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"SHRM issued a letter of support May 16 on behalf of California legislation that would promote youth apprenticeship programs in the state’s high schools, effective the 2026-27 school year. SB 480 would authorize a youth apprenticeship program at three geographically diverse pilot sites to serve as an alternative to the state requirement that students complete a course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or career and technical education. The legislation was introduced by Democratic state Sen. Anthony Portantino, chair of the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee. Other states, such as Georgia, have apprenticeship programs for high school students. Indiana is developing a statewide program modeled on Switzerland’s apprenticeship system. “Traditional four-year degrees remain valuable, but there is a growing demand for alternative pathways,” Emily M. Dickens and Michael S. Kalt said in the letter to Portantino. Dickens is SHRM’s chief of staff, head of government affairs, and corporate secretary. Kalt is SHRM’s government affairs director for the California State Council of SHRM (CalSHRM). “Workforce development programs like the one envisioned in SB 480 are essential for fostering skills development in employees and expanding talent pools for employers,” they noted in the letter. The two-year program would equip students with essential skills directly aligned with current industry demands......." READ MORE, click below: https://lnkd.in/gkiPX2WV

Labour's vision for a "Golden Age of Lifelong Learning" promises exciting opportunities for professionals and businesses alike. Stephen Morgan Labour candidate for Portsmouth South, recently outlined plans to transform the UK's approach to skills development and education. Key highlights of this initiative include: Transforming the Apprenticeships Levy into a Growth and Skills Levy, offering businesses more flexibility in investing in training courses. Creating opportunities for adults to upskill with short, modular courses in new industries and technologies. Addressing the decline in adult participation in education, training, and skills programs, which has fallen by over 350,000 since 2017. What are your thoughts? Do you have training courses that would benefit from easy recongition? How do you see lifelong learning shaping the future of work? https://lnkd.in/eQX3-PJx This is not a promo post, I'm genuinely interested, answers, links, suggestions, even controversial views, please comment.

There could be a skills/ industry shortage element added to the funding bands, for those areas with high,medium or low skill shortages or future predicted skill shortages. Lower funding or no funding for courses where there is no skill shortages or predicted shortages. If not the bands could just be funded higher for apprenticeships with industry skills shortages or future shortages. And promoted more effectively by Industry Training Boards.

Today's King's Speech (17 July 2024) sets out the new Government's legislative programme, which will include: 🔹 English Devolution Bill - to give local leaders greater powers over the levers of local growth, including enhanced powers over skills and employment support, enabling them to create jobs and improve living standards, with an accompanying duty to produce Local Growth Plans. 🔹 Skills England Bill (with a commitment to reform the Apprenticeship Levy) - The Bill will transfer functions from the IfATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education) to Skills England, which will sit at the heart of the skills system in England, and will: 🔸 Support economic growth by bringing greater coherence to the assessment of skills needs and the training landscape; ensuring training programmes are well designed and delivered to meet these needs; and that regional and national skills systems are providing the skilled workforce needed to enable businesses to thrive and to contribute to the Industrial Strategy needed for growth. 🔸 Convene employers, unions, education and training providers, and experts within national government to: ○ Develop a single picture of national and local skills needs. Skills England will work with industry, the Migration Advisory Committee, unions and the Industrial Strategy Council to build and maintain a comprehensive assessment of current and future skills needs. This will also inform the Department for Education’s policy priorities. ○ Identify the training for which the Growth and Skills Levy will be accessible - this includes consulting on (and maintaining a list of) levy-eligible training to ensure value for money, and that the mix of government-funded training available to learners and employers aligns with skills needs. ○ Ensure that the national and regional skills systems are meeting skills needs and are aligned, including using local and regional vacancy data as part of a robust evidence base. Skills England will convene Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and other key stakeholders to identify system issues and provide advice to Government, leading to a more coherent system. 🔸 To deliver this role, it is expected that Skills England will need to take on several of the functions the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. The full King's Speech is here - https://lnkd.in/euazKwc8 The supporting explanatory notes are here - https://lnkd.in/eVbkHseg Initial analysis from FE Week is here - https://lnkd.in/g3CjqRXw #newgovernment #legislativeprogramme #apprenticeshiplevy #IfATE #earnandlearn #workplacelearning #skillsengland

In the King’s Speech, Government has announced its plans for a Skills England Bill to ensure the country has the highly trained workforce it needs. 👷🔨🧱 The Bill aims to… 🔹 Transfer functions from Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to Skills England. 🔹 Support economic growth by greater coherence to the assessment of skills needs and training landscape. 🔹 Ensure training programmes are well designed and delivered to meet business needs. 🔹 Ensure regional and national skills systems are providing the skilled workforce needed. Measures include 👇 1️⃣ Developing a single picture of current and future skills needs at a national and local level with industry, the Migration Advisory Committee, unions and the Industrial Strategy Council. 2️⃣ Identifying training eligible for the Growth and Skills Levy. 3️⃣ Using local and regional vacancy data to ensure systems are meeting skills needs. 4️⃣ Engaging with MCAs and other key stakeholders to identify skills system issues to develop a more coherent system. For more detail on Planning and Infrastructure Bill and other policies announced, read our member briefing. 👉 https://lnkd.in/ecMCG4B3

Latest from FE News: The New Government’s Growth and Skills Levy – What Should It Look Like?: The Institute of Directors (IoD) Education Group recently hosted a webinar to discuss the new Labour government’s skills policy, including their new plans for the… The New Government’s Growth and Skills Levy – What Should It Look Like? was published on FE News by First Intuition #SkillsandApprenticeshipsNewsandInsights Read more here:

Members of the BTA's affiliates attended the Alberta Legislative Assembly's vote on Bill 207: The Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Amendment Act. The bill aimed to provide a framework to instate compulsory trades and provide funding for union apprenticeship training centres. Compulsory trades ensure that skilled labour is done by certified skilled trades workers. This would protect the value of the skilled trades, allowing Alberta to maintain the most skilled workforce in North America. This is how we guarantee the Alberta Advantage in our industry and ensure that projects are built to last. The BTA has been engaging with the Government of Alberta to ensure that the apprenticeship training facilities of our affiliated union locals receive the support they to train apprentices. These centres offer high-standard, industry-informed training for apprentices from their first year until they pass their red seal. We have had many productive conversations with the Alberta Government and look forward to continuing to work with them on this opportunity. The BTA thanks MLA Rhiannon Hoyle for bringing these issues forward in the Legislature. We also thank the members of both parties who contributed to the debate and stakeholder engagement on this legislation. The final vote count for the bill was 20 in favour, 43 against. You can read about the bill here: https://lnkd.in/dfDSe57z We will continue to work with all parties in Alberta on issues like these that matter to our members. #buildingtradesofalberta #skilledtrades #ableg

A key reform to post-16 education and skills by the new Labour Government will be the creation of Skills England. Join Campaign for Learning and panel members to discuss what the options may be for the structure, role and responsibilities of this new organisation in terms of 16-18 education, adult education, higher education and apprenticeships. Critical issues to discuss will be which parts of the £35bn post-16 sector will be covered by Skills England, and the extent to which Skills England will shape Level 4-8 funding as well as Level 3 and below funding. Panel members are: • Simon Ashworth, Deputy CEO, AELP • Stephen Evans, Chief Executive, Learning and Work Institute • Jane Gratton, Deputy Director, Public Policy • David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges • Alistair Jarvis, Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of London • Susan Pember, Policy Director, HOLEX Facilitator: Mark Corney, Senior Policy Adviser, Campaign for Learning. Book now 👇 Shaping Skills England Policy panel 9 September 2024 I 11am - 12.30pm By Zoom: register here: https://lnkd.in/eFAKaz_u

Here's an article from our Senior Policy Adviser, Nick Tyrone, on what each of the major party manifestos have to say about jobs, training and apprenticeships - a detailed account of what Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems and Reform have to offer on the Jobs Foundation's issues: https://lnkd.in/g9t-HyES

I may be biased but I think this pathway into the environmental health profession or broader local government space is a great programme for all involved. Apprentices, trainees and cadets can be an investment for the business and part of the knowledge retention strategy. We are enticed by employment, tertiary level qualifications, professional mentoring, and hopefully a related passion, while the industry is delivered technically qualified and experienced professionals, who know whether they can and importantly want to do this job. I also modestly think the surrounding qualified professionals are benefitted as the studying employees of all types provide a unique opportunity to be mentored. By teaching your skills and knowledge to another person you are revising and reinforcing your own knowledge, as well as being slightly challenged to consider your understandings, and help guide another person to come to a similar place. I’m sure most people reading this know I ask a lot of questions, and I go down rabbit holes of research before putting my name to any work, standard template or otherwise. By doing this I ensure I have grasped the full extent of the determination, I pick up on areas for improvement, and I reinforce clear understandings of the various functions and pieces of legislation we are delegated. It’s a mutualistic relationship, and I strongly encourage all council staff to rally for onboarding of apprentices, trainees and cadets in the teams.