Issue 1of 2012-2013 – 29th August 2012
Tendering opportunities and new businessSport England
Sport England will invest up to £17 million over 5 years to create 150 full-time sports development professionals working in the further education sector. A bid has been submitted requesting two Sport Makers working across our north and south campuses. Notification is due on 17th September 2012.
Success with CITB non-apprenticeship training provider framework
The College has been successful in gaining a place on the CITB framework for Construction Industry Workplace (non-apprenticeship) learning in England for 12 months. We were ranked No. 1 of 30 successful tenderers.
LSIS grant – Equality Peer Review Project
The College is taking the opportunity to submit an application to work on a pilot project in partnership with Hindley and Styal prisons, focusing on “Embedding equalities in teaching and learning”. The grant is worth only around £2,000 but could be valuable in terms of lessons learnt. We are putting the finishing touches to our application and will submit by 31st August 2012.
Manchester City Council Alternative Education Provision
We have submitted a Request for Quotation (RFQ) questionnaire for Alternative Education Provision for High Schools and Academy pupils in Manchester. This is a pre-qualification process.
ESF Workplace learning delivery for Calderdale College
Calderdale College, on behalf of the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges, has been successful in securing ESF co-financing contracts with the Skills Funding Agency to deliver workplace learning across the North West, and is looking to secure further partners to deliver its work place learning provision. The expression of interest form has been submitted.
Enhanced Renewal Grant 3
Updated Enhanced Renewal Grant documents are now available on the SFA’s website, here. Applications are due by 11th September 2012, using the provider gateway.
Further education and skills news
Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning (CAVTL)
The Commission for Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning was launched during the summer. Its report is expected in the spring of 2013. The call for evidence lasts until 26th October 2012. It aims to focus on what has been and can be done to raise the quality and improve the outcomes and impact of adult vocational teaching and learning. Unlike many reviews in the sector, this one is college-led. The College is formulating its response both directly and as a contribution to the response by the 157 Group. The Commission’s terms of reference can be found here.
Our likely focus is going to be on the key issues of
- leadership of teaching and learning
- how students contribute to their learning
- the distinctiveness of vocational teaching and learning
- what generates great teaching and learning
- current examples in our colleges of outstanding teaching and learning
Equality and Diversity Partnership Grants – case studies
The SFA and LSIS have worked together to offer grants to further education and skills providers for innovative equality and diversity projects. Reports and case studies from all the projects supported in 2011/12 are available on the LSIS Excellence Gateway. SFA will shortly be inviting bids for a third round of funding for 2012/13, and a prospectus with full details is now available on the LSIS funding opportunities web page, here.Applications are open until 10 September 2012.
Advanced Learning Loans FAQs
The SFA has updated its Frequently Asked Questions to reflect feedback andquestions raised during the recent seminars dedicated to 24+ Advanced Learning Loansimplementation.A post-seminar information pack to help the sector prepare for the introduction of loans isavailable from the Loans section of the Agency’s website and slides from the seminars are available here.
The Qualification Journey
To help providers understand the process by which qualifications are approved for public funding for post-19 learners in England, the SFA has published an updated version of The Qualification Journey on its website.
Register of Training Organisations – due diligence process
The College has been successful in the Due Diligence Assurance Gateway process and has been assessed as “approved”. This will be an ongoing process which will have to be completed annually.
Innovation Code: a new guide
A new guide to the Innovation Code is now available on the SFA website. The guide is organised into two sections
- the first section is an overview of the Innovation Code and its policy background
- the second section covers evidence requirements, success measures,funding arrangements, Individualised Learner Record and migration of provision into theQualifications and Credit Framework
ESF/SFA funded successes and achievements
The SFA manages the delivery of £1.53 billion of provision through ESF. As the 2007-13programme ends and the Agency plans for the 2014-20 programme, they have provided some detail about what works well and why, and to reflect on what this means inpractice. SFA believe thatthis documentwill be of interest to providers, stakeholders and employers.
Funding higher risk providers and subcontractors policy
The SFA has revised the Funding Higher Risk Providers and Subcontractors guidance onits website. This sets out criteria which would prevent a provider being considered for fundingand the rejection of bids for public contracts. This applies to providers which are currentlyfunded or are seeking to be directly funded by the SFA, and to organisations which arecurrently delivering, or are proposing to deliver, education and training funded by the Agency under a sub-contract. The guidance can be found here.
Supported internships for young people with special needs
The EFA have informed us that this autumn, a trial of supported internships is being launched at 15 colleges around England.
These are for young people between the ages of 16 and 25 who have complex learning difficulties or disabilities.
The trials will test a study programme that could be adopted by all further educationcolleges from September 2013.
The internship will be based at an employer and provide a structured study programme tailored to the young person’s individual needs and able to equip them with the skillsthey need for the workplace.This will include on-the-job training, backed by expert job coaches to support interns andemployers, and the chance to study for relevant qualifications – where appropriate.Further information on this trial can be found on the Department for Education's website. Click here.
16-19 Bursary fund – advice to young people
EFA have published a new document giving advice for young people about the 16-19 Bursary Fund. This replaces the 2011/12 16-19 Bursary Fund Q&A for young people andparents.Providers, local authorities and other stakeholders working with young people can use thisdocument to help answer their questions about the funding.
Click here for details.
Employment and Welfare News
Securing independent careers guidance – a guide for schools
The DfE has published Securing Independent CareersGuidance – A Practical Guide for Schools on its website. Click here.The purpose of this new guide is to offer practical information that schools may wish to drawon when interpreting their new duty to secure access to independent and impartial careersguidance. This comes into force in September 2012.
The role of the National Careers Service in providing support for young people by telephone and online is included within the guidance.
Apprenticeship news
Richard Review of Apprenticeships
We are in the process of completing our submission to the Richard review of Apprenticeships and will send it before the deadline date of 7th September. The review, led by Doug Richard takes a broad strategic view of apprenticeships and is mindful of the extensive work already underway to improve them (eg through Public Accounts Committee and GBIS Select Committee). The fundamental questions asked are
- what purpose should apprenticeships serve, to individuals and employers, and the wider economy?
- what should a good apprenticeship look like?
- what role should government play in delivering or enabling this?
Page 1 of 3