21 MAR 2024
FE & HR Highlights: Pay increase demands, FE retention crisis, Neurodiverse Leadership & more.
Here are a selection of noteworthy FE, HR & Skills stories you may have missed over the past week.
Education unions call for a fully funded pay increase
The Chancellor’s Spring Budget confirmed no additional funding for schools which will result in further cuts to pay, jobs and support for pupils. Real terms pay cuts, sky-high workload and teacher shortages show that we desperately need additional investment to save our education service. The unions reject the Government’s arbitrary definition of “affordability” – it takes no account of the huge cost to our education service and our economy of not properly investing in education. FE Week article.
National apprenticeship achievement rate rises to 54%
The proportion of apprentices who successfully completed their training and assessment grew marginally to 54.3 per cent last year, new figures reveal. Overall apprenticeship achievement rates on the new-style standards rose by 2.9 percentage points in 2022/23, up from 51.4 per cent the year before. FE Week article.
54% of employees were not consulted about benefits, survey finds
Over half (54%) of employees have rarely, if ever, been consulted about benefits schemes that directly impact their work-life satisfaction, a report form benefits provider Boostworks has found. HR Magazine Blog.
Teacher recruitment and retention crisis shows no signs of abating, new report reveals – sector response
NFER’s new Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report 2024, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, reveals that both recruitment and retention issues are persisting – the latter made worse by increased teacher workload pressures since the pandemic. FE News blog.
HR Mediation: Why Neutrality is Your Superpower
Employees caught in a workplace conflict want fairness and impartiality from you. They want someone to listen, understand, and be objective. But is it realistic to expect absolute neutrality from HR when facing pressure from various sides within the company? Hacking HR Blog
Neurodiversity Leadership: Shaping UK Education Sector
In the rapidly changing landscape of the UK’s education sector, leaders are at the forefront of innovation, facing an array of challenges that are magnified for those who are neurodivergent. Neurodiversity encompasses a range of conditions, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other traits. An estimated 20% of the working population identifies as neurodivergent. This percentage is thought to be even higher in fields that demand creativity, innovation, and hands-on skills, such as information technology, engineering and the arts. FE News opinion.
Gen Z: We Want To Work Less Hours and From Home But Want Career Progression!
Gen Z has navigated through unprecedented challenges, including a global pandemic, the rapid evolution of technology and AI, and a distinct perspective on work. This generation demands the full attention of employers, with their expectations spanning from prioritising emotional well-being to flexible work arrangements, shorter work hours, and more holiday time. HR News article.
Government announces extra £60m apprenticeship funding – but do reforms go far enough?
As part of the set of reforms targeted at small employers, the government also announced it will invest £60m in funding towards apprenticeships.
Under the new measures, businesses that pay the apprenticeship levy will be able to transfer up to 50 per cent of their unused levy to a different employer to fund apprenticeships at other companies – an increase from the current maximum of 25 per cent. People Management article.
UK continues to fall behind rest of world as zero-hour contracts reach record numbers – and it’s young people bearing the brunt
The Work Foundation at Lancaster University – a leading think tank for improving working lives – warns the number of young workers on zero-hour contracts has reached a new record and says the UK needs to ‘catch up with the rest of the world’ when it comes to zero-hour contracts and put power back in the hands of employees. FE News article.