Making Sense of Functional Skills Newsletter Oct 25th

October 25th - the Functional Skills newsletter

In this issue, we have the results of the Functional Skills Annual Survey, more about Initial Assessment and Diagnostic solutions, news from DfE, BIS, Apprenticeships and Chambers of Commerce, events coming up and links to some new resources for Functional Skills.

Results of the Functional Skills Annual Survey

It taken a little while but the results of the survey conducted at the end of last term are now fully available. More than 300 responses make this survey the largest and most important of its kind. We've put a full copy of the survey for free download here.

The survey covers confidence, where Functional SKills are used, an analysis of Awarding Organsiations chosen and an analysis of the value of the newesletter. The box below shows some of the ket findings; read the full report via the link above.

Functional Skills Initial Assessment and Diagnostic Initial Assessment and Diagnostics is the most notable new feature in version 2.1 of Guroo's Functional Skills subscription service, released this week. Designed specifically for Functional Skills, the Guroo Initial Assessment uses question content and structures that test specific skills against the official criteria, and the Diagnostic results provide links to the Guroo resources that develop the required skills. The system uses randomised questions to support repeat assessments, and adapts to the learner's answers to indicate a final level between "Working towards Level 1" and "Working at Level 2". The Sales Bit: Guroo are guaranteeing no price increases for new subscriptions taken out in October and November, so depending on your priorities you can view this as great resources with free Initial Assessment, or a great price on Initial Assessment with free resources! Guroo staff are standing by to give you a quick (or in-depth) online demonstration at a time that suits you. Call them on 0191 305 5045, or email sales@guroo.co.uk More from the DfE, BIS, Apprenticeships and Chambers of Commerce Functional Skills are the talk of town all of a sudden. First we had the DfE consultation which stated: "For those who need more intensive support to move towards achieving a C grade GCSE providers are best placed to determine what will meet their needs and enable them to progress. Based on level of rigour, assessment arrangements, skills taught and views of employers, the qualifications that we recommend to providers are: functional skills and free standing maths qualifications." The National Chambers of Commerce have now weighed in with calls for changes to the skills training system in report entitled "Skills for Business:More to Learn?" It takes a similar line to recent CBI studies in calling for higher standards of English and maths plus a need for softer skills such as work ethic, problem solving and communcation. There's more here. Meanwhile, over at the National Apprenticeship Service, a major row is brewing over the number of 12 week programmes being advertised. The general view is that it isn't possible to deliver a quality learning programme that includes Functional Skills in anything less than a year. FE Weeks carries a nice summary of the issues. Michael Gove may very well be preparing the ground for significant changes to the way in which performance tables are measured. In his 5000+ word speech at Ofqual, he again emphasised the problem of equivalence to "easy to pass assessments" post-Wolf and indeed indicated that he expects to see published results drop as a new realism is brought in that is based on rigour. Resources for Level 1&2 Functional ICT from CIA Training - and why not try these RAF resources on skillsworkshop to see if your students can apply their skills in a completely "novel" situation? CIA Training, specialists in developing ICT resources, have just published ICT Functional Skills - a student workbook for Levels 1&2 ICT Functional Skills based on the "Big Planet" theme park. Click here for more information. The RAF and Army are both moving to Functional Skills for all their English and maths requirements up to level 2. The link below is taken from the RAF pre-recruit training course. Now we know that many of our readers will have no idea what an "ML824 Sunderland" is, but what a great way to test your students' skills in a completely novel sceanrio! Please Plus One us on Google follow us on Twitter @guroofs and like us on Facebook at guroo.functionalskills. The next newsletter is likely to be Tuesday November 8th - if you have anything you'd like us to know about, just get in touch jwells@guroo.co.uk

Apprenticeships being stretched and potentially in danger of losing their good status

When we mention apprenticeships, I think we all think about the traditional 1 or 2 year training programme with some day release at college. That's changing quickly, and not necessarily for the better.

The National Apprenticeship Service has lots of 12 or 26 week apprenticeships advertised - indeed my own daughter did a 12 week contact centre apprenticeship in the summer. The problem with these is that often all the time is spent in a training environment with none or virtually none in a real working environment - to me that's not an apprenticeship at all.

Plus it gives no time to the vitally important aspects of literacy and numeracy training - hopefully Functional Skills.

These 12 week programmes have a very bad spell about them - why do providers always try to reduce good programmes down to point of being pointless, are we the only country where quality and experience is less important than getting the boxes ticked as fast as possible?

Time for a re-think on this - perhaps BIS need to provide unequivocal guidance about Functional Skills and length of time to stop providers trying to break and bend the system.

Annual Functional Skills Survey out now

Click here for the full download and see what a positive view it is. More than 300 responses, high levels of confidence in Functional Skills across all sectors and it even gave us valuable information about what readers want to know about in the Making Sense of Functional Skills newsletter written by Jonathan Wells of Guroo.

And the best news is that the survey it the most authoritive about Functional Skills and completely spin free.

Making Sense of Functional Skills Newsletter October 11th

October 11th - the Functional Skills newsletter

In this issue, we have a DfE consultation that positively recommends Functional Skills, initial assessment and diagnostic news from Guroo, more DfE consultations including funding per student rather than per qualification, further events in the 14-19 calendar, and a page from BBC Skillswise that shows that no matter how much money you spend and how many checks are made, we all make blindingly obvious errors!

DfE consultation recommends Functional Skills

We've been hinting that we were expecting positive guidance from DfE and BIS about Functional Skills for a while. The first of those announcements has now been made.

The DfE consultation entitled "study programmes for 16-19 year olds" published on 6th October and ending 5th January follows Professor Alison Wolf's report. One of the key elements of that report was to recommend that students aged 16-19 who did not have an A*-C GCSE pass in English and maths should continue to study those subjects through to age 19.

In response to that recommendation, DfE says:

6.3 It is clear that providers will need to adapt their English and maths offer depending on the needs of students. For example:

• Some young people will need an immediate, focussed intervention to turn a near miss into a GCSE pass at the first opportunity
• Some may require more intensive help over a longer period (and possibly taking other qualifications en route to act as stepping stones to the GCSE)
• Some, for whom GCSE success is a long way off, might be better served by taking other qualifications or programmes.

6.4 For those who need more intensive support to move towards achieving a C grade GCSE providers are best placed to determine what will meet their needs and enable them to progress. Based on level of rigour, assessment arrangements, skills taught and views of employers, the qualifications that we recommend to providers are: functional skills and free standing maths qualifications.

So there we have it, the DfE recommends Functional Skills as the qualification of choice for students progressing towards GCSE, or unlikely to achieve GCSE. Click here for the link directly to the consultation paper.

Functional Skills Initial Assessment and Diagnostic

Initial Assessment and Diagnostics is the most notable new feature in version 2.1 of Guroo's Functional Skills subscription service, released this week.

Designed specifically for Functional Skills, the Guroo Initial Assessment uses question content and structures that test specific skills against the official criteria and the Diagnostic results provide links to the Guroo resources that develop the required skills.

The system uses randomised questions to support repeat assessments, and adapts to the learner's answers to indicate a final level between "Working towards Level 1" and "Working at Level 2".

The Sales Bit: Guroo are guaranteeing no price increases for new subscriptions taken out in October and November, so depending on your priorities you can view this as great resources with free Initial Assessment, or a great price on Initial Assessment with free resources! Guroo staff are standing by to give you a quick (or in-depth) online demonstration at a time that suits you. Call them on 0191 305 5045, or email sales@guroo.co.uk

More from the DfE

The annoucement about Functional Skills wasn't the only piece of news from DfE this week. Several other consultations were announced by Schools Minister Nick Gibb that affect the whole of post 16 education, including changes to funding so that schools and colleges will be funded on a per student basis rather than per qualification.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

The current funding system is plagued by perverse incentives that have diverted some students towards weaker qualifications.

Every student should be taking courses which give them the best chance of succeeding in life.

The current system incentivises schools and colleges to load too many students with low-quality, small or easy qualifications, often in random combinations, that employers do not value.

These reforms will ensure young people are given the information they need to take the courses that benefit them, and that all courses available broaden rather than narrow their options.

It is time the system was fairer and simpler – and worked in favour of young people.

He added:

Too many young people are dropping English and maths before they have secured a good grounding. These vital subjects are critical to the economy and as a country we need all our young people to be fluent and comfortable in these basic skills.

http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a00198873/gibb-simpler-fairer-funding-system-to-improve-post-16-education

14-19 events coming up

LEACAN is the national education network for local authorities and those working across the 14-19 agenda.

The Winter Forum on Friday 2^nd Dec at Leamington Spa, brings together professional peers and colleagues and will be addressed by high calibre national colleagues including the Rt Hon. Estelle Morris; Tim Oates, Cambridge Assessment and Chair of the Expert Panel, National Curriculum Review; Jon Coles, Director General for Education Standards, DfE and Steve Besley, Head of Policy, Pearson.

Guroo will be there of course and the event is open to non-members at £250. If you would like to book or know more please contact Susanne.wait@leacan.co.uk

Another event where you'll find the Guroo team is at "The Future of Apprenticeships" in London on November 24th. Click here for a link to the full programme. This is an event that Guroo will be attending as exhibitors.

Come on BBC Skillswise, even with all the cuts, you can surely do better than this!

We noticed this on the recently re-launched BBC Skillswise site. As they say in BBC land - answers on a postcard please.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/quiz/ma10mult-l1-quiz



Rude Awakening for Retail Giants?

Regular readers will know that I have written in the past about the expansion of the Apprenticeship programme. There has been lots of "good news announcements from the Government quoting figures of 20,000, 50,000 or indeed 500,000 places, but we've also seen many in the sector wonder where these numbers have come from.

This piece, spotted by the Big Vocational Debate on Facebook, maybe shows where some of the smoke and mirrors are in the Apprenticeship landscape.

However, this is not all bad news as with every new Apprenticeship, comes learning and now that we are moving away from the awful, easy to pass Key Skills which is more about accreditation than learning to wards Functional Skills which is definitely about Learning rather than accreditation, we'll see these big employers having to make a very big investment in their staff.

So I for one am looking forward to seeing how these Apprenticeship programmes develop over the next 2 years as we transition from Key Skills to Functional Skills. After all, if employers sign up and take the money, they should deliver the learning as well - this is not a free ride!