skills

On the 7th February, Minister for Further Education and Skills, John Hayes, launched an independent review to investigate ways to improve the professional status of the further education and skills sector. Lord Lingfield is going to be chairing the review. An expert panel led by David Sherlocal CBE, former head of the Adult Learning Inspectorate will support him. The initial draft of the report will be complete in three months time. 

The review will consider:

The central discsussion point at the AELP 'In-Tray' Conference was on flexibility and a 'black box' approach to in skills providers' service delivery. The 'In-Tray' Conference focused on youth unemployment, apprenticeships, employability, funding simplification and delivery. 

AELP chief executive Graham Hoyle argued foundation learning should not be about giving out extra qualifications, but actually focusing on getting the learner into work as a positively funded outcome.

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Following a review and evaluation of the Approved College and Training Organisations Regsiter (ACTOR), a new Register of Training Organisations has been announced. This went live yesterday (18th January) at 5pm. 

A new chair has been elected for the Association of Employment and Learning Providers' (AELP) Foundation Special Interest Group. Ashley McCaul CEO of Skills for Growth will be placed in the role this year. Gaynor Holland of Total People will then step down as chair.

Ashley McCaul has helped the AELP executive on themes relating to employment provision for young people and is Vice- Chair of the London Work-Based Alliance.

As ever, I'd suggest reading the entire executive summary of the skills review, even if not the entire document as there are almost 160 pages! A lot of content throughout, and interesting to read in the light of the recent National Skills Strategy announced only a few weeks ago.

'Learner accounts' and more information for employers, as well as those currently employed, are amongst the initiatives that may ring familiar. Published a year before the Freud Report, looking at welfare to work as a whole and changing the focus and landscape of the industry, this review should definitely be read in its context.

Lord Mandelson unveiled the National Skills strategy on Wednesday, which is built on three key aims:

• Introducing 35,000 more apprenticeships to create a new class of skilled technicians
• Creating Skills Accounts for everyone, and
• Radically simplifying the skills system