Dear partner agency, Distribution (in alphabetical order): Advice Centres For Avon (ACFA), Bristol City Council, Bristol Housing Partnership, DWP Advice Agencies Forum, DWP Bristol Partnership Directory, Golden Key & Ways-to-Work Network. On the 8th December I wrote on behalf of Bristol City Council & DWP to provide an update on Universal Credit and our intent to design a UC Partner Briefing Programme. I write today to announce the completion of that work and attach a copy of the programme. Preparing for Universal Credit: Partner Briefing Programme (Bristol City) I am pleased to announce that a local partnership approach has been agreed between Advice Centres For Avon (ACFA), Bri

Employer perspectives survey 2016 - ESFA Findings from the 2016 employer perspectives survey, including interviews with over 18,000 employers across the UK. Apprenticeships and traineeships: January 2018 Statistics covering apprenticeships and traineeships for the year-to-date (August to October 2017). Apprenticeship and levy statistics: January 2018 Statistics covering latest monthly apprenticeship starts, apprenticeship service registrations and commitments and apprenticeship levy declared information

Good afternoon, I am very excited to announce that the South West Apprenticeship Ambassador Network will be supporting 3 regional events during National Apprenticeship Week 2018. Please see details below and the attached flyer! Please forward out to your contacts, networks and providers; the more the merrier! The first event to kick off the week will be on Monday 5th March with a large scale photoshoot for all existing apprentices. This will take place at The Rec in Bath from 10am until 11am. All Apprentices will need to book here: Photoshoot booking form . The second event will be a Graduation Ceremony for everyone who has completed their apprenticeships in the last 12 months. This

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership has today published a major report on how the region can close the education and skills attainment gap with the south.

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister launches new project to increase underrepresented groups taking apprenticeships Five major cities across England have pledged to work with the government to drive up apprenticeships among underrepresented groups and ensure they are accessible to individuals from all backgrounds. The ‘5 Cities Project’, launched by the Department for Education today, will see the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) work with partners in the Greater Manchester, London, Bristol, Birmingham and Leicester areas to promote the take-up of apprenticeships among under-represented groups, including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. K

How will the Baker Clause affect FE? On 2nd January 2018, the Baker Clause came into effect, meaning schools must open their doors to FE providers for the first time. The legislation was proposed by the former education secretary Lord Baker last year, and has now been written into law. The Baker Clause means schools must now allow vocational training and apprenticeship providers to advertise their courses to pupils aged 13-18. When the clause was first introduced, it was thought that schools wouldn’t be pleased. For a long time, schools have used grades and university places to measure success, which is one of the reasons academia was always pushed. The Baker Clause move is a huge step for F

Strict rules that apprenticeships cannot involve qualifications are set to be overturned next week, FE Week understands, potentially unsticking a series of standards held up for years by the ban. The Institute for Apprenticeships is expected to announce that qualifications, such as technical certificates that show evidence of knowledge, will be considered in the future. Both existing qualifications and those in development will be covered in the rule change, representing a significant U-turn on previous guidance. It’s part of the IfA’s promise to make its process and policies “faster and better”, announced in December after skills minister Anne Milton admitted that “some oil on the wheels” w

The UK Government’s apprenticeships reform and the introduction of the apprenticeship levy has meant fundamental shifts to the funding model with new implications for how employers interact with the apprenticeship system. But how have employers responded to these changes since the levy’s rollout in April 2017? see survey results here VERY IMPORTANT - GDPR - Are you ready and further resource Practical resources and advice to help you prepare for the new GDPR legislation, which replaces the Data Protection Act and will come into effect in May 2018. Preparing for GDPR Assistance for colleges, universities and other higher education institutions in understanding some of the key changes Data

Any more takers for the Peer to Peer Workshop Friday 9 February (1/2 day) Free workshop book here This half day workshop is for staff who wish to engage in ‘peer to peer support’ activities with other providers to share good practice or benchmark provision. Led by Edd Brown, this session will provide attendees with different models of peer to peer support and collaborative learning. This will include how to structure a review of a provider. Email from Nigel Anson at the ESFA - Dates to note ESFA customer experience – Interviews between 26 Feb to 9 Mar. If you are interested in being interviewed or joining the online group please email: josie.appleby@education.gov.uk. National Appr