Adult Further Education Figures Down

A recent report has found that there has been a sharp decrease in the number of adults participating in further education courses. Perspective, a UK individual learning plan software provider, is looking to encourage potential adult learners and apprentices to reconsider their options before they decide not to undertake further education.

Government data found that from 2010 – 2011 the number of learners aged 19 and over in government funded further education and skills provision dropped by 11.6 per cent. However, at the same time apprenticeship figures for the same age group greatly increased and represented a jump of approximately 93 per cent.

These figures indicate that many adults desire to study as an apprentice rather than continuing education, thereby earning a minor wage whilst also learning required skills to heighten their chances of finding full-time employment. Further to this, the recession is believed to have had an effect on the number of applicants, with many potential adult learners unable to support themselves through education, as such having to turn to full-time employment.

Paul Davis, managing director of Perspective, commented: “Although it is encouraging to see such a large increase in the number of apprentices, it is important that further education figures don’t decrease further and both school leavers and adult learners alike look to conduct further education training where possible.

“Although apprenticeships enable an applicant to learn on-site skills whilst earning a basic wage, they aren’t always the most suitable options and in some cases further education is a more viable options. Potential applicants must review which education or training courses are most suitable for them prior to applying.”

Perspective provides student tracking software to ensure learning management is an easy process for both training providers and schools alike. For more information, please visit www.perspective-uk.com or call 0121 506 9540.

Cornwall College to cut budgeting time and to electronically circulate over 100,000 documents

Advanced Business Solutions’ finance system will provide Cornwall College with vital time and paper saving benefits.

Cornwall College, the third largest further and higher education college in the UK with 45,000 students, is implementing a financial management system (FMS) with integrated budgeting, forecasting and planning functionality from Advanced Business Solutions (ABS). This FMS, which also comprises integrated cash flow forecasting, workflow and document imaging software, will cut the time taken to budget and forecast and enable the electronic circulation of 100,000 documents. The planned go live of the new ABS system is Q1 2012.

Cornwall College currently uses a restrictive finance system that doesn't adequately support the college’s organisation-wide processes and paperless needs.

Cornwall College’s Finance Systems Manager, Christine Gosling, explains “Our current finance system cannot provide us with the sophisticated level of support we require. We need a finance system that is intuitive and flexible with advanced functionality so that we can streamline the flow of information, improve budgeting and forecasting and reduce our reliance on paper. After reviewing the market, Advanced Business Solutions’ finance system was the best choice for our needs.”

ABS’ finance system will provide Cornwall College with real-time budgetary information so that it can keep abreast of actual and expected financial expenditure, ultimately improving decision making. Currently, budgeting and forecasting is manually intensive and the data is soon out-of-date.

“We will reduce the time taken to compile and update budgets”, says Christine Gosling. “Instead of budget holders spending 30 minutes revising their budgets, by using the ABS system they will only need to spend five minutes, significantly cutting budgeting time. We will also be able to review budgets in real-time 24 hours a day, seven days a week, aiding decision making.”

The document imaging functionality (powered by Version One) combined with the integrated workflow functionality will enable the paperless circulation, approval and storage of business documents. This will prove key to the College’s goal of becoming as paperless as possible.

Christine Gosling says, “Using ABS’ system, we will reduce the time taken circulating and approving paper documents across our eight sites. Staff currently spend far too much time paper chasing and so by freeing-up paper-based administration, they’ll have more time to deal with student queries.”


FACTFILE:

www.cornwall.ac.uk

Cornwall College is the UK’s third largest further and higher education college, serving over 45,000 students. The College is spread across seven different sites, offering a range of further and higher education courses.

About Advanced Business Solutions www.advancedcomputersoftware.com/abs

Advanced Business Solutions (ABS) provides leading integrated business applications and services that enable public, private and third sector organisations to retain control, improve visibility and gain efficiencies whilst continually improving corporate performance. ABS prides itself on getting close to its customers by understanding their businesses and responding to their evolving needs.

ABS' software systems comprise core accounting/financial management, procurement, human resource and payroll systems, integrated with a range of collaborative, document management and business intelligence solutions to extend the value and effectiveness of the finance, human resource and payroll departments, which can also be delivered as a managed or bureau service option.

Customers come from both public and private sectors and include Companies House, Newcastle City Council, WH Smith, Royal Bank of Scotland, Aer Lingus, National Express Group, DFS, RSPB and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust.

Advanced Business Solutions is a division of Advanced Computer Software Group plc, a leading supplier of software and IT services to the health, care and business services sectors.

Kilmarnock College to boost financial reporting and eliminate duplication of effort with system from Advanced Business Solutions

Kilmarnock College, a Further Education (FE) college based in East Ayrshire, Scotland, will transform its efficiency levels and improve financial control by implementing a financial management system from Advanced Business Solutions (ABS). The new system, which has integrated electronic workflow and document imaging functionality, will enhance the reporting and accessibility of financial information across the college and reduce administration time through less re-keying of data. The planned go-live is August 2011.

Kilmarnock College required a flexible and scalable financial management solution to replace its restrictive accounting system and to significantly reduce the time spent on invoice registration, reconciliation and authorisation. Following a competitive tender, Kilmarnock College chose ABS’ system due to its strength in reporting, advanced functionality and tight integration qualities.

Michael Breen, Director of Finance at Kilmarnock College, explains, “We recognised that our existing finance system was inefficient and no longer fit for purpose. Through a very robust competitive tendering process we were extremely impressed by the quality of responses we received however ABS stood out at each stage. It was apparent that ABS fully understood our business needs and that its system was ideally suited to fulfill all of our key requirements whilst representing good value for money.”

Breen continues, “ABS also submitted a very thorough and methodical project plan which gave us the reassurance that they had the capabilities and experience of implementing integrated systems to very tight timescales.”

ABS’ integrated software solution will streamline Kilmarnock College’s financial processes and significantly improve the visibility of financial information, resulting in improved decision making whilst ensuring greater financial control. In addition, by seamlessly linking the College’s student records and tracking system with ABS’ financial management system, it will be quicker and easier for the College to extract financial information and tailor reports to its specific needs.

Breen comments, “By automating our financial processes ABS’ system will significantly improve efficiencies within the finance department. The ABS solution will remove unnecessary duplication of effort as we will no longer have to spend time re-keying data from our student records and tracking system. In addition the finance team will no longer be required to manipulate financial data into Excel spreadsheets to provide management reports. This will eliminate the opportunity for associated data entry errors.”

Breen continues, “The system’s advanced reporting capabilities will also allow us to easily interpret more meaningful financial information in greater detail than present, while enabling the closer monitoring of financial plans and project management costs, further improving financial control.”

Furthermore, using the integrated document imaging functionality (powered by Version One’s technology), inbound paper invoices will be scanned, indexed and then linked to relevant ledger in the finance system. Invoices with approved purchase orders will be automatically matched and paid. Those requiring circulation will be electronically routed to the appropriate staff for approval without requiring manual intervention, eliminating the time-consuming and costly circulation of 8,000 paper invoices every year.

Breen adds, “By eliminating manually-intensive processes we will save significant amounts of staff time. The finance team will also be freed-up to concentrate on analysing financial data instead of expending all of their efforts creating information.”

www.kilmarnock.ac.uk

Newly created Welsh college selects financial management system from Advanced Business Solutions

Cardiff and Vale College, which will be formed by the merger of Barry College and Coleg Glan Hafren to create one of the largest further education (FE) organisations in Wales, is implementing a financial management system from Advanced Business Solutions. This integrated system, which will include electronic procurement and workflow functionality, will improve financial reporting and support the new college’s sustainable agenda by eliminating time-consuming paper-based processes. The core modules will go-live on 1 August 2011 with a phased implementation to follow.

Barry College and Coleg Glan Hafren agreed to merge in response to the Welsh Assembly Government’s Transformation Agenda, published in September 2008, which recommended that colleges collaborate by creating economies of scale to maximise benefits to learners. The newly created entity, Cardiff and Vale College, will officially open in August 2011.

Nicola Lewis, finance director at Coleg Glan Hafren, explains, “As Coleg Glan Hafren and Barry College currently use two different finance systems we decided to undertake a strategic review of both colleges’ existing software. After evaluating the market, we decided that ABS’ system was sufficiently flexible and scalable to cope with the greater volume of transactions from the new college and drive efficiency savings whilst supporting growth and change in the future.”

Lewis continues, “We have also been extremely impressed by the professionalism of ABS’ team and their willingness to ensure that our new system will be implemented in just three months in time for our new financial year in August.”

ABS’ system will automate a number of financial processes which are currently manually-intensive. Its 1,000 staff will have instant access to key financial data and be able to raise purchase orders and approve invoices electronically. Authorised users at Cardiff and Vale College will also able to track the status of their budgets 24 hours a day, seven days a week and distribute budget reports to departmental managers electronically.

Lewis comments, “ABS’ system will enable us to considerably streamline our accounts receivable processes and improve financial control across the College. We anticipate being able to raise purchase orders and invoices in just minutes instead of hours each week, considerably enhancing purchase-to-pay efficiency. The system’s flexibility and intuitive reporting capabilities will also allow us to easily determine numerous ‘what if?’ scenarios which will be key as we formulate our business strategy for the new college.”

As the two main campuses of the newly created college are situated 18 miles apart, ABS’ electronic workflow functionality will help to reduce time-consuming and costly paper administration through the elimination of printing, photocopying and posting documents back-and-forth between its different sites

Lewis adds, “Having instant online access to our financial information will help to alleviate the delays and costs associated with documents going missing in the internal post. Eliminating unnecessary paper pushing will also support our sustainability agenda and assist us in minimising our impact on the environment.”

www.cardiffandvalecollege.ac.uk