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Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 866: 26th September 2026. Where Will All the Work Experience Placements Come From?
This is the weekly e-newsletter and e-journal by FE News: ISSN 2732-4095. We know life is busy, so here's a snapshot of the latest announcements and epic thought leadership articles from sector influencers and thought leaders across FE and Skills this week on FE News.
Gavin’s Reflective Perspective
We are in 'conference season', so this week felt a bit like people were cracking out the reports and announcements before the Labour Party conference. I was expecting the Milburn review in September, the latest is the autumn, now maybe it will 'drop' at the Labour Party Conference, but I doubt it. As Milburn is talking at least three different fringe events, I think it will be later in the autumn (as if it were dropping at the conference, I would have expected one appearance). But hey... what do I know.
So I am off to the Labour Party conference and I feel like a kid in a sweet shop with the fringe events... some are opening, some are invite-only, one is a secret location like a 90s rave (if I turn up with glowsticks and my Dad dancing I definitely ain't cool enough)... so let's see what shakes out of the Labour Party Conference.
Vocational GCSEs from Sept 2029
The big announcement this week was about Vocational GCSEs from September 2029. There is a lot of change and rebranding in the qualification space... VGCSEs, V Levels, Apprenticeship reforms, there is so much happening. Will learners, parents, employers be confused by the new quals, maybe... I think it is all down to the implementation and marketing plan! I recorded a short form video (a short) on my reflections on Vocational GCSE's here.
National Mission on Work Experience
In the announcement.. There was another big announcement about work experience placements. Now 200,000 of them! That is 10 times the number of T Level work experience placements (as there were 19,665 T Level results on the August results day), so that is a significant number. Seeing as there are 702,000 permanent job vacancies in the last quarter in total according to ONS ... and I know work experience is different.. but that is a significant number! Number10North will be leading on the work experience placements... so they are taking it seriously... but it will need a national mission to drum up 200,000 work experience placements! Does this include the 11,000 retail vacancies announced last week? The Opening Shift is 11,000 early on and 100,000 by the end of this Parliament.. it is a lot of work experience placements!
Employers Being Asked To Commit To Young People
Alan Milburn has written to 100 of the top employers in the country, to ask them to commit to creating vacancies for young people. In a campaign called First Chance... so far Royal Mail, Octopus Energy, Natwest, Lloyds and Greene King have committed... it is great that Government is realising.. we can have the best education system in the world, the greatest skills system and employability programmes, but if we don't have the vacancies... then what is the point (we mentioned this in Soundbite last week)! I also recorded a short on First Chance as well. Let me know what you think about the Gavin FE Shorts... I am experimenting... do you like them or not?
Will employers be given more effective support to create all these opportunities and vacancies?
The Government has obviously picked up the need for employer engagement... which is interesting, but will they provide the support and incentives that employers need to make an impactful change to creating more vacancies? As employers need help!
I hope you enjoy FE Soundbite this week.. and if you are at the Labour Party Conference, say hi!
Epic Exclusives Thought Leadership Articles
Firstly, V Levels Have Potential, but Colleges Need Time to Get Them Right By Dana Dabbous, Education and Policy Senior Researcher at the Edge Foundation
Secondly, Why Every Placement Needs a Design, not just a Plan? By Aminul Islam, Lecturer and Researcher, Northumbria University London and Afzal Sayed Munna, Senior Lecturer and Accreditation Lead, University of Hull London
Finally, Bringing Back Clever; Can we Seize the Opportunity for Bold Educational Reform? By Martin Cumella, Co-Founder and Editor of the Skills and Growth Initiative
This week, we also had some other Epic Exclusives!
Sometimes it’s not a Bad Horse, Sometimes it’s a Zebra By Mitzi Danielson-Kaslik MICA CG, Risk, Governance & Compliance
Who’s Supposed to catch a Generation that Outsources its Thinking? By Lou Doyle, Director and Co-Founder of SDN Mesma Group
Agreed Is Not Done: What Six Tribunal Cases Teach FE Leaders About Reasonable Adjustments By Nathan Whitbread, the Neurodivergent Coach
What’s New in the World of FE?
Announcements
First Employers Back Alan Milburn’s ‘First Chance’ Campaign for Young People By the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
New Vocational GCSEs to Replace Technical Awards By the Department for Education (DfE)
MOD and Industry Pledge 50,000 Defence Opportunities a Year for Young People by 2035 By the Ministry of Defence
Free SEND Training Materials Released for Schools and Colleges With £200m Backing By the Department for Education (DfE)
Reports
Pearson research warns of a ‘triple capability gap’ emerging as AI adoption outpaces education and training in skilled occupations By Pearson
Association for Project Management urges Government and industry to use major national projects to create new opportunities for NEETs and early-career talent By the Association for Project Management
Voices
Beyond AI: What the Labour Market Really Needs By Alex Harding, Head of IT Services at Runshaw College
By Danny O’Meara, Operations Manager, FE News and | 