Transcript Apprenticeship in England: scope for expansion?

Apprenticeships in Bricklaying
in Germany and England:
A case study
Michaela Brockmann, University of Westminster
Linda Clarke, University of Westminster
Christopher Winch, King’s College London
TUC, November 2010
The Research:
• 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
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
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
Building
engineer
Architect
Place, scope of bricklaying in England
• 1.9m employed in construction; c.100,000 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 i.e. 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 →increasing need for versatility (e.g. stone,
concrete); glue instead of mortar + machines
• High degree informal learning + acquiring NVQ through
OSAT → Need for more comprehensive VET as not
reflecting changing labour process; what is bricklayer?
Nature of Bricklaying VET in England
• Traditional trade-based VET: 21% first year construction
trainees = bricklayers
• Predominantly NVQ2: 11% construction trainees = Level 3,
60% Level 2, 17% Level, little permeability or progression
• Apprenticeships: 4,831 bricklaying in England, c45%
construction trainees but declining, 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 (Diplomas + work experience); divide
between FE and industry
• Training variable standard & narrow, high drop out rate
• Conforming to particular labour market segment →too
narrow, unrelated to other occupations, not geared to
development of individual or changing labour process
Definitions: English bricklaying trade
• Weak VET, intellectual function separated from manual,
→ 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,
The English bricklaying qualification
NVQ Level 2
Mandatory:
Conform to general workplace safety
Conform to efficient work practices
Move and handle resources
Erect masonry structures
Set out masonry structure
Optional:
Erect masonry cladding
Lay domestic drainage
Erect thin joint masonry structure
Place and finish non-specialist concrete
Plaster and render surfaces
Maintain slate and tile roofing
Repair and maintain masonry structures
The English bricklaying qualification (2)
NVQ Level 2
‘Erect masonry structures’
Scope of performance:
– Interpreting information such as drawings
– Complying with relevant legislation
– Selecting resources for the work
– Complying with organisational procedures, including maintaining a
clean work environment and waste disposal
– Carrying out the work: measuring, marking out; laying; position and
securing; using tools and equipment; erecting masonry in brick and
block)
• Knowledge and Understanding: (factual and procedural)
– Relevant legislation and procedures
– Knowledge of materials, components and equipment
– Knowledge of methods, calculating quantities, lengths, etc.
– Application of knowledge to methods of work (e.g. erecting walling,
laying blocks, mixing mortar)
English bricklaying VET/apprenticeship
• NVQs:
– Utilitarian, task-specific, based on the performance of tasks/skills
– Accumulation of skills rather than holistic competence development
• The role of knowledge
– Minimal, underpinning specific tasks, captured by the notion of skills
– ‘anti-learning culture’ of disaffected young people
• ‘you gain knowledge to be able to do the role that you are employed to
do’ (CECA representative)
• The move to NVQs has involved ironing out the ‘nice to know but not
necessary to know’ (ConstructionSkills representative)
• ‘why disaffect them and give them an additional hour in the classroom’
(college representative commenting on introduction of IT)
Nature of Bricklaying VET in Germany
• Social partnership model of 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; ‘step-wise’ (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
German bricklaying apprenticeship
• ‘Occupational capacity’: as Beruf strong social identity
• VET as the continuation of education (compulsory
education leaving age of 18)
• Handlungskompetenz
‘the ability and readiness of the individual to act adequately
and in a socially- and individually-responsible way in
occupational as well as in social and private situations’
• Comprises occupational, personal and social dimensions
• Autonomy: planning, carrying out, evaluation
German bricklaying apprenticeship
• Content:
– industrial knowledge (labour law, materials, health &
safety, environmental protection)
– occupational knowledge and skills (building technology,
technical drawing)
– general and civic education (economics, politics, German,
sports)
• Broad scope of activity:
• Core units include: laying bricks, specialist masonry,
concreting, formwork, rendering, cladding, plastering,
insulation, surveying, renovation, planning (reading drawings,
setting out, assessing and ordering materials), quality control.
Definitions: German Maurer Beruf
• Formally recognised social category i .e. close relationship
between 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
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
Conclusions 2: Scope of the occupation
• skills-based
– restricted range of tasks, focussed on outputs and
performance
– bricklaying as a trade
• occupational
– broad range of activities
– focus on the independent planning, execution and
evaluation of tasks
Conclusions 3: Future Trends
• Overall stability of European Construction
workforce 2010-2020 (Cedefop 2010).
• Stability in demand for intermediate levels
of know-how over this period.
Conclusions 4: Important Developments
• However, the stability of demand for
intermediate level qualifications masks
one important trend: • The increasing importance of self and
project management and communication
abilities for construction workers over this
period (Danish Technological Institute
2008)