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Sunday, 6 February 2011
City employers offered Apprenticeship Week drop-in sessions
Employers in the City will get the chance to learn more about Apprenticeships and the benefits they can bring businesses during a series of drop-in information sessions to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week.
The National Skills Academy for Financial Skills (NSAFS) is running the sessions, between 7 and 11 February in London, to outline the benefits of Apprenticeships, such as higher productivity, improved quality of work and staff retention.
NSAFS chief executive Sylvia Perrins said: "We are continuing to focus on encouraging financial services employers to increase the number of Apprenticeship placements offered and claim funding to run the schemes.
"Apprenticeships are a great solution for our industry's needs; they are recognised as high-quality programmes that deliver excellent results for both apprentices and their employers."
NSAFS exists to support emerging and existing talent in the financial services sector, and to ensure that the industry is productive and efficient to compete in global markets.
According to NSAFS, in the majority of sectors, employers who invest in Apprenticeships recover their investment in an average of two or three years.
During the drop-in sessions, skills academy advisors will be on hand to discuss how Apprenticeship schemes work in the financial services industry.
Those advising will include Karen Davies, NSAFS' head of quality and development and regional director Therese Reinheimer-Jones.
The drop-in sessions will run from 12pm until 2pm at NSAFS offices (2 Finch Lane, London, EC3V 3NA).
STORY PUBLISHED AT WWW.FENEWS.CO.UK
Construction firms to cut training by nearly a fifth this year
The survey found that 18% of construction employers are planning to scale back their training provision in the coming year, with businesses in the West Midlands, the North West and Scotland being worst hit.
The Employer Attitudes and Motivations to Learning and Training survey also found that 26% of construction businesses in the UK reduced their training activity in 2010.
The study - which was published by SSC CITB-ConstructionSkills - asked more than 1500 construction employers how the current economic climate has impacted on their training provision over the last year.
Job-specific training was hardest hit by the employer cut backs, with 16% of all employers reducing their provision.
Health and Safety was also affected, with 8% of employers reducing their training support. Management and supervisory training also suffered with a 2% reduction.
Mark Farrar, CITB-ConstructionSkills' chief executive, said: "As a cost cutting measure in times of economic hardship, training budgets are sadly often the first to suffer. Although recognition of the importance of staff skills is high, the research shows that training levels could fall further still.
"For these reasons, CITB-ConstructionSkills will be doing all it can to help and support construction employers in continuing to up-skill and train their workforce – ensuring that they have right skills, in the right place and at the right time."
However, despite the planned reduction in training, the findings also suggest that employers do still recognise that training is crucial to post-recession recovery – with 24% of employers believing that improving staff skills is ever more important in the current economic climate.
The research has also shown that 10% of companies actively increase training support in 2010 – with 41% making the decision in order to increase the skills level of their staff.
STORY PUBLISHED AT WWW.FENEWS.CO.UK
NAS launches 2011 Apprenticeship Awards
The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) launched the 2011 Apprenticeship Awards yesterday to recognise the achievements of apprentices and their employers across England.
The Awards ceremony will be held in London on 29 June and will cover eight categories.
John Hayes, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, said: "I have put Apprenticeships at the heart of our skills strategy because they encourage ambition and enterprise, and help drive economic and social progress.
"These awards offer a great platform for young people and employers to gain recognition not just for excelling in their chosen field, but for playing a leading part in that vital process."
Apprentices will be recognised in four categories. Those nominated will compete to be named Young Apprentice of the Year, Apprentice of the Year, Advanced Apprentice of the Year and Higher Apprentice of the Year.
Holly Manley, a retail management apprentice, was crowned National Apprentice of Year at last year's ceremony, and has since been promoted from supervisor to store manager at Superdrug.
"Winning the 'National Apprentice of the Year 2010' was absolutely amazing and has opened up a lot of doors for me," said Ms Manley.
"It's amazing to be selected from all the apprentices nationwide – and such a boost to know that all your hard work is being recognised."
Employers will also be heralded alongside apprentices in four categories: Small Employer of the Year (1-24 employees), Medium Employer of the Year (25-249), Large Employer of the Year (250–4,999) and Macro Employer of the Year (5000+).
As well as the category winner, the best 24 employers in each category will be published in the Top 100 Apprenticeship employers list by the NAS, in partnership with City & Guilds.
NAS chief executive Simon Waugh said: "The Apprenticeship Awards recognize the achievements of individuals engaged in training and the organisations that invest in them.
"Apprentices provide a real boost to Britain's economy, helping businesses secure a supply of people with the skills and qualities often not available on the external job market. They bring fresh ideas and innovation to organisations and help to increase staff retention."
The Apprenticeship Awards launch comes just a few weeks before Apprenticeship Week.
The national celebration, which will take place 7-11 February, aims to highlight the talents and skills of apprentices, and celebrate the importance of Apprenticeships to the economy.
STORY PUBLISHED AT WWW.FENEWS.CO.UK
Scotland's Colleges appoint new CEO
John Henderson, incoming chief executive of representative body Scotland's Colleges, has expressed his delight at being appointed to the role following its extensive restructuring.
Currently deputy director of the Scotland Office, Mr Henderson will be responsible for improving Scotland's Colleges' effectiveness as the sector support, policy and training agency for the college sector in Scotland.
"There is no doubt that the college sector in Scotland has a vital role to play in helping ensure that Scotland has a well-trained, well-educated workforce with the appropriate skills necessary, which are vital to our economic recovery," he said.
Scotland's Colleges was created from the merger of the Association of Scotland's Colleges, the Scottish Further Education Unit, Scotland's Colleges International and COLEG (College Open Learning Exchange Group).
It exists to support, represent and develop the Scottish college sector, whilst providing leadership, guidance, training and policy to achieve sustainable change in the sector.
Mr Henderson added: "There are many challenges – particularly reducing budgets at a time of unprecedented demand for college places and the whole future of higher education funding where over 20 per cent of HE is delivered by colleges.
"However, I know I am joining an experienced team and I very much look forward to getting out and about in visiting colleges and meeting colleagues throughout Scotland."
Mr Henderson has worked across the FE sector, including his role within the Scottish Education Department as the head of the Further Education Funding Unit, and as head of team for Vocational Education in Scotland.
Brian Keegan, chairman of Scotland's Colleges, said: "We had an excellent response to the job advertisement with several candidates of a very high standard. However, the panel was unanimous in its selection of John Henderson as the outstanding candidate.
Mr Keegan continued: "We are confident, given the financial and political challenges the sector is currently facing, that John is the right man for the job. John's extensive experience as a senior civil servant, as well as his previous roles within the Scottish Education Department, make him, not only a CEO for this organisation, but one for this sector and for the future."
He will take up his new position from 21 March, replacing outgoing CEO Ray Harris following the restructuring.
STORY PUBLISHED AT WWW.FENEWS.CO.UK
Educators must develop activities that require 21st Century skills, says Microsoft
More educators need to develop learning activities that require 21st Century skills, according the results of a new survey.
Innovative Teaching and Learning (ITL) Research – which was sponsored by Microsoft's Partners in Learning programme – found that although the skills that students need for modern work and life are found in schools, students are rarely able to take these them on board in practice.
Anthony Salcito, vice-president of worldwide education at Microsoft, said: "Education policy-makers and school leaders have long voiced a commitment to transforming education so that students get the skills they need.
"The problem is that the policy is not being put into reality on the ground. Most educators don't know how to implement these ideas with their students."
The Microsoft Partners in Learning programme is a $500 million commitment by Microsoft to help transform education systems around the world.
The research is part of an international attempt to assess innovative teaching practices such as student driven learning, extending learning outside the classroom, and the use of ICT in education.
The pilot year of the study was conducted in coordination with the governments of Finland, Indonesia, Russia and Senegal, with data collected from 25 schools and 600 teachers in each chosen country.
The success of the pilot scheme has prompted the governments of Australia, England, Mexico and the United States to join the research project.
Dr Mary Langworthy, director of the ITL Research, hopes the findings will help policy makers better understand the relationship between classroom practices and the intentions of the policies that are created.
She said: "When schools and educational systems begin to clearly define, measure and recognise innovative teaching practices, educators see an alignment between the rhetoric of change and the reality of teaching and learning."
In order to help educators develop these definitions and better practices, Microsoft has introduced a new free tool - the Partners in Learning School Research – which will allow education systems to conduct their own research based on the study.
STORY PUBLISHED AT WWW.FENEWS.CO.UK
Nearly half of WBL professionals are over-qualified, finds survey
Almost half of all work-based learning (WBL) sector professionals are over-qualified for their current job, according a survey by recruitment specialists GPRS Recruitment.
The second annual Salary & Benefits Survey, to be published tomorrow, reveals 43% of WBL sector workers were found to be over-qualified for their jobs.
"By no means is this all bad news, as many [employees] are conscious of this, and indeed are comfortable being over-qualified," said Ruth Whitehouse, a market sector specialist at the group.
"This can often be a 'win-win' situation, as those businesses with foresight are striking deals with their employees to nurture their less experienced and mature contemporaries."
Although it could appear as though businesses are taking advantage of the current difficult job market, Ms Whitehouse believes the results show the value employers see in employing those comfortable in a role they have a lot of experience in.
She adds: "Would you really mind being under-employed on paper, yet benefitting financially from the knowledge and experience you can pass-on to others? This after all sits well with the very nature of training professionals. Smart employers have been quick to work this out and seize the opportunity."
GPRS, a specialist in permanent staffing for the WBL, Welfare to Work, and Entry 2 Employment sectors, surveyed 6,452 sector professionals between August and October this year.
The survey was originally pioneered by GPRS as a benchmarking exercise for clients that were experiencing difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff.
It also reveals 83% of the sector professionals surveyed do not receive a long service bonus; and 86% believe that some form of profit sharing would considerably increase dedication to their employer.
Some 74% agree that there will be an increase in demand for Welfare to Work and E2E specialists within the next year.
STORY PUBLISHED AT WWW.FENEWS.CO.UK
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