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Skills Strategy and Policy
COVER'S role is to keep you informed and updated on learning and skills issues affecting the third sector and its ability to engage both as a provider of learning and as a recipient of workforce development.
COVER employs a Strategic Skills Manager, experienced in this field, who is responsible for providing information and support to organisations wishing to be more active in this area. The Strategic Skills Manager works at local, regional and national level to ensure that the sector is "linked in" to a variety of strategic skills bodies and activities and manages a range of projects associated with Learning and Skills and its development in the sector in the East of England.
YPLA takes Over funding from Local Authorities for 16-18s
Changes have been announced by the Department for Education to the 16 - 19 funding arrangements. Please find below links to a few bits of information about the new arrangements.
Direct link to the Department for Education news announcement: http://www.education.gov.uk/news/press-notices-new/simplify-college-funding
Link to the AOC response: http://tinyurl.com/16-18Funding
Background to World Class Skills
On 5 December 2006 Lord Sandy Leitch published his final report in to UK Skills: "Prosperity for all in the global economy - world class skills."
Lord Leitch was commissioned by the Chancellor in 2004 with a remit 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."
In his report, Leitch recommends that the UK should aim to be a world leader on skills by 2020. Lord Leitch also makes a number of recommendations for how that vision should be delivered.
As an employer the Third Sector needs to know how this will impact upon the way in which it develops the skills of its staff and volunteers
Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England
In July 2007 the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) published its response to Lord Leitch's recommendations within the Leitch Review describing the Government's actions "to raise the nation's skill base, increase social inclusion and improve economic competitiveness" and setting out the policy direction which the new department was to follow and develop over the ensuing years as it looked ahead to creating an improved skills market.
The document "Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England" set out the practical reforms that DIUS would be implementing in England (not the UK) to start the "skills revolution" and close the skills gap at all levels right across the nation by 2020.
Future prosperity, according to the review, would be reliant on creating a Britain where people are given the opportunity and encouragement to develop their skills and abilities to the maximum, with the requisite support. The reforms would therefore follow a "demand-led" approach, which would focus upon the customer - in this case the employer and the learner.
Committed to joining the world's "premier league" for skills by 2020, DIUS would be working with employers, trade unions, schools, colleges, universities, training providers and individuals to help them all reach their full potential, seeing a "highly skilledworkforce as an economic necessity."
To view these two documents please use the links below:
Third Sector Skills
COVER works to support "World Class Skills" and to ensure that the Third Sector in the East of England remains informed and engaged. We undertake a range of projects and activities that engage and enable third sector organisations to understand the implications of World Class Skills and identify opportunities for them to contribute to the skills revolution. Third sector organisations have a large part to play in providing learning and skills development opportunities for the workless and low skilled. In addition third sector staff and volunteers might also require the skills development cited in the above reports. To this end COVER provide information, advice, capacity building and learning opportunities for third sector organisations. In the main our activities focus on:
- Latest Government policy and strategy on learning and skills
- Workforce Development, Learning and Training opportunities
- Skills for Life
- Train to Gain and the National Skills Pledge
- Lifelong Learning and developing qualified tutors and support staff
- Apprenticeships
Transfer of qualifications from NQF to QCF
Work is in progress to help providers get ready for the transition from the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). Click the link below to read a recent LSC paper outlining qualification transition planning
Managing the transition from the National Qualifications Framework to the Qualifications and Credit Framework implementation: managing down NQF provision
Skills Funding Agency
Updates from the Skills Funding Agency provide all the relevant generic information needed to help in operating contracts and managing provision. Click here for more information.
