Tests and Qualifications To Be Regulated

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has announced that his Department will legislate to create a new independent regulator of qualifications and tests. Building on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s achievements in regulation, it will be responsible for:

• continuing to secure the standards of qualifications and tests;
• ensuring that public investment in qualifications provides good value for money;
• accrediting existing and new qualifications;
• monitoring and reporting on the standards of tests and qualifications;
• regulating the awarding body market.

It will also make regular reports, which will be laid before Parliament, assessing how well the systems for maintaining standards and delivering exams are working, making recommendations for improvement, and reporting on action taken on its previous recommendations.

Rise in Demand For Union Representation

With so much change in the sector at present we are witnessing a big rise in demand for union representation. We have seen 14% increase in the number of cases being handled by our regional officers in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year. Grievance cases are up by 21%, bullying by 30% and capability cases by a massive 53%. Not surprisingly, the number of members contacting us due to work related stress has more than doubled.

Commenting on the figures, ACM head of Employment Relations David Green said, “Given the turmoil caused in the sector by so much restructuring and reorganisation these figures come as no surprise. Problems like these are symptoms of the wider instability faced by our members working in further education.”

No Prospect of Early Pay Settlement

Difficult times may be ahead for some branches as their colleges offer pay increases below that currently on the national table in England. As members will know, the Association of Colleges made a two stage offer of 2% from August followed by a further 1% in February 2008.

But we’ve heard of two colleges where considerably less is on offer. Branches at the two institutions are deciding their response but until the national picture is known, the college offers seem premature.

Nationally ACM, ATL and Unison accepted the proposed pay increase, albeit with some degree of reluctance. But UCU’s national executive decided to refer the matter to a special conference that will not be held until 6 October. If the offer is rejected by UCU branch delegates then a ballot for industrial action will follow. The Association of Colleges made it clear that unless all unions are agreed, there will be no settlement.

To put the figures into perspective, the annual rise in average earnings to July 2007 was 3.9% for the whole economy but just 2.8% for workers in the public sector. The inflation rate for the same period stood at 3.8% (RPI) and 1.9% for the consumer prices index.

Culture and Religion Are Not Biggest Barriers

New research reveals that people’s perceptions of ethnic minority women in the workplace are lagging behind the reality.

Nearly four in 10 people (37%) think that unemployed Bangladeshi and Pakistani women face cultural and religious barriers that prevent them from working (after family and caring responsibilities, 43%), according to an Ipsos MORI survey commissioned jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). The survey also showed that around a half (53%) of people thought that white British women in work were more likely than ethnic minority women in work to have a degree.

But a separate study on Pakistani and Bangladeshi women’s attitudes to work and family published today by the DWP, found that attitudes are changing from one generation to next. It shows that difficulties in finding suitable childcare and flexible working arrangements act as the biggest barrier to work for ethnic minority women, in the same way as they do for women in general.

What’s more, research from the EOC’s own report looking at ethnic minority women at work found that 90 percent of Pakistani and Bangladeshi 16 year old girls said their parents supported their choice to combine a career with their family responsibilities.

When it comes to levels of education, public attitudes are also out of touch with the times. Information from the 2001 census shows that only 24% of white British women in work have a degree, compared to 52% of Black African women, 35% of Pakistani women, 32% of Black Caribbean women, 30% Bangladeshi women and 38% of Indian women.

Jenny Watson, Chair of the EOC, said: “The gap between the public’s perceptions about the obstacles holding ethnic minority women back at work and the actual reality is startling. While many pin the cause of Black and Asian women’s employment gap on culture and lack of skills, the evidence, particularly for younger women, is pointing to something very different.

“As the EOC’s two-year investigation illustrated, there is a generation of increasingly well qualified and ambitious young women, the vast majority of whom tell us their families support their choices to balance a career with a family. We need to tackle both the practical barriers they face such as help with childcare and better careers advice as well as challenging persistent and outdated stereotypes. Only then will we deliver real change.”

Barriers To Professional Development

A study by the Chartered Management Institute published this week reveals that job prospects are increasingly being influenced by an individual’s commitment to their long-term professional development. However, it also uncovers major barriers preventing significant numbers from improving their skills.

The findings show 64 per cent of employers – and 74 per cent of individuals - believe management qualifications will grow in importance over the next 5 years. Individuals and employers also agree that ‘proof of academic prowess’ is no longer a key driver for taking a qualification.

However, the report shows that desire to secure formal recognition is not matched by action, with only 1 in 5 individuals holding a management qualification.

The study suggests that low uptake of professional development is caused by a series of barriers. One of the key difficulties is the complexity of the qualifications system, with 65 per cent arguing too many qualifications exist and 51 per cent agreeing that the different levels are confusing.

The most widely felt barrier is the impact of study on managers’ time. Many agreed that it diverts energy from other interests (56 per cent), family (53 per cent) and their work (40 per cent). A significant proportion also said they sought employer investment, with 43 per cent seeking full-funding and 39 per cent looking for partial financial contributions.

The results of the CIM study, The Value of Management Qualifications, can be downloaded in pdf format from the Institute’s website.

High Price Paid For Union Activity

While ACM members have to contend with things like bullying, grievances, restructuring and the over large egos of some college bosses, some of our fellow trades unionist across the world face significantly more dangerous issues.

In 2006, 144 trade unionists were murdered for defending workers’ rights, while more than 800 suffered beatings or torture, according to a worldwide survey released today by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

The Survey of Violations of Trade Unions Rights uncovers a shocking increase in anti-trade union violence, with the number of murders rising from 115 in 2005 to 144 in 2006. The increase is due in part to the brutal treatment of trade unionists in the Philippines, now the second most dangerous place in the world, after Colombia. A total of 33 murders and 130 instances of trade union and human rights violations were reported in the Philippines last year.

The ITUC survey reveals that anti-trade union repression is taking place in every continent across the globe, including Europe. Nearly 5,000 arrests were reported along with more than 8,000 dismissals of workers because of their trade union activities. Reported anti-trade union repression represents the tip of the iceberg as the vast majority of suffering goes unreported for fear of reprisals, say the report.

Colombia remains the most perilous place in the world to be in a trade union, with 78 killings reported in 2006.

The ITUC report also identifies worrying developments in Europe. Less than one in ten European companies fully respect the right of unions to organise and engage in bargaining. Many governments in Eastern Europe, including Russia, Georgia and Belarus have recently enacted labour legislation to restrict trade union rights.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “These figures should shock. Trade unionists around the world continue to make the ultimate sacrifice to defend workers’ rights. Recent developments in the Philippines are extremely worrying. British companies have long enjoyed strong trade links there. UK companies must be ready to ask questions about whether they have been complicit in the denial of basic human rights or profited from attacks on trade unionists.

‘The widespread repression of trade unionists in Colombia is well known and yet still no action is being taken. The Colombian Government continues to tolerate the mass murder of trade unionists by paramilitary organisations and the British Government must stop funding such a corrupt and repressive regime.”

Amnesty International UK’s Trade Union Campaigns Manager, Shane Enright said:

“This annual survey reveals that trade unionists can pay a high price for representing their fellow workers and their communities. Whether in Iran, Colombia, the Philippines or elsewhere, Amnesty stands shoulder to shoulder with the international trade union movement in demanding respect for universal human rights, including the right to join and form trade unions.”

The Human Cost Of Restructuring

College reorganisation, restructuring and mergers are currently accounting for 40% of all enquiries from members seeking help this year. This somewhat alarming figure underlines the fact that the further education sector has never been less stable.

The drive to restructure comes from funding pressures, increased competition from the private sector, and policy initiatives such as Train to Gain. But it will also be triggered by a poor Ofsted inspection or a change of college principal. Indeed, a new principal will mean a new management structure as sure as night follows day.

What the outside world doesn’t see though is the human cost of this continual change. Workloads are increasing to intolerable levels, absenteeism due to stress is common, and morale is low. It is perhaps not surprising then that so many staff are leaving for better pay and conditions elsewhere.

Ultimately it will be the learner who pays the biggest price. Driving away dedicated staff, and piling the pressure onto those who remain will surely undermine the quality of teaching provided. This can only increase the level of uncertainty within our colleges and lead to a spiral of further change. For the vultures in the private sector, eager to get their hands on public money, it will mean rich pickings.

Delegate’s Attack On College Managers Rebuffed

There was overwhelming support from TUC delegates in Brighton today for the ACM led composite motion on raising the participation age in education and training. The motion, which said employers’ record of training is largely unimpressive, called for training provision to be of a high standard and of proper value to young people. It was being supported by the teaching union NASUWT, the construction workers union UCATT, and the UCU.

But from the speakers rostrum, a UCU delegate sparked controversy when she made an ill-disguised attack on ACM and college managers, claiming that we supported compulsion.

This prompted a robust response from ACM general secretary Peter Pendle who reminded delegates that at no point in his speech did he refer to supporting compulsion. Indeed, he made it clear that agreement on the content of his speech had been sought from the UCU general secretary and president in order to avoid any misunderstanding.

Such an attack on college managers only divides college staff and plays into the hands of those seeking to reorganise or privatise training provision. The need for college managers to join ACM has never been more apparent.

TUC Backs Call For Action On FE Job Losses

The TUC has backed ACM’s call for government action to prevent further job losses and instability in further education resulting from college restructures and mergers. In a composite motion debated this morning at the Trades Union Congress in Brighton, delegates also agreed that further and higher education should remain public services; and to campaign for long term stability in the sector, particularly in terms of public funding and staff pay and conditions.

ACM delegate John Lowe told Congress, “Restructuring has become a disease. It is the biggest single reason for a member to contact us, and redundancy dismissals arising from a restructuring are the single most common issue dealt with by ACM officers.

“The impact on staff is serious: They are forced to reapply for their jobs, often with an increased workload. Many will actually lose their jobs. But this isn’t a case of colleges losing excess capacity slimming down to some leaner and fitter state. Certainly not. FE staff already work extraordinary long hours and with massive workloads.

“What we are seeing simply isn’t sustainable in the long term. Dedication to education has a limit, and staff will leave the sector once that point is reached.”

The composite motion, moved by UCU and seconded by ACM, also expressed concern that entire departments will be contracted-out to private providers putting commercial interests before those of learners, and called for a moratorium on further initiatives such as contestability and public-private partnerships until the impact of such initiatives has been fully evaluated.

TUC Reaction To Brown Speech

This week Gordon Brown made his first speech as Prime Minister to the Trades Union Congress. Commenting, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

“This was a Prime Minister at ease with a trade union audience, and with a series of policy initiatives that will be widely welcomed, particularly those designed to crack down on bad employers, help the jobless find work and boost skills.

“Of course differences remain such as public sector pay, and unions will always urge a Labour government to go further and faster, but what is clear is that this government wants to engage with the union agenda and shares many of our values and objectives.”

TUC says Close the Training Divide

Britain’s employers must act quickly to close the training divide between graduate and unskilled workers if Britain is to compete successfully in the global economy, according to a new TUC report.

Time to Tackle the Training Divide analyses the latest available official data for training take up in the UK to show that last year 41 per cent of graduate employees took part in work-based learning compared to only 12 per cent of their colleagues who left school without any qualifications.

A range of Government initiatives aimed at low and unskilled workers have helped narrow the training divide in recent years, but much more needs to be done if social inequality is not to get worse, says the report.

It also highlights the fact that over a third of UK employers (35 per cent) systematically fail to offer their staff any training at work, and says this is a key reason why the UK has such a long way to go before it has a highly-skilled workforce.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “The UK is becoming an increasingly unequal society and unless employers start to offer skills training equally to all their workforce, the situation is only going to get worse. Employers should be signing up to the Government’s skills pledge, and taking advantage of the cash on offer to help them run training courses for their low-skilled workers.

“Little or no access to training leaves many unqualified workers in a catch 22 situation where they cannot get on at work because they are trapped in low paid jobs with no prospects of enhancing their skills and moving up the career ladder.

“The Government needs to get tough with employers who believe that training at work need not be something that concerns them. If the Government’s skills pledge is going to change employer attitudes to training, ministers need to convince reluctant bosses of the urgent need to train their low and unskilled employees.”

Time to Tackle the Training Divide also highlights the role that union learning reps and the TUC’s learning organisation, unionlearn, are playing in workplaces across the country, encouraging workers with little or no academic qualifications to improve their career prospects and take advantage of training opportunities at work.

New Guidance On Personal Data

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has recently published guidance on Determining what is personal data. The technical guidance note explains and illustrates the ICO’s view of what is personal data for the purposes of the Data Protection Act. Only data falling within the definition is subject to the rules of good information practice imposed by the Act.

Phil Jones, Assistant Commissioner at the ICO, said: “We have recognised for some time the need to provide more help to those who have to make difficult decisions on whether data is subject to the Data Protection Act. In many cases it will be obvious that data relates to, or is about, an individual. However, this is not always the case. The guidance relies heavily on examples to illustrate circumstances when data relates to an identifiable, living individual.”