Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 795: 3rd May 2025 | Where's the Joined-Up Skills Plan for Our Future?

Hachette Learning sponsors this week’s Soundbite

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.

Soundbite Sponsor Spotlight

Hachette Learning, formerly Hodder Education, is applying our experience and expertise as the leading FE and Vocational publisher to personalised online resources for educators and learners. We’re bridging industry skills gaps, connecting theory to practice and putting learners first.

Our five Boost Learning products, covering Hospitality & Catering, Construction, BSE, Engineering, and Childcare & Education, feature interactive content that supports City & Guilds, NCFE and T Levels qualifications. They empower blended learning, help educators track progress and save time with ready-to-use worksheets, videos, quizzes and reports. All in one place, accessible in college, in the workplace and at home.

Gavin’s Reflective Perspective

I was asked to give a talk at the AO Forum in London this week. I didn't want to give the usual opening keynote. So if you weren't there, here's my 'Gavin takeaway' (and it isn't sushi or a tasty curry... which are two firm favs)!

Lost in the Noise of the Constant Shower of Policy Jigsaw Pieces

Thanks to everyone who feedback on my AO Forum speech, basically I wanted to look up. Look to the horizon and not get lost in the shower of skills noise of all these policy jigsaw pieces... often a policy piece is a concept, or a part-policy with no substance... yet... eg More to come on Level 7, more to come on the Flexible Skills and Growth Levy... I could go on, as a result there are SO many announcements affecting the FE and Skills Sector... without actual detail (eg what is included, what is flexible... What's happening with Level 7)? Personally, I think cutting all Level 7 is a MASSIVE mistake, the Levy was based on employer choice, and employers VALUE higher level Apprenticeships. This thinking on 'giving radical surgery' or cutting Level 7, was also debated at the Lifelong Education Institutes event in London! .. and the audience voted and agreed, leave the Apprenticeship system as is, well alone from drastic change, like cutting Level 7. So I am not alone in this thinking!

I also unpacked the massive digital skills gap and the growth in technology at the other end, and how this is transforming skills (I even discussed the skills implications of co-bots). Whilst we have massive gaps, like nearly 1M NEETs, 7.5M adults without basic Digital Skills and then the AI Gender skills gap. Something needs to change. I also explored what long term intersectional and interdisciplinary support is needed for NEETs.

Rethinking the Levy with all job roles in mind!

Kate Shoesmith's article this week on suggested reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy absolutely nails it, and really interestingly looks at the Levy with more flexible jobs in mind (which since before the Levy was created, has really grown to be more and more of the norm)... check out LinkedIn for the amount of 'fractional' jobs for some Execs, let alone other roles in hospitality, retail, care etc.

Educational Excellence in the Spotlight

Meanwhile, Dr. Steven Spence from The Sheffield College gave us a brilliant take on developing teachers through communities of practice.

Thinking of Puzzles... Roberto Hortal'sarticle on Why AI Alone Won’t Fix EdTech and Educators Are The Missing Piece in the Puzzle. Spoiler alert: AI alone won't fix education's problems! Educators are the MISSING piece. Interestingly, Roberto highlighted that the global education market is on track to hit $10 trillion by 2030. Yet, EdTech investment has dropped to its lowest since 2014, with just $2.4 billion recorded in 2024. If education is thriving, why is confidence in EdTech fading? Check out Roberto's article for more on this!

Sector News Roundup

Interesting sector, borderline industrial strategy news, £4.75 million is heading into the semi-conductor industry for skills shortages, smart move given how that space is a major growth area, especially if things get more hectic around Taiwan in the near future (who are the global leaders in Semi-conductors).

NCFE's National Education Awards finalists are out too, with so much amazing talent being recognised.

Thank you once again to Hachette for Sponsoring FE Soundbite this week. If you missed this week's Empowering FE Learning with Hachette - looking at Construction skills... You missed out!

Epic Exclusives Thought Leadership Articles

Our Top 3 Thought Leadership Articles This Week

The most popular Exclusive this week was: Fixing the Apprenticeship Levy is a Big Ask, but Finally a Real Chance to Get it Right By Kate Shoesmith, Deputy Chief Executive, Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)

In Second place was: Why AI Alone Won’t Fix EdTech and Educators Are The Missing Piece in the Puzzle By Roberto Hortal, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Wall Street English

Developing Teachers Through Communities of Practice By Dr Steven Spence, Assistant Principal for Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Innovation at The Sheffield College

This week, we also had some other Epic Exclusives!

Where is the Interdisciplinary and Intersectionality Skills Plan for Change? By Gavin O’Meara, CEO and Founder of FE News and FE Careers

In Praise of Systems Thinking: What are “Systems Thinking” and “System Dynamics”? Written by Dennis Sherwood

Flexible Solutions Offer Light at the end of the Skills Gap By Julie Deeley, director of operations at EN:Able Futures, part of Efficiency North

What’s New in the World of FE?

Announcements

£4.75m Boost to Address Skills Gap in Growing Semi-conductor Industry By Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)

£5m to Support Students with Additional Learning Needs in FE By Welsh Government

Finalists Announced for NCFE’s National Education Awards By NCFE

Reports

Government’s 6,500-Teacher Pledge Faces Uncertainties as Student Numbers Surge By the National Audit Office (NAO)

Businesses want University Researchers to Plug Skills Gaps in AI By University of Exeter

Livestreams

Empowering FE Learning – Construction and BSE Learning

Voices

Getting Britain Building: Structural Timber Businesses are Investing in the High-Skill Jobs of the Future By Andrew Orriss, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Structural Timber Association

In The Know

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Next week we have two cool live streams on their way:

Episode 4 of Future skills - looking at Construction is live at 10am on Wednesday 7th May.

On Thursday 8th May at 10am, we have Episode 3 of Empowering FE Learning and looking at Engineering!

Berlin Baby:

On Monday and Tuesday I am off to Berlin for the Global Solutions Summit 2025. It looks like a very cool summit with a global perspective on skills, socio-economic and much more. It is basically a fringe, G20 think tank event, I am really excited to see how this all works and I will hopefully be able to share more on this next week.

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