Colleagues will be aware that I have on behalf of the Association written to the respective Government Minister for each of the Home Nations to express our concern about the removal of  level 2 qualifications in Plumbing and Electrical work. (See News item for a copy of the letter).

I am in the process of speaking to the Welsh and Northern Ireland Departments about the matter. The Scottish Government has written to say that they do not have level one or two quals because their employers want level 3. They confirm that this is in line with the consultation undertaken by SummtSkills prior to drawing up the Sector Skills Agreement. The Minister for England has passed my letter to Professor Alison Wolf and asked her to consider the issues as part of her report on the future of Vocational Education.

The AoC along with EMFEC have met with the English Skills Funding Agency to discuss alternative options. At the time of writing I am unable to report on the outcome from this meeting, however I expect to be able to report progress at this years annual conference.

At last weeks NEC members received a presentation World Skills. You can get more information from their Web Site about the arrangements to visit the event during the week of the competition. I strongly urge you to look at the arrangements especially if you plan to take groups of students as visits are timed for groups and are quickly filling up.

You will be aware from the news item page that I wrote to the BBC on behalf of BACH. In their response the BBC suggests that I send my letter of concern to their News Department. I understand from World Skills that they are also having diffculty in getting blanket coverage from the BBC for the event. I suggest that members who have students involved in the competition to contact their local BBC News Station and try to get them to improve coverage locally. I also recommend that for those winning Gold Medals, College Principlals should be encouraged put forward names of these individuals for Honours in either the Birthday or New year lists.

This year our conference is focussed on World Skills and the Emerging Sustainable Environment. Members who attend should find the content to be extremely valuable and may help stimulate ideas for alterantive types of work.

I hope to see you in Birmingham on 15, 16 and 17 March 2011.

Ray Dowd

President