1. Dr Peter Whalley Marchmont Observatory University of Exeter
Transferable Skills Developments within the UK and European Qualifications Frameworks
Dr Peter Whalley
Marchmont Observatory
University of Exeter

2. Skills in a Global Economy
“The success of individuals and businesses in a knowledge driven economy will depend upon the skills, creativity and imagination of our people … Lifelong learning and continuous re-skilling are essential to enable people to cope with change, achieve security in their lives and benefit from growing prosperity.”
Opportunity for All in a World of Change (DTI & DfES 2001)

3. EU Definitions of ‘key competences’
Communication in mother tongue
Communication in another language
Competence in maths
Competence in science and technology
Digital competence
Learning to learn
Interpersonal and civic competence
Entrepreneurship and cultural expression
These should be acquired by the end of compulsory education and maintained through lifelong learning
Last 3 have been integrated into the common reference levels as “Personal and Professional Competencies”

4. 21st Century Skills
“Agility at learning skills is what differentiates a 21st Century citizen and learner from a 20th Century citizen and learner…. The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn”
Alvin Toffler, Rethinking the Future (2000)

5. 21st Century Skills 20th Century 21st Century Number of Jobs held
From 1-3
From 7-9 or more
Job Requirement
Mastery of one field or content area
Flexibility, Adaptability and Ability to Learn
Main Teaching Model
Generally Single Subject-Matter Mastery
Integration of 21st Century Skills into Multiple Subject-Matter Mastery

6. UK - Employability Skills
Fundamental skills (literacy, numeracy, technology)
People-related skills (communication, team-working, negotiating, customer service, leadership)
Thinking skills (managing information, problem solving, planning, creativity, learning skills)

7. UK - Employability Skills
Personal skills and attributes (enthusiasm, adaptability, motivation, loyalty, honesty)
Business skills (innovation, entrepreneurship, commercial awareness)
Citizenship skills and skills related to the community

8. Approaches to Development
Role modelling
Work shadowing
Role play
Self-directed
Mentoring
Coaching
Training
Teaching
These skills are ‘context sensitive’
– so are approaches to their development

9. Approaches to Assessment
Schools
VET
Higher Ed
Teacher Judgement
Has worked well – provides useful brief statements
Limited due to less extensive ongoing student observation
Portfolio
Promotes importance of Employability skills, enhances learning, provides rich detail
Workplace Assessment
Has worked well in limited trials
Has worked well
Has not been used widely in the UK
Assessment instruments
Shown to be feasible, produces summary results

10. Formative v. Summative Assessment
No winners or losers
ETHOS
Record achievement
Informal
MODE
Formal
Process
ORIENTATION
Outcome
Holistic
SCOPE
Atomised
Deep
LEARNING STYLE
Instrumental
Feedback
REPORTING STRUCTURE
Assessment
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING VS ASSESSMENT FOR RECORDING

11. Qualifications
“.. A qualification is anything that confers official recognition of value in the labour market and in further education and training, so a qualifications system includes all aspects of a country’s activity that result in the recognition of learning.” (OECD, 2007)

12. UK Examples C&G Profile of Achievement
OCR Certificate in Preparation for Employment
C&G Certificate in personal, team-work and community skills
ASDAN Certificate of Personal Effectiveness
Edexcel BTEC in Skills for Employment
C&G Personal and Professional Development Awards
GQAL Personal Employability achievement and Reflection for Learning (PEARL) Awards
Levels range from pre-entry to L4 (University Degree Equivalent)
Some of these are taught programmes (e.g BTEC) others are embedded (PEARL)
Assessment methods vary wildly

13. The UK context QCA – NQF to CQF Awarding Bodies SSCs/Leitch Review
DfES/DWP/DTI
Wales and Scotland –ACCAC/SQA

14. UK Qualification and Credit Framework
8 Levels
Unit and Credit-based
National Occupational Standards
14-19 Diplomas
Generic or ‘Core’ components

15. EQF Consultation Meta Framework for translation from NQFs
Credit Transfer and Accumulation
Quality assured by national systems
Success will depend on trust between international users & coordination between national Ministeries

16. Current Position 33 countries consulted
6 have NQF (France, Ireland, Spain, Malta, and separate frameworks in England, Wales and Scotland)
3 will NOT be developing NQFs (Finland, Cyprus, Norway)
24 remaining countries in the process or have expressed intention to develop
Interest developing wold-wide, with NQFs in place or being established in more than 20 other countries
Czech NQF should be in place this year, Romania also developing

17. Definitions
Training and Development
Assessment
Qualifications
Equivalence & Transferability

18. Dr Peter Whalley
Marchmont Observatory
University of Exeter
School of Education and Lifelong Learning
St Luke’s Campus
Heavitree Road
Exeter
EX1 2LU UK