Access to HE and employability – a chemical solution?

1. CAVA Annual conference cambridgenovember 2013 Access to HE and employability – a chemical solution?

2. Gatsby charitable Foundation • Established in 1967 by DJS • Endowment £580M • Annual spend £50M pa • Main support looking forward: • Plant science research • Neuroscience research • Africa • Institute for Government • Arts • Mental Health • Science & Engineering Education

3. Promoting Technical Skills

4. What is a technician? Cannot be assumed from: • job title • level or type of education Technicians are concerned with applying proven techniques and procedures to the solution of practical problems. They carry supervisory or technical responsibility and are competent to exercise creativity and skills within defined fields of science and technology’ (Technician Council 2012)

5. The Numbers ~1.5 million SET technicians • 30% associate professional occupations • 70% are in skilled trades occupations • An aging workforce, 31% of skilled trades and 23% of associate professionals aged 50 or older in 2010 Need for an additional 450,000 technicians by 2020

6. Technician Numbers With a need for an additional 450,000 technicians by 2020

7. Solving the Problem Qualifications - Recognised - Reputable - Rigorous Infrastructure - Availability - Teaching Staff - Facilities Funding

8. Technicians’ contributions to the economy, and to our lives, are not sufficiently recognised – as a consequence these occupations lack identity; This lack of identity lowers young people’s desire to explore and enter these occupations; There are few clear pathways for progression to technician roles. Supply Issues

9. Some Progress?

10. Technician registration

11. Provides clarity and esteem for technician roles, Sets and maintains high standards for technicians, Increases the take up of qualifications that are valued by employers, Improves access to the professions. Technician Registration

12. A Framework for Registration

13. Two new professional registers • Registered Science Technician (RSciTech) • Registered Scientist (RSci)

14. Science technician Registration • Framework for professional registration - starting at level 3 progression to chartered • Science awarded by eight professional bodies – benefits of membership • Voluntary registers now exist across Science, Engineering, IT and Health • Competence based but with commitment to professional behaviour and professional development

15. Pilot professional Bodies • Association for Science Education (ASE) • Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) • Institute of Chemical Engineering (IChemE) • Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) • Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) • Institute of Science and Technology (IST) • Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) • Society of Biology (SoB)

16. Benefits of registration • Status to the individual • Clear work-based pathways with progression to higher levels of professionalism • Clarity for the employer • Independent and therefore stable • Links with technicians in other industries

17. How do I get on the register? • You need to be: • a member of a professional body • competent at the appropriate level • engage with continuing professional development • What does all this have to do with Access?

18. Access to HE and employability pilot

19. Access to he and employability pilot Apt Gatsby RSC 5 further education colleges in the SW

20. PILOT timeline • Jan 2013 – June 2013 recruitment of colleges • June 2013 – September 2013 student recruitment and staff development • October 2013 – RSC induction and student membership • October 2013 – June 2014 Access to Science pathway including two project units, employability links • July 2014 Access to Science award and RSciTechaward: Target 200 students on the register by the end of the pilot • Accredited scheme open to other colleges

21. What it means in practice • RSC membership with benefits during the Access course and for one year after you finish • RSciTech after your name recognised by industry and education • Relevant science project • 19-23 employability • 24 plus more for their student loan • National Awards ceremony

22. What it means in practice • Funds to support the college to work with their AVA and the RSC to ensure their Access course is accredited • A project manager to liaise with all parties • Support from the RSC to develop links with employers to ensure that project work is relevant • Student projects judged by the RSC, Gatsby, Employers, College resulting in a high profile awards ceremony.

23. Your chance to get involved • Trustees have approved further funding to support a National roll out of the pilot • Funding to support a further four AVAs this year to work with their FE colleges and the RSC to expand the programme from September 2014 • Funding for each selected FE college to support the project in their college • CAVA will be one of the AVAs involved in the expansion of the programme this year. Jill will be contacting each college in the region to invite you to apply to be one of the colleges that benefit from an accredited RSC Access course this year.

24. To find out more • About the pilot and national roll out • jean.scrase@gatsby.org.uk • About the science registers http://professionalregisters.org/