Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

College-Employer Collaboration

Monday 24 October 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Local skills improvement plans aim to place employers at the heart of local school systems, facilitating closer cooperation between employers and training providers.
  • The approach of Wigan and Leigh College, which creates bespoke qualifications with employers, is seen as a model for other educational institutions.
  • The Minister supports the idea of closer cooperation and dialogue between colleges, schools, and universities to enhance vocational and technical education.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 James Grundy
Education Employment Business & Trade
Context

The question arises from the need to enhance collaboration between educational institutions and local businesses to better prepare students for employment.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to facilitate collaboration between colleges and employers. I am concerned about ensuring that technical education can respond effectively to the needs of employers in my area, thereby improving job prospects for young people.

Answer from Andrea Jenkyns

Local skills improvement plans place employers at the heart of local school systems, facilitating more dynamic working arrangements between employers and training providers to make technical education more responsive to employers' needs in the area. All areas in England now have a designated employer representative body in place to lead on devising their plans.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 James Grundy
Education
Context

The question is prompted by a successful model of partnership between Wigan and Leigh College and local employers, which creates bespoke qualifications leading directly into in-demand work.

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree that institutions such as Wigan and Leigh College which work with employers to create bespoke qualifications that lead directly into in-demand work are an excellent blueprint for other educational institutions to follow? I believe the college's approach is a prime example of how local colleges can collaborate effectively with employers.

Answer from Andrea Jenkyns

Local skills improvement plans will forge stronger and more dynamic partnerships between employers and providers that will enable training to be more responsive to local skills needs. The relationship between Wigan and Leigh College and local employers aligns closely with the aims of this improved collaboration.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's specific request for affirmation was not directly answered, instead referencing the broader initiative.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Barry Sheerman Lab
Education
Context

The question stems from a recent Association of Colleges reception discussing issues like green skills and the need for better curriculum alignment across education levels.

Question

I do not know whether the Minister was able to go to the Association of Colleges reception recently, but it was a very good way of meeting all the college leaders. Does she agree that there must be more joined-up thinking and activity between colleges, schools and universities? We were talking about green skills. There seems to be no curriculum at 16 that meshes with that at 18 and 21. I ask her please to talk to colleges and get something moving.

Answer from Andrea Jenkyns

I am a true advocate on this matter and one thing I am passionate about is the parity of esteem between vocational and technical qualifications and academic qualifications. We are fully behind all sectors and we are continuing a dialogue between colleges, schools and universities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's specific request for action was not directly addressed; instead, commitment to dialogue was noted without concrete steps mentioned.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email