Could 50,000 prison-leavers plug labour shortages? FE Soundbite 693 (6th May 2023). 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.

It's another bank holiday! Yaay! If you are celebrating and shouting 'Long Live the King' with a cuppa and Coronation Chicken... or you are kicking back and enjoying another long weekend.. I hope you enjoy Soundbite this week.

Could 50,000 prison-leavers to plug labour shortages?

Shocking fact alert: Nearly 50,000 inmates come to the end of their sentences every year. Yet six months after regaining their freedom, fewer than a quarter have a job.... surely more needs to be done to turn this around? ... especially with such high skills and labour shortages. This week's CSJ report really stood out to me and I wanted to make this main header in this week's Soundbite. Surely more needs to be done to break the cycle, I can't see anything other than win, win on sorting this out to be honest!

DfE kicked off the celebrations earlier this week: Green apprenticeships celebrated in honour of the Coronation

Exclusive thought leadership on FE News this week

Instructure's Sidharth Oberoi wrote about: The Intersection of Education and Technology: Maximising Learning Potential. As someone fast approaching 50, I thought this was an interesting article by Mark Gray: Automation is the key to getting over 50s back to work (especially for physically demanding roles).

Dr Naeema Pasha explores how coaching could play a bigger role in Teaching.

Andy Cook, Vice Chancellor of Ravensbourne University London asks: Should degrees be more like apprenticeships?.. short answer from me... erm, Yes. Then again we do have Degree Apprenticeships and Higher Level Apprenticeships (and for a while now)

Top 3

So... who were the Top 3 thought leaders and influencers on FE News in April 2023?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your bank holiday weekend (another one.... of yes!) Have a 'good one'

Kind regards