May. 12 2011
Source Page: Wolf Review of Vocational Education – Government response. 22 p.Found: Wolf Review of Vocational Education – Government response. 22 p.
Jan. 31 2024
Source Page: NI Participation in Full-time Education and Vocational TrainingFound: NI Participation in Full-time Education and Vocational Training
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which external (a) educational and (b) vocational training providers work in the secure estate.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
There are four main education providers across the adult secure estate in England. Milton Keynes College, Novus, People Plus and Weston College provide the majority of education services, including vocational delivery.
Education in Welsh establishments includes both public and private-sector provision. At HMP Cardiff, HMP Swansea, HMP Usk and HMP Prescoed, education is delivered by HMPPS staff. At HMP Berwyn, education is provided by Novus Cambria, which is a joint venture between Coleg Cambria and LTE Group (Novus). HMP & YOI Parc also has a private education provider, Novus Gower, which is a joint venture between Gower College and LTE Group (Novus).
In addition to this provision, Governors in England have access to 469 organisations that provide education services, including vocational delivery. Wales also has access to a range of other education providers, including the Prison Education Trust, Shannon Trust, the Open University, and vocational training providers such as Safety Counts, Simian Training, GLA Group and Future Skills.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) educational and (b) vocational training opportunities are not reduced in prisons; and whether he plans to use those training opportunities to help reduce prison overcrowding.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Education is key for reducing reoffending and research indicates that prison education reduces reoffending by 9 percentage points. In September 2023, we set out our plans to deliver an improved Prison Education Service that will support more prisoners to improve their literacy and numeracy and increase the number of prison leavers employed on release.
Over the past 12 months we have seen a sustained delivery in the number vocational courses undertaken by prisoners following increases to 95,000. To ensure the right education and vocational training opportunities are available across prisons we have:
I am pleased to say that we have seen positive outcomes in employment in support of our work to make best use of prison capacity. The proportion of prison leavers in employment six months after release has more than doubled in the two years to March 2023, from 14% to over 30%and between 2011/12 and 2021/22, the overall proven reoffending rate has decreased from 31.3% to 25.2%.
Mentions:
1: Peter Aldous (Con - Waveney) with the greatest need to obtain the necessary grounding in English and maths and to catch up on the vocational - Speech Link
2: Seema Malhotra (LAB - Feltham and Heston) It is vital that people across our country have pathways into high- quality vocational training, secure - Speech Link
3: Damian Hinds (Con - East Hampshire) will be better suited to a largely academic route and some will be better suited to a technical and vocational - Speech Link
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support vocational learning pathways for the delivery of digital skills education.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Digital and computing skills are critical to achieving the department’s science and technology superpower ambitions, which were published in March 2023 in the UK Science & Technology Framework. Programmers, data scientists, and other key digital roles will help to deliver the department’s ambitions for the critical technologies detailed in the Framework, like AI and Quantum, but their importance is not limited to these technologies. These roles are fundamental to the wider labour market with 60% of businesses believing their reliance on advanced digital skills will increase over the next five years.
The department is investing in employer led technical skills and education, with courses and training in digital subjects often at the forefront of its reforms. For example, the department has introduced three Digital T Levels. These are gold-standard Level 3 technical qualifications designed with employers to meet industry standards. They have a significant industry placement built in to give experience of work within the digital sector.
There are also over 30 Digital Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) now being taught. These are Level 4/5 qualifications developed by awarding bodies in collaboration with employers so students can develop the digital skills that employers want. Additionally, digital apprenticeships continue to grow with over 22,000 starts in 2022/23, which is an increase of 19% from the previous year.
The department is building on these initiatives through the Digital and Computing Skills Education Taskforce which brings together government and external expertise to increase the numbers of individuals taking digital and computing qualifications in mainstream and tertiary education and to attract individuals into digital jobs.
The department’s ambitious skills agenda is backed by an additional £3.8 billion in further education and skills over this Parliament. The department is using this funding to ensure people of all ages can access high quality training and education which addresses skills gaps and boosts productivity. Key examples of how this funding has been used to support digital skills can be seen in the introduction of 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) across England, the introduction of the Free Courses for Jobs offer and the national roll out of Digital Skills Bootcamps.
IoTs are leaders in the provision of high quality higher level technical education. They are employer-led collaborations that bring together the best of existing further education provision with higher education partners to develop a high skilled, diverse workforce that is designed to respond to evolving sector needs. IoTs aim to help close skills gaps in STEM sectors, like digital. By establishing IoTs as a permanent network of ‘go to’ providers with deep employer relationships for Level 4/5 higher level STEM training, they play a critical role in boosting local economies and delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and HTQs.
Launched in April 2021, the Free Courses for Jobs offer allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free, including those linked with digital careers. These courses are ideal for those adults over 50 without a Level 3 qualification that are looking to improve their digital skills, retrain or upskill to meet their potential.
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over, with courses available in digital subjects such as software development, cyber security, and data analytics. The majority of the trailblazers in Skills Bootcamps launched in 2020, were Digital. Digital training constituted the biggest element of the department’s provision in the ensuing waves of delivery in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years.
More Skills Bootcamps in Digital are being delivered through the launch of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) which enables the department to procure Skills Bootcamps in response to quickly emerging skills needs and changing employment patterns. The department focused on Skills Bootcamps in digital skills as a priority for the first competition run from the DPS, and Digital skills are further included in the second competition.
Digital skills are increasingly critical for all citizens, enabling them to play a full part in society. Through the Adult Education Budget, the department introduced a new legal entitlement in 2020 for adults to study free, high quality Essential Digital Skills Qualifications and, from August 2023, new digital Functional Skills Qualifications. These qualifications were developed against employer supported National Standards and provide learners with the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in life, work and society.
The government recognises that formal qualifications are not appropriate for everyone, which is why it also funds community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the Adult Education Budget. Many local authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning. From next year, the Adult Skills Fund will continue to support both qualification-based learning and tailored learning (which will include non-regulated learning to build digital skills) so adults can retrain and upskill in the most effective way.
Through skills reforms, the government is continuing to ensure learners are supported, including those who need the most support, to train, retrain and upskill so they can climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing, and better options for the future.
Mentions:
1: Lord Aberdare (XB - Excepted Hereditary) vocational pathways, on which there is insufficient focus. - Speech Link
2: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green - Life peer) not just for exams or for vocational training.I associate myself with the remarks of the noble Lord, - Speech Link
3: Lord Birt (XB - Life peer) We lack an appropriate balance between vocational and academic education. - Speech Link
4: Lord Mair (XB - Life peer) They could have a major impact in reviving the fortunes of vocational and technical education, critical - Speech Link
May. 02 2024
Source Page: Infographic: VTQ results 2024 - Top tips for exams officersFound: what they need to do to help awarding organisations prepare for issuing level 1/2, level 2 and level 3 vocational
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve careers advice on options for vocational learning.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has put in place measures to help young people make informed choices about their next step in education or training.
All secondary school pupils have opportunities to access information and advice on technical options, including apprenticeships, T Levels and higher technical qualifications. Schools are required by law to provide at least six opportunities for providers of technical education and apprenticeships to speak to all pupils during school years 8 to 13. This legislation came into force on 1 January 2023 and the Department published updated statutory guidance on careers and provider access, which set out what schools need to do to comply.
Through the apprenticeship, support and knowledge (ASK) programme, which is supported by £3.2 million of funding in the 2023/24 financial year, the Department is continuing to provide information, advice and guidance on apprenticeships, T Levels and other technical education routes. ASK has engaged with over 600,000 young people, over 2,200 schools and nearly 80 further education colleges in the 2022/23 academic year.
The Government’s ‘Get the Jump: Skills for Life’ online campaign brings together the different education and training pathways open to young people post 16 and post 18. It helps to raise awareness of technical education options, supports informed choice and signposts users to a new page on the National Careers Service website that brings all the options together for the first time.