The University for Industry and a key government think tank are both calling for a more professional and accessible careers delivery to help meet the skills requirements of Leitch review.
Gordon Kirk, the ICG's South East Regional Representative, recently attended the Learning and Skills 2010. The Learning and Skills 2010 event was a one day conference delivered by Ufi (University for Industry) and the ippr (Institute for Public Policy Research).
Gordon picked up the key points from the speakers at the event:
Bill Rammell - (Minister for Lifelong Learning, FE and HE)
- The Minister listed the achievements and current policies addressing the skills shortage, including the expansion of HE, skills for Life the new Diplomas, 'Train to Gain' and the success of 'learndirect'.
- He underlined the need for STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) skills for a scientifically literate population and for a significant increase in higher STEM skills as our best option in competing in a globalised knowledge economy.
- The UK is among the STEM leaders (with 1% of the world's population we produce 5% of its science, publish 12% of its influential scientific papers, are the world's largest exporter of pharmaceuticals and second in bio-science).
- But we are losing ground to developing economies; India and China produce more STEM graduates annually than Europe, the US and Japan put together.
- The Minister pointed to some successes in turning the tide of STEM decline, with increases in UCAS applications for science, increases in trainee science and maths teachers, improving STEM SATS and GCSE results and science ambassador schemes putting undergraduates and adult scientists in classrooms. UCAS applications are up, physics (12%) chemistry (11%) maths (10%) and there are 150 Engineering Foundation degrees being delivered).
- He reinforced the intention to raise the school/training leaving age to 18.
Latest policy initiatives from his department:
- A STEM awareness continuum, mapping how the careers resources available to schools can be integrated into the STEM curriculum. (remember TVE and work related GCSE learning? - only 17 years ago!)This complements work done on funding the Science Council's excellent careers web-site due for re-launch next year.
- The 'Skills Pledge', to be launched in the summer, which will be a signed public commitment, reinforcing shared responsibilities for training between employer, employees and government.
- A new 'Commission for Employment and Skills', employer led but including unions and other partners, to scrutinise the delivery of skills provision at all levels.
Pablo Lloyd, Deputy CE of Ufi.
The balance of funding professional and technical skills must change; of every £1 value of skills, only 20p comes from the government and 80p from employers.
Pablo calls for 4 key reforms to deliver Leitch:-
1. A 21st Century learning and training system. We currently have an early 20th Century production line approach; learning must be personalised with learners moving at their own pace.
2. A professional careers guidance service, a 'welcoming front door' to learning and skills. Every year 10 million people in the UK change their job; are they getting the advice they need? The service is fragmented in the UK and needs to be well promoted and invested in.
3. With a view to possible future employer regulation, there needs to be clarity about what we expect of employers. Where do they stand if their employees have a statutory right to level 2 education or training? Will they be required to have a given percentage of staff at level 3? Will there be carrots and sticks to promote learning and development at work and access to independent guidance?
4. The 5 million without qualifications should be at the top of the priority list. These people should have access to a foundation learning tier whether they are in work or not and it should be a government target.
Madeliene Durie - LSC strategy Unit
Madeleine picked up on three of common themes:
1. Qualifications are not fit for purpose - she accepts that there is confusion in employers' eyes over the range of qualifications and their lack of comparability.
2. Level 2 funding - that employers' and individuals' requirements and preferences had not necessarily been the same as the governments. There may be movement on funding individuals for 'part of' a level 2 qualification, rather than the whole qualification. Learning may be available in funded 'bite-sized' pieces.
3. Changing the priority from just employment to employment and learning - there has been a call to relax the 16 hour rule and allow unemployed claimants to engage in learning in a more thought way without affecting their benefits. This is currently under scrutiny and the earning/benefits system may become more flexible.
ippr
The ippr distributed - but didn't present on - their most recent briefing paper 'Learning for Life - a new framework for adult skills'.
This has 'choice' and 'flexible entitlements' as themes running through a number of reforms to the current benefits and training system. It also calls for the strengthening of IAG, but by reinforcing one key brand. It recommends:
- In-depth information on careers and learning opportunities should be easily accessible, face to face or over the phone.
- Individuals should be able to access guidance from a number of sources.
- The current national system needs to be rationalised with 'learndirect' acting as the sole national public advice agency for all study levels.
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