External Affairs / Policy / Consultations Consultations
Skills Strategy White Paper
Consultation Unit
DfES
Level 1b Castle View House
East Lane
Runcorn WA7 2GJ
26th October 2003
Dear Sirs
The Institute has agreed the enclosed response to the Skills Strategy
White Paper.
Yours faithfully
Dr K B Everard
(on behalf of the Institute for Outdoor Learning)
Institute for Outdoor Learning: Comments on the Skills Strategy White Paper
Introduction
The Institute welcomes the White Paper and looks forward to playing
its part in the implementation of the Skills Strategy. We wholeheartedly
endorse its stated aim. The proposals broadly support the Outdoor
Sector's Workforce Development Plan, which has been summarised in
a booklet, The Outdoor Sector: Plans for Growth, issued by SPRITO,
the National Training Organisation that covered this Sector (www.sprito.org.uk)
- now replaced by the Sector Skills Council, Skillsactive. This
Plan, to which the Institute contributed, identifies the main barriers
to learning and proposes a set of both structural and funding solutions,
which have been discussed with the LSC and the QCA under the auspices
of the umbrella body to which the Institute belongs, the English
Outdoor Council. The Institute's response is along exactly the same
lines as the Council's response, to which we contributed, and which
we endorse.
The Institute is particularly well placed to comment on the strategy because it represents the whole field of employers, outdoor education and training providers and consumers, and employees (including the sizeable number of unpaid volunteers who work in the Sector). Because so much of the Sector thrives on education and training provision, there is less need than in other sectors to stimulate the positive approach to skills development which the White Paper commends; its importance is already widely accepted. Consequently, there is much that we can endorse without qualification.
Many of the barriers to learning in this Sector arise from the inapplicability of standard assumptions about skills development which have shaped qualifications, accreditation, quality assurance systems, delivery systems and funding regulations, which are more appropriate for jobs in industries such as engineering, commerce and health services than for those in outdoor settings often remote from further education colleges. The seasonal nature of many Outdoor Sector jobs also makes it difficult to fit in with structures where this is not an issue. It is where a 'one size fits all' approach fails, that we have reservations about the Skills Strategy. The Government's priority areas, eg for productivity enhancement and for IT skills, are not necessarily those of the Outdoor Sector, though we share the same determination to promote economic development and raise the human potential of the nation's workforce. We therefore recommend some fine tuning of the Strategy here and there, to accommodate the Outdoor Sector's perception of what needs to be done to promote the overall aim. The last thing we want its implementation to do is inadvertently to create more barriers to learning.
Employers and Colleges
We support the intention to move towards a more 'demand-led' system,
in which both colleges and the outdoor education and training providers
whom we represent are more responsive to employers' and learners'
needs. There is far to go in giving employers greater choice and
control over publicly funded training. At present structured learning
programmes in colleges seem to be over-favoured at the expense of
work-based learning. Funding, in our view, should be available at
the point of delivery of learning and not predominantly through
colleges. (Paras. 1.13, 1.16, 1.25, 6.17 and 6.32)
Where FE and HE courses are appropriate, to attract public funding they should demonstrably meet sector needs, taking into account such factors as employment opportunities, seasonality of employment, accessibility, the needs of volunteers and the skills shortages and gaps that have been systematically identified in employer surveys. (Para. 6.3)
Funding
It follows that we support the general intention of the Strategy
to reform funding arrangements for adult learning and skills, and
to broaden the range of training providers by funding distinctive,
high-quality private providers (both commercial and voluntary).
(Paras. 6.10 and 6.11)
However, we challenge the specific intention to make those already qualified pay more. This must depend on whether a potential employee's (or volunteer's) initial qualification is tantamount to a 'licence to practise'. Public funding should assist learners at least up to the point where they become employable in a given occupation. (Paras. 1.29, 1.35, 4.25 and 6.30)
For safety reasons, there are in the Outdoor Sector some quasi-obligatory qualifications, awarded by the relevant National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport (eg canoeing, caving, sailing), which must be taken to supplement a first degree or general certificate in outdoor education etc. It is imperative that the training needed to attain and pay for these supplementary qualifications should be eligible for public funding in the same way as the original qualification.
A particular example is the Sector's Graduate Apprenticeship scheme, which provides for university-educated recruits to the Sector to acquire the necessary NGB qualifications and experience of the outdoors to be able to get permanent employment. This is akin to a medical student's hospital practice, which qualifies for public funding. Many of the jobs in the Sector are post-graduate or post-experience.
Qualifications, Curriculum
and Assessment
The qualifications framework needs reform, so we strongly support
the government's strategy. Outdoor Sector employers would like to
contribute to the rationalisation of qualifications and believe
that they should be unitised to cater for seasonal employees. Funding
should also be unit-based. (Paras. 1.21, 5.4 and 5.37)
The Institute is already developing industry-led criteria and hoping to get LSC funding for this, leading to a nationally recognised professional qualification (Accredited Practitioner of the Institute for Outdoor Learning), which may one day become a licence to practise.
Because the assessment and quality assurance process for NVQs has become so complex and paper-ridden, NVQs have made disappointingly little headway in the Sector, above Level 2, despite the high values placed on workplace learning and assessment. We therefore greatly welcome the government's intention to streamline the assessment process. The re-launch of NVQs to take account of employers' needs deserves priority action. (Paras. 5.4 and 5.37(g))
Modern Apprenticeships
We think that the Sector could make a useful contribution to the
government's target of 28% of young people starting a modern apprenticeship
by age 22. However, it is vital to remove age limits (since the
Children Act precludes people under the age of 18 from working unsupervised
with children). There is also a need for more flexibility, as mandatory
technical certificates and insistence on key skills discourage both
employers and young people from following this route. (Paras. 1.16,
1.23, 5.21 and 6.29)
Sector Skills
The proposals to develop 'sector training academies' match Sector
trends and merit the allocation of funds for agreed training based
on sector standards. We should welcome financial support for the
development of sector-based pilots and for work towards qualifications
that constitute a licence to practise (such as APIOL, mentioned
above). However, the Sector must be allowed freedom to determine
the content of such qualifications, particularly for reasons of
safety. (Paras. 3.22 and 3.24)
Because so many Sector employees are in a training or teaching role, we applaud the proposal to support the development of such roles. (Para. 6.23)
Miscellaneous
We welcome the White Paper's acceptance of the importance of fostering
attributes, as well as skills, as a component of personal development:
too often policy emphasises only knowledge and skills. An outdoor
setting is particularly conducive to the nurturing of attributes
important for employability. (Para. 5.17)
The proposal to place more emphasis on leadership and management skills is also welcome, as many outdoor programmes are designed to develop these. We particularly endorse the view expressed in the joint DfES/DTI report, Managers and Leaders: Raising Our Game (www.dfes.gov.uk/ceml/) that leadership and management should be fostered through the 14-19 curriculum through activities of the 'Outward Bound' ® type (Paras. 1.16 and 2.15)
The intention to recognise skills for leisure and personal fulfilment supports the development of skills and attributes by volunteers, who play a major role in the Outdoor Sector. (Para. 4.5)
The Institute would be pleased to be invited to take part in future consultations arising from this White Paper.