Memorandum submitted by Alliance of Sector Skills Councils (CBPS 96)

1. This summary document accompanies written submissions from the Network of Sector Skills Councils. It does not seek to summarise individual submissions which stand on their own for discussion at the committee. It seeks to provide a context for the committee by highlighting the core contribution SSCs are increasingly making in this area.

2. The Sector Skills Councils have now established the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils to help them co-ordinate their voice and to support collaborative activities between the SSCs. The Alliance is continuing to support a forum in Wales and in each of the English regions, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

3. The SSCs understand that education and skills are devolved functions and recognise the need to work on a four nation basis. In fact, SSCs are the UK 'glue' in the skills system. Large national companies wish to see consistency and transferability of skills across the UK, whilst smaller businesses need their specific needs met more locally. All demand quality and transparency in qualifications that are offered in both HE and FE. SSCs are the crucial interface between employers and the education providers.

4. Recognising its responsibilities in Wales, the Alliance has recently responded to the 'Skills That Work for Wales' consultation and look forward to working with the Welsh Assembly Government on its implementation. SSCs appreciated the recognition of SSCs in the document "A strong network of SSCs in Wales, working closely with employer bodies, will help to strengthen the employer voice in decisions in skills provision...SSCs will be the strategic interface between employers and the Assembly Government" (pg 12). The Alliance is committed to strengthening and supporting the role of its member SSCs in Wales to ensure this is a reality.

5. The Alliance has also recently responded to and provided evidence at the Welsh Assembly Government Enterprise and Learning committee on the 'Economic Contribution of Higher Education' inquiry.

6. In this inquiry, we have submitted evidence from 15 SSCs and the Chief Executive of Skills for Justice, Alan Woods along with 3 National and Specialist representatives will be meeting with the Committee, who will be able to answer questions on their specific sector submissions.

Themes

7. The essential characteristic of Sectors is that have a distinct mix of employment and skills needs and this is reflected in the detailed work of each SSC to identify the specific relationship that their employers need with the education system and its cross border applicability. However, we believe there are common themes which run through the submissions which may serve as a basis for further discussion.

Understanding the Role of Sector Skills Councils

8. Sector Skills Councils have been formed by employers and have been licensed by Government to give employers a co-ordinated voice and a lead role in driving forward the skills base of the UK thereby improving productivity and performance across the economy.

9. The role of a Sector Skills Council is to engage with employers in identifying the current and future employment and skill needs of their businesses. Then, to identify the key occupations and to work with employers across the sector to define a framework of National Standards of competence (National Occupational Standards) for each of those occupations. These standards then provide the basis for employers to identify, through their SSC, the qualifications and training that they need and will recognise as a route to employment.

10. These standards provide a common currency across the UK and enable the SSCs to advise in each country, on the development of the national credit and qualifications frameworks, based on the co-ordinated views of employers.

11. Major research into employer needs has been carried out by each Sector Skills Council which has been pulled together in Sector Skills Agreements signed by SSCs and key stakeholders in each of the four nations. These are crucial documents that should drive the relationship between education providers and employers across the UK on a sector basis.

12. Sector Qualifications Strategies are being developed as a clear statement from a sector about the type of qualifications that are valued by employers. They are based around the national standards. Additionally, SSCs have responsibility for developing Apprenticeship frameworks which are based on these standards and qualifications.

Student recruitment and retention

13. Individuals need to be able to make informed choices about their education. A key issue is to understand their career prospects and vocational relevance of programmes. Traditionally supply has been led by student demand but this is now being tempered by the demands of employers and the job prospects of graduates. SSCs are the route for this employer influence on supply.

14. A key measure of the economic value of Higher and Further Education is the extent to which it provides a route to employment. The level of graduate recruitment varies by sector and needs to be understood. A key criticism is of oversupply and the non-employment relevance of programmes.

15. The key partnership between SSCs and HEIs is to ensure a smooth transition between education and employment. A consistent concern from employers is the vocational relevance of degrees. It is recognised that not all degree programmes are designed to be specifically vocational - however individuals need to be able to make an informed choice. We need to be able to answer the question "if I want to be a.... then do I need a degree....and if so, which one?" In turn employers need to understand what skills are acquired by those with a particular degree.

16. Mapping degree programmes against the skills and knowledge articulated in the National Occupational Standards, produced by SSCs, can help this.

17. Many sectors welcome the inclusion of work experience in a vocational degree programme, again this is something to explore with individual SSCs. Flexible delivery such as Foundation Degrees are proving a popular way in many sectors to link a university education with work. In these sectors, SSCs welcome the opportunity to work with HEIs to shape the programme and content. Indeed, in the Alliance response to "Skills That Work For Wales" SSCs encouraged "more robust support" for the development of these foundation degree programmes in sectors where demand is evidenced.

18. Employers welcome bite-sized learning and flexible delivery that can support the development of their current employees in their career development. Up-skilling the current workforce is a key target for all sectors. To be able to step back into Higher Education to develop new skills as your career develops is important for individuals and their employers. Many sectors see this as the best investment for increasing HE numbers and raising skills levels. However, flexible delivery and the integration of distance learning and work-based project work are key components in these programmes.

19. Employers understand that graduates are often not the finished article. A few sectors have explored the concept of "graduate apprenticeships" to help employers to provide a structured development pathway for graduates that can help embed themselves in the organisation and enable the employer to make the best use of graduate skills.

20. There is a need to ensure lecturers and college staff are up to date in their understanding of industry. SSCs can assist with this. For example, a successful exchange programme operates in Northern Ireland with the involvement of SSCs and Universities and colleges, enabling university staff to step back into industry to help them keep up to date with the latest developments. At the same time they can undertake a problem solving project to assist the employer.

21. Traditionally, further education offers more vocational relevance and flexibility of delivery, supporting work based training and apprenticeships. SSC influence over national qualification frameworks in each of the four countries and in the introduction of credits is a way of ensuring the vocational relevance of FE provision. SSC support the rationalisation of vocational qualifications in line with employer needs and would welcome equal influence on the content of qualification frameworks in Wales as they are now achieving in England.

22. SSCs understand the desire to expand numbers in both higher and further education. However, they would like to see this in the context of Life Long Learning and continuing professional development. They would encourage flexible delivery and support for access in later life, with the use of distance learning and innovative modes of learning and assessment.

23. There is some concern about completion rates. It is felt that the flexibility indicated in the previous paragraph would help to address the issue.

24. The SSC Management and Leadership forum would like to see the principles of management introduced at an early stage throughout the education system, encouraging self management and team working, therefore growing and understanding the role of management both in the role of work and in personal life.

25. The submissions from individual SSCs highlight the importance of specialist provision and the need to ensure that this is accessible equally to students across the UK. For example; the lack of HE provision for Veterinary Science in Wales, means that potential students, who would be essential to provision of Veterinary service in Wales, need to study elsewhere in Wales. The disparity in tuition fees can adversely affect these opportunities.

Student finance

26. Differences in funding and priorities between nations, and in FE, between regions and sectors, impacts adversely on student choice and access. It can also disadvantage employers making certain sectors less attractive to students. For example; lower resourcing of FE in Wales, lower levels of funding for apprenticeships, and varying levels of tuition fees.

27. Funding needs to be more flexible and support available to lifelong learning and existing up-skilling of existing workforce through access to HE and FE throughout peoples working life is seen as crucial to addressing the training culture that is necessary for the UK to remain competitive in a global market and improving its skills base as recommended by Lord Leitch.

The way in which further and higher education institutions engage with employers on both sides of the border.

28. Sector Skills Councils are the key to this relationship across the UK. In summary, SSCs offer Higher and Further Education:

· A coherent and researched evidence base on the future skill needs of each sector of the economy in Wales and the UK

· A link to the co-ordinated and official voice of employers in a Sector and help to shape a programme so that it meets the needs of employment.

· A clear route back to employers to explain and promote an understanding of their programmes

· An opportunity for UK employment relevance for their programmes

· Informed advice on career routes and prospects to support informed choice by individual learners.

29. Further and higher education institutions engage with employers for four key purposes

1. To supply learning programmes to employers and their workforces

2. To ensure that the curricula offered remains relevant to employment

3. To recruit vocationally skilled professionals who are able to/desire to teach and pass on their skills.

4. To enable FE/HEI providers to access vocationally based CPD opportunities for their staff.

30. It is fair to say that relationships between SSCs and the supply-side are improving on both sides of the border. As a result of the scale of provision in Wales it is sometimes easier to make these relationships. These relationships have been smoothed by the Sector Skills Agreement dialogue which has involved key stakeholders such as HEFCW. In England, a recent protocol agreed between the Association of Colleges and the SSC network is resulting in the appointment of 'skills champions' within FE on a sector basis, which will help FE present itself to an SSC as a coherent network.

Conclusion

31. In principle, employers see no reason why higher education provision in Wales should not serve the UK market and why English provision, particularly in specialist areas, should not be used to the support the development in Wales. Quality is the key. Use of the sector specific National Occupation Standards as the basis for course design can ensure UK-wide industry applicability. SSC should provide advice on the employment market and priorities to ensure provision is relevant and to avoid over-supply.

32. The Sector Skills Agreements have opened the way for new relationships with individual institutions and educational stakeholders. In the submission there are many examples of good practice.

33. Employers work in a UK wide labour market and indeed increasingly in a global market. Links with SSCs can help ensure not just that the needs of employers in Wales can be met but that the skills are transferable across an industry on a UK basis.

34. Further education provision has the capacity to serve a more local focus and working within the National Credit and Qualification frameworks of Wales and England will ensure transferability across border as individuals develop their careers.

35. Ultimately, employers need to understand qualifications and would welcome consistency, transferability and simplicity in the system. Equality of access and funding support should be the aim.

19 June 2008

Please note the following appendices:

1. Appendix 001 - LifeLong Learning UK

2. Appendix 002 - IMI

3. Appendix 003 - GoSkills

4. Appendix 004 - FSSC

5. Appendix 005 - Creative & Cultural

6. Appendix 006 - SummitSkills

7. Appendix 007 - Skillset

8. Appendix 008 - Skills for Justice

9. Appendix 009 - Semta

10. Appendix 010 - Asset Skills

11. Appendix 011 - Lantra

12. Appendix 012 - Cogent

13. Appendix 013 - EU Skills

14. Appendix 014 - Government Skills

15. Appendix 015 - SkillsActive