FE News on the go

AI has taken the labour market by storm and with that comes new occupation and skills needs. This article offers some valuable data on skills requested for AI occupations, and guides educators through how they can best prepare their learners to fulfil new AI roles and skills requirements. From automating routine tasks to facilitating complex decision-making processes, the power of AI is unbeatable...

TRUST – ‘Having a firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone’ (Oxford Dictionary).Trust is crucial in building a healthy culture, effective communication, collaboration and commitment. It underpins strong working relationships and greater creativity and innovation, generating solutions that deliver better results. Trust also improves the engagement and wellbeing of staff, leading...

The second article in the series of Being, Belonging and Flourishing as a Further Education (FE) professional, Annie invites you to explore how the FE professional builds connections and creates a sense of belonging within their professional communities. Historically, the professionalisation of the FE workforce has been marked by turbulence. It has transitioned from the requirement for all FE prof...

Does terminology such as ‘welfare to work’ still reflect the values of modern employability services, or is it outdated? Exploring how language moulds perceptions and the evolution of employability services. The term ‘welfare to work’ originated to describe programs aimed at transitioning individuals from government assistance to employment. However, in my opinion, this term has become outdated, p...

With the release of the FE Collective report, Gavin O’Meara CEO of FE News explores how having a re-think on the impact of AI on jobs and skills is not just being re-thought by the FE Sector, but the importance of skills is being reflected on by Prime Ministers to Global tech leaders. Crafting ‘AI for Good,’ re-developing investment in the FE Sector of the future, and restructuring progression rou...

In this article, we delve into the transformative potential of AI-power in education, the impact on exams being one aspect, and explore the implications for the future of education. Only 95% Accurate! During a recent gathering at the FE News Conference in Birmingham, a representative from NCFE unveiled a groundbreaking development in education assessment. We were told that with the advent of Artif...

AI for Good: Joining up the DotsCrafting ‘AI for Good,’ re -developing investment in the FE Sector of the future, and restructuring progression routes. The timing of the FE Collective gives us a unique opportunity. The FE Collective, looking at the impact of AI on skills and the jobs of the future, Investing in the sector of the future and exploring Progression was literally 2.5 weeks before the G...

Closing the skills gap needs a National Skills StrategyFollowing the publication of AELP’s ‘ Skills Means Growth ‘ vision for a sustainable skills system, the organisation is publishing a series of articles expanding on each of the document’s five themes. In this article, AELP Chair, Nichola Hay MBE, outlines why the call for a national skills strategy is so important. In an era characterised by r...

Ofsted's Career Guidance Review: A Missed OpportunityKerry Boffey of FIN argues Ofsted’s CIAG review fell short, for example in addressing the broader context of career guidance for employers and established employees. Ofsted’s recent “independent review of careers guidance in schools and further education and skills providers” was a timely assessment of whether guidance, or Careers Information an...

Being: The Essence of Professional IdentityIn a series of three articles: ‘Being, Belonging, and Flourishing as an FE Professional’ Annie Pendrey delves into the intricate journey of Further Education professionals as they navigate the exploration of their professional identity and professional agency, moving from being, belonging to flourishing as an FE professional. This first article explores h...

VET in FE: Where do we go from here? This article represents the fifth and final one in the ‘VET in FE’ series. It discusses the FE occupational/vocational education appropriate for the 21st century by offering seven pertinent solutions. This article is the fifth and final in the series – VET in FE. The opening publication argued that the proliferation of VET qualifications and the divide-and-rule...

So, how exactly do you become an apprenticeship provider in 2023?There was a degree of fanfare when the ESFA announced its revised APAR for apprenticeship providers earlier this year but has anything really changed. In April 2020 the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP), as it was formerly known, closed its doors to new applicants. The recently announced reboot of the register, re...

The apprenticeship levy debate: Flexibility is essential, but definition is keyIn this piece, Daisy outlines why in recent months there have been increasing calls for flexibility to the levy to better meet employer needs, and seeks to bring clarity to the lack of a clear and shared definition of what flexibility means in this context. The English apprenticeship levy has been a very live discussion...

A Paradigm Shift: Not Fewer Jobs, But Different JobsIn this article, Freya discusses new research from Pearson which predicts that, despite the impact of automation and augmentation on the workforce, there will be more jobs available across England in four years’ time. Economic success hinges on the delicate balance between the skills of the workforce and the needs of employers. In an era where te...

UCAS and Beyond: Embracing Apprenticeships and Lifelong LearningIn this article, Nichola Hay MBE shares her advice to young people about how they should pursue further education and training opportunities throughout their professional lives and how professional apprenticeships have empowered people to upskill themselves into new career paths. September marked the final deadline for most UCAS Under...

How art and cultural education can create fantastic futures for 16-25 year olds with SENDYoung people with SEND face an uncertain future, as they reach adulthood. But studying art, particularly in museums, galleries and other cultural settings, can greatly enhance their engagement with learning, help them gain qualifications and massively boost their life and career prospects. Young people with SE...

How education can help bridge the United Kingdom’s digital skill gapIn this article, Rajesh Gansean discusses the UK’s digital skills gap. How technology has transformed the workplace, and how education and employers can collaborate to build a digitally skilled workforce. Technology has transformed the workplace; almost every company today is tech-powered. New developments in AI, along with increa...

When is a policy not a policy – when elections are comingWhen is a policy not a policy…The last few weeks have seen a lot of policy announcements fuelled by the various party conferences. But how much attention should these announcements really get? In this article Chris delves into some of the inner working behind the run up to a general election and why we should always add a pinch of salt to th...

Shining a spotlight on EDI excellence in practiceIn this blog, Jeff Greenidge highlights the importance of constant evaluation, challenge, and expertise sharing when making lasting change on EDI in FE and shares best practice from three organisations. The inequalities faced by the further education sector are complex and multifaceted, and involve social, economic, historical, and psychological fac...

The Power of Inclusive Leadership: Building Stronger Teams and OrganisationsAnju Virdee, National Head of Leadership Development Design & Development and Jeff Greenidge, Director for Diversity and Governance at The Association of Colleges, talk about inclusive leadership – an approach that values and incorporates diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences – how to achieve it and its imp...

Can Teaching Creativity Through Collaboratives Close the Gap for Tomorrow's Innovators? This is the last in the series of four articles on creativity in education in which we shall look at initiatives to introduce creativity into the curriculum and have a peek at what a creative school might look like, using some real-life examples. CREATIVITY IS REGARDED AS AN ESSENTIAL SKILL ACROSS A WIDE VARIET...

UVAC sets out its consideration of the likely implications should the IFS recommendations be adopted by a future Westminster Government. The IFS fails to avoid the usual ‘pitfall’; of assuming training and skills in England is synonymous with further education and failing to adequately consider the fundamental role that higher education and universities have in provision, including apprenticeships...

Andy Rees explores what sixth forms and colleges can do to construct clear pathways for young people thinking about a career in the creative industries. This year’s A-Level and GCSE statistics highlighted a further decline in young people’s adoption of creative subjects at schools with arts entries at A-level dropping by 29% and arts entries at GCSE declining by 47% since 2010.WHAT DOES THIS MEAN...

Breaking Barriers: Technology’s Role in Making World Class Higher Education Accessible for AllEmerging technologies, such as AI, have the potential to transform the higher education sector – particularly in regards to English Language Testing. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education services has the potential to revolutionise the sector. Educational institutions around the w...

Lara Plaxton is CEO & Co-founder at GotDis, an innovative recruitment and networking platform for emerging talent to connect equitably to established professionals and work opportunities. Currently working with universities having recently released a free psychometric tool for students and graduates to improve their employability. Boundaryless careers have been discussed in academia since at l...