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Vocational Qualifications are Changing - BIS June NewsletterRead the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills June newsletter... News from BISNew ministersThe responsibilities of our new Ministers were announced on 21 May. Vocational Qualifications Partners ProjectAs explained in our last newsletter, BIS is bringing work on communications, capacity building and employer engagement together. The Vocational Qualifications Partners Project (VQPP) has been set up to provide governance for this work. The VQPP Operations Group which meets monthly and oversees the programme of work met for the first time on 6 May. The VQPP Steering Group which meets quarterly and considers any sector concerns and offers advice to the Operations Group met on 18 May. Online resources from BISWe want to remind you about the BIS online resources for learners and employers:
In addition, information for employers about accreditation of their training and the employer support service is available at http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/trainingaccreditation Employer support and communicationsSkillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for retail, who are who are leading the employer communications on behalf of The Alliance of SSCs, have continued focussing on building employer awareness of changes to vocational qualifications and signposting employers to SSCs. Recent activities include engaging with SSCs to deliver the next phase of communications and 16 SSCs have supported the delivery of key messages directly to employers through postcards, newsletters, websites and press releases. Links to these SSCs websites are available on Business Link. An employer survey is also due to be undertaken to assess the effectiveness of employer communications and address employer needs. Plans are underway for involvement in the VQ day on 23 June which includes an employer-focussed event in the morning organised by Business in the Community. An employer support helpline - 0844 967 0277 - has been operating since 1 April in replacement of the QCDA led Employer Engagement Programme. This responds to employer queries around training accreditation and also signposts employers to their SSCs. Further information about this service. Adult Foundation Learning CurriculumThe Skills Funding Agency has released information and guidance on the Foundation Learning Curriculum for Adults. This includes:
Finally, we would like to remind you that Adult Foundation Learning is now known as the Adult Foundation Learning Curriculum. Update from the Association of Learning ProvidersAnnual Conference on 14/15 JulyThe Chief Executives of Further Education’s three new funding bodies are to address this year’s Association of Learning Providers (ALP) 2010 annual conference in London. Geoff Russell of the Skills Funding Agency, Simon Waugh of the National Apprenticeship Service and Peter Lauener of the Young People’s Learning Agency will speak to delegates at the event. For more details book here (in association with EDI headline sponsor of the conference). QCF Business Benefits newsletterALP have produced a newsletter – QCF Business Benefits - which showcases a number of independent work-based learning providers who are beginning to use the flexibilities of the Qualifications and Credit Framework to help develop their business. To download a copy visit QCF Topic page, hard copies are available from the ALP, ring 0117 986 5389 or email enquiries@learningproviders.org Support for colleges and providers on QCF implementationFully subsidised flexible support is available from LSIS for colleges and learning providers to help them to prepare for QCF implementation. Face-to-face support is available and may take the form of consultancy support for action planning to develop a QCF implementation plan or in-house training to prepare staff to deliver QCF provision. All support will be provided by experienced facilitators, and arranged at a time and place to meet your needs. Contact the QCF helpdesk or telephone 0845 6099001 for further details. New case studies, including video case studies, are being added to the programme website. An interactive version of the QCF action planner is also being made available that allows users to save, update, print and share their action plans. The LSIS World Class Skills programme is hosting 3 one-day workshops on Innovative Approaches to Curriculum Delivery of Employer Responsive Provision. The workshops will consider how the QCF has been implemented in relation to employer responsive provision. There will be opportunities to consider how the funding of the QCF can support employer responsive provision and the challenges providers face in adopting innovative approaches to curriculum delivery. The events are in Manchester on 11 June, Birmingham on 16 June and London on 21 June. LSIS will be updating the QCF My Development resources during June. If you would like to take part in a review of these please contact the QCF helpdesk or telephone 0845 6099001. Integration of adult careers services - Course directoryIt is widely accepted that the current National Learning Directory (NLD) is not effectively supporting individuals in making learning decisions which are right for them. Currently, individuals looking for information on their learning options have to search through a number of sources due to the NLD not providing accurate information. This can result in individuals being unable to access the information they need to make reliable choices. To address these gaps in the NLD provision, a new Course Directory has been developed for use by individuals, providers and careers advisers. The Course Directory will:
In developing change messages around the new Course Directory, a series of workshops are underway for Skills Funding Agency learning providers. Approximately 1,300 individuals from around 800 funded learning providers have attended (or are registered to attend) one of these workshops. As at 27 of May, 18 workshops had been delivered to learning providers across England – with a further 6 planned for the week beginning 31 May. The workshops have been successful in engaging the learning provider community and in communicating the business benefits of the new directory. Providers have generally been very positive about the new directory in terms of both the more efficient upload system and the impact of the business benefits that the new directory will create. Information is available at www.coursedirectoryproviderportal.org.uk. Update from the Skills Funding AgencyFrom 1 April 2010, the Skills Funding Agency assumed responsibility for confirming funding for qualifications delivered to learners aged 19 and above in England. As part of the implementation of the QCF and wider changes to vocational qualifications, the Agency wishes to focus funding on QCF provision from 1 August 2010. From early 2011 it intends to fund only those vocational qualifications which are both in the QCF and supported by the appropriate sector organisation. The Agency is currently confirming the timetable for the transition to the QCF, and from 31 July 2010 will begin the process of the removal of funding from National Qualifications Framework (NQF) qualifications where sector organisations have advised us that sufficient and appropriate coverage is available in the QCF for the start of the new academic year. Providers can find out what QCF qualifications have been confirmed for funding for 2010/11 by consulting the online list (Excel, 170Kb). The Agency is adding to the list on a fortnightly basis until December. It expects to have completed the process of working through existing QCF qualifications by the end of May 2010. The Agency will then continue to add to the list as new QCF provision becomes available and is confirmed for funding. The Agency is in the process of finalising parameters for funding for 2010/11 for each of its delivery programmes. These are of particular interest to SSCs and awarding organisations and are expected to be complete for all delivery programmes by June 2010. The core changes to the IT infrastructure to support Skills Accounts in the QCF will launch in September 2010. A business change support package will shortly be available for providers to help in engaging with the new systems. Support from the Skills Funding Agency
Funding
Performance
Provider conferences
Service desk
Report from WalesIn Wales the QCF is being implemented within the context of the overarching Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW ). The 2009-2014 CQFW Implementation Plan provides the overall direction for the CQFW and extensive work is being carried out to prepare for the QCF:
Information on the QCF is available on the Welsh Assembly Government website. Report from Northern IrelandThe VQ Reform Programme in Northern Ireland
The Department for Employment and Learning is responsible for ensuring that the reform programme is successfully implemented in Northern Ireland. Focus on Ofqual & CCEA
From 1 April 2010 there have been changes in the arrangements for the regulation of vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland. The Qualifications and Credit Framework
A second QCF Readiness survey was issued to awarding organisations, sector skills councils and learning providers/training organisations on 16th April. This aims to chart progress of these organisations and identify gaps in readiness for the QCF. Results will be available in June. Events for training organisations to ensure they are ready to operate within the QCF will be held on 22, 24 and 28th June. For more information contact Linda Berg NI VQRP WebsiteThis website brings together resources for all stakeholders and is intended to be a one-stop shop for all things VQRP in Northern Ireland. We currently have 72 followers on Twitter. Follow us at twitter.com/NIVQRP. Recognition of Training in Employment ProgrammeSupport and advice on the programme is being provided by the regulator CCEA which has been successful in engaging with a number of employers who have expressed interest in having their in-house training provision accredited. Read more at RTEP |