FE News: #FutureofEducation News Channel

In October 2023, FE News held its first-ever event - The FE Collective!The FE Collective is a flipped conference where the audience works together to share ideas, visions and solutions, and develop a joint plan to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the FE and Skills sector.All of which contributed to a revolutionary collaborative report. In this stream, we will discuss this epic report and even bring in some of our speakers from the day to get their views and opinions!Read the FE Collective Report here:https://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-voices/trust-us-to-shape-fe-and-skills-for-future-urge-sector-leaders-in-new-fe-collective-report/

In today's series finale, Gavin O'Meara (CEO, FE News and FE Careers) and Suzanne Slater (Director of Operations for Apprenticeships, NCFE) co-host a discussion that looks towards the future of apprenticeships and focuses on collaboration as the key to unlocking their continued success.

In today's episode, Gavin O'Meara (CEO, FE News) and Sacha Finkle (Head of EPA, NCFE) co-host a discussion looking at all things end-point assessment (EPA), in our special EPA spotlight episode. Our hosts are joined by two expert speakers in Jacqui Mokenthin, consultant and researcher, and Chris Cherry, lead on end-point assessment at the Skills Development Network, to discuss the topic.

https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/51849556/download.mp3

In this week's show, co-hosts Gavin O'Meara (CEO, FE News) and Michael Lemin (Head of Policy, NCFE) are joined by guests Aidan Relf (Skills Consultant) and Becci Newton (Director of Public Policy Research, Institute for Employment Studies) to discuss the impact of the cost of living crisis on the future of apprenticeships.

In this week's episode, Gavin O'Meara (FE News) and co-host Suzanne Slater (Director of Operations for Apprenticeships at NCFE) highlight the topic of apprenticeships and SMEs to examine their current relationship and the obstacles that are being faced. They are joined by two expert speakers in Anthony Impey (Chief Executive at Be the Business) and Anna Ambrose (Director of the London Progression Collaboration).

In our first episode of season 3, host Gavin O'Meara and co-host Suzanne Slater (Director of Operations for Apprenticeships at NCFE) are joined by guest speakers Lucy Hunte (National Programme Manager for Apprenticeships, NHS) and John-Joe Tams (Accreditation Apprentice at NCFE) to explore an important question – are apprenticeships still working for 16-19 year olds?

Sustainability, green skills and preparing for a green revolution

Anti-racist Board and Executive Search Recruitment Practices

Spotlight on early years and childcare

The first in this series, this podcast outlines Top 10 Tips and ideas for managing that precious commodity, time, as well as you can.

Emerging technologies are transforming the possibilities for delivering really engaging digital learning. With a focus on users, we have the hardware and software to make new experiences accessible at an increasingly low cost. At the same time, smart artificial intelligence can remove some of the routine tasks from managing the learning process, allowing teachers and trainers more time to use their expertise to support learners directly.The new tech available in XR (augmented or virtual reality) gives learners the chance to immerse themselves in the learning task, developing muscle memory as well as gaining knowledge. It can be deployed where it is too risky, too expensive or simply too complicated to gain access to real workplaces to give learners an idea of what the experience is like in real life.Ufi projects have tackled the challenge of implementing VR/AR solutions in a number of projects, in sectors as diverse as construction, manufacturing, first-responder training, empathy and soft skills development and river pilot training. Bodyswaps is developing a Virtual Reality (VR) learning platform and content library offered as a service to businesses that uses VR and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide soft skills training similar in performance to expert coaching and role-playing, but close to the cost and scalability of eLearning. Many sectors are going through significant transformation through automation and digital innovation, not least those which have traditionally been labour intensive such as retail or transport. In this new realm, companies increasingly depend on employees' soft skills to add operational value. Therefore, rapidly developing the soft skills of the workforces is critical. Virtual and augmented reality has very high potential to enable access to soft skills training at scale. The Bodyswaps platform empowers learners to safely practice their skills and measure their progress through a library of VR role-play simulations. The company's most recent innovation is a job interview simulator, focused on improving university students' career chances. With Bodyswaps, organisations of all sizes can boost and scale their training programmes with affordable learning experiences far more effectively than with traditional online exercises or even facilitated role-playing. Ufi invested in Bodyswaps in September 2020 alongside Haatch Ventures and a group of private investors. This investment fits with our focus on investing to help people learn the essential skills needed for work, now and in the future – including interpersonal skills Other projects Ufi have funded in this space include Bridgewater and Taunton College's ‘PRACTICE', Contented Brothers ‘The Difficult Conversation Trainer', First Step Trust's project ‘Smart Pathways', NIACRO's ‘SITE IT', BTLK's ‘Tripping the Thames', TalkOutVR's COPS, LIVES Covid-response project – also supported by TalkOutVR. And in AR, National Composite Centre's ‘LayupRite'.In the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence, Ufi projects have addressed the challenges of student advice and induction, assessment and personalised learning.Taking English and maths GCSE resits after a less-than successful experience in school is hard – both for the learner and the teacher trying to motivate and support them. FE Colleges were looking for a better way to help learners succeed. CENTURY is the tried and tested intelligent intervention tool that combines artificial intelligence with the latest research in learning science and neuroscience. It creates constantly adapting, personalised pathways for every student and powerful intervention data for teachers.Over the past year, CENTURY has been piloting the use of their AI platform to demonstrate its potential to support learning in FE. Their focus is on the impact of AI technology in English and Maths as part of an independent or blended learning strategy for learners who are undertaking resits in these subjects.Their intelligent intervention tool works with Colleges to stretch and support every student, instantly addressing gaps in knowledge, remedying misconceptions, and providing resources for teacher-led learning sessions. This, in turn, frees up the time teachers spend on marking and feedback to make effective use of classroom time. Other Ufi funded projects involving AI solutions are Bolton College's ‘ADA' and ‘FirstPass', and AI-assisted decision making in FLUENCE.These technologies are enabling innovators to not only redefine what is possible but also to build more inclusive and learner-centered models of delivery.Scanning the horizon, we anticipate metaverse technology will support entirely new approaches to learn, collaborate and demonstrate skills. Blockchain and micro credential technologies will provide new tools for learners to evidence their competencies. We also expect a seismic shift in modes of assessment where AI technologies make high stake examinations redundant.Over the last 18 months, we have witnessed an unprecedented acceleration in the adoption of digital technology to support learning. The challenge now is to maintain this pace whilst ensuring that no one is left behind.

Future of Assessment: what innovations can we expect to see?Hosted by Gavin O'Meara and Dean Blewitt (Learning Innovation Manager, NCFE), we invited Peter Twining (University of Newcastle – Australia) to discuss what assessment innovation means in practice and what the future holds, as we find new ways of working that meets the changing needs of learners and educators across the globe today. NCFE is focused on exploring the future of assessment to ensure that learners have access to the world-class products and services that help them to fulfil their potential, not just in terms of academic attainment or employment outcomes, but also their wellbeing, mental health and happiness. So, what are the key ingredients that are required to create a system that is truly transformational? To support with this, NCFE recently launched £1 million worth of funding to support centres, employers, awarding organisations and other stakeholders in piloting new and innovative approaches to assessment. Phase one of this Innovation Fund is now complete and this show shines a spotlight on some of the fantastic new and interesting ideas that came out of this, and how we will pilot these new approaches to test their validity. From virtual reality to digital badges, what innovations can we expect to see as learning expands far beyond the classroom?

By the *Black Further Education Leadership Group (BFELG): #AntiRacismInAction: Leadership and the Leader's Voice with Larissa Kennedy, National President, NUS UK; Nazir Afzal OBE Chair, Hopwood Hall College; Robin Landman OBE, Co-founder and BFELG Director; The Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MP, Secretary of State for Education.The 9th and final episode of Season 1 BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction - Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain aired today, November 29. The first episode aired on Monday 4 October and has been followed by a fantastic feast of 30 minute weekly broadcasts on seven consecutive Mondays. Each Episode had a different focus, showcasing Anti-racism in action and exploring how diverse groups in the education sector and beyond can get involved.With each Livestream introduced by a public figure and influencer sharing what #AntiRacismInAction means to them, the Season has taken us on a rich journey across the UK. Guests have included influencers, provocateurs and a diverse range of stakeholders from the world of education and the communities it serves. There were quite stunning examples of ‘thought leadership into action', collaborative leadership and place-based leadership creating opportunities to tackle, with determination, institutional, regional and national challenges in the area of racism.Today's Episode focused on Leadership and the Leader's Voice, a fantastic opportunity to bring together four highly influential and powerful voices in the persons of Larissa Kennedy, Nazir Afzal OBE, Robin Landman OBE, and the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Nadhim` Zahawi, MP. The Episode was co-produced by BFELG and FE News, co-anchored by Gavin O'Meara (CEO and Head of Digital, FE News), and Stella Mbubaegbu CBE, Co-founder and BFELG Director.

Hosted by Gavin O'Meara and Dean Blewitt (Learning Innovation Manager, NCFE), we invited Peter Twining (University of Newcastle – Australia) to discuss what assessment innovation means in practice and what the future holds, as we find new ways of working that meets the changing needs of learners and educators across the globe today. NCFE is focused on exploring the future of assessment to ensure that learners have access to the world-class products and services that help them to fulfil their potential, not just in terms of academic attainment or employment outcomes, but also their wellbeing, mental health and happiness. other stakeholders in piloting new and innovative approaches to assessment. Phase one of this Innovation Fund is now complete and this show shines a spotlight on some of the fantastic new and interesting ideas that came out of this, and how we will pilot these new approaches to test their validity. From virtual reality to digital badges, what innovations can we expect to see as learning expands far beyond the classroom?

One of the underlying questions in Ufi's work on the VocTech Challenge work over 2021 has been “how can digital technology help ensure equity of opportunity to develop skills for work?”. This episode reflected on how this question has been addressed during the wide diversity of sessions during #Week of VocTech. The episode also includes the announcement the organisations being offered funding as part of the Ufi's VocTech Challenge; £1.5m to help level up learning for those most impacted by the digital divide.Co-anchor Louise Rowland was joined for the Livestream by Ufi Trustee Jeff Greenidge, Director For Diversity at The Education and Training Foundation & The Association of Colleges, and Ufi team members Josh Smith and Mahreen Ferdous, to look back on the events of the week.Louise Rowland announces more than £1.5m in grant funding for 14 projects that use tech to help adults impacted by the digital divide, so they can gain the confidence to get the skills they need for work.The #WeekofVocTech is a free programme of online events exploring the role of digital technology in vocational training and to celebrate its impact on learners, employers, training providers and society as a whole.This highly interactive week united trainers, learning providers, developers, investors, funders and policymakers over five days of networking, interactive sessions and celebration of ‘what works' in financing, developing, and deploying VocTech.

In this week's Future of Assessment series, Gavin O'Meara is joined by NCFE's Barbara Archer (T Levels Partnership Manager) in discussion with Janet King (NCFE Sector Manager for Education and Childcare) and Kim Smith from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The show focuses on the challenges and opportunities that come with the work placement element of a learning programme, with a particular spotlight on T Levels and Early Years. We are all aware of the disruption caused by the global pandemic across the whole sector– and students' ability to access industry placements and gain that vital hands-on experience was one of the most impacted areas. Gavin and Barbara explore how links have been facilitated between education and industry in relation to T Levels, what collaboration we have seen, and how to increase employer understanding of these flagship new qualifications. The show also looks at the challenges that early years providers and employers have faced and how they have overcome these barriers to ensure learners could progress in their chosen field.

#AntiRacismInAction: Scotland with Dr Nighet Riaz, EDI Policy Officer, University of Glasgow, Jim Metcalfe, Chief Executive, College Development Network and Audrey Cumberford MBE FRSE, Principal and CEO, Edinburgh College.Episode 8 of 9 BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction – Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain, aired today, November 22.Focusing on Scotland, today's episode is the fifth within the Livestream series to explore place-based, system leadership of #AntiRacismInAction. It is also the penultimate episode in this Livestream series. 4% of Scotland's population is classified as non-white ethnic minority – Asian, African, Caribbean or Black, Mixed or Other. The Race Equality Framework for Scotland states that the Scottish Government is determined to show leadership in not only advancing race equality, tackling racism and addressing the barriers that prevent people from minority ethnic communities from realising their potential but also to use its influence to ensure that this is embraced across Scotland. The Introduction to the Framework document paints the all too familiar picture that ‘ 50 years on from the introduction of the Race Relations Action 1965 (the first legislation to address racial inequality in the UK) significant inequalities remain in many areas of life for minority ethnic people. Too many minority ethnic individuals and groups face poorer outcomes than average; including lower employment rates, a higher risk of poverty, under-representation in public life and with racism being a lived and daily experience for too many people. While Scotland has a strong legal framework and innovative public services, too often these services are not treating everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve. No one in Scotland should experience disadvantage due to structural racism or discrimination on the grounds of nationality, ethnicity or national origin. All must be able to achieve equal outcomes in every area of social, economic, civic and political life.'The document sets out how the Government aims to progress this ambition over a 15 year period from 2016 to 2030 through six themed Visions. The first of these is the overarching ambition for race equality in Scotland to be achieved by 2030. The other themes cover outcomes related to community cohesion and safety; participation and representation, education and lifelong learning, employability, employment and income and health and home.As anchor institutions in their communities, Scotland's colleges and universities have the potential to make a strong contribution to the country's overarching ambition for race equality by 2030.In her welcome and introduction to the Episode, Dr Nighet Riaz, EDI Policy Officer, University of Glasgow outlined what #AntiRacismInAction means to her: building relationships, making space for our voices to be listened to by the decision makers and our institutions; recognising that there is a collective drive from activists and educators to pursue change, not only by highlighting the gap but also showing feasible attainable strategies and actions that are needed for that change to happen.And today's Episode, brought together two highly influential leaders in the Scottish educational landscape who are personally and professionally committed to #AntiRacismInAction – Jim Metcalfe and Audrey Cumberford OBE FRSE. Jim Metcalfe is the Chief Executive of the College Development Network (CDN), the national agency in Scotland that supports skills and sector development across colleges and vocational learning. CDN's mission is to support the college and skills system in enhancing success for students, their wider communities, and regional economies by supporting the learning workforce to develop excellent digital skills; promoting leadership development; developing collaborative research and enquiry programmes; and leading and growing the college Climate Emergency Expert Group.During the livestream discussion, Jim affirmed CDN's commitment to raising awareness of the issue of racism on college campuses, and working to create the conditions for confident conversations around this. He highlighted CDN's contribution earlier this year to the creation of a suite of resources to help tackle racism on college and university campuses. A steering group of experts from colleges and universities in Scotland oversaw the development of the resources, which drew on the expertise and lived experience of a diverse range of staff and students working and studying across Scotland's colleges and universities. The resources include a race literacy glossary, utilisation guides, diagnostic tools, templates, blogs and webinars discussing race, racism and whiteness.CDN is currently involved in two working groups as part of the same project which looks at tackling the under-representation of ethnic diversity in the college and university workplace and the development of an anti-racist curriculum.Jim also discussed CDN's collaboration with BFELG in the areas of…..Audrey Cumberford is the Principal and CEO of Edinburgh College. The College has four main campuses across the city and Lothians, 30,000 students and around 1400 staff. Around 3.4% of Edinburgh College's staff have declared being from a *Black background; this figure has more than doubled since 2017, when it sat at 1.5% of staff, but is still not fully representative of the local population (8.2%). The College is ambitious for itself, its students, communities and region, and its role in addressing racial inequality and building on its wider equalities plans. This ambition is palpable. In 2021, Edinburgh was one of the first Scottish colleges to publish its ethnicity pay gap figures. Analysis of the data showed an ethnicity pay gap of 11.3% – 1% above the Scottish average of 10.3%.On leadership and culture, Audrey spoke about how Anti-racism must permeate through the whole college and how as Principal she ensures and creates the right and best environment for impactful change. She highlighted the creation of the College's Anti-Racist Unity Group, a staff network open to everyone who wants to be part of the conversation around anti-racism, conversations being a key part in changing mindsets and changing culture. She acknowledged that this is a small step with much more to do and believes in collective responsibility, and challenge, to embed meaningful and impactful change throughout the College The College is also developing plans to survey staff on the topic of racially and religiously motivated harassment and discrimination to confront the reality of racism on campus and create a benchmark. In addition, the College is one of 44 Scottish colleges and universities that have signed up to the ‘Tackling racism on campus' project's declaration to stand united against racism. Managers across the College have recently taken a 4-part ‘Let's Talk About Race' training course through the Scottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators (SAMEE). However, Audrey acknowledged that in many ways the College is at the beginning of a journey, with exciting opportunities ahead whilst recognising a number of challenges. BFELG is absolutely delighted that Edinburgh College, the largest college in Scotland, has become a BFELG Affiliated Organisation. Responding to Robin Landman's warm welcome, Audrey said that the College sees affiliation with the BFELG as a very real opportunity to evaluate the journey so far, support us through that journey and to help us ‘step up' our efforts by developing a planned, strategic approach. The College has strong foundations on which to build; the commitment and will to make a difference; and is confident that the BFELG 10-point Toolkit provides the framework, the scaffolding around which to build a clear and deliverable strategic ambition and priorities to tackle race inequalities. As the first Scottish College to partner with the BFELG, Audrey added that the College is also committed to playing it part to promote a team Scotland approach across the college sector. Being Scotland's Capital College and the largest in Scotland, comes with a significant responsibility in serving the people and communities in the region. The College delivers over 10% of the activity of the whole college sector in Scotland and so its reach is significant and represents a very real opportunity to effect change, changing mindsets and practices – not only within the organisation but with wider stakeholders.Speaking about the wider sector and wider landscape both Jim and Audrey shared their thoughts on how Edinburgh College and CDN can help support a sector wide commitment to Anti-racism. The also outlined the characteristics of the Scottish landscape that make it easier to achieve collective responsibility and approach.Watch the Livestream to hear Jim Metcalfe and Audrey Cumberford talk about their individual dream scenarios for Anti-racism.The Episode was co-produced by BFELG and FE News, co-anchored by Gavin O'Meara (CEO and Head of Digital, FE News), and Robin Landman OBE, BFELG Director.Tune in on Monday 29 November at 9.30am for Episode 9, the season finale of Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain: #AntiRacismInAction.*'Black' is used as an inclusive definition to refer to people from ethnically diverse backgrounds who share a lived experience of the effects of racism.

#AntiRacismInAction: Liverpool City Region with Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor, Liverpool City Region, Elaine Bowker, Principal and Group CEO, the City of Liverpool College, and Lorna Rogers, Assistant Director, Mayoral Programmes, Liverpool City Region Combined AuthorityEpisode 7 of 9 BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction – Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain, aired today, November 15.Focusing on the Liverpool City Region, today's episode is the fourth within the Livestream series to explore place-based, system leadership of #AntiRacismInAction.The Liverpool City Region is a combined authority region of England, centred on Liverpool, incorporating the local authority district boroughs of Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, and located in the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. The region's economic development is also supported by the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), a private sector-led board comprising political and business leaders from around the city region.The region is home to 1.6 million residents including the oldest African heritage community in the UK, the oldest Chinese community in all of Europe, large Indian, Latin American, Malaysian, African-Caribbean, Ghanaian, Somali and Yemeni populations each with at least several thousand people.In his welcome and introduction to the Episode, Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said that the region had been known for centuries for its welcoming nature which had created a diverse and celebrated community. He spoke candidly about the rightness of the city's apology for its history in the slave trade and also spoke optimistically about the future: what is needed now, is to build a fairer, more socially just society for all.Today's Episode, brought together as our Guests, two inspirational women, Lorna Rogers and Elaine Bowker, to share their insights into the practicalities, challenges and opportunities of system and place-based leadership of Anti-racism. Of particular interest is their collaborative work.Born and raised in Liverpool, Lorna Rogers is currently Assistant Director of Mayoral Programmes at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. She has over 20 years public sector programme and project management experience of working locally and nationally. She returned to the region to work for the Combined Authority (CA) as she wanted to make a contribution and difference in her home region.In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder in the US, Lorna asked to take a lead role in her organisation to take action on Race Equality and is working collaboratively with other institutions to make a change. The CA has developed and published a Race Equality Programme with a vision that will ‘tackle systemic injustice and inequality and drive forward positive change for our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic employees and residents – influencing the partners we work with to do the same.' The Programme has three areas of work: CA as Employer, CA as Commissioner and CA as Facilitator.Discussing the Race Equality Programme, Lorna gave examples of the 2025 achievement targets set out in the Declaration of Intent, the support received for the Programme and the hoped for achievements through the race equality hub.Elaine Bowker is Principal and Group Chief Executive of the City of Liverpool College which as an anchor institution within the city, has a key role in supporting the City Region to ‘build back better'. The College is in the top 10 per cent of colleges in the UK. It is a leader in providing high quality skills and education, delivering opportunities for growth to people and businesses in the Liverpool City Region and beyond. The College has a student population of more than 10,000, with more than a third of 16-18-year olds in the city studying with the College. The College has affiliated with the BFELG. Affiliation provides access to a framework of support and services for deep cultural change – #AntiRacismInAction, using the BFELG 10 Point Plan Diagnostic Toolkit as a departure point.Elaine is also a member of the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Council (LEP) and is its EDI Champion. She is an early signatory to the BFELG Open letter as well as an ally. During the livestream episode, Elaine spoke about the learning and challenges of the College's journey so far in becoming an anti-racist organisation, and the power of doing so as part of a place-based leadership network of committed and local leaders including Lorna Rogers.Elaine also her role discussed her role as EDI Champion for the LEP, setting up the Race Equality Business Support Group (a sub-group of the LEP) with support from Lorna, and the aim of diversification of Boards across the Region.Guests talked about the unique opportunities and challenges faced by the City Region in respect of ethnic diversity, and the success factors in seeking to address these; their respective organisational responses to ethnic diversity, and the steps being taken to move forward on this agenda. They also touched on their roles as ‘custodians' of the future legacy for their communities.Watch the Livestream to hear Laura Rogers and Elaine Bowker talk about their respective drivers for #AntiRacismInAction, their tips for other leaders and key players to accelerate progress towards reflecting their communities and their individual dream scenarios for Anti-racism.The Episode was co-produced by BFELG and FE News, co-anchored by Gavin O'Meara (CEO and Head of Digital, FE News), and Amarjit Basi, BFELG Director.Tune in on Monday 22 November at 9.30am for another place-based Episode – #AntiRacismInAction: Scotland.* 'Black' is used as an inclusive definition to refer to people from ethnically diverse backgrounds who share a lived experience of the effects of racism.

Ufi's VocTech Challenge White Paper identified one of the key potential barriers for vocational learners as access to learning across wide geographical areas, and in particular how practical skills can be developed when workshop or classroom demonstrations are not possible.The needs of rural communities can be very different from the challenges in urban areas, and different approaches are requird to get learning to where it is needed and recognise the different mindset of learners outside of urban centres.A number of past Ufi projects have addressed these issues in a variety of ways, using entirely remote and hybrid approaches to serve their target communities of learners.From our VocTech Now portfolio of projects, PHX Training supported learners across a very wide geography in Cumbria, LIVEs created amazing new content for first responders across Lincolnshire and CTC (Care Training Consortium) delivering across rural Dumfries and Galloway made sure that their long experience of delivering in this sector could continue during lockdown using new technologies.From our Seed projects, Ambios (another Ufi project on the Learning Technology Awards shortlist) have developed an innovative nature conservation vocational skills training package, delivered remotely into a learner's own environment.Through the loan of wildlife survey equipment, supported by access to enriched online training materials and live training broadcasts, learners can take the time needed to gain competence in specialist professional skills. Those might involve safely catching and monitoring specific species or tracking wildlife in its natural habitat.Myserscough College was one of our early pioneers in 2016. Their project involved the production of interactive instructional videos for the land-based sector, predominantly geared at level two golf greenkeeping learners, accessed on smartphones and tablets. The College went on to incorporate what they had learned into a wider programme of blended learning content development.The two guests on this episode have current Ufi projects supporting this sector.As a College in a rural area, Boston have first-hand experience that working at different levels across remote rural communities is challenging for employers, learners and trainers in terms of time and cost. The team used the Discovery Phase to explore with learners and employers the challenges they have in accessing classroom-based learning in order to understand better what VocTech solutions might help to solve those problems. In response, they are developing a learning programme that not only tackles contextualized learning for the Agri-Tech sector but delivers personalised learning pathways that adapt to the individual's needs as they progress through the course. The VocTech supported learning programme will encourage users to progress onto Level 3 Leadership and Management qualifications, enabling learners to develop in their careers and local SMEs to be supported in their growth. All of this in an accessible fashion to meet the challenges of time and distance. The College as a whole has benefitted from involvement in the project, taking time to look in detail at their experience with blended learning and how that can be expanded, with the potential for the roll-out of more VocTech solutions into other areas of their work.Understanding of technical content is far more effective when presented and taught within a real-life or simulated vocational environment or setting. Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College in our Seed 19 cohort plans to create, develop, deploy, test and share new Mixed Reality (MR) learning resources that overlay virtual objects onto the real-world environment, in a unique approach to the delivery of animal care & welfare education and training within a rural context. This enables the learner to both see and experience issues around animal care. The mobile nature of the headsets and the ability of the holographic horse (the pilot animal) to be placed in any working space goes well beyond current teaching methods used in college at present. The solution will use mobile digital technologies to operate effectively in a rural work and training environment. Combining these with the creation of small and highly practical MR objects for learning and assessment takes vocational training to a new level. Hologram imagery is impressive when viewed from the HoloLens headset. The Mixed Reality Animal Care learning object experience is designed to be compelling and any representations in videos or images cannot faithfully reproduce or replicate the excellent headset experience.Ufi's experience with all these projects shows that there is a real need for innovative solutions to enable those most excluded from vocational training because of where they live to have better chances to develop their skills and their careers. Across all four nations of the UK, from the Highlands and Islands to the tip of the West Country, through rural Wales and across Northern Ireland, we encourage Colleges and other training organisations to engage with our funding opportunities and bring their unique perspectives on learner needs to our communities of practice.

Dream in Green – putting climate change at the heart of education With the COP26 summit dominating the news agenda, in this week's Future of Assessment series, Gavin O'Meara is joined by NCFE's David Jones in a timely discussion with Beth Chaudhary from IfATE and Charlotte Bonner from ETF to look at green skills needs for both now and in the future. We know that achieving Net Zero by 2050 will require seismic changes from all sides, and that the role of education is fundamental in getting us there. It's a huge and daunting task. We need to entirely rethink the way that we work, which is why acting swiftly to embed climate change at the heart of education worldwide is of the utmost importance.This show explored the DfE response to COP26 and what more is needed, clarity on green skills and how we work together to deliver them, as well as looking ahead and dreaming big.How can we weave sustainability through all sectors and all levels of education?How can we equip, empower and support young people to make a difference?And what does this mean for the future of assessment?

#ResearchFurther: Speaking exclusively to FE News at #AoCConf2021, @Jansev Jamal explained that @NCFE and @AoC_info have formed a research partnership initiative to fund up to ten FE scholars to do either an MPhil or a PHD to help increase the knowledge base in the FE Sector:

FE News #OnLocation #AoCConf21 - Day 2Gavin speaks to Nadhim Zahawi

#AntiRacismInAction - West Midlands - Episode 6

In this episode, the latest in the series, host Gavin O'Meara invited David Gallagher (Chief Executive, NCFE) to catch up about NCFE's refreshed vision and how this links to the future of assessment.The discussion comes a few weeks after NCFE launched their new brand and David and Gavin explore NCFE's ambitious plans for change, including the innovations we can make in the world of assessment to optimise the end-to-end learner experience.NCFE recently relaunched as an educational charity and leader in vocational and technical learning, and this refreshed approach focuses on outcomes that place inclusivity and fair access at the heart of learning.By going beyond the remit of a traditional awarding organisation, the organisation is aiming to ensure learners are given the opportunity, means and motivation to make the best possible ongoing choices about their futures.

#AntiRacismInAction: West Yorkshire with West Yorkshire with Robin Landman OBE, Chris Webb and Palvinder Singh Episode 5 of 9 BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction - Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain, aired today, November 1.The Episode was co-produced by BFELG and FE News and co-anchored by Gavin O'Meara (CEO and Head of Digital, FE News), and Amarjit Basi, BFELG Director and introduced by Robin Landman OBE – one of the founding Directors of the BFELG.Robin spoke succinctly about how, for him, #AntiRacismInAction means taking personal action - the time for policies and procedures is over and all individuals must now look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves what they can do to make a difference.Focusing on West Yorkshire, today's episode is the second within the Livestream series to explore place-based, system leadership of #AntiRacismInAction. It follows Episode 4 #AntiRacismInAction: Wales.Episode 5 is of particular interest because barely a year ago, in November 2020, the Independent Commission on the College of the Future, a UK-wide, four nations process, published The English College of the Future: A nations specific final Report. Of particular interest in the summary of recommendations are: Colleges as anchor institutions within the wider local and regional ecosystem; Skills guarantee for a post-COVID economy and future labour market changes; Diverse and representative systems leaders; A new strategic partnership with employers (an example was given – Creating the workforce of the future: a new collaborative approach for the NHS and colleges in England).Furthermore, Implementation of the FE White Paper: ‘Skills for Jobs' (published in early 2022), places an emphasis on upskilling people through lifelong learning, addressing barriers to help people to fulfil their potential and undertaking local labour market assessments (LSIPs), to support local growth and prosperity.And, West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Economic Recovery Plan, post Covid, has set two goals: inclusive growth and sustainable environment. The key inclusive growth success measures are: “increasing the numbers of people in good quality work, numbers of innovations for social good, diversity of entrepreneurs, wellbeing metrics, digital inclusion.”- all residents and communities have the skills required to be able to take up high quality employment - or start in enterprise - is central to an inclusive economic recovery- wellbeing – by first and foremost acting to reduce inequalities, is at the centre of our economic recovery plan- good work through more inclusive employment environments and interventions, and equal access to job opportunities, and- access to digital connectivity for home working, and public transport networks for helping the unemployed access the labour market and providing all communities with access to services.”So how are The English College of the Future recommendations playing out in West Yorkshire, in the context of the implementation of the FE White Paper ‘Skills for Jobs' , West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Economic Recovery Plan and the imperative - Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain? Is there an ambition to Make the most of an Ethnically Diverse West Yorkshire considering that the region's population will grow substantially over the coming two decades and is set to become significantly more ethnically diverse by 2061?Today's Guests, Chris Webb, Principal/Chief Executive Bradford College, and Palvinder Singh, Principal/Chief Executive, Kirklees College were well placed to share their insights into the practicalities, challenges and opportunities of system and place-based leadership of Anti-racism in West Yorkshire. Both CEOs were early signatories to the BFELG ‘Open letter'.West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in England consisting of five metropolitan boroughs (City of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, City of Leeds and City of Wakefield). Under devolution, these local authorities have pooled some of their resources and functions, working together as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. According to the UK Office for National Statistics, the 2020 population estimate of the region is 2,345, 235 (81.8% White). The largest *Black heritage group is Asian. The proportion of Asian owned businesses in West Yorkshire is 11% and Bradford comprises one of the UK's biggest *Black working age populations (38%).However, *Black groups are under-represented in the workforce - local government, NHS and FE, especially in management and leadership roles.Co-anchors and Guests - Chris Webb and Palvinder Singh, discussed the opportunities and challenges for West Yorkshire's FE colleges, as they considered college local leadership roles as anchor institutions post-Covid in terms of their future student base, curricula and interface with their communities, including local employers. All these have been identified as crucial to future relevance, growth and sustainability of colleges. Bradford College is one of the biggest education and training providers in the region, with around 20,000 students studying A Levels, vocational qualifications, community courses, apprenticeships, degrees and masters level qualifications. Bradford College, Shipley College (also in West Yorkshire) and the BFELG have been working on a Local Skills Partnership Research Pilot. Kirklees College serves the local communities and business throughout the Kirklees region and works with over 1000 employers around West Yorkshire. The College is entrenched in the heart of West Yorkshire with two main centres in Dewsbury and Huddersfield and specific learning centres in Engineering and Process Manufacturing, Construction and Animal Care as well as the recently opened Pioneer Higher Skills Centre. Kirklees has affiliated with the BFELG because this provides them access to a framework of support and services for deep cultural change - #AntiRacismInAction, using the BFELG 10 Point Plan Diagnostic Toolkit as a departure point. Guests talked about the unique opportunities and challenges faced by the West Yorkshire in respect of ethnic diversity, and the success factors in seeking to address these; their respective organisational responses to ethnic diversity, and the steps being taken to move forward on this agenda. They also touched on their roles as ‘custodians' of the future legacy for their communities.Guests recognised the imperative of placing ethnic diversity at the heart of their considerations, particularly within LSIPs, in the context of devolution of the adult skills budget to the Combined Authority. The role of employers in recognising and enacting their responsibilities in investing in skills and training, including in developing diverse talent, was also identified as being critical. Palvinder Singh shared his ambition for Anti-racism to be part of Kirklees College's DNA and the interconnectedness of lived experiences. Chris Webb shared particular actions being taken by Bradford College on their Anti-racist journey.Watch the Livestream to hear Chris Webb's and Palvinder Singh's respective drivers for #AntiRacismInAction, their tips for other leaders and key players to accelerate progress towards reflecting their communities. They also shared their individual dream scenarios for Anti-racism.Tune in on Monday 8 November at 9.30am for another place-based Episode - #AntiRacismInAction: West Midlands.* 'Black' is used as an inclusive definition to refer to people from ethnically diverse backgrounds who share a lived experience of the effects of racism.

Reflecting on Party Conferences 2021 – What can we hope for in education?Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, last year's 2020 party conferences took place virtually with members contributing and joining online. Fast forward to 2021, and there was a tangible sense of anticipation at the fact that some party conferences would be taking place face-to-face once again.Here at Edge we've enjoyed a busy conference season, joining the Liberal Democrats online, the Labour Party in Brighton, the Conservatives in Manchester and the Green Party in Birmingham. We learnt so much from the chatter, the networking, the dangerous questions and passionate audience members – all of which would have been impossible to replicate online. Safe to say, we're now glad to be back, and looking forward to reflecting on lessons learnt. We're also unlikely to eat any more sandwiches for the next month, having consumed our fair share at conference…Why conference – what is the point of going?Firstly, given that conference takes a lot of energy, can involve a substantial cost and time away from home, it's important to ask ourselves why we should go, and whether it is a good investment of our time. This is a question we explored last week with colleagues from across our wider education policy network who also attended the conference, and it was fascinating to hear a range of perspectives. Many of us found conference to provide an important opportunity to expand our horizons and join the dots between different areas of education – similar to a ‘reading week' by immersing ourselves in multiple topics including “How do we fund an education recovery plan?” “The reform of assessment” “Bridging the skills gap” and “The future of work” among many others. By doing this, we heard about new pieces of research and became alive to a range of different perspectives – with teachers, students, parents, policy makers asking challenging questions and highlighting their lived experiences. For example, we heard about the difficult mental health challenges that young people have faced this year. We heard from passionate teachers about how much joy their work brings, but how difficult it has become to teach amid increasing timetable pressures and accountability measures. These perspectives and new nuggets of information are important in helping us expand our thought and in bringing better policies to life.Conference also provides an opportunity not only to join the dots within education, but to attend discussions on broader areas – transport, digital skills, the future of AI, and the green economy. After all, many of us often call on our own policy officials within Whitehall to better connect across government departments. So we must ensure that we practice what we preach and conference provided an important opportunity to expand our own thought and connect education to broader areas across our economy and society.Some may also ask “Why bother going to the conferences of parties who are not in power?” For us, it provided a chance to hear important counter arguments and evidence that highlights where current policy is not working. Impartiality, honesty and integrity are important qualities for all policy makers – so we must continue to hold government to account, stay alert to diverse perspectives, and ensure that sensible policy proposals continue to serve the needs of its stakeholders.After the past year of lockdowns and online events, this year's conference provided a particularly welcome opportunity to network in person, and to finally put a real face to the zoom name. Not only this, but MPs and their teams were visible and approachable, which provided a welcome chance to directly interact and share ideas.Some reflections on the main themes and shared messagesEducation at the core of a prosperous economy and societyThis year it was clear that education was at the core of all of the parties' vision for a better economy and society.At the Liberal Democrats conference, Ed Davey spoke passionately about the Liberal Democrats previously being the party of education, and their strong desire to be the party of education once again. Indeed, education was set out as one of their core pillars, alongside supporting small businesses and caring for our loved ones. At the Labour conference, education and the reduction of child poverty came hand-in-hand. Education also featured heavily in Keir Starmer's speech where he highlighted “if you can't level up our children, you're not serious about levelling up at all”. He also highlighted the importance of a “curriculum for tomorrow” and the importance of work experience, careers advice and mental health support across schools.At the Conservative conference, the headline message from Boris Johnson's conference speech was “skills, skills, skills” with a clear focus on skills at the core of the Conservatives' agenda for levelling up and addressing the impact of Covid-19. At the Greens conference, although in the process of updating their key policy recommendations for education, the party's key philosophy of lifelong learning was highlighted, where no one should be left behind. There was an understanding that the current curriculum and assessment system is too narrow and sets a third of young people up to fail. Instead, compassion and inclusiveness are crucial across the board. A holistic education that nurtures curiosity and creativity is needed and for this more financial investment is key. Importance of skills and lifelong learningIndeed, it was good to see the importance of skills and lifelong learning emerge as another clear priority.For the Liberal Democrats, policy motions called for every adult to have the chance to access education and training opportunities throughout their lives by introducing Skills Wallets. There was also an emphasis on local skills gaps to explore how different parts of the country can cluster expertise and build networks. At the Labour conference, Starmer highlighted the importance of digital and creative skills that are in low supply, and the importance of rounded learners, who can emerge from school “ready for work, and ready for life”.At the Conservative conference, ministers highlighted that we are on the “cusp of a skills revolution”, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak highlighting his ambition for “good work, better skills and higher wages”.At the Green conference, the party stressed the importance of subjects such as the arts and music, which should complement a STEM education rather than replace it. After all the creative sectors is one of our country's greatest exports, as well as being hugely beneficial for individuals.Given the changing nature of work and increasing megatrends such as automation, the move towards net zero and the implications of Brexit and Covid-19, the world of work will continue to change and initiatives to support skills and lifelong learning will be needed more than ever before. Here at Edge, we will continue to push hard for this through our Skills Shortages bulletins.Reform of AssessmentWe were also surprised by the strength of debate around assessment reform, and the opportunity to reform assessment alongside curriculum and pedagogy. This is something we are particularly passionate about at Edge, alongside a number of other organisations including Rethinking Assessment, the New Era for Assessment, NCFE, the National Baccalaureate Trust. Appetite for reform is clearly growing, and we must seize this momentum for change. The use of narrativeWe also saw discussions explore the use of narrative in the sector. For many, phrases such as a ‘broken' education system, reference to “snowflakes”, the “lockdown” generation or “low skills” suggest negative connotations, and many agreed on the importance of using more thoughtful language, to highlight the excellence work taking place across the sector. We also saw the re-emergence of terms such as “vocational” a term that hasn't been popular for a while now – and it is good to see vocational skills re-emerging as part of the broader skills debate.There was also a broad desire for us to now use bolder, more urgent messaging around education. Many agreed that education is often seen as the “political football” that is often politicised or tossed about – but we can no longer afford to do this.Importance of evidenceDiscussions also highlighted the importance of research and evidence in guiding sensible policy decisions in education. Indeed, this was referenced multiple times by the new Secretary of State for Education, Nadhim Zahawi who said “I promise you that I will be led by evidence in the decisions that I take. We will relentlessly focus on what works.” We hope that this offers the sector an opportunity to work with policy makers on sensible policy proposals, based on rigorous research and data.

Ufi has funded a number of very exciting Health and Social Care projects over the last five years. Learners in this sector very often fit within our definition of ‘unloved' as they do an amazing job, often on low pay and with little chance to access continuing professional development. But there are some fantastic providers across FE Colleges and private training providers, innovating to make real change in the sector. The diversity of ideas and responses to the challenges within the sector are a very positive sign that there are alternative approaches using VocTech that can be used to tackle some long-standing challenges in the sector.Pandemic ResponseDuring our VocTech Now pandemic response, Ufi funded several organisations to transform their delivery so that front-line workers could continue to access the training they needed to be competent and safe in the workplace and to deliver the all-important care services in those difficult times of early lockdown. St Monica Trust, CTC (who ended up collaborating with one of our early projects in this sector, CuppaCare), Acorn Training, 3 Spirit (who have gone on to an Ignite project to explore AI in care), Acorn Training and Action for People all took the challenge of integrating VocTech into their practice so that learners could engage remotely in skills development. Responses included the creation of new resources that could meet both learner needs in being accessible for those with limited language skills, but still meeting the requirements of the accrediting body, right through to the kitting out of professional recording studios for the long-term creation of engaging learning content, demonstrating practical skills in a safe environment. There was a strong focus on allowing the seasoned professionals offering the training an effective way to deliver both skills and know-how using technologies that they were unfamiliar with. The learning curve was steep for both trainers and learners in many cases. Several of our Seed and Impact projects have also tackled aspects of vocational training in this sector. The Spotless project by Solutions 42 uses scenario-based learning, contextualized to the learner's environment, to help learners really understand compliance issues in care homes and hospital settings. AgyliaCare offers bite-sized training and an extensive catalogue of training, using AI to personalize the delivery of the content, for paid and unpaid carers.What's the challenge?The big issues in this sector are around creating bridges and ladders so that people can join and progress within the care professions from diverse backgrounds. This can mean improving entry routes into the labour market for young people, ensuring the existing workforce has the skills businesses and the NHS need to deliver high quality care, supporting individuals to progress in their professional practice, and deploying those skills in a way that drives productivity and growth. In an industry where profit and operating margins are often very low, the challenge is to support training that goes beyond basic compliance and ‘box ticking' to something that really engages learners and offers a valuable learning experience at a time place that they are able to access the content.Demonstrator ProjectsThe two projects joining Hilary Stringer for this livestream are Passport to Employment in Health Care from City of Glasgow College/KLIK2LEARN, which provides innovative training for non-native English speaking healthcare professionals, and Future Dom Care (now called e-care) from Barking and Dagenham College where learners are empowered to gain new skills in their profession rather than having to leave the frontline of care to progress in their careers - previously featured on FE News in this article.As of March 2020 there was an estimated 43,000 shortfall in nurses across the UK. Some of these positions could be filled by qualified professional from overseas or qualified immigrant healthcare professionals living in the UK. The aim of this City of Glasgow digital vocational training course is to provide non-native English speaking healthcare professionals with engaging, flexible and high-quality training which will enable them to obtain the language and skills needed to pass the mandatory Occupational English Test (OET) and start employment within the health service. The solution will enable them to improve their spoken and listening skills in authentic scenarios in real time. This project will give learners the option to study online, using an innovative tools and software, to create a user journey which focuses on communication skills and maps to the learning outcomes required to pass the OET. Building on the Ufi supported KLIK2LEARN platform, learners can study at their own pace, either using the tools and technology to guide them on the learning pathway or via a Tutor Supported option which will offer a blended approach.Over the last twenty years, recipients of social care have become older and sicker. Homecare agencies and care homes are dealing with tougher, more complex challenges. At times, society has looked the other way. But something more positive has also happened. Digital innovation has seen diagnostic tools become smaller, cheaper and easier to use. The e-Care project from Barking & Dagenham College and Care City aims to give domiciliary carers some of the latest digital technology to spot ill-health quicker, so they can call the right clinician at the right time with the right information. e-Care are building a mobile learning platform to help carers – many of whom lack the time and resources to go to college for long periods – to learn about physiology, the latest care tech and about working with District Nurses and GPs.KLIK2LEARN's Ann Attridge and Jeanette Griffin from Barking and Dagenham will join us live to share more of their experiences.

Hosted by Gavin O'Meara and Leo Webster (Assessment Product Manager, NCFE), we invited Jack Edwards (Academy Director, Swift) and Mike Blakely (Exeter College) to discuss how we can best connect the learner journey– supporting individuals from the start of their apprenticeship right through to completion.The discussion looked at the importance of setting people up for success in terms of initial assessments to diagnose prior learning / strengths and weaknesses – and how we can use this information to build personalised learning plans and put positive steps in place throughout an apprenticeship programme.This development also comprises mental fitness, meta skills, and maths / English, to help learners have a truly transformational learning experience; completing their apprenticeships as well-rounded, highly skilled, qualified employees.The discussion also explored end-point assessments and how best to support and prepare learners for this milestone, looking at the challenges that emerged during the pandemic, the way the sector adapted, and what the future might look like.

#AntiRacismInAction: Wales Episode 4

Ufi VocTech Trust launched their VocTech Challenge White Paper in April, at the EdTech Summit, with a £2m commitment for grant funding, best practice sharing and sector partnerships to unlock the potential of digital technology to help those most impacted by the digital divide to get the skills they need for work. The initial “discovery phase” Challenge question to the FE community was “How can VocTech improve vocational outcomes for people most impacted by the digital divide and at greatest risk from the long-term impact of the pandemic on access to training and jobs? How do we then link those vocational skills to real employment opportunities?” A set of assumptions was published about the wider landscape Ufi had seen through their work during the pandemic and the desk research that they had undertaken. But the most important thing was to talk to people about their own lived experiences. Ufi undertook three months of consultations with learners, employers, and education providers of all kinds, to try to uncover what the big issues were for them. Participants were asked, what, in their direct experience, were the underlying needs of learners and employers? How can VocTech help with these needs? How can VocTech improve vocational outcomes / the working lives of those who need it most? And what could Ufi, either alone or with partners, do to reduce the digital divide? At the end of the process, a Green Paper was published focusing on the key findings: There was a lack of access to both devices and bandwidth and alongside that, learning design was not tailored to the devices that people were able to access content on Learners most at risk of digital exclusion have real issues of confidence and motivation which are real barriers to getting started and sticking with their learning Digital skills barriers remain prevalent, but are more complex than might be expected – not all young people are digital natives and not all older people lack digital experience It is particularly difficult to deliver practical skills remotely, and social aspects of learning need to be built into VocTech solutions The VocTech market is still a difficult one to introduce innovations into, and there is a need for champions in the sector to take a risk and adopt new approaches Ufi's mission is around vocational skills, so they were not in a position to address all of these issues. A subsequent White Paper was published with responses to the consultation, including the VocTech Challenge funding call and activities in partnership with other key organisations in the sector to address some of the wider questions. They are now in full flow delivering on the commitments made in the White Paper, but it's important to Ufi to continue to explore the themes that were uncovered, to see what's changing over time, so they are working on a ‘one year on' analysis of what change they have been able to catalyse or support. The VocTech Challenge funding call applications are currently in the process of being assessed to make sure that Ufi funds those that are addressing the issue of confidence and motivation within their target learner group – finding out what really works for those learners most at risk of remaining disadvantaged by the digital divide. Ufi are looking for projects that really engage with users to find out about their underlying needs and they know that these user groups can have complex needs to help them gain the skills they need for work. But the VocTech Challenge is about more than Ufi's grants and learner needs. As part of the Discovery Phase for their Challenge process, Ufi spoke with teachers and educators across the sector to see what issues they were facing. It was clear that problems of confidence and motivation also applied to those supporting learners as they grappled through 2020 to learn new skills and work remotely. Ufi was well placed during the pandemic to fund a number of projects across the FE sector and private training providers to respond to the immediate needs of learners, and educators to keep delivering vocational skills in very difficult circumstances. As things are progressively returning to ‘normal', Ufi is keen to see the VocTech that was adopted really embedded into daily usage, in a blended model or fully remote, depending on circumstances. And to champion what really good VocTech looks like, as an experience for staff and students. Initiatives like AmplifyFE run by the Association for Learning Technology are helping to share that message of ‘what good looks like' and embedding best practice, and the VocTeach team are gathering and developing resources to help take the strain out of finding good online content. In this episode, Hilary Stringer, who co-ordinated the Challenge Discovery Phase will introduce guests Geoff Elliot, who worked at Pembrokeshire College and has led several Ufi funded projects and Peter Kilkoyne who is working with Pembrokeshire's Audactive project – an innovative solution that enables teachers to create learning activities so learners can have a ‘conversation' with coursework and avoid using a keyboard.

Future of Assessment: Adapting assessment – this year and beyondHosted by Gavin O'Meara and Zac Aldridge (Director of Qualifications and Assessments, NCFE), we invited Chris Tubbrit (Product and Content Development Manager, NCFE) and Mike Saunders (Head of Quality Improvement, York College) to discuss how the pandemic changed the way we assess and award qualifications – and what this means for the future. At NCFE, four principles shaped the changes they made to their approach - supporting learning progress, maintaining rigour and robustness, streamlining and supporting centres, and working in partnership for the benefit of learners. After seeing hundreds of thousands of learners succeed in an exceptional year, this show explored what new and innovative methods of assessment emerged as a result of Covid-19.YouTube video playerThe discussion also looked at the challenges and barriers still being faced by learners and institutions (including the well documented impact of learning loss), the successes that we saw, and how we can better collaborate as a sector to drive learner success. Ultimately, the sector (and the world!) was not ready for the seismic change that it experienced - how we can build systematic resilience into the education eco-system so we are future proofed for whatever comes out way?

#AntiRacismInAction: Higher Education with Oliver Young, Charles Egbu and David Mba Episode 3 of 9 BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction - Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain, co-produced by BFELG and FE News, was aired today Monday 18th October.The Episode, #AntiRacismInAction: Higher Education, was special in that it featured Professor Charles Egbu and Professor David Mba, two eminent academicians who are *Black and who are leaders of Higher Education institutions in the UK. Black Vice-Chancellors and Black Deputy Vice-Chancellors are very few and far between in UK Higher Education.Professor Egbu is Vice Chancellor, Leeds Trinity University. Appointed in 2020, he is the first UK university Vice-Chancellor of African heritage. Professor David Mba is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise, University of the Arts (UAL), London.In a sector where 25% of students are from Black communities, sadly, only 2.9% of university Vice-Chancellors/Principals (7 of 238) are Black. This situation is even worse than in Further Education where 8.1% (19 of 234) of college CEOs/Principals and 30% of students are Black. Very few board Chairs are from Black communities in both sectors and hardly will one find a Black leader in the senior hierarchy of regulatory bodies and organisations that provide both sectors with support. Black students are less likely to gain a place in high tariff universities or achieve a first or 2:1 degree. This cannot be right.Introducing the Episode and the Guests, Oliver Young, Chief Diversity Officer, University of Exeter Business School, and a member of the BFELG stated unequivocally: ‘Anti- racism is the only way to cohesively advance our ambitions as a diverse and representative society. Anti-racism is a challenge we all need to take collective responsibility for, and address for our future generations.'Racial inequalities are a significant issue in higher education. This was identified as one of five fundamental guiding principles of Advance HE's Race Equality Charter (REC), formally launched in 2016. The Charter aims to improve the representation, progression and success of Black staff and students withing higher education.In 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Report, ‘Tackling racial harassment: universities challenged' uncovered ‘widespread evidence' of racial harassment on university campuses and in November 2020 Universities UK (UUK) published guidance on tackling racial harassment in higher education. The guidance acknowledges that the higher education sector cannot reach its full potential unless it benefits from the talents of the whole population, and individuals from all ethnic backgrounds can benefit from the opportunities it provides. Importantly, the guidance acknowledges that racial harassment is just one manifestation of structural racism in higher education and points out that a wider programme of culture and policy reform is needed to tackle racism and racial inequalities of all forms.There are currently about 79 institutional REC members, 17 of which are award holders. A recent independent evaluation (March 2021) of the REC identified the need for greater strategic senior manager and institutional buy-in for race equality.Against this background, co-anchors Gavin O'Meara (CEO and Head of Digital, FE News) and Robin Landman OBE, and BFELG Executive Member, were in conversation with the featured Guests, exploring the particular Race Equality opportunities and challenges for the HE sector and their individual organisations and the specific HE system leadership actions necessary to make tangible and rapid progress.David touched on his links with the BFELG and highlighted UAL's Anti-racist Strategy. UAL is a collegiate university, specialising in arts, design, fashion and the performing arts. It is a federation of six arts colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, the London College of Communication, the London College of Fashion, and the Wimbledon College of Arts. UAL is also Europe's largest specialist art and design university and the world's second best university for Art and Design in the QS World University Ranking 2019 .Charles highlighted a specific initiative by Leeds Trinity University to address racial inequalities. The University has recently launched its Strategic Plan 2021-2026 which is built around the four strategic pillars of ‘Education and Experience', People and Sustainability', ‘Research, Impact and Innovation', and Careers and Enterprise' supported by the two key themes of Digital Futures and the Leeds City Region. Promotion of the principles of dignity, respect, social justice, equality, and inclusion to support each and every person in the University community is a stated important part of the Strategic Plan. The University's mission is rooted in its Catholic foundation and Leeds Trinity welcomes students from all backgrounds and beliefs.* 'Black' is used as an inclusive definition to refer to people from ethnically diverse backgrounds who share a lived experience of the effects of racism.

The Cure for Policy Amnesia? Edge's Learning from the Past project aims to do exactly what it says on the tin, learn from past experiences. We often talk about the loss of policy memory or policy amnesia and our project aims to revisit past educational policy initiatives in England that have influenced and driven change across the education system in order to learn from them.We have mainly focused on policy initiatives related to technical and vocational education, and those that have supported disadvantaged groups of young people, such as young people not in education, employment and training.Since February 2021 we have published a series of policy reviews developed by Edge's Emerging Researchers Network members. Each review offers a brief summary to support the understanding of policy context at the time and summarises what went well and what the challenges were. We aim to offer a neutral summary for the reader to draw their own conclusions. We also draw parallels with current policy initiatives where appropriate. The reviews are based on past policy documents, research evaluations and academic articles.So far we have reviewed, for example, Connexions, Entry to Employment, Young Apprenticeships, Technical Vocational Educational Initiatives and Education Business partnerships.Future reviews will include, for example, Train to Gain, the National Scholarship Programme and the Polytechnics.For example, we have reviewed two very topical past initiatives that have direct relevance now;Education Maintenance Allowance. andThe 14-19 DiplomasThe Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) pilots were launched in England in 1999 to raise participation, retention and achievement rates in post-16 education among young people from lower income families. EMAs offer financial incentives, including weekly payments and achievement bonuses, to young people. The pilots were subject to one of the largest evaluations ever commissioned in the UK, and positive impacts were demonstrated. EMAs were subsequently rolled out nationally in 2004 and remained operationalised in England until 2011, when they were replaced by a less generous post-16 bursary programme. EMAs continue to be offered to young people in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.Over a fifty-year period, an array of youth employment initiatives has been introduced across the UK. For example, starting in the 1970s, the Youth Opportunities Programme (YOP) offered six-month work experience placements to the young unemployed. This resembled the current Kickstart scheme, although the latter offers wage incentives rather than a fixed training allowance. By the early 1980s, youth unemployment had escalated to such an extent that YOP was the destination for more than half of all school leavers entering the labour market. In 1983, YOP was replaced by the much larger Youth Training Scheme (YTS), which attracted an enormous £1 billion annual budget, with an emphasis on expanding training opportunities for unemployed 16-18-year-olds. In contrast, the current Kickstart scheme has a total budget of £2 billion to meet the needs of a much wider age cohort, namely unemployed 16-24-year-olds across Great Britain until March 2022.The 14-19 Diplomas were announced in the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper in 2005 but they never reached a full rollout. They were cut in 2010 when the Coalition Government took power. These middle track qualifications which could combine academic and vocational learning enabled learners to continue in further training, further studies as well as to enter employment. Diplomas were initially developed in 14 ‘lines of learning' that were linked to industry sectors. (However, in 2007 the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) announced the development of three additional general education subject Diploma lines in Science, Languages and Humanities.) Employer engagement in the Diploma qualification development was taken to a new level -employers were to contribute to and lead on the content of the new qualifications.The Diplomas were complex composite qualifications that were challenging to understand for the learners, their parents and employers. However, learners were able to complete a number of qualifications as part of their Diploma. Drawing parallels with the T-levels that are currently being developed, there are striking similarities. T-levels broadly cover similar industry sectors. There has been yet again great emphasis on engaging with employers in order to meet industry needs. Considerably greater work-experience is a fundamental part of T-levels – about 45 days in T-levels as opposed to minimum 10 days in Diplomas. T-levels are qualifications that may lead to all further training, further studies as well as to employment. So, what have we learnt from the 14-19 Diplomas?We consider it really important to understand previous policies – how they worked, what went well and what challenges they faced. This is essential to help us to identify the guiding principles, and build on and adapt the best ideas from the past to avoid repeating mistakes.

In episode 2 of the #VocTechFutures livestream, Ufi's Patrick Dunn will be exploring how VocTech is being used to provide accessible, personalised and high-quality learning in the prison sector. As part of the session we will hear from two organisations delivering innovative VocTech solutions: Meganexus, who provide access to education and training technologies and content across the UK prison sector, and who are working with Ufi to bring learning into every prison cell in the country; and Niacro who are using VR to deliver immersive training in construction skills.The discussion will spotlight how VocTech is being used to overcome the challenges of working in the prison environment and share insights into approaches and technologies that might be applied more widely. It will touch on how technology can improve access to learning in prisons, how learning can be better tailored and assessed to individual need using new technology, and how prisons and prisoners can use technology to find employment and career paths.

#FutureOfAssessment - Accessibility and Inclusion livestream Episode 2. This episode was hosted by Gavin O'Meara and Jessica Blakey (Assessment Design Manager, NCFE), we invited Gem Turner (award winning disabled lifestyle blogger) and Dan Howard (Director of Operations and head of EDI group, NCFE) to discuss the importance of accessibility and inclusion in assessment design and practice.

#AntiRacismInAction Episode 2: Employers and Employment with Grace Haynes, Amarjit Dhillon and Robin Ghurbhurun - Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain, was aired today, Monday 11th October and co-produced by BFELG and FE NewsIn a poignant and passionate introduction to the Episode, Grace Haynes, Head of People & Culture, Coventry City Council, said ‘Anti-racism means everything to me'. Juxtaposing racism to Covid 19, she also said that we might have to learn to live with the latter, but we must never accept living with racism. She called for collaborative action to fight to ensure that eradicating racism is at the forefront of everything that we do.The Episode focused on #AntiRacismInAction: Employers and Employment. Co-anchors Gavin O'Meara (CEO and Head of Digital, FE News) and Stella Ngozi Mbubaegbu CBE, BFELG Executive Member, were in conversation with the featured Guests, Amarjit Dhillon, Turning Point's Chief Information Officer also with accountability for Commercial Ventures, and Robin Ghurbhurun, Managing Director, further education and skills at Jisc. Turning Point is a leading social enterprise with over 4,500 staff. It provides health and social care services that help over 100,000 people annually in over 300 locations across England, live they life they want. The organisation's vision is to constantly find ways to support more people to discover new possibilities in their lives. Amarjit Dhillon belongs to a small group of business leaders brought together by Sir Ken Olisa OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London, and Dan Brown, Founder and CEO of Positive Transformation Group. The purpose of the small group is to create cross-industry sector support for the message of Anti- racism in the business community throughout the UK in support of the BFELG's mission, working alongside Education. With a staff of approximately 900, Jisc is the UK higher, further education and skills sectors' not for profit organisation for digital services and solutions. It champions the importance and potential of digital technologies for UK education and research. Its vision is for the UK to be the most digitally-advanced higher education and research nation in the world. Jisc also welcomes customers from local government, public sector, non-profits and industry. Robin Ghurbhurun has been an outstanding supporter and advocate of the BFELG from its inception and Jisc as an organisation is also a strong supporter and ally.Responding to questions, both Guests talked about their personal and respective organisations' response to ethnic diversity, the steps they are taking to move forward on this agenda, their engagement with the BFELG and how the Corporate and Education sectors can work together. There were interesting observations about why given the ‘business case' for ethnic diversity in corporate leadership - referencing the McKinsey Report 2020, Diversity wins: How inclusion matters, there appears to be very little progress in this area in UK plc.Amarjit highlighted the important role of wellbeing practices to address the race agenda and how Turning Point as an employer is applying these practices in the workplace and with their our own apprentices and are working with training providers to support them to apply the same offering to their schemes. Jisc has an interesting approach whereby Diversity & Inclusion and Race Equality are pursued as two separate strands of activity. Robin spoke about challenging staff recruitment, selection and development practice and also shared how the BFELG 10 point plan is being implemented across Jisc.Watch the Livestream for Amarjit Dhillon and Robin Ghurbhurun's suggestions for accelerating ethnic diversity in the workplace and their call to action to Employers!

How can VocTech support skills for work in FE? In this first episode, Sarah Axon, from Ufi VocTech Trust will explore what VocTech is, how it is being used and the impact it is having on learning delivery. Voctech are digital technologies that support vocational training and help improve skills for work. Voctech describes the digital tools which are used to teach vocational skills to adults: skills which will be used by the workforce in the workplace. What's the difference between edtech and voctech? Edtech is a generic term which covers all types of educational technologies used in all sorts of settings - schools, colleges, universities - for all sorts of educational purposes. Voctech is the specific application of edtech in a vocational context. While the basic technologies are the same, when applied in a vocational context for adults existing tools often need adjustment or redesign to ensure they work for adults in a work skills context. Ufi is an independent charity which has been around for c 10 years. We believe in the power of digital technologies to change lives; only through the use of voctech will we be able to scale up and give wide access to skills training and tackle the UK vocational skills shortage. Our aim is to catalyse change across the UK to achieve the change in scale that we need in vocational learning for adults. Grant funding projects which demonstrate how innovation in digital learning has an impact Investing via our Ufi Ventures programme in order to help create a market in voctech Working in partnership with organisations who have influence in the sector Helping to build the voctech community and sharing knowledge We've funded all types of organisations to demonstrate voctech in all types of innovative ways. In FE for example, there is some real innovation. Bracknell College is working with Century Tech to use AI to provide adaptive personalised learning pathways for students. Hereford and Ludlow College used augmented reality for their animal care course. The National College for Nuclear and Bridgewater and Taunton college used VR to create a safe place to practice skills for the nuclear industry. Ufi's VocTech Directory is a great resource for exploring other examples of how VocTech is being used. We understand the barriers to adoption of voctech in colleges. Resources – time and money are a real issue. FE colleges are really stretched. Government spending on FE has dropped by a third since 2010 (Institute for Fiscal Studies) and the budget for entire country is £3.5bn - less than the combined annual operating costs of Oxford and Cambridge universities. But the primary barrier has always been cultural – any change to how learning is delivered requires new skills and approaches, and that's a challenge. The pandemic forced a shift. Necessity became the mother of invention. During the pandemic technology ensured that learning and teaching could still continue. Our VocTech Now funding call provided immediate help to 11 FE colleges to help them make the transition. Some great work and creative problem solving emerged. CPD for staff is an ongoing issue and we are working with ALT to create a network of FE voctech professionals - Amplify FE. The future? AI will undoubtedly help unlock voctech in colleges. When online, AI mediates almost everything – Google, Google Scholar, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, Netflix. And AI will play a great role in learning – which we are beginning to see. AI can create content powerful personalised learning - at scale. Data-driven approaches can also deliver push techniques, such as nudge learning and spaced-practice. If AI is the rocket, data is the fuel. In future episodes the FE livestream will be looking in more detail at practical applications of VocTech and how they can be applied to FE.

Hosted by Gavin O'Meara and Janine Oliver (Head of Assessment Innovation, NCFE), we invited Olly Newton (Exec Director, Edge Foundation) and Isabel Sutcliffe (Independent consultant in Education and Skills) to discuss what assessment innovation means in practice and what the future holds, as we find new ways of working that meets the needs of learners and educators today.NCFE is focused on exploring the future of assessment to ensure that learners have access to the world-class products and services that help them to fulfil their potential, not just in terms of academic attainment or employment outcomes, but also their wellbeing, mental health and happiness. In order to achieve this, we know we need to look at assessment used in a variety of ways and at different stages of the learning journey - from pre-programme diagnostic assessment, formative micro and milestone assessment, through to summative end-point assessment and beyond.

#AntiRacismInAction with Shaid Mahmood, Dr Sam Parrett OBE and Mandeep Gill BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction - Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain, co-produced by BFELG and FE News was launched today, 4th October, with the first of 9 Episodes.The launch episode was introduced by Shaid Mahmood, Chair of the Association of Colleges (AoC) and Chief Officer Transformation and Change, Leeds City Council who spoke powerfully about what #AntiRacismInAction means to him – personal accountability; common purpose; proactive, conscious, determined effort to tackle racism in all its multidimensional forms, and to eradicate it.Co-anchors Gavin O'Meara (CEO and Head of Digital, FE News), and Robin Landman OBE, BFELG Executive Member were in conversation with the featured Guests, Mandeep Gill, Principal and CEO, Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc), and Dr Sam Parrett CBE, Group Principal and CEO of London South East Colleges (LSEC). Both CEOs were early signatories to the BFELG ‘Open letter' and both institutions have affiliated with the BFELG. Board Chairs, Stephen Howlett CBE, DL (LSEC) and Martin Rosner (NewVIc), are strong supporters and allies of the BFELG.In a wide ranging conversation, Guests talked about their engagement with the BFELG, the particular Race Equality opportunities and challenges for the FE sector and their respective organisations, and touched on specific FE system leadership actions necessary to make rapid progress.Mandeep Gill touched on why data no longer matters and honesty does. The never-ending cycle of looking at data, getting shocked into action, the data shifting slightly and people patting themselves on the back for a job-well-done, only to come back to the data (often a few years later), getting shocked… is not having impact.Rather than the data, answer honestly the question: are we absolutely confident that we are treating each other fairly and respectfully? If not, then do something about it. A topic of discussion was LSEC's experience of developing a sustainable and long-term diversity and inclusion strategy which has led to the creation of their ‘Enough is Enough – Tackling Racial Inequality' ten-year grants programme. The idea behind this programme is to enable students and staff to develop their own projects, tackling issues that are important to them. The College Group has committed funding over a 10-year period; sufficient time to bring about real, lasting change.

To mark the launch of Edge's new grant fund – the Edge Innovation Fund – Jane Samuels, Director of Projects and Operations at the Foundation joined Gavin O'Meara to talk all things funding.The Edge Innovation Fund is a new approach to funding for Edge. The fund, which opened on 14th September 2021 will stay open until the end of 2025. There is £300k available for the balance of 2021 and then the fund will be refreshed every 1st January until 2025. The minimum amount available is £20k and the maximum for a one year project is £100k. Projects which run for multiple years (up to a maximum of 3 years) can bid for up to the entire amount in the funding pot.Edge is looking for disruptive innovators with ideas and plans to challenge the current approach to education in the UK. All projects must support Edge's strategic aim for a broad, flexible and engaging curriculum, providing high quality vocational and professional education which is employer and community engaged. More details about the Fund, the criteria and how to apply can be found here.In the first episode of Edgy Thinking, Jane and Gavin discussed the new grant fund and how important it is to provide a source of funding for innovative education. They were joined by two organisations previously funded by Edge. Stefano Pacelli, at Blackburn College talked about their two successful bids, one centred on automotive engineering and one on eco-construction. Stefano stressed the Edge funding had allowed the College to not only develop state of the art facilities but also to provide lecturers the time and resources to develop deep and long-lasting employment engagement. This enables the College to put learners at the heart of relationships with local and national employers and engage with their community,The second guest was Harriet Bird, who is Senior Trusts and Grants Manager at the Barbican Centre. Harriet spoke about Edge's support for their Careers Rewired programme which looked to raise awareness and understanding of careers opportunity within the creative sector. Edge funding allowed the Barbican to develop a new approach to engagement with local schools which brought inner city students to the Barbican Centre for the first time and took creative professionals into the classrooms.Both Stefano and Harriet spoke about the challenges of securing funding and of the impact that the projects had had. Measuring the impact and evaluating the success of grant funded projects is key to Edge, who have recently released an Impact Report on the whole of their Grant Funding programme.