UK Qualifications & Skills Learning and Skills Improvement Service UK Workforce Issues 24 October 2012

Areas included: Workforce development SSCs/SSOs – LSIS: Sector owned and driven Cross UK issues (lobbying, evidence hub for lobbying by others – but still subject to economic challenges in the sector...) LSIS and youth work sector – NOS, Qualifications Strategy, qualifications development, Apprenticeship development

LSIS vision and priorities Every learner acquires the skills, knowledge and appetite they need for learning, living and working; and every provider is valued by their communities and employers for their contribution to sustainable social and economic priorities 1 Outstanding teaching and learning 2 Excellent leadership, management and governance 3 Effective and timely intervention both to avoid and resolve cases of failure

Scope of the lifelong learning workforce UK Qualifications and Skills has 4 Nation brief - England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland – different policies, but common knowledge and skills Further Education Work based learning Careers Development Advice and Guidance Coaching and mentoring Libraries, archives and information services Community Learning and Development: eg youth work, family learning, work with parents, community development Lifelong learning (formal, non-formal, informal) is the glue between these

Some common workforce issues Impact of economic constraints Changing priorities – universal requirement to local demand Universal and targeted provision Range of workforces: voluntary, statutory, private Skills, Continuing Professional Development, professionalism, recognition, registration and licensing Quality of workforce and service they provide paramount

Priorities for Youth... is and should be recognised as a major contributor to improving educational and lifelong learning outcomes... (Ministerial Foreword) Every young person achieving to his or her full potential at each stage of his or her development (DE Vision Statement) 5 priorities: Raising standards for all; Closing the performance gap, increasing access and equity; Developing the non-formal workforce; Improving the non- formal learning environment; Transforming non-formal education management

National Occupational Standards National Occupational Standards – reflection of the functions, knowledge and skills used by the sector in all four nations – light touch revision in 2012 still maintaining the Values and Principles of Youth Work at their heart National Occupational Standards are available to download from:

Partnerships – working with the sector Responses to government consultations eg NIs Careers Information Advice and Guidance enquiry Wales Registration of the education workforce enquiry Community Learning and Development panel (UK) Youth Work Qualifications Strategy (UK) Research and development activity to plan qualifications development to meet the needs of the sector into the future (and share best practice) Draft of document expected October/November 2012

Apprenticeship Development: Policy/regulatory requirements in each nation reflected in each apprenticeship framework – but a mobile workforce means maintain commonality and transferability where possible... Content - knowledge and competence split, adoption or not of pathways within apprenticeship frameworks Timescales – expected length of time for learners (often age related) Guided Learning Hours – minimum to be undertaken Essential Skills (English & Mathematics & ICT) Other requirements (non-NI) PLTS, ERR Sector/nation determines: additional employer requirements, entry requirements/conditions, examples of progression opportunities

Next steps: Apprenticeship provision – level 3: Certificate/Diploma Joint Education and Training Standards statements Length of programme Apprenticeship funding reduced because of reduced qualification size?

Contact points and any questions? Excellence Gateway address Apprenticeship questionnaire (Level of qualification and hours of work) Sue Gill – Shauna Dunlop – or