FE Podcast talks to Steve O’Hare

In the second episode Steve O’Hare joins Safaraz Ali to focus on the ROATP refresh, the pitfalls and much more. The Register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP) was introduced initially to drive up the quality of apprenticeship provision, the government strategy is to progressively introduce more stringent entry criteria for the register. This will require all remaining, active providers to reapply to the register which is taking place currently.

The ESFA & Subcontracting is discussed including the Contradiction between ESFA and some of the regional combined authorities. The ESFA are looking to do a phased reduction of subcontracting until 2022/23 by eliminating provision that is poorly managed and delivered, and provision undertaken without a clear and defensible educational rationale and on the other hand the combined authorities are mandating consortium-based proposals for e.g. WMCA SWAP, GMCA ESF NEETs.

Safaraz Ali is a social entrepreneur in the FE sector. He has been in the sector for over 21 years now and the FE Podcast is where he discusses the latest from the further education sector and where a range of guests are invited to hear their views and suggestions to make some sense on what is going on in the world FE and skills.

The FE Podcast 

SAFARAZ Ali is becoming one of the best-known names in Further Education, especially in the provision of apprenticeships and delivering welfare to work programmes.

His training business, the Pathway Group, operates across the country and Saf is founder of the Asian Apprenticeship Awards, now the BAME awards. This initiative encourages people from minority ethnic backgrounds to take up apprenticeships.

As a training provider, Saf knows the challenges that face people working in the vital and rapidly changing world of Further Education.

He keeps his finger on the pulse of what is happening, and these podcasts provide updates on issues of interest. An important part of this is a conversation within each episode with someone who has a particular expertise and something interesting to say.

Saf and his guest will share their views and the content may be controversial but will hopefully never be dull.

Topics that are covered are many and varied but include funding, standards, the latest developments, and Government policy as it effects the sector.

Whether the listener is a teacher, lecturer, college principal or running a training business, these podcasts will help them to keep up the speed with what is happening in the sector in which they work. They should also be an important listen for Government and policy makers.

Education and training are the future of any country and getting it right or wrong can shape the lives of millions.

But what can be lacking is up to date information about what is going on and the thoughts of key people working in FE. This is a gap that these podcasts are intended to try to fill.

News and information are important and so are comment and opinion, all hopefully delivered in a way that entertains and enlightens within these easy to listen podcasts.