Skills Committee Newsletter No.1 (January 2010)
Welcome to this, the first edition of the Skills Committee newsletter in 2010. As we enter a new decade, I would like to wish everyone involved in taking forward Scotland's skills agenda a very happy New Year.
Once again, this issue provides an overview of progress on the work of the Committee. I hope you find it interesting to read what was discussed at our meeting in November 2009 and my thanks go to Audrey MacDougall from Scottish Government, Analytical Services Unit, for leading members in a workshop on measuring the performance of the Committee. We will use the outcome of our discussions to prioritise our work and develop methods of measuring our success in the future. So, watch this space for more information.
I'm also delighted to bring you the latest news on wider skills issues and, as ever, you can contribute to future editions of the newsletter by emailing your news and items to fbates@sfc.ac.uk.
I hope you enjoy reading this edition of the newsletter!
Dr Janet Lowe CBE
Chair of the Skills Committee
Contents
Committee business
Skills round-up
Debating labour market research
The Part-Time Forum
Sector profiles published
National Jobs Summit - Keep Scotland Working
Forthcoming Skills Committee meeting
Contact and further information
Committee business
Towards Ambition 2020: Skills, Jobs, Growth
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has published Towards Ambition 2020: Skills, Jobs, Growth; its advice to the UK Government on the skills policies and strategies needed to enable the UK to become one of the top eight countries in the world for skills.
Designed to ensure the UK becomes world class by 2020, the report focuses on three key priorities: building employer ambition and engagement with skills; motivating people to develop their skills; and empowering learners and employers to drive the supply and performance of the employment and skills systems. The recommendations in the report also recognise that, in a time of pressure on public expenditure, government's policy intent must be to maximise the proportion of public investment that reaches front-line teaching and learning.
The Committee welcomed the fact that UKCES are preparing a version of the report, which is more tailored to the skills policy context and priorities in Scotland. This document will be published early in 2010 and the Committee will consider its recommendations thereafter.
and SFC to strengthen response to economic recession
Through the SDS-led Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) service, a number of very successful projects are helping those made redundant get back into work. Over 240 companies and 14,600 individuals have accessed support services so far and SFC as made additional resources available to colleges most affected by youth unemployment. ScotAction projects - designed to support apprenticeship activity - are also providing new opportunities to businesses and young people (see also the recent circular by SFC that includes further guidance to colleges and universities on PACE in Circular SFC/01/2010.
SDS and SFC will now begin work to identify robust methods of measuring the impact of interventions and the additional resources that have been made available. They will also look at how SDS and SFC actions can be joined up to prevent the duplication of interventions and maximise their impact.
Skills strategy to support Scottish textiles industry
The Committee has considered a draft action plan for supporting the skills needs of the textiles industry.
The need for an action plan has arisen from the fact that Skillfast-UK, the Sector Skills Council for fashion and textiles, has not been relicensed. The draft plan proposes activities to develop management and leadership; build job-related skills; increase skills utilisation; and attract new talent into the industry.
The Committee welcomed these proposals and the important work already done to identify the problems facing the Scottish textiles industry and how they can be addressed. It has asked SFC and to produce a more detailed plan that involves the work of a range of stakeholders, including employers and the Scottish Government, to make sure a strategy is developed that is focussed and aligned.
Learning to Work Two: Action Plan
Further to the 2009 consultation on Learning to Work, the SFC executive has drafted an Action Plan. This includes actions to build on employability through the establishment of sector networks; actions to create new work- related learning and work placement projects; actions to develop enterprise and entrepreneurship; action on workforce development; and proposals for monitoring and evaluation.
Since the Committee met, SFC has published a circular detailing the consultation outcomes and Action Plan. It also invites proposals for strategic projects around the key themes that this strategy has identified, for example, student work placements schemes. You can read more about these in Circular SFC/41/2009.
NHS Education for Scotland and SFC: working together to address skills needs
Since May 2008, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and SFC have been working together to establish and address skills needs. Good progress has been made on most of the 15 actions detailed in the joint action plan, including the delivery of Aberdeen Dental School. Further progress is still to be made on activities related to patient safety and the development of projects to encourage interprofessional learning. Also, the SFC/NES forum, set up as a result of the memorandum of understanding between the two bodies, has been successful in channelling information on skills needs from the territorial health boards and projects being developed with the education sector; news that was welcomed by the Committee.
is also in talks with NES to develop a shared work plan.
Renewable Energy and Skills Group powers ahead
The RESG has produced a work plan which is aligned to the Scottish Government's Renewables Action Plan (July 2009). This brings together employers, higher education, industry and key public bodies in a time bound action plan. The plan is organised into four themes: Intelligence, Sector Recruitment and Attractiveness, Standards and Qualifications, and Provision; each owned by different organisations. The Group will report to the Scottish Government's Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS).
Workforce Development Action Group now up and running
Set up by the Skills Committee, the Workforce Development Action Group has now held two meetings. Led by Linda McKay, Committee member and Principal of Forth Valley College, the group has taken the first steps towards developing a strategic approach to workforce development and will report to the Committee on its work in May 2010.
Why do college learners make the decisions they do?
SFC is to publish the findings of additional analysis undertaken on the SFC learner choice survey.
The SFC report, Choosing to learn, learning to choose (2007) revealed that information was available on learner motivation and choice in relation to the university sector. However, similar information was limited when it came to the college sector.
The report will be published on the SFC website as soon as it is available.
Skills utilisation projects: progress report
The Skills Utilisation programme of 12 projects, launched in June 2009, to develop and conduct action research on new approaches to the effective use of skills in Scotland, is underway.
SFC has been involved in early discussions relating to the key challenges around skills utilisation and how these link with supply and demand issues and measuring the impact of improved skills utilisation.
The individual projects will each contribute to an overall action plan, and biannual meetings of project managers will take place to allow information on issues, challenges and, indeed, progress to be exchanged.
Finally, the Skills Utilisation Cross-Sectoral Network, set up to connect organisations in the public, private and third sectors with an interest in encouraging better use of workplace skills, met for the first time on 15 September. It discussed how it could promote key messages about better skills use and how partners could work together to support each other. It will meet again in January 2010.
Skills round-up
Plans unveiled for a Graduate Programme in Policing Studies
In June 2009 the Council awarded funding of up to £150,000 over four years to the University of Dundee as the lead institution for the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR), with matched funding from the Scottish Police Services Authority, towards a project which would develop a Graduate Programme in Policing Studies in Scotland - something which does not currently exist, but for which demand has been demonstrated.
SIPR is a strategic collaboration between 12 of Scotland's universities and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS); it is partly funded by the Scottish Funding Council through SRDG (£1.18 million) and offers a range of opportunities for conducting relevant, applicable research to help the police meet the challenges of the 21st century and for achieving international excellence for policing research in Scotland. SIPR derives other funding from ACPOS (£1 million) and £5.8 million from participating HEIs, for its research work.
Initially the partners intend to develop a post-graduate diploma/MSc in policing studies, specifically tailored to meet the needs of the Scottish criminal justice system.
Debating labour market research
Academics and policy makers gathered at a symposium at Exchange@29 in Glasgow on 10 December 2009 to debate new research on skills in the Scottish labour market. Working with the Economic and Social Research Council, the Scottish Centre for Employment Research (SCER) at Strathclyde University has been examining skills issues in a range of jobs across the Scottish labour market. With support from the Scottish Government and the Wise Group, four researchers have used Scottish survey and case study data to underpin their doctoral theses. This also includes specific work on skills and training for the unemployed. Some 50 academics and policy makers attended the event, organised by Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council.
Our particular thanks goes to the presenters Shiona Chillas (St Andrews University), Dr. Pauline Anderson (Glasgow Caledonian University), Dr Scott Hurrell (Stirling University) and Dr Anne Marie Cullen (Strathclyde University), also to Professor Chris Warhurst from SCER for chairing the event and to Dr Patrick Watt from for the organisation.
Skills Development Scotland and the Funding Council will continue this series of expert seminars during 2010. We will tell you more about them in the next edition of our newsletter.
The Part-Time Forum
Making part-time learning work for Scotland: the way ahead
The Part-Time Forum 2010 was held on 11 January.
Organised by the University of the West of Scotland and The Open University, the annual conference brought together Scotland's leading players in learning and skills development to debate and explore the latest thinking on how to make part-time learning work more effectively for Scotland. Among the keynote speakers were Keith Brown MSP, Minister for Schools and Skills and Dr Janet Lowe CBE, Chair of the Skills Committee who provided an insight into part-time learning and Scotland's employment and skills objectives.
Presentation - Employability and Skills: the next steps [PPT]
Sector profiles published
The Alliance of Sector Skills Council's in Scotland has published the latest in a series of industry sector profiles. Based on data obtained from the Scottish Employers Skill Survey (2008), the profiles detail the key characteristics of 23 Sector Skills Council industry footprints, including an overview report, and provide information on recruitment, workforce development and human resource management. View the profiles and a cross-sectoral summary report.
National Jobs Summit - Keep Scotland Working
A national Jobs Summit, designed to address economic recovery, was held in Glasgow on 11 January 2010.
Speaking at the event, First Minister Alex Salmond outlined new allocations from the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund that will help 28,000 people obtain work or sustain opportunities through skills development and support the creation of 193 jobs.
Forthcoming Skills Committee meetings
11 February 2010
20 May 2010
26 August 2010
2 December 2010
Contact and further information
We welcome contributions from colleges, universities and employers to our newsletter. Please contact Fiona Bates, Clerk to the Skills Committee, Skills and Funding Policy Group, Scottish Funding Council, Tel: 0131 313 6586, email: fbates@sfc.ac.uk to make a contribution, request further information, or add your name to the distribution list.
Further information regarding the work of the Committee and access to papers is available at Skills Committee.