FE & HE Digest - Spring 2022

Latest news from the Further and Higher Education Sectors 

Welcome to 2022, we hope you all had a relaxing break over the festive period. As we begin the New Year the challenges of 2021 seem to be staying with us and there are still high levels of uncertainty on the horizon, not least in terms of the pandemic but also in terms of rising costs and crucial funding levels.

In this edition, we look at forthcoming changes to the subcontracting standard to help you ensure that you are prepared for the new regime coming into force in September 2022. We provide an update on the levels of traineeship funding being rolled out as well as how the flexi-apprenticeship consultation is progressing.

We also review the details of the new Covid-19 workforce fund to assist institutions in funding staff sickness. Finally, with sustainability now being a core challenge, we examine how institutions are responding to the demand from students and other stakeholders to increase their reporting on Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) matters and provide a summary of the outcomes of COP26.

This issue contains articles on:

• Subcontracting Standard Update
• Only £13.7 million out of the total £30 million traineeship expansion cash allocated
• The importance of having the ‘right’ mix of hard and soft skills
• Flexi-job apprenticeships – the future?
• COVID-19 workforce fund has been reintroduced
• £83 million investment ready for schools and colleges, so that they can continue to offer places to all young people
• Increased focus on ESG reporting
• COP26 Announcements

As we consider the future topics, we will seek to address during 2022, we recognise that across all aspects of education there is continued uncertainty in this post-August report period and prior to the publication of education white papers, to which is added fears of rampant inflation and increasing unrest amongst teaching staff. It is clear this year is not going to be a quiet one.

Download the issue using the link below or if there are any topics within this edition that you would like to talk to us more about, please do get in touch.