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Gateshead College Launches Low Carbon Vehicle Academy

The number of electric and hybrid cars on UK roads is rapidly growing and sometime in near future it’ll overtake fossil fuel cars. Obviously, There is a need for experts to help people easing the transition.

That’s what Gateshead College of North East England has been thinking. So they came up with a dedicated academy for low carbon vehicle industry. They have also opened North of England’s first public access Performance Track as part of the project.

Gateshead College’s Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation (SASMI) is the UK’s first education centre dedicated to the clean technologies sector. Housed in a state-of-the-art new £9.8 million building in Washington, Tyne & Wear, SASMI will deliver a wide range of low carbon vehicles skills training, with a focus on the automotive industry.

Green cars, electric vehicles in particular, bring with them a whole new lifestyle and new driving habits. For instance, you can’t just tow an electric car if the battery died, as it’ll damage the internal systems. There are many new things to learn about them, and that’s why the idea of a dedicated academy is not outlandish. Current courses include training for first responders, helping the emergency services and roadside rescue operators to safely deal with high voltagehybrid and electric vehicles. This will be followed by innovative courses dedicated to the production of EVs.

Mick Brophy, Managing Director of Business, Innovation & Development at Gateshead College, said: “North East England is at the heart of the UK’s emerging low carbon vehicle sector, making it the ideal home for the country’s first sustainable skills academy.

“If Britain is to continue to lead the world in the development and adoption of cleaner vehicles, we must also lead in training the people who will design, build and service them.  The Academy will support the growth of a new automotive industry, delivering the skill sets needed for these vital green-collar jobs.”

Along with Nissan and the region’s leading supply chain, the two new facilities form the hub of the Government’s £200m Low Carbon Enterprise Zone, which is expected to create 7,000 new  jobs in the region over the next decade.

Government cuts apprenticeship red tape

Boost for employers as Government outlines new measures on cutting red tape deterring employers from taking on apprentices.

 

Skills Minister John Hayes has announced a package of new measures to make it easier for employers to take on large numbers of apprentices.

Payments will be simplified, contracts streamlined and a number of data returns and audit requirements will be eliminated.

Mr Hayes said that firms that contract directly with the Government to train apprentices will now benefit from simplified payment, reporting and assessment requirements.

They will also receive better guidance to help them manage the recruitment, training and assessment of apprentices more efficiently and cost effectively.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:

“Apprenticeships are proving an increasingly effective training route for young people and companies. They are a proven way to fill skills gaps in our economy. That’s why we are boosting the number of apprenticeships and putting them at the heart of our Skills for Growth strategy.

“But for far too long too many businesses have been put off by overly complex procedures and unnecessary layers of paperwork. We’ve worked with business to cut bureaucracy and ensure the benefits for employers, learners and the economy are maximised”.

Action plan for cutting red tape

Announcing the measures at a summit hosted by the CBI today, Mr Hayes said:

“I’m determined that more employers and learners than ever should have the opportunity to benefit from our unprecedented investment in apprenticeships. Where red tape and bureaucracy deters employers from taking on apprentices, we’ll sweep it away.

“That will give more firms access to the skills they need to thrive, creating new jobs and new growth, and it will give many more individuals better prospects and the chance to gain a real stake in society.”

Measures for cutting red tape for employers include:

• A pilot for over 20 large employers who have volunteered to trial “payment by outcomes” which will eliminate a number of data returns and audit requirements.


• Providing an online plain-English toolkit for employers that clearly explains the end-to-end processes employers need to undertake for apprenticeships.


• Streamlining contracting arrangements.


• A commitment to no “in year” changes to contracting arrangements.


• A more proportionate approach to audit and inspection - reducing preparation time for employers.


• Greater use of electronic information, thus reducing paperwork.


• A more streamlined certification process.

These measures follow the recommendations of a review led by the Employer Reference Group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and large companies, including BT and TUI Travel.

Susan Anderson, the CBI's director for education and skills policy, said: "Cutting bureaucracy will support even more businesses to become involved and these recommendations set out the right path for reform.

"They recognise that employers are primarily concerned with the day-to-day running of their businesses, and that they are committed to offering high quality training as their reputation and business success depends on this."

History of Apprenticeships (From NAS Site)

 

Britain has a long history of Apprenticeships, which stretches back to the guilds of the Middle Ages. In 1563 the system became more prescribed and regulated: the Elizabethan Statute of Artificers set out terms and conditions for training (including a duration of seven years and for the master–apprentice relationship). Apprenticeships expanded in the following two centuries, with new legislation on working conditions, environment and the conduct of apprentices in their leisure time.

Another milestone of legislation was passed in 1802 – the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act, whose provisions included a 12-hour working day and a requirement that factory apprentices were taught reading, writing and arithmetic. These developments led to the repeal of the 1563 Statute in 1814. After that year, practising a skill although un-Apprenticed was no longer illegal. The new act also loosened statutory controls over Apprenticeships, by removing the requirement for a minimum of seven years to be spent on one.

By the late nineteenth century, Apprenticeships had spread from artisan trades such as building and printing to the newer industries of engineering and shipbuilding – and later to plumbing and electrical work. Although there were approximately 240,000 apprentices by the mid 1960s, there were growing concerns about the effectiveness of Apprenticeship training. It was criticised for its exclusivity, for being male-dominated, for focusing on serving time rather than on outcomes, and for a failure to embrace new and expanding occupations. Numbers had decreased to some 53,000 (‘average in learning‘ figure) by 1990 – the decline was exacerbated by rising post-16 participation in full-time education, a lack of public funding for Apprenticeships, and the effect of the Youth Training Scheme and Youth Training programme. These initiatives catered for young people who might otherwise have done an Apprenticeship, but the quality of provision was often questionable and both programmes contributed to a poor perception of vocational training generally.

Since the mid 1990s, governments have been rebuilding the programme in an adjusted economic and institutional context. This has required state support, as has been the case in almost all countries with a sizeable Apprenticeship programme (the level of state intervention in this country has varied over recent decades, from levy-funded programmes via the industrial training boards in the 1960s and 1970s, to no support or intervention at all in the early 1990s). In response to concerns about skills shortages, especially at intermediate levels, in 1993 the Government announced plans for a new Apprenticeship scheme at Level 3 – Modern Apprenticeships. Prototypes were introduced the following year and the scheme became fully operational in 1995. The Modern Apprenticeship was focused almost entirely on occupational competence, and did not require specific technical learning.

Since 1997 a number of the programme elements have been reformed.

• In 1998, the Training Standards Council (subsequently the Adult Learning Inspectorate) began an inspection of work-based learning providers. In 2007, responsibility for inspection was transferred to Ofsted.


• Level 2 Apprenticeships were introduced in 2000.


• In 2000, the LSC took on responsibility for funding Apprenticeships from the Training and Enterprise Councils.


• The technical certificate was introduced in 2003/04 to explicitly require theoretical knowledge from Apprentices (and, implicitly, structured off-workstation training).


• The Apprenticeships family was re-branded in 2004.


• The Apprenticeships blueprint was introduced in 2005 to provide updated guidance for Sector Skills Councils on how to define their Apprenticeship frameworks.

The result of these changes, coupled with the increased investment made by the Government since 1997, has been a major improvement in the number of Apprentices and in the quality of Apprenticeships. There were 279,700 Apprenticeship starts in the 2009/10 academic year in England, compared to 239,900 in 2008/09. Completion rates – which once indicated severe problems with recruitment practice and quality – have been transformed. 171,500 people successfully completed an Apprenticeship in 2009/10 compared to 143,400 in 2008/09; completion rates were 74% in 2009/10 compared to 37% in 2004/05.

In January 2008 a new organisation, the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), was announced and officially launched in April 2009. The service was created to bring about a significant growth in the number of employers offering Apprenticeships.

The NAS has total end to end responsibility for the delivery of Apprenticeships that includes: Employer Services; Learner Services; and a web-based vacancy matching system (Apprenticeship vacancies). This online system enables individuals to search and apply for live vacancies and allows employers, and their training providers to advertise their vacancies to a wide range of interested applicants.

The service has ultimate accountability for the national delivery of targets and co-ordination of the funding for Apprenticeship places. It acts to overcome barriers to the growth of the programme and assumes responsibility for promoting Apprenticeships and their value to employers, learners and the country as a whole.

12 Business Benefits of Apprenticeship Training

Why should my business take on Apprentices or get involved in Apprenticeship training?

Employers taking part in a recent research project about the cost of Apprenticeship training identified a wide range of benefits from Apprenticeship training. While such qualitative assessments of benefits are difficult to value they are nonetheless real and are the fundamental reason why employers were prepared to invest in Apprenticeship training.

The benefits these businesses identified included the following:

1. Apprenticeships allow the business to secure a supply of people with the skills and qualities that the business required and which are often not available on the external job market;


2. Apprenticeships help secure a supply of skilled young recruits - especially important for the replacement of an ageing workforce;


3. Even if external recruitment was possible, Apprenticeships are less expensive to recruit and train than experienced workers hired on the external labour market because of high recruitment costs plus the costs of induction and any necessary training;


4. Apprenticeships contribute to a pool of skilled and certificated employees for the sector from which a company might recruit in the future;


5. They ensure that the supply-chain (i.e. sub-contractors) have a sufficiently skilled workforce;


6. Apprentices tend to stay with the organisation and labour turnover is lower;


7. Apprentices provide a cadre of employees from which to future managers could be selected;


8. Apprenticeship training could increase interest in training amongst other employees;


9. Apprenticeships demonstrate company's commitment to the employee;


10. Apprenticeships are more practical and job-related than other forms of learning;


11. Apprentices can bring new ideas and innovation to the business;


12. A good Apprenticeship scheme could be reflected in an enhanced reputation for the business both within the industry and in the local community.

Extract from: The Net Benefit to Employer Investment in Apprenticeship Training, A Report for the Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network by Chris Hasluck.

Big increase in apprenticeships due to ' striking rise ' in trainees over 25

Research shows apprentices over 25 up from 36,000 to 121,000, but Labour says coalition is failing to focus on key skills

BAe Systems apprentices at work. The Department for Business says it has delivered 'the highest number of apprenticeships this country has ever seen.' Photograph: Guardian

A dramatic increase in apprenticeships – part of a government drive to tackle massive youth unemployment – has been fuelled by a surge in apprentices aged over 25, research shows.

The coalition exceeded its target of creating 203,200 apprenticeships for people over 19 in the 2010-11 financial year, creating 257,000 new apprentices, according to figures released in June. Research by the House of Commons library shows that the increase is due to a "striking rise" in apprentices over 25.

Labour accused the coalition of giving priority to increasing apprenticeships, rather than focusing on skills needed for economic growth.

The analysis reveals a 10% increase in teenage apprentices this year, compared with the academic year which started in September 2009. Teenage apprentices rose from 93,700 to 102,900. There was a 21% rise in apprentices aged 19-24, from 85,100 to 102,800. But the number of apprentices aged over 25 nearly quadrupled, from 36,300 to 121,100. Youth unemployment hit record levels earlier this year, and latest figures show around 917,000 people aged 16-24 are out of work. The research, commissioned by Labour, shows that the biggest increases in apprenticeships are in health and social care and retail.

One of the most dramatic increases was in the "cleaning and support service industry", where 1,930 apprentices were created in the academic year 2010-11, compared with 360 in the previous academic year.

The statistics show a big rise in short-term apprenticeships, but only a small increase in longer-term apprenticeships which create opportunities to specialise and acquire academic qualifications.

Apprentices are paid employees who gain practical skills in the workplace as well as receiving training outside work.

Over the first three-quarters of 2010-11, apprenticeships lasting longer than a year rose by under 2% while those lasting less than a year increased by over 30% on 2009-10.Overall, the proportion of apprenticeships lasting longer than a year dropped from 47% to 41%.Gordon Marsden, shadow further education and skills minister, said: "For all the government's warm words on apprenticeships, these statistics show they haven't got to grips with the task of supporting business and creating an environment in which quality, long-term apprenticeships can flourish and support economic growth."

The opposition claims the growth in older apprentices and the rising number of short apprenticeships conceals the axing of the last government's Train to Gain initiative, which was aimed at improving the skills of existing employees.

Marsden added: "The decline of 6% in the proportion of people doing apprenticeships lasting longer than a year throws real doubt on the government's ability to persuade key sectors such as construction and electrical engineering of the value of apprenticeships – sectors that are vital to our economic recovery and future growth."

Nick Linford, managing director of Lsect, a company which provides advice to collleges and training organisations, said many apprentices over 25 were already in work and enrolled on apprenticeships that last as little as 12 weeks. He said there were doubts about the use of public funding and the quality of apprenticeships and "serious questions about whether the apprenticeship scheme has lost focus and if it's making any impact on our appalling youth unemployment figures".

But a spokesman from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said apprenticeships were growing across all age groups and were enabling businesses "to gain the skills they need to grow".

"As well as delivering the highest number of apprenticeships this country has ever seen, the government has raised standards and enabled more apprentices to progress to higher levels. We have also set minimum guided learning hours to ensure that every apprenticeship delivers quality training. We are committed to further reducing bureaucracy to enable more firms from an even greater range of sectors to offer more apprenticeships."

The latest statistics, from the National Apprenticeship Service, show almost 90,000 employers offer apprenticeships to 491,300 workers in England. Companies hiring the most include BT, Capita Group, Tesco and McDonald's.

Apprenticeships - Increased uptake is positive but more needed to meet youth employment challenge, says REC

The REC has today welcomed positive data on the overall uptake of apprenticeships whilst underlining the need to ensure that they provide a genuine route into employments as well as a means of up-skilling existing staff.

The latest figures show that over 250,000 apprenticeships have been created in the 2010/2011 financial year, which exceeds the Coalition Government’s targets. However, this includes a big increase in short-term Apprenticeships – often taken up by those already in employment. Furthermore, a greater number of these positions have gone to the over 25’s, raising concerns about whether the Government is responding effectively to the UK’s youth unemployment crisis.

Commenting on this, Tom Hadley, Director of Policy and Professional Development at the REC said;

“The latest data shows some encouraging trends in terms of the overall take-up and progress has also been made in terms of positioning apprenticeships as a credible alternative to university. However, we need to accelerate the use of apprenticeships as a genuine route into the work of work for young job-seekers.

This was one of the key recommendations of the REC’s Youth Employment Taskforce and the latest statistics do not mask the need for sustained Government action in this area. The recruitment industry can play its part by developing apprenticeships within the sector, and by raising awareness amongst clients and candidates.

“With thousands of A-level students leaving school this week, it is increasingly clear that young people require targeted, focused assistance. This includes practical guidance on the benefits of apprenticeships and on the sectors where job opportunities are most likely to exist both now and in the future. As well as continuing to actively promote the apprenticeship route, the Government must commit to establishing a careers guidance network that is fit for purpose.”

USA starts taking Vocational Training Seriously...

Connect Teenagers to the World of Work

What's the single best idea to jumpstart job creation?

According to research from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, between now and 2018, the fastest-growing occupations will be "mid-skill" jobs--like dental hygienist, construction manager, police officer, paralegal, and electrician--that require an associate's degree or occupational certificate, but not a four-year college education.

Unfortunately, if we wait until adulthood to offer workers vocational training, we risk leaving far too many of them behind. Unemployment among young people without a college degree is high, at 22.5 percent, and staggering among young people without a high school degree, at 42.7 percent. And with about half of inner-city high school students dropping out, a full 18 percent of 16 to 24-year olds are considered "disconnected youth"--neither enrolled in school nor working, stuck rudderless in a harshly unforgiving economy.

Such individuals, if they are lucky enough to find work, often become mired in low-wage, service sector jobs with few employee benefits and unstable hours. There are other options, but we need public schools to do their part in guiding students toward them. This means eschewing nice-sounding "college for all" rhetoric and instead embracing curricular reforms that introduce teenagers to all of the many opportunities available to them in the world of work.

In California, Linked Learning schools require students to enroll in college-prep academic classes, but also to complete several internships or apprenticeships in fields such as biotechnology, media, and engineering. Rhode Island's MET schools connect low-income teenagers to local businesses and community groups for on-the-job learning. And outside Albany, every student at Tech Valley High School completes a professional externship of their choice during the month of January, in fields ranging from baking to video game design to train conducting.

This isn't the nefarious "tracking" of yesteryear, but rather an effort to introduce young people to the ways in which their education can serve them on the job market. Students are less likely to drop-out and more likely to enjoy school when they see their classes as relevant to their future. High-quality vocational training opens doors for kids who haven't been reached by a more traditional curriculum, and prepares more Americans for the real jobs the economy is producing.

Hayes aims for half a million apprentices News | Published in FE Focus on 1 July, 2011 | By: Stephen Exley

He wants to reach goal before next election - beating Gordon Brown’s 2020 target

The number of apprentices in England could hit the 500,000 mark before the next general election, skills minister John Hayes has claimed.

After it was announced last week that the Government had created 103,000 new adult apprenticeships in 2010/11 - double its 50,000 target - the minister told FE Focus that he hoped to continue expanding the programme.

Mr Hayes said he was keen to see Government FE policy “defined” by the apprenticeship programme, by increasing opportunities for workers with both low-level and high-level skills.

He insisted there was a genuine opportunity to create 500,000 apprenticeships - the target set by Gordon Brown, then chancellor of the exchequer, in 2007 - but said this could be delivered before the next general election, at least five years earlier than Labour’s 2020 aim.

“It was (Brown’s) biggest ambition, a long-term aim; something he dreamt of, rather than expected to achieve,” Mr Hayes said.

“If we maintain this momentum, if we can keep it going, I think we can achieve that in the lifetime of this Government, on my watch.”

Provisional figures published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) show that 257,000 adult apprenticeships were delivered in 2010/11 - well above its 203,000 target.

A BIS spokesman confirmed that the figures included learners who had previously been on the Train to Gain scheme, which officially closes at the end of this month.

Mr Hayes said: “The numbers I wasn’t aware of, but I knew … it was going well.”

He praised colleges for picking up the Government’s targets “extremely quickly”.

“They were always well equipped to do that, but they have never had the opportunity before.

“I always felt there was a latent demand, which is now manifest, with the sharp change in numbers.

“National Apprenticeship Week was bigger than it’s ever been before; it has had more coverage than it ever got before.

“I have worked hard to change the status of apprenticeships and raise the profile of apprenticeships,” he added.

Mr Hayes said he would make further announcements about developing level 5 advanced apprenticeships “to sit comfortably alongside higher education”, as well as the “access to apprenticeships” scheme as a “vehicle for re- engagement” for learners without the necessary entry qualifications.

The minister added that his ambition was to make apprenticeships an “option of choice”, with the same profile as traditional academic qualifications such as A-levels, GCSEs and degrees.

The Government is also looking to increase the number of apprenticeships in fields which have not proved popular, such as advanced manufacturing, creative industries and information systems technology.

Lynne Sedgmore, executive director of the 157 Group of large FE colleges, said: “The significant growth in apprenticeships is testament to the success of colleges and employers working together to help young people and adults gain the skills that are in demand and prepare them for the jobs that will help boost our economy. These figures offer real cause for celebration.”

Cameron pledges £25m to fund 10,000 new apprenticeships...

The Prime Minister has pledged £25million to create 10,000 apprenticeships, as fears grow that more will have to be done to kick-start the economy.

Mr Cameron yesterday admitted families are suffering ‘difficult times’ as he announced the effort to help young people get better quality training.

Ministers are expecting grim growth figures on Tuesday, which are predicted to show the economy slowing again.

David Cameron with an experimental car built by apprentices at Jaguar Land Rover's research and development and corporate headquarters in Gaydon

When Mr Cameron returns from his summer holiday, he will attempt to show that he is doing more to boost growth.

The money announced yesterday will increase the number of apprenticeships in hi-tech industries such as advanced manufacturing, information technology and engineering.

Small and medium-sized companies will be able to bid for the money to hire apprentices.

Candidates will get a basic qualification and then continue to train until they have a higher level apprenticeship that is the equivalent of a degree.

Mr Cameron made the announcement as he visited the Jaguar Land Rover plant in the West Midlands.

The Prime Minister talks with apprentices on Friday. When he returns from his summer holiday, he will attempt to show that he is doing more to boost growth

He said: ‘I am determined that this Government should be the most  pro-business there has been, with one purpose and one goal – creating jobs and growth.

‘It is therefore crucial that we build up the skills in this country that our businesses need and that will fuel long-term growth.

‘That is why, despite some  difficult decisions on spending, we are increasing the number of apprenticeships to record levels.

‘We are investing in apprenticeships because we know they work.

‘They are good for people who want to get ahead, good for business and good for the country.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2017853/David-Cameron-pledges-25m-fund-10-000-new-apprenticeships.html#ixzz1SxHSaMHs

Paul ' s Comments on Budget makes the news.