Centres of Vocational Excellence: heralding a new era for Further Education

Introduction:
In November 2000, the Minister for Education and Employment set out the Government's vision of modernising the role colleges already play in meeting economic challenges. He announced his intention to support colleges in developing Centres of Vocational Excellence. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will be responsible for implementing this new strategy.

£100 million will be dedicated to Centres of Vocational Excellence in financial years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04: £60 million for capital investment and £40 million for recurrent costs.

The LSCs consultation document set out a framework for Centres of Vocational Excellence, how colleges might establish them and build on existing good practice, and the contribution Centres could make in taking colleges to the forefront of skill development in new and traditional sectors. 

What follows is NIACE's Response to this consultation document.

Question 1 – Are there additional operational objectives that Centres of Vocational Excellence should seek to address?

NIACE Comments:
The key operational objectives develop the Government’s vision of modernising colleges to play a key role in the economic agenda. However, the Government has also indicated that Further Education is central to meeting social objectives and the lifelong learning agenda. These underpin and are key to economic prosperity and social cohesion. It would be appropriate for this element of the Government’s vision to be reflected in the operational objectives. The Centres of Vocational Excellence should provide an opportunity to extend equality of opportunity.

In NIACE’s view Centres should:

Question 2 – Are there other ways in which Centres of Vocational Excellence might seek to meet employers’ current and future skills needs?

NIACE Comments:
It is recognised that much of the delivery in the Centres of Vocational Excellence will be at level 3 together with delivery or progression to level 4. However, it is important that the Colleges work together with employers to ensure that many adult learners in the current work force are not disadvantaged by their current level of skill. Progression routes, created by offering level 1 and 2 programmes will be vital to ensure that there will be the widest possible benefit. Support for adult learners, with individual assessment of needs will be essential to ensure their progression. Particular support should be given to learners with disabilities or literacy, numeracy or ESOL needs.

Support for adult learners through flexible on-line and episodic provision would help meet some of the needs of adult learners and would also assist employers to meet their needs in accessing these learners.

Question 3 – How will a Centre of Vocational Excellence attract, retain, develop and reward high quality specialist staff and how will they demonstrate their ability to do so?

NIACE Comments:
Centres will need to develop an identity and existence of their own as a result of additional resources, plant and levels of work. These factors will help to attract staff. In addition, staff must be given time and opportunity to maintain and further enhance their skills, to spend time in industry, commerce and the public and voluntary service, to be involved in secondments for specialist updating, and to have training that can enable them to be at the forefront of their industries. Experts coming from outside must receive appropriate support for developing or enhancing teaching skills. A high quality learning environment for adults, with opportunities to maintain and develop skills, working with industry standard equipment, valued by industry and within a generally better paid sector should all be aimed for. Practical achievement of some of this activity will be the evidence needed to attract and retain staff.

Question 4 – What factors should determine the location and type of specialism of Centres of Vocational Excellence?

NIACE Comments:

Question 5 – What criteria should be used to identify and establish Centres of Vocational Excellence?

NIACE Comments:

Question 6 – Are the support mechanisms we propose establishing sufficient/appropriate? Could the Learning and Skills Council, Learning and Skills Development Agency or the Further Education National Training Organisation do more to support Centres of Vocational Excellence?

NIACE Comments:
Planning for the co-ordination, dissemination and transfer of good practice is welcomed, together with the development of strategies to support the development of the skills of the staff. It may be appropriate to involve the skills of other organisations to ensure that best practice can be achieved through working with adults, ethnic minority groups, learners with physical disabilities etc. It is important to ensure that the broader vision of the Government is achieved and that learners are not excluded by not fully taking account of their circumstances.

There should be support for those with least qualification or experience and those facing other barriers.

NIACE would be happy to assist in ensuring that support was given to make centres "adult friendly".

Any additional comments:

NIACE Comments:

NIACE welcomes the government proposals to introduce Centres of Vocational Excellence within the Further Education sector. This is a positive development that will improve the status of colleges and enable them to work with industry and commerce in a more meaningful way. The Centres of Excellence must be seen as an opportunity to embrace and enhance a more inclusive environment for adult learners. We support the modernisation of the sector to enable it to develop and extend skill levels, to develop higher standards for all learners, to widen participation in learning, and provide and extend opportunity for progression up to higher education. The additional resources to develop the Centres are particularly welcomed. The recognition of the need to dovetail this development with proposals for ICT development in New Technology Institutes is beneficial for all concerned.

As a result of this initiative, Colleges will be better placed to contribute to individual and national prosperity, as expressed by the Government and to creating the necessary high quality of education and training that is needed to underpin future development.

The consultation paper makes a clear and sound economic argument for the development of the Centres. However, the case for development needs to:

NIACE notes and applauds that the Centres will be expected to develop learning opportunities that meet both the needs of learners and employers in relation to time, method, location and in terms of learning outcomes. In particular, the Centres will be expected to develop ‘strategies to promote access from those groups traditionally excluded from learning or disadvantaged in the labour market.’ Clear commitment to these aims, and planning must be a feature in applications to become Centres of Excellence, and appropriate targets and monitoring be a feature of their existence. In this way we can avoid any potential full /part time divide and ensure that access is kept as wide as possible.

There is a concern that if the Centres of Excellence are to be developed with industry standard equipment, and in some cases, heavy plant, then they will of necessity be located in single regional centres. If provision does end up by being concentrated in particular colleges, students will have to travel to benefit from this new excellence. Who is to pay for the travelling costs? In some areas, is there an adequate travel infrastructure? Adult learners are most likely to suffer from deficiencies in these areas. Access to facilities needs to be planned so that individuals are not denied the opportunity to benefit.

Colleges must recognise that becoming a Centre of Excellence would be an enormous privilege and advantage. They must be prepared to share their expertise and to extend the benefits as widely as possible. They must ensure that advice, progression routes and support is available to underpin the extension of excellence as widely as possible. The Centres of Excellence must be developed as hubs of partnerships among colleges to avoid potential destruction of opportunities in a local area. Not all colleges can be Centres of Vocational Excellence, and those not included must not be perceived as second best. Excellence in providing access, opportunity, working in outreach and in communities is significant for adult learners, and deserves recognition and support. Gaining the benefits of excellence in developing vocational skills must not result in access to those opportunities becoming exclusive or moving away from a policy of inclusion.

NIACE welcomes:

However , we would like to see:

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