Generally, standards of achievement across all sectors of education and training in Wales are at least good according to the Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales 2007-2008. The report highlights evidence of some outstanding practice, however around 30% of inspections show that providers are not doing well enough.
A £68m funding package for apprenticeships and ProAct to support businesses, employees and learners has been announced by Deputy Minister for Skills John Griffiths. ProAct assists employers and employees to deal with a fall-off in orders and provides an alternative to redundancy by way of short time working and retraining during the days not being worked.
This circular provides guidance to Local Authorities (LAs) on the Better Schools Fund programme for 2009-10. It describes the activity and priority areas which are eligible for grant support within the programme, the management arrangements for the programme and the information which Local Authorities should provide. It also gives details of grant allocations for each Local Authority and the arrangements for the claiming and payment of grant.
The total number of HE enrolments at UK HEIs was 2,306,105, showing no percentage change from 2006/07. The number of HE enrolments at Welsh HEIs was 125,540, a decrease of 2 per cent.
Montgomeryshire was the constituency with the lowest percentage of pupils of compulsory school age entitled to free school meals at 9.4, whilst Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, had the highest percentage at 25.9.
Ministers have highlighted the action being taken to tackle child poverty in Wales in their response to the Children and Young People’s Committee Report: ‘Child Poverty in Wales: Eradication through Education?’.
By 26th December 2008, a total of 33,920 EMA Wales applications had been received, an increase of 5 per cent compared with the same point in 2007/08. 28,250 applications (83 per cent) received were approved, whilst 670 applications (2 per cent) were rejected.
Almost 200,000 workers are set to benefit from training as eleven top firms make the Skills Pledge. Phones4u, Network Rail, BUPA, British Gas and others will commit to support all employees to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills and work towards their first Level 2 qualification – the equivalent of five good GCSEs – in the areas relevant to their business.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has awarded employers Network Rail, Flybe and McDonald's awarding body status. QCA's announcement allows commercial companies the ability to award nationally accredited qualifications to employees, for the first time.
This edition includes an Inside view from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert and an article on sharing good practice to drive improvement.
This is a printed newspaper specifically for adult training and Further Education providers. In this issue Talisman focuses on those people not in education, employment and training.
This report details the aspects of provision for leisure, travel and tourism in colleges which enable post-16 learners to make good progress. Between September 2007 and March 2008 inspectors visited 17 colleges where provision in sport, leisure and recreation and travel and tourism had been judged outstanding or good at their most recent inspection. The report gives examples of good practice, and recommendations for improvement are made.
This report examines factors that enable post-16 learners to make good progress in the sector subject area of information and communication technology. Between October 2007 and March 2008, inspectors visited 25 colleges where provision in information and communication technologies had been judged to be good or outstanding at their most recent inspection. The report has examples of good practice and recommendations for further improvement.
