Introduction to the WorldSkills Vocational Masterclass Programme

1. Introduction to the WorldSkills Vocational Masterclass Programme Find a Future is an organisation that brings together WorldSkills UK Skills Competitions, The Skills Show and The Skills Show Experience, providing every young person with the chance to unlock their potential and get excited about the world of work. Through hands-on experiential activities and skills competitions we help shape their futures and transform their lives. City & Guilds, Edge Foundation and Premier Colleges are premier sponsors, and the Skills Funding Agency and European Social are funding partners, of The Skills Show and The Skills Show Experience.

2. WS Legacy Projects Programme model

3. Aims

4. Programme Aims • Supporting organisations to deliver a programme of Vocational Masterclasses • Experience competition as a means of boosting learners’ motivation and performance • Develop coaching and training skills of teachers/trainers • Embed competition and coaching in the curriculum to mainstream excellence

5. Distinctive features of the Vocational Masterclass Programme • Draws on the principles of ‘cutting edge’ WorldSkills competitions and coaching • Developed by WorldSkills trainers and coaches and further education experts • Teachers/trainers work together with learners and experience the impact, enhancement of performance and motivation, at first hand • Organisations are supported to develop and offer Masterclasses tailored to their circumstances • Masterclasses are designed as a key step in development planning towards longer term objectives

6. Essential elements of a Masterclass • Mini-competitions involving learners • Skills training in preparation for competition • Development of customised competition briefs and marking schemes • Introduction to coaching techniques with opportunities to practise coaching skills • Reflection and action planning to embed competition and coaching into the curriculum and teaching & learning • Awards ceremony, involving senior management, to give competition status and demonstrate commitment

7. Summary/Headlines

8. Headline outcomes – range and scope • Over 110 mini-competitions as part of Vocational Masterclasses across regions and a variety of organisations • Over 30 Vocational areas of learning covered • About 550 teachers/trainers involved in Masterclasses • Almost 750 learners participated • About 150 teachers/trainers/managers involved in ‘Train the Experts’ or other events • Bank of legacy resources on WorldSkills UK website to enable organisations to develop and run their own Masterclasses

9. Headline outcomes – evaluation • Almost 100% of teachers/trainers rated the usefulness of their Masterclass as excellent or good (67% excellent) • Almost 99% of teachers/trainers very likely or quite likely to use the ideas from their Masterclass (77% very likely) • About 88% of learners motivated by the mini-competition • Almost 73% of learners felt their skillsimproved • Almost 70% of learners want further involvement in skills competitions

10. Feedback

11. Practitioner feedback “This morning learners showed their anxiety. By the end they were buzzing.” “Overall this was a fantastic, inspiring event. Thank you.” “I felt we were being worked-with, not watched-doing. it has helped me move forward as a teacher.” “From the perspective of a college principal ‘………it was great to see how well everyone engaged with the competitive element” “It was a massive eye-opener. We were very, very lucky. Thanks to everyone involved.”

12. Learner feedback “I really enjoyed that. The thing I liked was being put under pressure. I didn’t think I would like that but I did .. I liked the fact that it was hard and we really had to work to get everything done” “It was good to use my skills in a different way. I had to use my initiative and that really motivated me” “I really enjoyed the day – it was a new experience and really helped me with my brickwork” “It has opened my eyes to how much potential I have that I never knew existed before working on this programme” ‘It was a fun event and I’ve learned a lot from this experience such as working to a deadline, measuring accurately, working under pressure and focusing on my task”

13. Impact

14. Impact • Organisational development and dissemination of ideas • Benefits to the professional development of staff • Partnerships with employers enhanced • Good practice, including competition strategies, embedded in the curriculum • Impact on the motivation and success of learners • Impact on success of organisations in competitions • Evidence of improvement in teaching and learning through internal observation grades • Development of learning networks