NYA Update: Youth work sector votes to stay together under one skills council
Friday, August 19, 2011
Has the complex and seemingly ever-changing world of sector skills councils (SSCs) passed you by? Or did SSCs never seem that relevant? Either way, the latest developments in this area are certainly worth noting.
With youth work facing unprecedented changes in funding and employment structures, ensuring workforce quality has never been more important. Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) was delicensed in March this year. Since then the community learning and development sector, of which youth work is a key element, has risked being orphaned. With no clear SSC representing its interests, the sector could be denied access to key development funding only available through the SSC network.
Although not perfect, LLUK's educational identity was regarded as most sympathetic to the sector.
Its "footprint" covered allied sectors such as community development, work-based learning, careers guidance and further education. LLUK did some really important work, including revising the national occupational standards for youth work.
However, in December 2010 the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) decided not to relicense LLUK, which subsequently closed in March 2011. As an interim measure, UKCES transferred some of the LLUK footprint to the standards setting organisation, called the Learning and Skills Improvement Service and gave it responsibility for reviewing the national occupational standards, qualifications development and apprenticeship frameworks. In March 2012, a final decision will be implemented on where the different parts of the footprint will go - including youth work.
In June 2011, a wide range of bodies from across the UK representing the youth work sector came together. They agreed that a UK-wide sector consultation was urgently needed. An online survey across a range of predominantly employer networks was devised, and launched in the UK and Ireland.
The survey's results showed overwhelmingly that the sector wants to stay together. Eighty per cent of the 400-plus respondents believed youth work should remain within a community learning and development grouping.
Of the 19 per cent believing youth work should not remain within community learning and development, 83.8 per cent felt it should stand alone. Respondents also clearly identified the future priorities they want an SSC to address.
The results were sent to each devolved government, and to UKCES - which will make the final judgment. It seems unlikely that youth work will find the perfect home. But hopefully within the broader community learning and development family, an SSC will be found that can offer the sector what it needs at this critical time.
