How can HE meet the needs of voluntary sector work based learning in Wales

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How can HE meet the needsof voluntary sector
workbased learning in Wales?

• Kathryn Addicott, Dr. Robert Payne, Prof. Danny
  Saunders
• University of Glamorgan

FACE Conference July 2008 York St. John
University
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Aims

• Background
• Methodology
• Case Studies
• Findings
• Dilemmas
• Conclusions

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Intro Policy imperatives

• Wales a Vibrant Economy
• Learning Country II
• Skills that Work for Wales
• Webb Review

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Intro Pending developments

• Forthcoming ACL Review
• NEETs strategy for Wales
• Strategy for Older People in Wales
• Communities Next
• Heads of the Valleys regeneration
• Sector Skills Councils (but not voluntary
  organisations)

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Background

• Based on research undertaken for Higher Education
  Funding Council for Wales an HE collaborative
  feasibility study
• Strategic development of high level learning
  for the workforce in Wales

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The Research

• 5 case studies investigating work-based learning
  and the potential for recognising prior learning
  within a sample of voluntary sector workforces
  based in South Wales.

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Key areas of research

• Organisational context and profile
• Interpretations of work-based learning
• Content and accreditation of higher level
  learning and development (current and future)
• Assessment and evaluation of provision
• Accreditation, certification and potential for
  recognition of prior learning.

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Methodology

• Face to face, semi-structured interviews
• Desk study of relevant organisational documents

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Sample of Voluntary Organisations

• Diverse in terms of
• size
• geographical area of operation, and
• targeted beneficiaries

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Voluntary Organisations

• Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA)
• Voluntary Action Cardiff (VAC)
• Black Voluntary Sector Network Wales (BVSNW)
• British Red Cross
• Llamau

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WCVA

• Infrastructure organisation providing support for
  the voluntary sector across Wales.
• 120 paid staff
• Provides funding, training, information, advice,
  research and policy activities
• Attendees on WCVA training are its own staff,
  staff or volunteers from its member voluntary
  organisations, some from public private sector

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VAC

• Infrastructure organisation providing support for
  the voluntary sector in Cardiff
• 21 paid staff
• Provides info, advice, training, networking
• Attendees on VAC training are its staff, staff or
  volunteers from its member voluntary organisations

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BVSNW

• Infrastructure organisation actively represents,
  supports and promotes the interests of the Black
  Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and BME
  voluntary sector in Wales
• 8 paid staff
• Attendees on BVSNW training are public and
  voluntary sector staff and volunteers, and BME
  groups

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British Red Cross

• Large UK national charity offering unconditional
  help to all people in need
• Diverse range of services e.g. first aid, medical
  loan, skin camouflage, transport services,
  support for refugees and support for older
  persons
• 182 paid staff and 1,863 volunteers in Wales
• Range of training to its paid staff and
  volunteers, as well as first aid training for the
  public

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Llamau

• Small to medium sized charity working across
  South Wales to improve the lives of socially
  excluded, homeless people
• 190 paid staff
• Provides specialist advice, accommodation and
  support to homeless young people
• Attendees on Llamaus training are its staff and
  service users

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Findings

• Diversity of training provision re type
  duration of delivery, informal accredited, for
  staff, volunteers, the public, service users
• Face to face, non-accredited learning still
  predominant in majority of voluntary
  organisations
• Majority of training provided in house, 1
  organisation used all external consultants

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Findings

• Questions re Credibility of HE
• Limited capacity and resources to embark on
  accreditation
• Limited experience of APEL, but capability and
  willingness with training
• The need for development of quality assurance
  systems for training providers
• Tension between accreditation and volunteering
  ethos

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Dilemmas

• Flexibility Bite sized learning
• Innovation in Assessments
• APL/APEL
• Resources/Capacity
• Course Tutors
• Generic Course Content
• Credit and Qualification Pathways

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Flexibility bite sized learning

• Many of our staff have completed a number of
  short accredited and non-accredited courses.
  Because of limited resources, it is difficult to
  commit to longer term courses, and so although
  keen to achieve higher level accreditation, we
  are concerned about the knock on effects on
  workload and work/life balance. Can they opt in
  and out of small sections of courses and within
  what kind of timescale would they need to
  complete the whole thing?

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Innovation in Assessments

• Attendees on our training are diverse in terms
  of age, culture, ethnicity, educational
  background etc. and are a mixture of volunteers
  and staff. Traditional forms of learning and
  assessment will not be suitable for all, can
  accredited provision include creative, innovative
  methods of achieving learning outcomes relevant
  to their work and can they have a choice?

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APL/APEL

• Were not sure whether these courses need to be
  attended by some staff. What is the position of
  staff with international qualifications, can they
  be recognised? Other staff have a wealth of
  experience but little in the way of formal
  qualifications, and the course would be
  repetition for them. However, there would be
  resistance to turgid portfolios as a method, how
  else can their prior experience be measured?

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Resources/Capacity

• For many small to medium sized voluntary
  organisations there is no capacity to embark on
  the accreditation process due to the level of
  administration etc., is it possible for us as an
  infrastructure organisation to act as a gateway
  for these smaller organisations, to minimise the
  bureaucratic burden?

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Course Tutors

• If we get our courses accredited can we use our
  existing tutors as they have delivered our
  courses for years and we get great feedback from
  attendees. What about the external private and
  public sector providers that we use, can they
  also continue to be used?

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Generic course content

• The trouble with management courses is that
  theyre not particularly relevant to our staff.
  All the references and examples they use are from
  the private or public sector. We want voluntary
  organisation examples and case studies which
  reflect the cultures, structures and diversity of
  the sector.

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Credit and Qualification Pathways

• One of our staff has completed a number of
  non-accredited adult education courses, OCNs at
  level 2 and 3, and management training courses
  offered by a private sector organisation. There
  are several others like her who would like to
  achieve higher education qualifications to
  reflect their knowledge and expertise

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Conclusions

• HE sector will need to address
• Flexibility of provision
• Diverse, appropriate and tailored methods of
  delivery and assessment
• Administrative process and resources
• Greater understanding and knowledge of the
  voluntary sector and its culture, in particular
  the volunteer dynamic its impact on provision
• A multi-layered approach for working with BME
  voluntary networks to encompass both basic and
  higher skills

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Conclusions

• The challenge for the HE sector will be to
  explore future meaningful consultation methods
  and strategies with stakeholders within the
  voluntary sector in order to inform the
  development of accreditation processes, thereby
  ensuring that diverse needs are met

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Contact details

• Kathryn Addicott, Senior Lecturer, Centre for
  Lifelong Learning, University of Glamorgan, 6
  Forest Grove, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL
• 01443 483646
• kaddicot_at_glam.ac.uk