of this government’s long-term commitment to the UK aerospace industry and its future success. Aerospace is one of the UK manufacturing’s crown jewels, and manufacturing is one of the UK economy’s crown jewels.”

Tom Enders, Airbus president and CEO, said

“We welcome the UK government’s decision to invest in the A350 XWB, the most advanced, innovative, and eco-efficient aircraft in its market segment. This partnership with the UK government means that the UK taxpayer can expect a sound return on their investment, and ensure the aviation industry continues to thrive in Europe and around the world.”

In Nottingham today, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson announced an investment of £2m from the Capital for Enterprise Fund to local firm KeTech.

A further £1m investment is being made in Glasgow-based Vamosa, which provides IT systems to businesses and the public sector.

Lord Mandelson said:

“Ambitious and innovative businesses like these are the lifeblood of the economy but tough credit conditions can make it difficult for them to invest in their future. The Government is committed to ensuring that viable companies have the finance they need to grow”.

Ensuring innovative British businesses can access this sort of risk capital is one of the key commitments from the Government’s industrial strategy, New Industry New Jobs. The £75m Capital for Enterprise Fund was created to help viable small and medium-sized businesses with genuine growth potential that would otherwise be unable to secure investment.

KeTech will receive £2m of equity funding from Octopus Investments, which manages £30m of the total £75m.

KeTech Group Chief Executive John Kearney said:

“Since the current economic crisis began, the lack of available credit, even to viable businesses such as KeTech, has significantly impaired our ability to keep growing. As a result, we turned to the Government for help.

“I am therefore delighted that the Octopus Capital for Enterprise Fund is injecting much-needed capital into KeTech. This will play a critical role in enabling us to secure profitable new contracts which regrettably, until now, we have been forced to turn away.”

Maven Capital Partners, which also manages £30m of the £75m fund, is investing £1m of equity funding in Vamosa.

Vamosa Managing Director George Knox said:

“With this investment, we will help to define the global Enterprise Content Governance sector.

“It is our vision for a Scottish business to ensure multi-national organisations and governments receive the highest return on investment from their content assets. Receiving this capital injection from Maven is a proof-point to the opportunities available to Vamosa.”

KeTech

Founded in 1998, KeTech provides communication software and services to the rail industry. It also produces specialist detection systems for use in defence and emergency services markets, together with a range of building management systems. The firm has more than doubled its turnover to £16m since 2006 and it employs over 100 people at six UK sites.

Vamosa

Software firm Vamosa is based in Glasgow and also operates in London and the US. It offers a range and products to businesses and governments that help them to analyse, monitor and maintain all forms of business content. The company was founded in 1999 and has 36 employees.

In a survey of over 4,800 people who had completed a further education course and were out of work when they began their studies, 41% had secured a job two years after they had ‘graduated’, up from 34% the previous year.

Learners surveyed were asked whether they felt further education helped their job prospects after they had completed a college course in 2005/6. 62% of learners now in work said their course was either vital or helpful to getting a new or different job after college.

Among those seeking employment, 64% believed their college course improved their chances of finding work. College courses were also seen by many to boost promotion prospects and job security.

Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, said:

“Further Education colleges are at the frontline of helping those out of work, back into jobs. This research is especially important as it is testament to the benefits of further education felt by those who have actually undertaken a course or training.

“I am delighted such a large majority of learners feel their further education experience has enhanced their jobs prospects and skills. The Government is committed to building on the work of the sector to help people gain the skills the need to get a job or set up their own business which is why we have increased spending on further education to nearly £5 billion in 2009-10.”

In addition, the report showed a substantial decrease in people claiming Job Seekers Allowance from 28% at the beginning of their course, to just 8% a year after completion.

A wide range of lasting benefits were felt by 93% of college learners as a result of their course. Under 25s were most likely to report an increase in knowledge and skills, learners with a long-term disability were more likely to report increased confidence, and a significant proportion of older learners said that they had improved their IT skills.

Going to college has also influenced many learners’ decision to continue education, with 73% likely to undertake further learning or training within the next two years. 26% have already gained a further qualification since they completed their course in 2005/6. One learner said: “The main benefit was the GCSEs I gained – without them I wouldn’t have got on to my university course, so it’s had a huge impact; a lasting impact.”

Maggie Scott, Association of Colleges’ Director of Policy, said:

“Many Colleges place a strong emphasis on helping people back into work through quality training, so it is pleasing to see from this research the positive influence that learners feel colleges and other further education providers are having on job prospects and progression into further learning. There have been real lasting benefits for the thousands of respondents who took part in the study.”

“There is obviously still much more work to be done to help people affected by the current economic climate and we would anticipate greater demand for training by Colleges and other providers and that they will build on the successes indicated by this new research.”

The regional breakdowns, available today for the first time, show that the scheme has proved popular with car buyers across the UK with take-up highest in the South East (18%), the East of England (12%), the North West (11%) and South West (11%). These figures reflect a pattern that is broadly in line with national levels of car ownership, with the highest participation rates for the scrappage scheme in regions with the highest levels of car ownership.

Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business said:

“I’m pleased that we have already achieved over 150,000 new car orders. This is a great deal for manufacturers and dealers, not to mention the customers.

“The scheme has contributed to the 13.5% jump in car manufacturing and the first growth in new car registrations since April 2008.

The additional data also reveal that on average, new cars bought under the scheme have CO2 emissions that are 25% lower than the cars scrapped. The average CO2 figure for scrapped cars is estimated to be at least 179 g/km, compared to a much lower 133.9 g/km emissions average for cars bought through the scheme.

The UK scheme, with £300m from Government and matched funding from manufacturers, is intended to provide immediate support on a short-term basis to boost the car industry and its supply chain during the downturn and stimulate demand. It will also get older vehicles off the road and encourage consumers to invest in new, safer, and potentially more environmentally friendly models.

For three years, supply2.gov.uk has advertised thousands of public sector procurement opportunities worth up to £100,000 – making the website ideally suited to small and medium sized businesses.

The fee that was previously charged to search the site across the UK will now be removed, providing firms with better access to public sector contracts to help their businesses grow.

Business Minister Shriti Vadera said:

“Small businesses are facing significant pressure in this downturn and new contracts are essential for their return to growth.

“We want to support small businesses by making it easier to access the thousands of Government procurement opportunities that are directly relevant to them.

“This free service is an interim step along the way to introducing a single website for all public sector contracts next year.”

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Ian Pearson said:

“Small and medium businesses are a crucial part of the UK economy and in these challenging times it is essential that we support them in as many ways as possible.

“By introducing a free to use national search service we are helping to create a level playing field on which SMEs can compete with their larger counterparts. This will realise benefits for SMEs, the economy as a whole, and help drive further innovation in public services.”

Debasish Sen, Federation of Small Businesses Trade and Industry committee member, said:

“The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has been working closely with the Government to put better policies on procurement in place and we welcome this first step to create a free, national, on-line portal that small firms can use to apply for public sector contracts next year.

“FSB research shows that half of SMEs do not tender for public contracts because the process is too complicated and the contracts are too difficult to find in the first place. Making supply2.gov.uk free to access is a first step in the right direction and something the FSB has been pushing for, for a long time.”

Searching for these contracts across the UK was previously only available as part of a subscription service, which cost up to £180 per year.

This announcement is a move towards delivering on a key recommendation outlined in the Glover Review – that by the end of 2010 all public sector contracts should be accessible through a single, free online web portal.

This underlines the value of the RDAs following an independent study earlier in the year that showed overall, every pound invested by RDAs will generate at least £4.50 for their regional economies.

Rosie Winterton, Minister for Regional Economic Development said:

“These reports show that the Regional Development Agencies are playing a key role at the frontline of our response to the global economic downturn. They have risen to the immediate challenge of the recession with one eye firmly fixed on the future and the upturn.

“They have done this whilst achieving their corporate objectives for 2008/09 and improving the overall economic outlook for their regions. By working with their local and national partners, RDAs are making a real difference.”

Speaking on behalf of England’s RDA’s, Richard Ellis, chair of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), said:

“We’re pleased at the recognition given today to the important work done by regional development agencies. RDAs are delivering vital help and support to businesses during the recession. We have provided £110 million to fund national schemes to support business and we committed quickly to a range of practical measures designed to help SMEs, such as paying suppliers within 10 working days.

“RDAs have continued to invest to create the right environment for the growth of future and emerging economic sectors, such as low-carbon technologies, high-tech manufacturing and digital communications. To support tomorrow’s innovative businesses we are investing £1 billion between now and 2011.”

RDAs Key Achievements

BusinessLink

The RDA funded BusinessLink service has refocused its service to meet the immediate needs of businesses to survive and prepare for the upturn. Over the last year the service has nationally supported 942,166 businesses, the majority of which are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which are the backbone of the country’s business community. Businesses can now access a vast range of advice and support through the single BusinessLink portal.

Fiscal Stimulus projects

RDAs have voluntarily and collectively brought forward up to £100 million as part of the Government’s Fiscal Stimulus package. This is targeted at projects which will create a short term boost to the economy by ensuring that critical projects that would otherwise have slowed down or stopped continue as normal.

Area Action Teams

RDAs have been working jointly with a range of partners including Local Authorities, Job Centre Plus, the Learning and Skills Council and Citizens Advice Bureau to respond to companies in difficulty through the Area Action Teams. The primary focus is on redundancies and company closures, and they aim to minimise the impact of these and identify opportunities and sources of support to provide a co-ordinated response to the company and the individuals affected.

Transitional Loan funds

In November Lord Mandelson announced that English regions would introduce Transition Loan Funds (TLF) totalling £25 million. RDAs subsequently increased the funding available to just under £57 million. The TLF were introduced to address the particular circumstances of the current credit market. These have proved very successful since their launch, with over 280 loans, totalling more than £28 million, approved to date, safeguarding over 9,000 jobs.

A new campaign – ‘Backing Young Britain’ – uniting business and government to create thousands of opportunities for young people is launched by Yvette Cooper, Lord Mandelson, Ed Balls and John Denham today.

Launching the campaign Ministers announced £40 million to fund a new mentoring network to help young people find their feet in a tough jobs market and provide more help from day one of unemployment through job clubs and 1-2-1 support. There will also be internships and work placements for graduates and non-graduates – including 10,000 places for 18-21 year olds who haven’t been to university.

Ministers called on businesses and other organisations to make a commitment to support young people in at least one of the following ways:

• work with a partnership to bid for one of the 100,000 jobs for young people from the Future Jobs Fund;
• offer a volunteering place or a volunteer mentor for school or university leavers;
• provide work experience places to help young people learn about work, make contacts and fill their CV;
• consider a young person for a job through a work trial
• offer an internship for a graduate;
• provide an apprenticeship for 19-24 year olds
• join a Local Employment Partnership to make sure job vacancies are advertised to local unemployed people.

Kicking the campaign off today at an event with businesses and young people in London, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper announced that 117 bidders have been given the green light to create up to 47,000 innovative jobs for young people and the long term unemployed through the Government’s Future Jobs Fund. Jobs will include sports coaches, tourist ambassadors, education assistants, and roles in the green and social care sectors.

Launching the campaign at the Hoxton Apprentice in London, Yvette Cooper said:

“We will not stand by and let young people get left behind in this recession. We are investing around £1 billion in getting young people and the long term unemployed jobs and opportunities to make the most of their talents and skills so they don’t get thrown onto the scrap heap.

“Today 117 organisations have been successful in their bids to create up to 47,000 jobs for young people and the long term unemployed. These opportunities will enable them to gain skills and experience and give them a helping hand onto the career ladder.

“Now we need businesses, charities and public sector bodies to work with us to harness the talent of our young people, so that we can avoid losing a generation and build a stronger future for Britain.”

In addition, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson launched a website with the details of more than 2,500 internships available to graduates from businesses up and down the country. The internships available now are the first of over 6,000 already pledged by employers and will be included on the Graduate Talent Pool site over the coming weeks.

Lord Mandelson said:

“Our national campaign to help every young person to find a job, training or work skills and experience is not just a response to the recession but an investment in our future as we build a stronger Britain.”

Ministers are today out and about around the country visiting successful organisations to see first hand the kind of jobs that will be created by the Future Jobs Fund.

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls said:

“We must not repeat the mistakes that were made in recessions of the past and abandon a whole generation of young people. The Government already has schemes up and running to help school leavers, graduates and young unemployed people and we’d like businesses and charities to join in by offering schemes such as volunteering places, work experience and apprenticeships.

“For our part, the September Guarantee will guarantee all 16 and 17 year olds a place in learning, whether that’s at school, college, in training or an apprenticeship. More than 1.5 million young people – the highest number ever – will be able to stay on in education or training this year.

“We’re also expanding apprenticeships and training places, as well as places in sixth forms and colleges for a range of courses like Diplomas and A levels, with an overall investment of £6.9billion in the education and training of 16-18 year olds across the country.”

Communities Secretary John Denham said:

“In the downturn it is essential that the government’s real help with jobs and social housing reaches into the heart of the hardest hit communities, to assure people that the government understands their needs and is responding to them.

“The future jobs fund gives local and national government and their partners a huge opportunity to discuss with local people in hard hit areas how new jobs can tackle local needs and provide new opportunities for young people.”

For more information on Backing Young Britain please visit
www.hmg.gov.uk/backingyoungbritain.

Employers can access Graduate Talent Pool at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091026122636/http://www.bis.gov.uk/graduatetalentpool

Graduates can find out more information about Graduate Talent Pool at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091026122636/http://www.direct.gov.uk/graduates

Investment totalling £151.5 million has been announced as part of the Government’s targeted strategies for key sectors and markets. It will expand access to information, encourage take up of new technologies and address specific challenges faced by the aerospace sector.

Advanced Manufacturing describes businesses which use a high level of design or scientific skills to produce technologically complex products and processes. Because of the specialised requirements involved, these are usually goods and associated services of high value.

Read about the measures and let us know what you think on our commentable website:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091026122636/http://interactive.bis.gov.uk/advancedmanufacturing

In his first major speech on higher education since taking responsibility for it under the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Lord Mandelson today outlined his views on the essential issues facing universities ahead of an HE Framework on the future shape of the sector that he will publish later this year.

To an audience of university vice chancellors and representatives from across the HE sector, he emphasised the crucial role universities play in building a stronger UK economy and responded to some of the key challenges of social mobility raised in Alan Milburn’s report ‘Unleashing Aspiration’ on access to the professions published last week.

Ahead of an independent review on university tuition fees due later this year, Lord Mandelson said the central questions around how higher education is funded cannot be separated from the issue of access to a university education for those from poorer backgrounds.

Speaking at Birkbeck College, London, he said:

“Over the last decade we as a country have invested hugely in our universities. We have actively pursued a policy of widening access. We have put knowledge and science at the centre of our vision of our economic future, and protected its funding at unprecedented levels.

“We have instituted a fees system that has, in my view, been a radical and signal success in strengthening the resources available to universities without sacrificing accessibility to students.

“But we are obviously facing an incredibly difficult decade of rebuilding growth and future strengths in Britain. There are tough decisions ahead. Our graduates face the toughest job market for years. And ultimately those big twentieth-century higher education questions are still with us. For what end? For whom? Paid for how?”

Outlining the key role of universities on the economy, Lord Mandelson said:

“It seems to me that in defining the economic role of universities we come up with a set of linked challenges all of which are tied to the critical role of universities at the heart of a knowledge economy.

“Equipping people as rounded intellectual beings but also giving them the skills they will need in a global economy.

“Turning more of the knowledge that is generated in UK universities into jobs and growth, especially by bringing businesses and universities together to collaborate.

“These are management challenges for individual universities; but they are a strategic challenge for the UK as a whole. The diversity of mission statements and the autonomy of universities in defining precisely how they serve their students and customers is clearly vital. But there is also a need for a collective strategic vision for the sector and its role in our national economic life. That is the balance we will aim to strike in the Higher Education Framework.”

On social mobility and Alan Milburn’s report, Lord Mandelson said:

“A university education remains the gateway to the professions and a ticket to higher lifetime earnings on average. So I think we have to ask: why, for all the work in the sector and all the seriousness with which it has tackled this question are we still making only limited progress in widening access to Higher Education to young people from poorer backgrounds – especially at our most selective universities?

“We clearly need to look again at how, and how early we identify and engage potential candidates for university. I am attracted to the idea of stronger links between the professions, universities and schools – work experience, early mentoring, clearer lines of communication about what preparing for university and a career in the professions means at every stage of secondary education.

“I agree with Alan Milburn that as well as the usual criteria of standardized testing, there is a strong case for using other more contextual benchmarks for talent spotting that look at the way candidates have exploited the opportunities open to them in their lives. Some universities in the UK are using these approaches. There is good evidence that they work. And any Vice Chancellor that takes a broad and innovative approach to identifying talent will have the firm backing of the government.”

Lord Mandelson made it clear that he would not pre-empt the independent review of fees planned for launch in the autumn. He added:

“I do not believe that we can separate the issues of fees, access and student support. Any institution that wants to use greater costs to the student to fund excellence must face an equal expectation to ensure that its services remain accessible to more than just those with the ability to pay.

“Whatever funding mix for higher education we develop, there must always be a link between what an institution charges and its performance in widening access and supporting those without the ability to pay.”

Read the full speech

Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, will formally kick off the consultation at the London launch of a new European Space Agency (ESA) facility at Harwell, on Wednesday 22 July. The consultation will seek views on whether the current organisation which oversees space in the UK, the British National Space Centre (BNSC), is the best funding structure to meet the challenges of the future and deliver the greatest benefit to the country.

Read the consultation document here

The BNSC has helped the UK to build a hugely successful sector which is second only to the USA in space science, contributes £6.5bn a year to the UK economy and supports 68,000 jobs.

However, as the world becomes increasingly dependent on advances in space science and in order to safeguard the UK’s “critical mass” of skills and expertise, today’s consultation is seeking views on the appetite for a single agency to better co-ordinate the UK’s civil space strategy.

The Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Drayson said:

“Space is so important to our future. The UK space industry has thrived under the BNSC, but the Apollo 11 anniversary demonstrates the need for ambition, purpose and a clear sense of commitment.

“We now have to look ahead to the next 40 years. I want this consultation to be inspired and influenced by this idea. So we can provide the best support to our world-leading space sector. So it can continue to flourish and when the economic growth takes hold, make an even bigger impact on the UK economy and our lives.”

A thriving space sector will play an important role in building Britain’s future and the recession busting trends of the space industry is a testament to the nature of business that will generate the jobs of the future.

Space is a key part of the global communications network, driving globalisation and providing new business opportunities. The UK’s leading satellite infrastructure will also support sustainable development, help protect our oceans and fisheries, and allow us to predict and help when natural disasters strike throughout the world.

Britons benefit from space technology every day – often without realising it.

Some advances are obvious, such as satellite communications, television broadcasting. Mobile networks and accurate GPS equipment in cars. Others are more obscure, such as timing networks underpinning telephone and power grids.

Space applications can provide solutions for developing policy and providing services, for example, the Digital Britain initiative which will use satellites to achieve its goal of total UK broadband coverage by 2012.

The 12-week consultation starts on the day the European Space Agency (ESA) lands in Harwell, Oxfordshire – opening its first facility in the UK.

The ESA facility will focus on three areas – adapting space data and images to create new everyday applications; climate change modelling that uses space data; and developing technologies such as novel power sources and innovative robotics which could be used to explore the Moon and Mars.

Through the new ESA facility and the International Space Innovation Centre which will be created in Harwell, the UK will maximise its world-leading strengths in these areas and enable our space industry to win a larger share of the global market in space systems, services and applications.

The Government also recently announced the Space Innovation and Growth Team which offers a huge opportunity for the government to work alongside industry to define a clear plan – a 20 year vision – and come up with a strategy for the future growth of the UK space industry.

The Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Drayson, added:

“Britain is undergoing a space renaissance. We must build on this to strengthen our outstandingly successful space programme. I hope this consultation will help us establish the infrastructure we need to take UK space into a new age.”

Read the consultation document here

As part of those talks he will update them on discussions that the Government has been having with all the parties involved and reiterate the Government’s commitment to continued Vauxhall production in the UK.

Lord Mandelson said:

“We are determined to continue out detailed discussions with RHJI, Magna and other interested parties to secure a long term commercial future for Vauxhall.

“I and my officials are in constant contact with the US and German governments and GM and others to ensure Britain’s interests are fully represented.

“As one of GMEs most efficient plants, Ellesmere Port produces one of the UK’s favourite cars, the Vauxhall Astra and I hope one day the Ampera.

“Vauxhall is an excellent and very popular UK brand. Continued Vauxhall production remains a top priority for this government.”

The projects are the first ‘Early Bird’ bids to receive funding under the Government’s £20m Transformation Fund to support informal adult learning – learning for pleasure, self-development and community development.

Each project has been allocated a share of £1m by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The projects will introduce a range of innovative adult learning initiatives and activities for the benefit of a diverse range of communities and individuals.

The Transformation Fund delivers on commitments made in The Learning Revolution White Paper, published earlier this year, which announced a new approach to improving people’s lives and prosperity though learning for pleasure.

Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Skills and Consumer Affairs, said:

“These new projects will help to transform the way adults engage with learning – be it through music, creative writing, or parent groups – at the same time as promoting new partnerships in local communities.

“Learning for pleasure is hugely important – contributing to health, building confidence and improving community cohesion. In the longer term, informal learning can also act as a stepping stone towards more formal qualifications and employment.”

BIS has also announced today that the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) has won the tender to manage the Transformation Fund and oversee the distribution of the remaining £19million grant fund.

Alan Tuckett, Chief Executive of NIACE, said:

“NIACE is proud to have the role of supporting the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills managing the Transformation Fund. We argued in our response to the Informal Learning Consultation that there is no better stimulus for local adult learning providers than the creation of a fund to trigger innovation and new partnerships.

“There’s already evidence from the ‘early bird’ bids of how creative and imaginative community-based adult learning can be when it’s given the opportunity for blue-skies thinking and the money to put those ideas into practice.”

The Transformation Fund was set up to encourage new partnerships between public, private and community organisations and create informal learning activities which:

• encourage more and different people into informal learning, particularly people from disadvantaged groups;
• open up access to learning in new places, in new ways and at more flexible times;
  support people to set up self-organised groups and learning clubs;
• widen choice, by developing and sharing innovative content;
• build partnerships and strengthen the capacity of informal adult learning organisations;
• improve connections and progression between different kinds of learning; and
  make better use of broadcasting and technology to stimulate and support learning.

The fund, available in 2009-10, adds to the £210m which the Government has already ring-fenced to support informal adult learning. The Government also invests £360m each year in museums and galleries, £10m in UK online centres in libraries and other community settings and £21.5m in union learning.

The Transformation Fund delivers on a pledge made in the Government’s The Learning Revolution White Paper, published in March 2009, which describes how Government and a multitude of partner organisations can work together to create a new movement for informal learning.

Press release – British business future lies with engaging its employees – 16 July 2009

Involving employees fully in the future of the firms they work for will be a key step if businesses are to innovate and take advantage of new opportunities, an independent review announced today.

The MacLeod Review of employee engagement has recommended government support and more cooperation by UK businesses both large and small, to make sure the relationship between employees and employers is at the centre of successful business plans.

Led by David MacLeod and Nita Clarke, the review was commissioned in September to make recommendations on promoting employee engagement.

David MacLeod said:

“This is about unleashing the potential of people at work and enabling them to be the best they can be. Whether we are in a downturn or in better economic times, engagement is a key to innovation and competitiveness.

“Engagement is increasingly recognised as vital by senior figures in the public sector, the private sector and trades unions. We are delighted that if our recommendations are accepted, a distinguished sponsor group has already agreed to work with us to raise awareness and understanding.

“Employers in all parts of the economy can make a success of employee engagement through culture change, rather than investing significant financial resources.”

Nita Clarke said:

“Our recommendations set out a road-map for government to offer help and support, and for businesses and employee groups to help each other.

“By respecting the contribution employees can make and ensuring they are fully involved in developing their organisation’s future, employers can help unlock their full potential. If workplaces up and down the UK learn from the best standards that are already in place, the whole country will benefit.

“When done well, employee engagement is a win for the organisation, a win for the individual and therefore a win for the country as a whole.”

The MacLeod Review has recommended:

• The government should work to raise awareness of employee engagement benefits and techniques.
• A senior sponsor group bringing together representatives from business, the public sector, not-for-profit organisations and unions, should be set up to boost understanding of this vital topic – many leading figures leaders have already agreed to be part of this group.
• The government and its agencies should work together to ensure their support is aligned and tailored to the needs of different organisations in different sectors of the economy seeking to enhance levels of employee engagement.
• A range of more practical support for organisations who want to raise levels of employee engagement should be made available by March 2010. This support should be designed in consultation with businesses and other organisations to ensure it is tailored to their needs.

Contributors to the review included some of the biggest names in British business, as well as smaller firms and public sector bodies.

If you would like to read the full report, please click on the link below.

Engaging for success: enhancing performance through employee engagement [MacLeod review] (885KB)

The report is also available in Welsh; please contact Debra Macleod on 0207 215 0973 for a copy. Mae’r adroddiad hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg; cysylltwch â Debra Macleod ar 0207 215 0973 am gopi.

The Low Carbon Industrial Strategy, launched today, sets out the action the Government is taking to ensure that British businesses and workers are equipped to maximise the economic opportunities and minimise the costs of the transition to a low carbon economy.

The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) Blueprint sets out to transform the UK environment for life sciences companies and ensure faster patient access to cutting-edge medicines and technologies. The OLS forms part of the Government’s active industrial policy.

Agreed across Government, and with industry, academia and the NHS, key actions include:

• The Government, with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), will introduce an “Innovation Pass”, a 3-year initiative that will make selected innovative medicines available on the NHS for a time-limited period. The Pass will be piloted in 2010/2011, with a budget of £25 million
• The NHS Chief Executive will review system levers and incentives, including Payment by Results, to accelerate the uptake of medical technologies
• The Government will reinforce the need for greater emphasis on research and clinical trials in the next NHS Operating Framework
• From 2010, the Society of Biology will begin to accredit undergraduate bioscience degrees to help ensure that graduates leave with the core mathematical and practical skills and competencies required by employers
• The Government will support the formation of a UK Life Sciences Super Cluster to co-ordinate work across industry, Higher Education and the NHS, and to boost international recognition of UK life sciences
• The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) will launch an £18 million “RegenMed” programme of investment to support commercial R&D with additional funding from the Medical Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. The TSB has also committed to improve its expertise in the life sciences
• The Government will invest an extra £1 million to promote the UK and NHS brands at flagship life sciences events in the UK and overseas.

Lord Drayson, Minister for Science & Innovation, said:

“The UK life sciences have everything going for them: world-class facilities, talented scientists and entrepreneurial flair. By championing innovation, the NHS can support the life sciences industry in developing ways to improve people’s health. And we are changing how industry, academia, Government and the NHS work together to create jobs and ensure a bright future for this country.”

Lord Darzi, Health Minister for Quality and Innovation, said:

“By placing innovation at the heart of healthcare delivery we will help create a pioneering NHS, one that responds to patients expectations, and one where the adoption of new ideas and the diffusion of innovation is encouraged and supported.

“Establishing a culture of innovation is also essential for the NHS to meet any current economic challenges, and the Life Sciences Blueprint will help us continue to support this country’s knowledge industries and ensure that we benefit from the competitive edge which they provide.”

Andrew Dillon, Chief Executive of NICE, said:

“Securing a successful future for the life sciences industries is important for patients and the UK economy. NICE is committed to engaging constructively with companies and we are extending the access that companies have to us, as we appraise their products. The Innovation Pass is an opportunity for data to be gathered on potentially important new treatments. NICE has been involved in discussions about the Innovation Pass, and we are looking forward to continuing to play a key role in developing the Pass.”

The Blueprint forms a key part of Building Britain’s Future, the Government’s vision for the country’s future on the other side of the recession. As first set out in “New Industries, New Jobs”, the Government is pursuing a new, more active industrial policy to drive growth and create high-value jobs of the future.

Download the Blueprint