New Standard for Employer Responsiveness Rachael Fidler HTP

Aims of the New Standard The 2006 FE Reform White Paper mandated a New Standard that could accredit: Responsiveness to business needs Excellence in delivering vocational training A commitment to continuous improvement Accrediting specialisation The aim is to bring clarity to the market- 1badge that can be nationally promoted, by bringing together all the other marks.

Part A is about individual employers and how your organisation relates/interacts with their employers Part B is about the SECTOR and groups of employers and the outcomes are about how your specialism affects change in your sector specialism Part B is a whole new application

Action for Business Initial readiness check & mystery shop findings HTPs adopted approach Highlighted evidence Identified areas for action Critical success factors Concerns

Initial Readiness Check Initial WBL trial site Mystery shop report: Contacts were polite and helpful Levels of information, advice and guidance were good Staff appeared very knowledgeable Systematic gathering of LMI A knowledge of WBL terminology was, in some instances, assumed

Initial Readiness Check In 8 areas HTP met over 50% of the indicators, in 3 areas all indicators were fully met In the remaining 4 areas less than 50% of indicators were not evidenced at the readiness check

Initial Readiness Check Key strengths All staff were aware of company’s mission & targeted occupational sectors A wide range of LMI is collected at all levels Employers are engaged in all stages of the delivery process Delivery of training assessment is highly flexible Annual employer surveys are conducted and inform planning H&S & EO have a high profile

Initial Readiness Check Key strengths All staff participate in an annual appraisal and CPD is supported Training facilities are excellent All reception staff have undergone appropriate training Regular reviews highlight employers not currently engaged in training and actions are evidenced The organisation actively seeks and promotes partnership and networking

Initial Readiness Check Areas for development Some employer data is paper based making market analysis and strategic marketing difficult Clearer Service Standards must be set and monitored across the company Employer targets must be explicit across all areas of the business Marketing plans and budgets require formalising Dissemination of HTPs pricing policy across all products requires wider dissemination

Benchmark against A4B standards Identification of evidence and gaps HTPs Approach Improve Employer Engagement Review progress Benchmark against A4B standards Implement Identification of evidence and gaps Generate options Implementation Plan Evaluate against objective

Key Action Areas Ensure visibility and dissemination of the overarching annual planning cycle Formalise marketing activity and improve the analysis marketing activity Extend commercial development plans to inform long term business strategy

Critical Success Factors Systematic gathering of LMI Effectively tracking the employer journey Ensuring the ethos and culture of employer engagement is embedded and sustained across the organisation

Concerns Validity and costs of LMI data Creating/sourcing and costs of a CRMS Ensuring systems are adhered to

The story so far Asked if we would like to Test the NS Went through testing Unofficially told we would have passed including section 5 due to the marks Decided to Fast Track Wrote and submitted application, couldn’t do Part B

Assessment 2 assessors 3 days, 4 centres staff individually and in groups all levels Evidence Employer validation- we prepared our employers! Key area section 5, 300 points

Submission HTP submission for The New Standard was a very comprehensive and credible document that covered all aspects of their business. In presenting the submission HTP provided many examples of both process and specific illustrations of practice. Through the document and on the verification visit they were able to substantiate the rigour of their procedures and the extent to which they are embed in the ethos of the business.

Strategy The relationship with employers is recognised as the foundation of the business and their ability to maintain their reputation.

Fundamentals The selection and skill set of employees is good and the organisational structure creates clear links across the employer journey whilst maintaining a high degree of interaction between teams supported by structured meetings/reviews.

Respond The TNA approach is well defined and does focus on the employer and their business needs and then compares this to existing staff skills and abilities. There is evidence of long term TNA planning for their major clients. Information systems are well developed in the business providing for issues to be addressed at an early stage and for activities to be undertaken concurrently so speeding up responsiveness and flexibility.

deliver The delivery activity is integrated into the define/propose activity to ensure a seamless experience for the employer and the learner and feedback is obtained and acted on at all stages.

Relate Extensive interaction with employers is evident and feedback approaches result in an extensive range of data to inform planning and improvement activity.

Perform Performance measurement is mapped well across the indicators of the New Standard and demonstrates a well embedded approach. Feedback measures are in place and provide a ready and direct source of information. Outcomes are assessed on a case by case basis with a scoring system incorporated into the review that provided both qualitative and quantitative data for reviews.

Improve Extensive interaction with employers is evident and feedback approaches result in an extensive range of data to inform planning and improvement activity.