Download - Care Leavers and employability (WS06)
Recognition of Prior Learning and Looked After Young People
www.celcis.org
• represents a possible method for recognising achievements obtained beyond school and college;
• potential benefits of RPL profiling include widening of career and opportunity awareness, motivational benefits, and increased self esteem.
Recognition of Prior Learning:
The SCQF
• aims to help learners develop the skills they need for learning, life and work, and has a strong emphasis on the development of well-rounded individuals;
• encapsulated in the four capacities: successful learner; confident individual; responsible citizen; effective contributor;
• experiences and outcomes describe the expectations for learning and progression in all areas of the curriculum.
The Curriculum for Excellence:
• in 2011, 16,000 children were looked after in Scotland;
• statistics linking social work and educational data have highlighted relatively poor educational outcomes for looked after children;
• looked after children, in common with many other children with unstable pasts, are often not resilient.
RPL and Looked After Children:
• factors contributing to the success of adults and young people who had previously been looked after include:– having people who cared about them;– experiencing stability;– being given high expectations;– receiving encouragement and support;– being able to participate and achieve.
• Celebrating Success, 2006
RPL and Looked After Children:
• advisors were recruited from West Lothian and East Renfrewshire and received training;
• advisors completed RPL profiling with young people of their choice;
• thirteen advisors attended the initial training day, and eight advisors completed RPL profiling;
• thirteen young people consented to taking part, and 12 completed RPL profiling.
Pilot:
• open discussion and observation took place at the training day and support sessions;
• questionnaires were completed by advisors before RPL profiling;
• questionnaires were completed by young people before and after profiling;
• advisors and young people were interviewed (separately) after profiling.
• eight advisors and eight young people took part in the research evaluation.
Research Evaluation:
• what were the outcomes of undertaking RPL profiling?
• did the young people find it useful in clarifying learning and training ambitions?
• were the materials suitable for use by looked after children?
• were advisors able to adapt to their role?
Research Questions:
The MSMF Toolkit:
Step 1 ‘My Experience’
activity
Step 2 ‘My Experience’
Review
Step 3 ‘Who do you
think you are?’
Step 4 ‘My Examples’
activity
Step 5 ‘SCQF Benchmarking’
activity
Step 6 ‘My Skills’ activity
Step 7 ‘My Future’ Skills
Profile Activity
Optional CfE activity
Working Through the MSMF Toolkit:
‘My Experiences’ Cards:
• young people choose 2 or 3 of these cards (out of a possible 30);
• they tick the skills that represent their actual experience;
• in ‘who do you think you are? Young people count symbols to find out their skill personality.
Who Do You Think You Are?
My Examples:
SCQF Benchmarking:
My Skills:
My Future:
• links between Experiences and Outcomes and ‘My Experiences’ activity cards;
• identified experiences and outcomes can be selected by hand, or can be entered onto a young person’s Glow account. They can be used to help the young person to express their skills on their skills profile.
MSMF and CfE:
• identify relevant experiences and outcomes and levels, and record these in the skills profile.
My Experience Cards – Links to CfE:
Perspective of an Advisor.
Tam Hall, Youth JusticeWest Lothian Council.
• what were the outcomes of undertaking RPL profiling?
• did the young people find it useful in clarifying learning and training ambitions?
• were the materials suitable for use by looked after children?
• were advisors able to adapt to their role?
Research Questions:
• engagement with process;• increased self esteem;• getting recognition;• increased skills/ self awareness;• increased motivation and ambition;• feeling nurtured.
Outcomes of Profiling:
• career and opportunity awareness;
• suitability of materials for looked after children;
• were advisors able to adapt to their role?
• first impressions – what are the pros and cons of using this toolkit?
• what are the potential benefits for your client group?
• what would you like to see for the future?
Group Activity:
• many of the resilience building and success promoting factors previously associated with RPL profiling occurred during the pilot;
• although not all of the young people experienced all of these outcomes, benefits for many of the young people included:
• engagement with the process;• increased skills/ self awareness;• feelings of being nurtured;• recognition of skills;• increased self-esteem;• increased motivation and ambition.
Summary of Findings:
• advisors reported that increased awareness of career options occurred more than increased awareness of opportunities during RPL profiling;
• advisors and young people stated that the materials would be suitable for use with looked after children;
• advisors were able to adapt effectively to the role of RPL advisor with the training and support given, irrespective of their professional background.
Findings:
• one and a half day training course being run by CELCIS at Glasgow Caledonian University on 23rd April and 18th June;
• toolkit training by SCQF;• formal accreditation;• use with other SQA accredited awards, such as PDA on self-
awareness;• study on views of end users;• potential application within Scottish Government Learner Journey
Project;• potential use by colleges as part of the pre-application stage;• value of making the toolkit electronic and interactive;• relationship building with universities and colleges.
Next Steps:
• [email protected]• [email protected]
• CELCIS: www.celcis.org.uk• GCU(LEAD): [email protected]• SCQF: [email protected]
• Publications: http://www.celcis.org/resources/entry/recognition_of_prior_learning_and_looked_after_young_people
Contact details: