Memorandum submitted by Protocol Skills
1. EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
— The work based learning environment
is often difficult, particularly in retail and catering. Available
facilities do not enhance the learning process unless practical
observations are taking place.
— The use of IT should be extended
to improve the learning experience. Current systems are cumbersome
and bureaucratic.
— Literacy and numeracy are key issues.
Work based learning is often used to address the shortcomings
of the education system.
— Funding should be demand-led and
flexible between schemes/areas.
— Employers need to be informed, engaged
and enthused. There is a general lack of understanding of the
programmes available.
— Apprenticeship qualifications should
be flexible and portable.
2. PROTOCOL SKILLS
Protocol Skills is one of the three largest
private work based learning providers in the UK. We deliver Apprenticeships
in hospitality, retail, business administration and law and customer
service. We also run E2E and hairdressing programmes. We currently
deliver programmes to 14,000 learners.
Our principal contract is with the Learning
and Skills Council (LSC) but we also deliver Apprenticeships in
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Our programmes are delivered by 400 Training
Assessors who are supported by 60 specialists focussing on Key
Skills and Skills for Life provision (literacy and numeracy).
We operate from 60 offices throughout the country but the workforce
is largely field based.
We hold Train to Gain contracts of a significant
cumulative size with eight of the nine LSC regions.
We work with some 50 national employers and
approximately 5,000 small to medium companies at any one time.
We operate a business database which holds details of over 50,000
employers.
3. 14-19 SPECIALISED
DIPLOMAS
In our opinion the 14-19 specialised diplomas
should go some way to better prepare more young people for entry
into the world of work. However, we have, as yet, limited involvement
in the development of this initiative outside our participation
in a number of 14-19 network groups. Of interest will be how such
diplomas are delivered from a practical perspective: it is vital
that these diplomas fully meet the needs of prospective employers.
In our experience, the biggest frustration that employers have
is the lack of adequate numeracy and literacy skills that school
leavers have prior to entry to work.
4. POST-16 SKILLS
TRAINING
4.1 Context of delivery
To put our responses to the Committee's specific
questions into context, we would like to paint a brief word picture
of how work based learning is generally delivered at present.
The majority of work based learning does not take place in a classroom
environment where learners can concentrate for extended periods
in a conducive atmosphere. This is particularly so in the sectors
in which we operate. Learning takes place in the workplace, in
short bursts of 15 to 20 minutes. Most of the employers with whom
we deal operate in a frenetic environment and, for example, delivery
in pubs, clubs, bars and fast food restaurants will take place
either in the bar, the stock room or in the main customer area.
There is generally little access to IT equipment. There is normally
a high level of interruption, and the availability of the learners
to spend time with their Training Assessor depends on the trading
patterns of that business. Many learners will give up much of
their spare time to complete their programme.
Given the above, what learners manage to achieve
is impressive. The most successful learners are almost always
highly supported by their local managers. Conversely, the fact
that there are high failure rates is also understandable.
The system is bureaucratic and paper driven
and this also can create a barrier to learning. Protocol Skills
is developing an IT learning platform to address these issues
and indications so far have proved very promising. Generally,
we have seen better learner and employer engagement and an improvement
in retention and success rates. It is disappointing that the roll
out of this programme is hampered by the fact that electronic
signature is not accepted by the LSC.
The catering and hospitality sectors have traditionally
low success rates. Some of this is due to the points highlighted
above but these industries also have high staff turnover which
leads to failure to complete the programme.
4.2 National Policy/Issues
We believe that the Government's priorities
for skills are broadly correct, and that the Level 2 qualifications
are a standard that young people should achieve. Numeracy and
literacy competence is critical and is something which we feel
should be addressed prior to entering the employment market. As
we have outlined above, the learning environment at work is tough.
Providers are asked to deliver complex teaching with limited resources,
and learners do better if they are already reasonably numerate
and literate. If employers also have to cope with the lack of
these very basic skills, it is unlikely full potential will be
achieved.
Funding structures should be, but are not, demand-led.
Contracts are set by the Learning & Skills Council annually
and we believe they are restrictive and inflexible. We have little
choice in determining how this money is apportioned and often
find that we cannot meet all of an employer's requirements, eg
we might be able to deliver 16-18 training but not 19+. This leads
to discrimination against a proportion of the employer's workforce,
although the needs are exactly the same. We are obliged to manage
43 separate LSC contracts, and inevitably there are overspends
and underspends from area to area, but we have no flexibility
to move these funds around.
Employers are surprisingly unaware of the level
of government support available for skills development. Some employers
are fully engaged but the majority are not. Employers are happy
to accept government funded training since it costs them nothing
but generally are loathe to contribute towards skills that many
feel should have been delivered in earlier education. We also
find that there is much resistance to the notion of contributing
towards higher qualifications.
4.3 Supply side
There is a need for regulation but we believe
that the system is over-regulated and there are too many intermediaries.
The recent brokerage system put in place for Train to Gain is
a good example of this. The principle of Train to Gain brokerage
is sound. However, an organisation of the size of Protocol works
with a large employer database and therefore working through third
parties to engage employers is not relevant. Indeed, we find ourselves
supplying leads to brokers to ensure that we fulfil our Train
to Gain contract.
We work with other regional agencies but this
tends to be on an ad hoc basis. Our relationship with Connexions
is a very positive one.
The reforms within the Learning & Skills
Council are very welcome. We have seen a more open-minded approach,
a leaner structure and good two-way communication. The introduction
of competitive tendering is a welcome development. However, the
current contracting arrangements are too cumbersome. The move
towards regional contracting will be a welcome development.
4.4 Demand side
The system is generally not demand led. Provision
is centrally planned and allocated. As indicated above there is
little flexibility to adapt to a specific employer's needs. We
believe that the Sector Skills Councils have a difficult task
and, in the sectors in which we operate, we are uncertain as to
whether the SSCs are adequately reflecting employers' needs. As
an example, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality represents
employers ranging from campsite owners and leisure clubs to Michelin
star restaurants. Many of the employers with whom we deal have
little or no knowledge of the work of the Sector Skills Council
and no involvement in the design of qualifications.
4.4.1 Employers
It is our experience that it is not incentivisation
that is needed by employers so much as education. They lack detailed
knowledge, and many of the smaller ones need to be persuaded that
training is of benefit. They become more engaged because the training
is free but particularly with SMEs, employee training is haphazard,
unplanned or non-existent. The larger organisations with whom
we deal are much more aware of the Apprenticeship programmes.
The most enlightened engage fully to cross map their training
with nationally recognised qualifications. They recognise the
value to employees and the contribution to the profit and loss
account.
4.4.2 Learners
In our experience, most learners don't consciously
look for skills training. They are referred by their employer
or a friend.
There is information, advice and guidance available
to potential learners, but we believe it is not easy for them
to access. The terminology used in work based learning is often
confusing for young people. Available literature is unnecessarily
complicated and does not spell out the benefits succinctly enough.
Providers generally produce information which is passed on to
employers but it is rare that LSC literature finds its way into
the workplace. Equally, evidence suggests that many people leaving
school are not aware of available programmes. Protocol runs a
number of Entry to Employment programmes for school leavers with
the very lowest skills. These generally take place in a classroom
environment which is provided by us. These are expensive and often
difficult programmes to deliver and the interest for private providers
to expand these programmes is limited for that reason.
4.5 Apprenticeships
We believe that apprenticeships deliver enhanced
skills in the learner's chosen profession, but those skills should
be transferable. In the sectors in which we operate we find that
learners will begin an apprenticeship in, say, hospitality, but
then quickly leave the employer to pursue a career elsewhere.
It is not always the case that they can continue the programme
with their new employer. We therefore believe that as far as possible
skills acquired in one sector should be transferable to another.
The current situation is prescriptive.
The current Apprenticeship framework is good,
and is seen as valuable by learners and employers. The nature
of the framework is changing and these changes often require us
to do more for less. In a competitive market we understand that
the quality of our provision is the primary driver. However, as
funding in certain areas becomes squeezed it is important that
as a national provider we have access to the funds required to
deliver economies of scale and value for money.
The inflexibility of the funding means that
there are not always the right number of appropriate places available
in the right areas. We are often faced with regional over and
under spends because demand is not matched with supply.
Success rates for apprenticeships have improved
significantly in the past few years with the national average
running at 53%. This figure is, however, misleading, as in certain
professions success rates are extremely high, whereas within hospitality
for example they are traditionally low—for the reasons outlined
above. Protocol Skills expects its success rates to exceed 60%
during the current year.
In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales there
are differences in funding, administration and methodology. Generally
the biggest impact for Protocol Skills is the timing of payments,
and in general the allocation of funding works less well than
it does within England. Wales shares the same inspection regime
as England whilst Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate
inspection regimes.
The qualifications also differ quite significantly.
January 2007
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