THE sector skills development agency ON BEHALF OF THE SKILLS FOR BUSINESS NETWORK

 

 

SUBMISSION TO THE EDUCATION AND SKILLS SELECT COMMITTEE

14-19 SPECIALISED DIPLOMAS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For further information, please contact

Corri van de Stege

Head of Skills for Young People

The Sector Skills Development Agency

Tel: [phone]

e-mail: [e-mail]

 Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

1. Executive summary and recommendations 3

 

2. Introduction 5

 

 

3. Design and development of diplomas 6

3.1 Progress to date 6

3.2 Sticking points 7

3.3 The role of Sector Skills Councils and employers 8

3.4 Coordination and development of diplomas 8

3.5 Accreditation and awarding of the diploma 9

 

4. Teacher and lecturer training 10

 

 

5. Co-ordination between schools and colleges 11

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.
Executive summary

 

1.1. Progress

In general, progress on diploma development has been very good. SSCs have in particular been successful at meeting the critical milestones set out in the project plan. But there has also been a tremendous amount of goodwill between partners who are all absolutely committed to making diplomas work. It is this enthusiasm which has been the basis for the outstanding achievement of the process to date, namely the unprecedented number of employers who have been actively involved in the process either through consultation events or steering groups and sub-groups.

 

1.2. STICKING POINTS

The fundamental difficulty is that diplomas are new, difficult and carry an enormous weight of expectation. 'Sticking points' are inevitable given the combination of the ambition of the project, the wholly new process of qualification development adopted (which involved new partners and new ways of working) when this is all set against rigid and tight timetables. Whilst we believe that a longer period of preparation would have been helpful to agree the process and management arrangements in detail and ensure the whole project is underpinned by comprehensive guidance, this criticism should not be interpreted as suggesting that diplomas will not succeed. A lot has been achieved, lessons have been learnt and all partners are working hard to make sure we have the transformation in our education system that we have been asked to deliver.

 

1.3. The Role of the Sector Skills Councils and Employers

Employers have played, and continue to play, a major role in the diploma development process through their SSCs. The role of SSCs is to ensure that what employers want, in content terms, is ultimately what they get albeit contextualised within the framework of a high quality educational experience conferring equal status with respect to other routes. . Employers continue to have a major role in implementation and delivery, within the Gateway process and the workforce development programme.

 

2. Recommendations

2.1. MANAGEMENT

We recommend that there is one SRO in charge of the end-to-end diploma development process, including qualification development, the Gateway, implementation and delivery processes. This SRO should be a high level and full time DfES official. The senior staff member should be a diploma champion who has a good understanding of employers and is able to work closely with QCA and the Skills for Business network. It may be necessary for this SRO role to be supported (as is now the case) by a top level employer acting as public employer champion.

 

2.2. representation

The Skills for Business network should have credible and adequate representation on all Boards and sub-groups in order to ensure the continuous presence of the employer voice in the diploma development, throughout development, implementation and delivery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.
introduction

 

3.1. the skills for business network

This memorandum provides input to the Education and skills Committee inquiry into specialised Diplomas, The submission is by the Sector Skills Development Agency which is the umbrella organisation for and member of the Skills for Business network. The UK's Skills for Business network mission is to create a workforce with work-class skills contributing to the highest levels of business performance in all sectors of the UK economy.

 

Employers own and lead the Skills for Business network, working through 25 independent Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) which is a Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB).

 

 

3.2. terms of reference

The Terms of Reference for the inquiry comprised a series of questions set out in three subject areas: 'design and development of the diplomas'; 'teacher and lecturer training'; and 'coordination between schools and colleges'. This response focuses on these questions in sections 3, 4 and 5 respectively.

 

3.3. further Submissions by the network

Independent and separate submissions will also be made by one or more Sector Skills Councils.

 

 

4. design and development of diplomas

4.1. Progress to date

4.1.1 Partnership Working

 

4.1.1.1 Good working arrangements between the three 'core' project management partners, SSDA, QCA and DfES, have been developed. New and successful wider models of partnership working between employers, SSCs, Higher Education Institutions and awarding bodies as well as the core partners have also been established in each diploma area through the Diploma Development Partnerships. (DDPs).

 

4.1.2 Employer Engagement

 

4.1.2.1 There is a real sense of ownership of the content of the diplomas by employers reflecting the extensive consultations with employers which have taken place. Across the first five lines of learning, SSCs have worked closely with numerous employers, for example

 

§ E-skills have 20 employers on their employer steering group involved in in-depth monthly meetings on content, support to Awarding Bodies etc. In addition some 630 employers have provided detailed telephone input into the design of the diploma as well as an extensive number of employers who have received regular update on diploma development via a registered website.

§ For the construction and the built environment diploma, some 1200 employers responded to consultation and a further 80 employers were consulted directly through SSC meetings and visits. Six employers sit on the DDP Steering group: one from each SSC.

 

This model of employer engagement has been used across the five diploma lines, amounting to well over 5,000 employers providing responses via consultation events and e-consultation. Many more employers have been kept informed and updated on progress.

 

4.1.2.2 To ensure overall employer buy in to the diploma concept and its delivery, employer chairs from Phase 1 diploma development meet on a regular basis to keep a watching brief on policy and strategy development. This resulted in employers making strong representations to the Secretary of State that their involvement should not simply begin and end with the content of the diplomas but should be continued into successful delivery.

 

4.1.2.3 More recently the group has been joined by a further five employer chairs from Phase 2 development. Meetings have extended invitations to the DfES Director of the 14-19 Reform Group, the Under-Secretary of States for Skills and the Minister of State for Schools as well as the CEO of the Qualification and Curriculum Authority.

 

4.1.2.4 DDPs have nominated 28 Employer Champions, who have agreed to be direct contacts for press and media to provide personal perspectives on the Diploma. These are senior staff in high profile organisations across England and across sectors.

 

 

4.1.3 Management

 

4.1.3.1 The management of the process of developing 'statements of content', which has involved a close contractual working relationship between the SSDA and SSCs, has been very effective in ensuring extremely onerous milestones have been met in accordance with 'descriptors' of these milestones agreed by the Project Board. This has also ensured good value for money and clarity about the level of expectation. However, the benefit of experience suggests that we will in future need a tighter 'fit' between these responsibilities, especially the project management role of the SSDA, and the technical support provided by QCA.

 

4.1.3.2 The SSC led Diploma Development Partnerships are on course to achieve the critical, and stretching, milestones agreed with DfES.

§ Phase 1 DDPs are working with QCA and Awarding Bodies on qualification development based on the content achieved with employers. Furthermore, Phase 1 SSCs are working with DfES and other partners on the 'Gateway' process and workforce development programme.

§ Phase 2 DDPs are developing their content through extensive employer consultation and HE engagement.

§ Phase 3 Diploma development will be launched on 24 January.

 

4.2. STICKING POINTS

4.2.1 Timescales

 

4.2.1.1 The progress made has been very much against the clock. In certain circumstances, the discipline of a clear timeline can be a healthy spur to the maintenance of momentum. However, whilst recognising the need to bring in valuable changes as soon as practically possible, the complexity of development and implementation issues in such a new area was always going to throw up unforeseen problems. In hindsight, the lack of an up front period for the preparation of guidance and planning the process end to end as well as the absence of any scope for slippage all significantly increased risk.

 

4.2.1.2 Another difficulty was that, for DDPs to safeguard employer buy in, sufficient time needed to be built in to consultation with employers. Understandably, there were a number of times when fundamental policy decisions on structure and content of the diploma had to be made within timelines that were too short for meaningful consultation with employers. DDPs have found it very difficult to respond effectively to changes in philosophy and policy at very short notice.

 

4.2.1.3 The diploma development programme is one strand, albeit a significant one, within an overall 11-19 curriculum reform programme. The various strands straddle a number of boards and sub-groups, under the umbrellas of the 11-19 Curriculum and Qualifications Reform Board and the 11-19 Local Delivery Board. As SSCs were not engaged in this wider infrastructure it was often difficult to see the bigger picture or to be properly engaged 'downstream' of the design of content in such critical areas as teacher training and design of materials. The coordination between the different strands of diploma development was also not always clear. Many of these issues have now been resolved but the principle of high level, end to end, overall coordination is still something we believe is critical to the success of diplomas.

 

 

 

4.3. The role of the sector skills councils and employers

4.3.1 The Sector Skills Councils form and head up the Diploma Development Partnerships. Principal activities involve the development of project plans and strategies for development, planning employer consultations, setting up and leading key working groups to determine the present thinking and practice on issues such as work based learning, work experience, apprenticeship integration, delivery and HE recognition.

 

4.3.2. Diplomas cover broad sectors, and DDPs therefore may include one or more SSCs, depending on the sector. For example, the DDP for the IT Diploma is convened and led by one SSC, e-skills UK. In contrast, the DDP for Construction and the Built Environment is more complex and is convened by ConstructionSkills and supported by SummitSkills, Energy and Utilities Skills, Pro-Skills, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board and Asset Skills.

 

4.3.3 DDPs are directed by a core group of employers from across the SSCs which have been supported in partnership with many stakeholders and government agencies, ranging from workforce development partners to UCAS and HEIs. As referred to above employer involvement in the delivery of the content for the diplomas in Phase 1 has been extensive. Similar arrangements are in place for Phase 2 and will be put in place for Phase 3.

 

4.3.4 The extensive consultation with employers and other stakeholders that took place in Stage 1 of diploma development to produce specification of content was subsequently further developed with QCA and Awarding Bodies, to agree blueprints for the Diplomas. QCA have overall responsibility for the coordination and development of qualifications on the basis of content guidance supplied by the Skills for Business network. .

 

 

4.4. coordination and development of diplomas

4.4.1 The DfES has overall responsibility for the successful design and delivery of employers. Within their overall remit, the DfES sub-contracts certain roles to other partners.

 

4.4.2 The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) has essentially two roles in respect of the activities of SSCs. The first is to act as an effective conduit and influencer to promote the collective views of employers through their SSCs to government and its agencies across the UK. The second role is that of performance manager of the SSCs.

 

4.4.3 The DfES concluded that the SSDA was well placed to play a specific role in the development of diplomas which was consistent with the above. Agreement was reached that the SSDA would be responsible for managing the process so that the project board could be assured that the work of the SSCs and their DDPs was proceeding according to the project plan. In specific terms, the SSDA role is to coordinate, manage and deliver the milestones in accordance with the DDP project plans.

 

4.4.4 Convening SSCs are responsible for producing and submitting project plans to SSDA. Subsequently a quality assurance panel with membership from SSDA, DfES and QCA assess plans and provide recommendations to the project board. Following approval, the SSDA raises contracts with the convening SSC based on the approved plans which are then monitored accordingly with detailed reports provided to each project board.

 

4.4.5 The SSDA is not a qualification development expert and relies for the Qualification and Curriculum Authority to provide advice and guidance on such issues. However, some additional expertise was brought in on a consultancy basis to support the SSCs in their work on diploma design.

 

4.4.6 Diploma development is a completely new way of approaching qualification development, with new/different partners having key roles. Due to this quite innovative diploma concept, it was never going to be easy to oversee the complete end to end process of qualification development and what would be needed and required in order to ensure the integrity of the diploma concept and content.

4.4.7 Based on the Board's Lessons Learned Review in September 2006, new governance arrangements are now being put in place to ensure a structure that will look at the end-to-end process of the qualification development across all three Phases of the Diploma development. A newly appointed Programme Director will chair the revised Project Board which will now include representation by DDPs and Awarding Bodies. We welcome this new direction and will work with our partners to help ensure the success of this coordinated approach to the qualification development.

 

4.4.8 The Skills for Business network will also be represented at overarching Board level, and have representation on the 11-19 Qualification and Curriculum Board as well as the 11-19 Delivery Board. Employers, through the Skills for Business network, will therefore have representation at the right level of Diploma development and will be able to help ensure the integrity of the content of the diplomas throughout qualification development, implementation and delivery.

 

4.4.9 We would welcome a further move towards a senior coordinating role which oversees the end-to-end process of the whole of the Diploma development, including implementation and delivery. There are as yet no clear operational structures in place that enable the network to engage in a joined up way and with confidence in the different/separate strands of development (for example, the Gateway Process, the Workforce Development activities and Resource development activities).

 

4.4.10 An option under consideration would be to appoint a full time SRO at a very senior level within DfES who is able to lead the end to end process and is wholly dedicated to Diploma Development. Given the constraints on civil service officials in a public role, it may be necessary for this role to be complemented by an employer who would be perceived by their peers as a credible and trusted champion for the concept of diplomas and the central role of employers in the process.

 

 

4.5. accreditation and awarding of the diploma

4.5.1 The accreditation and awarding system for the diploma are under development. The process must ensure that qualifications continue to be approved by employers and the DDPs prior to submission to QCA in April 2007. This would ensure diplomas work to the principles recommended in the recently published Leitch review of skills. DDPs are working with their respective Awarding Bodies to agree the details of this endorsement process.

 

4.5.2 One of the lessons learned in the Phase 1 development has been that policy development with respect to grading and quality assurance of the diploma should not be divorced from the process of developing diploma content and that employers and other stakeholders should have continuous involvement in such policy considerations.

 

 

5. teacher and lecturer training

5.1. Lifelong Learning UK

Lifelong Learning UK is the Sector Skills Council working with DfES on developing the workforce to deliver the Diplomas, as one of six key workforce development partners. It is providing its own submission to the Select Committee on its role within the partnership.

 

5.2. The skills for business network

5.2.1 The role of the DDPs and employers has been agreed under a protocol between DfES, workforce development partners and DDPs. The joint working under this protocol has only just started and will be crucial to ensure continued endorsement of employers for the delivery of the Diploma. Most teaching and lecturing staff are unlikely to have relevant industrial/employment experience and it is therefore essential that new staff development programmes are based on gap analyses and in-depth evaluation of what is required with full and active support provided by the Skills for Business network.

 

5.2.2 The workforce development programme must be synchronised with the Gateway process, in that the latter must indicate the gaps and needs so that development plans can be put in place based on identification of such needs.

 

5.2.3 The role of the Skills for Business network in the Gateway process should be that of ascertaining whether or not partnerships have the right facilities as well as the capacity in the line of learning sector to deliver according to the requirements of the diploma.

 

5.2.4 As recommended above, these implementation and delivery processes should be led by a Diploma champion who works in partnership with the key stakeholders, including employers.

 

 

6. coordination between schools and colleges

 

6.1 This is not in the direct domain of the Skills for Business network to comment on. In their separate submission to the Committee Lifelong Learning UK is providing more detailed input under this section. It should however be noted that in some sectors such as Construction there is already good co-ordination via curriculum centres that bring schools and colleges together to deliver learning in an industry context.

 

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