1. Activity Tourism Forum SkillsActive Information Session Siobhan Weir Peter Thompson Kevyn Burns Ivor Neill 24 March 2009

2. Agenda Welcome & Intros (Siobhan) a) SkillsActive… …working to help employers to be more successful SkillsActive Overviews: UK and Outdoors (Peter) SkillsActive NI (Siobhan) b) Outdoors Induction Award (OIA) Inductions: Your Thoughts and Views (All) Induction Award: Background and Basics (Peter) Skills Passport and Outdoors Census (Kevyn) OIA Northern Ireland Project (Ivor) Summary, Questions…. Lunch!

3. We are that egg timer… & equivalents Training Providers /HE/FE

4. What we do…UK UK organisation – one of 25 Sector Skills Councils Government-licenced agency Covering: Sport & Recreation, The Outdoors, Health & Fitness, Playwork and the Caravan Parks industry Key aim: To support employers and sector to be more successful… mainly in the areas of skills/qualifications/training.

5. In the Outdoors… What we do… Ensure training & qualifications are appropriate & of quality Help people find the jobs and training they need Help the sector attract and retain the right staff Attract/focus funding employers/ees Influence Governments and decision makers Represent & promote employer and Sector needs Support partner sector organisations Promote the image of the Sector to the public

6. In the Outdoors… Examples… the Outdoors: Represent employer requirements for qualifications Develop/manage National Occupational Standards (NOS) Accessing of funding for pilot projects Develop HE frameworks Development of national staff induction programmes Central role in supporting qualifications development Support reg/national development bodies Outdoors/Sport Articulate industry/employer needs to government (SSA)

7. Understanding the Outdoors Outdoor EducationOutdoor Recreation/ Adventure Tourism Development Training Expeditions & Expeditions Sports Development Adventure Therapy A rich and diverse entity… Consistent growth in all outdoors sub-sectors… many positives to link with… Still issues of fragmentation and negativity Challenges: demographics/HR, professionalising, capability agenda at all levels… part of a bigger picture…

8. What does the Outdoor Sector & Workforce look like in NI? Demand for outdoors activities has increased in NI. There are approximately 90 providers plus an array of voluntary and youth organisations offering outdoor activities. (Outdoor businesses increased by 70% in 4 yrs?). “Infrastructure unable to cope with new demand” Sport and Recreation contributes £121m to GVA output of the sector in Northern Ireland (63%). Health & Fitness + The Outdoors contribute an additional £15m (8%). Steady growth in sector meant that roles were constantly evolving and changing, More highly skilled full & part time employees are needed to cater for varied activities. “Increase in freelance instructors” Higher academic qualifications are often not valued or financially rewarded “I received as much pay increase for my degree as I did for a 4 day archery course” “Too much of a focus on sport-related courses in FE – only 1 college in NI offers an outdoor-related course”

9. NI Skills issues There is a shortage of suitably skilled (qualified?) instructors and NGB coaches in Northern Ireland. Restricted choice in terms of cost and access to courses often results in employers sending employees to the mainland for training or having to re- train sport-sector graduates. Higher academic qualifications are often not financially rewarded. Cost and scheduling of training remain an issue for employers. There is a need for more flexible learning. In particular, employers would favour more work based learning courses. Need to re-vamp Apprenticeship schemes and encourage more work-based learning. FE sector needs to engage with employers and NGBs – ‘broker skills solutions’.

10. What are we doing NOW to address workforce issues? Develop and promote induction Outdoor Sector standards for new industry entrants to link with emerging professional development awards. Promote and support the delivery of affordable, accessible and appropriate training such as the Apprenticeship Scheme. Through the Activity Tourism Forum, support local employers by providing opportunities for identifying and addressing skills needs. Provide tools and resources to make Workforce Development Planning easier and useful for employers. Support FE sector through establishment of Learning Hubs etc.

11. Brief look at Apprenticeships… 3 x Technical Certificates (sample list) NVQ L2 & L3Essential Skills NGB Awards from: BCU RYA MLTE BOF BCA GNAS Also: First Aid ILM 1 st Line Management RPIOL Essential Units: Activity sessions, facilitation, team working, environmental awareness, H&S, organising people & resources Optional Units: Programme design, travel, disability, adventure, leadership and conservation. Working in the Outdoors: Certificate in industry and organisational awareness Literacy and Numeracy: To GCSE level

12. Funding Eligibility Basics Powerful/effective progression from Outdoor Induction Award – overlap… No restrictions on age group Not for graduates or post Level 4 Need to be in paid employment 14+ hours Most of training funded via FE College funding stream Funding for Essential Skills training included Majority of training should take place in the work place Financial incentive for employers www.apprenticshipsni.info www.apprenticshipsni.i

13. Induction… Some questions… In the outdoors, what is “induction”? How long does it last? What should be the key features of an induction? Who benefits from excellent induction?

14. Outdoors Induction Award Key features 1 Induction Standards part of respected British Activity Holiday Association (BAHA) inspection process for all members Further developed by SkillsActive, IOL and BAHA Fully complementary to other quals such as NGB awards – no conflict Award will be on new qualification framework - QCF… benefits! Accredited by QCA and operated by major national UK Awarding Body Approx 1,000 staff per year have gone through the award, going up to 1,500 per year in the last 3 years for all staff in outdoor organisations/centres Proved invaluable to employers, employees and the consistent quality of activity centre provision Invaluable in difficult situations

15. Outdoors Induction Award Key features 2 Unitised in bite-sized ‘chunks’ of learning – core and role-related options Systematic consistent approach… - Insurers??? Quality systems??? External stakeholders??? An assessed induction process, externally checked On-going records of staff training and development Consistent standard across the sector, without being prescriptive Basis for ongoing… - monitoring, support, development & management (good practice!) Delivered and assessed in the workplace

16. Outdoors Induction Award Key features 3 Mapped to relevant NOS and Skills for Life Linked to Common Core Opportunity to benchmark, externally validate and certificate in-house induction Provides reward/motivation for staff at an early stage Signal a further quality approach and commitment to staff development Foundation for future staff development and career progression Potential for public funding… Pilot funding in England with LSC… Pilot in Northern Ireland…

17. Outdoors Induction Award Different levels of ‘usage’ across industry/sector: 1.Benchmark ‘in-house’ programmes/processes (non BAHA)… shadow Award… possible endorsement? 2.Use standards as ‘in-house’ induction programme: possible endorsement and/or as part of BAHA scheme 3.Deliver as formal accredited National Award – costs and benefits…

18. NI Project Activities and progress to date…

19. www.skillsactive.com NI Project Consultants: Nicky Armstrong info@actionoutdoors.info Mob 07843120582info@actionoutdoors.info Ivor Neill ivorneill@hotmail.com Mob 07929781236ivorneill@hotmail.com SkillsActive NI Manager Siobhan Weirsiobhan.weir@skillsactive.comsiobhan.weir@skillsactive.com (office 028 437 27667) SkillsActive UK Outdoors Peter Thompsonpeter.thompson@skillsactive.competer.thompson@skillsactive.com Kevyn Burnskevyn.burns@skillsactive.comkevyn.burns@skillsactive.com (both at Sheffield Office – 0114 292 2391) Thank You!