Training delivery models

Linda MillerSenior Research FellowInstitute for Employment Studies

Changes to delivery models

Review of policy backgroundOverview of national

developmentsIES evaluation and emerging

findings

Policy background

In demand: Adult skills for the 21st century (Cabinet Office)

21st Century skills: realising our potential (White paper on national skills strategy)

‘In Demand’

‘A relatively high proportion of UK working population…lacks basic and intermediate skills’

‘A particular problem is the large number of low-skilled adults in the workforce’

‘Tackling basic skills must be the top priority’

‘In Demand’ conclusions

Change must focus on raising demand for WFD from both employers and individuals

Action plan included breaking down barriers to participation, reform of funding, building capacity and reform of qualifications

Introduction of the ETPs

Employer Training Pilots (ETPs) Announced in April 2002 budget; 6

pilots commenced September 2002; extended in 2003 with further 6; extended again in April 2004 budget

Aim ‘to increase demand for training by reducing barriers which prevent people - particularly those with lower skills - from training’

Employer Training Pilots

To explore impact on demand for training up to L2 of providing a package of support that includes: free training programmes support for employers to meet costs of

giving staff paid time off to train brokerage of training and ensuring

training provided in way that suits needs

IAG (and now includes initial ITN)

Employer Training Pilots

Now in second yearPilot design: offer varies by area to

determine impact of number of hours training funded (2

levels) level of wage compensation (3 levels)

Outcomes measured include uptake, completions, qualifications employer and employee perceptions

The ETP training process

Training is workplace oriented

Takes around 100 hours to complete (over 7 to 8 months)

Learners spend about half the time in contact with trainers (on assessment, training and portfolio building)

IES evaluation of ETPs

Over 9,000 employers and 50,000 learners involved

Take-up faster than in the first yearOriginal pilots still recruiting stronglyParticipant profile largely unchangedContinued need to focus on hard to

reach

5,000 learners now at level 242 per cent of early starters have

completed

Low drop-out, high satisfaction

some learners say they learn little new, but do tend to gain both UK and confidence in their ability; and

most want to do further training - mainly at level 3

‘Assess Train Assess’ in ETPs

Emerging feature of around 50% of ETPs is use of ‘ATA’ approach

initial assessment, identify skills gaps, deliver appropriate training, re-assess

21st Century Skills

‘skills gaps remain stubbornly persistent’

‘market failures inhibit take up of training by those with few or no qualifications’

‘We are learning important lessons from the [ETPs] about the key factors motivating employers and learners’

Second major national initiative

LSC Sector Skill Pilots Second major initiative aimed at

addressing: specific learning and skills gaps failure to reach certain groups; and testing range of delivery and funding

models

LSC Sector skill pilots

Local evaluations to IES framework

IES meta-analysis of SSP outcomes

Sector skill pilot coverage

Range of pilots (28 at present, more in development) include cleaning, care, school support, ITQ

Pilots test various models for developing skills in sectors

Around 30,000 learners 2003-2004

Over 4500 employers involved

Interim SSP findings

Findings vary with nature of sector pilots, but across sectors, findings are:

high achievement rates (anecdotal)

some difficulty in engaging employers

importance of ‘up-front learner assessment to determine learning needs in general and basic skill needs in particular’

The emergence of assess-train-assess21st Century skills:

‘Training programmes, particularly those provided for employers, should start by assessing people’s existing knowledge and skills, so that skills gaps can be identified and training targeted at filling those gaps’

ETP ‘embodies best practice...in training to the gaps using ATA’

SSP outcomes emphasise this also

The ATA project

DfES-funded project to look at good practice in assess-train-assess models of staff development identify good practice and draw out

guidance identify staff development & other

issuesIES with Nick Stratton (FERA)December 03 - August 04

ATA project method

Trawl for potential ATA contacts via FERA, AOC, TUC, CBI, LLSCs, RDAs, ALI, LSDA, SSCs……

Phone contact and interviewSet of questions to determine

what organisations are doing Case study visits to range of

organisations

ATA project progress

What have we found? Trawl generated ~ 80 potential

examples More than 40 contacted Identified range of practice in

colleges, private training providers & employers

Around quarter way through visits (plan on 24 - 30 case studies)

Findings?

ATA most frequently encountered in context of NVQs

COVEs and Business Development Units

Variations in practice at A, at T and at A!

Emerging findings

Initial assessment sensitivity/clients inappropriate with ‘menu/volunteerism’ can be unwieldy to offer full APL system,

hence little accreditation of ‘experience’

Training easiest to modify when working 1:1 or bespoke training (>6), but computers help

Next steps

Draw out good practice guidance - but likely to be ‘horses for courses’

Publication later this yearWould appreciate views from

participants on implications of attempts to widen use of ATA