FE News’ Post

I hope the new government would prioritize how money is invested in tertiary education along with how much amount in invested. We need an integrated approach for resilient Tertiary Education spanning Higher Education (HE), Further Education (FE) and apprenticeships providers. EDSK proposes a roadmap for an integrated and sustainable tertiary system in England. Objectives: coherence, collaboration, equity, and sustainability. Focus on learners’ interests and consider both ways to address the financial inequities and inconsistencies in the system. The regulatory landscape in post-18 education is bewildering. It includes, among others, the Office for Students (OfS) as the regulator of HE, IfATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education); part of the Department for Education (DfE)), the Education and Skills Funding Agency (also part of the DfE), Ofsted and the exam regulator Ofqual. When so many government bodies are operating in the same space, sometimes with overlapping responsibilities, it inevitably detracts from the coherence of the overall system.

“While media coverage of the financial challenges facing universities is understandable, the constant stream of dramatic newspaper headlines has reduced the space for discussion about how to put the whole post-18 (‘tertiary’) education system – including universities, colleges, apprenticeships and independent training providers – on a more sustainable path”. This report outlines how that could be done.

Black Country Chamber of Commerce - Patron News Update The University of Wolverhampton has been allocated £722,578 by the Office for Students (OfS) to support growth of both new and existing degree apprenticeships. The funding will also allow us to collaborate with the Aspire to HE/UniConnect team in working with local communities, schools, colleges and employers to widen participation and increase awareness of the degree apprenticeship route. The OfS will distribute funding for up to two academic years, designed to grow and build capacity and increase equality of opportunity in apprenticeships provision across higher education providers. £40m has been made available through a competitive bidding exercise over the academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25. The aims of the strategy, that all students, from all backgrounds, with the ability and desire to undertake higher education, are supported to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education. Professor Ebrahim Adia, PhD, SFHEA the Vice-Chancellor at the University, said: “The University of Wolverhampton was ranked number 1 in the UK this year in the Daily Mail University Rankings and League Table 2024 for teaching first generation students – those who are the first in their family to go to university. https://lnkd.in/e8vA3y_Y

Absolutely this! The devaluing of the arts, creative subjects, and creativity damages student potential and undermines one of our biggest assets in the UK - our cultural output. Creative subjects improve mental wellbeing, critical thinking, social mobility, inclusivity, and allow for a far more diverse range of teaching and learning that has better benefits for neurodiverse students. Plus the use of creative assessment modes also allows for much deeper learning than the current overly surface level (but cheap) process of examinations. If anything there needs to be a radical shift in education to actively encourage participation in arts based subjects, which would benefit all students, and extend creative practices to subjects typically not seen as 'creative' (STEM). It's a no brainer really.

Couldn't agree with them more. Something unit-based, modular, without 6-mark Krypton Factor questions - or exams! - would be much better. The point of including literacy and numeracy in apprenticeship programmes is to increase their employability and transferable skills - not to be another statistic on the hamster wheel of exams. #functionalskills #maths #apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are often thought of as an alternative to a college degree, instead of a potential means to that degree. Both are possible - and for a peek into the cutting edge of the apprenticeship movement, highly recommend this read from Joe Edelheit Ross, President of Reach University, which is pioneering a new model that blends the traditional apprenticeship with the opportunity to earn an in-demand degree, debt free. While there is still much to do to fully embed this model into our system at scale, it's clear momentum is growing with institutions like Western Governors University fully leaning in. Excited to watch and learn from this space in the months to come. https://lnkd.in/g6PRpYED

Whats the Value of Creativity? The Conservative Party's plan to shut down university courses based on "future earnings potential" is fundamentally flawed. This plan overlooks the intrinsic value of education, particularly in the arts and creative sectors, which contribute £126 billion annually and employ 2.4 million people. By focusing solely on future earnings, the government risks decimating a dynamic, world-leading industry. The announcement doesn't specifically target arts courses, but they are sure to be hit hard by this plan. The real issue isn't the quality of arts degrees; it's the chronic undervaluing and exploitation of creative skills in the UK. Significant cuts to arts education and funding for cultural organisations already make it nearly impossible for graduates to find stable, well-paid employment in the arts. These cuts create a vicious cycle, disproportionately affecting those marginalised by poverty, disability, racism, and other barriers. To see real change, we must value the skills and creativity we rely on. This isn't just the government's fault; it's ingrained in our collective mindset. We need to stop thinking it's acceptable to ask artists to work for free. By fairly compensating creatives, we can ensure that the UK benefits from a vibrant and inclusive arts sector. The government should lead—not by cutting access to quality arts education but by championing the value of creatives and rewarding them appropriately. ... well thats my two cents.

Three things really hit me in this article…. ONE. People want to better themselves but higher ed is expensive. “More than 40M U.S. learners have started college but never finished. Nearly two-thirds of those learners would complete their degree but can’t afford to. Student debt now sits at almost $2T. Americans arelosing faith in higher education.” TWO. Industry is looking to higher ed to help solve the workforce shortage through curriculum and short-term training. “For two consecutive years, economic and workforce development has been the No. 1 policy priority for state higher ed leaders.” THREE. Students aren’t just looking for an education they are looking for training to make them the next best candidate for a company. “Nearly two-thirds of high school graduates not (yet) attending college are interested in apprenticeship-like pathways.” So how do we achieve this…APPRENTICESHIPS! Apprenticeships provide students to obtain a degree at little to no cost, provides a solution to the workforce needs, and gives the students hands on training. Maybe The Workplace is the New College Campus….

We are very proud to be leading two OfS (Wave 3) Degree Apprenticeship Funding Competition projects to meet the needs of public sector employers. We think the establishment of the Healthcare Education Consortium working with six University Alliance partners has the potential to be truly transformational. While, we think the long overdue development of the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship can be part of the solution to the Teacher crisis. https://lnkd.in/ecd_qJfV

As a learning coach working with apprentices who feel they struggle to pass their maths, I found this a very interesting read with some valid points. Early years educators need to have the ability to work out childcare ratios and potentially explain complex funding rules to parents, however do struggle with the longer scenario based questions with irrelevant information. Luckily we have a range of resources that currently support learners, including 1:1 support from a dedicated functional skills tutor, but agree that this important issue needs to be reviewed. #everylearnermatters #functionalskills #earlyyears #lifetimetraining