Providing cutting edge skills for the engineers and construction workers of the future is a cornerstone of the Assembly Government’s plans to build a strong economy, First Minister of Wales Rhodri Morgan said in Wrexham last week. He was in the borough to officially open the new £5.2 million Engineering and Construction Centre at Yale Tertiary College. More
DCELLS commissioned Dare Training to develop a qualitative and quantitative monitoring system which providers can use to evaluate the effectiveness of motivational programmes within Welsh Assembly Government funded post-16 learning provision. A steering group, made up of representatives from providers that deliver pre-entry learning programmes was set up to determine the most appropriate method of capturing the information required. More
The latest National Statistics on public expenditure produced by HM Treasury were released on 21 April 2008. The key points for Wales for the 2007-08 budget data are: Planned Identifiable Expenditure on Services in Wales in 2007-08 was £8,577 per head, 10 per cent higher per head than the UK average (£7,790 per head). In 2006-07 spending on education was 3 per cent higher then the UK average. More
The Higher Education Academy event will be based on the outcomes of the Academy’s review of the new three-year Welsh Learning and Teaching Strategies 2007/08 - 2009/10 and will highlight effective practice and emergent themes in Welsh. More
Key note speakers include: Sir Chris Humphries OBE, Chief Executive of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills; Sir Adrian Webb, Chair of the Wales Employment and Skills Board and author of Promise and Performance; John Griffiths AM, Deputy Minister for Skills; John Stone, Chief Executive, Learning and Skills Network and Dr William Maxwell, Chief Inspector, Estyn. More
The Accessible Learning and Information Centre provides bespoke training to organisations across Wales, focusing on ICT training courses, as well as Visual Awareness training. Courses include: An Introduction to accessible ICT / Visual Awareness training, Using Supernova, Using JAWS, Web Accessibility & Email Visual Awareness training. To book on to any courses, telephone 02920 449 557 or email ALICenquiries@rnib.org.uk
This paper outlines initial proposals on DCELLS’ Quality and Effectiveness Framework for post-16 learning in Wales, to be implemented from 2009 onwards. It reflects DCELLS’ ongoing commitment to raising quality and standards for all learners in Wales, working with learning providers to build on best practice and address inconsistencies in performance. More
Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, Dr Brian Gibbons, visited Treorchy Comprehensive School (Thursday, 17 April) to see a new anti-grass arson education initiative in action. Police and Fire officers will work together to deliver talks to Key Stage 3 pupils in comprehensive schools. More
On 7 April 2008, the think tank Policy Exchange published a report (The labour market for teachers) which looks at the training and recruitment of primary and secondary school teachers. The report reveals that applications for secondary teacher training are falling. It predicts that recruitment targets for key subjects will not be met in 2008 including mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, geography and information and communication technology. More
A consultation to build stronger and more flexible links between business and universities was launched by Minister of State for Higher Education, Bill Rammell. The High Level Skills consultation will seek views from employers, students, colleges and universities on how to raise the skills of those already in work and also ensure graduates are equipped with the knowledge and abilities that businesses need to compete globally. More
Podium' is the Further and Higher Education Unit for the 2012 Games. The Unit has a nationwide remit and has two major aims. Firstly, to communicate both within the sector and with outside agencies about the potential for Universities and Colleges to support the successful staging and delivery of the 2012 Games. Secondly, to coordinate the development of activity within the sector that maximises the benefits of hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in this country, contributing to the building of a sustainable and wide reaching legacy. More
Career and educational development, accommodation and value for money were some of the key issues raised by university under- and postgraduates during five student juries, the results of which were recently published. More
