Soundbite Edition 739 – Will the Neurodivergent Teaching and Training Bill long-term impact FE?
Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 739, March 30th, 2024: Will the Neurodivergent Teaching and Training Bill long-term impact FE?
This is the weekly e-newsletter and e-journal by FE News: ISSN 2732-4095. We know life is busy, so here is a snapshot of the latest announcements and epic thought leadership articles, from sector influencers and cool thinkers across FE and Skills this week on FE News
Gavin’s Reflective Perspective
Happy Easter everyone. So it has been a busy week. I was really sad to hear that Rob Halfon stepped down as Skills Minister. What a legacy this guy leaves. Social mobility (or as Rob called the Ladder of Opportunity), a Champion for Skills and Apprenticeships. Not many people achieve this… say their name… and people say the word Champion. Thank you Rob for all of your support, getting in the trenches and fighting the good fight. There are big shoes to fill with Rob moving on… Luke Hall was appointed as the Minister of State in the Department for Education the evening that Rob Halfon stepped down.. which made me ask… so is Luke Hall potentially our new Skills Minister?
FANTASTIC: ‘Neurodivergent Conditions Screening, Teaching and Training Bill’… is a go! The ‘Neurodivergent Conditions Screening, Teaching and Training Bill’ is officially being introduced on the 23rd of April.
So continuing to think about Ex Skills Ministers… Matt Hancock has been the face and ‘front man’ to get this over the line. This is massive news. I think the fact we are able to support Neurodiversity early, we will have less people having a terrible time at school. I think this will in later years reap major rewards and encourage more lifelong learning, upskilling and encourage things like the ladder of opportunity. For me, this is amazing! So that is for me a real Easter gift, this is a major win for learners, for educators and the UK.
So last week… we had the big announcement on incentives for more Young people and SMEs to engage with Apprenticeships.. now also with the fantastic news on Neurodiversity and inclusion.. and starting early… these two things have been a personal campaign that I wanted FE News to get behind to encourage experts who really know what they are doing and could come up with solutions to fix this. These last two weeks feels like a bit like a sector wide mission complete… or a major stage in that mission. So congrats to all of those who have fought the good fight in this. We should celebrate these two major league wins. For some people this has been their lifelong career goal to help transform this, you know who you are and thank you for encouraging this to happen. We at FE News salute you!
Also… exciting developments in the background… the new FE Careers job site is taking shape rapidly… and my word you are going to love it. Loads of cool new features, ways to engage… it would be a FE News and FE Careers if it didn’t have a bit of cutting edge innovation! So watch this space.
Exclusive Thought Leadership
Inclusive professionalism in FE and Skills: social mobility | Part 1 By Dr Vikki Smith & Ellisha Soanes. Here they discuss social mobility and its importance in fostering inclusion in the Further Education (FE) and Skills sector.
Career Catch: Attracting A New Generation Of Workers To The Fishing Industry By Phil Haslam, Managing Director, North Atlantic Fishing Company. Here he discusses how The UK fishing industry is currently struggling to attract new workers, but how a combination of education and training can help persuade young people of the value of a career within the sector.
Securing the Classroom: Cyber Threats Facing Education By Kory Daniels, Chief Information Security Officer, Trustwave. Here Kory explores the unique cybersecurity risks faced by educational institutions, such as ransomware attacks and phishing, and offers solutions on how institutions can avoid this.
How the cost-of-living crisis is transforming the university landscape By Vivi Friedgut, Blackbullion. In this article she explores the new findings regarding the cost of living crisis and where this leaves UK universities.
Thought Leadership Voices
Decentralised Science (DeSci) and Its Transformative Impact on Skills, Education, and Work By Richard Foster-Fletcher, Chair of Morality and Knowledge in Artificial Intelligence (MKAI)
Empowering Women in STEM: Breaking Barriers and Driving Innovation in Cosmetic Sciences By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera
Data Privacy in Further Education Podcast Series – Episode 4: AI, Leadership, and the Future of Further Education By Richard Foster-Fletcher
Should we be worried about the long-term future of London’s universities? By Leo Hanna, UK Executive Vice President of TechnologyOne
News from Within the FE Sector
On Tuesday, in a surprising and saddening move, Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP for Harlow and current Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, has announced that he will be standing down at the next general election.
After this, speculation is growing that Luke Hall MP may be appointed as his successor after being appointed as the Minister of State in the Department for Education.
New FE Careers Coming Soon!
Exciting changes are on the horizon for FE Careers, our dedicated job board for FE. We’ve been working diligently behind the scenes to bring you a completely revamped and enhanced user experience.
The new design will offer a more intuitive, user-friendly experience for both job seekers and employers. Enhanced features like advanced search filters and one-click applications will make finding your dream role or sourcing top talent a breeze. The streamlined interface will allow for effortless navigation and faster loading times.
We’re putting the final touches on the new FE Careers, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Get ready for a job board that’s as sleek as it is functional, coming your way next month!
Stay tuned for more updates as we count down to the launch of the new and improved FE Careers. We’re confident you’ll love the changes we’ve made to better serve the FE community!
In the know
Watch out for cool content next week, with articles on the way from Tom Bewick, Anthony Painter and Munira Wilson…
Gavin O’Meara, CEO and Founder of FE News and FE Careers
Holly Wheaton, Platform Growth Manager, FE News
Alex Anderson, Junior Digital Project Manager, FE News
Danny O’Meara, Junior Digital Project Manager, FE News
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