Supporting vocational skills and workplace learning – still undervalued and

misunderstood?Regional Skills Partnerships in a Global Economy

ConferenceJune 23rd 2005

Professor Lorna Unwin Centre for Labour Market Studies

University of Leicester

Challenges : Work Environment

• Primary goal of any workplace is to produce goods and services

• Workplaces differ according to history, values, product market position, personalities, cultures - each creates a different learning environment

• Changing perceptions of skills - shift to ‘soft’

Challenges: VET System• Completion and attainment rates problematic• Traditional models of VET (apprenticeship)

struggle in voluntarist system and in service sectors

• Problem for 14-19 year olds - how to protect rights to quality programme and progression

• Employers need support to create appropriate workforce development strategies

Sectoral Differences

• Advanced Apps (level 3) - completion of framework ranges from 24% in hospitality to 46% in engineering.

• Completion of NVQ ranges from 30% in hospitality to 53% in engineering.

• Apprenticeships (level 2) - completion of framework ranges from 31% in construction to 14% in health/social care.

• Completion of NVQ ranges from 43% in construction to 32% in engineering.

• Retail has very poor figures - 20% completion of level 3 framework and 22% completion of level 2 framework.

Expansive-Restrictive Framework

Expansive Environments:• See apprentice/employee as both ‘learner’ and

‘worker’• Combine on and off-the-job learning• Require knowledge-based qualifications - provide

progression route to higher VQs and further education

• Are embedded within broader workforce development strategy - older employees see value in supporting younger workers

Restrictive Environments

• Restrict learning opportunities to on-the-job• Want apprentice to be as productive as quickly as

possible - deny identity as learner• Have limited opportunities to cross boundaries at

work, access to new tasks, new people• Under-value employees’ ideas and expertise• Have limited aspirations for workforce in general

Using the expansive-restrictive model

• The model could be used by any organisation (pubic or private sector) as an analytical tool

• To move away from the restrictive end of the continuum towards the expansive end, organisations need to understand that learning is a product of and dependent on the organisation’s culture, vision, values and structures

• Individuals will respond positively in an expansive culture which values and makes use of their skills and knowledge

Policy Implications

• How do we provide quality programmes for young people in sectors with jobs with limited range of vocational knowledge and restricted skills?

• Can we meet sectoral needs and protect entitlement/progression?

• Need cadre of specialists to work with employers• Centres of Vocational Excellence in colleges

could play key role• One size, national programmes difficult to sustain

Who Cares?I have been an apprentice for 6 months. My employersays I’ve done enough training and don’t need the NVQ.Who will help me complete my apprenticeship?• Training provider• Connexions• Local LSC• SSC• National LSC• DfES• QCA• RDA• Apprenticeship Task Force• Ruth Kelly• My MP, Richard and Judy, Digby Jones, Brendan Barber, Bono

Research Details

Contact: l.unwin@leicester.ac.uk

See also:

www.clms.le.ac.uk