Minutes

Network Meeting and AGM 21 September 2011

Location: Skills Funding Office, Eagle Point, Segensworth

Attendees:

Company / Delegate name / Company / Delegate name
Above Bar College Ltd / Lisa Day / SETA / Richard Heighington
Aspire Learning / Alison Sumpter / SR Education / Ralph Stratton
Aspire Learning / Jo Sellars / Sparsholt College / Helen Carpenter
Basingstoke College / Wynne Handley / The Isle of Wight College / Dawn Smart
Basingstoke ITEC / Caroline McColl / Totton College / David Thomas
Brockenhurst College / Claire Boot
Catch 22 / Alan Brennan
Catch 22 / Nikki Wiscarson
Enham Trust / Lisa Aitken
Fareham College / Claire Middleton
Fareport Training Organisation Ltd / Ann Plumbley / Guests
Fareport Training Organisation Ltd / Mick Reeves / JISC / Artie Vossel-Newman
Fareport Training Organisation Ltd / Jane Lamer / JISC / Eddie Gulc
Fareport Training Organisation Ltd / Theresa Maple / JISC / Jane Mackenzie
Farnborough College of Technology / Mandy France / LSIS / Pamela Lumsden
FNTC / Heath Rawles / Fareport Training / Evelyn Young
Highbury College / Julie Horton / Skills Funding Agency / Claire Froggatt
Highbury College / Jackie Page / Skills Funding Agency / Deryn Martin
Hit Training / Sharon Cowan / Apologies
JTL Training / Ian Stoneham / Above Bar College / Alison Slater
Paragon Skills for Industry / John Underdown / The Training and Learning Company / Richard Allison
Paragon Skills for Industry / Martyn Harvey / Kats / Chrisy Kemp
PDM Training and Consultancy Ltd / Amanda Sayers / Waverley Training Services / Pat Pryke
PETA Ltd / Bob Hiskey / Hospitality Training Partnership / Simon Attrill
PETA Ltd / Michele Pedder / Babcock / Fiona Stilwell
Southampton City College / Lorraine Wheeler / PETA / Kevin Wayne-Morris
Agenda Item / Notes / Actions / By whom /
Welcome and Introductions / BH Welcomed the Group. BH asked the delegates to introduce themselves.
Apologies / See attendee list on page 1
Review of Previous Minutes – 6 July 2011 / BH went through the Minutes of the last meeting. The Minutes were accepted as an accurate representation.
Outstanding actions –
·  Carried forward Jos to speak to Jodi reference number of employers in the area employing apprentices. / Action – Jos to speak to Jodi Fair to identify numbers.
Current Issues / ATAs – Apprenticeship Training Agencies
BH asked the group if they were all familiar with Apprenticeship Training Agencies (ATAs) and said that the group had probably heard of SEAC and The London Apprenticeship Company. He then went on to say that SETA, PETA, HTP, Fareport and New Futures had formed a partnership to form their own ATA. He told the group that the intention is to pilot the model first and then the group has every intention of opening it up and extending it to other providers. This is completely separate from ALPHI and the network. BH said that in his role as Chair of ALPHI, he wants to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. Providers in this partnership will be operating in their existing geographical areas. BH stressed that ATAs should be an alternative offer and not instead of employed Apprenticeships.
ALPSE
Since the demise of LSC, ALPSE has had difficulty focusing on their role. Now with the change of geographical areas talks have been taking place about the future of ALPSE. A meeting which was scheduled to discuss was postponed but has been re organised. In spite of this the ALPSE 14 – 19 Sub group has been proactive and continue to be so.
ALPHI Core Activities and development priorities
AS summarised the discussion that has taken place around the core activities and development priorities for ALPHI and what the role would be for ALPHI in the coming year.
Communication
Aspire will continue to develop and maintain the website – where items of communication will be consolidated.
Management meetings to support the Agenda of network meeting and to take forward other issue.
ER and LR Group will continue to be supported by Aspire.
Marketing
This sub group is extremely active and needs to be able to support the core of ALPHI work with communication with schools.
Administration
Secretariat around preparation for meetings and events. It is the ad hoc meetings and events that are the unknown and Aspire is the backup.
Sustainability and Funding
Looking for opportunities to bid and pulling bids together.
Attracting new members.
Development and Support Themes
MCL
RPA and maintaining presence on this agenda
Peer Review Groups
Worked very well last year and both sub groups should be thinking of ways that providers can share good practice. Need to do more of this if opportunities arise.
Development Events
e-technology – teaching and learning and assessment, need to get better at it and have already arranged a number of events with Carolyn Lewis.
Need to understand network academies, UTCs, studio schools etc As a network we need to keep an eye on this to ensure that we can advise our young people accurately.
CEIAG
Lots of issues around lack of referrals and reduction in numbers of young people.
Developing a module to support the work based learning base of IAG.
DWP
Need to look at linkages between programmes. This will be a theme for this year.
Growing our own expertise and sharing ALPHI expertise
We have a lot of experts in the network. AS asked providers to step forward and run a commercial course on subjects of interest. Two examples were around H&S and DTLLS.
AS asked the network if any priorities have been missed and if there are any other areas that should be added or taken out. There was no response from the network.
Where providers have low numbers on courses they could infill from the network. Providers could be paid to deliver training to other providers on behalf of the network. BH asked the group to consider what would be useful in terms of training for their people.
University Technical Colleges (UTC)
Are springing up all over. Could we find someone to give a briefing on this to the network?
Portsmouth City Boys are looking at being accredited as a UTC this could cause overlap with providers so maybe providers need to understand how UTC will operate and how it might effect us.
BH talked about the ALPSE bulletin and said that it is no longer meeting his need since it moved out of the administration of Aspire and over to ALPSE and asked other providers if they felt the same? Also asked how and what providers are using to keep ahead of the time. BH asked if any one had a view on this. MF said that it was useful having everything in one place.
Ralph Stratton of SR Education said that there is going to be a strong focus on what providers are doing. Nick Lindford who writes FE News seems to have a bee in his bonnet about Apprenticeships and seems to be verbalising this – this should be seen as a concern for providers. All providers should be armed with examples of excellence in order to evidence the efficacy of Apprenticeships. ALPHI can support this message through posting Case Studies on the website. We need to show that Apprenticeships are a quality offer and not just a ‘sausage factory’ which is what Nick Lindford seems to imply. / Please see outline on the slides
Action – All to think about areas of expertise that they could offer commercially to the ALPHI network. Please contact
Action – Aspire to identify a person to come and present on UTCs.
Action – Management Group to look into something to replace the ALPSE bulletin, where all information could be accessed in one place
Action – All email case studies to to demonstrate the strength of Apprenticeships and Aspire will post on ALPHI website and share more widely as appropriate
Update on ALPHI Sub Groups / Learner Responsive
David Thomas said that the sub group was gaining very good representation from outside the network. The sub group has new representatives from HCC and Hayley Todd from NAS. There is also good representation from the network.
Earlier in the year a successful LSIS bid allowed the sub group to focus on:
Peer review, the creation of Marketing Literature through the Marketing Sub Group. These have now been successfully delivered.
At the first meeting of the year some new themes emerged:
Low numbers in FL. Sub Group members were asked to feed back on 5 questions. At the sub group meeting there were just 12 items of feedback which seemed to indicate that although there are low numbers of FL learners in private training organisations the picture seems to show that there are excellent numbers being recruited to FL in colleges.
Recruitment with private providers is dire except those that have a specialist offers or where Connexions links are remaining. In all cases providers have tried to drum up their numbers which is hugely expensive and potentially not sustainable and means that staff are being taken away from other areas of work. A comparison was undertaken against the same time last year. Private providers saying they are 50% down on last year and even lower against where they thought they would be this year. AS is in the process of writing to YPLA and the bottom line will be asking for all elements of support. AS asked if providers wanted anything put in this letter. If they do they need to let her know by tomorrow as this letter will be going out then. AS needs to know what would make a difference for providers.
16 – 19 Bursaries
Issues raised that the stat. return may not reflect volumes. YPLA are in communication on this issue.
LCPs - The sub group are increasing their interest in Local Children Partnerships and their objectives. LC Ps have key performance indicators and NEETS is one of those. LCP will be a conduit for support funding in future.
Data sharing protocols around NEET - The Learner Responsive Sub Group is talking to HCC about data sharing protocols. In Surrey details are shared with providers to allow them to make contact with those learners directly.
ALPHI will be writing to all heads of secondary schools in the 4 local authorities that we cover to display the support that ALPHI can have on progression routes.
BH has had a meeting with Tim Jackson, Principal of Sparsholt College who will be trying to encourage HCC to share this data with providers as per the Surrey model. Alan Brennan of Catch 22 said the question posed to individuals simply needs to reflect that the information will be shared with appropriate third parties in order that this problem can easily be resolved.
Requests from schools requiring support with events now are coming to the network for direct referral to providers.
FL practitioners group – theme will be looking at good practice in initial assessment and also how providers are handling bursaries. A date has yet to be agreed for the next FL practitioner’s group meeting.
CEIAG – an email went out to the network on 20 September 2011. AS just waiting for replies from the network.
Employer Responsive Sub Group
RH gave update on the Employer Responsive Sub Group meeting which was held on 20 September 2011.
RH told the group that the items covered were mainly around the activities of the Marketing Sub Group. There are now a number of events planned.
The sub group discussed the implications of University Technical colleges and the need to identify what impact these will have on Apprenticeships. Providers need to understand the implications as learners going into UTCs could mean that the age at which they enter apprenticeships will rise and also they are likely to come to Apprenticeships having already gained BTechs and other qualifications.
Any information that comes to providers by whatever means needs to be fed to Aspire to ensure that it is shared across the network.
Ensuring that Apprenticeships are understood in schools will be important for the sub group to continue to support.
RH asked for new member of the sub group. One member has come forward – Martyn Harvey of Paragon Skills.
Marketing Sub Group
Jos gave update of activities of the Marketing Sub Group.
ALPHI Guide to Apprenticeships and Foundation Learning
The production of this is now complete. Electronic copies have been forwarded to Careers Adviser, YR 11 teachers in the Portsmouth, Hampshire, Southampton, HCC, and Fareham and Gosport areas.
A letter is being prepared which will go out to Head Teacher accompanying a copy of The Guide. There are hard copies available for providers.
Providers were invoiced for £200 for representation in The Guide; this was added to their subscription invoices. To date there are still 14 providers who have not paid.
Due to one provider’s entry not appearing in The Guide, Jos has spoken to the company who created The Guide and have asked for the cost of amending the electronic version. We will then make all amends and ask printers to amend electronic version. Providers who appear in The Guide but have not paid their subscriptions will at that point be removed from the electronic version of The Guide.
Careers Co-ordinators events
2 updating and networking events for Careers Co-ordinators will be held:
·  28 September 13.30 – 15.30 at the Beaulieu Motor Museum
·  4 October 15.30 – 17.30 The Marriott Hotel Portsmouth
Providers were invited to attend these events and to bring a stand and literature. They will be informal events but an opportunity to meet with people involved in delivering CEIG.