14 MAR 2024
In the news this week: Salaries in job ads, AI, ONS employment figures, holiday pay guidance and more
A selection of FE, HR and industry news for the past week that may have passed you by:
More than a fifth of UK adults not looking for work
More than a fifth of working-age adults in the UK are deemed not to be actively looking for work, figures suggest. The UK's economic inactivity rate was 21.8% between November and January, marginally higher than a year earlier. It means 9.2 million people aged between 16 and 64 in the UK are not in work nor looking for a job. The total figure is more than 700,000 higher than before the coronavirus pandemic. BBC News article.
Six ways FE colleges can help learners and teachers thrive in an AI-enabled world
As AI accelerates its transformation of education, the workplace and society in general, it’s increasingly clear that the choice is no longer whether to use it, but when. And, more importantly, how. A new set of guiding principles from Jisc and AoC makes it easier for colleges to use AI safely, responsibly and effectively. JISC news article.
Salary information in job postings: it’s important!
For years, job boards have pushed employers to include salary information in job postings. Why? Research has shown that adding a salary (or salary range) to a posting will increase the job seeker response – and often, the quality of response as well. Employers have been…resistant. But the times, they are a-changin’. JBD Blog
Creating a menopause-friendly workplace
With women making up the majority of the further education workforce, it seems surprising that consideration for those experiencing the menopause has only fairly recently made it on to the agenda. This is not just an age or gender issue, it is an organisational one, with a huge impact on the workforce, either directly or indirectly, one that should be addressed under the umbrella of staff wellbeing. FE News article.
UK Employment Figures, March 2024: Labour Market Continues to Gradually Cool
This weeks ONS figures paint a familiar picture of continued gradual softening and easing pay pressures in the UK labour market, but it remains an incremental process. Regular pay growth edged down to 6.1% year-on-year in the three months to January — from 6.2% in the previous period — but is still running well above levels where the Bank of England would be comfortable initiating interest rate cuts. Indeed Hiring Labs Analysis
Holiday pay guidance reviewed amid fears colleges could be left out of pocket
Law firms say mistake in government guidance could lead some colleges to pay more than they should. FE Week investigation.
An HR things-to-do list for April 2024
Just as you were planning a last-minute Easter getaway, you remember that April is the month when the tax year ends and new employment laws often come into force. Personnel Today has put together a HR checklist of things to do in April 2024. Article.
How the explosion of AI 'study aids' is arming students to cheat
FE Week has uncovered significant evidence of the harm that generative AI is doing to the integrity of assessment, as educators and regulators are left struggling to catch up with the rapid pace of technological change. FE Week investigation.