BIS FE and Skills e-Newsletter

Audience: All

We are pleased to inform you that Kevin Brennan MP, Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs, has formally appointed David Cragg as interim Chief Executive of Skills Funding, with immediate effect.
David has many years’ experience of developing and implementing skills policy and a great enthusiasm for bringing together the public and private sector. He has quite rightly earned a reputation for innovation and effectiveness in this area. His sterling work so far to establish the Skills Funding Agency, and role he will play in its inception over the next few months, is a fitting climax to his career, and an opportunity for the sector to benefit from his many years’ experience, intelligence and insight.
David will lead this period as staff begin shadow working in advance of the formal creation of the new Skills Funding on 1 April 2010, subject to the passage of legislation.

Audience: All

Peter Mandelson and Ed Balls have written to college principals and chairs of governing bodies to thank them for their hard work in achieving impressive results last year and to set out some of the key challenges facing the FE colleges over the next twelve months: meeting the diverse needs of young people and adults through high quality provision; driving forward reform qualifications and information, advice and guidance; and developing the skills employers need to compete successfully.
The letter highlights the need to: deliver the September Guarantee; provide better outcomes for vulnerable groups and increase the number of Apprenticeship places for young people. It also flags publication of key documents for this autumn: the Information, Advice and Guidance Strategy; the Skills Strategy and the two departmental Investment Strategies. Click here to view the letter

Stop Press! We know that there have been a number of changes at principal level. To make sure you get future copies of ministerial letters, please email any changes to contact details to:
FE.Reform@dius.gsi.gov.uk

Audience: All

Further education minister, Kevin Brennan, congratulated those providers that have developed effective strategies for involving learners and are now reaping the benefits. He also encouraged them to use the findings of the evaluation of Learner Involvement Strategies, jointly published by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service and the National Union of Students, to develop further their involvement programmes.
The minister urged providers to draw from the examples of good practice within the report and the complementary guidance, specifically for work and community-based providers. Download the document here
To find out more, click here or email Joe.Martin@lsis.org.uk

Audience: All

Peter Jones from Dragons’ Den launched the first ever National Enterprise Academy last month at a high profile event held at Orange’s offices in London.
Currently available to 16 to 19-year-olds, the academy will enrol nearly 18,000 learners in its first five years, giving young people and older learners the opportunity to study for brand-new qualifications in enterprise and entrepreneurship. The first, a level 2 BTEC Diploma in Understanding Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and the second, a level 3 BTEC Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, have been developed in partnership with Edexcel, the UK’s largest qualifications awarding body.
The academy, based in Buckinghamshire and Manchester, is pioneering a new and innovative way of teaching. It will expose students to real-life business issues in real-life business environments, with a high level of input from a range of entrepreneurs acting as mentors, supporting trained tutors. It is part of a BIS funded national network of 13 academies. For more information visit www.thenea.org.uk or contact Natasha.jacobs@bluerubicon.com or call 020 7260 2700

Audience: All

Development of and transition to the new post-19 funding system is progressing as planned. You can view a short update here. More detail on the funding and settlement system will be available soon and priorities for skills funding will be set out in the Skills Investment Strategy later in the year.
Employer Reference Group
The Employer Reference Group meets for the second time on 14 October 2009. The Group is a bi-monthly meeting of employers and their representative groups, set up to ensure that the Skills Funding Agency is designed and created with an employer voice at its heart. For further information on the Group and its Terms of Reference click here
Contact us
The Skills Funding Agency transition team now has its own dedicated mailbox for queries relating to the post-19 landscape changes. If you have a question or comment, please e-mail skillsfundingagency@bis.gsi.gov.uk

Audience: All

FE and Skills minister Kevin Brennan has joined hundreds of key informal adult learning stakeholders for the launch of the Learning Revolution Festival, a month-long celebration of informal adult learning and the benefits it brings for individuals, families, businesses and communities.
Throughout October, more than a thousand events - including taster sessions, workshops, demonstrations, performances, competitions and classes - will give people across England the opportunity to celebrate the learning they already do or learn something completely new. By highlighting the richness and sheer diversity of what’s available, the Learning Revolution Festival will encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to get involved in learning.
To find out how you can get involved visit http://thelearningrevolution.ning.com
To find out about learning opportunities near you visit www.direct.gov.uk/learningrevolution
To see the press notice in full click here

Audience: All

National Apprenticeship Week will take place from Monday 1 February to Friday 5 February 2010. The Week, which is organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), will celebrate the talents and skills of apprentices. It will see apprentices, employers and all involved with Apprenticeship programmes come together to celebrate the value apprentices bring.
National and regional activities will be taking place during the Week and each day will have a different focus. Anyone involved with Apprenticeships is invited to take part and if you’re
already planning activity, then NAS would like to hear from you.
Following the success of Apprenticeship Week 2009, activities this year will include employer events, job swaps, breakfast briefings and apprentice challenges.
The Week will highlight the advantages of employing and supporting apprentices in the workplace, as well as demonstrate the wide range of Apprenticeships available.
More information on Apprenticeship Week will be available soon: www.apprenticeships.org.uk or contact Kay Greene (National Apprenticeship Service) Tel: 024 7682 5745
Email: Kay.Greene@apprenticeships.gov.uk

Audience: All

On Thursday 10 September the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls joined forces with musicians to launch the National Year of Music.
This is a DCSF initiative aimed at young people up to the age of 19. Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs wants us to use the opportunity within FE to give every young person a chance to get more from music by joining DCSF in:
• Rising the profile of excellent music in England;
• Encouraging participation in music; and,
• Moving music up the education agenda.
More information is available on the DCSF website by using the following link www.dcsf.gov.uk/tunein We urge you to have a look and think about how you can be part of the National Year of Music.
Information about how to register your involvement and promote your events is included in the New Partner Information Pack, available through the DCSF website. The ‘tune in’ brand/logo can be used to promote your support and involvement.
Further information will be available on the Excellence Gateway throughout the academic year 2009/2010.
For more information click here www.dcsf.gov.uk/tunein
Please click here to view the brand guidelines

Audience: All

SORTED, the Sustainability Online Resource and Toolkit for Education aims to help staff in further education and work-based learning understand sustainability and how it relates to their organisations. Funded by the Learning Skills Council (LSC) and managed by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC), SORTED is the one-stop-shop for sustainability issues in further and higher education.
Launched today, the new-look website has been developed following a detailed review of its content and structure which, importantly, was based on user evaluation. As a result, SORTED has been completely rewritten and restructured making it simple and straightforward to access.
Covering all the burning issues for the sector across the UK, such as Ofsted’s new inclusion of sustainable development in inspections and the upcoming Carbon Reduction Commitment and carbon reduction targets, SORTED is THE online resource for all things sustainable allowing visitors to the website to choose their point of entry. So, whether you are at the beginning of your sustainability journey or already on the way, you will always be able to find what you need quickly and easily.
So, what are you waiting for? To view all the news, case studies and guidance material captured on the new SORTED website, please visit www.eauc.org.uk/sorted/home
Click here to view the postcard and Read the press notice here

Audience: All

LSIS has launched a new and updated workshop programme to support providers to engage with the new inspection process. ‘Prepared for Inspection? Building and Demonstrating Capacity to Improve’ follows on from the popular Preparing for Inspection workshops.
The new programme has been developed in consultation with Ofsted inspectors and the sector. It focuses on evidence-based self assessment, building and demonstrating capacity to improve and how they are reflected within the Common Inspection Framework.
Participants are now offered a wider choice of workshops which help individuals to develop a whole organisational approach to self assessment and demonstrate capacity to improve, while gaining an understanding of how these are applied within the contexts such as Safeguarding and Equality and Diversity.
The workshops are offered on a flexible rolling monthly basis in the Midlands, North and South. Places are available to representatives from all LSC and DWP funded providers.
For more information click here or contact Kiron McDuff kiron.mcduff@lsis.org.uk 0207 929 8735

Audience: All

LSIS is pleased to announce the launch of its new £2 million ‘Flexibility and Innovation Fund’. Further education and skills providers and provider representative bodies are invited to submit bids, for up to £90,000, for innovative projects leading to activities with the potential to secure significant improvements in sector practice or performance.
Project outcomes will be shared with the sector in order to maximise their benefits. This will initially be through the Excellence Gateway, and may be supplemented by further publication opportunities and dissemination events.
Bids may be submitted from individual organisations or in collaboration with others. Further bidding opportunities will be available in February 2010 and June 2010.
• View the guidance notes here
• Download the application form here
 Please return your completed application form to Alex Fraser alex.fraser@lsis.org.uk titled ‘Flexibility and Innovation Fund’, by Friday 23 October 2009. For any further queries, please call the LSIS Helpline 0870 211 3434.

Audience: All

There are places available this autumn on LSIS’s From Management to Leadership programme designed to develop strategic leadership skills that will enable work-based learning leaders to sustain and grow their business.
The programme is being run in two groups, one focused on middle managers and one for chief executives and senior leaders. It is an experiential learning programme that takes participants out of the task-driven environment of the workplace and encourages reflection on key work-based learning leadership issues through a process of individual and collective learning. Participants find a key advantage is that of the opportunity to share experience, learning and debate with peers in a safe and supportive environment.
The programmes start:
• 15 October 2009 in Manchester – this cohort is for middle/senior managers; or
• 1 December 2009 in London – this cohort is for CEOs, MDs and senior leaders.
To find out more visit www.lsis.org.uk/fmtl or email sonia.walter@lsis.org.uk

Audience: All

Four graduates from the PQP: Executive Leadership Development Programme have been fast tracked to gain Chartered Manager status with Fellowship of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). This accolade is the ultimate benchmark for professional managers in the UK and further recognises the ability of these individuals to lead people and manage change within their organisations. These are the first principals to achieve this triple recognition of Chartered Manager, Fellow of the CMI and PQP and many other PQP graduates are keen to follow in their footsteps.
LSIS worked with CMI to create a fast-track route for PQP graduates, which recognised the robust and thorough nature of the PQP giving credit for their continued professional development, which would normally be a separate requirement. Read more here
Principals and chief executives can start the PQP this coming November (2009) or March (2010).
For information, visit www.lsis.org.uk/pqp, contact executive@lsis.org.uk or call 0207 929 8769.

Audience: All

The third annual Get online day takes place on Friday 23 October.
Supported by Ofcom, Intel, NHS Choices and the Learning Revolution Festival, the campaign from UK online centres aims to get thousands of off-line people onto the internet. For those already online, it’s a chance to find out more, or to Pass IT onto anyone else who might benefit from online life…
700 Get online day events will take place at UK online centres between 19 and 31 October. In addition, individuals and other providers are being invited to hold their own Get online day celebrations! Downloadable leaflets and posters will be available, plus the GOLDrush ‘game show’ on myguide, which helps users practice basic web skills and register for a free email account and more free courses.
For more information visit www.ukonlinecentres.com, www.myguide.gov.uk or email ukonlinecentres@ufi.com

Audience: All

QCF champions’ training programme
Since its launch last month, reservations for the QCF champions’ training programme have been steadily building. Part of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) QCF Readiness Provider Support Programme, the three day programme is specifically aimed at those leading implementation of the QCF within their organisation. It has been carefully designed so that, as an integral element, champions will develop a tailored QCF implementation plan, access the most up-to-date thinking on QCF implementation and work collaboratively with other champions. Champions’ training programmes are taking place at eight convenient locations including London, York, Bristol, Durham, Coventry, Nottingham, Birmingham and Manchester. If you’re involved in QCF implementation don’t miss out. For more details visit the champions’ training programme web page now - click here 

QCF readiness conferences for learning providers - last chance to book
LSIS is holding two QCF readiness conferences for learning providers in Manchester on Monday 19 October and London on Wednesday 21 October. The conferences are proving extremely popular, with limited places remaining. The events are free to attend for staff with strategic responsibility for QCF implementation and are designed to equip providers with the latest information on QCF implementation, including the QCDA-led readiness programme, as well as the support available from LSIS and through partner organisations such as the Association of Colleges and the Association of Learning Providers. Don’t delay, reserve your place now - click here

Audience: All

New Realities: New Solutions.
AoC’s Annual Conference and Exhibition is the flagship event for the College and Further Education sector. This year the event will take place on 17 – 19 November at the ICC in Birmingham. The theme for 2009 is New Realities: New Solutions and the event will focus on the development of ideas, tangible solutions and best practice strategies in rapidly changing circumstances economically, organisationally and politically.
The programme will feature keynote speeches and breakout sessions on best practice, policy, problem solving and opportunities for professional development and once again there will be a superb line up of speakers from across the political and College spectrum and from the world of business.
We hope to have the Rt Hon Lord Mandelson joining Rt Hon Ed Balls MP in a Q&A session with AoC Chief Executive, Martin Doel OBE. Kevin Brennan MP will be also speaking and presenting awards at the AoC awards ceremony.
The conference will also enjoy representation from Opposition Spokerspersons, including David Willets MP and Liberal Democrat leader Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP. There will also be over 40 breakout sessions for delegates to choose from covering a broad range of key issues facing the sector.
To find out more please visit: www.aocannualconference.co.uk

Audience: All

Nominate an outstanding learner and give them the recognition they deserve!
Nominations are now open for the Adult Learners Week Awards 2010, giving adult learners the chance to be recognised for their outstanding learning achievements.
The awards recognise extraordinary learners with inspirational learning journeys that have helped them transform not only their own lives, but the lives of the people around them. Whether learning has boosted their confidence, helped them develop existing or new skills, or led to a life changing experience, the awards celebrate learning in all its diversity.
If you know individuals, groups, families or projects that inspire you, nominate them for an Adult Learners Week Award.
Making a nomination is simple, and can be submitted on paper or online. Visit www.alw.org.uk/nominate for more information.
There are a range of awards that your nomination may be eligible for, so make sure you check the additional awards section of the form.
Everyone nominated will receive a Certificate of Achievement, and the winners will be invited to an awards ceremony and receive a learning voucher (between £200 to £1500).
Early bird entries
Nominations submitted by 15 December 2009 will be entered for a FREE prize draw to win one of five £20 shopping vouchers, just in time for Christmas!
Read more about previous award winners at www.alw.org.uk.
Web: www.alw.org.uk Email: alw@niace.org.uk  Address: Campaigns and Promotions, NIACE, 21 De Montfort Street, LE1 7GE. Tel: 0116 204 4200