Wednesday afternoon - Strand three breakout sessions

3.01 - What next for the growth and skills levy?

Lead organisation: Pearson

Speakers:

• Santina Bunting - Civil Engineering Assistant Technician and Level 6 Civil Engineering Apprentice, Aru
• Jon Hornagold - Apprenticeships Manager, Amey
• Julie Lappin - Executive Director, GMLPN
• Michelle Savil - Department Lead - Technical and Professional Content and Assessment, Pearson
• Dr Nikos Savvas - CEO, Eastern Education Group
• James Swaffield - CEO, Cambridge Sparks

An opportunity to hear panel members introduce their vision for how the Growth and Skills Levy could work – for employees, for employers and those that deliver training, with discussion on how we need to protect apprenticeships, what eligible training should include, how it should be delivered and the roles of different stakeholders. During the session, delegates will get the chance to ask questions and contribute to the debate into what is needed to enable the Growth and Skills Levy to work and how it aligns with other funding such as LLE and Adult Skills Budget, but also employers’ own investments into priority skills.

3.02 - AI: Five actions for college leaders

Lead organisation: Jisc

In this session, we will explore five actions that leaders can take to ensure they maximise the benefit of AI at their college. Based on Jisc’s AI in education maturity model, this session will guide you through the transition from initial AI adoption to full-scale implementation and beyond. Following the five actions will set you on a course to embed AI so that it enhances teaching, streamlines administration, and ultimately improves learner outcomes. The session will provide practical strategies, case studies, and ethical considerations, equipping you with the tools to effectively harness AI.

3.03 - Technology-enabled care - Skills and tools for a digital-first mindset

Lead organisation: Tresham College

The Skills for Care Workforce Strategy predicts that 540,000 new roles will be required in social care by 2040, alongside the 131,000 sector vacancies. Colleges have a clear role to play in ensuring that current/future workforces have the skills needed to meet this demand. Technology will be pivotal to this. TSA will showcase work it has been piloting with Tresham College to develop digital-first mindsets to embed this approach into the workforce and explore how collaborations with business/colleges utilising tech platforms can resolve some of social care’s big challenges.

3.04 - 50 years in FE governance....and still always learning!

Lead organisation: Wiltshire College and University Centre

Speakers:

• Heather Cross - Director of Governance, Wiltshire College & University Centre
  
• Ra Hamilton-Burns - Director of Governance, Chelmsford College and Director of Remarkable Things
• Wendy Stanger - Director of Governance, East Coast College

Pick our brains and tap into our collective experience of over 50 years in FE governance. Some good practice rightly stays the same but other things change. We will share our experience, helping to reinforce good governance as well as sharing some scare stories along the way (names and locations will be changed to protect both the innocent and guilty!). Heather Cross, Chair of the National Governance Professionals’ Group, Ra Hamilton-Burns and Wendy Stanger, Vice-Chairs – will share their perspectives on governance, talk about current governance challenges and answer your questions as well as welcoming your own governance experiences and sharing lessons learned. Other members of our Group will also join us. All governance professionals, governors and anyone else interested in governance very welcome.

3.05 - Are students really at the heart of your college?

Lead organisation: National Association of Managers of Student Services

Speakers:

• Joe Baldwin - Deputy Chair of NAMSS and Deputy Principal at Bridgend College, National Association of Managers of Student Services
  
• Lisa Humphries - Chair of NAMSS and Associate Principal: Students/Customer at Chichester College Group, National Association of Managers of Student Services

This session will explore how we genuinely put students at the heart of our colleges by considering student support services and how they impact college communities and culture. The session will also aim to highlight that how you approach these services will impact attendance, retention, achievement and student behaviour. The session will show case several different college approaches.

3.06 - The research ripple effect – Wider sector impact of research in FE

Lead organisation: Association of Colleges

Speakers:

• Suki Dhesi - Vice Principal, Havant and South Downs College
  
• Laura Kayes - Group Research Practitioner and Lecturer - Teacher Education, Learning and Development, Luminate Education Group
• Stephanie Marshall-Whitley - Education and Training Lecturer, Truro & Penwith College

Research Further Scholars, who work in Further Education (FE) are uniquely placed to undertake research about and for the sector. As Research Further enters its third year, this session will focus on the impact that the scholars feel their research has had on themselves, their students, colleges and the wider FE community. With the value of research in FE gaining recognition, attendees to this session will hear from those at the forefront of FE research and will take away new perspectives on key sector topics. Scholars will share their research progress, and the positive impact their research journey has generated.

3.07 - A round-up of current developments and a forward look at the final year of enhanced EIF inspections

Lead organisation: Ofsted

Richard Beynon (Senior HMI, Further Education and Skills Policy) and Kate Hill (Specialist Advisor, Further Education and Skills Policy) will provide an overview of the current inspection landscape. They will provide some insights for those colleges still to receive an enhanced inspection, some thoughts on governance, and will offer delegates an opportunity to ask questions about inspection practice and Ofsted policy.

3.08 - Upscaling at Scale

Lead organisation: Association of Colleges

Speakers:

• Barry Atkins - Deputy Principal (16-18 Curriculum), The Manchester College
  

• Diana Martin - Vice Principal of Dudley College

"Upscaling at Scale," will explore the strategic considerations for providers as they adapt their provision to meet the demands of upscaling and the continued roll-out of T Levels. Featuring insights from Dudley and the Manchester College, the session will share innovative approaches and strategic thinking. Additionally, the AoC's T Level Delivery Lead will discuss the support available through the DfE T Level and T Level Foundation Year Provider Support Programmes to assist providers in this expansion.

3.09 - Engaging employers and inspiring learners through STEM

Lead organisation: NCG

Speakers:

• Lisa Hoseason - Deputy Principal, West Lancashire College, NCG
  
• Dawn Hughes - Careers and Learner Experience Manager, West Lancashire College, NCG

West Lancashire College present their annual STEM Festival, bringing employers, schools and college learners together to raise aspiration, increase participation in STEM and meet employer needs. Developed collaboratively with regional partners in 2021, Stem Fest unites employers (NHS, Keep Moat, NSG), local HEIs and inspirational speakers providing aspirational real-world experiences. Now in its fourth year, over 2000 young people have attended and all partners are committed to returning next year. Outcomes highlighted will include increased recruitment, progression into employment and case studies of working with multiple stakeholders to ensure local skills needs are embedded in the wider college curriculum.

3.10 - Careers education as a driver for whole college improvement

Lead organisation: The Careers and Enterprise Company

Speakers:

• Alison Sadler - CEO, FE & Skills Education Development Consultant, The Careers and Enterprise Company
  
• Jessica Tucker - Head of Personal Development and Student Journey – Careers Leader, South Devon College

In collaboration with South Devon College, we explore how careers education, when embedded in college life, is a key driver for whole college improvement. An early adopter of the careers impact maturity model as a method to drive self assessment and quality improvement planning, the college now showcase one strand of their approach to careers, through a video case study as we explore the importance of work place experiences and the positive impact on SEND learners. Delegates will find out how to use the careers impact maturity model and this can help drive their own provision.

3.11 - Turning the energy market challenge into a net zero opportunity

Lead organisation: Sustainable Energy First

The rising cost of energy in recent years put hard pressed college budgets under even greater strain whilst they are also working hard to respond to the net zero aspirations of students, staff and broader stakeholder groups. But can addressing these two challenges as a holistic energy management and carbon reduction strategy bring dividends? In this panel discussion we will discuss:

• How best to optimise energy procurement and mitigate budget risk
• Where to look to unlock other energy related savings
• How access to the right data can accelerate both energy and carbon reduction
• Real life lessons learnt from colleges

3.12 - From industry to classroom: Building teaching confidence with creative approaches to teacher education

Lead organisation: Northampton College and The Sheffield College

Speakers:

• Amanda Baker - Teaching and Learning Quality Improvement Lead, Northampton College
  
• Dr Steven Spence - Assistant Principal: Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Innovation, The Sheffield College
  

Is FE teacher training the ‘elephant in the room’? The journey from industry to becoming a confident, resilient, and excellent teacher is seldom discussed. Current FE teacher qualification routes should be a scaffold for something richer and more supportive. How much training do industry experts receive before their first lesson? What do they need?

This session explores two approaches to supporting new staff. The Sheffield College will share their 12-week Internal Teacher Training Programme, equipping new staff with essential teaching skills and real success stories. Northampton College will present their blend of evidence-informed classroom practice and formal qualifications, sharing strategies to ensure classroom confidence from day one.

Participants will leave with practical ideas for supporting new FE teachers, enhancing teaching, learning, and assessment practices.

3.13 - Evolving curriculum design and implementation through qualification reform

Lead organisation: Gatsby Foundation

Speakers:

• Sue Clarke - Project Manager, Gatsby Charitable Foundation
  
• Catalina Marin - Group Director of Strategy and Innovation, Activate Learning

Colleges are coming together to work collaboratively in shaping their curriculum offer during the process of qualification reform. Such work aims to facilitate sharing of learning, recognising and addressing challenges, and identifying opportunities that have emerged from the reform process.
The session will share learning so far from colleges, including case studies of emerging core curriculum planning principles, and development of exemplar curriculum pathways and delivery strategies. It will also cover plans for joint teacher CPD to enhance pedagogy, approaches for strong level 2 provision, and insights from projects supporting employer engagement, like industry placements and progression pathways.
It will also highlight opportunities to join various facilitated projects in the coming year.

3.14 - Supporting refugees and asylum seekers in further education: Overcoming barriers, holistic support, and community cohesion

Lead organisation: Carlisle College, Stoke on Trent College and The Bell Foundation

Speakers:

• Nathan Ball - Adult Learning Manager, Carlisle College
• Emma Brannen - Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality, Stoke on Trent College
• Huw Hides - Lead Practitioner, Refugee Education UK
• Dave Hopley - Assistant Principal Student Experience, Stoke on Trent College
• Annie Pennington-Bie - Asylum Seeker Engagement Coach, Carlisle College

This comprehensive session will explore the challenges and solutions in supporting refugees and asylum seekers within the Further Education system. Drawing on insights from the report Education for Late Arrivals by Refugee Education UK (funded by The Bell Foundation) we'll examine the barriers young refugees face in accessing education and the necessary policy changes at various governmental levels.

Carlisle College’s case study, Our Community is Your Community, will highlight a holistic approach to engaging and supporting a diverse cohort of students through dedicated pastoral care, a network of charities, and tailored ESOL programs.

Additionally, Stoke on Trent College will showcase their award-winning project Belonging, Being, Becoming, which has significantly impacted unaccompanied asylum seekers by developing a curriculum that fosters rapid academic progression and essential life skills. Participants will gain access to project materials, and successful progression strategies for vulnerable learners.