BIS FE and Skills e-Newsletter

Audience: All

Since the inception of BIS, both Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State and Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs have been engaging with representatives of the sector. The Secretary of State had conversations with key representative bodies and also attended the FE Ministerial Standing Group on 9 July where he set out his vision for BIS and the role of FE within this. Kevin Brennan wrote to all FE principals, governors and providers and had a number of meetings with representative groups and delivery partners before the summer recess. Click here to view a copy of his letter.

Audience: All

The Framework for Excellence (FfE) is a performance assessment framework for post 16 education and training providers. It consists of a small set of indicators and gives an annual assessment of performance.
2008/09 saw the first year of FfE’s implementation – and was the first time that an assessment of this kind and scale has been carried out for FE provision in England.
On 31 July, the LSC published 08/09 headline outcomes.
Highlights…
• Over 1200 providers were assessed through FfE;
• The results confirmed that quality in the sector is high (Over 50% of all providers who received a grade achieved ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ on all indicators.);
• There was a tremendous response from learners and employers. Over 520,000 learners and 37,000 employers took part in the surveys and more than 481,000 learner destinations were established;
• Some concern over Qualification Success Rate (QSR) scores. Whilst more than 80% of providers were graded at least satisfactory, with over 50% good or outstanding, there was a disappointing level of providers assessed as inadequate.
The Framework grades will provide us with new information to inform existing processes for addressing underperformance, recognising excellence and to drive improvements across the sector.
What Next?
August 2009 – Publication of 09/10 FfE policy document: ‘FfE: Unified Post 16 Performance Assessment’.
September 2009 - Start of FfE pilot in School 6th forms.
Summer 2010 - First full publication, at provider level, of all public facing indicators.
More Info…
A copy of the 08/09 headline outcomes and further information on FfE is at http://ffe.lsc.gov.uk/

Audience: All

Colleges and learning providers do very good work with employers and Ministers are keen to make it is as easy as possible for employers to engage with the sector. They have therefore been looking at opportunities for simplification and they are considering the case for modifying the existing plans for the creation of the Skills Funding Agency by making the RDAs the single body with responsibility for producing the regional skills strategy and being the champion and advocate for skills at the regional level.
Under this scenario, RDAs would be assigned the lead role in identifying, as part of their wider responsibilities for regional economic development, demand side needs for skills in their regions. This will ensure that the regional skills strategy would be integrated within the single regional strategy jointly produced by the RDAs and Local Authorities. The responsibility for allocating funds to and managing the relationship with colleges and training providers on the supply side would continue to rest with the Skills Funding Agency.
We are discussing with key stakeholders how this change would be best implemented. Attached is a copy of the letter that Lord Mandelson sent the SEEDA Chairman, Jim Brathwaite. Click here to view the letter.
Click here to view the New Industry New Jobs publication or for further details contact Bobbie McClelland, Deputy Director Post 19 Unit Bobbie.mcclelland@bis.gsi.gov.uk / 0114 259 4283
 

Audience: All

Informal adult learning will be a major focus of attention in October when the national Festival of Learning gets underway. All kinds of organisations, from colleges, libraries and local employers to reading groups, sports clubs and community organisations, will host a multitude of informal activities like story telling, local history slide shows, health checks, cookery demonstrations and sports taster sessions. Others will open up their rooms, halls, or IT suites so that groups of people can get together to share their skills and learn new things.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is supporting a wide range of organisations to come up with creative ideas that will make October a really exciting month. It's also funding a promotional programme, including a festival pack, festival website and enquiry line, which will be available in the coming weeks to help organisations promote their activity. The Festival provides a unique platform for collaboration between the public, community and business sectors and marks another leap forward for the informal learning movement sparked by the Government’s Learning Revolution White Paper.
Further details about the Festival will follow and to find out more about other Learning Revolution developments, go to www.dius.gov.uk/informaladultlearning
 

Audience: All

This bulletin is aimed at those affected, involved or interested in the developing changes around 16-18 funding and post-19 funding. Its' aim is to provide a forum to keep you involved and informed about the funding changes on a regular basis. Please click here for the most up-to-date edition of the 16-18 and post 19 funding transfer bulletin

Audience: All

Teachers and trainers working in LSC-funded provision need to be members of the Institute for Learning (IfL) and spend at least 30 hours each year on continuing professional development (CPD), pro rata for part-time teachers and trainers. This should be declared to IfL by 31 August every year.
Self-declaration forms are available in the members' area of IfL’s website and, for those using the online learning space REfLECT, within the CPD record.
Dr Jean Kelly, IfL's director of professional development, said, "With just over a month before the deadline, we encourage you to make your CPD self-declaration as soon as you have completed your CPD for the year, to avoid a last-minute rush."
For more information about CPD and the wide range of formal and informal activities that can count as meaningful professional development, visit www.ifl.ac.uk/cpd 
For more information about licensed practitioner (QTLS or ATLS) status, visit www.ifl.ac.uk/qtls-atls and www.ifl.ac.uk/news-and-events/latest/ifl-awards-licensed-practitioner-status-to-first-group-of-fe-teachers-and-trainers
For CPD and self-declaration please visit http://www.ifl.ac.uk/cpd
For further details please call 0844 815 3202 or email enquiries@ifl.ac.uk
 

Audience: All

We now have a comprehensive ’14 – 19 Case Study Library’ on the website where you will find over a hundred case studies showcasing good practice across the whole of the 14 – 19 Reform Programme. As well as case studies highlighting good practice from consortia there is also a selection of case studies from both young people and teaching staff highlighting their experiences of taking the Diploma and other areas of the 14 – 19 reforms. The young people’s case studies will be particularly useful in communications with young people - there are some really inspirational young people who have shared their experiences with us.

The case study library is a live resource that will be added to over time. If you know anyone who has any good practice examples of the Diploma or any of the other areas of the 14 – 19 Reform Program

For further details click here or contact Andrew George by email or call 0114 2594164.

Audience: All post-16 providers

Becta, the government’s agency for technology in learning, has produced some good practice guides to help colleges secure the sensitive data they hold on learners, staff and others (eg, contact details, behaviour/assessment records). The Data Protection Act 1998 requires all organisations to secure personal data they hold (electronically or on paper). Information security is everyone’s responsibility and needs to be embedded into organisational culture. Becta has collaborated on the guides with cross-sector organisations including DCSF, BIS, JISC, The Information Authority and JANET(UK). They are practical interpretations for senior staff and network managers of the Cabinet Office’s measures to minimise the risk of data loss or corruption and adverse consequences such as identity theft or breaches of legal obligations. Partners should feel confident in sharing information if they all follow this guidance.

Becta has set up an online discussion forum, which may be accessed through the following link: Data handling security guidance

The first output from this group is guidance specifically aimed at FE & Skills providers delivering 14-19 programmes. This has been approved by the 14-19 programme board and will be jointly badged with BIS and DCSF logos. The next stage is to develop wider FE & Skills related guidance, a website solution and a range of activities to promote e-safety.
 

Audience: Primarily FE college principals/governors

On 2 July, the Government’s Forced Marriage Unit launched new guidelines for frontline professionals – teachers, lecturers, social and health care professionals – to help them to work more closely together to better identify and protect children and adults at risk of forced marriage.

These practice guidelines, copies of which are being sent all further education colleges in England, have been produced to complement statutory guidance which sets out the broader strategic responsibilities of Chief Executives and senior managers in tackling forced marriage locally. Practitioners handling forced marriage cases can also call the FMU for advice and support via a public helpline – 020 7008 0151 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday or email: fmu@fco.gov.uk
 
The new guidelines can be downloaded from the FMU website: www.fco.gov.uk/forcedmarriage

Audience: All

The BBC will be launching My Story, a project designed to gather the nation's true stories and publish them online, in the coming weeks. My Story will be led by well-know BBC faces and is, at its heart, a storytelling and creative writing initiative. People will be asked to tell a true, personal story and send it to the My Story website to share with others as a way of inspiring the nation to get reading and writing. The site, which goes live in early September, will feature videos and interactive tools to help people plan and structure their stories as well as providing tips on writing styles and skills. Links will also be made to the raw project, the BBC's basic skills project. The project will be launched in September on the One Show which will be followed by roadshows in major cities, each complemented by activity from the BBC's regional network. A free My Story magazine will also be published to encourage people to write up their experiences.

For further information on the BBC's learning and skills offer, see www.bbc.co.uk/raw 
 

Audience: All

Case studies from the New Engineering Foundation’s Knowledge & Technology Exchange Nodes (KTENs) are now available to download at
www.neweng.org.uk/KTENS.
In October 2008, the NEF, with generous support from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, was delighted to announce the launch of the KTENs in engineering, applied science and technology.
Their aim was to enable FE colleges to develop and grow their knowledge and technology exchange activities by awarding grants of £15,000. Qualification required colleges to bring together the right people from business, Higher Education and from their own and other FE institutions to establish a plan for a dedicated technology and knowledge transfer and exchange function.
In January 2009, 14 colleges covering 11 projects were announced as having successfully bid for the grants. The case studies at www.neweng.org.uk/KTENS are the stories of each KTEN and how they have transformed the colleges, businesses and communities involved.
For further details please contact Liz Ogilvie, Director of Communications, New Engineering Foundation by email or call 020 8786 3677
 

Audience: All

Delivery of the Response to Redundancy package of support for employers and individuals started in April 2009. The package is jointly funded by £100 million of European Social Fund and Train to Gain money. Employers are able to access end-to-end recruitment support and ongoing workplace training. Training is available for workers who are under notice of redundancy, or who have recently become unemployed, to provide them with the economically valuable skills they need to find alternative jobs and re-enter the labour market. For more information view the ESF at Work e-zine

Audience: All

At a special ceremony at the Roof Gardens in London’s Kensington on 6 July, the Minister, Kevin Brennan, awarded Beacon status to 12 outstanding further education and skills providers.
These new Beacons include the first offender learning provider to gain Beacon status as well as colleges, work-based and adult and community learning providers.
Kevin Brennan said: “This is an outstanding achievement. In today’s economic climate, the more we can all do to promote and celebrate the excellence that exists in further education and skills, the better. I expect all Beacons to work with LSIS to share their expertise and good practices to help drive up the performance of the whole sector to the high level that they have attained. Our students, learners and employers deserve nothing less.”
Feedback from attendees shows that 100% rated the event excellent or good.
Click here to view the full article and to view the photo gallery

For further details contact Jo Burch by email or call 02476 792467

Audience: all post-16 providers

Becta and LSIS are working in partnership to bring you the Leading innovation: embracing technology conference in Birmingham on 20 October 2009.
This one-day conference will provide a forum for leaders and managers in the further education and skills sector to understand and share the benefits of using technology within their organisations.
This is an opportunity for those in the early stages of embracing technology to experience innovative practice and understand how to develop and implement an organisation-wide technology strategy.
You will meet those already benefiting from harnessing technology in their organisations and learn about their experiences through keynote speeches, interactive workshops and networking opportunities.
The conference is free to attend though places are limited. The conference takes place at Aston University in Birmingham. View the full conference details here
Please contact Louisa Dunwell, LSIS for further information louisa.dunwell@lsis.org.uk or register to attend here.
View the event page here.

Audience: All

The 157 Group has published six case studies describing how member colleges are engaging with local communities and supporting people – including those from some of the most disadvantaged and disaffected groups – to transform their lives through education and training. The case studies focus on successful approaches and initiatives led by:
• Highbury College
• Lambeth College
• Lewisham College
• New College Nottingham
• The Manchester College
• York College.
Lynne Sedgmore CBE, 157 Group executive director, said, "The FE sector has earned a reputation for offering second chances and new opportunities; for transforming people's lives; and for welcoming learners from diverse socioeconomic, cultural and educational backgrounds. Colleges play a crucial role in fostering social inclusion and community cohesion, thanks in no small part to the dedication and commitment of their teaching staff. These case studies show the enormous contribution they make to tackling specific problems in their local communities."
The six case studies are available to download in PDF format from the 157 Group website at http://www.157group.co.uk/casestudies.html

Audience: All

Two Manchester FE colleges joined forces in August 2008 and took the opportunity to share their extensive e-Learning expertise across the new institution.
Now one of Europe’s largest colleges, strategic objectives at The Manchester College include innovative development of learning technologies as a priority, using organisations such as the Association for Learning Technology, of which the college is a long-standing member, as expert sources and for sharing ideas with other colleges and teaching institutions.
Students at The Manchester College benefit from:
• Virtual learning environment: Moodle
• Their own podcasting environment ‘OurTube’
• Use of Nintendo DS, Wii and accessibility tools for text, audio and multi sensory approaches
• e-Portfolios
• Web 2.0 tools such as Ning
• Online discussions with external experts
Click here for the full case study
Further information: kcarrick@themanchestercollege.ac.uk
The Manchester College http://www.themanchestercollege.co.uk/

Audience: All

The first Youth Commission report, capturing the views of the nation's 10-25 year olds on government plans to raise the participation age to 18, finds young people critical of an exam heavy curriculum.
Rose Dowling from the Edge Learner Forum who conducted the research said:
“The Government’s plan to increase the participation age is widely recognised to be a good idea but it’s vital that those extra two years in education are of benefit to all young people and that no one is left behind. The feedback from some young people is that many of them have already been turned off education and they are seriously concerned about more of the same. Their message adds volume to Edge’s call for a revolution in education to make sure every young person’s talents, whatever they happen to be, are recognised and nurtured.”
The Youth Commission sets out a series of solutions to the problems raised within the report and how the Edge Learner Forum intends to take them forward:
1) Overhaul careers advice
2) Make the most of the power of teachers
3) Promote pride in vocational learning
4) More practical options, more flexibility
5) Use financial support to raise success
6) Raising the Participation age has to be done with young people, not to them
For more information about Edge, please contact: Sarah Davidson, James Everest and Andy Wray at Band & Brown Communications: 020 7419 6950 / edgeteam@bbpr.com
Click here to view the website