Soundbite: FE Collective Reflective
Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 717. 21st October 2023. The FE Collective Reflective
This is the weekly e-newsletter and e-journal brought to you by FE News: ISSN 2732-4095. We know life is busy, so here is a snapshot of the latest announcements and epic thought leadership articles, from sector influencers and cool thinkers across FE and Skills this week on FE News.
FE Collective Reflective
My life.. the FE Collective was off the chart good. It was so good. It was compared to … and on a par with a Madonna concert! Get in!
Everyone coming together.. Sharing ideas, suggestions, real collaboration, real good and wow, what cool vibes. Brilliant networking and wow, what cool sessions. We explored AI, Investing in the Sector of the Future, Progression… then in the afternoon broke into groups… and wow, I couldn’t leave the groups, everyone was run differently.. everyone got involved.. stuck in actually… and it was AWESOME!
We are now on the report writing process… eg the Legacy side of things… exciting.. This was like no other event I’ve been to in 20 years… I mean.. how many people have a DJ on a giant fish tank for a networking event?! We do!
Loved it… shattered.. but so inspired, buzzing, still have thoughts and reflections whirling around inside my brain. I loved it… if you didn’t come… total truth… you missed out, this was for the FE KOOL KIDS… thank you to all the Kool Kids who came.. you know who you are, and you are the best and brightest in FE and Skills.. thank you for sharing and getting stuck in… next for the report… watch this space… and really we are at the midway point.. at the actual event.. I was like… wow, the morning ‘scene setting’ sessions… they were amazing… I was like.. it can’t get better than that… erm… oh yes it can! Can’t wait to roll out the report… we are taking some initial lessons learnt from the moderator feedback sessions.. we will keep the report agile, modular and we will all own the brand of FE … exciting, exciting stuff… we are at the mid-point. Let’s see what comes next!
Thank you massively to the FE Collective partner NCFE and report co-partner ETF.. the team are busy prepping away… let’s see how the second half unfolds!
20 Voices this week
At FE News, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary! We started in Sept… but there are so many cool perspectives.. that we have rolled it into October. So throughout October, we’re sharing videos from thought leaders, influencers, and friends reflecting back on how the FE sector has evolved over the last 20 years and looking at what the future holds for the FE Sector. In case you have missed them, here’s a recap of our featured experts:
Lisa Capper [Stoke-On-Trent College]
Nathan Whitbread [The neurodivergent coach]
Kate Shoesmith [Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)]
Our Top 3 Thought Leadership Articles This Week
Transforming prison education by Mandy Huggins, Head of Education, Skills and Work, HMP Elmley. She discusses how Prisoners who get a job on release are less likely to reoffend. That’s why HMPPS is transforming prison education to give prisoners the skills for employment when they leave custody.
Apprenticeships are failing as a vehicle for social mobility by NFER Research Director, Dr Lisa Morrison Coulthard and Gemma Schwendel, NFER Senior Statistician. They discuss how despite these reforms, the number of starts for apprenticeships has fallen dramatically since the levy was introduced, and the decline was further exacerbated by the pandemic.
Digital Credentials and Blockchain: Transforming the FE Landscape by Matt Rogers, Service Delivery Manager at City & Guilds. He discusses how digital credentials and blockchain technology have the potential to reshape the Further Education (FE) landscape. And how blockchain’s decentralised and immutable nature can enhance the security, transparency, and trustworthiness of digital credentials.
This week, we have also had some other epic exclusives:
Art, Algorithms, and Creative Decline: Not Enough STEAM-Power For Educational Reform
How the cost-of-living crisis is shifting UK socioeconomics
What’s New in the World of FE?
- A new report by Corndel, the Edge Foundation and NCFE was launched this week at the FE Collective networking BBQ. Check out the report Transforming Skills: A Call to Action
- This week we saw the latest NEET statistics, showing that 2022 had the highest rate of NEET 16-18 year olds since 2012
- We also spoke to Honor Page, CEO, and owner of The Dyslexia Shop as October marks National Dyslexia Awareness Month
- Alice Barnard, Chief Executive of the Edge Foundation, also reflects on the party conferences and the announcement of the Advanced British Standard (ABS)
- Katie Collins, Human Resources Director, Redcentric discussed the lack of women and the skills gap in the technology sector
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this week’s soundbite. Now that you’re all caught up on what’s going on in the FE Sector this week, we hope you have a restful weekend!
This week’s Soundbite is brought to you by:
Gavin O’Meara, CEO of FE News and FE Careers
Finley Vile, Platform Growth Manager, FE News
Holly Wheaton, Digital Project Manager, FE News
Danielle Watters, Digital Project Manager, FE News
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