Political and Strategic Context

• Variations across UK

• Policy reviews & restructures

• New Government: free-market approach

• Demand led: SSC + UKCES

• National Qualifications & Credit Framework

• Quality through inspection

UK Economy and Employment

• 6th largest economy in the world and 4th largest in the OECD (behind the USA, Japan and Germany)

• London and South East account for a third of GDP

• World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report ranks the UK as the 13th most competitive in the world (down 4 places from 07/08)

• Over last 10 years: number achieving high level qualifications increased over the decade by 44%; numbers without any qualifications declined over the decade by 26%

• Economic conditions and jobs prospects have deteriorated sharply in the past year: the young; the poorly qualified; the low-skilled

UK Economy and Employment

• What does this mean for the UK?

- Current labour market position for young people is a concern

- Must prepare jobs for the future

- Will be increased demand for higher level skills in future

- Further job opportunities likely to become available

- Must ensure people have the skills necessary to access new

opportunities so that employers will be able to recruit workers

with the skills necessary for success

Challenges for the UK

• Productivity - key to economic performance

- Skills are an important contributor to increasing productivity

• An ageing population

• Increasing participation rates in education and training among young people

• Maintaining quality in current economic climate

• Creating a demand led system

UK Commission for Employment

and Skills

UK Commission for Employment

and Skills

Sector Skills Councils

Sector Skills Councils

Standards and qualifications

Awarding bodies

Awarding bodies

Define

Accre

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Qualifications regulator

Qualifications regulator

Lic

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‘Own’

EmployersEmployers

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LearnersLearnersJobs

ProvidersProviders

Co

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Development, delivery and

assessment of qualifications

Development, delivery and

assessment of qualifications

Funding bodiesFunding bodiesAuthorise funding

Inspection agency

Inspection agency

£’s

Inspects

UK TVET system in operation: an example of a competency-based system

UK Commission for Employment and Skills

• Employer-led body

• Provides independent advice to 4 UK Governments

• Advises on how to increase employment, skills and productivity

• Undertakes policy development, research and analysis

Simon Perryman

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)

• Independent, employer-led, UK-wide organisations designed to build

a skills system that is driven by employer demand

• SSCs work on behalf of employers to ensure UK has skills it needs

• Currently 20 SSCs covering over 90% of the economy.

Creative Skillset: media, advertising, computer games, fashion and textiles

SEMTA: science, engineering and manufacturing technologies

Proskills: process and manufacturing sector

SSCs have three key goals:

Reduced skills gaps and shortages

Boost the skills and productivity of sector's workforce

Improved learning supply through National Occupational Standards, apprenticeships, qualifications, further and higher education and Skills Academies

BBC Academy and Crossrail Academy

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)

Qualifications and certification

• SSCs have important role to play in development of qualifications for adults and 14-19 year olds

• Sector Qualifications Strategies (SQSs) are the mechanisms for ensuring that employers' and learners' needs are met

• SQSs are developed by Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)

• SSCs work with awarding organisations and regulatory authorities to ensure that vocational/occupational qualifications meet the needs of employers and individuals

•Some SSC are partners in Skills Academies and may have their own awarding organisations

Qualifications and certification

• Awarding organisations have expertise to design vocational qualifications which best meet employers' and learners' needs

• Awarding organisations are licensed by the qualifications regulators

• For a qualification to be recognised as part of a National Qualifications Framework, it must be accredited through a regulated awarding organisation

• Currently more than 100 licensed awarding organisations

• Awarding organisations provide an approval process for independent training providers to be able to award qualifications funded by government

Regulation and Accreditation

• Regulatory bodies (Ofqual, SQA etc) maintain standards and distribute information about qualifications

• Regulate general and vocational qualifications

• Give formal recognition to organisations that deliver qualifications and assessments

• Accredit awards and monitor their activities

• Approve and distribute the criteria that qualifications must meet to be part of National Qualifications Frameworks

• Check that qualifications and the bodies that award them meet the criteria

Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)

Level of difficulty

Learning time

Comparisons

Credit value

Content

Quality and Inspection

• Quality assurance is built on a 150 year-old tradition of inspection and accountability

• Each provider is held responsible for the quality of its own work

• Quality assurance system is based on self-assessment and risk

• Self-assessment includes observation and evaluation of teachers at work

• Awarding organisations also validate each learning centre before qualifications can be offered: they audit the quality of assessments

Quality and Inspection

• The largest of the 4 national inspectorates is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (OFSTED) in England

It inspects and regulates in order to support providers to meet their own priorities and targets for improvement

• Continuous improvement for the benefit of learners is the central purpose of the regulatory system

• Improvement and support services for providers

• Approach has been successful in raising standards: this is leading to greater self-regulation and local accountability

Funding and planning

• Funding of education and training is linked to quality: Government funding is accounted for

• In England there is currently a legal entitlement for people to receive free tuition for certain qualifications eg a first full level 2, numeracy etc

• In each of the four nations there is an organisation responsible for funding further education colleges and other skills providers

• Funding is prioritised

• Funding, planning and performance management in England is in transition

Colleges and learning providers: overview

• Over 400 colleges and many more learning providers

• Often operate in partnership with employers and communities

• TVET provision is very flexible and open to all

• Colleges are autonomous corporate bodies

•International activity

• Develop teaching and learning strategies and materials

• Curriculum planning

• Implementation of new qualifications

• Delivery of government funded and other courses

• Employer engagment

• Assessment

• Identify progression opportunities and provide support

Colleges and learning providers: role

National Apprenticeship Service (NAS)

National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) supports, funds and co-ordinates the delivery of Apprenticeships throughout England.

Responsible for increasing the number of Apprenticeship opportunities and providing a dedicated, responsive service for both employers and learners.

Simplifying the process of recruiting an apprentice through Apprenticeship vacancies, an online system where employers can advertise their Apprenticeship job vacancies and potential apprentices can apply.

Also manage WorldSkills UK - skills competitions and activities run in partnership with organisations from industry and education.