Ed Tranham’s Post

🚨 Do We Need to Think About the Social Impact of Defunding Level 7? FE Soundbite Edition 768 FE Soundbite is the weekly e-journal from FE News. 🧮 In Gavin's reflective, I think more on Ben Rowland, CEO of AELP's recent article on Level 7 Apprenticeships, the social mobility, but also maintaining progression routes for learners / employees... but maintaining choice for employers. This needs to be thought of more deeply, especially as Ben highlights that defunding Level 7 will only save around £200M... if Senior Special Advisors were paid more than the Prime Minister, maybe there needs to a be a few more additional cuts there first! 🤖 I also think a bit more deeply about #OptimusTesla cobot, you thought ChatCPT was a game changer, what will a walking, talking cobot packed full of machine learning and advance #GenAI do for the world of work? Is there a massive opportunity for Skills accreditation of #Cobots like #Optimus for the Education sector (I think so)! If they become as numerous as the iPhone in 17 years time.. very much so! 🎞️ We have also started releasing the videos from the morning sessions of the #FESkillsCollective this week. 🎥 So a cracking Q&A with Jennifer Coupland and Dr Katerina Kolyva FRSA 🎥Panel sessions with Vikki Smith thinking about local skills with Eddie Playfair, Kate Shoesmith, Sally Alexander and Yusuf Ibrahim 🎥We also shared the National skills panel chaired by Katerina and with a panel of Philip Le Feuvre, Ben Blackledge, Ben Rowland and Oliver Newton This week, we have exclusives from: 🌍 Neil Fitzroy on #InternationalStudents and Australia 💻 Nicola Pearce on the age of #EdTech 💡Lesley Giles on #SkillsEngland 📒 Sakina Khan on diary of an Apprentice 💡 Natalie Simmonds-Alleyne BA Hons, PGCE, MA on #BlackHistory in Education 🤝 Scott Parkin FIEP FRSA on Collaboration over Competition 🌍Stephanie Conville on International Students Big announcements: 📢 The Industrial Strategy consultation kicks off (where are skills in this)? 🧪 DfE unveils new Science Advisory Council 📊 New UK investment funds after the international delegation of big businesses exploring investing in the UK was earlier this week 📉 We also had ONS Labour Market released (there are now more Economically Inactive people, compared to unemployed)! 🐲Welsh Minister Vikki Howells outlines aims for Post 16 Education 💡NOCN Group release a report on World Class Skills systems So a JAM PACKED FE Soundbite this week: This is FE Soundbite edition 768, ISSN 2732-4095, 19th October 2024: https://lnkd.in/edtex5_h #SkillsPolicy #Skills #FESoundbite #Apprenticeships #HigherLevelApprenticeship #DegreeApprenticeships

🚨 Do We Need to Think About the Social Impact of Defunding Level 7? FE Soundbite Edition 768 FE Soundbite is the weekly e-journal from FE News. 🧮 In Gavin's reflective, I think more on Ben Rowland, CEO of AELP's recent article on Level 7 Apprenticeships, the social mobility, but also maintaining progression routes for learners / employees... but maintaining choice for employers. This needs to be thought of more deeply, especially as Ben highlights that defunding Level 7 will only save around £200M... if Senior Special Advisors were paid more than the Prime Minister, maybe there needs to a be a few more additional cuts there first! 🤖 I also think a bit more deeply about #OptimusTesla cobot, you thought ChatCPT was a game changer, what will a walking, talking cobot packed full of machine learning and advance #GenAI do for the world of work? Is there a massive opportunity for Skills accreditation of #Cobots like #Optimus for the Education sector (I think so)! If they become as numerous as the iPhone in 17 years time.. very much so! 🎞️ We have also started releasing the videos from the morning sessions of the #FESkillsCollective this week. 🎥 So a cracking Q&A with Jennifer Coupland and Dr Katerina Kolyva FRSA 🎥Panel sessions with Vikki Smith thinking about local skills with Eddie Playfair, Kate Shoesmith, Sally Alexander and Yusuf Ibrahim 🎥We also shared the National skills panel chaired by Katerina and with a panel of Philip Le Feuvre, Ben Blackledge, Ben Rowland and Oliver Newton This week, we have exclusives from: 🌍 Neil Fitzroy on #InternationalStudents and Australia 💻 Nicola Pearce on the age of #EdTech 💡Lesley Giles on #SkillsEngland 📒 Sakina Khan on diary of an Apprentice 💡 Natalie Simmonds-Alleyne BA Hons, PGCE, MA on #BlackHistory in Education 🤝 Scott Parkin FIEP FRSA on Collaboration over Competition 🌍Stephanie Conville on International Students Big announcements: 📢 The Industrial Strategy consultation kicks off (where are skills in this)? 🧪 DfE unveils new Science Advisory Council 📊 New UK investment funds after the international delegation of big businesses exploring investing in the UK was earlier this week 📉 We also had ONS Labour Market released (there are now more Economically Inactive people, compared to unemployed)! 🐲Welsh Minister Vikki Howells outlines aims for Post 16 Education 💡NOCN Group release a report on World Class Skills systems So a JAM PACKED FE Soundbite this week: This is FE Soundbite edition 768, ISSN 2732-4095, 19th October 2024: https://lnkd.in/epW4Rr_V #SkillsPolicy #Skills #FESoundbite #Apprenticeships #HigherLevelApprenticeship #DegreeApprenticeships

$$ Connect - Educate - Guide $$ Helping students navigate the financial challenges of higher education is crucial, and it starts with three key actions: Connect, Educate, and Guide. First, connect students to available resources such as scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study opportunities that can ease their financial burden. Beyond traditional financial aid, introduce them to internships, crowdfunding platforms, and employer tuition assistance programs. Second, educate them on how to effectively apply for these resources, understand financial literacy, and make informed decisions about their education investments. Finally, guide them through the process by offering ongoing support and ensuring they feel empowered to pursue their academic goals without being held back by financial concerns. Jared Tippets #ascend #highered #higheredleadership #finances

November 24, 2024 - LaTarence Dunbar, renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, proudly unveils a pioneering Entrepreneurship Pilot Program alongside new EB-5 Service Centers. This dual initiative is designed to create jobs, enhance workforce training, and address critical workforce gaps, including immigration solutions while equipping participants with essential business skills. Launching in Georgia, Texas, Florida, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, Nevada, Missouri, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Michigan, the program leverages AI and AR to transform entrepreneurship education for high school students and underserved communities. Key Program Features: Launch EB-5 Service Centers: Create sustainable jobs and provide workforce training. Prepare High School Students: Equip underserved youth with vital business skills. Support Immigration Solutions: Train new workforce entrants to meet labor demands. Participants will engage in immersive AI and AR experiences, learning through virtual product development, AR-based marketing, and AI-driven financial planning. About LaTarence Dunbar: A retired professional athlete, Dunbar has dedicated over a decade to workforce development through the U.S. Department of Apprenticeship Programs. His initiatives align with federal goals, creating sustainable talent pipelines. For more information, contact: Website:

Is there an entrepreneur apprenticeship? If there isn’t, there should be. We could use unspent levy to fund bursaries (salaries) in order to get people set up, launch and run their businesses over the first year. You could crowdsource mentors and curriculum from the business community. The impact would be tangible: 1. Economic growth: new business creation generates jobs and boosts the economy 2. Innovation: encouraging entrepreneurship can lead to innovative products, services, and new tech. 3. Social impact: entrepreneurs often address unmet needs locally and can drive social change. 4. Reducing unemployment: it could provide opportunities for those struggling to find work, which includes both young people and experienced professionals. The cost of providing bursaries and centralised training should be weighed against the potential benefits but it feels like it could be a neat way to redistribute unspent levy. Lord knows, there are plenty of ‘gurus’ out there hard selling vulnerable people on how to do it by parting with money they don’t have. Surely the community and network effects of such a programme would be huge! Thoughts?

Here is an article from Claire Fiddian-Green the CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation here in #Indy. Apprenticeships make a ton of sense, especially if you can couple work and learning with credentials and degrees that are viable and valuable. https://lnkd.in/gCKmiB5M A book, Apprentice Nation, written by Ryan Craig, outlines some of the limitations in the US implementation of Apprenticeships to degree or work pathways. Our work, starting an Institution of Higher Education based on apprenticeship degrees in Indiana, has informed us of similar findings and important facets of this work: 1. Workforce funding is not straightforward, has many layers of management through workforce boards, and will not fund this initiative independently. 2. Accreditation for startups seeking to establish new degree paths will take at least 5 years to come online. A timeline almost insurmountable without philanthropic funding for any startup solution. 3. Venture Capital is not viable for supporting these new Institutional Startups; the market doesn't currently support this and the type of returns they are seeking don't fit with the business model of this industry. 4. Current universities with accreditation cannot deploy apprenticeship degrees without going through the same phases for that new degree path, which will also take 4-5 years and must involve a new business model currently unattainable to most of them. 5. Employers need an intermediary to deploy the operations of an apprenticeship as a training partner. That partner must have a delivery and management mechanism that is optimal for delivery at scale, with low business costs. 5. Pell, Title, CSA, ESA, CTE, and other funds are available but require operations like what I've mentioned above to open them up. Businesses will not cover these costs for apprenticeship unless the apprentice provides value. Just some thoughts to continue this conversation.

My post on Monday posing the question as to how we get more young people at school engaged in Net Zero and decarbonisation threw up some really interesting points and thank you - I will be following up with everyone who made contact. The issues raised were; 1 How do we make trades cool again During the 80s and particularly the 90s there was a push to get as many young people into University as possible. Schools were given targets to ensure pupils attained the qualifications necessary to get into Uni. Younger people going to an apprenticeship were often those who “couldn’t make it into Uni”. How can we collectively change this? How can we have schools incentivised to encourage young people into Apprenticeships with all the benefits that bring to the young person and the economy. At the moment we are churning out over qualified young people who are disappointed by their destination in the world of work - are we miss-selling degrees to some young people? How do we change the minds of two generations of parents who were conditioned at school to “get into Uni” and for them to understand the value of vocational training? 2 How do we join everything up? At the moment we have multiple agencies which are looking for access to young people to encourage them to join their company or industry. Some charge employers to do this, some do it very locally, some are funded by Govenment, some are individuals who want to do the right thing. Schools and teachers are confused in many cases by this cluttered landscape and we still haven’t got this right. It’s better, but it’s still not joined up. 3 How do we get consistency of content and messaging into classrooms As there are many actors competing for face time with pupils and many of these initiatives are ad hoc and very local, how do we ensure the quality and consistency of messaging and curriculum content into classrooms All of the initiatives we see around our schools are pushing us in the right direction but the big question is how do we achieve more collaboration and less competition? How can The Scottish Government build on the excellent work it has done with Developing the Young Workforce and the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board and Excerate and pull together all of the disconnected but effective hard work that we see across Scotland? How do we join all of this up and who will do this?

The Igbo apprenticeship system is one of the most remarkable yet under-explored business incubators in the world. Its impact extends beyond mentorship, offering profound lessons on entrepreneurship, wealth distribution, and economic resilience. Here are five key insights into its unique and transformative role: 1. Rooted in Trust and Tradition: The system thrives on mutual trust between the mentor (Oga) and the apprentice (Nwa boi). Rather than relying on formal contracts, it draws on deep cultural and communal norms, creating a reliable yet informal agreement where apprentices learn not just the trade but the ethos of the business over time. 2. A Commitment to Empowerment: After years of service, the Oga is obligated to "settle" the apprentice—often through financial capital, tools, or resources—enabling them to launch their own business. This built-in mechanism ensures the apprentice's transition from learner to independent business owner, fostering economic empowerment and self-sufficiency. 3. Breeding Innovation and Healthy Competition: Apprentices typically establish businesses in the same trade as their mentors, fostering healthy competition. This decentralisation breaks monopolies and encourages innovation, pushing both mentor and apprentice to continually adapt and grow. 4. Promoting Economic Equity: By distributing resources and empowering former apprentices to start their ventures, the system prevents the concentration of wealth and influence. This democratisation of opportunity ensures that no single person or business dominates the market, allowing economic growth to benefit the broader community. 5. An Informal Engine of Economic Development: Despite lacking formal institutional backing, the Igbo apprenticeship system stands as a powerful model of business incubation. It has uplifted generations from poverty, created thriving ecosystems, and played a critical role in post-war economic recovery for the Igbo people. This system is more than a business framework—it's a community-driven engine for sustainable development, competition, and wealth creation. Many argue that it played a vital role in the Igbo people's resurgence after the devastation of the Nigerian civil war, helping them rebuild better than ever. What additional insights do you have about the Igbo apprenticeship system? #economicinsights #business #trade #economics

Proud to author today’s Sun Sentinel Media Group oped. What if we could help young people avoid financial mistakes that often follow them throughout life? What is we could prepare them for a future that includes saving for emergencies and building for retirement? What if through workforce skills training, internships and pre-apprenticeships we gave them a real start on careers? There’s so much more work to be done to create a more prosperous and financially resilient community. How will you get involved? https://lnkd.in/exiqu_-V

In an ever evolving world it is clear that Social Mobility and social value is becoming increasingly important as part of an organisation's ESG agenda. I would welcome the opportunity to understand what this means to employers and how they are setting themselves up for success in this space. If anyone would like to chat about this and explore more please do reach out.