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Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 769: 26th October 2024. Are you confused by the current Skills System? You are not alone! Baroness Taylor has written to Skills Minister, Jacqui Smith this week to warn that the current skills system is complex, short-term and lacks strategic direction!
This is the weekly e-newsletter and e-journal 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
Gavin’s Reflective Perspective
So is the current Skills System complex, short term and lacking strategic direction?
Now that is a bit of a scathing question and title... but it isn't mine. Baroness Taylor of Bolton, Chair of the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee wrote to Skills Minister Jacqui Smith this week and highlighted that the current skills system is complex, short-term and lacks strategic direction. The letter also highlights widespread dissatisfaction with the Apprenticeship Levy, soon to become the Growth and Skills Levy, raising concerns that it is disadvantaging young people.
Have all of the new Skills Announcements made the Skills System more or less complex?
To be honest, it is pretty accurate. Are employers confused about what is going to happen next with the Apprenticeship Levy switching over to the Growth and Skills Levy.. erm yes, so are Providers delivering it! Is Level 7 Apprenticeships going to be covered, erm some of them... what is going to be allowed to be covered in the new Levy. Dunno?
In Soundbite last week, we had a focus on Level 7 Apprenticeships, particularly thinking more about Social Mobility and also giving Employers choice... into a Levy (or tax) that they are actually paying for to upskill their existing and new team members! Isn't the Apprenticeship system since the Richard's review supposed to be employer led? AELP found that dropping Level 7 Apprenticeships would only save about £200M, which is a drop in the ocean compared to the £22B financial blackhole that is being constantly quoted by Government!
Young People - how can we guarantee a progression route?
We have the Foundation Apprenticeships announced at the Labour Party Conference. Which sounds great to help young people... but how about Levels 4 and 5 (the missing middle), we are asking young people to be in education and training until 18, mostly at Level 3, so why not offer a progression route? Eg Level 4 and 5? Eg will Young People want to do a Foundation Apprenticeship, if it is dropping down a skill level, and probably in pay, then probably not!
Youth Guarantee, what will it encompass, more to come on this. School Teachers have had pay rises, how about dual professionals as educators in FE and Skills? So many questions, not many answers. Now Labour are going to need time to bed stuff in, but they could roll out payrises for School Teachers in a few days of being in office.. still nothing for FE Educators. Then after the summer break, schools don’t have single word Ofsted judgments, but FE Colleges and ITPs do… it’s a bit c’mon!
How about Careers Advice and Support for all age (returners, economically inactive and young people)?
Youth Guarantee encompasses a chunk of Careers Advice and after the first Skills England report, there was a bunch of data and looking at Skills Gaps... could this all tally up for intelligent Careers Advice. Is this just restricted to Young people, how about career changers and returners to work. We have more 'Economically inactive' people at the moment than people who are unemployed! To quantify this, that is 2.8 Million people who require support, careers advice, upskilling and reskilling! .
The Industrial Strategy has been effectively soft launched with the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, where is the Skills Strategy to support this? As both surely need to go hand in hand?
All eyes next week are on the budget
Maybe we will have a tonne of clarity on all of this from the budget. You can’t have an industrial strategy, without human capital and skills to deliver this. Where are our new growth areas, what are the emerging sectors now we are in the 4th industrial revolution. Will the budget, the money, tie up where the focus is.
Loads of speculation of a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ budget… maybe as it is being made around Halloween – but major cuts and major spends.. major changes to the rules on debt. So will there be major winners and losers in the budget, really it is speculation until 12.30 on Wednesday 30th October (Budget time).
Let’s see, Treasury have pulled it out of the bag before understanding the importance of employability and Skills… maybe they are going to tie this all together on Wednesday, as we really need some clarification, yes things take a while to bed in, but they have also had a while to make other announcements. Time for some clarification! If the House of Lords are writing and highlighting this, they think it too!
National Apprenticeship Week has been announced
Talking of asking for more clarify... at least we know when National Apprenticeship Week will be (10th – 16th February 2025).. Hopefully we will have clarity by Mid Feb, as to what is covered in the Levy, what Levels of Apprenticeships etc etc!
I hope you enjoy FE Soundbite this week.
Epic Exclusives Thought Leadership Articles
Reflecting on the FE + Skills Collective:
Olly Newton: FE + Skills Collective Reflections from the Edge Foundation
Mohammad Naqi from Maximus: Reflecting on 2024’s FE + Skills Collective Conference: ‘Bridging Policy and Pedagogy: Shaping the Future of Skills in the UK'
Cool Exclusive articles from this week
Sultan Saidov, Co-Founder and President of Beamery: Why Skills Beat Degrees in Today’s Job Market
Vickie Echols, Author of AI for School Leaders, Consultant and Transformation Coach: Leadership Powered by AI: Navigating Toward Collaborative Decision-Making
Adam Herbert, CEO and co-founder of Go Live Data: Building a data-driven culture in higher education institutions
Stephanie Conville, Higher Education Lead at Codec: Universities must offer a comprehensive, student-centric digital experience or risk decreasing student numbers
What’s New in the World of FE?
FE + Skills Collective VoxPop Videos:
Dr Katerina Kolyva, CEO of Education and Training Foundation video interview
Ben Rowland, CEO of AELP video interview
IfATE’s Jennifer Coupland discusses dual professionalism and developing educators of the future
Eddie Playfair, Senior Policy Manager at AoC discusses bridging Policy and Pedagogy
REC Deputy CEO, Kate Shoesmith discusses bridging Policy and Pedagogy
Announcements
National Apprenticeship Week dates have been announced: 10th – 16th February 2025.
Reports:
City & Guilds released their Impact Report
In The Know
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New Livestream Season Announcement: Unlocking Opportunities
So from the 6th November, we will be launching a new Livestream Season with our Buddies at NCFE. This is called Unlocking Opportunities. It will launch at 10am on the 6th Nov (site wide on FE News). Then Switch to every Thursday at 10am until the 12th December!
We hope you enjoy FE Soundbite this week. Stay curious, keep innovating, and let's shake up the world of FE together – catch you next week!
By Danny O’Meara, Digital Project Manager, FE News
By Gavin O'Meara, CEO and Founder, FE News and FE Careers
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