Message from Katharine

What a wet half term break that turned out to be but hopefully it was a good week for you all nevertheless! I hope you find this week’s edition of interest – feedback always welcome!

EPN AGM & Members Meeting, 25th March:
Please save the date, as I hope to see lots of you face to face at our March members meeting for a packed agenda. We look forward to hearing info, insights and updates from Ofsted, AELP, Able Futures and Essex County Council.

Date: 25^th March 2026
Time:  9.45am – 1.00pm
Location: USP College, Xtend Campus, Meppel Ave, Canvey Island SS8 9RZ

Note the new location and special thanks to USP College for hosting us!
A full agenda will be posted in the newsletter 2 weeks prior, and invites will be with you shortly.

WorldSkills UK National Competitions 2026
The competitions offer a fantastic enrichment and personal development opportunity for students, and although I am unaware at this point how many of you across our network support students to WorldSkills competitions I hope many of you might consider looking into it with your cohorts in this Year of Opportunity across Essex.

Christian Notley from WorldSkills UK worked closely with FEDEC for the Inter-College Skills competitions they ran in January and has provided the following for me to share with you to encourage more engagement from Independent Training Providers and our colleges in Essex:

Registration for this year’s WorldSkills competition cycle opens on 2nd March and runs to 27th March.
Please see the list of mainstream competitions here that will be running in this cycle. You can click on the links within the document to find further information about each competition.

The competitions offer a fantastic enrichment and personal development opportunity for students, and although I am unaware at this point how many of you across our EPN network support students to WorldSkills competitions, I hope many of you might consider looking into it with your cohorts in this Year of Opportunity.

Those of you who may have had students register last year may have noticed a drop-off in learners between the registration and entry stages, so to reduce this, I’ve attached the entry stage details here for your reference

NOTE: For some competitions, the entry-stage requirements are released once the registration is complete. In these cases, it is advisable to register at least one competitor as early as possible. This will trigger an email to the competitor outlining the entry requirements and the entry-stage deadline. Educators can then check in with the learner to confirm the requirements and support them in planning their submission ahead of the deadline. Having early visibility of the entry-stage details may also encourage additional learners to participate once they understand what is involved.

Below are links to marketing assets you may wish to use around your centre/campuses along with the registration guide. A supporting video will be available soon.

Registration assets for educators:
https://www.worldskillsuk.org/registration-assets-educator/

Individual competition details:
https://www.worldskillsuk.org/skills/national-competitions/

UCAS Scholarships tool to help students find funding for study and living costs
UCAS has launched a new online tool that pulls together nearly 800 scholarships, bursaries and grants all in one place on the UCAS website for the first time, to alleviate financial uncertainty for prospective students.

The tool enables applicants to easily check what is on offer at universities and colleges across the country. Awards can range from £500 to full tuition fees for both UK and international applicants, and can also cover the cost of accommodation, meals and travel. Students can also use the tool to search for awards matched to their background, achievements or chosen course.

Teachers and advisers can also use the tool to find funding options tailored to their students’ needs.

UCAS welcome any support in sharing the tool, which can be found here: Search | Scholarships, bursaries and grants | UCAS

You can also read UCAS’ press release here, which includes findings from research and comments from students who have spoken about the impact receiving a scholarship and bursary had on their university experience: UCAS launches scholarships tool to help students find funding for study and living costs | UCAS

Empowering Educators: Strategies for Supporting Learners with Lifelong Learning Difficulties and Disabilities – FREE Webinar – 11^th March
Delivered by Dynamic Training and funded by the Education and Training Foundation, this webinar will develop the practical strategies needed to deliver truly accessible apprenticeships – from pre‑enrolment through to End‑Point Assessment.

As national reforms increase the focus on impact and progression, Accessible Apprenticeships are expected to continue growing – making this support particularly timely for FE teams across Essex.

Session details:
Wednesday, 11th March
12:00pm – 1:00pm (Lunchtime Workshop)
1:00pm – 1:30pm (Optional Q&A)
Book your place here: https://lnkd.in/ejvpSrQm

In this workshop, you will learn to:
Proactively identify support needs during pre‑enrolment
Implement effective, inclusive teaching strategies
Confidently plan and embed reasonable adjustments
Use sustainable tools and frameworks for support planning
Empower staff to focus on ability – not disability

By building our collective capability now, we can ensure Essex is well‑positioned to meet the ambitions of the new SEND reforms and continue expanding high‑quality Accessible Apprenticeships that deliver real impact for learners.

If you would like to discuss Accessible Apprenticeships further, or explore how The Bridge service can support your teams, please feel free to contact Jonathan.smith@essex.gov.uk

Share your insights on Young Carers Leads in Education
For Young Carers Action Day 2026, the Young Carers Alliance are wanting to make the case to Government about the need for, and benefit of having young carer leads in all education settings. They are looking for young carer services, schools/colleges and young carers to be a part of this collective effort.

If you would be interested in being involved, then please contact Lucy Brinkley on youngcarersalliance@carers.org

Essex Growth Agency – Funding News Bulletin 20/02/26
This week’s bulletin highlights a diverse range of UK and international funding opportunities spanning community development, life sciences, MedTech, deep tech, transport innovation, creative economy research, sustainability, and early‑stage business growth

View the latest bulletin HERE.

National Careers Week 

National Careers Week is the 2^nd-7^th March, offering a perfect opportunity to spotlight career pathways, apprenticeships, and employer engagement. To help support you in planning activities that inspire young people and showcase the wide range of apprenticeship and career options available, we have a collection of helpful resources. To access the resources, please click here.

SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First

Proposed SEND reforms would introduce Individual Support Plans for learners with lower‑level needs, reserving EHCPs for those requiring the most intensive support. Training providers would face new statutory duties focused on early transition planning, stronger collaboration with local authorities, and personalised programmes to reduce NEET risk. The consultation deadline is the 18th May.

Small Business Summer 

Small Business Summer is a new campaign from Amazing Apprenticeships with support from the Edge Foundation that helps students in Years 7 to 13 increase their awareness of local organisations. Four small businesses across the country featured in a film series highlighting how apprenticeships help both employers and young people thrive. Take a behind‑the‑scenes look and hear apprentice stories here.

Cultural Competence in Safeguarding 

ECP Safeguarding has created a new guide to support practitioners in embedding cultural competence into everyday safeguarding practice. The ‘Cultural Competence in Safeguarding’ resource offers practical insights, reflective prompts, and simple strategies you can use with your team. To access the new resource, please click here.

British Science Week 

British Science Week is a ten day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths that will take place between 6th – 15th March! Explore a collection of free resources to help you celebrate the week. Resources include Science Subject-Led Resources, Green Apprenticeships Film, A-Z of Apprenticeship Standards, Meet the Employer profiles and STEM Case Studies. Please click here to explore.