Liz Bevins Regional Manager – Lifelong Learning UK

1. LLUK and NoWAL – November 2007 looking forward to new vocational qualifications and the Sector Skills Agreement…for the Libraries, Archives andInformation Services workforce Liz Bevins Regional Manager – Lifelong Learning UK

2. About Lifelong Learning UK • Sector Skills Council for the lifelong learning sector • An employer-led body with strategic responsibilities for: • - labour market intelligence • - workforce planning • - workforce standards and qualifications structures • - workforce training and development • - investment in skills, recruitment and retention

3. Employer groups within the lifelong learning sector • Community Learning & Development: including • Community Development, Community Education, Development Education, Family Learning, Personalised and Community Learning, Working with Parents,Youth work • Further Education Sector • Higher Education Sector • Libraries, Information Services and Archivists • Work Based Learning Providers

4. What is LLUK’s role? • Create new National Occupational Standards for the libraries, archives and information services workforce – benchmarks for VQs • Design new frameworks of vocational qualifications for the libraries, archives and information services workforce • Improve progression/upskilling opportunities • Sector Skills Agreement (SSA)

5. The Sector Skills Agreement • Compact to ensure the sector gets the skills it needs • Five planned phases: • Assessment of current and future skills needs • Understanding current supply of skills provision • Analysis of gaps in provision and market testing • Assessment of collaborative action by employers • Development of an action plan • And for LLUK an additional phase: Assessing the impact of other sectors’ agreements on our sector

6. SSA Research Methodology • Stage 1: Current /future skills needs • Review of drivers of demand for skills • Review of policy literature • Consultations with stakeholders • Analysis of labour market characteristics • Analysis of data from the Labour Force Survey • Assessment of current and future skills needs • Analysis of data collected from employer survey

7. SSA Research Methodologycontinued • Secondary data analysis of the National Employer Skills Survey • Consultations with key stakeholders • Analysis of findings from futures scenario workshops • Stage 2: Overview of current provision • Desk-top exercise to identify qualification data from funding bodies and relevant data partners • Information on provision collected from the LLUK employers survey

8. Testing of skills issues and developing solutions

9. Skills issues for the LAIS Sector • Skills gaps for ICT skills • Skills gaps for customer engagement skills • Skills gaps for management and leadership skills • Future demand for professionals with specific LAIS technical skills

10. 10 possible solutions in the following broad areas • Developing capacity and capability across the sector • Focus on developing partnerships across the lifelong learning sector with partners and employers • Addressing recruitment and retention issues across the sector • Developing a UK wide leadership and management strategy for the sector • Developing a strategy or similar to support the use of technology in the sector, particularly relating to information learning technology (ILT)

11. Current provision of VQs • National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) • - designed to accredit existing skills • NVQ Information & Library Services – Levels 2 & 3 • Vocationally related qualifications (VRQs) • - designed to develop/progress existing skills • Level 3 Certificate in Library & Information Services • Level 3/4 (7/8) Diploma in ICT Applications in Libraries • Open College qualification units

12. Current issues around VQs • Low level of take-up • Limited availability and accessibility • Qualifications available for only part of the broader information workforce • Limited progression opportunities – Level 4+? • Employer engagement and influence • Funding

13. New national qualification frameworks • A new national qualifications framework for Wales, Northern Ireland and England – the Qualifications & Credit Framework • “Articulation” with the Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework and with HE • “Testing & Trialling” underway (2006-08) • Replaces the existing NQF 2008-10 (?)

14. Key features • Qualifications built from units • Qualifications gained through credit accumulation and the transfer of credit • Achievements recorded in a national learner record • “Demand-led”: more responsive to employer requirements and to individuals’ needs

15. Qualifications – level and name • Qualifications will be achieved at different levels, described by new statements which focus on: • - Thinking and understanding • - Application and performance • - Autonomy and accountability • Qualifications will be described as an Award, Certificate or Diploma – depending on their size (credits/units)

16. New opportunities • Individuals can gain credit in a variety of different ways (different assessment strategies) • Enables progression through different career pathways to the same qualification • Enables the accreditation of CPD (in the workplace) through the award of credit • Enhanced role for employers in qualification design and delivery

17. Future qualifications • A new type of VQ (available at different levels) that combines the best features of the existing NVQ and VRQ approaches • Foundation degree – a new vocational qualification at Level 5 awarded by a university and with a stronger academic knowledgebase

18. Apossiblenew qualifications framework?

19. Questions / Discussion • New Standards, New Qualifications, New Skills • Liz Bevins for LLUK • 0870 756 4968 • Email: lizbevins@lluk.org