Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 716. 14th October 2023. The FE Collective Countdown

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 Countdown

The FE Collective is our first ever event... in 20 years... and it is an event with a difference. It is a flipped conference, everyone working together on a collaborative report... with three strands, AI, Investing in the Sector of the Future and Progression. The morning is scene setting. The afternoon is breaking into working groups and everyone working together on a collaborative report.... we have designed the report, and it actually looks like something you'd want to read! The event is also CPD accredited.. not just one, but two pieces of CPD! Oh yes! I wanted this to be outcome led.

I wanted to experiment and try something new... my thought is... as a sector, if we keep throwing the same events, with the same people, saying the same stuff.. we need to expect the same results... so the FE Collective is our first event by FE News (and with partners - thank you to NCFE and ETF)... and we wanted to try something new. Thank you for all that are joining us, there is a beautiful collection of minds and expertise. I can't wait to see you all.. either for a burger on Monday night at the networking BBQ or the main gathering on Tuesday. Also... we are aiming to put the report out pretty rapid... so no hanging about for months.. the report will be out soon as well! Watch this space (it will also be a journal)!

Exciting!

20 Voices this week

FE News 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:
Stewart Segal, [Youth Employment UK]
Jenny Taylor, [IBM]
Jack Kennedy, [Indeed]
Mandy Crawford-Lee, [UVAC]
David Hughes, [Association of Colleges]

Cool thought leadership this week

Neil Wolstenholme shared part two of his series of four on creativity in education: Pestalozzi To Present: Head, Heart And Hands Shaping Education Through The Ages.

Talking about creativity, Nick Lovegrove wrote Nature VS Nurture: Teaching Forgotten Creativity in Further Education

Scott Parkin wrote: The Role of AI in Enhancing Employability Services: Strengthening Human Connections through Technology

Neil Sambrook wrote about The Advanced British Standard – ABS qualification? ... or an A BS qualification?

Dr Rachel Kelly wrote: Fostering Innovation and Leadership: The Power of Government, Industry, and Higher Education Collaboration

Jane Knight knows a thing or two about empowered women and she wrote: Empowering Women Returners: Bridging the Gap in Further Education

Kerry Boffey wrote: How The Language of Learning Can Transform Apprenticeship Delivery

So what are Labour's plans for FE and Skills?

So last week we had the big ABS announcement (I think of breaks... and Neil's last line in his article this week made me laugh out loud.. A BS qualfication).. I want it to work... but the name, surely someone thinks about this stuff?!?

So what are Labour's plans?... other than being sprinkled with glitter... what did Kier Starmer have to say?

So I hope you enjoy FE Soundbite this week... and for all those pathfinders, maverick minds and collaborative thinkers... I'm really looking forward to seeing you at the FE Collective next week... exciting!

Kind regards

Gavin O’Meara

CEO and Founder

FE News and FE Careers