The Autumn meeting of the Devon & Cornwall Training Providers Network (DCTPN) was a lively one with national and local guest speakers engaging with training providers, and other key stakeholders from across the South West.
Jackie Grubb, CEO & Principal at City College Plymouth, welcomed delegates to the college and opened the event by highlighting how positive the current landscape is in terms of skills and training – recent announcements by the new government show a real focus on tackling skills gaps and improving the skills system.
Jackie applauded the work of the DCTPN in raising awareness around skills and training and in its commitment to providing impartial support and advice to its members and partner organisations.
DCTPN CEO, Sharron Robbie MBE then provided an overview of the impact of the recently delivered Budget on the FE sector – post-16 education, training & skills.
Particular focus was given to the proposed new apprenticeship levy and how this may play out in terms of engagement with employers and access to future funding.
The Network welcomed speakers from the Department for Education (DfE) who provided a comprehensive update on the Digital Apprenticeship Service. There was also the opportunity for providers to give feedback to the DfE on recent service updates and where they still see pinch points
Providers were very keen to feedback and DfE colleagues were impressed with the responses to their queries – these will be fed into the national picture and will form part of future updates to the service.
Jamie Rail, Managing Director at The Focus Training Group, said: “Membership of the Network provides so much to us as an organisation – access to national and local expertise, which means we get to hear vital updates on the FE sector.
“Things are constantly changing within education so it is important that we get to hear all the latest as it occurs. It was also really positive to see the DfE in attendance and seeking the views of the local training provider base.”
