Richard Review of Apprenticeships
Deadline - Friday, September 07, 2012
The Departments for Business, Innovation & Skills and Education
appointed Doug Richard, serial entrepreneur and early investor, to lead
an independent review into the future of apprenticeships.
The review aims to:
- take a medium-long term look at the future of apprenticeships in England
- identify best practice and ensure that going forward, apprenticeships meet the needs of the changing economy
- deliver the qualifications and skills which employers need, to world class benchmarks
- ensure that government is maximising the impact of public investment in apprenticeships.
Consultation documents can be downloaded from the BIS website.
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BIS Consultation on the Further Education Workforce
Deadline - Friday, May 25, 2012
The Interim Report for BIS proposes changes to the current PTLLS, CTLLS and
DTLLS qualifications and to the Institute for Learning (IFL).
The government recently launched a consultation into the revocation of the
further education workforce regulations. Lord Lingfield’s interim report on
professionalism recommends that initial teacher training (ITT) should be
optional for new teachers and trainers entering the sector, who would need to
gain only a preparatory award as part of an induction process in their first
job.
Being a qualified teacher would be optional. Most teachers and trainers enter
the FE sector from non-teaching backgrounds in commerce and industry, and are
currently required to attain ITT qualifications and Qualified Teacher Learning
and Skills (QTLS) status. The interim report recommends revoking the 2007
regulations that require this.
Download the Interim Report.
The Third Sector National Learning Alliance will be submitting a
response to the consultation and is seeking views from learning
providers about the recommendations. Many feel that it is too focussed
on FE Colleges and doesn't consider the needs of the voluntary sector
and other small providers. The key questions in the consultation are:
- Do you agree that the Further Education Teachers’ Continuing
Professional Development and Registration (England) Regulations 2007 should be
revoked from 1 September 2012?
- Do you think there will be
any unintended consequences or implications by revoking these regulations?
- What do you consider to be the minimum level of qualification needed to teach
in Further Education?
- What do you consider to be the most effective means
of maintaining a professionalised workforce?
- Do you consider that any
minimum expectations for training and qualifications should be stipulated as a
condition of public funding?
The TSNLA will submit a response to this consultation - please send
your views to john.harris@tsnla.org.uk - by the 25 May
Download the
BIS Consultation if you would prefer to respond directly to the department.
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Review of Informal Adult and Community Learning
Deadline - Friday, October 21, 2011
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) opened its consultation with organisations on 16th August.
This consultation is relevant to: Further education colleges and their governing bodies; Local Authority Adult Education Services, Specialist Designated Institutions, other providers of further education and skills and adult learning; sixth-form colleges; higher education institutions; college principals, teaching staff and their representative organisations; voluntary and community organisations; Government Departments; organisations representing the interests of past, current and prospective adult learners.
HTDC will be working alongside the Hertfordshire Informal Adult Learning Group in preparing a response on behalf of the voluntary sector, and will contact members regarding collation of information for that. To view the consultation document and to respond visit the BIS website.
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Colleges in their Communities
Deadline - Friday, March 18, 2011
To improve understanding of the relationship colleges have with their
communities, a public call for evidence has been issued by the joint Colleges in
their Communities Inquiry - led by NIACE, the 157 Group and the Association of
Colleges.The Colleges in their Communities which will
report in November 2011, is investigating the strategic role colleges play in
their communities and the added public value they can bring in leading adult
learning provision and serving each of their local communities.
The
Inquiry wants to hear the opinions of principals, managers, teachers, learners,
community representatives and others with an interest in this area and has
issued a call for evidence. In particular, the Inquiry invites
submissions that address the following questions:
- What is the relationship between colleges and their communities?
- How do colleges contribute to local/ community leadership?
- How do colleges develop, implement and refine national adult learning
policies and plans?
- How do colleges define and arrive at an adult curriculum for their
communities?
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Tackling Poverty and Improving Life Chances
Deadline - Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Government has launched a consultation on its approach to
ending child poverty and improving life chances. Developing a long-term
strategy to tackle decades of inter-generational disadvantage requires
new approaches and depends on everyone working together. They therefore
want to hear from the public, private and voluntary sectors to find the
creative solutions and capitalise on opportunities that can help
communities and individuals ensure their children have the very best
start in life.
The consultation documents can be accessed via the Department for Education website.
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Supporting a Stronger Civil Society
Deadline - Thursday, January 06, 2011
Through this consultation, the Office for Civil Society is looking for your thoughts on its role in ensuring that civil society has the advice, support and influence it needs to help build the Big Society in England. The consultation presents some potential priorities for this.
Responses will also help to develop an Equalities Impact Assessment, to be published with the Government summary and response.
Click here to access the consultation document.
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Modernising Commissioning Green Paper
Deadline - Wednesday, January 05, 2011
The government is seeking views as to how civil society organisations and others can lay a greater role in delivering public services. The paper can be downloaded from the Cabinet Office website.
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Learning Delivery Qualifications Review
Deadline - Tuesday, November 09, 2010
The current teacher, tutor and trainer qualifications for the further
education sector in England were introduced in September 2007. The
further education sector includes people working in further education
colleges, work-based learning and adult and community-based learning.
Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) has been asked by BIS to complete a full review of the
qualifications - looking at the best way to improve them. The review
will include:
- Current generic teaching qualifications, including PTLLS, CTLLS,
DTLLS and their equivalents offered by higher education institutions
- Current subject specific qualifications for teachers of literacy, numeracy and ESOL
- Accredited professional development opportunities beyond initial training
- A proposal to establish a new framework for all qualifications for all learning professionals
HTDC contributed to the first phase of the review online. A second more detailed phase will commence early in 2011.
For further information please visit the
LLUK website.
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Skills for Sustainable Growth
Deadline - Thursday, October 14, 2010
Business Secretary Vince Cable and Skills Minister John Hayes launched the Government's strategy for skills and reform of the further education and skills system on 16th November.
The strategy sets out the Government’s vision for reform of the further education and skills system in order to improve the skills of the workforce, the performance of the economy and engagement in learning.
Full copies of the reports are available on the BIS website.
HTDC's response to the consultation can be downloaded here.
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A Simplified Further Education and Skills Funding System and Methodology
Deadline - Thursday, October 14, 2010
The consultation examines ways in which the funding system and
methodology for post-19 further education and skills can be simplified
to ensure greater transparency for learners and employers and reduce
burdens on Further Education colleges and training organisations aiding
them to deliver high quality further education and skills training.
The government published their response on 18th November 2010.
One of the outcomes of this consultation is that a minimum contract level of £500k will be set for the 2011/2012 academic year with the likelihood that smaller providers are only going to be able to continue via joining consortia led by those who already have larger contracts.
You can access the government's response to the consultation via the BIS website.
Click here to access HTDC's response to the consultation.
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