1. Next Steps and Action Points
Learning Country – Learning Pathways
Next Steps and Action Points
John Williams
Leader, Project Team

2. The process: DfTE sets up project team under auspices of the
Youth Policy Team
Project team tries to include all stakeholders
Strong young people representation
Series of meetings and “awaydays”
Links with other home countries
Links with other NAfW policies and priorities
Project team reports to internal working group
and external reference group

3. The achievement landscape
52% with intermediate qualifications by 16; 63% by 19;
73% by 25
85% with foundation qualifications by 16
30% with advanced qualifications by 19, 37% by 25
12% year olds outside education, training, employment
24/28% year olds outside education and training
Employers talk about
Low levels of literacy, numeracy and other basic skills
Low levels of personal and interpersonal skills

4. What do the young people say?
Appreciative of what people are trying to do for them often under difficult circumstances
Not enough recognition of preferred learning styles
A hierarchy of knowledge and experiences
Lessons do not teach you all you need to know – the
importance of other skills/knowledge should be
recognised
Respect for qualifications, though not always
understanding of their relevance or practical application
A need to be known, and recognised, as an individual
Parents viewed as loving and supportive, but not always
good advisors or guides

5. What do the young people say? – continued
A perceived entitlement to be involved in decision making
where those decisions affect them (eg advisors)
Family (and peer) pressure to earn/have money
Gender still a big factor in choice of jobs and training
Guidance and information services viewed by some
as ineffective, marginal or mistimed
Employer-led training (and other non-formal learning routes)
helps with motivation, but not with learning problems or
difficulties
Employers etc sometimes not interested in training
Too many young people are too realistic

6. The proposals in brief
A national target : 95% of young people ready for high skill
employment (an intermediate qualification with a strong
work-related element) or ready for higher education (an
advanced qualification)
All learning pathways to include
a knowledge base (with a small core)
application of that knowledge base
the development of employability and life skills
in an appropriate context
14-19 learning delivered by a range of providers
The package to be badged and accredited as the Welsh Bac,
available from 14 at foundation, intermediate and advanced
level
CQFW operative from 14
Access to personal advice and guidance – the learning
coach and beyond
Both 14 and 19 inadequate as start and finish dates

7. Why the real experience matrix?
The learning to learn agenda
Promoting lifelong learning
Promoting enterprise and initiative
Allowance for preferred learning styles
Promoting learning outside the formal environment
Re-connecting learning with the community

8. Some issues from the consultation
14 and 19 so inadequate as cut off points
Entry level pathways need to be added
Need to promote the new opportunities
Commitment to higher level of funding
KS3 should be more like the primary school
experience
New key stage covering years 6 and 7
An accredited (through the CQFW?) taster period
(or even year) at the end of KS3
Community and voluntary experiences in KS3
Role of teachers will change; more people will provide
the learning

9. Some issues from the consultation – continued
Long term overarching steering group needs to be
established together with specialist steering groups
Need to dovetail with other initiatives
Young people must be heavily involved
Need to change the pattern of school day/term/year
Need to change nature of school
Key skills should be promoted, but at moment unsatisfactory
Training for teachers – learning methods and styles;
multiple intelligences; essential skills
Need to learn from other countries
Need to develop foundation Welsh Bac
Need to get HE on board

10. Some issues from the consultation – continued
ACCAC needs to carry out review including top-up
modules
Voluntary activities should remain voluntary
Vocational option – desirable rather than compulsory?; a
question of winning hearts and minds; vocational should =
practical/applied; practical/applied should be in all courses
Will compulsory vocational option demotivate some?
Need to ensure meaty sized chunks of learning if CQFW
applicable from 14; if small step learning, needs to be within
coherent learning programme
If emphasis on skill development, need to develop skill
continuums
Bring part-time jobs into the equation

11. Some issues from the consultation – continued
Route names:
Intermediate Modern Apprenticeship
Advanced Modern Apprenticeship
Advanced Specialist Pathway/Baccalaureate
Advanced General Pathway/Baccalaureate
Work needs to be done with HE
Seems to be some support for core of communication,
number, (applied) science (with links to d+t), ICT
Existing curriculum good at preparing pupils for post-16 education, not so good as preparation for training or employment
Assessment too burdensome; should investigate alternatives/
more assessment points
KS4 Welsh a burden in eastern counties

12. Some of the issues needing further work
What constitutes an acceptable learning pathway?
Who owns it?
Who provides the support?
How do we mesh together minimum requirements
and maximum expectations?
Who establishes and sustains the learning network?
How much will it cost? Where will the extra money
come from?
What incentives do learners need?
What incentives do providers need?
What about rural Wales?
What about Welsh-speaking youngsters?
What about disabled young people?

13. Some of the issues needing further work – continued
Does the NAfW have enough power to make a difference?
Does England matter? Why?
What are the capacity and quality issues?
How will this change the nature of schools and colleges?
How will this change the nature of teachers and teaching?
What training will be required?
What best promotes partnership working? Where are the
best examples of best practice?
How do we accredit non-formal learning? How do we give it
value?
How do we now measure institutional performance?