• About the Taskforce
• Who we are
• What we are doing
• Research
• News and Events

News and events

For more news and events register for our e-newsletter Taskforce News. Click here for back copies.

Follow The Education and Employers Taskforce on Twitter

 

FEB 2012 

22nd: One in three schools no concrete plan for careers advice

A third of schools are yet to decide how to fulfill their new duty to provide careers advice for pupils, a survey by the Institute of Career Guidance (ICG) has found. Their new legal duty comes in to force from September.

Read the full story: http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Education/article/1118264/one-three-schools-no-plan-deliver-careers-advice/

21st: Tell us your views on 2012 changes to careers IAG

The Times Educational Supplement (TES) and Taskforce's Growing Ambitions wants to hear the views of teachers and school leaders about the 2012 changes to Careers Information, Advice and Guidance.

Please complete our 2 minute survey for the chance to win Amazon vouchers.

Survey for classroom teachers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FD6FQYX

Survey for school leaders: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NB7H595

 

21st: Clegg launches pay-per-NEET scheme to help young unemployed

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, has today launched a pay-per-NEET scheme to help 55,000 teenagers in England get on a career path via work or training.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-17104998

20th: Employer engagement, wage premiums and NEET status

The Taskforce is hosting a research seminar entitled School-mediated employer engagement & labour market outcomes for young adults: wage premiums & NEET status.

To register for our free seminar at the Education and Employers Taskforce office in London: http://tinyurl.com/7vckp7m

20th: Skills Minister announces review to help SMEs take on apprentices

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announces social entrepreneur to head an employer-led review of how to help SMEs take on more apprentices.

Read the full story: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=423263&NewsAreaID=2

10th: It's who you meet video of key findings

To accompany the publication of the Taskforce's report 'It's who you meet: why employer contacts at school makes a difference to the employment prospects of young adults' Dr Anthony Mann, Director of Policy and Research at the Education and Employers Taskforce, sets out the key findings in a short video. The report has had 1,000 downloads in four days.

Watch: It's who you meet: Why employer contacts at school makes a difference

10th: Streaming exacerbates disadvantage and under performance

Moves to reintroduce more setting and streaming in UK state schools are fuelling a "vicious cycle" of underperformance, particularly amongst disadvantaged youngsters, a top-level international study warned yesterday.

One in six primary school pupils are now streamed by the age of seven, according to researchers from London University's Institute of Education.

Read the full story: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/sets-fail-pupils-study-finds-6699671.html

6th: Employer contact at school reduces likelihood of becoming NEET

Groundbreaking new research shows a significant link between young people's experience of the world of work whilst at school and the chances of them becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) as young adults. 26.1% of young people who could recall no contact with employers whilst at school went on to become NEET. This reduced significantly to 4.3% for those who had taken part in four or more activities involving employers (career insights, mentoring, work tasters, work experience).

 

The research 'It's who you meet: why employer contacts at school make a difference to the employment prospects of young adults' by the charity the Education and Employers Taskforce is based on a survey undertaken pro-bono by YouGov which asked young adults aged 19-24 about their current employment status and to reflect on their experiences of the world of work whist they were at school.

 

Click here to read the press release and full report 'It's who you meet: why employer contacts at school make a difference to the employment prospects of young adults'.

 

6th: ACEVO Commission on Youth Unemployment published

The ACEVO Commission on Youth Unemployment work has been published today 'Youth unemployment: the crisis we cannot afford'. Education and Employers Taskforce research work incorporated.

Read the full report here.

2nd: Most new apprentices aged 25+

More than two-thirds of the apprenticeships created in England in the past five years were taken by the over-25s, says a spending watchdog the National Audit Office. This is despite the fact that the government has put increasing emphasis on apprenticeships to help tackle youth unemployment.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16835753

JAN 2012

29th: Have your say in apprenticeships inquiry

The Government's Business, Innovation and Skills Committee is conducting an inquiry into apprenticeships across all sectors. The Committee seeks answers to key questions on the success of the National Apprenticeship Service, funding, quality, apprenticeship bonuses and what will encourage more small and medium sized businesses to take on apprentices.

To have your say, send your submission to biscommem@parliament.uk before 3 Feb.

25th: Bill Gates visits Deptford school as part of Speakers for Schools 

Channel 4 News video clip

http://www.channel4.com/news/bill-gates-aims-for-ultimate-goal-in-30-years

 

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Founder and Chairman of Microsoft, met this morning with students at Deptford Green School in London to talk about his 2012 Annual Letter which was launched today. He responded to a selection of letters by the students and engaged in an interactive discussion about their world-changing ideas.

 

Read the press release

 

London Evening Standard

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24030870-gates-goes-back-to-school-in-new-cross.do

BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16726193

 

Times Educational Supplement article

http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6169431

 

Daily Record

http://blogs.dailyrecord.co.uk/jackiebird/2012/01/gates-is-wide-open-for-starstruck-school.html

   

Brian Lightman, General Secretary, Association of School and College Leaders blog: http://brianlightman.blogspot.com/2012/01/truly-educational-experience.html

Photographs from the Bill Gates talk at Deptford Green School - Photo 1. Photo 2. Photo 3.

23rd: 'Information is not enough' - 157 Group on careers IAG

157 Group - a membership organisation that represents some colleges in England has published a new policy paper on careers information advice and guidance (IAG). Endorsed by the Institute for Career Guidance 157 Group has released 'Information is not enough: the case for professional careers guidance,' which emphasises the important role that FE colleges have to play in career guidance after the demise of Connexions and the major reforms of the career service.

 

This is particularly significant for those who do not have access to strong family networks and personal contacts that can be called on for advice about different occupations.

 

Read the full article: http://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-news/157-group-launches-iag-policy-paper

18th: Making science a 'conceivable' career option

Evidence from a UK survey of over 9,000 pupils aged 10/11 shows that although the vast majority enjoy science at school; have parents who are supportive of them studying science and hold positive views of scientists, very few (less than 17%) aspire to a career in science. Studies also indicate that, after the age of 10/11, children's science attitudes start to decline (notably from ages 10-14) with a further diminishing of science aspirations.

Read more about the ASPIRES research by Professor Louise Archer 10 Science Facts and Fictions

16th: Call for letters to Bill Gates

Each year Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, publishes an Annual Letter describing his priorities and work in the fields of global health and development. This year the foundation is asking students of all ages, but particularly those of around 14 - 17 years, to write their own 'Annual Letters' to send to Bill. The Education and Employers Taskforce is working with the Gates Foundation to get schools in England involved.

The foundation would like to receive letters before 25 January and they should be e-mailed to: annualletter@gatesfoundation.org  All letters emailed will receive a response and some may be included on the Gates Foundation website or other materials.

For full details please visit: Gates Foundation Annual Letter

13th: Taskforce News out today 

The latest edition of Taskforce News published today. As well as updates on current issues and forthcoming events it includes a review of 2011. It covers:

 

How can work experience be made more relevant in 2012?

London 2012 Olympics Speakers for Schools Week

Launch of Growing Ambitions with the Times Educational Supplement

Inspiring the Future opens for registrations

Social mobility

The economic case for language learning

New ways to find school governors

Latest research

 

Read the new issue to keep up-to-date on developments in the sector

 

12th: Clegg hails ending 'who you know, not what you know' culture

Deputy PM Nick Clegg hails ending the 'who you know, not what you know' culture. The Taskforce's Inspiring the Future free service is part of the plan to give state school and college kids invaluable 'career insights'.

Read the full story: http://www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/deputy-prime-minister-hails-big-step-towards-ending-who-you-know-not-what-you-know-culture

11th: Graduate jobs 'taken by work experience students'

More than a third of jobs for new graduates are taken by people who have already had work experience with that employer, according to the latest update on the graduate jobs market. The report from High Fliers Research shows that employers are recruiting more graduates - but there are record numbers of graduates chasing jobs.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16486753

10th: 'Enterprise education in schools' published

The House of Commons Library has published 'Enterprise education in schools'. The report provides an overview of the provision of enterprise learning in the UK and how the approach of government has changed over the last 10 years. Enterprise education is the understanding of enterprise capability, supported by financial management and economic and business understanding. It is currently part of the economic well-being strand of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE). PSHE does not have a statutory basis and is presently not part of the National Curriculum.

Read the full story: http://growingambitions.tes.co.uk/news/0112/enterprise-education-schools

Read the full report here. 

5th: Extend school day to prepare youngsters for workplace

School day should be extended to get children ready for the world of work, Labour suggests. Shadow education secretary, Stephen Twigg, backs longer hours in the classroom as he launches a review of how schooling can be made more relevant to the 21st century.

Read the full story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/labour-proposes-longer-school-day-000300695.html

4th: Tax relief for employee volunteering proposed

The Centre for Social Justice think-tank suggests 'C Volunteering' tax relief for companies who encourage employee volunteering.

Read the full story: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/

DEC 2011

20th: Curriculum changes pushed back to 2014

National curriculum changes have been pushed back by the government until 2014. The longer timescale is to allow further debate. Labour's Stephen Twigg MP urges cross-party talks to achieve consensus over the national curriculum.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16248847

14th: Poor language skills a £7.3 billion 'tax on trade' for UK

A new research report The economic case for language learning and the role of employer engagement published today the Education and Employers Taskforce argues the economic case for language learning in Britain and how employers can help. The decline in language learning is holding back both young people and UK plc. The report highlights consistently high employer demand for people with foreign language skills and how our lack of skills in effect creates a £7.3 billion 'tax on trade' for the UK.

It introduces Inspiring the Future as a new free way for people who use languages at work to volunteer to share real life experiences with young people at state schools and colleges in England.

Read the full report: The economic case for language learning and the role of employer engagement

Watch vox pops from the launch event to hear the views of delegates

Dominic Luddy, Richard Hardie, Brian Lightman, Sir Christopher Mallaby, Nick Mair, Sir Jim Rose, Professor James Forman-Peck, Amy Thompson, Martin Pickett, Renata Alburquerque, Pamela Mayorcas and Teresa Tinsley.

Register for Inspiring the Future

12th: Speakers for Schools Jonathan Edwards Olympics 2012 talk in Edinburgh

The Speakers for Schools special 'Olympics 2012 week' - in partnership with London 2012 - ended with a talk by gold medal winner Jonathan Edwards in Edinburgh.

Watch footage from the talk: http://gameslegacyscotland.org/speakers-schools

8th: Tomorrow's Engineers - application to deliver activities

The aim of the Tomorrow's Engineers programme is to increase the pipeline of future engineers. They will do this by endeavoring to reach every state-funded secondary school in the UK to improve awareness about engineering and what engineers do among pupils and their teachers.

Visit: Tomorrow's Engineers programme

6th: Seb Coe talk launches 2012 Olympics 'Speakers for Schools' week

Seb Coe today visited Oak Lodge School, a SEN deaf school in Wandsworth, to give a talk and launch a special week of Olympic and Paralympic figures giving talks in state schools and colleges. The talk was organised through the Education and Employers Taskforce and Speakers for Schools initiative to encourage leaders in their field to give talks for free in state schools and colleges.

This week senior London 2012 figures including Deputy Chair Sir Keith Mills, Director of HR Jean Tomlin, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Britain's most successful Paralympic athlete and Olympic gold medal winner Jonathan Edwards will give talks in schools that are part of the Get Set network (the official London 2012 education programme) in London, Edinburgh and Stockton-on-Tees.

Robert Peston, BBC business editor and founder of Speakers for Schools said: 'Speakers for Schools is all about encouraging school students to aim higher, to make the most of themselves, to equip themselves for the challenges of today's world. Who better to inspire them than Lord Coe, a world beater, and the person who more than any other was responsible for bringing the Olympics to the UK?'

 

Download images from the visit here from 13.00 GMT 

 

Read the London 2012 press release: http://www.london2012.com/press/media-releases/2011/12/seb-coe-visits-wandsworth-school-to-launch-london-2012-s.php

5th: Robert Peston talks to The Times about Speakers for Schools

Robert Peston talks to The Times magazine about being the voice of the recession, a sense of fairness and his new charity Speakers for Schools.

Read the full article

5th: Employers train school leavers who lack work skills

When Morrisons planned a new store in the employment black spot of Salford, it promised to give jobs to local youngsters. Of the 210 staff who will start work when the store opens tomorrow, half left school with not a single GCSE to their name. Morrisons sent back 150 of them for three to six months of remedial training including refresher courses in literacy and numeracy.

 

Garry Stott, the chairman of Create, a social enterprise where "excluded" individuals practice working in a not-for-profit café and call centre. said the main problem was school-leavers whose parents and grandparents who had never worked and lacked the aspiration to work.

 

Read full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8933350/Morrisons-forced-to-retrain-school-leavers.html

5th: Sir Gus creates a buzz in school visit

The country's top civl servant, Sir Gus O'Donnell, spoke at Goffs School in Waltham as part of the new Speakers for Schools initiative.

 

Read the full story: Sir Gus creates a buzz

NOV 2011 

30th: New members Taskforce Expert Group on Research 

 

The Education and Employers Taskforce Expert Group on Research has three new members: Dr Tricia Le Gallais (Birmingham City University), Tami McCrone (National Foundation for Educational Research) and Zamila Bunglawala (The Young Foundation).

 

Read about the Expert Group: /who-we-are/expert-working-groups/expert-working-group-on-research/

29th: High-tech sector offers jobs but demands new skills

For the UK Silicon Valley to flourish the Government and educators must work more closely with employers to close young peoples' IT skills gap. The good news is that the IT employment sector is growing 5 times faster than the UK average.

Read the full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2011/nov/29/young-people-need-specialist-it-skills

28th Labour backs Ebbac to boost languages study

Shadow Education Secretary Stephen Twigg backs the English Baccalaureate (Ebbac) to boost languages study, despite what Labour refers to as the associated 'set of negatives'.

Read the full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/nov/27/labour-english-baccalaureate-languages?newsfeed=true

Register for the (free) launch event for the Taskforce and CfBT's report: The economic case for language learning and the role of employer engagement.

When, where and how: 5 - 6.30pm, Weds 14 December at UBS, central London, EC3. Please contact Dan Chapman if you would like to attend the launch: Daniel.chapman@educationandemployers.org or tel: 0203 206 0510 by Fri 9 December.

28th: Social mobility lagging behind other nations

Social mobility in the UK is lagging behind other nations, says a major new Sutton Trust report. Life chances remain stubbornly linked to your parent's education.

Read the full article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8918706/Sutton-Trust-social-mobility-in-UK-lagging-behind-other-nations.html

25th: TES special Speakers for Schools supplement published

The Times Educational Supplement (TES) special Speakers for Schools and Inspiring the Future supplement is published today. It marks the creation of these new Taskforce initiatives that are free to all state schools and colleges.

 

Read the special edition: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxteu/tescreative/inspiringfutures/

 

24th: Speak up article about charity launch

The National Association of Headteachers' (NAHT) Leadership Focus magazine latest issue carries a 'Speak up' article about the launch of charity Speakers for Schools.

 

Read the full article: http://tinyurl.com/bmgb2nb

24th: Cities must boost English & maths to reduce joblessness

Cities in England with high youth unemployment must do more to raise young people's attainment in maths and English, a report says. Research by Centre for Cities found a strong link between results in English and maths and youth joblessness. It found that between 2007 and 2010, an average of almost 50% of pupils in cities left education without GCSEs grade A* to C in maths and English.

Read the full story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15863830

22nd: 'London Calling' report on social mobility, careers & access to HE

New report from the Centre for London (incubated by Demos) on how London pupils can access HE, including the importance of aspiration, careers advice, social mobility and the value of high skills to the UK economy.  Simon Hughes, who helped launch the report, advises that the Access HE model in the London report should be replicated nationally.  Hughes has submitted his final report to the Prime Minister on increasing participation in higher education. 

Read the full report: London Calling

18th: Campaign to create a culture of enterprise in education

Are you ready? is a national campaign to create a culture of enterprise in education. The mission is to call on the government to make enterprise and entrepreneurship a key part of every young person's education, part of teacher training and development and part of the Ofsted inspection framework for schools and colleges.

Sign the petition here: http://www.areyouready.org.uk/campaign/

17th: 1 million denied the skill of 'working with others'

One million young people in Britain are being denied the essential life skill of 'knowing how to work with others'.

Read the full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/17/young-people-unemployment-million-unemployed

17th: Young peoples' career aspirations aged 10-14

Louise Archer, Professor of Sociology of Education at King's College London, spoke at a free Taskforce research seminar about young peoples' career aspirations aged 10 - 14. She shared the findings from a five year longitudinal study.

Watch the full video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-S6h6fiAqo&feature=player_embedded&noredirect=1

16th: Youth unemployment hits record high

The jobless total for 16 to 24-year-olds hit a record high of 1.02 million in the quarter.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15747103

16th: Why are under 25s hardest hit by unemployment?

Professor John Van Reenen, Director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the LSE, describes growing youth unemployment as "a long running problem, rather than something that has just happened".

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/15258386

15th:   Inspiring the Future will get entrepreneurs into schools & colleges

The Taskforce's Inspiring the Future initiative will get entrepreneurs into state schools and colleges across England in partnership with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). This is on the volunteering menu alongside 'career insight' talks about the job you do and the route you took.

Read the full story: http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/44618

14th: Apprenticeships not reducing youth unemployment enough

Apprenticeships are not helping enough young people out of unemployment, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research. Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15713196

10th: Bringing movers and shakers into schools to inspire pupils

Speakers for Schools brings people at the top of their profession into state schools and colleges around the country to inspire and broaden the horizons of pupils. It is the brainchild of BBC business editor, Robert Peston, and administered by the Taskforce.

Read the Yorkshire Post feature: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/features/robert_peston_and_the_serious_business_of_bringing_movers_and_shakers_to_inspire_school_pupils_1_3947556

9th: Taskforce and Pearson Enterprise Education Project event

The Education and Employers Taskforce and Pearson Enterprise Education Project event is on 14 November at Pearson Headquarters, the Strand, 5pm - 6pm.  The Taskforce will present interim findings from a joint research project with the Pearson Centre for Learning and Policy on enterprise education. The review asks three key questions about the future of enterprise education in the Michael Gove era, what is enterprise education?, what impact does it have?, and how should it best be delivered? 

Speakers include: Will Butler-Adams, CEO of Brompton Bikes;  Adam Jackson, Director of Enterprise and Small Business, BIS; Stephen Lloyd, MP for Eastbourne; Rod Bristow, President of Pearson UK (Chair); Dr Anthony Mann, Education and Employers Taskforce; Louis Coiffait, Pearson. 

Please click here to register and for more information click here.

7th: Work experience favours independent-school pupils

Work experience is seen as an increasingly important step towards a pupil securing their dream career. But new research suggests that those who attend independent schools are much more likely to gain real benefits from it than their state-sector counterparts.

Read the full story: http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6129836

7th: Earnings value of degrees to be revealed

Lifetime earnings value of degrees to be revealed for the first time as the official workforce survey will start to ask respondents about institution attended and subject.

Read the full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8872154/Value-of-degrees-to-be-revealed-for-first-time.html

4th: Youth drop-out blackspots mapped

UK youth drop-out and NEET blackspots have been mapped in a new report by the Work Foundation. The report blames a tough jobs market and cuts to youth services and education.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15578300

3rd: Parents urged to be proud of apprenticeships

Shadow education secretary, Stephen Twigg, calls for a culture change in the UK for high-level practical courses to be viewed with as much prestige as degrees. Parents are 'urged to be as proud of an apprenticeship place as a university place'.

Read full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/nov/02/parents-apprenticeships-university-places-twigg

OCT 2011

31st: Getting the UK Working

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is calling on the government to introduce a new tax incentive to encourage companies to take on young unemployed people, as part of a package of measures aimed at boosting employment across the UK. The Young Britain Credit - announced in the CBI's Action for Jobs report - would be worth £1,500 to firms taking on an unemployed person aged between 16 and 24.

Read the full report; http://www.cbi.org.uk/campaigns/getting-the-uk-working/

26th: Disadvantaged students don't lack aspiration

Young people are 'aiming high but with no idea of how to get there'. Low aspirations are not found to be the biggest problem. A gap has exists between their aspirations and their understanding of how to realise them, a new Glasgow University study shows.

Read the full story: http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6118690

21st: Major EU reports calls for better connecting education with work

A study has investigated the problem of early school leaving (ESL).It found one in seven young Europeans leaves the education system without the skills or the qualifications necessary to make a successful transition to the labour market. The UK is one of eight countries (along with Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania) in 2009 which had higher ESL rates than the European average (14.4 %). The report makes a range of recommendations.

The full report, Reducing Early School Leaving in the EU, is available here.

20th: Government scaling-up business and youth sector brokerage

The Government is looking to provide grant funding to help scale up and improve brokerage between businesses and the youth sector (young people aged 13-19) in England. The specification document is now published.

Funding of £70,000 in 2011-12 and £250,000 in 2012-13 is available for an organisation or consortium to deliver the requirements of this specification.

Read the specification for Business and youth sector brokerage

19th: 'Influence of parents, places and poverty' report out

A new Joseph Rowntree report has been published about 'Influence of parents, places and poverty on educational attitudes & aspirations'. This report aims to better understand the relationship between young people's aspirations and how they are formed. It highlights a mismatch between career aspirations and the reality of the local labour market.

Read the full Joseph Rowntree report

10th: Robert Peston's Speakers for Schools launches today

BBC business editor Robert Peston's Speakers for Schools is being launched this week with a series of 25 talks in state secondary schools and colleges by high profile speakers such as: Martha Lane Fox, Nick Clegg, George Alagiah, Andy Haldane and Baroness (Shriti) Vadera. Speakers for Schools is being administered by the Education and Employers Taskforce.

Robert Peston explains what motivated him to set up Speakers for Schools. This is the full version of a Sunday Times article, an abridged version of the article appeared in the Sunday Times on 9 October 2011.

Also read about it in The Guardian and The Independent newspapers.

10th: BBC London News Nick Clegg visit

Speakers for Schools inspires pupils. One of the first speakers to take part in the programme was Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who addressed pupils at Charles Edward Brooke School for Girls.

Watch: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15247258

See the Speakers for Schools launch week press release.

Other new Taskforce initiatives

5th: Evidence apprenticeships have 'significant economic impact'

A new independent evaluation of the Creative Apprenticeships programme provides evidence of their 'significant economic impact'. The evaluation was conducted by non-profit sector consultants Baker Tilly and the Education and Employers Taskforce.

Read the full report: http://www.ccskills.org.uk/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

5th: Social mobility and education: improving life chances, raising aspiration and widening access to the professions

The Taskforce is taking part in a conference on 'Social mobility and education: improving life chances, raising aspiration and widening access to the professions' with Alan Milburn, the Government's Independent Reviewer on Social Mobility and Child Poverty, taking place in London on 14 December 2011.

Visit: http://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forums/agenda/social-mobility-agenda.pdf

SEPT 2011

29th: Burnham calls for UCAS for apprenticeships

The shadow education secretary, Andy Burnham, has called for the creation of a national UCAS-style system for apprenticeships to provide a clear path for teenagers who do not go to university.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/28/andy-burnham-ucas-apprenticeships

28th: What can state schools learn from independents?

How state schools can benefit from looking at the ways independent schools engage with the private sector? Attend our Education and Employers Taskforce and Times Educational Supplement (TES) free Manchester fringe event on Wed 5 October.

Full details: TES and Taskforce free fringe event

20th: Quarter of young people receive no careers advice

A quarter of teenagers say they have never received any careers advice, according to poll conducted for City and Guilds. The survey of 15-19 year olds found those on vocational courses were least likely to have been given guidance. Some 22% of those studying for A-levels and university courses said they had not received careers advice; this rose to 28% for those taking apprenticeships, BTecs and GNVQs.

Read the full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/sep/20/careers-advice-survey

16th: Latest edition Taskforce News published

The latest edition of Taskforce News has been published today. This issue covers the launch of Speakers for Schools the week of 10 October across schools in England and our European conference on social mobility featuring Professor Robert Schwartz from Harvard University - only 20 places left.

To read the e-newsletter visit: /taskforcenews6/index.html

15th Inspiring the Future and NUT

The Sept/Oct issue of the National Union of Teacher's (NUT) The Teacher magazine carries a news story about our soon to be launched Inspiring the Future volunteering in education initiative.

Read full story: http://tinyurl.com/5u96unk

14th: Petition for financial education to be compulsory at school

Ed Balls backs a petition calling for financial education to become a compulsory part of the school curriculum. If the petition gets 100,000 signatures, the issue will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons.

Full story: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/banking/2011/09/ed-balls-backs-financial-education-petition

9th: Mentoring for university access

A mentoring project to encourage able students from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply to the top universities is a success.

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8749908/Access-all-areas-the-project-helping-disadvantaged-children-into-top-universities.html

8th: Engineering graduates in non skilled jobs

Nearly a quarter of UK engineering graduates are working in non-graduate jobs or unskilled work such as waiting on tables and shop work, research from Birmingham University suggests.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14823042

7th: Leading European conference on education, work and social mobility

The leading European conference on education and employer engagement takes place at Warwick University on 12 October. This year's keynote speaker is Professor Robert Schwartz, Academic Dean, Harvard University.

The conference considers the relationship between employers and education from primary through to higher education, focusing particularly on the role of employers and practical issues to improve social mobility. It is an opportunity to discuss topics such as: trends in social mobility in the UK, how independent schools work with employers and international perspectives including in the Arab region and US approaches.

Booking started in May and we now only have 30 places left at the conference on 12 October 2011.

Book now: /research/research-conference-2011/

5th: Reforming careers advice a school priority for 2012

Promoting maths & science, improving discipline, exam results and reforming careers advice are likely to be school priorities for 2012, says new research by Encyclopædia Britannica.

Full story: http://www.edexec.co.uk/news/1705/maths%2C-science%2C-results-and-discipline-priorities-in-2012/

AUGUST 2011

30th: Call for views on enterprise education

Pearson and the Education and Employers Taskforce are asking for your views in a research project on enterprise education. This research will explore three key questions: What is enterprise education? What impact does it have? How should it be delivered?

Findings from the first phase of research will be used to produce an interim report, launching on 14 November.

To participate visit: http://www.pearsoncpl.com/2011/08/launch-of-new-research-project-on-enterprise-education/

30th: Alan Milburn 'call for evidence' on social mobility

The Independent Reviewer on Social Mobility & Child Poverty, Alan Milburn, has launched his call for evidence. It explores questions around how child poverty and social mobility are linked, what the challenges are and asks for ideas on what potential solutions might be. It seeks views on the Government's strategies, ideas on how to measure progress, and how projects targeting child poverty and social mobility can be set up, evaluated and successfully rolled out.

The findings from the call for evidence will build on work already undertaken - including the 2011 child poverty consultation, three independent reviews by Frank Field, Graham Allen and Dame Clare Tickell, and the 2009 Fair Access to the Professions report.

Responses can be submitted via the Cabinet Office website until 16 October 2011. The link is:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/social-mobility-and-child-poverty-review-call-evidence

12th: TES & Taskforce to host fringe at Conservative Party Conference

TSL Education and the Education and Employers Taskforce will be hosting a breakfast fringe event at this year's Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on Wednesday 5 October. The event will take place from 8.30am-10.30am in the Banqueting Room at Manchester Town Hall (outside the secure zone).

Confirmed panel guests include Graham Stuart MP, Chair of the Education Select Committee, and Dr Anthony Seldon, Master of Wellington College.

The discussion will consider the methods used by high-performing independent schools to ensure the best prospects for their pupils, and how state schools can benefit from looking at the ways in which independent schools engage with the private sector. The event will be chaired by Gerard Kelly, editor of the Times Educational Supplement (TES).

10th: Head teachers' leader poses "hard questions" for parents

Head teachers' leader, Brian Lightman from ASCL, says there need to be "hard questions" and "uncomfortable truths" for parents and families, after youngsters were caught up in nights of violence and looting. They lack good role models and he warns that too often schools are faced with pupils who have never had any boundaries in their home lives - where there has never been a sense of right and wrong.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14462102

9th: Careers advice important to social mobility

Careers advice is important to improving social mobility, says head teachers' leader, Brian Lightman from ASCL. The National Careers Service Advisory Group is concerned that schools - rather than local authorities - will be expected to provide advice for pupils but without funding being transferred.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14446649

8th: UKCES report on transforming career guidance

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills has just published a report on career guidance. This work was led by Liz Sayce a UKCES Commissioner and Chief Executive of Radar.

'Helping individuals succeed: transforming career guidance' identifies the characteristics of effective career guidance, the role of new technologies in enhancing this and the part that government and national agencies might play in securing greater impact from the public investment in career services.

Read the report: Helping individuals succeed: transforming career guidance

5th: Changes to careers reduce capacity in FE

Overhaul of careers advice will "reduce substantially the capacity to deliver career support in FE", claim experts at Derby University. They argue that FE colleges are being marginalised by the new market in careers support that is being created, which focuses on the needs of schools.

Read the full report: http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6107491

3rd: Subtle messages in society put girls off science

Subtle 'Bond girl and frump' messages in the media and society put girls off science, say academics. Although girls make up more than half GCSE science students - by the time they reach university science departments they are outnumbered by men by a factor of two to one.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14292081

JULY 2011

28th: Impact of budget cuts on careers IAG

BBC journalist Mark Easton talks on News at Ten about the impact of budget cuts on career information, advice and guidance (IAG) for young people.

Watch the clip: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012tr0v/BBC_News_at_Ten_27_07_2011/?t=17m25s

28th: Taskforce is recruiting

The Education and Employers Taskforce is looking to recruit a Projects Assistant primarily to support two high profile national initiatives; Inspiring the Future www.inspiringthefuture.org and Speakers for Schools www.speakers4schools.org

Read the Job description and how to apply



25th: 'Two Britains' qualifications gap exists

A 'two Britains' qualifications gap emerges from a new University and Colleges Union (UCU) study. In some parts of Britain 35% of adults have no qualifications at all.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14233114

21st: Schools should channel university scholarships to poorest pupils

All schools in England should channel university scholarships to their poorest pupils, the deputy Liberal Democrat leader Simon Hughes has said. This would end the situation where some schools sent 'no pupils' to university.

Hughes recommends that primary schools should as a minimum arrange for 10 and 11 year olds careers events where parents and others come in to talk to pupils about their jobs, and give pupils the opportunity to ask questions about how to obtain and qualify for them.

Full story and report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14220210

19th: Secrets of university access for schools

University access: why some schools are so much more 'successful' than others? How can one school get more pupils into top universities than another with the same exam marks?

Read the full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jul/18/school-exam-results-university-access

13th: Andy Burnham sets out rethink of comprehensive education

Andy Burnham, the Shadow Education Secretary, outlines his vision for a rethink of comprehensive education in a speech at think-tank Demos. "Reward, reach, relevance - these will be my 3Rs," he says.

Read the full speech: 21st Century Learning: what do young people need to succeed in the modern world?

11th: Higher education should 'plan for employability'

Edge Foundation and the University of Glasgow have teamed up to research the employability of UK graduates. The report sets out recommendations including placing employability at the centre of HEIs' strategic planning, widening access to work placements, and promoting partnerships between employers and HEIs.

Read the full report: Employers' perceptions of the employability of new graduates

11th: How to boost uptake of work experience by students and graduates

New research by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) investigated how higher education can increase the uptake of high-quality work experience by students and graduates, including broadening the range of employers that offer placement opportunities.

Summary and full report: http://hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2011/rd07_11/

11th: Sutton Trust's £125m plan to target poorest pupils

The gap between the poorest pupils and their better-off peers in struggling schools in England is wider than in other schools, research suggests. White British pupils "seemed to pose the biggest challenge", the study says.

The Sutton Trust is launching an Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) targeting this group of children, using £125m of government money and income from other sources.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14082644

11th: Labour calls for schools to teach 'route into work'

Andy Burnham, the shadow education secretary, says secondary schools should give pupils more vocational opportunities. Labour calls for schools to teach 'route into work'. Burnham will this week reveal plans to give every secondary school pupil a path to employment if they met a set of required standards, under a revamped curriculum, more geared to the world of work.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jul/10/labour-schools-work-michael-gove

8th: IoD report shows results of flawed skills system

In a new report by the Institute of Directors and education researchers CFE, the consequences of a flawed skills system to the economy are laid bare. Despite ten years of intense government activity on the skills front, 58% of company directors report that skills gaps are holding back the growth of their firms.

For Reforming the skills system: lessons learned the hard way visit: www.cfe.org.uk/reforming_the_skills_system

8th: State-private school university entry divide revealed

Just five schools in England sent more pupils to Oxford and Cambridge over three years than nearly 2,000 others 'combined', Sutton Trust research and BBC data analysis has found.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14069516

8th: Take part in research on school governors

Prof Chris James, Dr David Eddy Spicer and Prof Stephen Brammer are undertaking a study to explore the role of chairs of school governing bodies across England. Respondents will be asked to consider the challenges of chairing school governing bodies and the nature of the responsibilities involved.

Please click here to access the online survey. The deadline is 22 July 2011. It will take 20 minutes to complete and all responses will be treated confidentially.

6th: Work experience in Russell Group university admissions

New Taskforce research has been published that explores how 'experience of the world of work' feeds into admissions to Russell Group universities. It is a desktop review of admissions and criteria for six courses namely: Business/Economics/Management, Dentistry, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine/Science. It looks into whether 'experience of the world of work' was cited as an essential or desirable criteria, or not mentioned at all.

Full report: The importance of experience of the world of work in admissions to Russell Group universities: a desktop review of admissions and criteria for six courses

4th: Report suggests new measures for school performance

Exam data should be complimented by other indicators such as Ofsted judgements, pupil and parent satisfaction surveys, the range of subjects offered, staff turnover, attendance, expulsion rates and a measure of pupils' employment or higher education prospects 12 months, two years and five years after leaving school.

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/8613847/School-league-tables-create-peverse-incentives.html

1st: Highest ever proportion of 16-18s in education or training

Government figures show that the highest ever proportion of 16-18 year olds were participating in education or training at the end of 2010.

The annual data on young people's participation in education, employment and training showed the proportion of 16-18 year olds in education and training was 84.4 per cent at the end of 2010 - an increase of 2.0 percentage points from 82.5 per cent at the end of 2009. The total number of 16-18 year olds in education and training increased by 1,600 to 1.64 million at the end of 2010.

Full report: http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a00191746/highest-ever-proportion-of-16-18-year-olds-in-education-or-training

JUNE 2011

29th: City AM financial literacy campaign

Newspaper City AM says businesses "must back our financial literacy campaign". Millions of people are unable to grasp fully even the most basic of financial products, such as mortgages or savings accounts. It urges businesses to support charity Mathematics in Education and Industry.

Full story: http://www.cityam.com/news-and-analysis/allister-heath/businesses-must-back-our-campaign

28th: Graduate gloom as 83 apply for every vacancy

The number of graduates applying for each job has doubled since 2009, as three successive years of university leavers struggle with an over-saturated market.

Full story: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/graduate-gloom-as-83-apply-for-every-vacancy-2303650.html

28th:'School governors & employer engagement in education' free to download

School governors and employer engagement in education, talk by Professor Chris James, the presentation and audio file are now available to download from our Research section. Please visit: /research/research-seminars-2011/

27th: Top students expansion plan could 'hit social mobility'

Plans to allow universities to expand by encouraging them to take more high-achieving pupils could undermine social mobility, says universities leader, Pam Tatlow, head of the Million+ group.

Moves to relax the limit on places for students who get AAB grades at A-level are widely expected in the forthcoming higher education White Paper. Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13909004

24th: Rise in the number of apprenticeships

The government has delivered an extra 103,000 apprenticeships over the last year, twice as many as expected. Business Secretary, Vince Cable, said the government was determined to "break down barriers between academic and vocational learning".

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13892684

22nd: Private school pupils 'over represented' in top jobs says Gove

Professionals educated in the independent sector dominate all walks of life as a result of Britain's increasingly "unequal" schools system, Education Secretary Michael Gove says. He insists that radical reforms are needed to give children from poor backgrounds more equal access to top jobs.

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8590038/Michael-Gove-private-school-pupils-over-represented-in-top-jobs.html

17th: NEET status linked to not understanding career paths aged 16

A summary is now available of an article outlining the significant increases in likelihood of NEET status aged 16 if young people have poor understanding of career pathways.

Read the article: /research/research-reports/young-people/early-aspirations/

17th: Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion

Do you know someone who's played an outstanding role in promoting and encouraging business enterprise skills in the UK? Then nominate them for The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion.

From entrepreneurs to educators, the award recognises people who have gone that extra mile to work with others who need help setting out in business, perhaps young people or students. The deadline for nominations is 31 October 2011.

To find out more and make your nomination visit http://bit.ly/m147pL

17th: 'School Governors & Employer Engagement in Education' free seminar

The next Taskforce research seminar is on Friday 24 June and features a discussion from Professor Chris James (University of Bath) on School Governors and Employer Engagement in Education.

To register visit: /research/research-seminars-2011/

17th: Taskforce 2010-11 accounts available

The Education and Employers Taskforce's Final Accounts for 2010/2011 are now available to view.

To read the full acounts: Final Accounts for 2010/2011

15th: MP says state school pupils need more languages, maths and science

MP Elizabeth Truss says we need more state school pupils to study science, maths and languages. She says: "As a nation, we can't carry on relying on the 7% of young people the independent sector educates, to provide such a high proportion of future generations of scientists, engineers, medics or linguists."

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13761153

15th: New Economics Foundation highlights universities' value to society

UK universities add at least £1.31 billion a year in value to UK society in the form of health and well-being, citizenship and political engagement, according to a report released today by the New Economics Foundation and Universities UK.

Read the full story: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5594

15th: Universities reveal that 63% of students volunteer

Universities UK reveals that 63% of students have volunteered since starting university. The Education and Employers Taskforce's Inspiring the Future campaign aims to get 100,000 people volunteering in education, including current students. They will help young people at school and college to make career and course choices by talking about the jobs they do and the routes they took.

To find out more: http://tinyurl.com/6yl89tk

Register for free to volunteer for Inspiring the Future: www.inspiringthefuture.org/

14th: Pupils should study maths to age 18

All children should be forced to study mathematics up the age of 18 to prevent the vast majority of pupils leaving school with poor numeracy skills, according to experts.

The Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME) said fewer teenagers in Britain studied the subject to a high level than in other developed nations.

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8572959/Pupils-should-study-maths-to-18-say-experts.html

14th: James Dyson Foundation injects passion into D&T teaching

A new scheme from the James Dyson Foundation hopes to inject passion into design and technology teaching. Under a new initiative, to be launched in September, the country's best DT teachers are to be given passports to the frontline of British industry and then encouraged to feed back their experience to other DT teachers at regional workshops.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/14/james-dyson-design-technology-teaching

13th: New report on leadership of employer engagement

This report by the National College shows the findings on effective practice from nine school visits across England based on recommendations from the Education and Employers Taskforce. The visits focused on the leadership of employer engagement, how it was done, the impact on students and how it fitted into the overall careers advice and guidance agenda in the schools.

Full report: Leadership of employer engagement

9th: Mayor's new literacy and numeracy campaign

London mayor Boris Johnson has launched a new literacy and numeracy campaign, which seeks to raise £3m to increase literacy and numeracy rates among the capital's children under 12. Coming in the wake of the Evening Standard's recent literacy campaign, Flying Start for London will focus on the city's seven poorest boroughs.

Full story: http://www.edexec.co.uk/news/1628/london-to-raise-%A33m-for-literacy/

8th: World Skills 2011 - complimentary tickets available

WorldSkills London 2011 is the largest international skills competition in the world and incorporates 'Have a Go' bite-size activities, skills showcases, impartial careers advice and an interactive exhibition. It is taking place in the UK for the first time in decades.

For further information: http://www.worldskillslondon2011.com/media/171260/wsl%202011%20staff%20and%20partners.pdf

Groups, families and individuals can register for complimentary tickets at www.worldskillslondon2011.com/visit

8th: Ofsted urges review of vocational qualifications

A new report highlights the need to review the equivalency of vocational business qualifications that are assessed wholly or mainly by internally set and marked assignments with more traditional GCSEs and A-levels. In this latest study, inspectors analysed standards in economics, business and enterprise subjects over a three-year period.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13685788

7th: Surge in the number of female apprentices

With the labour market for the under-24s looking grim students are becoming more entrepreneurial and take up of apprenticeships has increased for both sexes. Colleges are reporting a sudden upsurge in students signing up to learn how to be an electrician, decorator, mechanic or builder, and much of the increase seems to be down to female students. Far more women are now choosing to train in these trades, rejecting the more traditionally "female" roles of hairdresser, childminder, care worker or beautician.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/07/trades-women-apprenticeships-plumbing-decorating

6th: Importance of vocational learning stressed by government advisor

At least 40% of teenagers should be required to do apprenticeship-style qualifications that lead directly to a job at the age of 16, a leading education expert has said. Tim Oates, director of research at the Cambridge Assessment exam board, said the move would cut the youth unemployment rate and boost economic competitiveness.

Visit: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/teenagers-vocational-routes-025826667.html

In January the Department for Education announced a major review of the curriculum in England. Related story: http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0073149/national-curriculum-review-launched

6th: Charity warns of need to "promote employability in higher education"

Universities should offer courses in communication, problem solving, presentation skills and customer relations to get students ready for full-time employment, claims a study by charity Edge.

Edge warns of a systematic failure to "promote employability across higher education", meaning a "notable majority" of graduates were unable to function in the workplace. Universities were also advised to set up more work experience placements and internships for undergraduates, particularly those on social sciences and humanities degrees.

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8556042/Universities-need-to-teach-basic-job-skills-say-employers.html

6th: Harvard professor to speak at Taskforce research conference

The Taskforce's 2011 research conference keynote speaker is Professor Robert Schwartz who is Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

He is a lead author of Pathways to Prosperity (2011), an influential US analysis of the roles that employer partnerships with school have to play in easing the transitions of young people from education into the labour market. Professor Schwarz has written extensively on US school improvement strategies. His attendance at the conference will be kindly supported by Pearson.

Visit the conference website: /research/research-conference-2011/

1st: Celebrity role models 'a myth' for young children

The celebrity role model is 'a myth' for young children. Ordinary people they meet in real life have much more of a positive impact on their behaviour and aspirations research suggests.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13600611

1st: A city of children who cannot read

London is in the grip of a literacy crisis with one in four children practically illiterate on leaving primary school. The London Evening Standard highlights the issue in the capital.

Read the full story: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23955155-london-city-of-children-who-cannot-read.do

What can be done to help schools, young people and parents? New research shows that employee volunteering improves reading. Mentoring programmes such as Time to Read have shown good results.

 

Visit: /research/research-reports/young-people/time-to-read-mentoring-program/

Related article: A tale of two primaries

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23955197-a-tale-of-two-primaries---why-does-one-school-fail-where-another-succeeds.do

MAY 2011

26th: Latest issue of Taskforce News

This edition covers the launch of the Inspiring the Future campaign to get 100,000 people to volunteer in education to give insights into careers, an update on Robert Peston's Speakers for Schools, the Taskforce's academic research conference at Warwick University, the launch of BIS's Enterprise Champions Programme and plans to recruit more school governors from business.

Read the latest issue: /taskforcenews5/index.html

To submit news stories contact Carol Glover: carol.glover@educationandemployers.org

25th: The Wolf Report - perspectives from Europe

Dr Andrew McCoshan's The Wolf Report - perspectives from Europe PowerPoint presentation and audio recording are available to download.

The Wolf Report puts forward radical proposals for vocational education and training in England.  Her analysis proposes that there should be a heavier emphasis on work related learning and work based learning at 16-18, rather than the ages of 14-16.  Are there any further insights we can gain from looking at European experience?

Visit: /research/research-seminars-2011/

24th: The Queen's Awards for Enterprise

Companies of all sizes and sectors from across the UK are invited to enter the competition for the Queen's Awards for Enterprise, which is the UK's highest accolade for business success. A total of 156 Queen's Awards have been announced in 2011, with 102 companies winning awards for international trade, 44 for innovation and 10 for sustainable development.

The deadline for entries for the 2012 Awards is 31 October 2011. Winners are announced on 21 April 2012.

Visit the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) website:

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1085829301&type=CAMPAIGN

24th: Internships sold to highest bidder

Demand for internships shows no sign of easing and now the pressure to bag a career-boosting placement is leading students not just to work for free, but to pay for the privilege.

Read the full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/may/24/internships-sold-work-experience-students

24th: Tackling young unemployment and 'under employment'

In this economic climate, with such high rates of graduate unemployment, should school leavers give far greater consideration to vocational qualifications? The debate intensifies.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2011/may/24/vocation-qualifications-graduate-unemployment-university

23rd: Giving White Paper published

The Giving White Paper was published today. It talks about building new social norms around volunteering and how to channel energy and creativity across society.

Read the full report Giving

23rd: Perks for those who volunteer

People who give time to help their communities will be given discounts on shopping, cheap swimming sessions and free theatre tickets as part of a major relaunch of the Government's Big Society project.

Read full story: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/discounts-for-those-who-give-their-time-to-the-big-society-project-2287450.html

 

The Cabinet Office's Giving Green Paper was published in October 2010. It aimed to spark ideas about how the Big Society can function.

Read the report: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/big-society-plan-new-culture-generosity

20th: NEET figures to rise as government changes reporting

The number of young people classified as not in employment, education or training (Neet) is poised to rise following government changes to the way in which data from local authorities is reported.

Read full story: http://www.cypnow.co.uk/go/education/article/1070931/neet-figures-set-rise-government-changes-reporting-rules/

20th: Ofsted says governors crucial to pupil achievement

Ofsted says a good relationship between school governors and the leadership team is critical for schools to the quality of provision and pupil achievement. Inspectors visited 14 schools where governance was judged outstanding and their findings are outlined in the report School governance: Learning from the best.

Read the full story: http://www.edexec.co.uk/news/1606/good-governance-%91essential-to-school-improvement%27/

18th: UK has youth underclass, says Prince's Trust

The aspiration gap between the UK's richest and poorest young people is creating a 'youth underclass', who feel that they have no future.

A survey for the Prince's Trust of 2,300 people aged 16-24 suggested those from deprived backgrounds were three times more likely to say they will "end up on benefits".

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13434962

16th: Strategic career connections - the Australian perspective

Deloitte's 2010 careers advice research for the Taskforce is outlined and set in the Australian perspective on page 13. Also for insights in their 'all age' careers service take a look at Australian Career Practitioner magazine.

View the publication: Australian Career Practitioner

16th: CBI and NUS launch 'employability skills' guide

Students want universities to better explain employability skills and provide more support to develop these competencies, according to a Confederation of British Industry / National Union of Students survey.

The survey of 2,614 students shows that over half (57%) want universities to do more to help them understand employability skills, such as customer awareness, team working and self management. And two thirds (66%) would like more support in developing these skills. This comes as the majority of students (79%) say that they decided to go to university to improve their job opportunities.

Read the full story: http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/60519e9e213d34268025788f003808ef?OpenDocument

12th: £60 million youth jobs package unveiled

The Government has moved to tackle rising youth unemployment by announcing a £60 million package aimed at boosting work prospects and "transforming" vocational education. The Coalition is committed to getting vulnerable youngsters into work by tackling the 'structural barriers' stopping them starting their career. It will provide funding for up to 250,000 more apprenticeships over the next four years, and fund 100,000 work placements over the next two years.

Read the full story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/60m-youth-jobs-package-unveiled-230823043.html

The Prime Minister's Number 10 website today features the plan to get 100,000 volunteers into education, for the full press release visit: http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/press-notices/2011/05/government-vows-to-get-the-young-into-work-63708

This follows the Deputy Prime Minister's announcement of the Social Mobility Strategy in April, visit: http://www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-determined-open-doors-opportunity

12th: Alison Wolf's Review of Vocational Education published today

The Government's response to Professor Alison Wolf's Review of Vocational Education has been published today.

The response is now available to download at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/16to19/qualificationsandlearning/a0074953/review-of-vocational-education-the-wolf-report

If you have any questions about the response you can email: wolf.review@education.gsi.gov.uk

Related story

12th: Teenagers must stick at English and maths

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13366871

12th: McDonalds chief tells firms to end snobbery against school leavers

McDonalds chief executive advises businesses to end snobbery against school leavers. She emphasises that as business and education move closer together, forward thinking companies are becoming educators as well as employers.

Read the full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/may/11/mcdonalds-jobs-school-leavers

Mc Donalds UK chief executive, Jill McDonald, took part in the October 2010 first national Visit our Schools and Colleges campaign. Visit: /media/7886/media%20release%2018%20october%202010.pdf

12th: Employer engagement in schools: the business case

What happens when someone from the economic community becomes involved with schools and colleges? To what extent can they support pupil learning, progression and the performance of educational institutions? These are the two questions which policy makers across the OECD countries have grappled with over the last decade.

SAGE has published a Taskforce article 'Employer engagement in schools: the business case' in Local Economy Volume 26 Issue 3, May 2011.

To find out more visit: http://lec.sagepub.com/content/26/3/214.full.pdf+html

10th: Graduate internship scheme closed

During last year the Graduate Internship Scheme paid for 8,500 graduates to be matched with small businesses, and a quarter of those were offered full-time jobs at the end of their stint or set up their own companies. The Federation of Small Business campaigned for reinvestment in the scheme but it is to be closed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/07/graduate-internship-scheme-closed

9th: National Volunteers' Week approaches

National Volunteers' Week (1 - 7 June 2011) is approaching. Volunteers' Week is an annual event which celebrates the contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK. The week raises the profile of the millions of volunteers who regularly contribute to society, while inspiring others to get involved.

Visit: http://www.volunteersweek.org.uk/

Free resources available at: http://www.volunteersweek.org.uk/Resources

9th: CBI publish their Education & Skills survey 2011

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has today published their annual Education & Skills survey 2011 which shows that many employers are concerned with the basic skills levels of school and college leavers.

The survey reveals a positive picture of businesses' intentions to invest in skills. More employers plan to increase investment in training during the coming year, 41% compared to only 14% last year.

Read the CBI press release and full report: http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/f14c02961d1d92ac8025788800442fdb?OpenDocument

9th: Poor language skills 'leave Britons out of EU jobs'

Poor foreign language skills among the British workforce are leaving the UK under-represented in European Union institutions. The head of the European Parliament's London office has warned of a "serious problem". To alleviate the UK's lack of language skills the government is aiming to reverse a decline in language study in schools.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13314147

5th: Public attitudes to science survey 2011

Science Minister, David Willetts, has underlined his commitment to engage the public with science, after a survey published today showed that whilst there is an increasing appreciation for science, people feel 'less informed' about it.

Read the full story: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=419325&NewsAreaID=2

4th: Director magazine explores education and employer engagement

The Taskforce's Nick Chambers talks to Director magazine about our future economic prosperity depending on the employability of young people and that these links are even more important in today's labour market. The feature includes case studies of employers and schools working together.

Read the full story: http://www.director.co.uk/MAGAZINE/2011/5_May/education_64_09.html

APRIL 2011

27th: Evaluating work related learning for 14 to 16s

New on the Taskforce research pages - two cohort evaluations of a long running programme to create enhanced work related learning for 14 to 16s of all abilities.

First cohort visit: /research/research-reports/young-people/evaluation-of-increased-flexibility-(1st-cohort)/

Second cohort visit: /research/research-reports/young-people/evaluation-of-increased-flexibility-(2nd-cohort)/

27th: Mentoring low-income urban girls in health careers

New on the Taskforce research pages is an evaluation of 'Informal mentoring networks for low-income urban girls pursuing healthcare careers'.

Visit: /research/research-reports/young-people/composition-matters/

26th: Study on student and teacher attitudes to work-related learning

New on the Taskforce research pages the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) baseline study on student and teacher attitudes to work related learning.

Visit: /research/research-reports/engagement-activities/work-related-learning-baseline-study/

26th: Key messages from Key Stage 4 employer engagement programmes

New on the Taskforce research pages is an evaluation of Key Stage 4 (11 - 16 years) employer engagement and the key messages.

Visit: /research/research-reports/engagement-activities/evaluation-of-key-stage-4-engagement-programme/

14th: Robert Peston plans for a 1000 leaders in their fields

The entire Cabinet and most of the Shadow Cabinet have signed up to the BBC's Robert Peston's new Speakers for Schools service, but he won't be happy until he has 1,000 "leaders in their fields" on his books.

Read the full City AM article: http://www.cityam.com/the-capitalist/ubs-chief%E2%80%99s-mountain-mission-impossible

14th: Degrees for what jobs? Report from the US

The US National Governors Association has published a report entitled Degrees for what jobs? Raising expectations for universities and colleges in a global economy. Some Governors are recognising that academic success needs to be better linked to the needs of the market place.

Read the full report:

http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.6c9a8a9ebc6ae07eee28aca9501010a0/?vgnextoid=0f2c45c9033ee210VgnVCM1000005e00100aRCRD&vgnextchannel=6d4c8aaa2ebbff00VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD

14th: Lego contests put minority students on a mission

From a classroom in America, Brittany Robinson, 14, is programming a robot to perform open heart surgery. She's focused on the intricacies of computer science and engineering. Never mind that the robot and the heart are made of Lego.

Read Washington Post story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/13/AR2011031303114.html?nav=mbot

12th: Ofsted says girls need to escape career stereotypes

An Ofsted survey finds less than 10% of placements are 'unconventional', with majority in education, hair and beauty, office and shops. It says mixed sex schools need to do more to widen perceptions of the career options.

For some girls, career ambitions were changed through direct observation of a professional at work, through mentoring and through personal encounters and discussion with a professional about what their job was actually like.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/apr/12/schools-girls-careers-ofsted-survey

 

Read the Ofsted report Girls' Career Aspirations

 

11th: Contribute to DfE's National Curriculum Review

Parents, teachers, pupils and other interested members of the public have only four days left to tell the Government and curriculum experts what should be taught in schools.

By answering the questions in the Call for Evidence, people will have the chance to shape the new National Curriculum for primary and secondary schools in England.

To participate visit: http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0076631/only-four-days-left-to-contribute-to-the-national-curriculum-review

6th: Clegg gives personal perspective on social mobility

Deputy Prime Minster, Nick Clegg, talks about his own career path, social mobility, getting 100,000s of volunteers into schools and how to "open up opportunity for all".

Full story: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23938890-i-was-lucky-25-years-ago-now-i-want-to-open-up-opportunities-to-all.do

6th: Speakers for Schools part of new social mobility strategy

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg visited the Globe Academy in Southwark to mark the launch of the Government's new social mobility strategy. As part of the new social mobility initiative the entire cabinet has agreed to take part in Robert Peston's Speakers for Schools programme to bring high-profile guest speakers to state schools. Last week the BBC's Huw Edwards visited SE1's Walworth Academy as part of the same scheme.

Read the full story: http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5208

5th: Coalition social mobility strategy unveiled

The coalition government have launched their social mobility strategy, which includes getting 100,000 employee volunteers into schools to talk about their jobs. Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers explains how the strategy will be implemented.

Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: http://www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-determined-open-doors-opportunity

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8428103/Clegg-and-Duncan-Smith-Fair-start-in-life-for-children-of-squeezed-middle-class.html

Nick Clegg and Iain Duncan Smith article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nick-clegg/8427634/Its-not-just-the-poor-who-need-social-mobility.html

1st: DfE evaluation of Diploma students entering HE

The DfE's 'Evaluation of the implementation and impact of diplomas: findings from the 2009/10 survey of higher education institutions' has been published. The first wave of Advanced Diploma students have successfully applied to go to university.

Diploma students have similar levels of acceptances onto undergraduate courses (68%) to A level students (70%) with Diploma graduates typically choosing to study subjects related to their Diploma.

Full story: http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR093

1st: Skills Commission inquiry launched

The Skills Commission has launched an inquiry into technician and higher level skills. The Commission will consider the following: What do employers need from technician and higher level skills training? How should technician and higher level skills training be funded? How do we ensure there are clear progression pathways through technician and higher level skills training?

To respond to the 'Call for evidence'

MARCH 2011

31st: New 'report card' aims to improve social mobility

The government's social mobility strategy will be published next Tuesday. Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, says that the data collected by the annual report card will enable the government to see if social mobility policies are working.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/30/nick-clegg-social-mobility-report

28th:  Taskforce research conference 2011 details announced

Details of the Education and Employers Taskforce research conference 2011 entitled 'Exploring social mobility and delivery mechanisms in international perspective' are now available on our dedicated conference website. Here you can register online, submit conference papers and view the sponsorship opportunities. TSL Education (publisher of TES and THE) is our official media partner.

Visit: /research/research-conference-2011/

28th: BIS to work with the Taskforce on the Enterprise Champions Programme

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has announced that it will be working with the Education and Employers Taskforce on the Enterprise Champions Programme.

Read the full story: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=418854&NewsAreaID=2

28th: State school pupils could benefit from alumni networks

State school pupils are more than four times as likely to be given bad careers advice than private school pupils a Future First survey shows. Alumni networks could improve the situtation.

Visit: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23935975-state-school-pupils-are-being-failed-by-poor-careers-advice.do

28th: Prof Ewart Keep's seminar available to download

Professor Ewart Keep's seminar audio and Powerpoint presentations, on three decades of education and industry collaboration, are now available to download. Ewart is Deputy Director of SKOPE (ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance) is based at the Cardiff University, School of Social Sciences.

Visit: Powerpoint presentation and audio file

24th: Taskforce's Partnership Board - new members

Louise Rogers, Chief Executive of the TSL Education Ltd - publisher of TES and THE, Jackie Orme, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), John May,Chief Executive of Young Enterprise and Justin Davis Smith, Chief Executive of Volunteering England have joined the Taskforce's Partnership Board.

Visit: /who-we-are/the-partnership-board

23rd: Audit Office explores 'value for money' for 16-18 education

A new report from the National Audit Office investigates getting value for money from the education of 16 to 18-year-olds. The report says achievements and participation for this age group in education have improved, but issues with performance management and accountability arrangements remain.

Download full report: http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1011/education_of_16-18_year_olds.aspx

22nd: Open University helps recruit 300 school governors

The Open University has encouraged 300 students, staff and alumni to apply to be school governors. This report analyses that recruitment drive, the training given and the reasons behind their volunteering.

Read the full report

21st: Europe increases interest in mathematics, science and technology careers

This comparative overview of national initiatives, policies and reforms taking place in 16 European Schoolnet member countries demonstrates that increasing students' interest in pursuing mathematics, science and technology studies and careers is of high importance for Ministries of Education across Europe.

Visit: http://insight.eun.org/ww/en/pub/insight/policy/policies/efforts_to_increase_students__.htm

21st: Budget to create 50,000 apprenticeships

The Chancellor, George Osborne, will use Wednesday's budget to create 50,000 apprenticeships to tackle youth unemployment in a £300 million package.

 

Read the full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/20/budget-create-50000-apprenticeships

18th: Taskforce & Warwick University research seminars 2011

To view the up-to-date free London research seminar programme of the Education and Employers Taskforce & Centre for Education and Industry at Warwick University please click here

16th: Minister warns some courses mislead students about employment opportunities

The universities minister, David Willetts, warns that some universities mislead students with courses that appear to be vocational but are not valued by employers, leading to skills gaps.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/mar/15/universities-minister-graduates-skills-gap

16th: Fee-paying schools yield over 1/4 of medical and dentistry students

Just 7% of all pupils attend a private school, but go on to make up 28% of those studying medicine and dentistry at university, a study by the Independent Schools Council reveals.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/mar/16/quarter-medical-dentistry-students-private-schools

15th: Integrating new technologies into careers practice

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills is identifying methods for improving careers information, advice and guidance. Their new report analyses the potential of technology in this task.

Read the full report: http://www.ukces.org.uk/integrating-new-technologies-into-careers-practice/5235

14th: Demos says help needed for people 'not going to university'

A new report from think-tank Demos finds that more needs to be done to help young people who are 'not going to university' to gain skills for employment.

Read the full report: http://tinyurl.com/63mqaav

11th: School leavers "need work skills and knowledge" say teachers' leaders

Children need to leave school with the skills required for the workplace as well as academic knowledge. The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) president, John Fairhurst, says such skills should be recognised alongside GCSEs in England. Business leaders have long complained about school leavers' work ready skills.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12701594

Leading business body the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) supports call to include 'employability skills' in curriculum.

Full story: http://tinyurl.com/5txeaku

8th: Bosch Technology Award offers work experience as a prize

The Bosch Technology Horizons Award is now open for entries. Prizes include work experience placements at UK sites for young people between the ages of 14 and 24.  For the full story: http://tinyurl.com/4fcult5

8th: 'The Pod' brings sustainability to life for 2.5 million school children

A total of 2.5 million schoolchildren across Britain have become involved in EDF Energy's vision for a more sustainable future through its Schools Programme 'The Pod', according to analysis carried out with external experts.

Read the full story: http://www.education-today.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3489/EDF_Energy_schools_programme_helps_bring_sustainability_to_life_for_2.5_million_school_children.html

7th: Professor Ewart Keep explores 3 decades of industry-education collaboration

The Education and Employers Taskforce and the University of Warwick have launched a free research seminar programme. The next speaker is Professor Ewart Keep, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, and the topic is Education and Industry - an overview and critique of current thinking on 23 March 2011.

It will explore topics that get shunted to one side. With youth unemployment high and rising, public money scarce, educational institutions under severe pressure, and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills offering a fresh analysis of the causes of the UK's 'skills problem', the time seems ripe to pose big questions about education/industry collaboration.

Visit: /research/research-seminars-2011/

3rd: Review of Vocational Education - The Wolf Report

The Wolf Report has been published by Department for Education. Professor Alison Wolf was asked by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, to conduct a review into vocational education for 14 to 19 year olds.

For the full report visit: http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-00031-2011

2nd: Glaxo first major employer to announce it will pay tuition fees of recruits

Pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline is the first major employer to announce that it will pay tuition fees for its new trainees. The company said it would cover the fees of about 100 graduate recruits, with a support budget of £3m a year. This shows the increasing importance of young people having contact with employers before entering the workforce.

Full story: http://tinyurl.com/4f828xf

FEB 2011

28th: Call for IT Ambassadors

A new scheme called IT Ambassadors has been set up by e-skills UK as part of the drive to excite young people about the potential of technology, and to give them a better understanding of the creativity of an IT career. IT Ambassadors is a partner scheme to STEM Ambassadors.

 

More than 40 guides are available to support ambassadors' work, ranging from template presentations and case studies to activity suggestions and classroom resources.  Companies such as BT, IBM and Infosys are already supporting the programme. Visit www.e-skills.com/itambassadors for more information.

28th: Time to Read - a 10 year review

'Time to Read - a 10 year review' is available in summary and as a full report. This Business in the Community commissioned report looks at business volunteers helping deprived pupils with literacy. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/5vuwjt2

28th: 'Is Science Me?'

"Is Science Me? High School Students' Identities, Participation and Aspirations in Science, Engineering and Medicine" report and summary now available. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/6bo8zuj

18th: Schools to be accountable for pupils career success

Schools will be held accountable for the career success of their pupils under a government plan to publish information about the proportion who go on to university or get jobs after they leave.

The plan is part of a strategy to increase pressure on schools to deliver good outcomes for pupils. Ministers are concerned that schools have entered pupils for qualifications that boost their standing in league tables, but do not help young people get into a good university or secure a well-paid job.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/17/schools-accountable-pupils-career-success

18th: How to make the Big Society work

How can CSR be made to matter? The Evening Standard's Christ Blackhurst talks about the culture change needed for the Big Society to be successful. For the Big Society to be a truly transformative mass movement it needs to be made to appeal to companies.

Full article: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23924200-its-time-to-drag-our-charities-into-the-21st-century.do

16th: Unemployment among 16 - 24s hits record high

A record number of 16 to 24-year olds are out of work and more people than ever are in part-time jobs because they can't find full-time employment, official figures revealed today.  The youth unemployment rate is now 20.5% following a 66,000 increase to 965,000, the highest figures since records began in 1992. This adds to the need for work experience, employer engagement in education and careers guidance.

Full story: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/youth-unemployment-hits-record-high-2216417.html

15th: Rest of UK lags behind Scotland in science take-up

Almost twice as many teenagers are studying science in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK, according to a leading scientific institution. The Royal Society has said schools elsewhere in the UK should look north to emulate successes in the Scottish education system, and have called for an overhaul of the A-level system to tackle the declining numbers of pupils studying science.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/15/scotland-pupils-lead-science-takeup

Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, responds to Royal Society report on maths and science:

http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0074380/schools-minister-nick-gibb-responds-to-report-on-science-and-maths-from-the-royal-society

14th: Next research seminar: Professor Ewart Keep

Professor Ewart Keep, SKOPE, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, will talk about 'Education and Industry - An Overview and Critique of Current Thinking' 12.30 on 23 March 2011 at the Education and Employers Taskforce office in Holborn, London.

This seminar reflects on three decades of education and industry interaction. The aim will be to explore topics that sometimes get shunted to one side. With youth unemployment rising, public money scarce, educational institutions under severe pressure, and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES, 2009) offering a fresh analysis of the causes of the UK's 'skills problem' (one based around weak demand and poor skill utilisation, rather than failings of supply), the time seems ripe to pose some big questions about the conceptual backdrop against which the bulk of education/industry collaboration takes place.

Register for free: /research/research-seminars-2011

14th: High school students compete for title of 'America's Top Technician'

Los Angeles area automotive high school students compete for the title of 'America's Top Technician'. The competition is the auto industry's largest school-to-work initiative.

Full story: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/02/prweb5064394.htm

11th: Half of English children behind in their development

Nearly half of children in England are not reaching what teachers consider a good level of development by the age of five, public health professionals say. Child development experts say simple things like reading to children every day will have a positive impact on their development, this highlights the role that reading buddy and number buddy schemes can play in primary schools.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/health-12423543

'Time to Read' literary intervention programme: http://tinyurl.com/6lb22sa

11th: CRB checks reduced in schools

Millions of people in England and Wales who work or volunteer with children and vulnerable adults will no longer need criminal record checks.

Read the full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-politics-12419023

A major report for the Taskforce produced last October by Deloitte recommended that the Government should scale back the criminal records and also vetting and barring regimes. Read the report: http://tinyurl.com/5vh9rn8

10th: Film series shows impact of skills based volunteering in US

A new US documentary film series shows how skills-based volunteering helps non-profits achieve long-term social impact.

Full story: http://tinyurl.com/6f9xopp

10th: Access scheme levels playing field for teenagers

Suliat Ogunyinka says she would never have got to study medicine without a university's access scheme for disadvantaged teenagers.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/10/university-access-scheme

9th: City firms offer A-level pupils paid internships

A total of 35 businesses will be offering paid internships to A-level students as part of City of London Business Traineeship scheme. Students from Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lambeth, Camden, Islington and Westminster will work for between six and thirteen weeks.

Full story: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23921321-city-firms-offer-a-level-pupils-paid-internships.do

7th: Government backs Apprenticeships

At the start of Apprenticeship Week (7-11 February) the Business Secretary Vince Cable, and Skills Minister John Hayes, urge more employers to drive economic growth by creating a new generation of skilled workers, while underling the government's commitment to increase the budget for Apprenticeships to over £1,400 million in 2011-12.

Events during Apprenticeship Week: http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Awards/Apprenticeship-Week-2011.aspx

7th: Employers want apprentices not graduates

School-leavers may be harming their job prospects by seeking a place at university this summer. Results of a City and Guilds poll of more than 500 employers released today reveal that many would rather take on an apprentice than hire a graduate.

Full story: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/employers-want-apprentices-not-graduates-2206347.html

7th: Degrees alone are not enough, employers warn graduates

As graduate unemployment continues to rise in 2011, employers are sending a clear message that even strong academic performance is not enough, unless it is combined with skills and experience.

In February 2011, WikiJob will be helping students and graduates prepare for the graduate recruitment process, with Student Employability Week. WikiJob will be offering free advice and information to students on interview preparation, CV writing, assessment centres and other key preparation areas. To find out more visit: www.WikiJob.co.uk

3rd: Harvard School of Education calls for sea-change in employer engagement

A Harvard Graduate School of Education report calls for a sea change in business and employer engagement in education, so that every American school student to have access to employer involvement in their education including career counselling, job shadowing, employer-designed school projects and work-based learning to better prepare young people for the twenty-first century labour market.

Read the report: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/features/2011/Pathways_to_Prosperity_Feb2011.pdf

3rd: Employers can help social mobility

Who gets the best jobs? Firms can help social mobility which has been declining in Britain since the 1950s. So what can the brightest young people from less privileged backgrounds do to break into the professions?

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12339401

2nd: OECD review of vocational education in South Carolina

The OECD's review of vocational education and training in South Carolina calls on the state to provide high school students with more substantial UK-style work experience while in school, targeting efforts to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds share the opportunities.

The review argues that the lack of work experience in South Carolina means fewer contacts with employers, a weaker understanding of required work disciplines and relevant workplace skills like teamwork and communication with customers.  This will certainly hinder their chances of obtaining work - particularly reasonable quality work - and reduce their prospects for career development.

Read the full report: Learning for Jobs: OECD review of vocational education and training

2nd: Christian Percy has new DfE post

Christian Percy, Operations Director at the Education and Employers Taskforce, is returning to the Department for Education at the end of his secondment to take up a new role as 'Private Secretary to the Advisers Office'. Christian will be running the team that supports the two Special Advisers and the two Senior Policy Advisers in advising the Secretary of State for Education.

1st: Children 'locked' out of work by jobless parents

Tens of thousands of London children are "trapped" in homes where no adult has ever worked. New statistics show the number of London homes where no one has ever held down a full-time job has passed the 100,000 mark.

The crisis is worst in inner-London where one home in 15 has people who have never known regular employment - a four times higher rate than the rest of the country according to the Office for National Statistics.

Full story: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23918929-children-locked-out-of-work-by-jobless-parents.do

1st: Just the job for girls

Year 9 pupils across Devon attend a 'Women in Construction' event at Exeter College.  The aim was to find out more about the many opportunities available in the construction industry.

Visit: http://www.middevonstar.co.uk/news/8820314.Building__just_the_job_for_girls/

JAN 2011

31st: Government to expand work experience for young unemployed

Young unemployed people will get much more help to access extended work experience opportunities to get the best possible start in life, Employment Minister Chris Grayling announced today.

Under a new scheme young people will be allowed to do work experience for up to eight weeks so they can get a proper stint in a business for their CV and providing real value to the employer. Under the old system people were only allowed to do two weeks experience. If they tried to do more they could face a loss of benefits.

Full story: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2011/jan-2011/dwp007-11.shtml

31st: Science and maths teaching in Wales not up to scratch

Science, technology, engineering and maths skills in Wales are not up to scratch, a critical report claims. The report, by the National Assembly's Enterprise and Learning Committee, calls for "concerted action" by the Assembly Government to improve the skills of young people in the areas. It highlights a lack of high-quality specialist teachers, poor student performances and negative perceptions of the subjects.

For the full story:  http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education-news/2011/01/28/action-call-on-science-teaching-in-wales-91466-28069521/#ixzz1CbhqMKNg

28th: Vince Cable and Nick Clegg visit Brompton Bicycle

Brompton Bicycle Ltd played host yesterday to Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister. As the UK's largest bicycle manufacturer, Brompton's London factory was the venue to launch the Manufacturing Growth Review, through which the government will promote manufacturing in the UK and encourage more young people to consider careers in engineering and manufacturing. Brompton is well known for its innovative work in education.

For the full story visit: http://www.brompton.co.uk/news/

26th: New evidence from NI shows employee volunteer reading schemes work

New evidence from Northern Ireland demonstrates that employee volunteer reading schemes in primary schools raise both achievement and aspiration.

Read the full report:  http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEducation/CentreforEffectiveEducation/News/Title,222720,en.html

24th: The New Apprenticeship Agenda: the Union Role

Conference:  9 February 2011 at the TUC, Congress Centre, London

Apprenticeships are a major skills priority for the Government and they are also a key priority for unions. Speakers include: John Hayes MP, Minister for Skills, Frances O'Grady, Deputy General Secretary, TUC and Simon Waugh, Executive Chair of the National Apprenticeship Service.

Visit: http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/tuc-19025-f0.cfm

24th: 4,000 to attend Careers Fest

More than 4,000 students aged 12 upwards from across the UK are attending the Careers Fest at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford.  They will meet local and national employers including BMW, BT, Microsoft and BP. Vikki Gledhill, manager at the Oxfordshire Education Business Partnership, which is helping to organise the event, said: "In the current economic climate we have to make sure young people are fully aware of the opportunities available".

Visit: http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/business/8803616.Thousands_set_to_flock_to_Careers_Fest/

18th: DfE Employer Engagement Funding Review - Call for Evidence

The Department for Education has asked the Taskforce to manage and coordinate a high-level review estimating the returns on investment for different kinds of employer engagement in education and an assessment of the costs and benefits of different delivery options, in order to inform government policy from April 2012 onwards.

Please submit any evidence or information that helps to inform or answer the questions set out in the document by 11 February 2011 to Anthony.Mann@educationandemployers.org

See the full document: DfE Employer Engagement Funding Review

18th: Work experience 'key to job hunt' for graduates

Job-hunting graduates need work experience to stand a chance of getting a job with many employers, a recruitment survey says. The High Fliers' graduate jobs survey was based on 100 leading UK employers.

Visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12208931

17th: The point of partnership explained

The Point of partnership: the case for employer engagement in education written by the Education and Employers Taskforce has been published in respected international journal Strategic HR Review. The primary audience is senior human resource professionals.

Visit: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1896499

14th: Year in View published

Thanks to the support from the members of the Partnership Board, Trustees, employers and hundreds of volunteers, it has been a successful and productive first year for the charity the Education and Employers Taskforce. We believe that 2010 has marked the start of many new and enduring education and employer partnerships.

Read our Year in View: /yearinview2010/index.html

 

14th: Listen to our first research seminar

Dr Gill Haynes, Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter talks about Work-related learning and employer engagement: findings from the national evaluation of 14-19 Diplomas in our January research seminar audio file. This is the first in a series of research seminars co-sponsored by the Education and Employers Taskforce and the Centre for Education and Industry at the University of Warwick.

/research/research-seminars-2011

 

6th Information, advice and guidance consultation

To take part in the UK Commission for Skills and Employment's careers information, advice and guidance consultation follow the link below. The deadline is 17 January 2011.

http://www.ukces.org.uk/our-work/strategy-and-performance/information-advice-and-guidance/

6th: CBI director general knighted for services to business

Confederation of British Industry director general and Taskforce Trustee, Richard Lambert, has been named in the New Year's honours list. Lambert was knighted in recognition for his services to business.

To read more visit: http://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/cbi-and-bsa-directors-named-in-honours-list/1024065.article

6th: Rail skills academy created

Despite the cutbacks, railway engineers are still in demand. The business secretary is backing a new skills academy to train more rail workers.

To read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jan/04/railway-engineering-skills-academy-business-secretary

DEC 2010

20th: Gove appoints new board members - including Taskforce Trustee

The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, has announced the appointment of four new non-executive members to the Department for Education Board, as part of a drive to improve governance across Whitehall. The Board, chaired by the Secretary of State, provides strategic leadership of the Department, focusing on performance and the delivery of DfE's priorities.

One of these appointments is Anthony Salz, Executive Vice-Chairman of Rothschild (lead non-executive member). On taking up this new role Anthony will step down from as Co-Chair of the Education and Employers Taskforce Trustees.

The four new appointees - drawn from both the private and public sectors - will join the ministerial team, Permanent Secretary and the heads of the Department's four directorates.

Read the full Press Release: http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/pressnotices/a0070659/board-members

 

14th: How to make effective partnerships

New case studies of successful partnerships between schools and diverse local employers have been added to the Teachers Guide visit: http://www.teachers-guide.org/success-stories.aspx

These include; the Abingdon Diploma Partnership in Oxfordshire, Harris Academy Bermondsey and Gumley House Convent School, a Language Specialist School, in Harlesdon.

13th: College students experience top employers

Young business and creative students aged 16-19 headed to London to get a taste of life at two of Britain's most influential organisations, and to boost their employability skills. A Capital Experience was organised by business-education charity Career Academies UK. Visit:

http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/East-London/Dagenham/RM8/News/Local-News/182877-College-students-experience-Capital-Life

10th: Teen program offers fast track to careers in building

The assignment to design his own museum was all it took for US student Christopher Thach to start imagining.

Visit: http://tinyurl.com/37ffmwd

2nd: The hidden givers: a study of school governing bodies in England

The hidden givers: a study of school governing bodies in England, has been published by the CfBT Education Trust.

Visit: http://www.cfbt.com/evidenceforeducation/pdf/6CfBT_HG_web.pdf

NOV 2010

30th: Experiential Learning Week in Ontario

This is a useful insight into how the Canadian province of Ontario is systematically engaging employers to support learning, progression and economic growth.

Visit:  http://www.cornwallseawaynews.com/News/2010-11-24/article-1990950/Firstannual-Experiential-Learning-Week-in-Ontario/1

25th: Latest issue of Taskforce News

Here's the latest issue of Taskforce News. Subjects covered include; the Wolf Review of Vocational Education, a letter from  Nick Gibb, Minister of State for Schools, about education and employer engagement, the launch of a series of free academic research seminars in 2011,  Robert Peston's new 'Speakers for Schools' website and the Ofsted response to the Commons Education Committee report Transforming Education Outside the Classroom.

Visit: Taskforce News November 2010

24th: Stimulating Science

EdComs are hosting a free science seminar on 26 November 9am to 12.15 at EdComs, Capital Tower, 91 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8RT.

It's a seminar for 50 employers and stakeholders in the field of marketing, corporate responsibility and community investment. Confirmed speakers include: Andrew Carrick Director, EdComs, Gerry O'Keeffe, Customer Support Director, OCR, Stephen Diston, Qualifications Team Manager - GCSE Science, OCR, Ian Duffy, Business Adviser, UK Social and Community Affairs, BP and Michael Barham, KS4 Co-ordinator, Walthamstow School for Girls.

Visit: http://www.edcoms.com/news-and-events

17th: K-12 Partnership Report newsletter

You can now subscribe for free to the K-12 Partnership Report newsletter of employer-education partnership activity in the US. Previously it has required paid subscriptions.

To sign up visit: http://www.kprnewsletter.com/subscribe.htm

12th: Essex first to offer new globally recognised course

The Anglo European School has become the first state secondary in the country to offer a new globally recognised course. In September, seven students signed up to the International Baccalaureate Career-related Certificate (IBCC) which involves learning a foreign language and studying for an Applied A level - one which has a work-related focus.

Visit: http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/news/step-ahead-pioneering-school/article-2852672-detail/article.html

12th: US business and education leaders create new tool for teachers

To read the full story: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-teacher-science-web-tool-20101110,0,7908081.story

11th: Enterprising pupils head to New York

How the invention of a teddy bear chair took four Bradford teenagers to the Big Apple to present to Google.

To read the full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/nov/09/enterprise-pupils-win-competition

8th: New research seminars January 2011

New research seminars begin: On the 13 January 2011 Dr Gill Haynes, Exeter University, will be leading a seminar on 'Work-related Learning and Employer Engagement: Findings from the National Evaluation of 14-19 Diplomas.' This will be the first in a new occasional series of seminars taking place in Holborn, London.

To reserve a free place, information on this seminar or future events, please email: events@educationandemployers.org

8th: Research Conference videos and full papers available

The conference website is now complete with 24 papers which can be downloaded, and with 13 long and short conference videos . This site includes videos and papers from Hugh Lauder, Louise Archer, Philip Grollman, Ewart Keep, Hans van der Loo, Prue Huddleston and Jeremy Higham. The papers cover a range of topics including apprenticeships, work experience, a strategic review of employer engagement in further education and employer benefits.

Visit: /research/taskforce-research-conference-2010

Taskforce Research Group welcome new members: Professor Irena Gruguli who teaches at Bradford University School of Management and James Kewin, Managing Director of CFE, a research and consultancy specialists in employment and education.

8th: New mailing group: subscribe now

Research mail group launched: The Education and Employers Taskforce has launched a new email group, to bring together those who are interested in evidence surrounding what happens to young people, teachers and employees, when employers engage in schools, colleges and universities. It will  spread awareness of activities such as; new publications, conferences, seminars and invitations to tender, across a wide community of interest.

To subscribe please email researchmail@educationandemployers.org with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE

5th: Financial Times publishes 'Working with Schools'

The Financial Times newspaper has today published a Working with Schools report highlighting the work of the Education and Employers Taskforce, it's partners and other organisations working in the field.

Visit: http://www.ft.com/reports/schools-2010

5th: Speakers for Schools site live

Initial information about the new 'Speakers for Schools' site founded by Robert Peston is now live. The official website launch will be in early 2011.

Visit: http://www.speakers4schools.org/

4th: Learning outside the classroom crucial, says Ofsted

The new government's response to the Commons Education Committee's report both acknowledges the importance of learning outside the classroom and promises to investigate the constraints on schools arising from unnecessary health and safety red tape or from teachers' pay and conditions.

To read Ofsted's response to the Commons Education Committee Report Transforming Education Outside the Classroom please visit:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmeduc/525/52504.htm

Also see Education Executive article: http://www.edexec.co.uk/news/1387/think-outside-the-box/

3rd: Financial Times editor participates in Visit our Schools and Colleges

Financial Times editor, Lionel Barber, and David Cruickshank, chairman of Deloitte visited Harris Academy in Bermondsey on 2 November at part of the Visit our Schools and Colleges campaign. Recordings of the interviews with Cruikshank and Barber can be found on the Harris Academy website at www.harrisbermondsey.org.uk

To download the interviews: Deloitte Interview and Financial Times

3rd: National Work Experience Conference 'Making Work-related Learning Work'

22 - 23 November 2010 at the University of Warwick

Keynotes will be given be John May (Young Enterprise), Gary Forrest (SSAT), Dr Anthony Mann (Education and Employers Taskforce) and Caroline Derbyshire (Linton Village College). The conference provides opportunities for professional development, networking, updating and reflection. The keynote speeches will address the main issues facing work-related learning and work experience, while workshops allow participants to find out about practice directly from innovators, experts, employers and learners.

To register visit: www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cei/conference

OCT 2010

18th: Visit today by John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning

Visit our Schools and Colleges week starts with a visit today by John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning and David Cruickshank, chairman of Deloitte to Lambeth College in Vauxhall, central London.

It is part of a national campaign led by the Education and Employers taskforce charity. Tesco's CEO Sir Terry Leahy and Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP Group have already visited schools as part of the campaign which includes over 700 of employers from all over the country, including over 100 chief executives and chairmen from many of the UK's leading companies. For the full press release.

For coverage of the visit by John Hayes, Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning visit:

http://www.lambethcollege.ac.uk/lambeth_college/news_and_events/2010_news/a_ministerial_visit_for_vauxhall_centre.cfm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/educationgovuk/sets/72157625193096260/

14th: Report shows evidence from UK and international studies on the impact of employer engagement

The What is to be gained through partnership? report pulls together robust evidence about the benefits of education and employer engagement to young people, schools and employers, including recent research:

• Exploring the link between social mobility and employer engagement supporting the achievement, aspiration and progress of young people into further study and/ or work
• Demonstrating that the majority of robust studies show a positive impact on pupil attainment
• Showing how volunteering with schools is a cost effective means of developing core staff competencies for employers
• Highlighting the significant impact made by employee representatives as school governors in the UK
• longitudinal research from the US demonstrating 11% higher wages eight years after leaving school, earned by young people who had had experience of intense work-related learning compared to a control group

To read the full report

8th: Helping young people succeed: the role of employers

Deloitte, the business advisory firm, has launched a report, commissioned by charity The Education and Employers Taskforce, examining how employers can contribute to improving careers education through inspiring and better informing young people. The dynamic labour market and the vast range of career options available can leave young people feeling bewildered and uninformed. The research shows that a substantial divide between what young people want from their careers advice at school and what they get, including the level of involvement of employers. Click here to read the full report or the media release.

6th: Guidance for school and college visits published

The Guidance for the first national Visit our Schools and Colleges week has been published today. Click here.

Sept 2010

30th: A capsule history of vocational education

From Vocational Education to Career-Technical Education: A Capsule History and Summary of Research, from the University of California, Berkeley looks at the evolution of what was once know as vocational and careers education. Leading researchers analyse the major studies on different models of career and technical education.

For the full report visit: www.edutopia.org/node/31152

29th: America's Education Nation

Education Nation is a nationally broadcast, in-depth conversation about improving education in America. Click here to view a 4 minute film from NBC News:

24th: High profile participants in Visit our Schools and Colleges unveiled

This Media Release unveils the names of some of the 80-plus high profile visitors, including CEOs and Chairs of FTSE 100 companies, participating in the first national Visit our Schools and Colleges week. Click here

23rd: Volunteer of the year announced

The Personal Finance Society (PFS) has awarded Tony Cohen of Nsure the prestigious award of Volunteer of the Year at this year's PFS conference. The award, now in its second consecutive year, sponsored and presented by NS&I, is an award that is judged on nominations received by members. The award honours an individual who has given up their time, energy and expertise, beyond the call of duty, to make a significant positive impact within their local community.

Full media release

21st: US careers academies - proof of effectiveness

New on the Taskforce research pages, a longitudinal study of the US careers academies programme showing young people enrol in the initiative where they work closely with employers over the last two years of school study receive a significant and sustained boost into the labour market, earning 11% more than a control group at age 26. Visit: Careers Academies Long Term Impacts

15th: The Point of Partnership: Understanding Employer Engagement in Education

University of Warwick, 15 October 2010

Bringing together for the first time leading researchers in the field together with policy-makers and practitioners, The Point of Partnership: Understanding Employer Engagement in Education conference will address all aspects of employer engagement in education.

The conference will cover questions such as: What happens when employers work with schools and colleges? Why do young people enjoy and value engaging with employers? What is the link to attainment and motivation? Employability? Career aspiration? What's in it for the employer? How can relationships be best managed?  Are there recruitment savings? How does employee volunteering contribute to staff engagement?

Professor Hugh Lauder (University of Bath), editor of the Journal of Education and Work, will be joined as a keynote speaker by Hans van der Loo, Vice President, European Union Liaison at Shell International, who will speak on talent as a strategic resource, and the urgent need for employers to work with governments, schools, colleges and universities to secure Europe's future prosperity. You can find the full programme at: www.educationandemployers.org/researchconference

Read about the conference: The Point of Partnership

15th: 70,000 new Work Inspiration placements announced

The Work Inspiration campaign (www.workinspiration.com) has achieved major success in its first year.  Sir Stuart Rose, chairman of Business in the Community (BITC) and Chairman of M&S announced the results to business leaders and young people at an event held in London.

Results highlighted by Sir Stuart include 70, 000 new Work Inspiration placements across the UK and 400 new companies signed up to the campaign, including: ASDA, British  Gas, Eversheds, John Lewis, Cadburys, CBI, Microsoft and Lantra - touching the lives of almost 6 million employees.

 

13th: Hans van der Loo confirmed as keynote speaker for the Taskforce's inaugural research conference

Hans van der Loo, Vice President, European Union Liaison at Shell International, will join Prof. Hugh Lauder, editor of the Journal of Education and Work, as keynote speaker at the Research Conference, The Point of Partnership: Understanding Employer Engagement in Education. Tickets are still available for the Conference, which will be held at the University of Warwick, Friday 15 October 2010.

Hans will speak on talent as a strategic resource, and the urgent need for employers to work with governments, schools, colleges and universities to secure Europe's future prosperity.

Over recent years, with his colleagues in the European Roundtable of Industrialists (ERT), Hans has played an influential role in strengthening the evidence base on strategic skills shortages in Europe, particularly in the STEM subjects, and the importance of business-schools links as a means of securing the human resource essential to Europe's future prosperity.

The work of the ERT has driven the commitment in the EU's recently adopted Europe 2020 Strategy to provide active encouragement to member states to support closer working between schools and employers.  The ERT proposal for a European Co-ordinating Body to help co-ordinate, leverage and build upon school-business partnerships across Europe has been adopted by the EU and the Body is due to launch in January 2011.

 

6th: UK recruiters urge links between schools and employers to tackle youth unemployment

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation's Youth Employment Taskforce is calling for employers to work more closely with schools to give young people the best possible educational experiences and careers advice.

Visit: http://www.rec.uk.com/about-recruitment/externalrelations/campaigns/youth-taskforce

3rd: CBI calls for employers and schools to collaborate for employability

In a new report, Fulfilling potential, the business role in education, the CBI, the UK's largest employers' body is calling for the anticipated government White Paper on school reform to set out a clear strategy on how businesses can get involved in education.

Visit: http://www.cbi.org.uk/pdf/fulfilling-potential-the-business-role-in-education.pdf

 

3rd: Supporting Construction Diploma Students award

Construction company Lovell's people development manager, Bruce Boughton, has won an Education and Business Partnership award for the company's work supporting school students studying for the Construction and Built Environment Diploma.

Visit: http://build.co.uk/construction_news.asp?newsid=115997

 

1st: Survey shows work experience helps young people get real jobs

As fewer university places force young people into gap-year placements, a Lantra survey has revealed nearly three-quarters of animal care and welfare businesses have recruited staff directly from work experience. Lantra is the Sector Skills Council for the Environmental and Land-based Sector representing over 230,000 businesses and 1.5 million employees.

Visit: http://www.cisionwire.com/lantra/work-experience-survey-shows-long-term-employment-win

August 2010

31st: Dragon Peter Jones urges employer engagement

Entrepreneur Peter Jones, famous for his role in TV's Dragon's Den, calls for more employer involvement in education. Read the full article in The Guardian newspaper: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/aug/31/vocational-education-business-studies

 

6th: National Governors' Association awards announced

Every two years the National Governors' Association (NGA) runs national awards for outstanding school governance. The awards aim to celebrate good school governance and spread examples of best practice throughout the school governor community. Don't let great work go unnoticed! NGA wants to thank good governors for their time and efforts in contributing to school improvement. The nominators of short-listed applicants will be invited to a prestigious national awards ceremony in March 2011.

For more information on how to apply, see www.nga.org.uk (and click on the Awards tab) or e-mail awards@nga.org.uk The closing date for entries is 15 November 2010.

July 2010

23rd: Visit our Schools and Colleges campaign update

The Visit our Schools and Colleges campaign was publically launched on 13 July. Hundreds of schools, colleges and employers have now registered online and schools, colleges and employers can continue to do so until 30 September.

We want young people across England to benefit from contact with employers of all sectors and sizes. SMEs have an equally important role to play as multinationals.

Taking part in Visit our Schools and Colleges week is free to everyone and onlyrequires 1 or 2 hours of your time in the week of 18-22 October to visit a local school or college, or to host a visit. For further details or to register www.visitourschools.org

Visit our Schools and Colleges Campaign Bulletin 2

 

12th: KPMG research published

New KPMG research covering primary, secondary, special schools and academies shows that the quality and amount of education and employer engagement varies considerably between schools. A total of 63% of schools say that employer engagement is very beneficial or extremely beneficial. While 75% of school leaders believe that employer engagement has a positive impact on exam results and academic attainment.

The report concludes: "Schools believe that as well as adding to the skills of the young people, partnerships with employers inspire and motivate young people, who not only see the possibilities that they have after school, but understand to a greater extent the importance of their school work. Our interviews with head teachers supported this, with almost all mentioning in particular the importance of employer engagement in raising aspirations amongst pupils at an early age, especially in areas with high levels of deprivation."

For the full report visit: Investigation of school employer partnerships, KPMG 2010

 

5th: Governors Mean Business research published

This new School Governors One-Stop Shop (SGOSS) and University of Hertfordshire research report shows the ways in which Governors are valued by head teachers and schools. These include challenging and holding the leadership to account, monitoring, evaluation and getting to know the areas of school life in need of development.

For the full report visit: Governors Mean Business; School Governors' One-Stop Shop volunteers: Their contribution and added value to schools in England

 

June 2010

22nd: Taskforce completes its first year

The Education and Employers Taskforce has completed its first year of operation - here is our Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2010.

Click here to view the full accounts.

 

9th: Visit our Schools: 18-22 October - Register today to take part!

The Visit our Schools website has just gone 'live' and you can now register online to take part in Visit our Schools week, please go to: www.visitourschools.org

Participating is completely free (for school/colleges and employers of all sectors and sizes) and only requires 1 or 2 hours of your time in the week of 18-22 October to visit a school/college in your locality if you are an employer, or host a visit if you are an education establishment.

 

May 2010

20th: Demand for highly skilled staff to grow says CBI/EDI

The demand for skilled people will intensify during the recovery, and employers' top recruitment priorities are employability skills such as problem solving and team working, above exam results, a new survey reveals. The CBI believes that business has a key role to play in the education system.

The new CBI report, called Ready to grow: business priorities for education and skills, is sponsored by leading qualifications awarding body EDI. The survey was answered by 694 employers, which together employ over 2.4 million people and represent companies of all sizes and sectors.

The report says that business involvement with schools can be a powerful catalyst to increased academic achievement. It can also enable young people to make better-informed decisions at the key transition points in their education, and help them develop the employability skills needed.

For the full report visit: Ready to grow: business priorities for education and skills

19th: Invitation to tender

There is a call for tenders to evaluate the effectiveness of the National Centre for Languages (CILT) language learning programme during the current funding period.  This is a national programme that supports and inspires businesses and schools to work together through language learning. Tenders must be submitted by 4 June 2010.

Visit Invitation for Tender in the Research section

5th: Taskforce Research Conference announced

The Education and Employers Taskforce is sponsoring its first research conference to bring together leading academics and analysts from the fields of education policy and human resource management to share their work and so build the evidence base for what works in education-employer engagement.

The conference will be held at the University of Warwick on 15 October 2010 and is open to all with an interest. Visit: www.educationandemployers.org/researchconference

 

4th: 'Visit Our Schools' campaign update

The date for the Education and Employers Taskforce Visit our Schools campaign has been confirmed as the week of 18 - 22 October 2010. To sign up for campaign bulletins or register interest in taking part please email: carol.glover@educationandemployers.org

 

April 2010

28th: Taskforce welcomes new European initiatives

The Taskforce welcomes two recent European level developments in education- employer engagement.

European Entrepreneurship Education report unveiled

The final report and evaluation of the pilot High Level Reflection Panels on Entrepreneurship Education has been published at: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/education-training-entrepreneurship/reflection-panels/files/entr_education_panel_en.pdf

This pilot was launched by the European Commission to facilitate the exchange of experiences between national policy makers and to increase coordination on ways to develop systematic strategies for entrepreneurship education, from primary school to university. Policy makers from 26 countries participated to this exchange, together with business associations, representatives of teachers and NGOs. The final report includes:

• Findings on the current state of play in entrepreneurship education, especially in relation to the development of entrepreneurship education strategies and their implementation.
• A framework for mapping the area of entrepreneurship education, building strategy, priority setting and action, using a progression model developed from the discussions of the Panels.
• A 'cook book' of good practices which show how to address key areas within the progression model.

EU Thematic Forum on School-Business Cooperation

The March 2010 Forum in Brussels brought together policy officials and practitioners from across the EU to highlight and explore and share best practice in school-business partnership across Europe, and "to identify ways in which the EU can support the development of high-quality school-business initiatives in the future."  The event highlighted a strong growing interest in the European Commission and across the European Union countries in activity to promote closer engagement of employers with schools and colleges.  Delegates heard of EU interest in identifying means of supporting activity within member countries and policy announcements may well be made over the next six months.

 

26th: First Enterprise Education Unconference

The first Enterprise Education Unconference will take place 12-13 May 2010 in Gijón, Spain. It is an open event to engage in a fruitful conversation about the present and future of enterprise education in Europe. The event is backed up with a simple user-led online platform that follows the recommendations of the High Level Reflection Panels on Entrepreneurship Education set up by the European Commission in 2009. Please visit: http://www.copie2.es

For further details contact: Iván Diego Rodríguez, Coordinador Programa Educativo Emprendedores Tel (+34) 985 692 227 or fax (+34) 985 683 193. Email: ivan@valnalon.com and web: www.valnalon.com

 

15th: Volunteering in education offers significant financial benefits

The Taskforce welcomes the release of the landmark report by the City of London Corporation detailing the skills and competencies developed by employees involved in corporate volunteering schemes as well as the financial value accrued by businesses running such schemes.

Commissioned by the City of London Corporation and produced by Corporate Citizenship, the report - 'Volunteering: the Business Case' - tracks the learning and development of 546 employees from 16 major City firms volunteering in schools and colleges across the UK.

Speaking alongside the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Nick Anstee, at the launch event was the report author and director of Corporate Citizenship, Andrew Wilson; non-executive Director of Nomura, Kieran Poynter; Director of the Education and Employers Taskforce, Nick Chambers and Director of Research and Policy at the Chartered Institute of Management, Petra Wilson.

To read the full report visit: 'Volunteering - the business case'

March 2010

22nd: 'Visit our schools' campaign

The Taskforce and its partners are planning a major campaign with the aim of encouraging leading CEOs from the private and public sectors, at the invitation of headteachers, to "visit our schools" during the period of a week in October.

It will be a chance for decision-makers from the private and public sectors to hear from headteachers and young people about the work of schools, and to witness that work at first hand. It will showcase the great work being done by employers and schools. The campaign will facilitate structured discussions and explore practical ways in which we might work together to ensure that our education system meets the needs of young people and their future employers. If you are interested in being involved please contact: carol.glover@educationandemployers.org

Education and employers working together - Celebrating 'The Best in Britain'

As part of its autumn campaign the Taskforce is intending to publicise and celebrate the great examples of schools and colleges working in partnership with employers. We are looking for examples from all types of schools and colleges from around Britain. If you know of schools in your area which should be approached to be included let us know by contacting: carol.glover@educationandemployers.org

 

February 2010

25th: Skills and Apprenticeships Conference

Capita's National Skills and Apprenticeships Conference takes place 16 March 2010 in London. It follows the recent publication of the Skills for Growth Strategy and the introduction of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act. Speakers include Dr Anthony Mann, Director of Policy and Research, at the Education and Employers Taskforce.

For further information visit http://www.capitaconferences.co.uk

11th: CBI's Richard Lambert on tackling youth unemployment and the role of employers

Richard Lambert, Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), and an Education and Employers Taskforce Trustee, made a speech to a Deloitte breakfast meeting entitled 'Breaking the cycle of youth unemployment: the employer/education leadership challenges' on 11 February 2010.

Read the full speech (pdf).

1st: New research demonstrates the need for better education-employer engagement

The Taskforce releases today four research papers which collectively provide significant new data on the value of partnerships between employers and schools and colleges. Three Taskforce partners have worked with the Taskforce to bring into the public domain, important survey findings on the views of young people and schools towards engagement with employers.

The research papers are: IEBE's 2008 survey of 15,000 young people who had completed work experience, BITC's 2007 survey of 400 school leaders, B-live's survey of career aspirations highlghting a disjuncture between job goals and labour market realities, and a rare public analysis of the impact of work experience and part-time work on young people from large scale longitudinal studies.

For full details visit our research section

January 2010

21st: Education and employer partnerships celebrated at Guildhall event

SSAT hosted a policy forum of business and school leaders to champion school/employer partnerships. The event also saw the launch of Creating effective partnerships with employers: guidance for teachers. Produced by the SSAT in collaboration with the Education and Employers Taskforce, the publication identifies the key characteristics of successful employer engagement, presenting case studies and suggested strategies to encourage schools to create their own effective partnerships with employers.

The forum, held at the Guildhall in London on 21 January 2010 and supported by the Education and Employers Taskforce, was attended by over 30 head teachers and business representatives including BP, the Institute of Directors and KPMG.

Bob Wigley, Co-Chair of the Education and Employers Taskforce said: 'Partnerships between employers and schools can make a real difference to young people. The aim of Education and Employers Taskforce is that every school and college has an effective partnership with employers which provide young people with the inspiration, motivation, knowledge and opportunities they need to help them achieve their potential. Whilst the majority of schools now have good individual relationships with some employers and undertake activities such as work experience, we know most schools want employers to be more heavily involved in supporting work across all age groups and the curriculum areas. '

The read the full press release (pdf).

 

12th: Taskforce welcomes 10th International Education and Business Partnership Conference

The 10th International Education Business Partnership Conference program focuses strongly on the increasing interaction between corporate social investment strategies, communities and learning partnership systems and programs in many countries.

The common ground between schools, communities and business is becoming better defined as economies and societies become more knowledge-based and business becomes more aware of the need to be learning organisations.

The conference will be held 25 - 28 April 2010 in Toronto, Canada.

Read the full document (pdf)

 

6th: You Gov research findings

The EDGE Annual Programme of Stakeholder Research: Business in Schools published in January 2010 found that many teachers did not think there were enough opportunities for children to experience the workplace; 51% had this view, while only 28% though there were enough opportunities. Teachers were likely to think that there was insufficient employer engagement in their school.

Employers did not feel well informed about opportunities to engage with school. Two thirds felt that their organisation was on balance not well informed. Employers remained generally positive about engaging with the education sector. Two thirds were on balance 'more willing than not' and only 3% were not at all willing.

Of those employers that currently do not engage, 44% were on balance in favour of doing so in the future, while 10% indicated that they would definitely not be willing to do so.

Young people identified a broad range of factors as important for a good work experience placement, but were particularly concerned with the variety of work available (48%)and the preparation that goes into accommodating them (45%).

To read the full research report (pdf)

 

December 2009

16th: Defining effective employer engagement

The 2008 report of the National Council for Educational Excellence recommended that every school and college should have an effective partnership with employers. Without a clear understanding of what is meant by 'effective' employer engagement, it will not be possible for the Taskforce, working with partners, to benchmark current practice and assess if new initiatives, campaigns and communications have any measurable impact on the learning outcomes of all young people.

This paper sets out the definition that has been developed by the Taskforce, working with partners including Ofsted, DCSF and the members of the Taskforce's Expert Group on Research. The paper has been endorsed by the Taskforce's Partnership Board and Board of Trustees. Please see full document.

 

October 2009

26th: New careers, advice and guidance (IAG) strategy launched

A new careers information, advice and guidance (IAG) strategy was launched today at an event attended by Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls, Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United Football Club and Schools Minister Iain Wright.

Iain Wright commented that the Education and Employers Taskforce "will be playing a vital role in improving links between schools and businesses which is essential for setting up the new mentoring and work taster schemes".

David Cruickshank, Chairman of Deloitte and a Trustee of the Education and Employers Taskforce, will lead a review into the role of employers in the delivery of information, advice and guidance, identifying best practice and how employers can be effectively supported in this area.

Read the full press notice on the DCSF website, or read the full version of the new IAG strategy.

 

15th: New independent Taskforce established to ensure all young people benefit from effective education-employer partnerships (press release)

A new era begins today with the launch of the 'Education and Employers Taskforce' as leaders and experts from education, business and government come together in an unprecedented partnership to work for the benefit of all young people.

• See the photos from the launch
• Read the full press release

DCSF press release: Leading employers unite to 'Back Young Britain'

Read the full DCSF press release on the Taskforce launch.

 

September 2009

Enterprise education review

The DCSF has recently commissioned an evaluation of enterprise education in England. The research team (a consortium of Dubit Limited, Brightpurpose Consulting and Young People's Enterprise Forum) are conducting a stakeholder consultation and are very keen to speak to employers and business representative organisations, to ensure the employer perspective is well represented in the evaluation. Interviews would take no more than an hour and can be done by telephone at a time to suit you. Interested employers should contact Helen Highley: helen.highley@brightpurpose.co.uk.

 

August 2009

Ofsted report highlights impact of employer engagement

The Ofsted report into the implementation of 14-19 reforms concludes that effective engagement of employers in Diploma teaching has positive impacts on student motivation and behaviour, and "significantly enhances" the learning and enthusiasm of young people for their subject of study.  The full report can be found on the Ofsted website.

Read the full story: http://www.director.co.uk/MAGAZINE/2011/5_May/education_64_09.html

Find out about other new Taskforce initiatives.