12 minute read
ITPs
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
Independent training providers are a vital part of the further education mix, and one that has responded admirably to the challenges posed by Covid-19
BY VICTORIA HOLLOWAY
striking feature of the further education (FE) sector, and one which attracts a steady stream of teachers, trainers and learners, is the breadth of choice and collaboration across its environments. But with choice comes complexity and often misconceptions around what FE providers should look like.
While the majority of FE is still delivered in a college environment, there is currently 10 times the amount of independent training providers (ITPs) – 2,500 in total – across the UK, according to a recent report by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP). But despite the volume of ITPs nationally, the report also highlights the multitude of challenges they face as a relatively ‘unrecognised and under-researched’ area of TVET (technical and vocational education and training) provision.
These challenges have undoubtedly become more visible during the Covid-19 pandemic. Providers still need to sell their courses to run eff ectively as a commercial business, without compromising the unique learning experience they off er from industry experts, and sector specialists.
On a more positive note, the experience has shone a spotlight on the strengths of ITPs, the country’s diverse FE landscape and its robust links with industry, which combined make it a vital part of supporting the economy. A
Pulling together
In response to the national lockdown and all 2,500 ITPs closing their physical bases, many teachers and learners in the sector embraced the power of online technology, live-streamed interactive lessons and provided virtual support to ensure learners could continue their studies.
This demonstrates the sector’s emphasis on collaborating internally and externally, rather than recreating ways of working. Training providers off er much more than just a place to learn; many are also a support system for social inclusion and social mobility.
Dr Barbara Van der Eecken, director of quality and service standards at Babington
and vice chair of SET’s management board, recognises the diffi culties Covid-19 has had on the sector but believes the ongoing need for contingency planning creates a stimulating place to work. “My motivation has always been about getting the best out of people, sharing best practice and fi nding solutions,” she says – a sentiment very much refl ected in her position on the SET management board.
Babington has an in-house solutions team that works closely with trainers, including a dedicated team to support learners remotely, which has been more important than ever over the last few months. “One of the key challenges – but also unrealised strengths of ITPs – is our ability to adapt,” she says. “Although this can create a level of insecurity, we are an extremely proactive part of the sector.”
Above and beyond
Beyond helping their learners, many providers have been instrumental in fundraising and delivering frontline support to healthcare settings. Over 250 health and social care apprentices from GB Training – armed with facemasks and sterilising facilities – have been redeployed to care homes to alleviate pressure on nurses. Teachers from the same provider have also been contacted by local hospitals to join an emergency list of staff .
Private providers with their own charitable foundations have also been stepping up. One fi rm in County Durham, Learning Curve Group, donated more than £20,000 to an emergency Covid-19 fund to help community groups working with those worst aff ected in the area.
Amazing Apprenticeships, meanwhile, partnered with a wellbeing coach to run a series of motivational webinars to boost morale in businesses that are supporting apprentices while facing their own fi nancial challenges. “We’re building a real sense of community and everyone is so positive about helping each other,” says director Anna Morrison.
Acacia Training, too, has been working with Wellonomics, a software company to enable its own tutors to self-evaluate and improve their mental and physical wellbeing. “It is used alongside a training package for managers to enable them to better understand their teams and engage IKON IMAGES
COMMUNITY ADAPTING TO HELP OTHERS
Like many other charitable providers, learning community ELATT serves communities that are in most need of support and skills, across deprived parts of London. As well as IT, English and maths, it offers ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) courses to vulnerable groups such as asylum seekers, and the long-term unemployed.
Nafi sah Graham-Brown, head of life skills and community at ELATT, says working at the organisation is hugely satisfying. “Whether it’s helping single mothers to provide a home environment where reading is encouraged or equipping a young person with the behavioural skills they need to succeed in an internship, the rewards are vast,” she says.
Unlike much bigger ITPs and colleges which address business needs directly, she explains how ELATT offers an alternative to traditional education for hard-to-reach groups.
“There are many young people who are not ready for college yet, or don’t feel comfortable in a classroom environment,” she says. “Our focus is preventing those individuals from falling through the cracks.”
staff with the organisation,” says Amy Fowles, quality of education manager. “We have seen dramatic results internally.”
Addressing economic demands
With TVET policy becoming increasingly driven by economic considerations, work-based learning and employer engagement have become a priority for national government.
As well as accounting for 20 per cent of all TVET learners in England and employing over 23,500 people, according to AELP, ITPs deliver around two-thirds of all apprenticeships. But beyond education, these diverse providers are facilitating employers with practical skills solutions and helping them navigate a complex government-funded system.
What stands out are two underlying strengths of ITPs: the ability to adapt and remain agile; and, crucially, how well positioned they are to respond quickly to the current and future strains on the economy. These two elements should help them face up to the challenges of the current climate and beyond.
23,500
The number of people employed in the independent training provider sector, according to AELP*
2,500
The approximate number of independent training providers in the UK, according to AELP*
PUSHING NEW BOUNDARIES
The Advanced Teacher Status programme takes individuals on a journey of discovery that will boost their motivation and benefi t both their learners and employers
aining Chartered Teacher status has been just one of the advantages of colleagues pursuing the Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) programme, according to Em Lowe, vice principal of the Bedford College Group.
Her colleague Natalie Morris was in the fi rst cohort to pursue ATS through SET, and has since taken on a new role as quality manager at the college, having started her career as a youth worker and working in a number of SEND roles in further education. Lowe believes completing ATS was a factor in giving Morris the confi dence to apply for a cross-college role and become a more refl ective practitioner. The college is now looking at supporting future staff cohorts to undertake the programme.
The ATS programme was launched by the Education and Training Foundation in 2017, and fi ve cohorts have pursued the status through SET so far. It recognises experienced professionals who can demonstrate mastery in their teaching or training, an exemplary degree of knowledge of their subject area, and eff ective collaborative working to improve teaching standards. G
Any advanced practitioners with a level 5 or above initial teaching qualifi cation can apply – there is a requirement that they have at least fi ve years’ teaching experience and already perform mentoring and coaching within their role.
Anyone who achieves ATS also receives Chartered Teacher status, thanks to SET’s work with the Chartered College of Teaching to strengthen the parity of professional status for teachers across all educational contexts. Participants say the status gives them a “badge of professionalism”, and that it supports greater collaboration between colleagues and their wider FE networks.
The programme itself runs over 12 months, and participants will need to allow around three or four hours a week to work on their portfolio. Key aspects of the programme include further developing their mentoring and coaching skills with colleagues, creating their own professional development plan, and developing an improvement project for BOTH STAFF HAVE
their college. They must also come up with a fi nal action plan to show how they will develop their practice going forward.
At Lincoln College, two teaching staff have completed the programme so far, but the organisation is keen for more to do so in future. The introduction of ATS coincided with developing a new coaching culture strategy at the college so has complemented what they were already trying to do, says Sally Reeve, teaching and learning manager.
“Both staff have come out of the scheme as stronger mentors and coaches, supporting others in their teaching practice as well as developing their own,” she explains. One has helped develop a care college within Lincoln with strong links to employers and industry, and is mentoring new starters.
Reeve believes ATS can be an eff ective way of rewarding and recognising teaching staff , particularly those who may not want to pursue traditional leadership roles but want to develop their teaching and pedagogy further.
PENNY TAYLOR
Advanced curriculum coach at Lincoln College, teaching young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) Before undertaking Qualifi ed Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) and ATS, I completed a degree in social science and criminology through the Open University, a PGCE and a degree in quality assurance. Having worked across different industries in the sector, I was inspired to do ATS because I wanted to continue to develop myself and empower young people through my research.
Doing ATS while working full time and having a busy home and social life meant there were times where it was diffi cult. But I was lucky to have a good mentor who talked me through my ATS portfolio and helped me work the best way.
I had many ideas for my project but decided to focus on how food affects learning in the classroom; so, for example, do young people work better when they’ve had a proper breakfast and don’t have energy drinks or chocolate? I introduced a breakfast club where young people could have either toast, cereal or yoghurt.
My research looked at what learning took place if we came into the classroom and got straight into the lesson, compared with having a 20-minute session fi rst thing where we discussed current affairs and ate breakfast together. The fi ndings revealed that after breakfast they had a much more productive morning.
As a result of my research, we now provide kettles and drinks facilities for staff to use in the classrooms. I’ve also got a new role at college and have introduced a scheme where all students get a free hot drink once a week.
PHIL GREEN
Teacher development coach and lecturer in initial teacher education, Suffolk New College I’ve been coaching and teaching since 1999, during which time I completed my QTLS status. I moved colleges to pursue a role as programme manager of sport, before becoming an advanced teaching and learning coach. This led me to my current path of initial teacher education and the chance to complete my ATS.
ATS is a tough but rewarding process. The continued self-refl ection and evaluation of your contribution to your own, others’ and the organisation’s development gave me a real purpose, which I believe had been lost a little.
My research project was linked to a programme we started to support our ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ teachers. As a college we were going through some tough times, and as a department we felt that most of our support was focused on our underperforming staff. Our goodto-outstanding staff were being left out, which could, we felt, result in those staff unintentionally underperforming.
We invited staff to take part in a six-week programme where they could work through a programme identifying traits and skills that made an outstanding teacher. It gave a sense of cross-college collaboration and prompted more staff to share best practice. It re-enforced an already-established open-door policy to staff, which allowed them to confi dently ask more questions and try new teaching ideas. This improved the culture of the college to a more all-round supportive approach, rather than just a defi cit approach.
NATALIE MORRIS
Quality manager, Bedford College I have focused my teaching career on vulnerable groups, teaching for the Virtual School for Looked After Children, covering every age range. I’ve also taught in a pupil referral unit, as well as being a SEN co-ordinator (SENCO) for further education students with special educational needs.
When I started ATS, I was an advanced practitioner and course manager so I was already in a position where I was able to effect change within my department. I knew that my role and skillset was changing and wanted to spend more time refl ecting on what that was and honing my skills.
The project for my ATS portfolio gave me the opportunity to work with our equality, diversity and inclusion lead. The real focus was about the divide in access to HE students in terms of their outcomes. Over the last fi ve years, research by the awarding body revealed every year that, based on students’ postcodes, we can tell at the beginning of the course whether they are likely to pass or get a high or a low grade. We wanted to improve the outcomes for students who, by postcode alone, might struggle.
The experience gained completing ATS has already started to have an impact on my organisation, especially now I am responsible for professional development across the College Group, which comprises over 1,000 members of staff and 15,000 students. As a practitioner, it has given me an avenue to lead my staff but has also confi dence in my own skills as well.
