Apprenticeships - Big News

Big news aren't they?

Our local paper this morning (The Newcastle Journal) carries an 8 page pull out of LSC sponsored stories about Apprenticeships.

Lots of case studies, Suralan was in their as well.

I liked it a lot and it clearly positions this qualification and as it appeared in the business section of the paper it's targetted at the employers so push and pull marketing.

Would be nice to do the same for Diplomas - I still worry they are misunderstood.

Primary School Curriculum

Lots of reports this morning about the "focus on testing" to the detriment of a broader education.

Who else detects a strong "back to basics" move here.  It started with Functional Skills, has continued into the 14-19 curriculum, the dropping of KS3 tests and now Primary schools.

I sense that we are moving away from assessment back to teaching in the wider sense.  less focus on schemes of work and ticking boxes, more on helping young people understand the world - I hesitate to say this a little as it's more than 30 years since I left school, but it is a little like what happened when I was at school and it was the teachers who decided what you'd be taught rather than a form.

A quiz for you

How much extra money does the average Diploma studnets earn for the institution?

Which Diploma has the most additional grant money?

Answers in a few days!

That sounds like a good idea

This may be a controversial statement, but I am certain that it is true.  Schools focus on borderline students giving them extra resources which by definition is to the detriment of low (and indeed high) achievers becuase it's the borderline student that gets a C rather than D that makes a big difference to the league table positions.

The TES says this week that the Lib Dems would replace league tables based on 5+A*-C passes with an average points system.  Now without making any pol;itical statement, that sounds like quite a good idea to me - it would mean that increasing the students from a G to an F counts the same as D to C and A to A*.

Jonathan

BTW - The just giving gadget is for my daughter Abigail

She's doing the race for life so if you can support her, then feel free.

Confusing Diplomas Part 2

There's a big push on Apprentices going on. I've seen the TV ad with "SURALAN" and today we had a visitor at out offices from a training provider telling us how easy it is to get a modern apprentice for the office and it only costs something like £16 a day or was that a week - can't remember.

Now I'm quite a big believer in workplace experience, I did a sandwich course and it meant that when I graduated I started work the next day because of that experience.

But from a professional marketing point of view I'm still really worried about mixed messages and the Apprentice ads following the Diploma ads so closely.

The older generation (I count myself in there) are still the gateway to employment and I do believe that this generation definitely knows about A levels, certainly knows about apprenticeships and still is finding it difficult to categorise Diplomas and by categorise, I mean build a perception with the employers.

They should ask me to help them!