Transcript Competing for Skills: Vocational Education and Training in

Competing for Skills:
Vocational Education and Training in
the 21st Century
VET in Global Recession –
experiences from the UK
Date
Natalia
Cuddy
Calgary - August 2009
Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency is the non-regulatory part of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. © QCA 2009
[email protected]
Not Protected - Restricted - Confidential (Delete as Applicable)
DRIVERS OF CHANGE
Globalisation of finance, trade, production, labour markets, business environment
leading to increased
competition & trade between nations/sectors/regions/localities
international capital movements e.g. foreign direct investments
exchange of ideologies, technologies and production processes
offshoring
Rapid technological change
Demographic, economic and socio-political and environmental change and
challenges
Simplification / complexity / speed of communication/the next digital wave on its way?
Outcome – Change – Uncertainties
Typology: how do learners react to
uncertainty?
Type 1
Minimise risks – select safer choices
Choose E&T leading to the most secure and steady areas
Type 2
Insure against risks in advance
Prolong the period of education and training as an insurance
Type 3
Adapt to risks
Take an adaptable attitude, maybe short training for frequent
changes
Type 4
Use of IVET / CVT to overcome LM risks
A traveller's chest of certified skills
Armstrong, Germe, Leney, Planas, Poumay – Cedefop 2007
Current UK context
5th largest world economy = 2020 ambition of increasing
UK prosperity through higher productivity
UK ‘NICE’ (non-inflationary continuous expansion) period
came to an end
ILO unemployment rate 7.8% 2,4 mln (July 2009), and
growing
Increasing number of NEETs (almost 1 mln in July 2009)
Systemic weaknesses: poor labour productivity and skills
shortages
Potential for continuing skills deficit in 2020
Current LM mismatch
New priorities in employment and skills policies
preparing for recovery
Productivity and employment in OECD
countries
Employment:
Employment populations ratio 2007, all persons 15-64
90
High
employment/ high
productivity
Iceland
High
employment/ low
productivity
85
80
Switzerland
Employment:
Denmark
UK 10th place
Sweden
New Zealand
75
Norway
Canada
Netherlands
Australia
UK
Productivity:
USA
UK 11th place
Japan
Austria
Finland
Germany Ireland
70
Portugal
Czech Republic
Spain
65
France
Korea
Luxembourg
Belgium
Greece
Mexico
60
Slovak Republic
Italy
Hungary
Poland
55
Low employment/
high productivity
Low employment/
low productivity
50
30
50
70
90
110
130
150
170
Productivity: GDP per hour worked (US$ at current prices), 2007
190
210
Source: UKCES, Ambition 2020: World Class Skills and Jobs for the UK, 2009, pp 21-22
UK Greying Workforce
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
100%
80%
Over 70% of the
UK’s 2020
workforce is
already in work
60%
40%
20%
600,000 fewer
15-24 year olds
0%
2005
2020
ONS Populations Forecasts 2006
UK Workforce Change 2007-2017:
Major growth in high level skills
Managers & Senior Officials
Professionals
Assoc Professional & Technical
Over 100%
of all
expansion
demand
Admin, Clerical & Secretarial
Skilled Trades
Personal Service
Sales & Customer Service
Machine & Transport Operatives
Elementary Occupations
Whole workforce
-500
Expansion demand
0
500
Overall demand
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
(Thousands)
Source: UKCES, Working Futures 2007-17, January 2009
UK VET Policy Priorities (mid- to
long-term)
The National Skills Strategy: …to identify the UK’s optimal skills mix in 2020 to
maximise economic growth productivity and social justice, and to consider
the policy implications of achieving the level of change required (Leitch
Skills Review, Prosperity for all in the global economy – world class skills)
Increase adults skills levels (qualifications targets) by developing more and
better training access and increasing higher education take-up
Adult skills training demand led by employer and individual
Increased employer engagement in skills (investment) and in identifying
skills needs and developing qualifications (SSCs)
Embed culture of learning linked to LLL
Linked policies to
Tackle the basic skills deficit (6 million people)
Improve upper-secondary participation and reduce early drop out
improving initial VET has a key role
Policy Priorities and Response
Immediate to recession’s consequences
1. Some policy priorities
Investing in skills for recovery – New Industry, New Jobs
Sectors: public, SMEs, social care services, hospitality, green
industries, i.e. renewable energy and green manufacturing.
Upskilling vs re-skilling
More flexibility in government support for training
Quality of training, skills for employability vs pure qualification
attainment
Target groups: redundant; young unemployed; graduates
2. Some policy measures – rapid response services
Apprenticeship Clearing House
Job centre Plus
Backing Young Britain (part of £5 bln investment)
Apprenticeship wage subsidy
Policy Response – some examples
England
Diploma – better secondary school offer to
increase attainment
Skills brokerage – encouraging employers
to invest in employees training and
qualifications
QCF RPL – assessment and validation of
prior learning within the Qualifications and
Credit Framework
Diploma
14-19 year olds general and applied learning
3 levels (Foundation, Higher, Advanced) in 17 lines of
learning from creative and media to manufacturing and
product design 2011 (2013)
Employer led
Units by multiple providers/awarding bodies (credits)
Progression to multiple destinations, i.e. FE, HE, world of
work
Diploma consortia - coordination, logistics, assessment,
local employers to make applied learning ‘real’
The 14-19 Diploma Model
Principal Learning
Learning
Principal
Sector-related
-- Sector-related
Determines Diploma
Diploma title
title
-- Determines
Applied learning
learning
-- Applied
Additional/
Additional/
Specialist
Specialist
Learning
Learning
-- Optional
Optional Units
Units
-- Choice
Choice
-- Specialisation
Specialisation
-- Complementary
Complementary
Plan
Apply  Do
Review/Record
Generic Learning
- Functional skills
- Personal, Learning and
ThinkingLearning
Skills
Generic
- Project
- Experiential learning cycle
- Individual Learning Plan
Skills Brokerage
Managing employer expectations of
employer/government contribution
Reducing bureaucracy for training providers, managing
variation in performance/delivery models
Identify training/skills needs
Identify suitable training/qualifications
Produce package of training/funding including employer
contribution
250,000 employees trained in 2006
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Principles Within QCF
•
•
•
•
•
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QCF allows for RPL through the award of credit within the QCF, irrespective
of the learning pathways
QCF, a competence-based qualifications framework offers a wider
application of RPL. Units of assessment create a common language of
learning outcomes and assessment criteria that allows for the wider
recognition of a set of achievements, thus avoiding duplication of learning
and assessment.
RPL relates to summative assessment and recognition. The credits awarded
identical regardless of the route taken to achieve them.
RPL - learner-centred, voluntary process. Guidance and advice
RPL – subject to same standard of quality assurance and monitoring
process as other forms of learning and assessment
RPL routes to certification: as part of assessment and validation for the
whole cohort of learners; or evidence of learning outcomes or assessment,
followed by individual validation
Some of the VET Challenges and
Opportunities
Government and business investments towards knowledge-based and
intangible assets, ie high level skills, knowledge and innovations as key
resources for competitive advantage (ESRC, 2005) will continue
Policy priorities: high tech industries; HE; STEM base; world class centres
of excellence
LM skills equilibrium: qualified vs over/underqualified
Retraining of low skilled
Integrated approach to lifelong guidance
Transparency and mutual trust to build up
Increasing role of RPL – better understanding of social dimension of
recognition (holistic approach)
Education and training yielding long-term economic and social benefits:
policy measures should be consistent with long-term objectives (Tessaring)
In the UK context, need to integrate VET agenda as part of wider national
economic development planning