E-SKILLS: THE NATIONAL RESPONSE

1. E-SKILLS: THE NATIONAL RESPONSE …developing e-skills for inclusion and productivity. Michael Stark Head of Skills and Workforce Development Learning & Skills Council E-Skills Summit, 28 May 2002

2. E-skills for inclusion and productivity 1: National strategy for adult skills 2: E-skills for professionals and users 3: E-learning and e-assessment 4: Some big issues.

3. E-skills for inclusion and productivity 1: National strategy for adult skills 2: E-skills for professionals and users 3: E-learning and e-assessment 4: Some big issues.

4. LSC vision By 2010, young people and adults in England will have knowledge and productive skills matching the best in the world.

5. Percentage of the population aged 16-65 by document literacy level 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 US UK Ireland Poland Canada Sweden Australia Germany Netherlands Belgium (Fl.) New Zealand Switz. (French) Switz. (German) Source: IALS, 1995 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4/5

6. Participation Participation in education & training within England by age 8,000,000 7,000,000 6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 50 3,000,000 47% % 41% 2,000,000 70 81% % 30% 1,000,000 0 17-19 years 20-24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 55-64 years Age Source: Mid Year Population Estimates, ONS 2000 Population Estimates, 2000 Participation Rates, 1999 Participation in Education and Training by Age Groups: Sargant, (2000)

7. Adult achievement Target: to raise achievement for adults By 2004: 73% to Level 2 (2000: 69%) – up 1.2 million 52% at Level 3 (2000: 47%) – up 1.5 million

8. Employer engagement Target: To raise employer engagement in workforce development Measure: an index of key indicators Measured by: self-assessment and survey.

9. Workforce Development – LSC and PIU • Apr 01: LSC created • Nov 01: Cabinet Office (PIU) report • Apr 02: LSC Workforce Dev’t strategy (draft) • Jul 02: LSC strategy & PIU final report – linked to new funding/ entitlements/ regulation /incentives?

10. LSC workforce development strategy • A radical approach to upskilling adults • Creating a demand-led system: • Focus on employers – productivity and competitiveness • Focus on employees – jobs and progression • Improving supply and building capacity • Shared measures of progress. Download from: http://www.lsc.gov.uk/documents_list.cfm?categoryId=3

11. Funding adult learning • Colleges/other FE - £2 billion • Work-based learning 19-24: £300 million • Adult and community - £200 million. LSC spends £2.5b through block grant to providers: But employers spend 10 times as much. How could LSC spend its money differently to link the two better?

12. E-skills for inclusion and productivity 1: National strategy for adult skills 2: E-skills for professionals and users 3: E-learning and e-assessment 4: Some big issues.

13. E-skills for professionals and users LSC and E-Skills UK ICT qualifications project: • Aims to align vendor and public qualifications • Works with real cases – assesses individual competence and gaps • Aims to re-align • qualifications • assessment • Funding • Links to Microsoft Mouse/ OCR agreement.

14. E-skills for professionals and users Project to extend Level 2 user qualifications: • Aiming for large increase in take-up • Firmly within new ICT qualifications framework • Employer/ employability focus • Develop and disseminate learning materials (BBC Webwise, learndirect, other) • Reduce costs, improve completion rates, establish consistency and relevance.

15. E-skills for inclusion and productivity 1: National strategy for adult skills 2: E-skills for professionals and users 3: E-learning and e-assessment 4: Some big issues.

16. E-learning and e-assessment LSC e-learning strategy to support formal and informal e-learning: • National Learning Network (alongside JANET and NGfL) • 300 hours of excellent learning materials eg • Communications (Level 1) • Management (Level 4) • Support for employer e-networks eg automotive, finance, health • Aligning vendor certificates with qualifications

17. E-learning and e-assessment E-assessment: NVQs and apprenticeships • “Paperfree” approaches • Trialing on- and off-line e-assessment • Contextualising basic and key skills testing • Testing within adult apprenticeships • Learning from vendor/ other experience.

18. Employer demand • Viewing training as a derived business need • Measuring / increasing bottom line benefits • Government incentives, loan finance • Company/community learning accounts • Rewarding employer engagement.

19. Individual demand • School 14-19 agenda • Entitlements • Information, advice and guidance • Government incentives – from loan to reward • Demonstrating rates of return • Rewarding achievement.

20. E-skills for inclusion and productivity 1: National strategy for adult skills 2: E-skills for professionals and users 3: E-learning and e-assessment 4: Some big issues.

21. Six big issues • Who should pay for e-learning and e-assessment? • How to align qualifications? • Quality / consistency without stifling innovation? • Subsidies without deadweight • Strategic direction within a free market • Measuring and increasing employer engagement.