• The Register of Training Organisations - closing date for submission of financial statements is Friday 10 February at 5pm
• £250 million to boost business investment in skills – prospectus published
• New Residential Access Fund within Discretionary Learner Support
• Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 to 24 year-olds
• Communicating the Skills Investment Strategy
• Consultation on a proposed college merger – Easton College and Otley College

Update - Issue 94

• Introduction of the 12 month minimum duration for Apprenticeships

• Discretionary Learner Support 2010/11 over delivery funding
• English and Maths qualifications for adults
• Communicating the Skills Investment Strategy
• Learner Equality Research – Religion and Belief
• Book now for the 2012 FE Data Conference – 28 March
• Calling all providers – get involved in the biggest national skills event in the UK: WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show
• Showcase the talents of your learners through WorldSkills UK national competitions
• Free online seminars – Supporting independent training providers in collaborative contracting

Update - Issue 95

• Funding Calculation 2011/12
• Reminder: R06 ILR return due 6 February 2012
• Communicating the Skills Investment Strategy
• FE Data Management - Recording nested qualifications in the Individualised Learner Record
• Next Step webchat goes live
• FE Choices: Publication of Outputs
• New equality reports
• Statistical First Release

Update - Issue 93

• Geoff Russell to retire

• Further Education Public Information framework – Employer Satisfaction Survey 2011/12
• The Agency’s new Register of Training Organisations
• Apprenticeship vacancies – Recording successful candidates
• Apprenticeship vacancies – Vacancy closing dates
• Learner Register Organisation Portal Enhancement
• Applications welcomed for training managers/ experts for WorldSkills 2013
• Adult Learners Week 2012 – Final opportunity for ESF award nominations
• Equalities in Practice workshops

Update - Issue 91

• Funding Guidance 2011/12 – Adult Skills Budget Funding Claims and Audit Returns
• Discretionary Learner Support second in-year forecast – 2011/12
• Consultation on a proposed college merger – Southwark College and Lewisham College
• Communicating the Skills Investment Strategy
• Take part in National Apprenticeship Week 6 – 12 February
• Unit Delivery Trials 2011/12 – Additional briefing document available soon
• Applications welcomed for training managers for WorldSkills 2013 – closing date 27 January!

Update - Issue 92

In this issue:

• The National Career Guidance Shows
• Learner Information Suite V19.02 due for release soon
• End-of-Year 2010/11 Employer Responsive Qualification Success Rate and Minimum Levels of Performance reports to be published
• Knighthood for information authority Chair
• Applications welcomed for Training Managers/ Experts for WorldSkills 2013
• Data Self-Assessment Tool – future development sessions
• Supporting independent training providers in collaborative contracting – online seminars
   

Update - Issue 90

Course Title : CIEH Health & Safety Course

Date : 25th October 2011

Duration : 9.45 am to 4.00 pm

Venue : Bicester, Oxfordshire

Refreshments : teas and coffees will be available and a light lunch will be served.

Learning outcomes

•             Understanding the principles of health and safety and accident prevention

•             Ability to contribute to any health and safety management system

•             Understand the importance of risk assessment as a technique for accident and ill health prevention

•             Understand the responsibilities placed on employers and employees

•             Understand the hazard, risk and main causes of harm to workers (manual handling, hazardous substances, exposure to noise and vibration)

•             Understand the importance of following systems, procedures and rules

•             Understand how individual action can reduce risks to health and safety

•             Appreciate how workplace equipment and task design affect health and safety

Assessment : Multiple choice (30 questions)

Please see attached Job Description, if you are interested please send a CV and covering letter to:

Sarah Jarvis

Care Training Solutions Centre Manager

Care Training Solutions Ltd

Suite One

25 Bankside

Kidlington Oxon OX5 1J

Article 1 Academies Payment Dates

Article 2 ILR guidance for OLASS providers

Article 3 16-19 Bursary Fund – Arrangement for requests for additional funding

Article 4 Youth and Adult discretionary Learner Support MI 2010/11

Article 5 16-19 Transitional Arrangements Guide for 2011/12 Updated

Article 6 Education Maintenance Allowance take-up report July 2011

Article 7 WorldSkills Premiere Experience (WSPE)

The Communications toolkit attached will provide you with the all the resources available to help you demonstrate your support for Team UK by doing the following:

-        Setting up a page on your website

-        Promoting their stories in your newsletters, internal bulletins and your intranet

-        Displaying information in your reception areas / outside your buildings, etc

-        Posting messages of support on the Team UK website

-        Following @wskillsteamuk on Twitter and liking the Team UK Facebook page which will be updated daily with news and content throughout Competition week

All the resources you need can be found in Team UK toolkit on our website.

Are you a learning provider or employer of Team UK?

If so, get the recognition you rightly deserve by completing the attached case study form and send back to me asap. Your case study will feature on the Team UK website and in the Team UK brochure! All provider and employer profiles will be published before the competition starts on 5 October. 

If you need any assistance in promoting Team UK, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Thanks in advance for your support and we look forward to seeing you at WorldSkills London 2011, 5 – 8 October at ExCeL London!

Team_UK_College_questionnaire.doc

Team_UK_Communications_Toolkit.pdf

Team_UK_Employer_questionnaire.doc

Charlotte Francis
Marketing Executive (Competitions and Awards)

Skills Funding Agency
3rd Floor, 36 Queen Street
London
EC4R 1BN

T: 020 7429 2805

M: 07825 341 522
E: charlotte.francis@skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk
W: www.ukskills.org.uk

Dear colleagues

Welcome back to the start of the new term. I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable summer break.

The JISC RSC South East is delighted to announce that the much acclaimed Hi5 eLearning Awards will be running once again this academic year and we are currently accepting submissions (see details below).

Now in its fourth year, the Hi5 Awards scheme sets out to identify, promote and reward the very best e-learning practice taking place in the South East and provides an invaluable framework for raising the profile of ILT within provider organisations as well as cascading best practice throughout the region.

Everything you need to know can be found on our

2012 Hi5 eLearning Awards  Application Launch Pad

including: how to enter; schedule and criteria, background information; links to previous submissions and ceremonies; and, of course, access to the online submission form.

Key dates for your diary

Early Bird Submission Deadline                                                  7^th November 2011

Final Submission Deadline                                                            16^th December 2011

Hi5 Ceremony & Dinner                                                                6^th March 2012

If you have any queries not addressed in the Hi5 Launch Pad, please use the following contact details:

Tel: 01227 827091 (Help Desk)

Email: hi5awards@kent.ac.uk

Or contact me directly.

We wish you the very best of luck with your submissions and look forward to another successful Hi5.

Kindest regards

Owen Hanmer
Information Officer

JISC Regional Support Centre South East
D Block, Keynes College,
University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NP

Email:  o.hanmer@kent.ac.uk
Tel: 01227 824850

Link to article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/01/prejudice-dismissing-apprenticeships

The article highlights the need for more apprenticeships as part of a broad solution to developing “able, confident young people” with the learning and skills required to develop themselves and to drive the economy forward. All “motivated young people” should have the opportunity to realise their ambitions and they require better and earlier guidance to support them to make informed choices. The piece highlights the challenges in London with an economy made up of largely small and medium sized employers, and how apprenticeships can provide a solution to their skills needs.

Please find attached the fourth  edition of  our new Southern England Group newsletter which we are distributing to key regional partners in the South East &South West . We are keen to ensure that you are kept up to date with the welfare reform agenda and other key changes within Jobcentre Plus, therefore we will be producing this newsletter on a regular basis.  This will include key Jobcentre Plus messages and information we hope you will find useful.

We are keen to get your feedback on the updates we have produced so far, therefore we will be contacting you separately in the next few weeks in order  to get your views and comments.

Please feel free to cascade to any interested parties or other colleagues in your organisation.

Kind Regards

Gaynor Clarke 

Community 10000 Volunteer Manager South West | Jobcentre Plus | Southern England Group Partnership Team | 1st Floor Brendon House | High St | Taunton | TA1 3NY | 01823 349514 |  07747 631149 | www.dwp.gov.uk