AoC responds to Ofsted

Full article here – https://www.aoc.co.uk/news/aoc-responds- ofsted%E2%80%99s-annual- report Excerpts below: David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said “We agree with the Chief Inspector that action must be taken on post-16 funding. My concern going forward is that the funding cuts have made it enormously challenging to manage and lead colleges successfully. The 22% lower funding […]

Predictions for Global Learning and Development in 2018

Original news article here http://www.ftiecla.com/2018/01/03/2018-ld-predictions/ This year, the five annual predictions for the global Learning & Development sector from Financial Times | IE Business School Corporate Learning Alliance follow the general view that technology – in the forms of machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) – will be a dominant force. But it […]

If we’re going to have two-year degrees, leave them to revived polytechnics

Full article here – https://www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2017/dec/18/do-we-need-to-reinvent-polytechnics Excerpts below: Athene Donald writes “I concur that lumping polytechnics and (pre-1992) universities together as all the same is unhelpful. They do not all have, or wish to have, indistinguishable missions and student populations, and thinking of the sector like that has been not only unconstructive but damaging.” “Degree courses in physical […]

Corporate Learning Pulse 2017

Full article here – http://resources.ftiecla.com/en-gb/pulse2017/ Extracts below: Corporate learning and leadership development programmes can have a lasting impact not only on organisations as a whole but also on individuals. Thanks to such programmes, organisations benefit from individuals operating at a higher level, and individuals are armed with competencies, skills and leadership capabilities that can otherwise take […]

U-turn on two-year degrees predicted as fears grow over funding

Full article here – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/dec/05/two-year-degrees-funding-university-student-fees Ray Brogden, COO of Qualifi Awarding Organisation commented that the two-year honours degrees have been available for some time via the Level 4 and level 5 Vocationally Related Qualification accelerated learning pathway (1 calendar year) followed by a final year honours degree top-up year. In addition to gaining an honours degree […]

AoC responds to careers strategy announcement

Full article below and here – https://www.aoc.co.uk/news/aoc-responds-careers-strategy-announcement In response to the launch of the Government’s careers strategy, Catherine Sezen, Senior Policy Manager at the Association of Colleges, said: “AoC welcomes today’s announcement as we have long called for young people to have access to informed and impartial careers advice and education, embedded into the curriculum, from […]

The Brexit clock is ticking – time for Hammond to boost apprenticeships

Full article here – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/nov/18/apprenticeships-budget-hammond-skills-shortages-brexit Extracts below. Despite the compelling picture painted in this article, Ray Brogden, COO of Qualifi points out that there is an alternative to the traditional three-year full-time degree and often very high debt associated with tuition fees of £9,250 in addition to maintenance loans. In addition to apprenticeships, including advanced, higher […]

Here’s what to consider before choosing an online degree

With no open days or face-to-face meetings, how do you pick a distance learning course? Full Article here – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/nov/13/heres-what-to-consider-before-choosing-an-online-degree Extracts below For most students, choosing a university is as simple as counting up UCAS points, checking a league table or two, and signing up to a few open days to whittle the list down. But […]

2VCs on…are university degree models stuck in the past?

Higher education needs to evolve from the lecture hall to encompass new technology and meet the needs of a diverse range of learners Full article here –  https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2017/nov/22/2vcs-on-are-university-degree-models-stuck-in-the-past Against a backdrop of crashing participation from mature and part-time learners, the government is urging universities to think hard about how they can reskill the workforce and encourage […]