Policy and Practitioners October 2016 SHANE CHOWEN, HEAD OF POLICY & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Policy and Practice in Further Education What’s going on a the moment? Who are the players that decide what goes on in your colleges, providers, classrooms, workshops, lecture theatres? Influence from the front line

SOME FACTS

Some facts Half of FE learners come from the poorest fifth of the population 41% level 3 FE learners classified as living in an area of educational disadvantage Gaining FE qualifications improves earnings, employment chances and progression: you earn 11% more with a level 2, increased likelihood of employment and reduces likelihood of benefits claim

SOME POLICY

Policy context 16-19 Apprenticeships 19+ Further Education and Skills Employment Support

Policy context 16-19 Apprenticeships 19+ Further Education and Skills Employment Support There’s a new Prime Minister with a new agenda There’s an Autumn Statement on 23 November

16-19 Budget 2016 < 16: All schools will be academies by 2020 and a levy on sugary soft drinks (raising £500m a year from 18/19) to pay for doubling school sport premium, longer schools days and breakfast clubs. Sir Adrian Smith will conduct a review of the study of maths at 16-18 to report in 2016 with view to how all students learn maths up to age 18 A northern powerhouse schools strategy, +£80m in funding from 16/17 to 19/20 Big Issues English and maths: Condition of funding, larger GCSE cohorts

16-19

16-19 Couriers Advice 😬🙈

16-19 Budget 2016 < 16: All schools will be academies by 2020 and a levy on sugary soft drinks (raising £500m a year from 18/19) to pay for doubling school sport premium, longer schools days and breakfast clubs. Sir Adrian Smith will conduct a review of the study of maths at 16-18 to report in 2016 with view to how all students learn maths up to age 18 Big Issues English and maths: Condition of funding, larger GCSE cohorts Careers advice: Poor quality in schools, careers strategy expected ‘Autumn 2016’, Sainsbury Review & Skills Plan: Alignment of fifteen technical routes (one awarding body per route; division of academic/technical at 16, college or employment based tech routes, regulatory role for new IfA, transition year,

Apprenticeships Conservative Party Manifesto Commitment to three million apprenticeship starts by the next election in 2020 Budget 2016 Apprenticeship Levy, a new tax on employers with payrolls of >£3million set at 0.5%, – with 10% top-up on monthly levy contributions from Gov. Expected to raise £2.7 billion from 19,000 employers June – draft funding rates October – confirmed funding rates Big issues Trailblazer groups replacing ‘frameworks’ with Standards (currently about 140 signed off between levels 2 and 6) End Point Assessment - Independent assessors, synoptic. Quality – Everyone is concerned Funding – Fifteen new price groups, 10% cash contribution from all (except smallest) employers Access – People with disabilities and BME people under-represented Levy – employer representative groups calling for delay, AoC and AELP also hinted that it looks unlikely employers will be ready.

19+ further education Budget 2016 Cash protection for the Adult Education Budget (now including Community Learning + Adult Skills Budget) This Budget announces direct government support will be available to adults wishing to study at any qualification level, from basic skills right the way up to PhD. During this parliament, loans will be introduced for level 3 to level 6 training in further education, part-time second degrees in STEM, and postgraduate taught master’s courses. Review gaps in support for lifetime learning, including for flexible and part-time study. Big issues Post 16 Area Reviews: mergers, collaborations. Funding: Loans are beginning to perform slightly better (budget this year is £260 million) Skills gaps and productivity: UK poor at productivity, employers reporting skills gaps, exacerbated by Brexit. Basic skills: Nine million adults basic literacy, numeracy or both, UK 2nd and 3rd lowest in literacy and numeracy (OECD), digital now the third basic skill, but is unfunded.

Employment support Conservative Party Manifesto Achieve full employment (highest employment rate in G7) Halve the disability employment rate gap (1.2 million more disabled people in work) Big Issues Halving the disability employment gap will take 200 years to achieve at current rate of progress (Learning and Work Institute) Green Paper expected ’later this year’

Employment support

Employment support Conservative Party Manifesto Achieve full employment (highest employment rate in G7) Halve the disability employment rate gap (1.2 million more disabled people in work) Big Issues Halving the disability employment gap will take 200 years to achieve at current rate of progress (Learning and Work Institute) Green Paper expected ’later this year’ Work Programme and Work Choice to be replaced by Work and Health Programme, but with 80% less money and a cap. Readiness of sector and JCP for potential rise in unemployment post Brexit (revised forecast +150,000) Uncertainty around programmes funded by ESF Youth Obligation – April 2017 (intensive skills support from day 1, mandatory programme at six months) Universal Credit – In-work conditionality & progression

Devolution Big Issues Greater Manchester Liverpool City Region Nine signed devolution deals with some element of skills devolution. Combined Authorities will control local Adult Education Budget and commission ’outcomes’ from 2018 More devolution deals expected Metro Mayor elections in May 2017 (Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley, West Midlands, West of England Greater Manchester Liverpool City Region Sheffield City Region Tees Valley West Midlands West of England Apprenticeships Grant for Employers Adult Ed Budget Post 16 FE system Adult Education Budget

The Players

The Players Policy Consultation Planning Delivery Assurance Learners and employers and society State Funders Regulators Providers Practitioners Representative Organisations

The Players State

The Players State

The Players

The Players Learners, employers and society Department for Education Funders Regulators Providers Practitioners Representative Organisations

The Players Funders £7.4 billion £3.2 billion

The Players The Minister In his first letter to the sector (Thursday): Recognises ‘good work’ of FE on social mobility Encourages sector to tackle bullying of transgender students Leading further developments from Sainsbury Address issues ‘holding back progress of students in securing the basics’ re GSCE English and maths Encouraged by Area Reviews progress

Employers Learners The Players Funders Full cost| Co-funding | Apprenticeship levy Funders Learners Full cost | Co-funding | Loans

The Players £800 million (ESF)

The Players Learners, employers and society State Funders Regulators Providers Practitioners Representative Organisations

The Players Learners, employers and society State Funders Regulators Providers Practitioners Representative Organisations

The Players Regulators

The Players Regulators Institute for Apprenticeships

Influencing Individual MP – surgery appointments Submit evidence to a HoC Committee Inquiry Collective Institutions Trades Unions Communities Society of Education and Training Learners, employers and society Providers Practitioners Representative Organisations

Responding to Robert The Minister In his first letter to the sector (Thursday): Recognises ‘good work’ of FE on social mobility Encourages sector to tackle bullying of transgender students Leading further developments from Sainsbury Address issues ‘holding back progress of students in securing the basics’ re GSCE English and maths Encouraged by Area Reviews progress The Minister

THANK YOU shane. chowen@learningandwork. org. uk @Lwshane www THANK YOU shane.chowen@learningandwork.org.uk @Lwshane www.learningandwork.org.uk