Transcript Apprenticeship in England: scope for expansion?

The EQF and apprenticeship:
the case of bricklaying
Michaela Brockmann, University of Westminster
Linda Clarke, University of Westminster
Christopher Winch, King’s College London
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
The EQF and apprenticeship: the case of bricklaying
The European Qualifications Framework
(EQF)
• aims to enhance comparability of qualifications, mobility
of labour
• based on learning outcomes
• eight levels – 3 descriptors: knowledge, skills,
competence
• Open Method of Coordination (OMC)
• Zones of Mutual Trust (Coles & Oates, 2004)
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
The EQF and apprenticeship: the case of bricklaying
• Nuffield study: Cross-national equivalence of vocational
qualifications and skills
Cross-national: England, Germany, Netherlands, France
Case-study approach: bricklaying, lorry-driving, software
engineering, nursing
• Leonardo-da-Vinci: Bricklaying qualifications, work and
VET in Europe
Examines bricklaying qualifications in 8 European countries
Developing a framework for the comparative assessment
Assessing possibilities and problems concerning the
implementation of EQF/ECVET
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
Occupational vs Skill-based VET systems
Occupational:
• statutory framework
• social partnership
• recognised qualifications
• comprehensive nationally
recognised VET programmes
• multi-dimensional
competence
• ‘occupational capacity’
• occupational knowledge
• general and civic education
Skill-based:
• weak statutory framework
• marginalisation of
stakeholder interests
• narrow skills sets,
remedial functional skills
• functionalist-behavourist
conception of competence
• minimal underpinning
knowledge
• neglect of general and
civic education
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
SKILLS/TRADES
OCCUPATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
roofer
plumber
Carpenter
Joiner
Bricklayer
Concrete
worker
architect
Plumber
UNTRAINED
construction
manager
bricklayer
Site
Manager
quantity
surveyor
site
manager
carpenter
Roofer
joiner
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
Building
engineer
Architect
Place, scope of bricklaying in England
• 2.3m employed in construction 2007; 100,220 bricklayers
(11% of skilled construction tradespersons)
• Trade – not occupation, tools of trade, employed by LOSC,
often self-employed, lack of stability, loss of status, usually
paid according to price
ie. secondary not occupational labour market
• Fragmented nature of social partners: dominance of trade
associations, VET employer-led, little trade union (UCATT)
involvement
• Often narrow activities, especially housebuilding, but
changing (was broad) →increasing need for versatility (e.g.
stone); glue instead of mortar + machines
• High degree informal learning + acquiring NVQ through
OSAT → Need for more comprehensive VET as not reflecting
changing labour process (rise of concretor); what is
bricklayer?
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
Nature of Bricklaying VET in England
• Traditional trade-based VET: 21% first year construction
trainees bricklayers
• Predominantly NVQ2 (as ‘craftsman’ in WRA NVQ3): 11%
construction trainees = Level 3, 60% Level 2, 17% Level 1
• Apprenticeships: Only c45% construction trainees apprentices
(83% Level 2), c. 2 years, trade specific; college day release;
5x more apprentice applicants than places; fixed CITB
apprentice grant partly through levy
• Exclusion of trade unions and FE sector though FE colleges
key providers (ICAs/ diplomas + work experience); divide
between FE and industry
• Training variable standard & narrow
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
Main skills and competences
E.g. bricklaying course content:
• Building solid walls and piers
• Building cavity walls, chimneys, flues and arches
• Drainage systems
• Basic scaffolding
• Setting out rectangular building
• Health and safety on site
• Functional skills – English, Maths, ICT (not integrated)
Lack of permeability, difficult to progress
NVQ learning outcomes, based on performance criteria & derived
from occupational standards (e.g. conform to workplace safety)
Minimalist underpinning knowledge, no social skill requirements,
narrow range of skills, focussed on constructing brick and
blockwork and some concreting
→Lack transferable skills/competences
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
Definitions: English bricklaying trade
• Weak VET, intellectual function separated from manual, little
mapping of labour categories into sectoral divisions
→ weak occupational status
• Skills = physical and mental dexterity to perform employerdefined tasks in work process, acquired through traditional
apprenticeship, learning mainly on job with little theoretical
underpinning
• Competences confined to narrow trade skills required to
produce given output
• Regulation and Currency: CSCS registration but difference
between collectively agreed, qualification and pay levels
• Scope defined by employer/trade associations, little
involvement of TUs & educationalists,
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
Nature of Bricklaying VET in Germany
• model of social partner regulation, including assessment
• 3-year dual system apprenticeship level 3+; high success
rate (77%; 92% inc. second attempt)
• comprehensive training; college + workshop + workplace;
no modular structure; 2-tier (Stufenausbildung)
– qualification in one of 3 sub-sectors after 2 years
(Hochbau, Tiefbau, Ausbau)
– occupational qualification after 3 years
• comprehensive mapping of occupations onto sector →
occupational qualifications (Beruf Construction: 14 Berufe) →
occupational labour market i.e. importance of qualification for
labour market entry (82% of bricklayers have qualification)
• graded wage structure (6 levels) linked to qualification
levels and hence collective bargaining system
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
Bricklaying competences in Germany
• ‘Occupational capacity’: as Beruf i.e. stepwise
specialisation, from the whole of construction to bricklayer,
strong social identity
• Content:
– industrial knowledge (VET law, labour law, social
partnership, health & safety, environmental protection)
– occupational knowledge and skills
– social competences
– general and civic education (economics, politics, German,
sports)
• Handlungskompetenz
• Broad scope of activity: newly built, renovation,
restauration, working with variety of materials
• Autonomy: planning, carrying out, evaluation
• Permeability
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
Definitions: German Maurer Beruf
• Formally recognised social category i .e. close relation
occupation and social status
• Regulated VET and qualifications, promotion, theoretical &
practical knowledge necessary to undertake defined and
broad range activities
• Holistic and multi-dimensional competences linked to
developing individual capacity and changes in labour
process
• Systematised combination of knowledge, skills and
competence i.e. uniting intellectual and manual
• Scope determined by social partners
• Link between occupational qualification and recognition
through collective bargaining
• Link between occupations and education →mapping
occupations onto sectoral structure
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
The EQF and apprenticeship: the case of bricklaying
Conclusions 1: the qualifications
• skills-based (level 2)
– task-specific, employer-defined
– minimal educational input
– not a precondition for labour market entry
• occupational (level 3)
– notion of competence development
– recognised entry route to the labour market
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
The EQF and apprenticeship: the case of bricklaying
Conclusions 2: Scope of the occupation
• skills-based
– restricted range of tasks, focussed on outputs and
performance
– bricklaying as a trade
• occupational
– broader underpinning knowledge
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009
The EQF and apprenticeship: the case of bricklaying
What does this mean for the EQF?
• notion of competence
• scope of activities
• learning outcomes
INAP Conference, Turin, 17 - 18 September 2009