ACCESS TO HE AND EMPLOYABILITY – A

CHEMICAL SOLUTION?

CAVA ANNUAL CONFERENCE CAMBRIDGE NOVEMBER 2013

GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Established in 1967 by DJSEndowment £580MAnnual spend £50M pa Main support looking forward:– Plant science research– Neuroscience research– Africa– Institute for Government – Arts– Mental Health– Science & Engineering Education

PROMOTING TECHNICAL SKILLS

WHAT IS A TECHNICIAN?

Cannot be assumed from:‒ job tit le‒ level or type of education

Technicians are concerned with applying proven techniques and procedures to the solution of practical problems. They carry supervisory or technical responsibil ity and are competent to exercise creativity and skil ls within defined fields of science and technology’

(Technician Council 2012)

THE NUMBERS

~1.5 mill ion SET technicians

‒ 30% associate professional occupations

‒ 70% are in skil led trades occupations

‒ An aging workforce, 31% of skilled trades and 23% of associate professionals aged 50 or older in 2010

Need for an additional 450,000 technicians by 2020

TECHNICIAN NUMBERS

With a need for an additional 450,000 technicians

by 2020

SOLVING THE PROBLEM

Qualifications- Recognised- Reputable- Rigorous

Infrastructure- Availabil ity- Teaching Staff- Facilit ies

Funding

SUPPLY ISSUES

‒ Technicians’ contributions to the economy, and to our lives, are not sufficiently recognised – as a consequence these occupations lack identity;

‒ This lack of identity lowers young people’s desire to explore and enter these occupations;

‒ There are few clear pathways for progression to technician roles.

SOME PROGRESS?

TECHNICIAN REGISTRATION

TECHNICIAN REGISTRATION

‒ Provides clarity and esteem for technician roles,

‒ Sets and maintains high standards for technicians,

‒ Increases the take up of qualif ications that are valued by employers,

‒ Improves access to the professions.

12

QCF LevelProfessional

titles in engineering (and post-nominals)

Professionaltitles in science

(and post-nominals)Typical qualifications possessed

3-4Engineering Technician

(EngTech)Registered Science Technician

(RSciTech)Advanced Apprenticeship,

A-Levels, BTEC National, etc

5-6Incorporated Engineer

(IEng)Registered Scientist

(RSci)Higher Apprenticeship

HND, Foundation Degree or Bachelors’ Degree

7+Chartered

(CEng)Chartered

(CSci, CPhys, CChem, etc)Masters’ Degree

A FRAMEWORK FOR REGISTRATION

– Registered Science Technician (RSciTech)

– Registered Scientist (RSci)

TWO NEW PROFESSIONAL REGISTERS

SCIENCE TECHNICIAN REGISTRATION

• Framework for professional registration - starting at level 3 progression to chartered

• Science awarded by eight professional bodies – benefits of membership

• Voluntary registers now exist across Science, Engineering, IT and Health

• Competence based but with commitment to professional behaviour and professional development

PILOT PROFESSIONAL BODIES

• Association for Science Education (ASE)• Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS)• Institute of Chemical Engineering (IChemE)• Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST)• Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)• Institute of Science and Technology (IST)• Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)• Society of Biology (SoB)

BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION

• Status to the individual

• Clear work-based pathways with progression to higher levels of professionalism

• Clarity for the employer

• Independent and therefore stable

• Links with technicians in other industries

HOW DO I GET ON THE REGISTER?

You need to be:

• a member of a professional body

• competent at the appropriate level

• engage with continuing professional development

What does all this have to do with Access?

ACCESS TO HE AND EMPLOYABILITY PILOT

ACCESS TO HE AND EMPLOYABILITY PILOT

APT

5 FURTHER EDUCATION COLLEGES IN THE SW

RSCGATSBY

PILOT TIMELINE

- Jan 2013 – June 2013 recruitment of colleges

- June 2013 – September 2013 student recruitment and staff development

- October 2013 – RSC induction and student membership

- October 2013 – June 2014 Access to Science pathway including two project units, employability links

- July 2014 Access to Science award and RSciTech award: Target 200 students on the register by the end of the pilot

- Accredited scheme open to other colleges

WHAT IT MEANS IN PRACTICE

- RSC membership with benefits during the Access course and for one year after you finish

- RSciTech after your name recognised by industry and education

- Relevant science project

- 19-23 employability

- 24 plus more for their student loan

- National Awards ceremony

WHAT IT MEANS IN PRACTICE

- Funds to support the college to work with their AVA and the RSC to ensure their Access course is accredited

- A project manager to liaise with all parties

- Support from the RSC to develop links with employers to ensure that project work is relevant

- Student projects judged by the RSC, Gatsby, Employers, College resulting in a high profile awards ceremony.

Trustees have approved further funding to support a National roll out of the pilotFunding to support a further four AVAs this year to work with their FE colleges and the RSC to expand the programme from September 2014

Funding for each selected FE college to support the project in their college

CAVA will be one of the AVAs involved in the expansion of the programme this year. Jill will be contacting each college in the region to invite you to apply to be one of the colleges that benefit from an accredited RSC Access course this year.

YOUR CHANCE TO GET INVOLVED

TO FIND OUT MORE

About the pilot and national roll out jean.scrase@gatsby.org.uk

About the science registershttp://professionalregisters.org/