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Higher Level Apprenticeships. Current Position. SVQ Level 4&5 MA Frameworks been around and used in Scotland since 2009 Lead the way across UK for recognising role of higher level work based skills 9 MA frameworks at SVQ level 4 – including Accounting, Health and Social Care and Management
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Current Position • SVQ Level 4&5 MA Frameworks been around and used in Scotland since 2009 • Lead the way across UK for recognising role of higher level work based skills • 9 MA frameworks at SVQ level 4 – including Accounting, Health and Social Care and Management • 5 MA frameworks at SVQ level 5 – including Construction and Supply Chain Management
The Need for Review • Purpose of an MA in Scotland to support the Vocational and general employability skills of participants • MAG noticed that for many of the Higher Level MAs contained little or no additional core skills development beyond the level 3 framework • In part due to the fact that our work place skills only go up to SCQF level 6 • Towards the end of 2010 MAG began to raise the need to address this
Political Background • The SNP Manifesto for the 2011 parliamentary elections contained a commitment to look at increasing the number of higher level apprenticeships in Scotland Next steps: • In the summer of 2011 it was agreed that we would include work on higher level apprenticeships as part of Making Training Work Better.
MTWB Undertook a large amount of consultation across SSC’s, Training Providers and employers. A number of conclusions emerged: • There is a lot of support from businesses for using work-based training as a tool for developing and up-skilling staff • There was a greater need to have flexibility of the mandatory qualifications at the higher level as it was not always viable to develop an SVQ • Employed status of an apprentice is fundamental to success for individual and employer • Core skills at a higher level should be focussed more on the work based requirements of jobs within the workplace
Next Steps • Ministers are still to make any announcements about a range of themes considered as part of Making Training Work Better • That includes how we will take forward the further development of higher level apprenticeships in Scotland • The driver for this will be support, enthusiasm and evidence from employers about how we can support their skills needs moving forward – continued role for SSCs in Scotland
Role Out of Universal Services • Remiss to talk about future apprenticeship framework development without referencing the implementation of the Universal Services • Doing a lot of work with UKCES on MA requirements for Scotland • Quality, relevance and employer input to framework development will remain fundamental to the MAG approvals process. • Key will be early communication between all of us particularly when considering emerging and immediate skills needs
Closing comments • The MA programme has gone from strength to strength in recent year • Completion rates • Increasing no. of employers engaged • Increasing no. of apprentices • This is down to huge commitment across interested partners