National Careers Service launched

Its been in the news a little while, but finally last week saw the launch of the new National Careers Service outlined in the report ‘The Right Advice at the Right Time’ released by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Want to read the lowdown of what this offers? Read on below >>

1. A focus on providing “authoritative information on learning and work, and professional advice on how to use it” linked to a dynamic and increasingly diverse job market.

2. Is available online, on the phone and in person with access to one on one sessions for over 19s.  In particular online tools will enable customers to explore their interests, assess their skills and develop a plan for finding the right job.

3. Helping to develop a “flourishing market in careers services” by bringing together education institutions and local authorities complemented by a developed commercial market providing products and services.

4. Giving schools a legal duty to provide independent careers guidance for their pupils from September 2012.

5. Raising professional standards of those providing careers advice from April 2012 with the issuing of new guidelines and a register of advisors.

Changing the focus of delivery?

Last Thursday (29th March 2012), the Chief Executive of the Skills Funding Agency, Geoff Russell, released a statement highlighting how they are changing the way in which the investment in skills and training is directed. This will mean that the SFA will:

1. Take into account the views of both learners and employers when directing investment
2. Allow greater flexibility for providers allowing them to be more dynamic and effective in responding to the needs of the market and learners.
3. Focus on skills outcomes when directing funding.

To read the statement click here >>

Developing strong partnerships

We recognise the importance of developing strong partnerships within the sector to ensure the training we offer is highly relevant to employers and provides learners with the best possible chance to develop their knowledge in the sector.

That is why we at KCC Works are really pleased to be working with local Creative & Cultural organisations ranging from smaller dedicated companies such as Deep Recording Studios just over the road from our Maxilla Centre in W10, to world famous galleries like the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington.

How working in partnership helps learners and partners alike:

• Ensures KCC can keep abreast of the latest developments in the sector, and enables our learning offer to be highly responsive.
• Enables employers and partners at the heart of the sector to be at the centre of shaping learning.
• Fully prepares learners for the needs of the sector, through effective pre-employment training which is tailored to the needs of employers.

The Budget 2012

It has been a few days since the Budget, but what if anything in it will have an impact on the creative industries?

“We now want to help them [young people] get a loan to start their own business”

A £10 million fund being made available by the Government to support entrepreneurship among young people. Certainly an exciting idea, but as yet the Treasury has not released any further details.

Tax credit protection in the video games, annimation and high end TV production industries

The most direct link to the Creative & Cultural Sectors, and building on the tax credit which helped to generate more than £1 billion of film production investment in the UK last year.

“We are also passing on our low interest rates to small businesses through the National Loan Guarantee Scheme”

Introduced on 20th March 2012, designed to help small business – very highly represented in the Creative & Cultural sectors – to access finance.
Click here for more details >>

Doubling the Enterprise Management Incentive Scheme grant limit to £250,000

These are tax advantage share options designed to help small and higher risk companies recurit and retain employees who have the skills to help them grow and succeed.
Click here for more details >>

“We’re offering a record number of apprenticeships and our Youth Contract comes into force next month”

The youth contract is due to start in April 2012, and expected to provide a wide range of oportunities for approximately half a million young people.

Click here for more details >>

Inspiring growth in the Creative Industries?

“The essential need is for a skills base, and that starts with education. The Creative Industries need creative people, but creativity needs to be taught and nurtured”

Baroness Bonham-Carter, House of Lords, November 2011.

Particularly now as we approach the Summer, there are a wealth of arts festivals and projects happening right over the length and breadth of the UK ranging from the Cultural Olympiad to Radio 1′s Hackney Weekend. These events will no doubt attract and inspire thousands of people to want to work in the Creative Industries, but can the industries cope with it, and are we providing education fit for purpose to prepare young people for a career in this dynamic and ever changing sector?

The recent Cultural Education in England review published by the Department for Eduation highlighted the importance of “broad cultural education for all children” to ensure we turn out young people “who are not only academically able, but also have a fully-rounded appreciation of the world around them”.

We’ve spoken about this before and will reiterate it again that strong IAG and close partnership working with employers is essential if we are to turn out people with the right skills. We know that organisations in the Creative Industries are already doing great things to inspire and engage young people, and we in the FE sector need to make the most of this and embed their expertise in the IAG stage to help provide the best support and advice to get people into the careers they want to be in.

Comments and thoughts below!

Welcome to the new KCC Works industry blog!

This is the place to come for all the latest Apprenticeship and training-related news, including snippets from industry and education…basically anything interesting and informative from the zeitgeist of KCC Works.

If you haven’t heard of us before, KCC Works provide a range of training, including Apprenticeships, and are part of Kensington and Chelsea College. We come into contact with a long list of different sectors – business, the arts, housing, events and promotion (among others) – so this blog will be home to a whole range of comment, information, and best practice in training and staff development.

Thanks for reading, and remember to get in touch if you have any ideas, events or other content that you might like us to feature.

The KCC Works Team

Partnerships, Networks and Collaboration…

We’re just back from attending the National Skills Academy, Annual Industry Conference, which took place at the Lowry in Manchester on 6th and 7th March 2012.

Some key figures from education and industry shared their thoughts on the future of Apprenticeships and Further Education, as well as the training needs of the creative and cultural industries.

The key messages are below, and a link to the full conference write-up.

KEY MESSAGES

• The Government is committed to continuing to invest in apprenticeships, particularly higher level apprenticeships. This posed several interesting points surrounding linking through to HE, allowing “colleges to develop their own form of higher education”.
• Changes in the nature of FE organisation headed up by the Government are hoped to give greater flexibility to institutions to manage delivery, as a consequence this will also give greater accountability to institutions also.
• The conference recognised the high numbers (70%) of those employed in the creative and cultural sector were employed on a contract basis – it was suggested that the apprenticeship offer needs to reflect this, or that different means of employing people (i.e. through agencies) should be maximised.
• As in all sectors, but particularly for a dynamic and constantly changing area such as the Cultural and Creative industries; the needs of employers must be integrated, and education establishments must be able to respond to changing need as and when it arises.

To read the full write up of the conference please click here >>