Autistic youngsters turn Advent on its head to help the hungry
Young people living with autism are doing their part to combat hunger in Wales this Christmas as part of a ‘reverse’ advent calendar project being run by a leading provider of care for young people living with autism. Pupils from Orbis Education and Care aged from eight to 19 years of age are collecting items urgently required by food banks, such as tinned vegetables, fruit juice, and UHT milk. Each day in December, instead of opening...
Education recruitment expert responds to looming headteacher crisis
Following research by three education leadership organisations, which has found that schools in England could face a shortage of almost 20,000 heads by 2022, education recruitment expert, Baljinder Kuller, has outlined possible reasons behind failing talent pipelines. The report, by the Future Leaders Trust, Teaching Leaders and TeachFirst, concluded that England could be facing a shortage of up to 19,000 senior teachers by 2022 if...
UK misses out on £45bn GDP due to youth unemployment record
Figures highlight importance of employability focused training, says The Open University The UK must boost the employability of young people to improve economic growth, warns The Open University. The latest ONS figures on young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) today show an increase of 14,000 NEETs between April and June to hit 857,000 young people.[1] Reducing this rate amongst 20-24 year olds could have a...
Graduate Market Trends debunks graduate recruitment myths
The autumn edition of Prospects Graduate Market Trends (GMT) journal addresses two common misconceptions that are deterring young people from university. New analysis by Charlie Ball, head of higher education intelligence at Prospects, sheds light on whether the UK has too many graduates to meet business demand and if the majority of people go to university. Charlie explains: “Misconceptions about the fundamental characteristics of...
Welsh Education Secretary announces new student grants system that ‘provides for all’ Welsh students
The Welsh Education Secretary Kirsty Williams has announced that the Welsh Government will adopt proposals put forward in an independent review led by Professor Sir Ian Diamond and a panel of experts which will see £1000 for all students and some students receiving the equivalent of the National Living Wage during term time while they study. The announcement was met with cross party support. The new proposals mean that the average...
Report: UK approaching Brexit with strongest graduate jobs market since recession
The unemployment rate for graduates six months after leaving university is 5.7%, a significant fall from 6.3% in 2015. Early unemployment rates below 6% signal a relatively strong jobs market for graduates, a level last seen during the pre-recession employment peak in 2007. The annual What Do Graduates Do? report published by Prospects and the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) also reports that graduates are...
What should graduates be doing to make themselves more employable?
The recent case of history graduate James Harris handing out CVs to passers by at Birmingham’s New Street train station has fortified claims that university is no longer the ticket to career success it once was. Fortunately, James’ unconventional approach managed to get him an interview. However this doesn’t change the fact that many other graduates are still struggling to find relevant work after university. Does this means all...
CIPD: Government needs to end ‘conveyor belt’ approach to university & create better vocational pathways into work
Research suggests that, for too many jobs, the cost of university outweighs the economic benefits, and that the prevailing rhetoric on the need to get more and more young people into university needs to change. Successive governments’ preoccupation over the last 30 or more years with getting more and more young people through university is no longer justified given the employment outcomes for many graduates and the associated costs...
Recruitment trade body slams ITV report on supply teachers
The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has responded to claims that schools are ‘at the mercy of agencies’ made during a special report on teacher recruitment by ITV’s Good Morning Britain. ITV’s report focused heavily on the fact that recruitment firms charge what some school leaders believe are unreasonable fees for sourcing candidates and highlighted the fact that £1.26 billion was spent on supply teachers in...
Supply teacher provider responds to ITV exposé on recruitment in schools
Responding to claims that recruitment agencies are putting ‘profits before pupils’ following an investigation by ITV’s Good Morning Britain, former education recruiter, Baljinder Kuller, has spoken out about the ‘unethical’ nature of some agencies which pray on the desperation of schools looking for teachers at short notice. ITV’s investigation found that recruitment agencies are sending teachers on assignment who are not suitably...
CIPD: HR professionals play a ‘crucial’ role in bridging gap between education and work
The CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, has this week launched a national partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company to recruit 500 senior HR professionals to work with schools and help equip young people with the skills they need to succeed in a fast-moving labour market. CIPD members will work with other senior business volunteers as part of the Enterprise Adviser Network, to help schools understand...
Over half of UK workers admit ‘I don’t use my degree in my job’
As the new University term is underway, new research from leading independent job site, CV-Library, reveals that the majority of workers (52.8%) do not use their degree education within their current position, with 57% admitting that their job is NOT related to their degree at all. The findings come from a new survey of over 1,300 UK workers and also reveals that 41.5% of employees would change their degree if they could, while nearly...
Charity succeeds by developing leadership skills in young people
A new Demos independent evaluation of UpRising Leadership Programme – the youth leadership development charity – has found undertaking social action, access to mentorship and professional networks can significantly improve the leadership skills of young people from BAME and lower socio-economic backgrounds. As social mobility once again finds itself at the centre of the UK’s political agenda, this evaluation finds huge gains can be...
8 in 10 say skills as important as tech
A new survey has highlighted that developing a skilled workforce is central to business success in the fourth industrial revolution. Staff and management skills are more important than new machinery or software in order to adopt advances in technology, according to EEF, a trade body for manufacturers. Whilst 38 per cent of manufacturers said they will need new software, more than eight in ten firms said staff skills are key.[1] Steve...
Why is there a North/South divide in A levels?
Guest blog by Michael Jopling, Professor in Education in the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning at Northumbria University With research out earlier this year showing that 30% of university applicants wished they had chosen different A-level subjects, it is clear that what students choose to study at A-level can have a big impact on their university experience and future life choices. However, there’s one thing...
