Welcome!
Hi, I'm Beth Walker, Vice President (Further Education). Welcomes to the further education zone of officeronline where, come rain or shine, you'll find campaign information, news and ideas to take up in your students' union. Your students, from August, will be able to obtain campaign material and details of your union from our new website - www.nus.org.uk.
If you have any comments or ideas on how we can improve this section, then please email me at beth.walker@nus.org.uk. In the meantime, please check out my blog for photos and my thoughts on the varying campaigns we're running.
Latest convenor blogs
Good things come to those who wait
Government publishes new guidance for FE Colleges on listening to learners
Blogged by: Beth Walker on 06/10/2008
Learner voice on sector skills councils
Blogged by: Beth Walker on 01/10/2008
Why CALL is so important
Find out about the new Campaign Alliance for Lifelong Learning
Blogged by: Beth Walker on 01/10/2008
Showing solidarity with our lecturers
Beth Walker highlights the steady decline in FE staff's working conditions, and one campaign in particular
Blogged by: Beth Walker on 24/09/2008
Support the Votes at 16 EDM
Added on 10/10/2008
NUS has added its support to a new Early Day Motion (EDM) calling for the House of Commons to lower the voting age for all elections to 16.
EDM 2198 "Enfranchisement of 16 and 17 year olds in Jersey" call for a lowing of the voting age to 16 in line with reforms in Jersey and the Isle of Man.
You can view the EDM, along with which MPs have already signed up here: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=36548&SESSION=891
EDM’s are formal motions to the House of Commons calling for fresh debate on an issue. To get some tips about how to lobby your MP to support the motion check out this Citizen 16 briefing (pdf, 240Kb).
NUS calls for inquiry into EMA crisis
Added on 10/10/2008
NUS has today written to the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee chairman Barry Shearman to ask him to investigate the catastrophic failure of the EMA system this year.
The unacceptable delays to the processing of the applications of more than 100,000 students has resulted from contracting out the service to the private company Liberata, and we believe a full inquiry needs to me undertaken to ensure that the mistakes made this year are not repeated in the future, and that students suffering this year are fairly supported.
Read the letter in full here (pdf, 136Kb).
Students’ Unions respond to National Minimum Wage Consultation
Added on 06/10/2008
Alongside NUS’ response to the Low Pay Commission’s National Minimum Wage consultation NUS encouraged local FE students’ unions to collect the views of their students at freshers fairs and submit those directly to the Commission.
One example is Richard Huish College’s Student Council who submitted a fantastic detailed analysis of their students’ opinions of the national minimum wage. You can read their submission here.
There is still time to get your own students' union submission in to put more pressure on the Low Pay Commission to listen to our members and get rid of the unfair age discrimination. You can get more information about making a submission here.
If your union has made a submission please send a copy to robert.whitaker@nus.org.uk so we can share it on this site.
NUS demands an end to age discrimination in the national minimum wage
Added on 06/10/2008
NUS has today published our submission to the Low Pay Commission’s annual of the National Minimum Wage. This follows our submission two months ago on the special consultation on the exemption of apprentices from the minimum wage. We are calling for an equalisation of the minimum wage so no-one gets paid differently for the same work simply because of their age.
Key findings within the submission include:
- Students workers are concentrated in the lowest paid sectors of the UK economy and are vulnerable to exploitation and poor employment practises.
- Students believe that working more than 10 hours a week has a significant negative impact on their learning, but many are forced to work in excess of 15 to make ends meet or because of employer pressure.
- Bullying and harassment due to age is common for student workers, a situation exacerbated by the youth and development rates.
- Students working whilst studying are doing so to support their education with average costs for an 18 year old full-time student being more than twice the amount available through the education maintenance allowance.
Read the full submission here (pdf, 2.8mb).
View a selection of responses to the NUS survey of students (pdf, 1.1mb).
Get the best from your union staff
Added on 29/09/2008
NUS and LSIS, (formerly-CEL), have once again teamed up to provide support for your students' union staff. This year, we'll be covering elections, raising union funds, mentoring and career development. Your staff will also have the chance to network with other students' union employees who have a similar role.
This is a chance for staff to develop their career standards. The first round of events will be regionally based between the 6 -9 October and will be free of charge. For more details see the event page:
Get FE news via RSS!
You can now subscribe to newsfeeds specific to the FE zone! Just choose between the two feeds offered below.
Confused about RSS? Here's the BBC's handy explanation.
Frequently read
Latest FE press
Read more press releases in the press releases section...
FE Resources
MP lobbying guide - how to get your MP to sign an early day motion
FE Students Councils and Students Parliament briefing.
'Putting the LGBT into FE'. Each college can order one hardcopy. To do so, please email lgbt@nus.org.uk. Alternatively, download copies here.
General Guides
Guidance for colleges on student governors (Redirects to external site)
Financial Support for Further Education Students in England
Legal Briefing for Colleges with Students' Councils
Union officers’ manual
Everything you need to know about being a student officer and running a successful union.
Model constitution and resource pack for FE students’ unions
Development survey
NUS has conducted its most in-depth investigation into students’ unions in the FE sector.
The results – which confirm that students’ unions in the FE sector are, for the most part, under-funded, under-resourced and under-supported - will underpin the work of this year’s 'Loud and Clear' campaign.
You can read the interim report of the FE Students’ Unions’ Development Survey here or read now the full report.
Other briefings and resources
Education and Skills Bill briefing for MPs
Opportunity profiles
If your club or society is growing and you would like to get more students involved then an opportunity profile can help promote your activities.
Developing your students' union
Are you ready for a Sabbatical checklist.
Tips for running an election
A model of good practice and ideas for promoting involvement to maximise the number of students who stand and vote in elections.
Guide to Individual Representation
A handout about the role of students' union officers in representing students' concerns and dealing with the specific conditions which affect their learning.
The Modern Students' Union
It has long been recognised that the ability of students to organise their own system of representation, deliver services and facilitate activities that students have an interest in is a valuable part of the educational process.
Loud and Clear
NUS' definitive guide to developing learner voice in FE
NUS Response to the FE White Paper
Annex
Foster Review of Further Education
A briefing by NUS on the content of the Foster Report
Presentation on NUS' summary of the Foster Report
Powerpoint slides, for use by student officers or governors, on NUS' summary of the Foster Report
Housing Act 2004
FE College compliance with rules
SU Representation pack
A definitive guide to representation in the FE sector
SU clubs and societies pack
The definitive guide to clubs and societies in FE
Getting societies going in FE
A briefing on the importance of clubs and societies within FE
"Safe on Campus, Safe on the Street" FE college campus security policy
A campaign guide for SU officers and student governors on FE college campus security policy.
Consultations and Responses
NUS, as the recognised national voice for students, is consulted and invited to input on many issues affecting students.
You can read recent responses to government consultations here:
NUS' response to the QIA and CEL merger
NUS’ Response to the DfES Personalisation Proposals of January 2007
Further Education White Paper: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances, DfES March 2006
Response to the ODPM Consultation on GLA Powers over Learning and Skills in London
NUS' second response to the 'Review of the future role of FE Colleges' by Sir Andrew Foster, 2005
NUS response to DfES Governance Review, 2004
"Investing in Skills", Sept 2004
"Supporting young people to achieve: towards a new deal for skills", Sept 2004
"21st Century Skills: Realising our Potential", July 2003
Student governors
Colleges in the FE sector have to elect at least one student governor (they can have up to three).
NUS has produced the following resources to support students’ unions and student governors:
Elections
Students' unions elections pack
The definitive guide to running elections in students’ unions
Course reps
Students’ representative structures are different in every college, but representation is the most important thing a students’ union can do.
A good course reps system can help a students’ union to achieve their aim of effective representation.
Course reps' pack
A definitive guide to course reps’ systems in FE
Course reps' log
This log has been designed for course reps to use as a guide to their work, as well as a resource for getting further information.