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Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 774: 30th November 2024 | Will the Interconnected approach Get Britain Working? The new Get Britain Working White Paper was launched and it has a very different way of tackling employment, unemployment and economic inactivity. So this is the focus of FE Soundbite this week.
Turnitin is the sponsor of this week's Soundbite.
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
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Gavin’s Reflective Perspective
Get Britain Working White Paper has a unique Policy approach to employment, unemployment, economic inactivity and local skills needs
So another week, another batch of announcements. The Get Britain Working White Paper arrives at a critical time - with almost one and a half million people unemployed, over nine million inactive, a record 2.8 million out of work due to long-term sickness, and around 900,000 NEETs. This White Paper (there is usually a Green Paper, then a review / consultation), but this goes bang into a White Paper launch, and it is a really unique policy approach to tackling employment, unemployment, economic inactivity and local skills. So I want to have a bit of a deeper dive into this.
Integrated Approach
The White Paper pledges £240 million for an integrated approach across health, skills, and employment. Whilst a joined-up strategy is brilliant, here's my big concern: how will the funding be distributed? With the NHS already receiving £40 billion in the budget, will this initiative become another NHS funding win rather than a balanced investment in employability, careers advice, and skills development?
The key changes look promising:
- Transforming Jobcentres into a national jobs service
- Introducing a Youth Guarantee (or a bit more detail on Youth Guarantee)
- £40m for youth skills
- Expanding NHS support, holistically - with reducing waiting lists in areas of high unemployment or economic inactivity
- Empowering local authorities with new flexibilities to fulfill local skills needs
- Launching an employer-focused disability review
The £125M for eight pilots to mobilise local work, health and skills support is exciting, especially with £45M dedicated to youth "trailblazer" areas. An additional £15 million will help other areas develop their own Get Britain Working Plans. The £115M Connect to Work scheme targeting people with disabilities and complex barriers could support up to 100,000 people annually.
Yes, good health drives productivity - but so does a skilled workforce. Whilst mental health support is crucial and Colleges and Providers need more support for learners, we need funding left over to help learners step into lifelong learning and develop attractive skills.
So let's see how this shakes out... Labour promised change, and there's definitely a massive shift in mindset about supporting employability, NEETs, and economic inactivity. It's exciting to see, but the success will hinge on balanced implementation that genuinely improves employment opportunities across communities.
I hope you enjoy FE Soundbite this week.
Also, a massive thank you to Turnitin, who are this week's FE Soundbite Sponsor.
Epic Exclusives Thought Leadership Articles
Our Top 3 Thought Leadership Articles This Week
First, AI in Further Education: A Critical Look at the Risks to Teacher Autonomy By Richard Foster-Fletcher, Executive Chair of MKAI
Second, The Binge Learning Trap: Why Steady Progress Beats The Sprint By Dr Bindi Clements, Instructional Design and Efficacy Manager at Wall Street English
And Finally, Bridging the Gap: How FE Can Partner with Employers to Meet Critical Skills Shortages By Mike Greene, Entrepreneur, Leadership Mentor, and Philanthropist
This Week, We Have Also Had Some Other Epic Exclusives!
Four Student-Centred Priorities for UK Universities in 2025 By Bruce Dahlgren, Chief Executive Officer, Anthology
Why is Financial Capability so Important for Young People and the Economy as a Whole? By Sarah Porretta, CEO, Young Enterprise
What’s New in the World of FE?
Announcements
Get Britain Working White Paper: What you Need to Know By Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Can ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper Fix Employment Crisis? | Sector Reaction By Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Ofsted Postpones Initial Teacher Education Inspections Until 2025/26 By Ofsted
Key Further & Higher Education Statistics 2023-24 | Sector Reaction By Department for Education (DfE)
Research
New Research Employs ChatGPT to Track FE Recruitment Trends - By Gatsby
New HEPI Policy Note Calls for Unified Lifelong Learning Strategy to Enhance Workforce Skills in the UK By HEPI
Awards
The FAB 2024 Awards winner are announced By FAB
In The Know
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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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