Skills
46 | JULY 2018
Skills
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Applications open for Future Leaders 2019
NEW T LEVELS MARK A REVOLUTION IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Education Secretary names the first 52 colleges and other providers set to teach T Levels .
The first 52 colleges and post-16 providers to teach new T Levels were named today ( 27 May ) as Education Secretary Damian Hinds set out his vision for a world-class technical education system .
T Levels are courses , which will be on a par with A levels and will provide young people with a choice between technical and academic education post 16 .
Courses in construction , digital and education & childcare will be first taught from September 2020 . A further 22 courses will be rolled out in stages from 2021 , which will cover sectors such as finance & accounting , engineering & manufacturing , and creative & design .
In his response to the T Level consultation , also published today , the Education Secretary committed to working with businesses and learning from our international competitors to ensure these new qualifications lead to a generational shift in technical education .
The consultation response confirms the high-quality nature of these new qualifications – with :
• course content created by expert panels of employers to make sure young people have the knowledge and skills needed ;
• 3-month compulsory industry placements that will give young people the experience and wider skills they need to be ready for the world of work ;
• standards assured by Ofqual and the Institute for Apprenticeships ( IfA ) so that T Levels remain high-quality and are valued by employers
The wide-ranging T Levels consultation sought views from across the world of business and education , as well as young people themselves .
Content for the first three T Levels – co-created with employers to make sure young people get the right knowledge and skills needed to get a skilled job – has also been published by the IfA .
T Levels are just one part of a wider programme of work to transform technical education in this country to give people genuine world class choices when they are deciding on an academic or technical route .
https :// www . gov . uk / government / organisations / department-foreducation
Government must be realistic about skills of construction T Level students
The Government must be realistic about the capabilities and work-readiness of students who have completed construction T Levels , according to the Federation of Master Builders ( FMB ).
Commenting on the Government ’ s response to the T Level consultation , Brian Berry , Chief Executive of the FMB , said : “ The idea that a student who has completed a T Level in bricklaying is able to call themselves a qualified bricklayer is not credible . The Government must be realistic about how much can be achieved in two years of largely college-based learning . Although T Levels include a three-month work placement , when the rest of the individual ’ s knowledge and skills are acquired in the classroom , in construction they will need more time onsite , post-T Level , before they can and should describe themselves as being qualified in that trade . Small and medium-sized construction firms , which do the bulk of training in our industry , would rather view T Levels as a rich pool of talent through which to find apprentices .”
The UK Green Building Council ( UKGBC ) has today opened applications for the 2019 cohort of its prestigious Future Leaders programme .
Now in its sixth year , Future Leaders takes a select group of 24 high-potential built environment professionals through a unique programme of leadership and innovation .
Participants develop skills in personal leadership , collaborative thinking , business model development , innovation and storytelling .
The programme kicks off with a two-day residential in January , followed by a two-day workshop on business model development and storytelling , and will culminate in a session of leadership reflection with industry leaders .
Individuals from any discipline within the construction and property industry are encouraged to apply . Applicants are expected to have between 5 and 15 years ’ experience in the industry , as well as a drive to challenge thinking and have a positive impact on the future of our built environment . The deadline for applications is Friday 21 September 2018 .
Cat Hirst , Director of Learning and Innovation at UKGBC said :
“ In a rapidly changing world , our industry needs tomorrow ’ s leaders today ”.
www . ukgbc . org
CITB research highlights “ growing need to boost skills transferability ” post-Brexit
New CITB research shows that attracting people from other sectors should play a bigger part in meeting construction ’ s skills needs .
The report , ‘ Construction and Built Environment : Skills Transferability in the UK ’, found there will an even bigger need “ to boost skills transferability as recruitment becomes more difficult post Brexit .”
Researchers found that 62 % of employers took no action to encourage employees to transfer between trades . This is despite approximately one in five ( 19 %) of construction sector workers having previously worked in another sector . The research , which saw nearly 500 employers surveyed across the UK , highlighted manual occupations such as steel erectors and bricklayers as the roles with the best potential to transfer skills .
Several challenges were found in boosting skills transferability , including :
• Improving the image of the industry
• Changing the way training is delivered to it promotes multi-skilling
• Concerns from employees and unions around multi-skilling Steve Radley , CITB Policy Director , said : “ Our research shows that transferability of skills is a growing issue , particularly with Brexit looming .
“ While many employers are not yet looking at it , it could become a significant way to meet our skills needs in the coming years .
“ CITB clearly has a role to play in this . Our forecasts can help prioritise support for upskilling and ensure training providers are well placed to respond . In addition , we will collaborate with industry to develop top-up courses to enable transition for people with relevant transferable skills .”
https :// www . citb . co . uk /