NEAC in the News
Posted on March 10, 2011 Leave a Comment
NEAC going green…
Paul Champion
CEO
North East Apprenticeship Company
http://www.neapprenticeship.co.uk
http://www.apprenticeshipblog.com
Tel: 0191 4902453
Mobile: 07540 704920
Fax: 0191 5800218
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/champo
Twitter: NEACltd
Mission Employment
Posted on March 9, 2011 Leave a Comment
We are looking for a group of young hopefuls to compete for an opportunity to gain a business administration apprenticeship level 2 with local employers.
This 6-week programme will enhance your skills to help you get hired. Working in a team, you will be able to win points for each weekly task you complete successfully.
To be eligible, you must live in Gateshead and be unwaged or unemployed. You must be committed to attend for the full 6 weeks and ready to learn new skills.
Your travel expenses will be paid for the duration of the 6-week programme.
Fancy Starting a debate?? Vocational education not good enough, says Wolf report
Posted on March 3, 2011 Leave a Comment
From the BBC website 3/3/2011
Hundreds of thousands of young people are doing vocational courses which do not lead to university or a job, a report says.
A review commissioned by ministers recommends a radical shake-up of vocational education in England.
It says all pupils should study a core of academic subjects until they are 16.
And it calls for changes to the school league tables so some vocational qualifications are not counted.
At the moment, some qualifications count for the equivalent of four GCSEs.
The report says this, coupled with the funding arrangements, provide “perverse incentives” for students to be steered in to notching up strings of qualifications which may not help them in to work or higher education.
And this is at a time when young people are facing a very difficult labour market, it says.
The review has been carried out by Professor Alison Wolf, an expert in education and skills.
We’ve got more than half our 15-16 year olds failing to get get good maths and good English at GCSE the first time round and two years later it’s no better”
Professor Alison Wolf Author of review
Her report says: “The staple offer for between a quarter and a third of the post-16 cohort is a diet of low-level vocational qualifications, most of which have little to no labour market value.
“Among 16 to 19 year olds, the review estimates that at least 350,000 get little to no benefit from the post-16 education system.”
Her report says the current funding system encourages colleges to put students through a lot of qualifications – but not to continue to improve their core skills in English and maths if these are lacking.
It calls for changes to the system of funding and regulation, longer-term work placements for older pupils and greater involvement of business and industry.
At the same time, schools should no longer have a duty to provide work-related learning, including work experience, to all pupils over 14.

Prof Wolf says funding for pupils aged between 16 and 19 should be per student – not per qualification – as it is at the moment.
She believes children should study mainly academic subjects until they are 16 and that if they do not get a good GCSE in English and maths by that age, they should be made to continue with those subjects.
“We’ve got more than half our 15-16 year olds failing to get good maths and good English at GCSE the first time round and two years later it’s no better,” Prof Wolf told the BBC.
Until 16, she says, pupils should spend 80% of their time on core subjects.
‘Little hope’
Education Secretary Michael Gove said the government would reform the system: “The system that we have inherited is very damaging. It is unfair for children and it is harming the economy.
“Millions of children have been misled into pursuing courses which offer little hope.”
He said high-quality vocational courses were “immensely valuable”, giving access to “great education and great jobs”, and should be available to all children.
“We will reform league tables, the funding system, and regulation to give children honest information and access to the right courses,” he said.
“Britain desperately needs good practical technical vocational education”
The Wolf report calls for more high-quality apprenticeships for young people aged from 16 to 18.
Employers should be part-subsidised to offer such apprenticeships, Prof Wolf believes, if they offer wider training.
The report also says it should be made easier for teachers from further education colleges to teach in schools and that colleges should be allowed to take pupils from the age of 14.
We welcome the moves to improve collaboration between schools, FE and employers”
The government is already planning to open new University Technical Colleges, where pupils could go from the age of 14 to do work-based training and core academic lessons in English and maths.
Vocational qualifications taken in schools and colleges include Btecs, City and Guilds and OCR Nationals, and cover subjects ranging from IT and construction skills, to dance, hospitality and catering.
Value
The bodies which provide them say they are keen to work with the government to implement the findings of the review.
A spokeswoman for Pearson, which provides the Btec qualification, said: “We were clear in our submission to Professor Wolf that we believe that any qualifications a young person takes must help them to progress in their lives.
“Research indicates that the value of our qualifications, like the Btec, is very strong in this respect.
“We welcome the moves to improve collaboration between schools, FE and employers to enable more learners to experience this.”
OCR said it wholeheartedly supported the findings of the Wolf review. A spokeswoman said: “The recommendations safeguard the interests of young people with measures that can support real progression, raise the quality of vocational provision and, crucially, secure core achievements in English and maths”.
Martin Doel, the chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said the difficulties facing young people in today’s labour market were not a reflection of the quality of vocational education per se, but were related to the state of the economy and “the challenges colleges and others face in picking up the pieces where pupils leave school with few or no qualifications”.
He said: “We welcome Professor Wolf’s recommendation that colleges can play a leading role in vocational education for students from the age of 14 and the recognition that lecturers in colleges have much expertise to offer young people.”
The National Union of Teachers says it is pleased the report recognises that it is essential pupils are not “herded into one type of education or another at far too young an age”.
In the Recruitment Sector? Fancy a chat?
Posted on February 28, 2011 Leave a Comment
Hi, I’m looking for some ‘mainstream’ recruitment agencies to contact me to have a chat about some ideas that I have with regard to apprenticeships within employers. I want to chat to agencies around the UK but would be very interested in agencies in and around the North East.
I feel there is some good work that could be done by NEAC in partnership with other agencies, using creative ways of working, and I would like the opportunity to have a chat about how we can invest in the future skills of the workforce ‘together’ by investing in young people.
If you want to find out more, e-mail me at paul.champion@neapprenticeship.co.uk, or call me on 0191 4902453.
Maybe we can create something great through a very small investment of our time?
NEAC hits the green button with new apprenticeship initiative
Posted on February 27, 2011 Leave a Comment
The North East Apprenticeship Company (NEAC) is launching an initiative to recruit new apprentices for ‘green’ training places.
The programme kicks-off during National Apprenticeship Week 2011 (next week Monday 7th to Friday 11th Feb) and is aimed at finding potential young apprentices for future employment specifically in the environmental sector.
Planned job roles and targeted sectors will include environment officer, carbon management and eco tourism as well as recycling, waste disposal and pollution control.
The move comes as the environmental sector is expanding due to increasing concern about climate change and pollution and will see NEAC working towards becoming the first organistaion of its type to achieve an environment award from the Environmental Academy.
The Swalwell-based Academy is a national training and consultancy company which provides businesses with support on environmental, quality and health and safety issues.
It was established to help industry, commerce and the education sector to meet growing demands of new legislation in these areas, offering consultancy services for people working in the environmental sector or looking to CPD with professional tuition.
The first new NEAC apprenticeship to be launched, in partnership with the Environmental Academy, will be for apprentice environmental management administrators with green apprentices starting work very soon.
Training will be delivered in partnership with WBL Providers and Colleges and those who participate will, as part of their apprenticeship, help employers find new ways of reducing their carbon footprint – as well as assisting them in working towards achieving internationally recognised quality standards like ISO 14001.
Apprentices will learn how to undertake, for instance, green audits for their employers as part of the skills training they receive. This will enable them to identify areas where improvements can be made, boosting their employers’ environmental credentials and helping them reduce carbon emissions and recycle more.
As part of the move, NEAC will be offering a free consultation service to help employers improve their carbon footprint
NEAC aims to create over 1000 new apprentice jobs in the North East over the next few years. Almost 150 companies have signed up with the NEAC since it was launched and more than 400 potential apprentices have registered for placements.
As well as handling the recruitment and selection of young people for apprentice placements NEAC provides an HR function for its candidates and delivers their training through locally-based providers.
NEAC managing director, Paul Champion, said: “The green job market is growing due to increasing concern about climate change and pollution, and as a result tighter regulations are affecting more businesses than ever before.
“We have partnered with the Environmental Academy to support Green Apprenticeships and encourage business growth through environmental training and awareness.
”With this partnership we will screen and select the right ‘green’ apprentices to undergo government funded training to ensure they have the skills that will benefit each individual company.”
Rita Callendar, managing director of the Gateshead-based Environmental Academy said: “We are very pleased to be working with NEAC on this innovative new programme.
“For a company hiring a green apprentice the benefits are great. This is an opportunity for the business to show a first step taken towards showing environmental management expertise or to enhance their existing arrangements.
“The green apprentice, while working and training will also help the company achieve an Enviro Award. And the apprentice gets the opportunity to qualify in a role that will fit a growing job market in Green careers.”
Apprenticeship Week 2011 aims to highlight the talents and skills of apprentices and celebrate the value of apprenticeships. More about NEAC at www.neapprenticeship.co.uk or email info@neapprenticeship.co.uk blog: http://www.apprenticeshipblog.com Tel: 0191 490 2453.
At TUC Apprenticeship Conference in London. Looks interesting
Posted on February 9, 2011 Leave a Comment
The New Apprenticeship Agenda: The Union Role
9th February 2011, Congress Centre, London
9:30Registration Opens
10:00Coffee Available
10:30Conference Start – Introduction from Frances O’Grady, Deputy General Secretary, TUC
10:40Simon Waugh, Executive Chair, National Apprenticeship Service
11:00John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning
11:20Questions
11:30Presentation of Unionlearn Quality Award to Stephenson College, Coalville, Leicestershire
11:45Voice of Apprentices – apprentices will talk about their experience in interview with Robin Ross:
• Anna Barnes – Apprentice at GMB Southern
• Lynne Dickinson – Apprentice at Gento and member of UNITE
• John Patterson – Apprentice at Redcar & Cleveland Council and member of UNISON
• Scott Walker – Apprentice at City of Lincoln Council and member of UCATT
12:15Launch of Manufacturing Skills Alliance Guide on Apprenticeships – Terry Watts, CEO of ProSkills
12:25Delivering the future Engineering workforce: The role of Apprenticeships and addressing inequality – Stephen Lilley, Apprenticeship Executive, SEMTA
12:35World Skills London 2011: The role of apprenticeships – Michael Osbaldeston, Partnership Director for WorldSkills London 2011
12:45Closing comments and the way forward
13:00Close and Lunch
Apprenticeship Week is so Cool!
Posted on February 9, 2011 Leave a Comment
Apprenticeship Week is an excellent week to be able to promote our talented young people and excellent employers.
Why not take a look at
Give us a hand Employers
Posted on March 7, 2011 Leave a Comment
The article below was on Sky News Online on Friday 4th March. Its talks about young people not being employebale and suggests that business should be involved in eductaion to ensure that young people have the skills to better suite the needs of employers.
It is very clear that young people need the help of employers, but also employers need the help of young people who are keen and capable ,to enable employers in meeting the future skill requirements of their businesses.
NEAC is passionate about ensuring young people get a fair chance in the job market via apprenticeships, so why not, as an employer, share the responsibility of our young people and their skills.
www.neapprenticeship.co.uk
Tel: 0191 4902453
ARTICLE
Young People ‘Lack Skills Needed For Jobs’
Mona Moussly, Sky News Online
Young people are less employable than they were 10 years ago because of a lack of skills due to poor education, a survey suggests.
The poll, by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), said 76% of executives agreed that failures in the education system were fuelling a skills crisis that was damaging the economy.
A high number of employers said they had encountered problems with young people’s discipline and punctuality (61%), workplace skills (63%) and attitude and ambition (66%).
Of the 600 managers surveyed,47% agreed that business involvement in the education process would improve the employability of young people.
But, when asked, fewer than half of them said they were currently working with a school in order to do so.
Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the CMI, said bad management was a serious issue in the UK with only one in five bosses professionally trained to be managers.
“The cycle has to be broken and the only way to do so is for schools and employers to work together.
“This is how students will learn to lead and the UK can develop the leadership skills needed to make Britain competitive.”
The Tomorrow’s Leaders survey was released to mark the launch of Campus CMI – a programme developed with employers to improve the management skills of young people.