1. FUNCTIONAL SKILLS REFORM PROGRAMME Miranda Pye, Director Clare Vokes, Research Manager JANUARY 2016

2. 2 Aim  Based on detailed consultations and research in 2015 the Foundation is now embarking on a set of consultations designed to achieve an up-dated set of Functional Skills standards and qualifications, recognised and valued by employers.  The focus is to find out exactly which maths and English skills employers require at these levels.  The consultation will also seek the views of the post-16 education and training sector.

3. 3 Why?  Functional Skills standards and qualifications have been in existence for many years and, although employers and learners are generally pleased with them, a number of potential weaknesses were highlighted by the 2015 research.  The Foundation’s review ‘Making maths and English work for all’ (MMEW) found that Functional Skills were not broken, but that work could be done to improve their relevance and content, as well as improve their recognition and credibility in the labour market.

4. 4 Method The work is organised as a wide-ranging consultation using: 1. Online surveys for employers and stakeholders/practitioners 2. In-depth telephone interviews 3. Focus Groups 4. Workshops

5. 5 Timings Consultation January to July 2016. Findings report for this first stage will be presented to the Foundation in August 2016.  employers,  professional and industry bodies,  employer representative bodies,  unions,  teaching and training practitioners,  FE colleges,  private training providers,  offender learning organisations,  adult learning organisations,  subject specialists,  awarding organisations, and  post-16 learners.

6. 6 Outcomes A report with policy recommendations to include:  what levels of Functional Skills are needed for life and work;  the breadth of skills that the new qualifications should include;  the number of guided learning hours needed to successfully achieve FS for learners on technical and professional programmes of study, including apprenticeships.  These collated findings will be used to recommend improvements.

7. 7 Focus of today’s discussion Purpose and audience for Functional Skills qualifications What is the role of Functional Skills qualifications? What should be their purpose? Who should be the audience? Skills standards Do you think the standards are fit for purpose? Should digital skills be explicitly recognised and specified in the standards and qualifications?

8. 8 Focus of today’s discussion Qualification levels Is the division of Functional Skills qualifications into five levels still fit for purpose? Are the individual qualifications doing what they should at each level? Should the Entry Level qualifications be ‘de-coupled’ from Levels 1-2? Qualification structure Is the structure of the qualifications fit for purpose (for English three units; for maths one assessment of three themes)? Is the size of the qualifications (45 glh) appropriate?