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Apprenticeship inequality gets worse
Today the latest quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR) was published, which contains full year FE participation data for 2009/10 in England (http://tinyurl.com/5wh7muv). Amongst all the usual figures, what surprised me was that whilst on average White learners make up 80% of all participants, Apprentices were the highest with 92% White (just 7% recorded as BME). This is up from 88.6% in 2008/09 (see NAS article: http://tinyurl.com/6ebn32l)

In addition to surprising me, I recalled the last AoC Annual Conference, at which the 2011 World Skills Team was introduced. From memory they were all or nearly all White, which also seems to be the case for the 2009 team (see picture below).



I’d be keen to know why the percentage of BME apprentices is so low and falling, and what the National Apprenticeship Service and World Skills UK is doing about it.

Skills Funding Agency Entitlements explained
In a gallant attempt to explain ever changing and complicated policies for Entitlement to full-funding or co-funding, the SFA have published a table: http://tinyurl.com/4galrt5

I’ll also clarify the key 2011/12 policies for TtG (or ‘Small and Medium Enterprise Lifelong Learning’ as it is to be renamed) here, as there has been some uncertainly:

~ First Full Level 2 (all age) Entitlement continues to be fully-funded regardless of employer size
~ First Full Level 3 (19-24 at start date) Entitlement continues to be fully-funded regardless of employer size
~ Non-first Level 3 starts will not be funded, regardless of employer size (carry-in instalments continue as co-funded)
~ Non-first Level 2 starts will only be funded for SMEs (fewer than 250 employees), and as now at a co-funded level
~ First full Level 2 learners enrolling on a Level 3 or 4 ('jumpers') remain fully-funded at any age and any size of employer
~ Literacy and Numeracy continues to be full-funded
~ ESOL starts not to be funded (carry-in instalments continue as co-funded)

The Spring College Data Conference ~ limited places left
A limited number of places are available for the Spring College Data Conference in London on the 3rd March 2011. Find out more: http://tinyurl.com/CDC-03-03-11

Apprenticeship Funding Summit ~ book now
Are you looking for all the definitive answers as to how Apprenticeships will be funded in 2011/12 (and SASE, MCL and TtG policy? Receive a £50 early bird discount by booking before Friday 4th February (reducing the cost to £145 + VAT per delegate and with no limit per organisation). Find out more and book you place here: http://tinyurl.com/6cbn6mw

Apprenticeship software ~ sponsored topic
To register your interest in email contact and a possible product demonstration visit: http://tinyurl.com/45htddv

College media and PR training
Places are still available at this one-off College Media and PR Conference on the 8th March 2011 in London: http://tinyurl.com/5wtv86h . Please pass on the link to your Marketing and PR Manager

Geoff Russell’s “ex-racehorse called skills”
The CEO of the SFA has begun writing a monthly article for FEnews.co.uk. This month the theme is equestrian, with lots of references to a horse called skills (presumably earning a 1.92 programme weighting). After last months article about Chinese mythology, and now this one about a “three-day eventer”, I will leave it to your judgement as to whether you think he actually writes it himself…. http://tinyurl.com/4owatpk