This new report investigates the current state of Functional Skills Qualifications (FSQs) in English and maths in the UK following their reform in 2019.

Conducted by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) and The University of Warwick Institute of Employment Research (IER), and supported by the Gatsby Foundation and the Edge Foundation, the study explores whether FSQs are still serving their intended purpose as practical, real world alternatives to GCSEs that focus on developing essential life and work skills.

Terence Hogarth made presentations on the role of employers skills surveys to the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO) training course on 2nd December and on ‘Delivering VET – The Way Forward’ at Cedefop’s Future of VET conference on 6th December.

The Director of IER, Chris Warhurst, has been invited to address the annual Ofqual Conference on 28 February. This year’s conference focuses on vocational and technical education. Chris will talk about the first findings and policy implications from IER’s new VETrack tracking study of further education students and apprentices funded by the Edge Foundation. The report is now available, see:

Warhust, C., Yerushalmi, E and Poole, S. (2016). VETrack: Longitudinal Study of Learners in Vocational Education Wave 1 Report. Report for Edge Foundation and City & Guilds. London: Edge Foundation.

Findings from IER’'s ‘Call for Evidence’, Town Hall meetings and interviews with senior leaders highlight a stated danger that national policy for adult education could disappear by 2020. Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE delivered a presentation to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Education this week. She has been formally invited to review and discuss the current policy and funding context, including key developments since July 2016. The APPG Chair, Chi Onwurah MP and Vice Chairs, Baroness Goudie and Peter Bottomley MP will jointly host the event. For more on the project.

Hughes, D., Adriaanse, K. and Barnes, S-A. (2016) Adult Education: Too important to be left to chance. London: All Party Parliamentary Group for Adult Education.

Lynn Gambin will be chairing the second session at a Policy-UK forum on 10th March 2016 at the Royal Society of Chemistry, London. The forum, 'Creating a generaton of Apprentices - funding, quality and a route to employment', is scheduled to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week 2016 and will provide delegates with an opportunity to hear the latest progress and policy priorities aimed at ensuring young people have the skills required by employers. With the Government committed to creating 3 million new apprenticeships by 2020, this for will consider how these new apprenticeships will be funded, what can be done to ensure their quality, particularly since concerns have been raised by Ofsted about the number of apprenticeships being awarded for ‘low-level’ skills (examples include tea making and cleaning floors), as well as how to encourage more employers to provide training and qualifications for young people, including the success of Trailblazer groups. Delegates will also discuss the availability of Higher Level apprenticeships and how their status can be improved and recognised as an alternative to university, as well as assessing whether the post-apprenticeship route into employment is adequately defined and supported.

IER's Lynn Gambin will chair the second half of the event which includes sessions entitled 'Are apprenticeships delivering for young people?' and 'What employers want - do apprenticeships address the skills shortage?'.

Details of the event can be found at here.