The Advanced British Standard - full steam ahead or apply the ABS breaks? FE Soundbite Edition 715

Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 715, 7th October 2023. The Advanced British Standard - full steam ahead or put on the ABS breaks? FE Soundbite Edition 715

This is the weekly e-newsletter and e-journal brought to you 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.

So Advanced British Standard.. or ABS.. apply the breaks or full steam ahead?

So Rishi... during a week of celebrating T Levels... announced the Advanced British Standard.. merging the very best from A Levels and T Levels. So here is the initial sector reaction to the news of the launch of the Advanced British Standard.

We also had a great article from Dennis Sherwood: The Advanced British Standard – A huge missed opportunity and Jackie Grubb from City College Plymouth.

So what do you think? All change? Or is this not such a great plan for T Levels and A Levels? Is it a good thing.. is it a bad thing... is it a good thing beyond the initial upfront funding and recruitment incentives (which is a nice sweetener, lets be honest)... what is it like longer term? I'd be interested to know. Personally, I think blending vocational and academic, is a great thing... but.... with my marketing head on.. naming something ABS. Isn't great. After a few days, the name still doesn't trip off the tongue, and will there be confusion? A Levels, are well known. Do employers and parents know what a T Level is? Launching a new qual in a week to celebrate T Levels... isn't great optics either for future T Level numbers! I think we need to mix stuff up for the current and future world of work... but it needs to be thought through, particularly the marketing and everyone together and behind it.

20 Voices

So FE News is now 20 years old... so we have extended 20 Voices, as we have had so much positive feedback from everyone about the short video series from experts across the sector.. so we've extended it to enable more than just 20 voices, it is to celebrate 20 years... such is the richness of the eco-system, 20 Voices were just not enough! This week we had:

Louise Karwowski, [Cognassist].. with a cool #FEMugShot entry.

Richard Marsh, [NEOM].. with the coolest Red Sea background!

Lou Mycroft

Mark Cameron, [The 5% Club]

Claire Riddle, [Pearson]

FE Collective countdown

So the FE Collective is our first ever event at FE News... and it is kicking off on the 16th Oct (with a networking BBQ) and the main gathering on the 17th... so it is now just over a week away!

So to celebrate.. .and whet your appetite... we have some of the 'scene setters' share some of their thoughts on the key topics (AI, Investing in the sector of the future and Progression)...

Paul Grainger: AI and the implications for Further Education at the FE Collective

Gray Mytton: FE Collective: NCFE’s AI in Assessment Journey

Vikki Liogier: AI and Literacies at the FE Collective

Elena Magrini: It’s a digital world – the rise of AI in the labour market – at the FE Collective

So if you want to join us at the FE Collective... act fast... the tickets sales are shutting down on Monday! As we have to allocate people to the working groups in the afternoon (as this is all about collaborative working). Here is a 25% off voucher code GET25 - get in there when you can as this is shutting down on Monday!

Dr Katerina Kolyva and Professor Jo Maher wrote a cool piece (Katerina is at the FE Collective as well): Inclusive leadership and culture in the further education and skills sector.