age No 5•December 2006 In this issue Push on Pay Havering College stops PRP Save Adult Education New Staff Development Resources Colleges still stuck at RED FE Bill Revised Disability Equality Agreement Branch News New Push on Pay Scales Under the terms of the pay settlement for provided with advice and materials this year, colleges who have not yet including model letters and “Time to Talk implemented the new modernised pay Pay” stickers to mount a further push to scales for lecturers, should enter into get talks started. meaningful and realistic discussions with trade unions to agree by the end of next What you can do March a timetable to introduce the new scales. • Ask your branch if they've received the advice on helping To date 40 colleges have now opened such press the college into negotiations local talks with UCU. • Offer your support to help get These colleges are designated “amber” on negotiations moving our new traffic lights campaign page at http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm? • Could you sign a petition, give out articleid=1909 leaflets; help write a branch newsletter perhaps? Our aim is to get all colleges still “stuck at red” (see page 3) without an agreement, • Be sure to attend any branch onto amber in order to join the majority of meetings to discuss this. colleges “on green” with an agreement by the end of March. • Wear the 'Time to talk pay' stickers due to arrive at branches A majority of colleges have gone through shortly to show your support the green light and reached agreement with UCU. If your college is stuck on red now is • Join in any publicity events or the time to step up the pressure. All college other actions. branches without agreements have been Havering College stops Save Adult Education! PRP and moves from Teaching ESOL? Amber to Green UCU wants to hear from you Determination and perseverance have paid off for branch officers and members at Changes in support for English for Speakers Havering College, who have succeeded in of Other Languages (ESOL) don’t square with persuading college management to abandon government statements about integration a draconian performance related pay (PRP) and social cohesion. That’s UCU’s view. They system that was linked to the introduction of hit migrant workers and their families, the new pay scales. Only a fraction of refugees and asylum seekers. They won’t academic staff achieved incremental help sustain the UK’s economic position in progression during the first year of PRP. the world. The decisions on ESOL are yet Targets were high and the college another indication of the absence of joined- management made no secret of the fact that up thinking on adult and community progression was dependent on budgets not education. UCU wants a change of approach. individual or collective merit. If you are a teacher of ESOL and are affected or have students who will be affected we The branch has campaigned vigorously want to hear from you. Get in touch with throughout the lifetime of the PRP system UCU at www.ucu.org.uk or email Julian and now has seen their efforts bear fruit. The Nicholds at [email protected] branch organised well attended meetings at which Roger Kline Head of Equality and Put 15 January, late afternoon, in your Employment Rights and John Wilkin, former diary for a mobilising meeting at UCU NATFHE president spoke about the head office. inadequacies and potential inequalities inherent in PRP systems. Lobbies of the governors were organised and letters to MPs. UCU continues to raise the flag for The campaign culminated with an comprehensive adult and community overwhelming ballot result for industrial education whenever and wherever there is action which brought management back to an opportunity. If you need support the negotiating table. campaigning against cuts in provision or want to tell us your story, email Trevor A deal is now on offer that is light years Phillips at [email protected] ahead of PRP. Lecturers can now have unhindered progress to the top of the new 8 point pay scale as long as they achieve certain qualifications. New Staff Development Michael Moran, Regional Support Officer, resources for colleges says “We cannot underestimate the significance of this development as it sends New sector-specific staff development a message to all colleges that PRP does not resources have been developed by the LSC. work. Principals who have introduced or are These provide information on the measures contemplating introducing PRP should see of success that are already in use or being this reversal of policy at Havering as a piloted. The materials are designed to be salutary lesson.” used within organisations for staff development and training regarding “This result is exclusively down to the zest measures of success. The PowerPoint slides and energy of the branch officers and can be downloaded for use and are designed members who have campaigned and for adult education providers. There are negotiated with creativity and skill. The presentations aimed at senior management, secret is to constantly engage the members middle management and practitioner level and realise that more often than not the within each organisation. The resources can battle is won by organisation and hard work outside the negotiating meetings as well as be found at: http://ffe.lsc.gov.uk/staff- skill within” development-resources/ 2 Colleges still stuck at RED Abingdon Witney College, Askham Bryan College, Barnfield College, Bedford college, Berkshire College of Agriculture, Bishop Burton College, Blackburn College, Bolton College, Boston College, Braintree College, Bridgwater College, Bromley College, Burnley College, Burton Technical College, Cannock Chase Technical College, Carshalton College, Chichester & Brinsbury College, City College Manchester, Cleveland College of Art & Design, College of North West London, Craven College, Dearne Valley College, East Berkshire College, East Devon College, East Durham & Houghall community College, Easton College, Evesham & Malvern Hills College, Fircroft College, Great Yarmouth college, Greenwich Community College, Grimsby College, Hastings College, Harrow College, Herefordshire College of Art, Herefordshire College of Technology, Hertford Regional College, Highbury College, Hillcroft College, Hopwood Hall College, Hugh Baird College, Huntingdonshire Regional, Isle College, Isle of Wight College, Kingston Maurward College, Lancaster & Morecombe College, Leeds College of Art & Design, Leek College, Loughborough College, Macclesfield College, Manchester College of Arts & Technology, Matthew Boulton College, Mid Kent College, Middlesborough College, Morley College, Moulton College, Myerscough College, Nelson & Colne College, New College Durham, New College Swindon, Newcastle College, North Lindsey College, North Warwickshire & Hinckley College, Northampton College, Norton Radstock College, Oaklands College, Oldham College, Otley College, Pershore Group of Agricultural Colleges, Peterborough Regional College, Plumpton College, Plymouth CAD, Queen Alexander College, Reaseheath College, Richmond Adult and Community College, Rotherham College of Arts & Technology & Rother Valley, Royal Forest of Dean College, Runshaw College, Salisbury College, Somerset CAT, South East Essex CAT, South Kent College, Southampton City College, Southport College, Stamford College, Stoke- on-Trent College, Stroud College of FE, Suffolk College, Swindon College, Tameside College, Telford College of Art & Technology, Uxbridge College, Walford and North Shropshire Colleges, West Herts College, West Thames College, Wigan & Leigh College, Wiltshire College, Wirral Metropolitan College, Workingmens College, Yeovil College. 3 FE Bill Professional standards The new professional standards for teachers, This year's Queen's speech announced tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning the Government's intention to sector have been approved by ministers. introduce a bill to give effect to the FE They can be seen on LLUK Website at: White Paper. The FE and Training Bill http://www.lifelonglearninguk.org/doc was introduced in the House of Lords uments/standards/professional_standa on 11 December and its second reading will be on 13 December. rds_for_itts_011206.pdf It’s a short bill with the following main Further guidance is to follow and should be features: able to be accessed through the Lifelong Learning UK web site at: • Transferring the Secretary of State's www.lifelong learninguk.org powers to dismiss principals and governing bodies to the LSC. Initial Teacher Training and • The 47 local LSCs to be abolished in favour of 9 regional councils. Continuous Professional Development • Principals will be required to have a qualification. Progress is continuing around the changes to initial teacher training and the requirement • The delegation of a share of the made in the FE White Paper for every LSC's powers on skills generation in lecturer to undertake 30 hours a year of London to the Mayor (and allows for continuous professional development (CPD). these provisions to be used The changes to ITT are around the elsewhere.) introduction of a new initial award to be • FE colleges to award foundation taken by all lecturers except those with the degrees without the need for most marginal contact with students. A new partnership with a higher education teaching qualification based on the new institution. professional standards (see below) leading to the Qualified Status Learning and Skills The details of the Bill including a short guide (QTLS) which will include registration