News

Extension of Key Skills for Apprenticeships

John Hayes announced today at the ALP conference that Key Skills will be extended until March 2011 for use in Apprenticeship Frameworks. This will allow providers the choice of offering either Functional Skills or Key Skills until 31 March 2011.

Functional and key Skills form an essential part of employability. They are transferable skills because they are used in almost every job sector.

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS

  • ENGLISH
  • MATHS

KEY SKILLS

  • COMPUTER SKILLS
  • PROBLEM SOLVING
  • WORKING WITH OTHERS
  • IMPROVING OWN LEARNING

He also stressed that this is a temporary measure to allow more flexibility for providers whilst they finalise their preparations for delivery of Functional Skills from April 2011, when the new Apprenticeship Frameworks are due to come into force. It also allows more time for us to work together to get the implementation right. This is not a postponement of Functional Skills but rather a period of dual running alongside Key Skills. The Minister strongly encouraged those providers who are ready to deliver Functional Skills from September 2010 to go ahead, as this will give apprentices the opportunity to develop these highly-valued skills.

There are now 87 accredited Functional Skills qualifications with several awarding organisations offering flexible assessment options. See the Ofqual website for details here

Wider Key Skills

For post 19 learners, BIS have agreed with the Skills Funding Agency to extend funding for Wider Key Skills (Performance and Problem Solving, Working with Others and Improving Own Learning), from September 2010 to December 2010.

Adult Functional Skills Pilots

As you may know BIS have been piloting Functional Skills for adults. These have been testing different approaches to assessment, drawing on the successful features of Skills for Life qualifications, to ensure that Functional Skills qualifications meet the needs of adult learners in a range of contexts. The pilots are due to be completed in August 2010 with a final evaluation report following later.

Post 19 providers should contact LSIS for Functional Skills workforce support. They can provide resources, tools and activities to support the planning and delivery of functional skills, and also information about awarding organisations and their assessment approaches.

BIS are still reviewing the longer term position of literacy and numeracy qualifications, including Skills for Life literacy and numeracy, in the light of BIS Ministers’ overall qualifications policies.

For more information, contact Lisa Williamson at lisa.williamson@proskills.co.uk or on 07500 086599