Learning from Kintsugi: Can We Repair Our ‘Broken Skills’ System with Gold?| FE Soundbite 781

Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 781: 25th January 2025 | Learning from Kintsugi: Can We Repair Our ‘Broken Skills’ System with Gold?| FE Soundbite 781
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
NEETs, Menopause and Economic Inactivity: Are We Missing the Connection?
The ONS Labour Market figures this week have got me thinking… For 18 consecutive months, we’ve had over 2.7 million people economically inactive due to long-term sickness. This isn’t just a statistic – it’s a wake-up call about how we support people into work.
Here’s where it gets really interesting with my quick Gavin Maths… We have 900,000 women who have left their jobs due to menopause (as highlighted in Laura Gordon’s article), and we’ve got 1.25 million young people who are NEET (up 29% since the pandemic according to Stephen Evans at L&W). These aren’t just parallel challenges – they’re interconnected pieces of our skills and employment system.
Do we need to be thinking in more Interconnected way about our Skills and Employment System?
Career Connect’s fascinating research showed that 88% of NEETs either have diagnosed ADHD or show traits of it. Even more striking – 60% of girls without an existing diagnosis were highly likely to have ADHD. Are we really supporting our young people effectively if we’re missing these crucial diagnoses that could be barriers to employment?
So Why Are We Creating False Battles in Apprenticeships?
Thomas Burton’s article really resonated with me this week. Why are we creating this artificial battle between entry-level and degree apprenticeships? We’ve got record numbers of economically inactive people, yet we’re debating whether to restrict access to advanced level apprenticeships? As Tom points out – this isn’t about choosing between young people and career changers – it’s about creating a system that works for everyone.
Lizzie Crowley’s CIPD research shows that 41% of young people are now economically inactive (compared to 26% in 1992), and the proportion of 16-17 year olds combining education with work has plummeted from 42% in 1997 to just 20% now. Shouldn’t we be focusing on creating more opportunities for everyone rather than restricting them?
Kintsugi Skills: Finding Beauty in Our Imperfect Skills System
I’ve been thinking about Kintsugi and our Skills System a lot recently.
Kintsugi is the Japanese art where broken pottery is repaired with golden glue, creating something even more beautiful than before. The word kintsugi translates to “joining with gold”, which is kind of cool. I am a bit fed up of hearing (and also thinking) our skills system is a bit broken. The figures above are frustrating, (especially when you remember that this isn’t just numbers, but actual people we are talking about).
The more I have thought about this, the more I have been thinking more deeply about the concept of Wabi-sabi, which is finding beauty in the imperfection.
Maybe we need to reframe our thinking of our skills system (and I am talking to myself here)? Instead of seeing the gaps between different parts as breaks that need fixing, what if we saw them as opportunities to create stronger connections? Inlaid with Gold? The skills system, like life and work… are interconnected.
How can we embrace this interconnectedness, using golden threads to highlight these connections and transform our system into something even more beautiful than before – just as Kintsugi does with broken pottery?
I hope you enjoy this week’s FE Soundbite.
Epic Exclusives Thought Leadership Articles
Our Top 3 Thought Leadership Articles This Week
Firstly, The False Narrative Between Entry-level and Degree-level Apprenticeships Is a Distraction from the Real Task at Hand By Thomas Burton, Head of Apprenticeship Delivery, York St John University
Secondly, Rethinking Post-18 Education By Stuart Martin, the Founder of George Angus Consulting
Finally, EpAO Business Planning in 2025: Part 2: Ten Policy Areas that will Shape your Business By Jacqui Molkenthin, Specialist support for End-point Assessment Organisations
This week, we also had some other Epic Exclusives!
Supporting Young People to Develop the Skills they Need to Thrive By Lizzie Crowley, Senior Skills Adviser at the CIPD
The Unique Mental Health Needs of Career Changers and Mature Students in FE By Diana Munoz, Student Services and Welfare at Oxford Business College
Creating a Path to Success: Three Ways to Empower Women with Menopause in their Career Growth By Laura Gordon, Chair at Vistage UK
What’s New in the World of FE?
Announcement
Jennifer Coupland to move on from IfATE to take up role at LSBU Group By The Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IFATE)
Scottish Graduate Visa Proposed
Keep Britain Working Review Announced by DWP
Research
Career Connect Research Reveals High Levels of ADHD Among Young People who are NEET By Career Connect
Voices
Tackling the Challenge that is Youth Unemployment By Anna Gration is the Skills and Employment Partnership Director at West London Business
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We hope you enjoy FE Soundbite this week. Stay curious, keep innovating, and let’s shake up the world of FE together – catch you next week!
By Danny O’Meara, Digital Project Manager, FE News
By Gavin O’Meara, CEO and Founder, FE News and FE Careers
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