Yes yes, long time since I last posted anything here...
But I'm really excited to share a podcast I recorded last week!
Take a listen to us discussing apprenticeships, young people and SMEs - including references to very 'overlappy' venn diagrams and plugging holes in leaky buckets...
Really @cyclingweekly.com, you're happy to publish a letter suggesting that women are less able to cope with a bit of swearing on telly than men??? Enough of the outdated misogynistic nonsense please! Really what I want to say is WTAF, but here's the more thoughtful version:
Please tell anyone who might want a late Mum/Mam/Mom on the list - it closes on Saturday night...
‘Okay which one of you accidentally added Robert Cecil to the chat?’
So. Many. Questions!
Super fascinating data, and always good to be made to look at the world a bit differently...
Gripping account of lock down from @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social - brings it back so vividly. It is shocking how society has moved on, while the consequences of the pandemic remain so evidently with us www.tes.com/magazine/ana...
Me, faced with a call from an unknown number: "urgh, who's calling me, they can talk to voicemail if it's even a real person at all."
Me, calling someone who I really need to speak to: "urgh, why on earth does nobody ever pick up their phone any more?!"
#Irony
Children cannot learn if they are not in school and are not engaged. Lost learning is impacting a large – and growing – group of children, with those living in poverty being hit the hardest.
📻#ICYMI: @efuapokuamanfo.bsky.social on BBC Radio 4 Today 👇
To reduce the #benefits bill, and get more people into work, the Government should make it easier for small employers to create jobs, with 51% of small employers having hired someone with a health condition in the last three years, FSB's @craigbeaumont.bsky.social tells BBC Radio 4 Today 👇
Ooh yes, this is excellent news. For me and nearly-10-yr-old Sammy!
This looks like a) fascinating and b) hugely important research, to better understand inequalities in access to entry level professional roles.
Last week, @workwhileuk.bsky.social brought together employers and policy makers to discuss how apprenticeships can support the government's opportunity & skills missions.
TL;DR - if the apprenticeship system doesn't work for SME's, it doesn't work full stop.
workwhile.org.uk/news/smes-th...
With LFS caveats, seems a clear & worrying upward trend in % of young people not in education, employment or training. Now nearly one million, with rises seeming sharpest among young men. Reiterates importance of incoming Youth Guarantee in England, plus growing apprenticeships & investing in FE.
It did get it right - but it's still weird reading what it churns out, and thinking 'Hang on, I wrote that!'
Had my first experience of ChatGPT summarising my own work back at me today, which is definitely some sort of salutary lesson in using AI...🤮
This week also marks 5 years since we launched the London Progression Collaboration (LPC), the pilot project that underpins @workwhileuk.bsky.social.
2,000 apprenticeships later, happy birthday to us! And huge thanks to everyone who's supported us.
🎉🥂🎂
#NAW25 #NAW2025 #Apprenticeships
Happy National Apprenticeship Week to all who celebrate!
First up for me this week, we've convened a some SMEs who @workwhileuk.bsky.social has supported, to meet the chair of DfE's Apprenticeship Ambassador Network.
#NAW25 #NAW2025 #Apprenticeships
Quote: ".... crucially, customers wanted help from DWP to be personal, with genuine attempts to understand their unique needs and circumstances. They wanted to feel supported rather than coerced, monitored or blamed. They wanted to see more joined-up services so that they didn’t need to explain their health conditions repeatedly to different staff and agencies."
New: DWP research finds that most health & disability benefit claimants are open to receiving contact about offers of support for employment, benefits or disability services, but that ...
www.rightsnet.org.uk/now/post/61192
This excellent from @sustrans.bsky.social. An important initiative to bring the voice of children and young people into transport decision making.
Looking forward to seeing this report launched later in February.
Yep!
It's totally bizarre that it could happen without anybody noticing at the time, even in the middle of the night.
Ooh lovely, I thought - there's something about Lichfield in the Guardian.
...
Oh ☹️ - it's the local flytipping incident of horribly epic proportions.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
When is connectivity whilst travelling by train going to improve? I have a list of things to get done on my way home. Nope, not happening. 😡
It has been a day spent talking about economic growth, so feels apt to finish with a quick look back at the Dasgupta review. This argued:
“Nature needs to enter economic and finance decision-making in the same way buildings, machines, roads and skills do.”
This message doesn’t feel like it landed…
Another Fabian policy adopted ✅
Great to see the Prime Minister talk about building more quality homes around train stations.
This is something @thefabians.bsky.social recommended in our Commission on Poverty and Regional Inequality.
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
A lot to mull over from a good day out at @ox.ac.uk's SKOPE tertiary education system workshop.
Key themes and lots of consensus about collaboration (and how to incentivise it) and coherence. Lots of discussion and less clear agreement on structures and levels of devolution.
Backed by a coalition of industry leaders, we are calling upon the UK government to go beyond the legislative proposals in the Employment Rights Bill to create practical partnerships with industry to speed up change. See more here: timewise.co.uk/article/endi...
#EndTwoTierWorkforce #LabourMarket
Last day to take the 2025 Forecasting Contest!
Last day for those who forecast high on Q45 to share and make their prediction come true!
Whether you're a procrastinator or an information-maximiser, today is your day!
www.edrith.co.uk/p/2025-forec...
Oops, the cold has clearly got to my brain! It's a good job I wasn't keeping score on the touchline 🤣
Let's go with:
Defrosting after son's rugby
Trying to defrost after son's rugby 🏉🥶
