Country report for the UK - Norton Radstock College

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WP9 Long term potential Country report for the UK solving, communication and using new technology. In the land based sector, many work placements are in small to medium sized enterprises. Recent trends include new vocational diplomas which can be studied from the age of 14-19 involving practical, hands-on experience as well as classroom learning. Diplomas have been designed with employer involvement and must include periods in the workplace. There have been several initiatives to embed life skills into vocational teaching such as Key Skills, Skills for Life and Functional Skills. Functional Skills are currently being introduced into vocational qualifications with a particular focus on English, Mathematics and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Skills specialists are employed in the sector to support learners and teachers. 1.3. Training for Further Education teachers There are two teaching roles in the Further Education sector - full and associate. Full teachers undertake the complete range of teaching and planning tasks while associate teachers have more limited responsibility. For full teaching roles, teachers need to achieve Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status. Teachers in the FE sector do not have to have a degree. Qualified teachers now have to provide evidence each year of continuing professional development. 1.4 Key contact approach Building on the contacts established during our research for Work Package 2 (Standards – see UK country report), we updated our contacts on the project progress using the LIFE newsletter, website and Train the Trainer Pack. We also established new contacts to investigate the potential for including the Train the Trainer Pack in teacher training programmes in the UK. The following organisations were included in our research: Bath Spa University (our social partner). The Award Leader for Initial Teacher Training in the Lifelong Learning Sector has responsibility for implementing the current Teacher Training Standards across a partnership of vocational colleges; also involved with the regional Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (CETT), and with the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET), which has a national voice with government. 2
WP9 Long term potential Country report for the UK Learning & Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), set up to develop excellent and sustainable provision in vocational colleges and across the whole lifelong learning sector. The Institute for Learning (IfL) is the professional body for teachers, trainers, tutors, student teachers and assessors in the further education and skills sector. By listening to and supporting the needs of their members, they continue to raise the status of teaching practitioners across the sector. Centres for Excellence in Teacher Training (CETTs), were appointed by the Learning & Skills Improvement Service to advance innovation and collaboration amongst a diverse range of organisations involved in initial teacher training and continuing professional development. Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) was contacted building on Work Package 2 (standards) discussions and the expected updating of lifelong learning standards. LLUK is in the process of being reorganised and when a successor emerges following the new government’s new strategy, we plan to work closely with them. 2. Summary of results Prior to the general election, the UK Government published learning priorities for 16-19 year olds as the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) handed over responsibilities to Local Authorities (see Appendix 1). Priorities included raising numeracy and literacy levels and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) to improve employability and social integration. Following the change of government in May 2010, we are awaiting announcements regarding priorities and funding. There is currently uncertainty in the education field due to reorganisations and possible changes in priorities and programmes. According to employers, there continues to be a need for life skills to improve. A recent news article shows that poor levels of literacy are affecting the employability of young people (see Appendix 2). The initial reaction from contacts to the LIFE Train the Trainer Pack has been positive as it meets a key need in the VET sector. The fact that it is freely available in the education sector and is easily accessible helped to prompt this positive response. The needs analysis research provided useful evidence to our contacts that teachers need training in order to build their confidence in embedding life skills into their vocational teaching (see Appendix 3). Contacts also praised the flexibility of the Pack in terms of its adaptability to different vocational areas and guidance on delivery in a variety of methods e.g. 3
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Country report for the UK - Norton Radstock College

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