Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Ian Pretty
Focusing on further education is the key to combating the skills shortage
Official statistics are telling us what we already know to be true: there are fewer people with the skills we need for the jobs we have. UK jobs market figures show unemployment has dropped to levels not seen since the mid-1970s. According to the Office for National Statistics, the increase in economic inactivity – the reason for low levels of unemployment – is because of ill-health and an exodus of workers aged between 50 and 64 years.
Higher Technical Education
Higher Technical Education refers to specialised education and training programs that are typically offered at a higher level than traditional academic education but below the level of a full-fledged university degree. Higher Technical Education programs offer individuals with the opportunity to acquire advanced technical and vocational skills in various sectors.
FE has always led the way in HTE, Government must now recognise it is best placed to take it forward – FE News
Level 4-5 Higher Technical Education (HTE), soon tobe more widely recognised outside the realm of sector jargon as HTQs, remains a hot topic in the education policy. These qualifications are consistently touted by Government as vital to addressing long-term declines in skills and productivity and as enablers of levelling up. This rhetoric is then usually coupled with how these qualifications can grow and flourish at traditional HE providers and through Institutes of Technology.
Why FE should lead on High Technical Qualifications – FE News
The Government’s long-awaited response to the Augar review is finally here and includes a consultation on the introduction of a lifelong loan entitlement for all courses Level 4-6. This is particularly relevant to Higher Technical Education (HTE) courses (Many of which are soon to be re-branded under the Government-backed banner of HTQs), as many leaners at this level do not yet benefit from any kind of loan entitlement to ease the financial burden of study.
Why FE should lead on High Technical Qualifications – FE News
The Government’s long-awaited response to the Augar review is finally here and includes a consultation on the introduction of a lifelong loan entitlement for all courses Level 4-6. This is particularly relevant to Higher Technical Education (HTE) courses (Many of which are soon to be re-branded under the Government-backed banner of HTQs), as many leaners at this level do not yet benefit from any kind of loan entitlement to ease the financial burden of study.
Colleges must be at the heart of our national recovery to Build Back Better
Further Education News The FE News Channel gives you the latest education news and updates on emerging education strategies and the #FutureofEducation and the #FutureofWork. Providing trustworthy and positive Further Education news and views since 2003, we are a digital news channel with a mixture of written word articles, podcasts and videos.
College leadership: Calling on the next generation of principals
Leading in further education is bound up with challenges and uncertainties. Even before the disruption posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the requirements of being a college principal were varied and complex. College leaders must navigate an evolving tranche of regulations, contend with acute competition and manage significant financial pressures. Such pressures may leave capable and experienced leaders wondering whether the "top job" is really worth it.
How Skills and Jobs Hubs in Colleges can boost opportunity
Further Education News The FE News Channel gives you the latest education news and updates on emerging education strategies and the #FutureofEducation and the #FutureofWork. Providing trustworthy and positive Further Education news and views since 2003, we are a digital news channel with a mixture of written word articles, podcasts and videos.
The system of adult education in the UK is in urgent need of reform
Further Education News The FE News Channel gives you the latest education news and updates on emerging education strategies and the #FutureofEducation and the #FutureofWork. Providing trustworthy and positive Further Education news and views since 2003, we are a digital news channel with a mixture of written word articles, podcasts and videos.
How to design a successful retraining scheme after coronavirus
In the past week or so, the Collab Group of colleges has set out an offer to government to support economic recovery. Colleges can provide a range of services that will be vital to see a recovery of the economy. Our colleges are ready to support the set-up of “skills and jobs” hubs, and our colleges can play a role in providing advice and information to signpost unemployed people to opportunities that exist within local labour markets.
Youth unemployment: how skills and jobs hubs could work
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Community Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes Colleges have the capacity and willingness to host skills and jobs hubs onsite – the government must say yes, writes Ian Pretty Ian Pretty 20th July 2020 12:23 We are not in normal times, that much is clear.
Why colleges need to be a partner in economic recovery
The economic disruption caused by Covid-19 has few precedents in living memory. We could be living through the most severe economic downturn in a generation, with things only likely to get more challenging before they get better. Ensuring an equitable recovery of job opportunities stands as one of the most urgent challenges facing the UK economy. Colleges have a critical role to play in addressing this crisis.
Why we must avoid the 'one size fits all' approach to FE
Covid-19 has changed the way colleges work – and so will the upcoming FE white paper, writes Ian Pretty The past few months have been game-changing with colleges forced to modify almost everything they do in the wake of Covid-19. But more change appears to be on the horizon in the form of a new FE white paper. We know that there are several issues that the white paper should address.
Colleges in a post covid world - The rise of the essential worker
In 1968 sanitation workers across New York City went on strike. Frustrated by the precariousness of their employment terms and stagnating level of take-home pay, for nine days workers across the city refused to carry out their routine collections and garbage began to accumulate in rotting heaps on the sidewalks. The consequences of such action were predictable.
If the Government is serious about levelling up, this budget needs to deliver for FE
Further Education in 2020: An Agenda for Change It was on; then speculation mounted it would be called off - but as far as we know the government will deliver its budget on March 11th. Perhaps on this day, we will find out whether the governments commitments to “levelling up” is merely a gimmicky soundbite, or whether there is something more substantive behind it.
Colleges need more than money
This election comes at a critical time for further education, writes Ian Pretty. We must press for a commitment to transform the sector that goes well beyond simple funding promises. There is little doubt that this general election promises to be among the most unpredictable in modern history. We cannot with any degree of certainty predict what the result will be, but it is evident from the pronouncements of the major political parties that significant public sector investment is on the table.
Colleges: 'Indispensable civic institutions' need support
The further education sector is no stranger to change. Over the last few years, we have seen a spate of reforms that have had significant impacts on colleges of all shapes and sizes. Both land-based colleges and large further education colleges are having to grapple with challenging financial positions and a suite of new reforms. Perhaps the biggest challenge for colleges is ensuring financial sustainability. In real terms, colleges have seen their funding cut year on year for over five years.
Revealed: The biggest colleges in England
The largest college group is once again LTE Group, with an overall income in 2017-18 of more than £183 million. The group includes The Manchester College and independent training providers Total People and Novus. The second biggest college group is NCG, which in 2017-18 had a total income of more than £158 million.
The Drive For Quality In #Apprenticeships
Ensuring quality is an essential component of creating a truly world class apprenticeship system. The process of the reforms to apprenticeships were intended to embed quality at every level of delivery. High quality apprenticeships will give apprentices confidence that the skills they are learning will allow them to succeed in their future careers. However, in many ways the UK apprenticeship system falls behind the curve.
Three ways to optimise apprenticeships to help support the needs of the economy
How can apprenticeships support the economy? The current apprenticeship system is not optimised to meet the needs of employers or the wider economy. Employers have come to view the apprenticeship system as overly complex. The 2018 CBI and Pearson Skills survey found that 59% of respondents experienced difficulty in recruiting apprentices. The recently published report on apprenticeships by the National Audit Office demonstrates the precarious position of our apprenticeship system.
FE leaders challenge ‘silence’ on LGBT inclusion
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Blendspace Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Community Groups Followers Following Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments My products Tes for schools Work for Tes Senior figures from across education and business met in Parliament to discuss LGBT inclusivity in the skills sector By George Ryan 20 February 2019 Senior figures from across education and business met in Parliament to discuss...
'We have to widen access to apprenticeships'
We must raise apprenticeships participation at all levels so they are seen as equal to academic routes, says Ian Pretty Apprenticeships have a unique value proposition. They give people the opportunity to learn new skills while earning a wage. Apprenticeships should appeal to many young people, but they are not as popular as they could be.
'Small changes will make the difference on apprenticeships'
The apprenticeship system is currently going through massive change. With the introduction of the apprenticeship levy, employer interest and public awareness around apprenticeships is growing. However, while the apprenticeship system has greatly improved, it needs to develop further to make apprenticeships work better for employers, learners and providers. The value of apprenticeships as a basic social good is beyond debate, especially considering the challenges that the UK now faces.
London’s biggest college group agrees 5% pay deal
London’s biggest college group has agreed to pay some of its staff an extra 5 per cent in 2018-19. The pay deal at Capital City College Group, which will be back-dated to September, means staff earning under £55,000, who will receive the extra 5 per cent, could have up to an extra £130 per month in their pay packets. Those earning between £56,000 and £76,000 will earn an extra 3 per cent while those earning £76,000 or more will not get a pay increase this year.
Are T Levels the Answer to Employability in a Changing Economy?
Our system of technical education is not working for employers or for learners. We have a system that is difficult to navigate and qualifications that do not train people in the skills that employers are looking for. That is why the reforms to turn 13,000+ post-16 technical courses into the 15 broad T-Level routes is so important . We need a system that is accessible, supports progression and leads people to stable careers. The need for an improved system of technical education is a pressing one.
Are T Levels the Answer to Employability in a Changing Economy?
Our system of technical education is not working for employers or for learners. We have a system that is difficult to navigate and qualifications that do not train people in the skills that employers are looking for. That is why the reforms to turn 13,000+ post-16 technical courses into the 15 broad T-Level routes is so important . We need a system that is accessible, supports progression and leads people to stable careers. The need for an improved system of technical education is a pressing one.
Do colleges still need Jisc?
Jisc has served FE colleges well for 25 years – from the infancy of the world wide web to the explosion of the internet across all aspects of society. As we know, Jisc’s services to FE are currently the focus of discussion, since the government announced its intention to introduce a subscription-based model. It’s not that the services were ever provided "free". Successive government departments responsible for FE provided a block grant that covered the cost centrally.
Let's get the transition period for T levels right
A crucial element to secure the success of T levels will be the proposed transition period – but exactly what it will look like continues to remain a mystery. The Sainsbury panel recognised that not all 16-year-olds will be ready for a level 3 course or employment at 16, so specific provision will need to be designed to support those who leave school with little or no qualifications.
T-levels could be a game-changer - but we need answers
The current system of technical education, with over 13,000 post-16 technical courses, is notoriously difficult to navigate. Any attempt to simplify this overcrowded system into 15 broad occupational pathways is welcome. But there is still a range of questions about how this new system will work. What will the elusive transition period look like? How can providers and employers gear up to deliver substantial work experience placements?
It’s not 1992 any more: the GFE has had its day
The need to ensure that the UK has a highly skilled workforce is vital. The UK economy faces considerable challenges, from low productivity to the uncertainty posed by Brexit. The government recognises the pivotal role that reforms to technical and professional education will play in creating a dynamic, modern, 21st-century workforce.
Institutes of Technology are the right idea; now they must deliver
Today’s announcement confirms that technical education should be at the heart of the UK’s modern industrial strategy. This is crucial, as only with an adequate skills strategy can we respond to the needs of industry at the same time as we help equip learners with the skills in demand from local employers.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Ian
Contact Ian, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack