COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING

Report on the Inquiry into Education and Training for Industry (Continued)

Report 01/01R

3.            Careers Information

n     Careers Occupational Information Unit (COIU) is a branch of the Department which provides local careers information in N. Ireland. COIU provides an all age information service to all post primary schools, FE Colleges, JobCentres and Training Organisations as well as to a wide range of other agencies and individuals.

n     COIU provides advice to anyone establishing or reviewing a Careers Library and supplies information using printed, video and disk/CD Rom media. The unit also acts as a lending library for careers books, videos and resource packs. In the past year the unit has published general options advice brochures in Irish and in Cantonese. The unit has just published a "home produced" N. Ireland version of a GB publication, "Its Your Choice" which is issued to every Year 12 pupil through their schools.

4.            Developments within Careers Guidance

Strategy 2010 has recommended that the current system of careers guidance should be enhanced. In response to this recommendation DHFETE and the Department of Education have commissioned a review of Careers Education and Guidance. The Review Group is made up of representatives from education, training and employment and is chaired by Professor Sean Fulton of Queen's University Belfast. The Review Group is on schedule to produce an initial report in January 2001, based around the following issues:

n     Quality standards

n     Partnerships

n     Evaluation

n     Information

n     Social inclusion

n     Resources

n     Training and qualifications

Similar reviews of careers guidance in Scotland and Wales and the development of the "Connexions" service in England have each brought a new focus to concentrating priority careers provision to those young people facing social exclusion and disengagement from employment education and training. These initiatives have also placed a major emphasis on the development of stronger partnerships and networks.

WRITTEN SUBMISSION BY:
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT - FURTHER EDUCATION AND LEARNING POLICY DIVISION

BACKGROUND

1.         The 1990s saw a period of massive change for further education. In the early 1990s. the three colleges in Belfast were combined into one. Following the Stewart Review, the mid 1990s were taken up with a further set of mergers, affecting many colleges in different parts of Northern Ireland. In total, 26 colleges were reduced to 17. Prior to April 1998, the management of the 17 further education colleges was the responsibility of the five Education and Library Boards (ELBs). Colleges had little autonomy over their staffing and budgets and were subject to the control of their ELB. In April 1998, following the passage of the FE (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 the colleges became free standing incorporated bodies. Incorporation gave the Governing Bodies of the colleges control over their assets, their staffing and their budgets. This was a change of very significant proportions. Colleges in the rest of the United Kingdom had achieved this status almost five years previously.

2.         The colleges vary greatly in size and in the diversity of the courses they provide. The curriculum encompasses a wide range of courses developed over the years and is subject to continuous revision to meet the needs of individual students, local communities, and industry and commerce. The FE sector offers a very wide range of courses ranging from basic, pre-vocational training to degree standard.

3.         In 1999-00, there were around 24,000 full-time students and 65,000 part-time students enrolled on vocational courses. In addition, there are approximately 60,000 students on non-vocational courses which includes adult basic education, and a wide range of leisure time/hobby courses. The majority of full-time students are in the 16-19 age group while most part-time students are over 19. There has been an 18% increase in the number of mature students (over age 26) in further education between 1997/98 and 2000/01.

4.         The incorporation of colleges brought with it a significant increase in resources of over 52% from 1997/98 to 2000/01. The total expenditure on FE in 2001/02 will be around £138 million. This figure includes just under some £118m which goes directly to colleges through the recurrent formula funding mechanism and earmarked funds and some £20m for investment in infrastructure.

Department's aims, objectives and future strategy in respect of policy for Further Education.

5.         The Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment has a single aim to, "promote a culture of lifelong learning and equip people for work in a modern economy". This aim extends to the further education colleges.

6.         There are a number of documents which have influenced the Department's strategy and objectives for the sector. The publication of the document, "Lifelong Learning: A New Learning Culture For All" in 1999 set the policy direction for the further education sector to:

n     meet the skills needs of the Northern Ireland economy;

n     widen access and increase participation in education and training;

n     develop flexible education and training provision, and provide opportunities for student progression; and

n     improve quality and raise standards.

7.         The Lifelong Learning Strategy was followed by Strategy 2010 which calls for, among other things:

n     better education and higher skills (particularly for the developing knowledge-based economy);

n     greater integration of economic and educational policy;

n     more collaboration between business and the education and training systems in delivering the skills needed by business;

n     the raising of the prestige of technical education; and

n     teachers to be given direct experience of industry.

8.         The Programme for Government supports this strategic direction and gives the further education sector a key role in:

n     providing high quality education to all, with equal access for all;

n     ensuring that all our young people have the skills and qualifications to gain employment in a modern economy;

n     enabling people to update their knowledge, skills and qualifications throughout their working lives;

n     assisting and supporting the socially excluded to enable them to enter or return to the workforce, or to improve their quality of life.

9.         In essence, the Department's role/remit is defined by the FE (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. It sets the strategic direction for the sector, undertakes the strategic planning, provides the funding and carries out an overview of the activities of the sector. It has three main strategic objectives for the sector to:

n     support regional economic development and, in particular, to provide the skills necessary for the knowledge- based economy;

n     increase participation and widen access to those previously under-represented in the sector;

n     improve the quality of provision and enhance standards of performance.

Supporting the Knowledge-Based Economy and Economic Development

10.        One of the most important contributions the FE sector can make to economic development relates to vocational education and training. The sector has witnessed an overall increase of almost 15% in total enrolments between 1997/98 and 2000/01. Enrolments have risen sharply by over 27% in the same period in the six skill areas identified as areas of skills needs: computing; construction; electronics; hospitality, catering and tourism; manufacturing engineering; and, software engineering. Since 1999, an additional 600 full-time sub-degree places in further education have been allocated in the six priority skill areas with a further 95 places provided for Higher National Diplomas in software engineering. There is no restriction in the number of part-time higher education students and there has been a 21% increase in these students from 1997/98 to 2000/01.

11.        The Strategic Investment Initiative was set up to reinforce and extend the existing work of colleges in serving local and regional business industry needs. It provided investment in:

(i)         Centres of Excellence in 2000/01 of £2.6m capital and £1.1m recurrent and £1.2m in 2001/02 in recognition of high achieving colleges in the priority skills areas;

(ii)            Strategic Restructuring to assist colleges to align their staffing and provision more with the needs of the developing economy; in 2000/01 the Department made available funds of around £1.14m and in 2001/02, £1.23m to further:

n     The development of greater collaboration between colleges in the interests of more efficient use of resources; and

n     match current staffing to the key aims of the sector.

12.        A Skills Initiative has been in place for two years to enable colleges to enhance their provision at levels 2 and 3 in the priority skills areas by providing incentives for enrolment in these areas:

n     £1.3m in 2000/01; £1.7m in 2001/02

13.        Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Initiative

n     £250,000 is being set aside in 2001/02 to pilot innovative approaches to support SMEs.

14.            Strategy for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) -The Department has committed £10m over three years to supplement the colleges' own investment. The strategy aims to provide the sector with a modern ICT infrastructure; to increase the level of ICT competence of lecturing staff and to provide learners with the high levels of IT skills demanded by modern life and prospective employers. In particular:

n     infrastructure - by September 2002 the sector is working to a target of 1 networked industry specification PC per 5 Full-Time Equivalent students;

n     connection of all colleges to the universities Joint Academic Network (SuperJanet) by September 2002;

n     all full-time lecturers to have achieved a level 2 qualification by September 2002 to use ICT in teaching and learning;

n     the provision of curriculum materials to support teaching and learning.

15.        Lecturers into Industry Scheme

Since 1998, £300,000 per year has been allocated to enable lecturers spend up to 12 weeks in industry to update their skills and knowledge in their specialist vocational area. To date, the scheme has focused on engineering, hospitality and catering, and software engineering and will extend to construction from September 2001. During the placement the lecturer undertakes a project for the employer and the relationships between college and industry have improved considerably. Currently, the Department is exploring ways to mainstream the scheme and enable also the employers to work in colleges on a reciprocal basis.

Widening Access and Increasing Participation

16.        Basic Skills

n     The International Adult Literacy Survey, which benchmarked Northern Ireland against a wide range of OECD countries, indicates that 24% of the adult population in N Ireland perform at the lowest levels of literacy. Improving basic skills is one of the key challenges facing the Department both to promote social inclusion and to sustain economic development.

n     Although there is a particular focus on the skill areas needed to support the employment growth sectors, equally important, is the need to ensure that adults have the basic skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communications technology.

n     A Basic Skills Unit has been set up within the Educational Guidance Service for Adults (EGSA) and is providing advice on the standards, curriculum, qualifications and tests, as well as qualifications for tutors; the Unit also identifies, promotes and supports good practice in teaching and learning in basic skills among community groups and encourages collaboration between providers;

n     A strategy to address the weaknesses in literacy and numeracy among adults will be brought forward for consultation in Autumn 2001. It is intended that the further education sector will have a key role to play in the implementation of this strategy.

17.            Collaboration Fund

n     In 2000/01 and 2001/02, over £600k, in total, has been allocated to encourage colleges to establish and strengthen local partnerships inclusive of all major interests such as employers, councils, chambers of commerce, community organisations and education and training providers. The aim of the fund is to drive up demand for learning locally and to provide the infrastructure necessary to meet that demand.

18.        Access Initiative

n     From 1999, £1.5m has been made available to encourage the colleges to take forward innovative approaches to engage with disadvantaged individuals and groups previously marginalised from educational opportunities.

19.            Disabled Access

n     Significant steps have been taken to improve disabled access in further education colleges, including: the requirement to publish disability statements; a support fund to assist with the costs of technical or carer support; a higher financial weighting in the funding formula; and capital allocations to improve physical access;

n     In the Autumn 2001, the Department, along with the Department of Education intends to bring forward a Special Educational Needs and Disability Rights in Education Bill which will provide enforceable rights to education for disabled people on the same basis as the rest of the UK.

20.            Springvale Educational Village

n     Ministerial approval for Springvale was announced in February 2000 and the grant conditions for the main campus have been met recently by the University of Ulster and the Belfast Institute.

n     The two institutions will develop a campus for around 4,500 students. Building work has commenced on a Community Outreach Centre and a notice will issue shortly in the Official Journal of the European Community inviting tenders for the building of the Applied Research Centre.

n     The Educational Village concept breaks with the tradition of separate vocational, community and university provision. Bringing together UU and BIFHE, together with specific links with the community, provides an educational facility which is new to N Ireland. This will effect a synergy which combines further education (including vocational education for those over 16 years), community education, university degree courses and post-graduate research, all on a single site. Many students will begin their courses at Springvale, and move on to other UU/BIFHE campuses to complete their programme.

Improving Quality of Provision and Enhancing Standards

21.            Promoting a more flexible education provision and ensuring opportunities for progression

n     Qualifications need to be valued and understood by learners themselves, by colleges and higher education admissions' tutors and by employers. They need to be accessible to all, flexible and quality-assured to maintain high standards;

n     Colleges have a key role to play in the development of a National Framework for Qualifications and the N Ireland Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (NICATS) which interfaces with the Qualifications Framework.

22.            Curriculum

Colleges face the challenge of providing a curriculum for all students which meets their needs and aspirations, as well as those of employers and higher education.

n     Colleges are key to the implementation of Curriculum 2000 which provides students with a balanced curriculum, breadth of choice across a wide range of vocational areas, important to the economy, key skills in application of number, communication and ICT, and the opportunity to mix academic and vocational subjects. This new curriculum, if implemented correctly, will help meet the needs of business and industry. Colleges, however, face increasing competition from schools wishing to keep their post 16 pupils and many are running with small 6th forms which deliver soft option vocational courses, and are in a position to encourage young people to stay on at school to do them.

Strategy 2010 recommended that "A valued sub-degree level vocational educational programme should be established". Eight colleges will pilot the new Foundation Degrees in conjunction with the University of Ulster and Queens' University in areas relating to information technology and telecommunications. The colleges have had significant involvement with local employers to ensure the curriculum meets their needs.

23.            Individualised Student Learning Agreements

Under the terms of the Charter for Further Education, the agreed programme of study and the respective responsibilities of the student and the college should be set out in the form of a Learner Agreement. The Funding Working Group also recommended the introduction of Individualised Student Learner Agreements (ISLAs). They ISLAs are a key strand to raise quality. They are a mechanism for the mutual benefit of the student and the college which will focus on the quality and extent of the education experience which the learner can expect. The process surrounding the completion and regular updating of the ISLA will help ensure that students are enrolled on courses appropriate to their needs, aspirations and abilities; that they and their teachers regularly review progress and hence overall retention rates should improve; ISLAs have been introduced gradually to all courses.

n     In 1998/99, ISLAs were piloted with full-time students on at least six courses as well as with students with learning disabilities and disabilities;

n     During 2000/01 ISLAs will be introduced to all remaining full-time courses and at least half of all part-time vocational courses (over 5 hours per week), with the remainder being included during 2002/03.

24.        Self Evaluation

To strengthen the internal and external dimensions of quality assurance colleges have developed arrangements for self evaluation. The development of internal self evaluation strategies, procedures and processes which are rigorous and critical is a feature of a college striving for continuous improvement, and is essential for effective college development planning. Self evaluation reports are key aspects of the college's quality assurance arrangements and enable staff and senior management to work together to improve provision and raise standards.

(a) Internal

n     The procedures and processes of self evaluation require college management and staff to be self-critical against standards reflecting the best practice in further education.

n     Self evaluation reports should include evidence from college development plans, annual reports, course reviews, including internal and external verifiers' reports, the views of students, performance indicators and internal quality audits.

n     Self evaluation reports should also inform college development plans and the quality assurance procedures across the college.

(b) External

n     From 1999, the effectiveness of a college's self evaluation arrangements form an important part of inspections undertaken by the Education and Training Inspectorate. At least two weeks before an inspection a college is required to provide the Inspectorate with a clear and succinct report on the quality of its provision and the standards achieved by students on each of the areas or aspects of provision being inspected.

n     Evaluative comments on the quality of learning and standards and outcomes should be the central focus of the self evaluation report.

n     Evaluating the rigour, accuracy and consistency of judgements made by a college in its self evaluation reports is a central purpose in inspections.

n     There are comments in published report of the effectiveness of a college's self evaluation arrangements.

THE DEPARTMENT'S ROLE/REMIT IN RESPECT OF FURTHER EDUCATION COLLEGES

25.            Paragraph 4 of the FE (Northern Ireland) Order sets out the powers of the Department in relation to further education. "The Department shall have the power to do all that is necessary or expedient for the purposes of the exercise of its duty under Article 3 of the 1989 Order in so far as it relates to further education" In particular, the Department may:

(a)        make grants, loans and other payments in accordance with Article 5:

n     to the governing bodies; or

n     to others for the purposes of, or in connection with the provision of further education.

(b)        establish a new institution of further education in accordance with Article 6;

(c)            amalgamate two or more institutions of further education to form a single new institution of further education in accordance with Article 7;

(d)            recognise an educational establishment as an institution of further education in accordance with Article 8;

(e)        provide for the discontinuance of a institution of further education in accordance with Article 9.

26.        As indicated previously, the Department sets the strategic direction for the colleges in line with the Programme for Government. The Department gives the sector strong guidance through a range of methods :

n     the Department's Business Plan (and Strategic Plan);

n     the annual budget letter from the Department which sets out the terms in which the funding is granted ;

n     targeted expenditure in specific areas covered by circulars;

n     advice on the preparation of college development plans;

n     the Financial Memorandum and Audit Code and Accounts Direction.

ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF MANAGEMENT OF THE COLLEGES

27.        All governors are appointed by the Department. In terms of the appointment process the Department follows the guidance for public appointments, including public advertisement and the use of an independent assessor. It is the responsibility of the governors to set the direction for each individual college, within the overall strategic picture, and to maintain a full oversight of its activities including the management of the college. Governing Bodies may, and do seek advice from the Department on a range of issues. The Department has issued formal advice for governors.

28.            Responsibility for the management of the colleges rests with the Director and his/her senior staff, overseen by the Governing Body. Colleges own the property and other assets they use, employ their own staff, and are responsible for all the services they require. Responsibility for the nine Government Training Centres transferred to the Colleges in 2000.

DETAILS OF THE FUNDING MECHANISM AND ALLOCATION TO EACH OF THE FURTHER EDUCATION COLLEGES

28(a)            Recurrent Funding

The FE funding formula has been developed with the full co-operation of the sector. The Formula Funding Working Group, which comprised representatives from colleges and the Department, made its initial recommendations in March 1998 and, following consultation with the whole sector, agreed the formula for implementation in March 1999. Implementation of the new formula has been phased over a three-year period, with full implementation of the new formula from 2001-02. A Formula Funding Advisory Group has been established as a forum for discussing proposed changes with the sector. Any changes to the formula will be the subject of consultation with the sector.

In 2000/01, 50% of the funding distributed to colleges on the basis of the funding formula was allocated on the basis of the Student Powered Units of Resource (SPURS, and 50% was allocated of weighted full-time equivalent student numbers. Each student enrolled in a college on a course over 10 hours duration per annum generates funding units based on a range of factors. The unit of funding is called a SPUR.

From 2001/02, the total formula funding budget to colleges will be distributed by the SPURS formula.

The delivery and study in a further education environment involves three key interconnected phases: recruitment; learning; and, outcome. The SPURS formula is structured around these three phases, and takes into account various factors, including mode of attendance, course subject, age of student, TSN, disability etc.

Funding of colleges is based on the most up-to-date validated student data. However, this means that there is a delay between the end of the period during which the student attended and the allocation of the funding generated. For example, the current year funding is based on the historic student data for the 1999/00 academic year.

28(b)            Earmarked Funds

Funds are primarily earmarked by the Department because it is an effective way of ensuring that specific objectives are met. A number of funds have been allocated specifically, for example, to support economic development and widen access (see above). Funds are earmarked for staff and curriculum development as are those to take forward the ICT strategy and are distributed in proportion to the numbers of Full-Time Equivalent students enrolled in each college.

The Department conducts regular reviews of all earmarked funds.

28(c)    Capital Funds

All colleges receive an annual allocation of capital funding to:

n     address urgent remedial maintenance and health and safety deficiencies;

n     improve disabled access;

n     create an adult ambience; and,

n     upgrade and replace equipment.

The allocation to each of the colleges for 2001/02 is outlined in Appendix 1.

THE DEPARTMENT'S ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS IN PLACE IN RESPECT OF HOW COLLEGES OPERATE

29.        As independent corporate bodies, colleges are responsible for organising their own financial affairs. To ensure that colleges comply with Government Accounting requirements; seek value for money; and use, the funds made available to them for the purposes intended, the Department has put in place a comprehensive set of financial controls comprising a Financial Memorandum, Audit Code and Accounts Direction. In addition, college principals have been formally designated as Accounting Officers and are responsible and accountable to the Assembly for the proper stewardship of expenditure by the Governing Body.

30.        Colleges are required to have their own internal quality assurance systems to monitor and evaluate their performance continually and systematically in order to ensure and improve the quality of provision. The Education and Training Inspectorate provides an external quality assurance for the Department and inspects regularly all colleges and evaluates the curriculum, the quality of the teaching and learning and, the standards achieved by the students, the staffing, management, accommodation and resources. The Inspectorate also provides an indication of the efficacy of the college's own evaluation of its provision.

31.        As stated above colleges are required to submit annually a rolling three-year college development plan (CDP) outlining the main elements of future provision and activities in line with Government priorities and underpinned by financial planning. The CDPs are analysed by the Department and the CDPs for 2000/01 - 2002/03 reflect the Departmental priorities of widening access and participation; meeting the skill needs of the local economy; improving quality and raising standards; and ensuring an efficient and effective further education sector. Each year, after analysing the CDPs the Department issues a circular assessing the strengths and weaknesses in the CDP process; and, providing an evaluation of the statistical information provided by colleges in respect of the strategic direction of the FE sector as a whole.

32.        The Department may give directions to a college under Article 101 of the 1986 Order for the purpose of remedying any matter referred to, or implementing any recommendation contained , in a report of any studies carried out.

STAFFING, INCLUDING ABSENTEEISM, MORALE AND TURNOVER

33.        In line with the growth in the number of students, there has been a nine percent increase in total staff levels in colleges between 1997/98 and 1999/2000. The Student Staff Ratio has remained constant in the same period.

34.        Colleges employ their own staff and are responsible for their deployment. Until this year, Northern Ireland was the only part of the UK to require all full-time and associate lecturers to obtain professional teaching qualifications within three years of taking up post. The University of Ulster has worked with the sector, the Inspectorate and the Department to develop a Post-Graduate Certificate in Further and Higher Education tailored specifically to meet the needs of lecturers in Northern Ireland.

35.        The Department does not monitor the absenteeism or turnover of staffing; this is the responsibility of the college management and governance. The sector employs around 1700 full-time staff and as with any large organisation, has from time to time, staffing difficulties. The Department believes, however, that the vast majority of staff at all levels in colleges are dedicated to their students and are professional in how they carry out their work.

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