Putting the education back into training!
Dated: 25/08/2010

A debate is re-emerging between the educational establishment and the deliverers and proponents of competence based work-based learning.

Putting the education back into training!
ALP Chief Executive, Graham Hoyle, writes, 'A debate is re-emerging between the educational establishment and the deliverers and proponents of competence based work-based learning. For some years the merits of skill development based on the value of developing, assessing and accrediting (celebrating) competences has gathered significant momentum and credibility within the broad spectrum of the world of 'education and training'. Despite the increased value being attributed to skills and competences there has remained a strong body of thought bemoaning the claimed lack of rigour and knowledge at the core of the 'skills agenda'.
One of its most recent claims surrounded the supposed lack of educational value within the Train to Gain programme, suggesting it was merely a low value-adding programme based on assessing current skills, with little additional skill development. Many training providers of course knew different (and better), but collectively have probably not shouted loud enough about the substantial and additional skill development delivered via adult work based learning.
At the same time as questions are being re-asked about the 'quality of the learning experience' the inevitable cutbacks in Government funding are prompting providers to argue that hard to find funding should be focused more directly on the measurable outcomes, and indeed impact, of work-based learning programmes (including of course Apprenticeships). Less of the scarce resources available should be directed at the monitoring/inspection of the learning process and all the bureaucratic data collection used to justify 'how' the desired outcomes are achieved.
What we have are two areas of tension coming together at a time of public expenditure cuts. The educationists are seeking to exploit the recent change of Government to claw back the ground lost to competence based skill development, re-emphasising the traditional educationalists' mantra that 'knowledge is all'. A move back to off the job theory is their desire. On the other hand, the purveyors of work based learning, whilst in no way seeking to minimise the position of the necessary theory essential for the building of genuine competence, are seeing the need to reduce Government expenditure as an opportunity to jettison much of the bureaucracy, process and ill-focused off the job learning still holding back effective skill development.
ALP is currently organising a series of workshops around the country, not only to debate the pros and cons of these arguments, but also to allow successful work based learning providers to share their vast experience in delivering skills through the development and assessment of competences, and collectively share their reality with both officials and ministers. The debate is a critical one and has the potential to significantly shape the development of skills over the next few years'.
ALP will be contacting members (and others) to gauge the levels of interest for a half day debate very shortly