T Levels are new courses coming in September 2020, which will follow GCSEs and will be equivalent to 3 A Levels. These 2-year courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work.

T Levels will offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of around 3 months. They will provide the knowledge and experience needed to open the door into skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.

Students will be able to take a T Level in the following subject areas: Read more

Develop Training Limited (DTL), a leading provider to the utilities and construction sector, says apprenticeships can meet many of the challenges thrown up by falling university numbers.

Many commentators have blamed high tuition fees for a growing number of young people choosing not to apply for university, raising fears of a lack of social mobility. But DTL points out that school leavers give other reasons too, including that they don’t enjoy studying or don’t think they have the necessary academic skills for university.

The training company says that apprenticeships have the capability, not just to provide an alternative to university but also to address the wider issues

Operations Director, John Kerr, says: “Instead of racking up student debt, apprentices earn while they learn, and apprenticeships provide other ways of learning for those who aren’t suited to academia. At DTL, we specialise in practical training for high earning roles in utilities and construction. Yes, there is an element of classroom learning but for most of our apprenticeships, the focus is on learning through well-supervised, genuine on-the-job experience.”

Mr Kerr says that apprenticeships can also generate social mobility, even beyond what might be expected from gaining a practical qualification and a well-paid job. He explains: “As an organisation that believes in providing a holistic educational experience, we support many young people who have fallen behind with academic learning.” Crucially, he points out, that includes ensuring that apprentices attain satisfactory levels of literacy and numeracy.

Read more

Age discrimination is the biggest obstacle preventing people from getting back into employment, according to jobsite Jobrapido reports HR Magazine.

It surveyed 2,027 people in the UK currently not in education, employment or training and who had previously worked in management, executive, administrative or manual labour positions.

The research found that almost a quarter of respondents (24%) believe the biggest obstacle to getting a new job is their age and that the role they apply for is given to a younger candidate. Other obstacles included not being able to find a suitable role (11%), that they frequently go to interviews but are rejected (11%), poor health (9%), and not being sure what job they want (6%).

When asked about the challenges securing their job of choice, 32% said the skills needed are very different from when they first started out, 29% said the market is too competitive and the jobs tend to go to people in-house before they’re published externally, and 14% said the development of technology has meant some jobs are now redundant.

Rob Brouwer, CEO of Jobrapido, said that the results reveal age discrimination is still at play in the hiring process. “In spite of the progress of UK employment law and measures to mitigate against the risk of discrimination, it is clear that some companies are not giving candidates a fair playing field,” he said.

“It is disappointing that so many of those trying to get a job believe that age counts against them when their experience should be seen as an asset. HR departments should be scrutinising their equality policies and ensuring that all applicants, regardless of age, are given a detailed breakdown of why they were unsuccessful. Transparency is crucial.”

The research also found that nearly a third (30%) of respondents have lost their confidence and do not feel they can get a job anymore. A further 30% have had to cut back on their spending and change their lifestyle.

Respondents also cited wanting more guidance on the jobs they should apply for. Seventeen per cent would like advice on how to improve their CV, 14% would like better interview feedback so they can learn from their mistakes, and 8% would like advice on how to improve their interview technique or careers counselling to feel more confident.

Brouwer added that, while it is important for candidates to be prepared for interviews, employers could play a stronger role in helping to improve the confidence of those seeking work: “This is a strong call to action for those working in the recruitment industry and to employers and HR professionals to look at ways they could support and help those trying to get employment. This could include running CV workshops, career counselling sessions, a masterclass on interview techniques, how to answer challenging questions, or guidance as to what jobs might be suitable for their existing skills.”

Nearly a third of those surveyed (30%) had been out of work for three to 12 months, 9% for one to two years, 6% for three to five years and 21% for more than five years.

The Every Day is Different campaign, launched on 12 February 2019, features a new website giving lots of information about the wide range of career options available in the adult social care sector.

It also links to a job finder page to help anyone looking for work to find vacancies in their area.

Read More Here

Disabled employees will be able to benefit from almost £60,000 a year to assist them at work. Disabled employees will be able to benefit from almost £60,000 a year to assist them at work, the Minister for Disabled People Sarah Newton has announced in Parliament.

From 1 April 2019 people will now be able to claim up to £59,200 annually to help pay for additional support that they may need in the workplace through the government’s Access to Work scheme. This can include workplace adaptations, assistive technology, transport and interpreters.

It comes after the government increased the cap by almost a third last year. Now, even more people will be able to benefit, especially those from the deaf community who can get BSL interpreters through the scheme. Read more

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

The following article was written by Caitlin Purvis and published by FE News.

How can people pursue a career in the jewellery industry

Employing over 55,000 people and made up of over 16,000 businesses, the UK jewellery industry could be one that you find yourself working in. But, have you considered the different roles in the sector?

From goldsmiths to CAD designers, read on as we look at the various career paths you could follow to be involved with creating stunning pieces like wedding rings and necklaces.

Jewellery designer

Jewellery designers are usually involved right at the start of jewellery creation. Depending on the size of the business, designers may have to discuss a brief with the client and liaise with them through to completion. Individuals in this profession use their artistic abilities to bring an idea to life, either by hand or using Computer Aided Design, also known as CAD (see below). Read more

The following blog was posted by jonnywalkerteaching

The Canadian Journal of Career Development is a partnership project between CERIC and Memorial University of Newfoundland with the support of the Counselling Foundation of Canada.

In this issue

• Editorial, Dr Rob Shea
• Employment-Seeking Behaviours Among Newly Certified Ontario Teachers, Nancy Maynes, Blaine E. Hatt & Anna-Lisa Mottonen
• A Theoretical Framework for Understanding Social Anxiety in the Context of Career Development, Christine M. Yu
• Testing a Model of Co-op Students’ Conversion Intentions, David Drewery, Dana Church, Judene Pretti & Colleen Nevison
• Developmentally Relevant Career Constructs: Response Patterns of Youths with ADHD and LDs, Abiola Dipeolu, Samuel Deutch, Stephanie Hargrave & Cassandra A. Storlie
• Context Counts in Career Development, William Borgen & David Edwards

New analysis from The Open University (6 Feb) suggests that UK businesses could be at risk of losing £3 billion in funding that could be used to increase skills and boost productivity.

Organisations have only drawn down 14 per cent of available funding from the apprenticeship levy – and from April the government will start to anything left over month by month, so The Open University is encouraging businesses to act now before they miss out on an opportunity to build skills they desperately need.

The data, secured by The Open University through a Freedom of Information Act request1, reveals that employers have earned back just £480 million of the total funding available since May 2017. So far, only one in five (19%) levy-paying employers have made apprenticeship commitments, with many reporting some kind of frustration with the scheme.

Additional market research undertaken by the University shows that the vast majority (94%) of employers are supportive of the apprenticeship levy in principle, but two in five (42%) would like to see changes to make the apprenticeship levy work more effectively for their organisation.   Read more