In this edition of Business Update, our round-up of business-critical news and information from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA):

1. Chancellor summer economic update
2. The forgotten 50%: Why further education is vital to economic recovery

Please share Business Update with your colleagues who might like to register for web alerts. This will notify them by email when we add new editions of Business Update to GOV.UK.

To access support, you can search for apprenticeships on GOV.UK or call 08000 150 600. To find out more about how employers are using apprenticeships to benefit their business, visit our Hire an Apprentice page and our YouTube channel.

1. Chancellor summer economic update

Yesterday (Wednesday 8 July) Chancellor Rishi Sunak gave a speech to introduce the Plan for Jobs, the Government’s second phase in the economic response to coronavirus.

A total of £1.6 billion will be invested in scaling up apprenticeships, traineeships and employment support schemes to help people looking for a job. Young people, amongst the worst hit by the crisis, will benefit from this. Investment includes:

1.1 Apprenticeships

A new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, from 1st August 2020 to 31st January 2021.

These payments will be in addition to the existing £1,000 payment for new 16-18 year-old apprentices, and those aged under 25 with an education, health and care plan (EHC).

1.2 Traineeships

An additional £111 million this year for traineeships in England, enough to triple participation in traineeships. The government will fund employers who provide trainees with work experience at a rate of £1,000 per trainee and expand eligibility for traineeships to those with Level 3 qualifications and below.

1.3 National Careers Service

An additional £32 million funding over the next two years for the National Careers Service so that 269,000 more people in England can receive personalised advice on training and work.

1.4 Job retention

A Job Retention Bonus – a one-off payment of £1,000 to UK employers for every furloughed employee who remains continuously employed through to the end of January 2021.

Construction talent A Construction Talent Retention Scheme to support the redeployment of workers at risk of redundancy and help retain construction skills.

Other announcements include:

• £101 million for the 2020-21 academic year to give all 18-19 year olds in England the opportunity to study Level 2 and 3 courses when there are not employment opportunities available to them.
• building on the £1.5 billion commitment for FE capital funding made at Budget 2020, the government will bring forward £200 million to 2020-21 to support colleges to carry out urgent and essential maintenance projects.
• additional funding of £560 million for schools in England to improve the condition of their buildings and estates in 2020 to 2021.
• a school rebuilding programme of over £1 billion to fund the first 50 projects of a new, ten-year programme in England. (These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and further detail on future waves will be announced at the Comprehensive Spending Review. Construction on the first sites will begin in September 2021.)

Read the Chancellor’s ‘A plan for jobs’ speech in full

Supporting and related documents can be downloaded on GOV.UK.

There will be a third phase that will focus on rebuilding, with a Budget and Spending Review to be held in the autumn.

We are finalising details with the Treasury and more detailed guidance for providers and employers is due in the first half of next week (week commencing Monday 13 July). We appreciate everything employers, providers and the sector is doing at this time.

2. The forgotten 50% – why FE is vital to economic recovery

Today, Thursday 9 July, Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson, shared a virtual speech ‘The forgotten 50%: Why further education is vital to economic recovery’.

In his address, SoS Williamson sets out the need for a fundamental reform and rebalancing toward further and technical education vital if our country is to recover after coronavirus and grow economically.

He confirmed that, this autumn, there will be a White Paper published ‘to turbo-charge our further and technical education system, and level up skills and opportunities’, with FE, apprenticeships and university to be seen as all equally valid routes to productive employment.

Watch the speech on YouTube:

Twin Employment and Training (TET) is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from potential supply chain partners for the DWP Provision of Employment and Health Related Services (CAEHRS) from 2020 to 2025.

CAEHRS is designed to support the provision of Employment and Health related programmes and will be available for use across government and other public sector contracting authorities, all of which are identified in the contract notice.

With the changes in economic conditions triggered by the impact of COVID-19 this is likely to become a key area of strategic focus for all these organisations over the short and potentially medium term.

Alongside a strong track record of local service integration, potential partners must be able to demonstrate an innovative approach to the Lots that they seek to deliver to, as well as high performing provision with specialist cohorts in the following lots:

• Central England (Lot 1)
• North East England (Lot 2)
• North West England (Lot 3)
• Southern England (Lot 4)
• London & Home Counties (Lot 5)
• Wales (Lot 6)
• Scotland (Lot 7)

Key areas of support and delivery

• Employability
• Criminal Justice and Offender Related Services
• Health and Wellbeing Related Services
• Education and Skills
• Careers and Advice Services
• Enterprise and Business Support
• Youth
• Housing
• Addictions
• Labour Market Intelligence and Employment Related Data Services

Customer groups include:

BME groups/ Ex-military personnel/ Ex-offenders/ Faith based/ Gangs/ Graduates/ Homeless people/ Lone parents/ Male offenders/ Over 25s/ Over 50s/ People who are drug or alcohol misusers/ People who are hearing impaired/ People who are visually impaired/ People with autism/ People with learning difficulties/ People with mental health needs/ People with other physical health conditions/ Professionals/ executives/ Refugees/ asylum seekers/ Whole families/ Young people (NEET)/ Travellers.

Special Note:As part of our commitment to local communities we are particularly interested in hearing from you if you are from the voluntary, CIC or charity sector.

Interested?
If these DWP programmes are of interest to your organisation, please complete our short EOI form and return to businessdevelopment@twinuk.com by mid-night 14th July.

EOI’s received after this time will not be accepted, please include the name of your organisation in the file name when returning your EOI.

If you have any difficulties completing this EOI or have any other questions please contact us here, businessdevelopment@twinuk.com

Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.

Documents

ESFA Update further education: 8 July 2020

ESFA Update academies: 8 July 2020

ESFA Update local authorities: 8 July 2020

Details

Items for further education

Items for academies

Items for local authorities

Published 8 July 2020

By: Rachel Miller

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a raft of new measures designed to protect, support and create jobs, including a job retention bonus.

The “Plan for jobs” announced by the chancellor in his summer statement is part of the government’s plan to secure the UK’s economic recovery from coronavirus.

The key measures are:

• A new Job Retention Bonus will be paid to employers who bring staff back from furlough. UK employers will be paid £1,000 for each employee who is continuously employed until the end of January 2021 earning over the lower earnings limit (£520 per month).
• There will be a new Kick Start Scheme to support the creation of jobs for young people aged 16-25. Funding will cover 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus employer NICs and minimum statutory employer pension contributions. The scheme will target those on Universal Credit who are deemed to be at risk of long-term unemployment.
• There will be additional funding for employers providing traineeships. The Government will fund employers in England who provide trainees aged 16-24 with work experience, at a rate of £1,000 per trainee.
• From 1st August 2020 to 31st January 2021, the Government will pay employers in England £2,000 for each new apprentice they hire under the age of 25 and £1,500 per apprentice aged over 25. This is in addition to previously announced incentives.
• The rate of VAT will be cut on food and non-alcoholic drinks from 20% to 5% from 15 July 2020 to 12 January 2021. The reduced (5%) rate will apply to supplies of food and non-alcoholic drinks from restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés and similar premises across the UK. The reduced rate also applies to supplies of accommodation and admission to attractions across the UK.
• A temporary ‘Eat Out to Help Out‘ scheme will run throughout August. Every diner in participating establishments across the UK will receive a 50% discount (up to £10 per head) on their meal. The discount can be used unlimited times and will be valid Monday to Wednesday on any eat-in meal (including on non-alcoholic drinks). Participating establishments will be fully reimbursed for the 50% discount.
• The nil rate band of Residential Stamp Duty Land Tax will be extended with immediate effect from £125,000 to £500,000 until 31 March 2020.
• A new Green Homes Grant to support green jobs will provide homeowners and landlords with vouchers to pay £3 for every £2 spent making a home energy efficient (up to £5,000 per household). For those on the lowest incomes, the scheme will fully fund energy efficiency measures of up to £10,000 per household.
• The Government also announced a range of measures to support the creation of jobs including: a Construction Talent Retention Scheme to support the redeployment of workers at risk of redundancy; a new Office for Talent which will focus on attracting, retaining and developing top research and science talent across the UK and internationally; a Green Jobs Challenge Fund to help environmental charities and public authorities create and protect 5,000 jobs in England; an Automotive Transformation Fund to develop and embed the next generation of cutting-edge automotive technologies in batteries, motors, electronics and fuel cells.

The following article by Caroline Rodrigue may be of interest to those looking for a career change.

Are you interested in making a career change but you’re feeling a bit paralyzed because you’ve never done that before? Like never ever?

If you’ve been in the same job (or with the same organization) for most of your working life, it can be downright scary to consider a job search. And sure, things have changed in the last 10, 20, or 30 years, but that doesn’t mean you can’t adapt and thrive!

Here are some tips for embracing a first-time job change and how to celebrate your new chapter.

Embracing change, for the first time

You’ve invested a lot of yourself into this one organization because you thought that, perhaps you’ll retire from the desk you’re sitting at right now. But things change and for whatever reason, you’re ready to move on.

The road ahead is unknown, and overcoming social stigmas of what is age- or life-stage appropriate may be challenging, so keep your eyes on the prize and embrace the chance to change it up! An opportunity to reinvent yourself is worth a few ruffled feathers.

Figure out where you want to go Read more

This letter is a part of Egon Zehnder’s Leaders and Daughters campaign to collectively inspire, cultivate and pave a better future for the next generation of female leaders.

To see more letters or contribute your own, please visit www.leadersanddaughters.com. 

Dear Sommer and Angelina:

Hopefully you won’t read anything in this letter that you haven’t already heard from me many times before. I’ve always tried to lead by example when we are together, so I will do the same in this letter by reminding you of a few thoughts that will help you navigate your incredible life journey ahead: Always be present, read the signs, stay in your lane and never back up more than you have to.

I have always tried to be present for you regardless of how old you were, where we were, or where I was. I wanted you to know that I am always there for you spiritually, emotionally and digitally. You never need feel isolated or alone. You know I am on 24/7 for advice, love, or just to share a funny filtered photo, bitmoji or laugh (even though I know I laugh inside). Being fully present, by listening, feeling, empathizing—always holding serious eye contact, and often the touch of a hand—builds trust. Trust builds confidence and confidence enables you to look forward, dream more and focus on others vs. yourself. Being present is the greatest gift you can give another person, and the greatest way to more closely connect with them. When you are present, you are living in the moment vs in your mind. You are seeing, hearing, and feeling another person, and together you are even more empowered to do great things. This is a gift that often comes more naturally to women.

I have also tried to share with you as many of life’s precious lessons and secrets as I can so that when I am not here, you have a solid foundation of learnings and values regardless of what potholes in life you may hit along the way. Stay open; always try to read the signs as you pass by them or they pass by you. I’ve often reminded you that there are no coincidences. Everything that happens in your life is for a reason or was predestined. Every book you receive, every new person you meet, everything you call lucky is a sign just waiting to be read. It is tough when you are young and so inward-focused, but once in a while you will look back, make the connection and then be more open to and curious about those signs in the future. You see, signs aren’t blatant or obvious. You have to be open and present to instinctively feel or intuitively see them. You’ve seen firsthand, and we have often discussed, the role signs have played in my life and the incredible things that have happened as a result of me listening and reacting to them. You are blessed as sensitive women to more naturally understand this.

You are fully aware of how blessed you are, the incredible gifts you were born with that your brother doesn’t have and the gifts he has that you don’t possess. You know how happy you feel when you are doing what you love and that comes so easily and naturally to you. So please, please, please connect to your passion, and then just stay in your lane. Great athletes, musicians, scientists, etc., all have an expertise that they focus on and perfect. Don’t let anyone persuade you to do anything that doesn’t feel natural or isn’t aligned with your values or God-given gifts. You know what excites you more than anyone else. The sooner you recognize your passions, and the more you focus, the happier you will be and the greater success you will achieve. Still, don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what your lane is yet. The path will illuminate itself so long as you stay present, open to the signs, and follow your passions. It’s all related.

Lastly, my loves, never back up more than you need to, and this means in life, not just when driving. Just as you are blind to what’s behind you while backing up a car, if you keep looking back in life and focusing too much on the past, you may find yourself running things over and over in your mind,often seeing or creating things that never existed in the first place. Even worse, living in reverse blinds you to what lies ahead: Your lifelong dreams waiting to be achieved, your destiny waiting to be fulfilled.

I know what you’re thinking: why do Dad and I always have our old family photos streaming on Apple TV? This is O.K., because your family is your foundation, and also your greatest enabler. When it comes to your family, we should be with you everywhere you are, as you are always and forever with us.

I love you,

Mom

​Employers need incentives if mass unemployment of young people is to be avoided, said The Institute of Student Employers (ISE).

It raised concerns about the number of young people who will miss out on career opportunities as the economy recovers post-coronavirus. 

In its plan for government, the ISE recommended ways to help employers hire and support young people and make sure the labour market continues to function. 

These include cutting national insurance contributions for all staff under 24 years’ old; securing opportunities in education, apprenticeships and work placements for young people who have been unemployed for six months or more; and bringing more flexibility to company spending of the apprenticeship levy.

ISE chief executive Stephen Isherwood said: “The labour market is breaking down. There is a looming youth unemployment crisis and employers are already facing pressure to slow down or stop entry-level recruitment and slash training costs. 

“These decisions will disproportionately impact young people.”

In May, an ISE report found that UK firms on average will cut entry level recruitment by around a quarter (23%) this year due to challenges related to the pandemic.

For 2021, 60% of firms are currently sure of their recruitment plans and 15% are anticipating a fall in recruitment.

The University Partnerships Programme (UPP) also voiced its concerns around the youth labour market by recommending the launch of a ‘civic army’ to provide work placements for 75,000 young people across the country.

Both organisations recommend government cover the costs of ‘ off-the-job’ study time for all new apprentices under 24-years-old to help support their development. 

Isherwood said: “Employers need support to invest in entry-level talent to recruit and develop young people. The public purse should be used to provide opportunities for young people rather than leaving them to languish unskilled, out of work and left behind.”

Deborah McCormack, ISE chair and head of talent for Pinsent Mason, said no single measure will prevent a loss of talent from the younger generation. “We need a pragmatic package of support from government to help employers and educators enable our early talent, future-proofing the UK economy.” ISE’s recommendations followed the government’s launch of an ‘Office for Talent’ to attract global academic expertise as part of its coronavirus economic recovery plan.

The following article published by www.here.com may be an inspiration to your clients considering a STEM-related career.

In honour of America’s Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting a few of the technologies we rely on today that might not exist if it weren’t for the pioneering women who dared to dream…

History may now look back on these women as innovators, though they seldom received acknowledgement for their work during their own times. But if it wasn’t for the brilliant and analytical minds of these three women, the likes of smartphones, cars, and computers might not operate as they do today. Read more