Memorandum submitted by Hull College
DEVELOPMENT OF
A 14-19 FRAMEWORK
There is a need to bring coherence to the current
system. Greater emphasis needs to be given to vocational subjects
and applied learning and qualifications.
The introduction of eight new Dual Award GCSE's
is a start but are not adequate. The "applied" syllabuses
for traditional GCSE's need further development, which needs to
ensure the relevance to employers and the world of work. Qualifications
at Level 1 and Entry Level need to be developed which figure on
the QRF, these need to be made available at 14-16 to compliment
the existing and growing level two options, they need to focus
on enterprise and employability.
Work experience at year 10 and 11 needs to be
more related and complimentary to the key stage four curriculum
being undertaken, to meet the over-stretched demand and more effectively
engage employers in the planning and the delivery.
Progression routes for Vocational Pathways need
to be developed from the age of 14, these need to engage far more
higher ability young people and needs to be given the same esteem
has academic routes. These need to be identified as Vocational
Scholarships, which from the outset at 14 have the aspirations
for progression to Level 3 and Modern Apprenticeships and from
there into HE.
LEARNER CHOICE
AND FUNDING
In the 14-19 Framework funding to support the
learning, needs to follow the learner. Schools and Colleges need
to work in closer partnership to ensure the effective utilisation
of resources and to meet learner needs. Common timetabling needs
to be developed which enables the movement of 14-16 yerar olds
to Specialist and Beacon Schools, Community Learning Centres and
FE Colleges. The development of ILT to provide the flexibility
and sharing of resources to enhance learner experience and achievement
is essential.
The investment the Government is making in "Building
Schools for the Future" needs to carefully monitor the planning
and implementation to ensure costly duplication is avoided between
the pre and post 16 sectors. Otherwise costly Vocational Schools
will replicate resources which are already funded via public money
in FE Colleges and also hamper the further development of Partnership
working.
The increase in 14-16 learners in Colleges needs
to be resourced adequately, if learner choice prevails and more
school age children enter FE Colleges, then where justified, additional
accommodation will need to be provided.
14-16 INCREASING
FLEXIBILITY
The Increasing Flexibility Initiative has enabled
many FE Colleges and Schools to work in partnership with each
other, facilitating the expansion of vocational education at key
stage four. However the DfES/LSC funded programme has given the
lead responsibility to General FE Colleges but without adequate
resources to deliver and which are not linked to local need. The
burden of organisation, with regard to 14-16 cross sector and
institutional working has been given to Colleges who have had
to draw on their own resources in order to make the Initiative
successful.
Funding has been unrelated to need in terms
of the number of institutions within a LEA or numbers of learners
or disadvantage or any other indicator, instead each GFE College
has been given £100k per year over the last two years. The
announcement of the funding each year has been too late, it has
been the February before the September start when each of Phase
one and two have been announced. This has left insufficient time
for Schools and post 16 Partners to plan and deliver Partnership
Curriculum. Each year has been followed with periods of uncertainty
about the initiatives continuation. The new 14-19 Framework and
its funding needs to be adequately resourced according to need,
perhaps a formulae funded provision will also work at 14-19 as
it does at 16+.
This will enable us to re-model key stage four
in order to engage more learners, maximise potential and increase
our poor post 16 take up and retention.
LEA'S AND
LSC'S
These need to work together better in the same
way that Schools and Colleges have already been doing. They should
lead on 14-19. Consistent and transparent procedures for advice
and guidance need to established. School Teachers need to be made
aware that vocational education is not just to meet the needs
of lower ability learners but across the whole ability range,
the opportunity for applied learning, employability and enterprise
should be an entitlement for all. Work Based Learning and Modern
Apprenticeships need to be an equal and challenging option to
academic study with similar progression opportunities to HE.
There should be formalised links between Specialist
Schools and Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE's). Both these
initiatives are about meeting the needs of local employers and
of Industry.
PROGRESSION AT
19
Universities need to be part of the Skills Strategy
debate and party to local Strategic Area Reviews, HE needs to
be responsive to the needs of Business and reflect this in its
course offer. Too many graduates complete studies that do not
prepare them for employment and economic life, instead they re-train,
often into lower skilled jobs, this is a waste of potential and
resources. Foundation Degrees need to be delivered locally to
suit the needs of employers and industry, these need to be clearly
employer lead and based on clear market needs.
MODERN APPRENTICESHIPS
Only in the UK do apprenticeships suffer from
low esteem, much needs to be done across the14-19 to address these
issues. Our lack of commitment to Modern Apprenticeships has contributed
to most of the current skills gaps, young people see limited career
opportunities and lack of progression compared to academic pathways.
Taking away age restraints is a step forward.
KEY SKILLS
Effective delivery and understanding of Key
Skills in vocational areas relies on contextualisation of the
experience. The current system of generalised and abstract delivery
is driven by the generic Key Skills assessment, this is unsatisfactory
and particularly within Modern Apprenticeships.
TECHNICAL CERTIFICATES
These have recently been introduced to Modern
Apprenticeship Frameworks. Technical Certificates were to raise
the profile of vocational education post 16 and to embed learning,
technology and facilitate progression, both career progression
and into HE. Some of the emerging Sector Skills Councils have
done this ie SEMTA. Others have singularly failed in this task
and have produced Technical Certificates that achieve little more
than underpin competence of the NVQ. Embedding Key Skills within
Technical Certificates would enable contextualised delivery and
assessment more closely meeting the needs of employers and industry.
SUPPORTING BUSINESSES
FE Colleges look forward to enabling the Government
to achieve its objectives under this Skills Strategy and to Supporting
Businesses, not just in terms of its people development but also
on product and process development. However, there is little to
demonstrate how these important activities will be funded in order
to make them happen. At the same time recent developments in funding
seem to suggest that there will be less funding for adults in
future preventing some employers from developing their workforces.
LSC AND JOBCENTRE
PLUS
Harmonisation of funding arrangements between
these two key organisations. Jobcentre Plus funding needs to establish
some stability enabling providers to plan longer stage, and to
withdraw from the current system of three year exhaustive tendering
and procurement procedures.
December 2003
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