Ben Gittus, Qualifications and Standards Manager

1

• Ben Gittus, Qualifications and Standards Manager
• National Occupational Standards
• in Sport and Recreation

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National Occupational Standards

• Not aware of the Standards, not really heard of
  them
• Heard of them but not sure what they are, maybe
  even a negative impression
• Know about the Standards and their uses, help to
  write them, use them or plan to use them

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National Occupational Standards provide the
building blocks and the structure for the sector

• Vital for
• Qualifications
• Training and professional development
• Recognition of a profession
• Communicating what we are all about to others
• Establishing a career structure

• Focal point for many workforce development issues

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What are National Occupational Standards?

• Nationally agreed definition and benchmark of
  knowledge, skills and competences needed to do a
  particular job, or part of a job

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What Are National Occupational Standards (NOS)?

• NOS are not training courses
• NOS are based on an analysis of a job and
  describe competences in that job
• NOS are written as outcomes not training inputs
• Competence means
• the ability to apply knowledge, understanding,
  practical and thinking skills to be effective in
  a work role.
• NOS are approved at national level and cover the
  whole of the UK
• NOS are subject to continuous review and updating

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How Are NOS Developed?

• Developed by the industry
• Carry out functional analysis to
• Identify the main functions needed in the job
• Develop NOS units to describe competence in each
  main function
• Consult on a UK level and refine the NOS
• Gain approval at UK level
• Promote NOS and their use to relevant employers
  and other bodies
• Subject NOS to regular review and keep them fit
  for purpose

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What Do NOS Contain?

• Front page summary
• A number of elements (can-do statements
  covering required skills)
• Each element contains
• What you must do (competent outcomes)
• What you must cover (different contexts)
• The knowledge that someone needs to perform
  competently
• Levels

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What Can NOS Be Used For (1)?

• Labour Market Analysis and Planning e.g.
• Identifying trends in skill requirements
• Monitoring and addressing national and local
  skill shortages
• Performance Management, e.g.
• Setting individual targets
• Monitoring performance against targets

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What Can NOS Be Used For (2)?

• Job Design and Evaluation e.g.
• Developing job descriptions
• Updating job descriptions
• Criteria for job evaluation and grading
• Criteria for payment and reward
• Recruitment and Selection e.g.
• Identifying performance requirements for a job
• Preparing job ads
• Interview checklists
• Designing induction and initial training

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What Can NOS Be Used For (3)?

• Identifying Training Needs e.g.
• Identifying strategic, group and individual
  training needs
• Identifying prior learning and competence
• Designing Learning Programmes e.g.
• Linking training outcomes to competence
  requirements
• Developing learning objectives

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What Can NOS Be Used For (4)?

• Assessing and Developing Achievement e.g.
• Specification for assessment
• Basis for self-assessment
• Basis for peer/group assessment
• Continuing professional development
• Qualification Design e.g.
• Basis for Scottish/National Vocational
  Qualifications
• Method of benchmarking other types of
  qualifications against competence requirements

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Used extensively elsewhere

• Register of Exercise Professionals
• Employers set the Standards
• Education providers match courses to the
  standards approved
• Successful individuals from courses join the
  Register
• Employers only employ people on the Register
• who can then work to the Standards

IT Construction
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Full suite of Standards for Sport

• Professional Development Board
• Framework of Standards for Sport
• Coaching
• Sports Development
• Sporting Excellence
• Leisure Management
• Administration and Governance
• Officiating
• Leadership

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Sports Development

• Group consisting of reps from Sport England,
  NASD, County Sport Partnerships, National
  Governing Bodies and HE
• Meetings every three months
• Specialist groups if required
• Level 3 complete
• Level 4 consultation

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Sports Development

• Manage your own resources and professional
  development
• Contribute to change through implementing and
  reviewing strategy and policy
• Provide leadership in your area of responsibility
  
• Promote equality and diversity in sport and
  physical activity
• Ensure the health, safety, welfare and security
  of customers and staff
• Sports Development Knowledge Requirements
• Facilitate community-based sport and physical
  activity
• Support the development of sport and physical
  activity in education
• Volunteers, Project Management, Abusive Behaviour

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Leisure Management

• Developed in parallel to Sports Development
• Professional Bodies
• By 2008 all membership categories at whatever
  category or level will be assessed against an
  agreed skills framework, where possible this
  framework will be the relevant approved national
  occupational standards
• New Professional Institute Prospectus

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Coaching

• Level 2 Plan, deliver and evaluate coaching
  sessions
• Level 3 (and above) Plan and implement a
  programme
• Additional areas media, train to train,
  lifestyle, nutrition, performance analysis
• Many NGBs involved, international experts
• Used in the development of the knowledge and
  skills framework and UKCC criteria

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Sporting Excellence

• Developed recently for the first time
• Largely for use in the Advanced Apprenticeship in
  Sporting Excellence
• Plan, develop and apply your technical Skills
• Plan and develop your own physical conditioning
• Plan, develop and apply your tactical Skills
• Develop the attitudes and mental skills necessary
  for excellent
• performance
• Manage own lifestyle
• Manage your own career
• Communicate and work effectively with others
• Maintain the health and safety of self and others

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Administration and Governance

• New project
• No standards at present
• Feasibility study
• CCPR, UK Sport, Sport England, ECB, Swimming
• Project to Feb 07, Get involved
• Relationships with international sports bodies
• Ethics, rules and regulations for sport
• Develop the organisations membership
• Seek to influence policies and decisions relating
  to sport
• Competitive structure for sport
• Anti-doping, child protection and equity in sport
  
• Manage discipline, complaints and appeals in
  sport
• Safeguard rights relating to sport
• Selection of teams and representatives
• Develop and provide facilities for sport and
  recreation

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Officiating

• New suite of Standards
• Sports Officials UK
• 20 NGBs
• Level 2
• apply rules/laws within the spirit of the
  sport/activity
• Contribute to the health, safety and protection
  of participants
• Effective working relationships as an official
• Apply rules/laws during the sport/activity
• Handle and communicate information as an official
  
• New project looking at higher levels

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National Occupational Standards

• Big reviews and incremental change
• Written by the sector, not imposed on the sector,
  SkillsActive just the administrator
• World Class framework of skills
• NGBs have key role to play in shaping standards
  and frameworks in sport
• Invite to get involved
• We can help you use them in your NGB

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National Occupational Standards

• 3. Know about the Standards and their uses, help
  to write them, use them or plan to use them

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Contact

• www.skillsactive.com
• Under Qualifications and Standards
• ben.gittus_at_skillsactive.com

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Sports Development Governing Body NVQ Pilot

• FA Learning Professional Development Group
• 200 Football Development Officers
• Training Needs Analysis
• TNA matched to National Standards
• Pilot NVQ programme
• 32 SDOs Football, Cricket, Rugby, Triathlon
• Many Graduates and all in work
• Training days matched to units of NVQ

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NVQ Pilot

• Good chance to network with others
• Learned a lot on training days health and
  safety
• Problems with NVQ assessment and approved
  assessment centre partner
• Some negative experiences of candidates
• NGBs need more control of assessment

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NVQ Pilot

• Future discussions and work
• Work based qualifications and assessment is
  desirable
• Standards are excellent and fit the job
• Is there a need to bring NVQ assessment and
  awarding more in to the industry?
• FA keen to continue their workforce development
  group and also speak to other NGBs about their
  experiences and industry solutions