Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a safe, healthy and happy 2021.
From all at Assessment Services Ltd.

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and a safe, healthy and happy 2021.
From all at Assessment Services Ltd.
This event is organised by dmh associates
Optimal engagement results from aligning challenge and capacity, both individual and contextual.
2pm UK time, Thursday January 14, 2021
Optimal engagement results from aligning challenge and capacity, both individual and contextual. In good times, and in bad, increased challenge combined with diminished capacity creates an environment for disengagement to fester, at work, at home, and in life. Join Drs. Neault & Pickerell, as they position career engagement as life engagement and share tips and strategies for optimizing engagement across all life’s roles.
Learning objectives
Speakers
Dr. Deirdre Pickerell, CPHR, GCDF-I, Dean of Student Success at Yorkville University/Toronto Film School and Vice-President, Life Strategies Ltd. has been honoured with top awards in career development and human resources management. She is co-author of the career engagement model and has dedicated her career to helping individuals create opportunities to be fully engaged across work/life roles.
Dr. Roberta Borgen (Neault), CCC, CCDP, GCDF-I, President, Life Strategies Ltd., Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia, and Project Director for the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF) is co-developer of the career engagement model and an award-winning career development thought leader in Canada and internationally. She speaks, consults, and writes extensively on career-related topics.
Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.
ESFA Update further education: 16 December 2020
ESFA Update academies: 16 December 2020
ESFA Update local authorities: 16 December 2020
Christmas and New Year
This will be the last edition of ESFA Update for 2020. Season’s greetings to those celebrating the festive and new year period.
Article | Title |
---|---|
Action | how to claim exceptional learning support (ELS) for 2020 to 2021 |
Information | review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England – process for removing funding approval from qualifications with low and no enrolments |
Information | extending Exam Support Service provision for apprenticeship FSQs |
Information | procurement opportunity launching for adult education budget (AEB) contracts for services |
Information | Further Education Capital Allocation |
Information | update to the Integrated Financial Model for Colleges guidance |
Information | update on the level of funding for the Level 3 adult offer |
Information | update to the Charity Governance Code |
Information | new traineeships resources published |
Your feedback | traineeships insight survey for training providers and employers |
Information | WorldSkills UK transfers winning formula with launch of Skills Development Hub |
Article | Title |
---|---|
Information | academies land and buildings collection tool – the form is now live |
Information | update to the academy revenue funding page on GOV.UK |
Information | risk protection arrangement – 2021 to 2022 price confirmation |
Information | academies finance directors’ forum – have your say |
Article | Title |
---|---|
Action | how to claim exceptional learning support (ELS) for 2020 to 2021 |
Information | risk protection arrangement – 2021 to 2022 price confirmation |
Information | procurement opportunity launching for adult education budget (AEB) contracts for services |
Information | update on the level of funding for the Level 3 adult offer |
Published 16 December 2020
CareersCraft is an exciting and innovative new education resource available on Minecraft Education Edition.
The CareersCraft world enables players to develop their future career skills through a series of inspiring lesson plans, all linked to the new Curriculum for Wales. Players will explore some of Wales’ iconic landmarks and discover more about Welsh heritage while they learn.
Players will be asked to complete a range of different challenges and activities at each landmark including:
Welsh Government has made Minecraft Education Edition available to all schools and learners in Wales. CareersCraft is available on all devices on Minecraft Education Edition.
Download our CareersCraft world for Minecraft Education Edition.
Please note: You will need Minecraft Education Edition installed on your device in order to be able to open the CareersCraft world download file.
The game allows students to prepare for the future workplace, building skills like collaboration, teamwork, communication and critical thinking. It also gives players freedom to experiment and encourages creativity.
Downloadable lesson plans will also be available on both Minecraft Education and Hwb.
Tenby in CareersCraft on Minecraft
Caernarfon Castle in CareersCraft on Minecraft
The CareersCraft world will soon be available publicly on an Xbox, Playstation, Switch, and Windows 10.
A demo edition is also available on the Minecraft Java Edition. The demo edition of CareersCraft is available on desktop only (Windows, Mac and Linux)
The following was published by Education and Employers.
We are publishing a new report entitled ‘The Value of Volunteering – volunteering in education and productivity in work’.
The report will be launched at a webinar on the 8th January. Register now.
Education Volunteering – ‘one of the best investments employers can make’
The new research, in collaboration with CIPD, reveals the positive value that organisations can realise by supporting their staff to undertake volunteering in the UK’s schools and colleges.
The report’s findings show significant benefits of educational volunteering, including improved communication and influencing skills; an improved sense of mission and loyalty at work; and greater staff productivity. These organisational benefits sit alongside the personal benefits realised by individuals themselves, with evidence showing volunteering can improve staff well-being.
And the volunteers surveyed felt that they made a difference to young people. This tallies with research Education and Employers has done with young people over the last ten years which shows that encounters with volunteers from the world of work helps to: Improve academic attainment at GCSE, Increase young people’s earning potential; Broaden young peoples’ horizons and raise their aspirations; Excite children about subjects, increasing motivation, confidence and attitude to learning; Challenge gender and social stereotypes; and reduce the likelihood of young people becoming NEET.
The webinar will begin with the unveiling of the main findings, and will be followed by a panel Q&A session with contributions from:
We hope you can join us for this special event at the start of the New Year – which has got to be better than this one!
COVID-19 and national lockdowns have stalled progress for working women as they have had to adapt their working lives more than men.
Research by the Women’s Budget Group (WBG) and Nottingham University Business School found that working class women and female small employers and self-employed workers are doing more unpaid work throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Thirty-three per cent of employed women with children at home adapted their working patterns, while 16% reduced their hours in order to spend time on childcare and home-schooling during the first lockdown.
This compares with 25% of similar men who adapted working patterns and 9% who reduced hours.
The research also found that small employers and self-employed women were more likely to do most routine housework than any other social group.
Clare Lyonette, professor at Warwick Institute for Employment Research presented the new report, Carrying the work burden of Covid-19 : working class women in the UK, at a WBG webinar (14 December).
She said: “We found that 19% of working-class women carried out over 21 hours a week worth of household chores such as ironing, washing up and cleaning.”
The findings are part of a new report which looks at the difficulties experienced by working class women throughout the pandemic.
A further 23% of small employers/self-employed women carried out household chores, compared to 9% of managerial/professional women.
“We found that 73% were always or usually doing the cooking, 76% the laundry, 68% the grocery shopping and 71% the cleaning,” added Lyonette.
In September, employed women in a couple were always or usually responsible for laundry in 68% of couples, cleaning in 62%, cooking in 57% and food shopping in 54%.
Report co-author Tracey Warren added: “It has been working-class women who have had to become adaptable during times of crisis. Very few working-class women had access to good quality flexible working arrangements.”
Angela O’Hagan, senior lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences in the Glasgow School for Business and Society WBG member said inequality in unpaid work is at the heart of the inequality that women face in the labour market.
She said: “This reduces the amount of time that women have for paid work which means that women work fewer hours and as a result, earn less.”
The research surveyed employed women in heterosexual relationships aged between 18 and 65.
11 December 2020 Roundup of recent DWP announcements |
Update on the Lifetime Skills Guarantee As part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, from April 2021, adults without A-Levels or equivalent will be eligible to study for a free Level 3 qualification to help boost their job prospects and get ahead in work. There are almost 400 courses on offer including; construction, agriculture, digital and health and social care. As an alternative, Skills Bootcamps offer flexible courses of just 12-16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. These are currently available in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, the Liverpool City Region, the Leeds City Region, Heart of the Southwest, and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. People who live in one of these areas, can find out more on their local authority website. In 2021, the Skills Bootcamps will expand into new regions with more course subjects on offer. Find out more |
Personal Independence Payment form change On 11 January the Personal Independence Payment change of circumstances form PIP2(UI) (How your disability affects you) will be replaced with a new form called the AR1UI (How your disability affects you). The new form aligns the change of circumstances process with the award review process, providing a consistent approach when customers report changes in their needs. Our aim is to reduce the time it takes for customers to complete the form, so we have made it shorter, requiring them to provide less information Customers should continue to return any outstanding PIP2(UI) forms as directed in their letter. Further Information can be found here. |
New scheme to support vulnerable people The Government is inviting local organisations to form partnerships and bid for a share of the funding to better support those who experience multiple disadvantages including homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse, and contact with the criminal justice system. Find out more |
Advice on what the Brexit Transition will mean for benefits and State Pensions Check the living in guides for your host country for important information on benefits, pensions, passports, healthcare, driving licences and pets. They also give advice on how to register for the necessary residency status in each host country and how to register for updates on the Brexit transition. Please share this information via your channels. |
Last night (10th December 2020) the DWP’s Tier one CAEHRS Framework Providers received information relating to stage one of the ITT relating to the Restart Programme.
As we understand it, the full specification of the ITT will be shared in a virtual data room, expected to go live on Wednesday 16 December. Once we have this, both organisations will share with members and the wider sector.
Further information
The Restart Programme was announced on 25 November in the SR20 as part of a package of £3.7 billion additional funding allocated to support frontline services and to enable DWP to deliver on July’s Plan for Jobs to support people back into work. The Restart programme will provide intensive and tailored support to over 1 million unemployed people and help them find work in England and Wales, with approximately £400million investment in 2021-22. The first step in a £2.9 billion three-year programme.
The DWP’s CAEHRS Framework
ERSA will be facilitating market engagement information and networking activity to support the employability sector.
We will be in touch with more information as soon as it is available.
Supplier security accreditation and assurances survey
DWP is looking to understand the current supplier security accreditation and assurances held via audit reports. This is to inform how it fits with the new DWP security policies and how we can future proof against more sophisticated security and cyber threats going forward.
The survey is now live, will remain open until Friday 8 January and should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. One response per organisation please.
https://getinvolved.dwp.gov.uk/++preview++/03-finance/16a54076/
If you have issues completing the survey, please contact Katherine.harrison@dwp.gov.uk.
Can’t attend on the day? Don’t worry if you can’t attend on the day, please book a place using the button above and we will ensure you receive a copy of the recording and slides. |
Vacancies information |
Applications will be opening on 14th December 2020 for the Degree Economist Apprenticeship Programme with the Government Economic Service. With 70+ vacancies available, this is a brilliant opportunity to work in a central government department or agency on some of the most important social, environmental and economic issues our country faces. You can also visit the GES Vacancy Snapshot profile for a deeper look into the scheme and to begin preparing for the application process. |
Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Our Future Derby team.
Thanks to the wonders of technology we have had a fantastic month delivering activities in schools joined virtually by volunteers from the world of work.
We are continuing to deliver activities throughout December so if you have not yet re-scheduled your activities then please get in touch with
Ifza (ifzashakoor@bydesign-group.co.uk) or
Lauren (laurencroll@bydesign-group.co.uk).
Activities can be delivered in person or virtually!
Click the button to read about the virtual events delivered at Becket Primary this month Case study >
Planning Meetings for Our Future Derby 2021
As previously announced, we are delighted that Our Future Derby will continue with a new programme running from January to July 2021.
Lauren and Ifza, our School Engagement Co-ordinators are contacting each school directly to plan activities from January that are tailored to your school’s needs.
These planning meetings will be taking place via Teams so look out for an e-mail
from us to book yours.
Bring Festive Cheer into your Classroom Virtually!
We know that this continues to be an incredibly challenging time for schools and having listened to teachers, we know that traditional festive activities may be looking very different this year. Teachers have asked us if Primary Futures could help bring some festive cheer into the classroom virtually, by taking a peek behind the scenes of some of the jobs and the work that goes into creating holiday magic.
We don’t know if Santa or the elves have to quarantine this year, but we do know how many jobs it takes to produce festive wrapping paper, who grows the Christmas tree for 10 Downing Street, who prepares the turkey for the Royal Family and who looks after people that may not have a warm meal at Christmas.
The ‘What’s My Line? Festive Special’ half-hour video for KS1 and KS2 will showcase some of the jobs that get seasonally busy this time of the year, helping to further inspire children’s career-relating learning – with a festive twist.
Register here to receive the video and accompanying learning resource before December, with an opportunity for pupils to enter our ‘festive jobs’ drawing competition.
The latest resource added to the Our Future Derby resources page is a reflective learning log that allows children to demonstrate and record their careers related learning and achievements.
By using the learning log alongside all careers activities, every learner is encouraged and supported to set their sights high and broaden their ambitions.
Learners undertake a journey of reflection and take ownership of, and responsibility for, their own learning and personal development. A log of their reflections are recorded by the child to support their knowledge and understanding of the wide range of jobs they have learnt about and can aspire to.
By providing and recognising careers related learning experiences, children can use the learning log to independently self-assess and self-reflect on the key skills they are developing.
There are 2 versions of the learning log, one for KS1 and one for KS2 pupils. Both learning logs are designed in such a way that the log grows with them, continually capturing learning and achievements in exciting ways to demonstrate and celebrate the skills and knowledge they are building whilst making the explicit link between what they learn at school and their future career success.
Please follow the link below to the password protected page where all Our Future Derby schools can access the programme’s resources. Read more >
Please enter: OFDResources236 as the password.
STEM Courses with 2 whole-class kits delivered for free
Rolls Royce is supporting the development of STEM education in classrooms across Derbyshire by funding two teachers from your school to attend the funded online Primary Engineer Structures and Mechanisms with Basic Electrics course and kit to enable the delivery of the project.
Limited places available so reserve your place now. More information >
The Widening Access team at the University of Derby offers Year 5 and Year 6 classes the opportunity to visit the University on their Primary Explorers Days in May-June 2021. Pupils will have the chance to explore the facilities at the University, meet current students and take part exciting activities to introduce them to the range of courses available at university. These visits are free to any primary school. Click below to find out more and book your place: Book her
The Widening Access team have also created an interactive presentation to provide primary students with the opportunity to explore some of the facilities at the University using our virtual tours.
Download the presentation and access videos to help your students discover more about the courses on offer at university: Download here
Save the Dates!
Throughout 2021, we will be delivering a series of CPD webinars to ensure teachers and senior leaders in schools are supported to embed careers related learning in the curriculum through the sharing of resources, case studies and best practise. These webinars will also provide schools with an opportunity to showcase their development and share their learning with other primary schools in Derby.
Please save these dates to your diaries and use these links to register:
CPD Webinar: Digital Futures
Wednesday 27th January, 3.30pm – 4.20pm
Raise children’s aspirations through virtual employer encounters with volunteers working in IT and beyond Register
CPD Webinar: Step into the NHS
Thursday 25th February, 3.30pm – 4.20pm
Broaden horizons by showing the huge range of jobs helping people from the health and social care sector. Register
CPD Webinar: Building Futures
Tuesday 23rd March, 3.30pm – 4.20pm
Motivate children by linking STEM with construction jobs. Register
Webinar: Our Future Derby – Celebrating, Sharing and Exploring Career-Related Learning Success
Tuesday 9 February, 3:20pm – 4:50pm
As the first year (or so!) of the Our Future Derby project comes to an end we’d like to thank both schools and employers who have worked incredibly hard through challenging circumstances to provide primary school children in Derby with fantastic experiences of the world of work, helping to broaden horizons and raise aspirations to improve children’s life chances. As part of this we are hosting a virtual event to share experiences of the journey so far and feedback on the significant and positive findings from the impact assessment.
We want Derby to become a national example of best practice and this is a chance for teachers, employers and volunteers to come together to share and explore take-away learning for how we can strengthen and shape career-related learning now and in the future. Employers in Derby are also encouraged to attend and listen to volunteers talk about the benefits of employer encounters to inspire the future talent of Derby. Register