In response to Skills Minister, John Hayes’, challenge to ALP to tell him what should be done to maintain high quality performance within the FE system during times of financial restrictions, he was sent a brief paper outlining half a dozen critical issues to be considered.  The paper has been posted today on the ALP website.
These thoughts were also presented (again) this week when ALP Chairman Martin Dunford, Chief Executive Graham Hoyle, and several ALP members articulated their views over dinner in the House of Commons. The Minister was accompanied by several members of his staff, including policy adviser, Scott Kelly, and declared himself in substantial agreement with the many points raised.
Specifically, he reiterated his sympathy for the ALP line on functional skills, and was hoping to be able to come to an early decision on this critical issue. He was also supportive of our arguments for the need for properly designed ‘pre-Apprenticeship’ provision and was grateful for our offer to help in designing such a programme, and understood how important it would be to ensure independent providers were able to access Government funding for any eventual delivery.
He was also much taken with our arguments to strip out all the unnecessary expense of justifying how we deliver and have to account for our training programmes, such as guided learning hours and other activities focused solely on training ‘processes’. ALP members argued that they should be rightly held accountable for delivering successful outcomes – frameworks, qualifications, etc – but given the flexibility to deliver the desired end products based on their own professional expertise.
Members assessed the evening as highly successful, with a new Minister who was clearly well informed and demonstrably listening to opinions and proposals from the front line. It augured well for future dialogues, and there is no doubt that members are looking forward to hearing what he has to say at next week’s ALP conference.