Countdown Edition 1201
Unfortunately due to server issues, we are unable to send out our member-benefit newsletter, Countdown, by email this week.
So instead we thought - as a one-off - we'd upload it to our website and make it available to members and non-members.
A couple of weeks on from our sold-out Autumn Conference, I have been reflecting on how that event – and other things AELP does – shows the power of our members.
Over 300 people coming in person to Manchester and scores more joining us online discussing the challenges facing our sector – as well hearing from, and questioning, the Skills Minister Baroness Smith – really showed the best of our sector.
You might have noticed that we recently rejigged the homepage on our website to be more explicit about what it means to be a member of AELP. Whether it’s getting expert advice, being part of a supportive community, or supporting the sector through us, I believe that AELP membership offers extremely good value for money (and that’s before we even get to the cost savings our membership allows you to access).
Fundamentally, a strong AELP leads to a strong skills sector. We want to be able to do more of what we do right across the board but especially so with employers. The more members we have, the easier that becomes – so if you are having conversations with people from other organisations in the sector that aren’t already members, do let them know about what we do and how they can join.
Increasing membership is important – but so is facilitating our members to be active in driving forward our agenda and priorities. Just take some of the things we’re working on at the moment: 16-19 provision, apprenticeship funding at Level 7, and our Mini-Commission on functional skills.
16-19 provision
This week I have written for FE Week on the forthcoming demographic timebomb that’s likely to hit the further education sector over the next few years. The number of 16- and 17-year-olds in England will grow by 110,000 by 2028 – an 8% increase at a time when we already have 900,000 young people (and rising, as this week’s depressing news showed) who are NEET.
Without action, more young people will head into a clogged and underfunded system. Our Local and Regional Partner Networks have been on the front foot by letting us know their concerns – as have some of our members operating that space. By providing information, data, insights and case studies we’ve been able to build a strong argument that it is ITPs who will provide the solution to this problem. That’s because ITPs have the twin advantages of being commercially driven and fleet of foot.
In fact, that is already happening in some areas. In Leeds, for example, an extra £3.5m is being used allocated on top of current allocations to support specific targeted hot spots where colleges have run out of room. Juniper Training, one of the ITPs helping to fill the gap, took just two months to go from initial exploration with Leeds City Council to starting their first cohort.
We are currently recruiting for a Senior Policy Manager post, which has been funded by some of our larger providers delivering 16-19 provision. This will allow us to push for government to roll out this type of response across the country.
Apprenticeship funding at Level 7
Another area of concern for our members is on plans to defund level 7 apprenticeships and this is something I recently wrote about in FE News. The social impact of defunding level 7 needs closer inspection before proceeding as we know that they open up career opportunities to a diverse range of people who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to risk taking on huge levels of debt.
We are hosting a roundtable event next week so we can set out more about what we know but also hear from AELP members in particular about what work they are doing to understand the impact of the announcements around social mobility and different age groups – and how we can help represent them in our discussions with ministers and officials. if you want to come and haven’t had an invite, it’s not too late - please contact Cheryl Swales, AELP Head of Strategic Projects, [email protected].
AELP Mini-Commission on functional skills
The other area where AELP members are helping to drive forward our work is through our Mini-Commission on functional skills reform which we will be publishing soon. Over 170 people from across the skills sector have been involved in his body of evidence so this is something that really could not have been produced without AELP members being involved.
If we can remove functional skills as an exit requirement within apprenticeships, we believe this will lead to a situation where we can:
- Increase the number of people getting vital numeracy and literacy skills to succeed in their careers and life, through their apprenticeship.
- Re-open the door to more people without English and Maths at Level 2 to participate in life changing apprenticeships.
- Introduce people to a positive experience of learning English and Maths to kick start a lifelong learning process.
- Channel finite resources to where they are needed, from where they are currently adding less value.
- Remove the administrative anomaly whereby apprenticeships carry a different requirement from other gold standard programmes, e.g. A Levels and T Levels
We know from the minister’s words at our Autumn Conference that the government are looking closely at functional skills and are carefully considering how they can improve the system. I believe we are close to persuading them of the need for change – and our evidence in the Mini Commission will provide another push in the right direction.
AELP Sector Forum Groups
Being able to represent our members views relies on us having effective networks and inputs so we can share best practice and the specifics of issues facing providers. Our Sector Forums have been running for a number of years in their current format and we feel now is the time to review this long standing, important member benefit with a view to:
- Increase Impact:- Deliver more targeted, meaningful and actionable content feeding into AELP activities and members’ priorities.
- Enhance and Increase Member Engagement:- Build more collaborative, peer-to-peer communities, accessible to a wider range of provider job roles.
- Adapt to Changes:- Align content and activities with new and evolving education and policy landscapes whilst directing members to other sources of information i.e. AELP policy/CEO updates, webinars, workshops, conferences.
The first stage of our review is to consult with members via a short survey which will help us to gather some attendance data and hear any suggestions for improvement. It is likely that any changes will be implemented in a phased approach commencing in April 2025 therefore the groups will continue to run as normal for the remainder of 2024 and into the New Year.
Thank you to all members who have already completed the survey which will be open until COB on Wednesday 27 November. Your feedback is vital to us so please do respond - you can access the survey here.
National Apprenticeship Week 2025
National Apprenticeship Week 2025 runs from 10-16 February next year. There is a dedicated NAW2025 website which contains a range of guidance, toolkits and assets for you to download and share.
We are developing our own plans at AELP to support you. We have two prongs to our thinking – please let us know what you think too! Those two prongs are:
- Creating a toolkit for members to engage with employers
- Helping members to engage with their local MP – it’s a great opportunity to get them in for a photo shoot, but they may well be in demand, so get the date in the diary with them now!
As ever we will be looking to amplify what our members are doing for this important week of action. If you do have any plans then please let our Communications Manager, Matt Strong, know - his email is [email protected]
I hope you have a good weekend, Ben
Countdown edition 1201
Unfortunately due to server issues, we are unable to send out our member-benefit newsletter, Countdown, by email this week. So instead we thought - as a one-off - we'd upload it to our website and make it available to members and non-members.
