supporting learners news issue 7
DESCRIPTION
This is the seventh in a series of newsletters that has been produced to keep unionlearn staff, unions, project workers, union learning reps (ULRs) and other reps up to speed about: - developments in the area of a publicly funded careers service that will affect existing structures and networks - how unionlearn are responding to the changes to ensure that union learners at all levels receive the best possible information and advice to help them progress in learning and work - other news, developments and resources that will help support members as learners.TRANSCRIPT
This is the seventh in a
series of newsletters that
has been produced to
keep unionlearn staff,
unions, project workers,
union learning reps
(ULRs) and other reps up
to speed about:
developments in the
area of a publicly funded
careers service that will
affect existing structures
and networks
Introduction
24+ Advanced Learning Loans: a new challenge For adults (24+) wanting
to study from September
2013-14 at level 3 (A-
level equivalent) and
level 4, BIS will withdraw
subsidies and replace
them with a loans system
similar to higher
education: subsidies for
level 2 remain in place.
This is probably the most
significant and
challenging
development of the
Government’s ‘New
Challenges New
Chances’ further
education reform
programme for
unionlearn, ULRs and
learners.
Unionlearn has actually
been very successful in
supporting adult
learners in further
education. Between April
2010 and March 2011,
17,701 learners
undertook FE
programmes through
union learning. And
controversially there
could be impacts on
apprenticeships as
adults (24+) who
undertake advanced
apprenticeships will
have to contribute to the
cost of their study: that is
unless the employer
takes on the liability (NB
support for 23 years and
under taking up an
apprenticeship remains
the same). So unionlearn
and trade unions
collectively will be
amongst the first to see
the overall impact of
these changes and face
great challenges.
However, there is some
emerging evidence that
it isn’t all bad news. BIS
market research
suggests that if FE loans
are explained properly
(i.e. you don’t pay
anything up front and if
you’re not earning over
£21k, you don’t pay
anything back) they
shouldn’t necessarily be
a deterrent going
forward. Original
concerns regarding
women and ethnic
minorities being the
most likely to be ‘put off’
were not supported by
the research. The
research did however
identify that the over 40
age group is more ‘risk
averse’ and more likely
to be deterred from
learning at this level.
The experience and
evidence of ULRs will be
crucial in assessing the
impact of loans and
unionlearn will have a
research programme to
capture this. Unionlearn
will need to make sure
that ULRs have the right
information and support
to advise learners when
the loans are introduced
and developing
strategies to mitigate
against potential
reductions in learners.
This will be the subject
of much greater
consultation and
discussion with ULRs
over the next year.
Watch this space!
ISSUE 7, JUNE 2012 SUPPORTING LEARNERS NEWS
SUPPORTING LEARNERS NEWS
Inside this issue:
how unionlearn are
responding to the
changes to ensure that
union learners at all
levels receive the best
possible information and
advice to help them
progress in learning and
work
other news,
developments and
resources that will help
support members as
learners.
The term ‘Supporting
Learners’ is used by
unionlearn to describe
the activities of ULRs and
other union reps when
they are working with
members to help them
make choices about
learning, to take up
learning opportunities
that are right for them
and help them to
progress in their jobs
and careers. Whilst
these activities involve
all levels of learning and
some elements of
information and advice,
they also include
mentoring, coaching,
signposting and
facilitating learning.
There is a Supporting
Learners area on the
unionlearn website, for
information visit:
www.unionlearn.org.uk
/advice
The National
Careers Service and
The Right Advice at
the Right Time
2
National Council to
Raise Standards of
Careers Advice
2
Consultation on
Careers Guidance
for Schools, Sixth
Form Colleges and
FE Institutions
2
plotr website 3
New Climbing
Frame Learning
Themes
3
Developing
Business,
Developing Careers
3
Contact Us 4
For further information
about 24+ Advanced
Learning Loans contact
Richard Blakeley, Policy
Officer, at:
to a helpline. At the same
time, BIS published the
document “The Right
Advice at the Right Time”,
which sets out the
Government’s vision for a
better quality of
information, advice and
guidance on learning and
work.
The National Careers
Service is also available to
adults in a wide range of
local community locations
including dedicated
premises, FE colleges,
Jobcentres, community
centres, housing
associations, libraries and
council service outlets.
Union members and reps
will still be able to obtain
information and advice
through the unionlearn
Learning and Careers
Advice Service web portal
www.unionlearn.org.uk/
uladvice and from the
advice line on:
08000 92 91 90
Why not give an adviser a
call today? Calls are free
from a landline.
The National Careers Service and The Right Advice at the Right Time
Page 2
SUPPORTING LEARNERS NEWS
National Council to Raise Standards of Careers Advice
The new National Careers
Service (NCS) was
launched on 5th April 2012.
The NCS is a free service
for everyone aged 13 and
over. It replaces the Next
Step service for adults and
the Connexions service for
young people. The
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills (BIS)
has provided £84.4m for
the adult side of the
service, however, the DfE
has restricted its
contribution to just over
£4m to provide 370,000
young people with access
Skills Minister John Hayes
has appointed careers
expert Dr Deirdre Hughes
OBE as the Chair of the
new National Council for
Careers (NCC). The
Council will be a driving
force for excellence in
careers guidance and will
provide independent,
expert advice to the
Government on the future
development of the
National Careers Service.
The Council includes
representatives from
across the public, private
and third sector, as well as
from the careers
profession. The inaugural
meeting of the Council was
held on 21st May 2012, at
the meeting members
discussed the Terms of
Reference and the future
work streams. The NCC
will meet around four
times a year and produce
an Annual Report
summarising its
discussions and advice to
Government.
Consultation on Careers Guidance for Schools, Sixth Form Colleges and FE Institutions
This consultation seeks
views on whether the new
duty in the Education Act
2011 to secure access to
independent and impartial
careers guidance for
pupils in years 9-11 should
be extended down to
pupils in year 8 and
upwards to young people
up to the age of 18. The
deadline for responses is
September 2013. Further
information is available on
the DfE consultations
website at
www.education.gov.uk/
consultations/
1st August 2012. Subject to
this consultation and to the
parliamentary process, the
Government is aiming to
amend the age range by
regulations from
Inspiring the Future
Inspiring the Future is a new free service which will see people from all
sectors and professions volunteering to go into state schools and colleges
to talk about their jobs, careers, and the education routes they took.
Everyone from CEOs to apprentices can volunteer for Inspiring the Future.
Recent graduates, school leavers and people in the early stages of their
career can be inspirational to teenagers - being close in age they are easy
to relate to; while senior and recently retired staff have a wealth of
knowledge and experience to share.
Volunteering for Inspiring the Future is free, easy, effective and fun.
For more information visit: www.inspiringthefuture.org
plotr Website
taken. The activities are
diverse, underlining that
there isn’t just one angle
to take and what works
for one business may not
be the best strategy for
another. The case studies
include: Morrisons’ work
with a social enterprise;
Barclaycard’s partnership
arrangements with a
trade union and Gentoo’s
use of its career
management structure to
build a strong community
brand.
The publication is
underpinned by a more
detailed project report,
‘Tackling
unemployment,
supporting business
and developing careers’
which draws on evidence
from a literature review, a
call for evidence and
empirical work with
employers. The report
highlights five areas as
starting points for
employers to consider
and identifies some
characteristics of good
practice.
The reports provide a
starting point for
businesses to think about
how a focus on career
development can benefit
them. For policy makers
and careers organisations
it can help them consider
how best a productive
relationship can be
developed between
employers, career
guidance providers and
Developing Business, Developing Careers The key to a successful
business is the ability to
recruit the right people
and maximise their
potential. Focusing on
the career development
needs of staff can help
businesses succeed and a
new publication from the
UK Commission for
Employment and Skills
provides case studies
which highlight the
business benefits of this
approach.
‘Developing business,
Developing careers’
contains case studies
from seven major
employers, including
Morrisons Supermarkets,
Bupa and Barclaycard,
and looks at the
approaches they have
Page 3
SUPPORTING LEARNERS NEWS
job seekers to realise
mutual benefits.
These publications have
been produced by
UKCES and are available
from their website, visit:
www.ukces.org.uk/
publications/developing-
business-developing-
careers
and
www.ukces.org.uk/
publications/tackling-
unemployment
The National Careers
Service (NCS) provides
high quality information
and professional advice
and guidance about
learning at work. Its
website and helpline are
available to everyone.
plotr will be a personal
tool for young people,
accessible online
including through social
media such as Facebook
and Twitter.
Its aim is to inspire them
and help them prepare
for the world of work.
Starting at age 11, young
people will be able to
build up a personal
profile about their future,
drawing on a range of
information and advice
services, including from
Government. The NCS
will be just one of the
expert resources drawn
on by plotr.
plotr is an industry-led
initiative. As it is a direct
response to a challenge
to industry from the
Prime Minister, Deputy
Prime Minister, the
Cabinet Office and BIS
have each provided a
one-off grant of £350,000
of match funding. In “The
Right Advice at the Right
Time” document the
Government set out its
vision for information,
advice and guidance
services in England.
Beyond the role of the
NCS, educational
institutions and local
authorities, there should
be a flourishing
commercial market in
products and services
that help people make
career choices. plotr is
part of that market.
For more information visit
www.plotr.co.uk The
website will launch in
summer 2012.
New Climbing Frame Learning Themes On the 25th of June at the
Unionlearn Annual
Conference, unionlearn
will be launching two
new Climbing Frame
Learning Themes.
The titles of the new
Learning Themes are
‘Equality, diversity and
learning’ and
‘Supporting Learners at
50+’.
These new Learning
Themes are packed full of
useful information for
ULRs and other reps,
include a range of case
studies and links to a
wide range of resources.
From the 25th all
Climbing Frame users
will have access to the
new Learning Themes,
along with the existing 14
unionlearn Learning
Themes.
To register and for more
information about the
Climbing Frame website
visit:
www.climbingframe.un
ionlearn.org.uk
If you require further information on any of the topics in this newsletter then please
contact your Regional Supporting Learners contact:
SUPPORTING LEARNERS NEWS
Contact Us
Midlands region
Paul Humphreys
0121 236 4454
Northern region
Dave Storrie
0191 227 5561
North West region
John Halligan
0151 236 2321
Southern and Eastern region
Jon Tennison
020 7467 1342
South West region
Rob Garrett
07899 966 358
Yorkshire and the Humber region
Sharon Burke
0113 200 1073
Or
Ian Borkett
Quality and Standards Manager
020 7079 6940
Louisa Shaw
Climbing Frame Development
Officer
020 7079 6934
For more information about unionlearn please visit:
www.unionlearn.org.uk
Unionlearn
Congress House
Great Russell Street
London
WC1B 3LS
Phone: 020 7079 6920 Fax: 020 7079 6921
Email: [email protected]