GCSE and A-level results days brought headline good news, demonstrating the resilience and determination of young people in the UK.
However, some - including an education trust and an education provider - argue that extra funding to help students and efforts to address entrenched inequalities should be stepped up.
According to Coursera's 2021 Global Skills Report, women have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Global total employment loss for women is at 5% in 2020 vs 3.9% for men.
The opportunity for training providers is clear - as women continue to seek new opportunities, the share of course enrolments from female learners has increased at an unprecedented pace from 38% to 45% between 2018/9 and 2020.
NCFE has launched a £1 million assessment innovation fund. The fund aims to support the piloting of new approaches to assessment. This includes testing out new and innovative ideas and exploring the use of technology.
NCFE is offering up to £100,000 to fund 2 pilots as part of the phase 1 funding round that closes on 1 October 2021. Applicants from any organisation are invited to submit their ideas for better assessment that meets the needs of learners and educators today.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has said that retraining is essential as 20% of companies consider redundancies post-furlough. The BCC calls for the government to extend skills training as their research shows nearly 1 in 5 companies are considering making redundancies as the next phase of furlough tapering begins.
The BCC says, "With widespread skills shortages across the economy, some will find new jobs where their skills are in demand, while others will need to retrain for opportunities in a different sector. It is crucial that employers and the government give them the support and training they need to be re-engaged and productive."
What does active listening really mean? Recent research by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman has shown that it isn't enough to do what many of us have always thought constitute good listening, i.e.:
Not speaking when others are talking
Let others know you’re listening through facial expressions and verbal sounds
Able to repeat what others have said
Instead, key findings from Zenger and Folkman's analysis show that:
The authors conclude that good listeners are like trampolines. They are someone you can bounce ideas off of — and rather than absorbing your ideas and energy, they amplify, energise, and clarify your thinking.