Edge was commissioned by the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board (SAAB) to look at Graduate Apprenticeships in Scotland and how they might be supported to grow over the coming years. In this podcast, you’ll hear from: Paul Campbell, Head of Learning and Organisational Development at Scottish Water and Chair of the SAAB Employer Engagement Group David Scott, Graduate Apprentice Software Developer at Aviva Andrea Laczik, Edge’s Head of Research Find out more: Read Edge’s report on Graduate Apprenticeships in Scotland here. Sign up to our webinar in January 2022 here.

Edge revisits some of the innovative higher education institutions from the Rethinking Higher Education report: Case studies for the 21st Century. We find out what makes these forward-looking universities stand out and how they are preparing their students for life in a very different 21st Century, particularly in light of changing practices since the pandemic. Debbie McVitty, WonkHE hosts this episode, and we hear from: Robyn Skelton, The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology Dr Sam Grogan, Salford University Dr Wendy Ivins, National Software Academy, Cardiff University Diana El-Azar, Minerva Project Andrew Boer, Edge Hotel School (EHS), University of Essex

Edge has been working with schools and colleges in the North East of England over recent years to pilot innovative approaches to bring the curriculum to life. This has formed the basis of our growing Edge Future Learning programme. In this episode you’ll hear from two fantastic early adopters: Judith Quinn, Vice Principal, Curriculum and Achievement at Sunderland College Laura McAllister, Head of English and Teaching and Learning Lead at UTC South Durham Find out more: Read more about Sunderland College’s work with Edge Future Learning. Read more about UTC South Durham’s work with Edge Future Learning. Listen to our podcast with Ford Next Generation’s coaches. See our research with NFER on UTCs. Watch our video about XP’s Crew system.

Edge is really interested in how accountability and inspection regimes impact on school behaviour. We are also always keen to compare the four nations of the UK to understand similarities, differences and lessons to learn. In this episode, we explore recent research commissioned by Edge from UCL Institute for Education comparing school inspection across the UK with: Dr Bernie Munoz, Senior Research Fellow in Education at Department of Learning and Leadership, UCL’s Institute of Education Dr Martin Brown, Associate Professor, School of Policy and Practice at Dublin City University and Co-director of EQI, the centre for evaluation quality and inspection. Find out more: Read the Inspection across the UK report Watch the report launch event

Edge is always looking for fantastic international examples that others can learn from. The team recently went on a ‘virtual’ study visit to South Africa and met a wide range of innovative partners and project. In this episode, you’ll meet organisations changing the face of employment and apprenticeships: Rob Urquhart, Impact and Research Lead, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator Jess Roussos and Adam Collier, Co-Founders and CEOs of BluLever Education Find out more: Our article on the visit to South Africa Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator BluLever Education

Edge has inherited the Honourable Histories report from the Further Education Trust for Leadership to promote and update – it tells the story of the last 30 years of Further Education policy and in this podcast you will hear from its authors: Tom Richmond, Founder and Director of the EDSK think tank. Ewart Keep, Emeritus Chair in Education, Training and Skills at the Department of Education, Oxford University Find out more: Honourable Histories Learning from the Past Nuffield’s review of 14-19 education and training EDSK Oxford University Department of Education

6th International Conference on Employer Engagement: In conversation with with Prue Huddleston and Andrea Laczik  This conference is hosted by Education and Employers in partnership with the Edge Foundation. It will focus on employer engagement in general education, technical and vocational education and training, and the extent to which such interventions adequately prepare young people for the rapidly changing world of work. In particular, attention will focus on the need to develop and capture the skill requirements within the changing labour market and how such interventions can support young people as part of the response to Covid-19. The conference also seeks to reflect on reforms and policy shifts in relation to education and training and employer engagement internationally. Book your place here

Edge is leading a programme of research called ‘learning from the past’ where each month one of our early career researchers puts together a summary of a key policy from the last 30 years of education, what worked, what didn’t and what the lessons are for future policy making. In this episode, you’ll hear about the first in the series which focuses on the Connexions Service with: Dr Konstantina Maragkou, Research Fellow at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Dublin, who wrote the review. Dr Siobhan Neary, Associate Professor at University of Derby and Head of the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS), whose work focuses around high quality careers guidance. Find out more: Our Emerging Researchers Network at https://www.edge.co.uk/research/research-networks/emerging-researchers-network/ The Learning from the Past project and the report on Connexions at https://www.edge.co.uk/research/Learning-from-the-past/ The International Centre for Guidance Studies at https://www.derby.ac.uk/research/centres-groups/icegs/

Edge has worked closely with the amazing team who have transformed education in Nashville over the last fifteen years and US non-profit Ford Next Generation Learning to understand their work and build key elements of it into our Edge Future Learning programme first in the North East of England and now more widely. In this episode you will hear from: Starr Herrman, Educational Consultant at Nashville Hub, sharing her perspective on how the Academies of Nashville have transformed education in the city. Scott Palmer, Community Coach with Ford Next Generation Learning, discussing how Ford NGL have spread this model to communities across the US and now, with Edge, in the UK too. Find out more: Academies of Nashville - https://www.academiesofnashville.com/ Ford Next Generation Learning - https://fordngl.com Edge Future Learning - https://www.edge.co.uk/edge-future-learning/`

We believe that creativity is one of the key skills that young people should develop through the education system – not just for jobs in the creative industries themselves, but right across different industries. This episode focuses on research by colleagues at the University of Warwick looking at dance, but has much wider implications. In this episode you will hear from: Professor Prue Huddleston - Emeritus Professor and former Director of the Centre for Education and Industry, University of Warwick Dr Heidi Ashton – Assistant Professor of Creative Industries, University of Warwick Find out more: Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies, University of Warwick - https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/scapvc/ccmps/staff/heidi_ashton Edge’s Skills Shortages Bulletins - https://www.edge.co.uk/research/projects/skills-shortages-uk-economy/