Unionlearn will be holding a national dissemination event this November to showcase exciting resources and share lessons from the Mid-life Skills Review Project.

The UK population is ageing, and people are living longer than ever before. Today, the average life expectancy is 81. Government research predicts that half of all adults in the UK will be over 50 by the mid-2030s.

Workers today can expect to change careers several times during their working lives. Effective career support to retrain and upskill will be essential for older workers to continue to be active in the labour market.

Ian Borkett, Unionlearn Service Team Manager Ian Borkett explained:

“A substantial body of evidence exists that shows people over the age of 50 in Europe exiting the labour market find it more difficult to re-enter. The Mid-life Skills Review Project was set up to develop a digitally-enabled mid-life skills review that can help prepare workers to be more resilient to labour market challenges they face in the future.”

“The project developed a good practice model for the delivery of a mid-life ‘skills’ review – with the emphasis on reviewing skills and competences and targeted at workers in the labour market with low levels of basic skills in literacy, numeracy and digital literacy.”

Unionlearn will be holding a National Mid-life Skills Review dissemination event on Thursday 7th November at Friends House, London to showcase the new resources and share the lessons learnt.

Participants will hear about the project results and the new online Value My Skills tool which helps workers to think and plan for their skills development. The event will also highlight how to conduct an effective mid-life skills review and how this intervention helps support older workers to thrive and progress at work.

The day will be a chance to hear about the mid-life skills review project achievements and see a showcase of the new Value My Skills online tool.

By the end of the event delegates will:

• Gain an insight into the Mid-life Skills Review project and the good practice model developed
• Understand how to conduct an effective Mid-life Skills Review
• Explore the benefits to employers and ways of getting employer buy-in
• Hear the experience of Union Learning Reps involvement in the project and their support for mid-life colleagues
• Look at how Mid-life Skills Reviews and the National Retraining Scheme are intrinsically linked
• Consider the sustainability of mid-life skills reviews.

The dissemination event takes place at Friends Meeting House in central London on Thursday 7^th November, starting at 10 am and finishing at 3:30pm with lunch provided.

October 3rd – Birmingham – BVSC Enterprises, Digbeth and October 16th – London – Church House, Westminster

Overview 

The CDI is working with the DfE to present two, free, half-day sessions focusing on T Levels and the new occupational maps in Manchester and London. Please sign-up now as places are limited to 50 at each event.

Programme

09:30 – Registration and refreshments

10:00 – Welcome, opening remarks and introductions from Chair (Jan Ellis, CDI)

10:10 – Introduction to T Levels and the technical education reforms (Sue Clarke, DfE)

10:40 – Question and answer session – An opportunity for attendees to ask any immediate questions following Sue’s presentation

11:10 – Occupational maps for Technical Education Routes (Natasha Watkinson, Gatsby)

Natasha will introduce the background and development of the occupational maps, highlighting how they present a clear line of sight to employment by describing our technical labour market. Attendees will then have the chance to look at the maps on their tables and ask any questions.

11:30 – Refreshment break

11.50 – How Gatsby are working with local areas to prepare for T Levels (Gatsby)

Natasha will describe Gatsby’s ‘routes ready’ work in local areas which aims to make the most of the opportunities the reforms offer to shape the technical pathways that learners and employers need, and to ensure that staff and institutions are well prepared for the move to T Levels. Includes videos from some of the 2020 providers outlining their progress.

12:10 – Question and answer session, and discussion around opportunities, concerns and what careers advisers will need to help them provide advice to young people on T Levels

A further opportunity for attendees to ask questions and a post-it note exercise to jot down any concerns and opportunities.

12:30 – Feedback

12:50 – Closing remarks

13:00 – Lunch and networking

Book a place for this event »

Plans are well underway to host dmh associates first International Conference in central Birmingham, England on 10 October 2019. 

The aim of this one-day conference is to bring together practitioners, academics, policymakers an d technology innovators from the UK and further afield to focus on career development policies, research and practice that makes a difference to individuals, communities and our economy.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, international expert in careers policy, research and practice
• Dr Reineke Lengelle, Assistant Professor interdisciplinary studies at Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada and researcher at The Hague University of Applied Sciences
• Emeritus Professor Hubert Hermans, Dutch psychologist and Creator of Dialogical Self-Theory
• Liane Hambly, co-author of ‘Creative Career Coaching’ and inspirational educator of career development professionals
• Professor Graham Attwell, international adviser on the use of ICT, labour market intelligence (LMI) and learning analytics
• Nick Chambers, CEO, and Dr Elnaz Kashefpakdel, Head of Research, Education and Employers, London leading on international research and developments in primary and post-primary schooling.

Highly interactive workshop sessions include the following themes:

• Digital advancements in national and European careers services
• Career coaching, philosophy and narrative counselling
• Career guidance, vocational and technical education
• Schools and employer engagement work in primary and post-primary education
• Changing identities in a modern world, including higher education developments
• The evidence-base underpinning careers support services
• The future of work and lifelong guidance in the workplace.

Delegates attending will receive a resource pack including materials and activities that can be applied in practice with copies of all presentations. To enable us to plan well for this forthcoming conference please click on this link below to register for a place at the event:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/career-developmentidentityinnovation-and-impact-international-conference-tickets-58077200470

The full programme will be published shortly. 

ERSA – the representative body for the employment support sector – are planning the fourth annual UK Employability Day taking place on Friday 28 June.
Employability Day is an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of employment support at the frontline. Thousands of charities, businesses and public bodies across the country will host events and promote their achievements on social media and to local press.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to highlight your work and ERSA would be delighted if you would join the celebrations. Here are a few examples of how to take part (although any ideas are very welcome):

1. Host a visit from local stakeholders, such as MPs, councillors or employers, to show them what you do.
2. Celebrate your achievements over the last year with a party for jobseekers and staff which you can promote online and share with local press.
3. Help support the day on social media using the hashtag #EmpDay19.

Read more

Tuesday, 12 March 2019 – Hilton Leeds City, Leeds

Thursday, 21 March 2019 – etc.venues Victoria, London

Overview

The current T level proposals are part of a wider approach to the reform of technical education that it is vital all in our sector understand. Providers have recently been invited to express an interest to deliver the programme in 2021 to 2022 academic year, including the transition offer. Supported by DfE and in association with the Gatsby Foundation, AELP is running this half-day workshop that will enable those still unfamiliar with T levels to understand more about what they are and how they will work, and give those with more knowledge the chance to encourage planning ahead for how their introduction may impact on current provision and provide opportunities for new provision going forward.

Content
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In 2018 the Government Equalities Office (GEO) launched 2 rounds of funding under the Returners Fund, jointly worth £1.5million, which aimed to support organisations working with returners.

Register your interest in a market engagement event being held on 21 February 2019 from 1.30 – 4pm in central London. There is no charge to attend this event, however, all attendees must register in advance.

Places are limited to one per organisation.

Register via Eventbrite Here

ERSA recently announced that Employability Day –  the UK’s largest celebration for organisations supporting local people into work – will take place on 28 June 2019. 

Whether you’re a first-timer or regular EmpDay champion, it’s been great to hear so many of you getting excited about the big day. If you want to discuss how to get involved, please get in touch ERSA want to hear from you!

Last year, a record number of Ministers took part. This year, DWP are already keen to know about events planned locally for Ministers to attend. So please let ERSA know if you’re planning anything in Hastings and Rye, Reading West, Truro and Falmouth or North Swindon and we’ll look to connect you!
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The Mayor’s European Social Fund (ESF) 2019 – 23 Programme Information Event is being held on 13 December from 12.30 – 16.30pm. This event will provide an opportunity for interested bidders to hear more about this procurement opportunity.

The GLA is procuring a range of education, training and employment services to support unemployed, economically inactive and low-income Londoners with a focus on young people and adults that are disadvantaged in the labour market including people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, single parents, people whose first language is not English, people without qualifications or with low qualifications and women.

The Mayor’s ESF 2019-23 Programme aims to equip participants with the skills and knowledge they need to gain qualifications, progress in education and access, sustain and progress in work.  Read more

Please see the calling notice below for Papers for the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling (NICEC) – Changing boundaries: career, identity and self: An international conference on research, practice and policy in career development. 

Date: 16^th and 17^th April 2019
Venue: Chancellor’s Conference Centre, Manchester
Abstract Deadline: October 31^st 2018

They are welcoming abstracts of up to 300 words for individual presentations and up to 500 words for symposiums.

Abstracts to be submitted to julia.yates.1@city.ac.uk by 31st October 2018. Read more

Thousands of young people visited the first two days of Derbyshire Skills Festival – the county’s largest careers event – and there’s still chance to go along.

Derbyshire County Council organises the event with Derby City Council and it’s aimed at students aged 13 to 19, particularly those in Year 11 who are considering their options after school.

The first two of this year’s three events were held at the Pride Park Stadium on Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 September 2018 with employers, colleges, training providers and voluntary organisations, offering free support and guidance.

Young people got the chance to take part in have-a-go sessions including engineering, media, hair and beauty and much more.

This week Derbyshire Skills Festival moves on to the Proact Stadium in Chesterfield on Wednesday 26 September 2018. Read more