08 Jul 2021 | Online
10:00 - 15:00
Register now

Event prices

Private Sector

£295 +VAT

Public Sector

£195 +VAT £145* +VAT

*If registering more than 1 place

Overview

There has never been a busier time for those working across the Skills sector. 

Faced with a recently published Skills White Paper, setting out reforms to post-16 technical education and training to support people to develop the skills needed to get good jobs and improve national productivity, as well as the more prominent challenge of reviewing measures taken now that will effectively transition the economy in future, there has never been a more important time to regroup, reset and look to the future of skills in the UK.

The combined forces of COVID-19, Brexit and a new Government have further highlighted skills gaps – especially digital skills and seen more people out of work than can be remembered in recent times. It has disrupted the delivery of employer-based training and examinations – and possibly will change the way we think about them for good. We’ve seen the rapid development of new initiatives to help employers increase job offerings – all of which must now be integrated into a burgeoning framework of offerings.

Together, it is our responsibility to create and prepare for the reset now that will shape the future workforce for the economic bounce-back post-COVID. Are you ready?

Bringing together policy makers and practitioners from across the spectrum of education, employment and government, join us to understand how we must regroup, reset and look to the future of skills in the UK. With a focus on what those across the sector can create and prepare now for the future workforce to ensure an effective economic bounceback, we’ll also examine the latest policy reforms and review best practice from those creating effective programmes of change.

Confirmed speakers: 

  • Julian Roberts, Head of Employability, Truro and Penwith College
  • Teresa Frith, Senior Skills Policy Manager, Assocation of Colleges
  • Further speakers to be announced

Learning Objectives

  • Receive an up-to-date brief on key takeaways from the Skills White Paper and what it will mean for employers and colleges
  • Discuss the interventions we need to put these in place and the policy flexibility that will need to support pathways into the employment
  • Explore the Future Landscape of Technical Education and what this means in context of the White Paper
  • Review what a skills-led recovery plan would look like and how we can develop a 'fit for future' workforce
  • Identify and learn good practice lessons from innovative ways employers and colleges are collaborating and working in partnership

About the Event

Due to current uncertainty surrounding live events and restrictions around social distancing, this event will now take place online. As a delegate you can expect:

  • High quality and timely content as you would expect in a face-to-face event
  • Facilitated Q&A and panel discussions to put your questions to expert speakers
  • Access to recordings from all conference sessions post-event
  • Scheduled breaks throughout the day to minimise screen fatigue
  • CPD accreditation on request for all registrants
  • Delivered via Glisser, an accessible and user-friendly platform
Agenda
10:00

Chair's Introduction

10:05

A Government Overview of The Skills & Further Education Landscape

  • How has the context of skills changed? Where the sector is now and where it is heading?
  • Key takeaways from the Skills White Paper and what it will mean for employers and colleges
10:30

A Skills-Led Recovery Plan: Developing a 'Fit for Future' Workforce

  • The future is digital: identifying the multiple pathways for integrating digital skills
  • Increasing digital adoption and creating a strong digital talent pipeline to support economic recovery  
  • Green-Skills and Green collar jobs: Reviewing the benefits of developing skills that will lead to a sustainable-led recovery

Teresa Frith, Senior Skills Policy Manager, Association of Colleges

11:00

Morning break

11:30

Pathways into Employment: Maximizing Opportunities to Get People Back to Work

  • An overview of the effective responses to the COVID pandemic: Short & Long-term solutions to re-skilling
  • Identifying all the interlinked pathways to get people into short and long-term employment
  • Optimising the use of Kickstart and Restart programmes
  • Reviewing re-skilling initiatives employed by local partners
  • Discussing the interventions we need to put these in place and the policy flexibility that will need to support these
12:30

Lunch

13:30

Exploring the Future Landscape of Technical Education

  • Reviewing the Higher Technical Education picture: where we are and where it is heading
  • Receive an in-depth overview of T levels, how are they going to be funded, how are employers thinking about them and gearing up
  • Reviewing current and future Post-16 qualifications

Julian Roberts, Head of Employability, Truro and Penwith College

14:00

Return or Reset? Reviewing Employer-Based Training Schemes Post COVID-19

  • What have we learnt through COVID-19 about employer based schemes
  • Different new options – which should you use
  • Is the offering of Traineeship schemes correct?
  • The future of the apprenticeship scheme Portfolio assessment vs Examinations – what should the future look like
14:30

How Colleges are Equipping Young People for the Workplace

  • Reviewing effective strategies colleges are employing to meet the demand in diverse skills
  • Identifying innovative ways employers and colleges are collaborating and working in partnership
15:00

Chair's Summary of Day & Event Close

 

Speakers
Teresa Frith
Senior Skills Policy Manager, Association of Colleges

Teresa Frith has been with AoC since December 2008, taking up the newly created post of Senior Skills Policy Manager. The new role marked the AoC’s recognition of the importance of employer focussed activity to Colleges and the wider community. The role encompasses all aspects of employer related provision, particularly post 19, apprenticeships, commercial activity and working with the unemployed. Teresa had an active role in influencing the development of policy relating to apprenticeships, traineeships and post 19 (including apprenticeship) funding. She has been involved in the development and writing of numerous support guides and projects within these areas including the ETF funded ‘Future Apprenticeships’ project.

Prior to taking up this post, she spent nearly 20 years working in FE as a Lecturer, Head of Department, Director and SMT member. The vast majority of this time was spent in employer related activity at local and regional levels, particularly around Apprenticeships, Train to Gain, ESF projects, full cost recovery work and commercial bidding both in partnership and alone.

Teresa sits on a number of key, national groups where she represents the views of colleges to Government and engages regularly with key stakeholders such as DfE, BEIS, ESFA, IfATE, DWP, AELP and UVAC. She has recently taken up a co-convening role for the Construction Leadership Council managing the Transition to Work from FE Strand of their Development Plan and is working closely with the Clean Heat and Energy Directorates of BEIS in projects to bring industry and FE into closer alignment to meet the skills needs that accompany the shift to Zero Carbon by 2050. She also directly supports a number of membership groups internal to AoC that support this work, including the AoC Apprenticeships Policy Group.

 

Who should attend?

Delegates will be drawn from a range of Colleges, Further Education providers, Higher Education Institutions, Employers, Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Job titles include: 

  • Principal
  • Curriculum Manager
  • Head of Skills
  • Employee partnership manager
  • Employability managers
  • Director of partnerships
  • Director of Skills and apprenticeships
  • Head of business
  • Director of curriculum
  • Chief Executive
  • Chair
  • Business Development Manager (although generic)
  • Head of policy, communications or research
  • Business skills manager
  • Talent manager
  • HR leads (Heads of/ Directors)
  • Head of Talent
  • Professional development managers
  • Economic Development officer/manager
  • Policy and research managers
  • Skills managers
  • Economic regeneration manager
  • Adult skills officers
  • Skills officers
  • Recruitment managers

 

If you have any questions regarding our events or wish to attend an event, please contact our Customer Services team on 020 7593 5739 or via email.

To discuss event sponsorship, speaking opportunities and agenda content, please email: Customer.Service@thehousebriefing.com.

Please note that all speakers and the agenda are subject to change without notice.