All images © Mat Wright Developing Skills Strategies to meet Future Skills Needs Lessons from the UK Santiago June 2014 Geoff Fieldsend

Why a skills strategy?  Self evident that a ‘skillful’ approach is better result than an ‘unskilled’ approach  But no linear, direct, mechanistic relationship between skills and productivity/reducing poverty etc: ‘training for training sake’ won’t work  Skills have to be:  Relevant to the task in hand  Up to date  Applied in the right context (equipment, working conditions, motivation)  Required; and being  Used!  Moreover resources – public, private and individual are limited!  A wider strategy is required to take account of these other factors 3www.britishcouncil.org

Skills Strategies in the UK/England: a brief history DateReviews and reportsInstituions and Approaches 1980sNew Training InitiativeManpower Services Commission National Vocational Qualifications Youth Training Scheme 1990sTraining and Enterprise Councils st Century SkillsSector Skills Councils Leitch reviewVocational Qualifications Reform 2010 onWolf reportReform of VET (14-19) Richard ReviewApprenticeships reform Whitehead ReviewReform of qualifications Employer OwnershipUKCES Approaches:  Planning  Targets  Demand led  Market driven 

6 Strategic models can depend upon ‘tradition’

Strategy and Delivery Policy, funding and oversight Standards and Qualifications Teaching and learning Skills deployment

But things can fall apart... Government ministries Awarding Bodies Colleges Employers Agencies Regulators Trade Unions SSCs Learners

...unless there is a focus... EMPLOYMENT and PRODUCTIVITY …and clear responsibilities Policy, funding and oversight Standards and Qualifications The workplace Teaching and learning

Ten things that matter 1.Relevance of skills to workforce needs 2.Addressing ‘market failure’ and avoiding ‘deadweight’ 3.Qualifications accorded their rightful place 4.The right balance between innovation and stability 5.Equal partnership between employers and the TVET system 6.A culture which values research and evaluation (LMI/IAG) 7.Increasing demand for skills by employers 8.Organisation and delivery (common focus) 9.Skills (and publicly funded training) are part of a bigger picture 10.Real beneficial change takes longer than you think…