SkillsActive:The SSC for Active Leisure, Learning and Well-Being

Apprenticeship development in Wales

Introduction• Briefly discuss the broader world of SSCs

• Insight into SkillsActive

• Apprenticeships across the Active Leisure, Learning and Well-Being sector

• Government legislation related to Apprenticeship

• The future…….

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)• Independent, employer-led, UK-wide organisations

• Building a skills system based on employer demand

• Umbrella body – Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards (FISS)

• 18 SSCs and 5 SSBs (Standard Setting Bodies)

• Working with 550,000 employers to define skills needs and skills standards

• Circa 90% of all industries covered by a specific SSC or SSB

• Employer voice to Government on skills related issues

• Shift from core to contestable funding model!

• USP – National Occupational Standards (NOS) / Apprenticeship Frameworks

SSC for Active Leisure

Learning and Well-Being

Sport, Fitness, The Outdoors,

Playwork, Caravans, Hair

and Beauty

SkillsActive Mission:

Delivering the Workforce for the Nations Well-Being

SkillsActive Vision:

‘More People, Better Skilled, Better Qualified’

Partnership Working• Employers – Public, Private and not for profit

• Employer Bodies – CIMSPA, Outdoor Partnership, WATO

• National Governing Bodies of Sport

• Training providers – FE, HE and private commercial providers

• Awarding Organisations

• Welsh Government – DfES, DEST, Sports Policy, Major Events Unit, Children and Families

• Government agencies – Sport Wales, Colegau Cymru, HEFCW, Job Centre plus, Careers Wales

NOS

• USP – National Occupational Standards (NOS)

• Contestable funding through UKCES ‘Universal Services’

• NOS - UK-wide (http://nos.ukces.org.uk)

“statements of the standards of performance an individual must achieve when carrying out functions in the workplace”.

• NOS form the basis of ‘accredited’ qualifications that sit on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and CQFW.

• Recent NOS developments across the sector:

Spectator Safety, Outdoor Programmes, Sports Coaching, Fitness

WELSH LANGUAGE VERSIONS IN DEVELOPMENT

Apprenticeships

• Formal Welsh Government funded programmes (not in-house training)

• Employer led / Ethos – earning and learning simultaneously

• USP - SkillsActive – ‘Framework Developer’ and ‘Issuing Authority’

• Apprenticeship Frameworks Online (AFO) – repository http://www.afo.sscalliance.org

• Framework development – Contestable funding through UKCES

• Apprenticeship delivery funded by Welsh Government to providers

• Generally Level 2/3 – X15 available for public funding in Wales includes:

Coaching, Leisure Man., Activity Leadership, Outdoor Programmes

Outdoor Programmes - SPFP• Sector Priorities Fund Pilot (SPFP) Programme – to December 2014

• Department for Education and Skills (DfES) competitive fund (£13m)

• Aim – to inform recommendations which will ensure that the delivery of post 16 skills provision is more aligned to the needs of employers

• “Development and delivery of SASW compliant Level 3 Apprenticeships across Sport and Active Leisure”

• Allowed SkillsActive to develop Outdoor Programmes (L3) and pilot to 25 learners pan Wales

• Project evaluation commissioned – Arad research

Welsh Government legislation• The Specification for Apprenticeship Standards for Wales (SASW)

• Criteria imposed – statutory requirements to be met through frameworks

• Mandatory elements: Competence qualification, knowledge based qualification, Essential Skills Wales and Employee Rights and Responsibilities.

• Focus on QCF accredited qualifications on the QCF, NOS based qualifications, minimum credit values

• Eligibility – Focus on 16-24, employed with a contract, circa 25 hours a week, Paid NMW for Apprenticeships (£2.73).

• Challenges – SMEs, sector seasonality, NGB qualifications, Over 25’s.

The future…..• Welsh Government new ‘policy statement on skills’ and underpinning

implementation plan (July 2014).

• Potential change? – ‘Consult on the future of Apprenticeship frameworks’

• Austerity measures / cuts

• Co-investment…Employers to pay more

• Nominal contribution for over 25’s from Welsh Government (50% max)

• Apprenticeships still a key theme; particularly Higher Apprenticeships (Level 4 and above)

• SkillsActive to develop Higher Apprenticeship Framework for the Outdoors?

Thanks for listening!

Richard TobuttNational Manager Wales

SkillsActiveTel: 029 2044 4150

Email: richardtobutt@skillsactive.com

Any Questions???????