This document discusses the professional development of vocational education and training (VET) trainers in the UK. [1] It provides an overview of the four government education departments responsible for VET trainers across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. [2] It then outlines the development of national professional standards and qualifications for VET trainers in each country. [3] The role of organizations like Lifelong Learning UK and Standards Verification UK in maintaining standards and qualifications is also discussed.

1. New agenda for VET trainers in the UK
Professional Development of the VET workforce
Sandie Gay
14.10.10
www.standardsverificationuk.org

2. Four nations – four government education
departments responsible for VET trainers.
Scottish Government –
Lifelong Learning
Executive (LLD)
Northern Ireland Scotland
Executive –
Department for
Employment and British Government –
NI
Learning Northern Department for
Ireland (DELNI) Business, Innovation
and Skills (DBIS)
England
Welsh Assembly Wales
Government –
Department for
Children, Education,
Lifelong Learning and
Skills (DCELLS)

3. UK Education - overview
Work place learning Second
First choice Personal and
chance
general community
general
education education development
learning (PCDL)
Post
compulsory Pre-
vocational Vocational education and
Compulsory sixth form training (VET)
16 -18 – education
5–16 years and training
– general academic
Access to HE
education or pre-
vocational FURTHER
education EDUCATION
HE in FE
and
training
Academic
SCHOOLS education HIGHER
EDUCATION
Research &
Development
Compulsory
5-16 (18)
years Post-compulsory 16 (18) years onwards …………………………

4. UK professional standards for post compulsory
teachers/trainers/tutors/lecturers:
England Wales Northern Ireland Scotland
New overarching New overarching Northern Ireland Professional
professional professional overarching Standards for
standards for standards for professional lecturers in
teachers, tutors teachers, tutors standards for
Scotland’s
and trainers in and trainers in teachers, tutors and
the lifelong the lifelong trainers in the lifelong Colleges
learning sector learning sector learning sector (2009) (2006)
(2007) in Wales (2007)
Learning Delivery National Occupational Meta Standards
Learning and Development National Occupational Standards
UK Professional Standards Framework - for Higher Education Lecturers

5. Regulations & professional qualifications for post
compulsory teachers/trainers/tutors/lecturers:
England Wales Northern Ireland Scotland
Further Education Further Education Teachers
Teachers’ Teachers'
Further Education
Teachers’ (Eligibility) (Education,
Qualifications Qualifications (Wales) Training and
(England) Regulations Regulations 2002 (for Regulations (Northern
Recommendation
2007 plus the Further those qualifying after Ireland) 2007 for Registration)
Education Teachers’ 2008, the new (Scotland)
Continuing professional standards Regulations 1993
Professional underpin the
Development and qualifications
Registration (England) requirements)
Regulations 2007
Teaching
L3/4PTLLS Cert Ed / PGCE PGC (FHE)
Qualification
Further
Education
L3/4 CTLLS new framework in new framework in TQ(FE)
L6 and above DTLLS development development recommended
PGCE/PGDE for Teaching and Learning in HE (recommended)

6. Timeline
1999:FENTO –Teaching and Supporting Learning Standards for England and Wales
Pre 2001:not mandatory but many FE teachers/trainers gained professional qualifications
2001:statutory regulations for teachers in government funded provision to hold
qualifications developed from FENTO standards plus requirements for LLN (En)
2002:Success for All – aim: fully to have a qualified workforce by 2010
Regulations
Government papers
2002: Standards Unit and the Institute for Learning set up
Professional organisations
2003:DfEs policy: qualification requirements for ESOL teachers
Professional standards
Narrative
2003:Ofsted report stated quality of T&L not satisfactory
2004:Equipping our Teachers for the Future:
Reforming initial teacher training for FE
2005: LLUK/SVUK set up to support reforms
2006: Raising Skills: Improving life chances
2006: Professional Standards for Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges
2007: new statutory qualification requirements for FE inc VET trainers
2007/9:LLUK – new professional standards for England, Wales and NI
2009 – Skills for Growth: National Skills Strategy
2010 – LLUK – overarching Learning Delivery meta Standards for the UK

7. Role of Lifelong Learning UK
• Sector Skills Council for the lifelong learning sector’s workforce
– Sector skills councils are employer led bodies set up to look after the interests
of a specific sector and its workforce
– LLUK is one of 23 sector skills councils
• In consultation with employers and stakeholders, LLUK develops,
maintains and updates national occupational standards including the
professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong
learning sector which includes vocational education and training.
• Footprint –practitioners working in:
– Higher education
– Further education (VET)
– Work based learning (VET)
– Community Learning and Development
– Career guidance
– Libraries, archives and information services

8. Now….towards professionalisation of VET
workforce
• Overarching UK Learning Delivery Occupational Standards articulating
common areas of the national standards - enables the recognition and
transferability of skills across nations.
• VET teacher/trainer qualifications framework and qualifications
developed from a set of national standards in each nation - enable
recognition of local requirements whilst enabling cross border transfer of
skills for migrant workers
• Statutory Teachers’ Qualifications Regulations apply in all UK nations
For example, in England:
• All new entrants required to gain a prescribed, role specific teaching qualification
• Further qualification requirements for teachers of adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL
• Register with the professional body, Institute for Learning (IfL)
• Gain professional status (A/QTLS) by evidencing good, current practice
• Carry out a minimum amount of continuing professional development (CPD)

9. Role of Standards Verification UK
• Wholly owned by LLUK but independent company
• Providing arms length operation for transparency and probity
• A necessity because LLUK’s employers have workforces that need
standards based qualifications and CPD but also provide much of
the initial training and CPD to the LLL sector workforces.
Standards Verification UK:
• Endorses ITT qualifications; verifies delivery of ITT to
professional standards (in England and Wales with supporting
role in NI)
• Provides additional services for existing workforce:
– a scheme designed for experienced but unqualified
teachers to be professionally recognised:
General Professional Recognition Learning and Skills
(England only) :
http://www.standardsverificationuk.org/2927.htm
– resource for already qualified teachers/trainers:
the Tariff of Qualifications (ITT) …..

10. Tariff of Qualifications (ITT)
• A free to use, interactive, online tool for the FE workforce in
England
• Shows the relationship between existing teaching/training
qualifications to the teaching qualifications in the new framework:
PTLLS, CTLLS, DTLLS, and
• Helps with continuing professional development to ensure
existing workforce can meet expectations of current practice.
=?

11. Tariff of Qualifications (ITT)
• Helps saves the workforce time, effort and cost of
retraining/ requalifying
• Many types of users for many contexts
– the sector’s professional body, Institute for Learning, for grading members
– teachers/trainers in the VET sector to make sure they hold the required
qualification; to plan continuing professional development and career
advancement
– employers/HR personnel determining professional standing of existing
and/or potential employees, supporting appraisal and development
– awarding organisations to accredit previous learning and achievements
• Available at: www.tariff.svuk.eu

12. EU/OS ITT Comparison Tool
• shows a broad comparison of key features of teacher training,
main accepted teaching qualification and requirements for
professional practice in England to that of other European and
overseas countries.
• shows practitioners who have gained their teaching qualifications
in other EU or overseas countries, what is expected for
professional practice in England and how their qualification
compares.
• Available at: www.tariff.svuk.eu/itt-comparison

13. Feedback from you
• Suggestions for uses of the
Comparison Tool: who and
how?
• Suggestions for further
development, e.g:
– Key features
– Navigation
• Suggestions for how further
development could be
funded.

14. Finally…………scoping future developments
• Research on ways to expand the tool with more qualifications and make
it fully flexible – comparison between any two countries
– e.g. EU LLP funding under the Leonardo Transfer of Innovation
Action
• Develop an ‘equivalence certificate’?
• Develop EU wide occupational standards/train the trainer qualifications
for VET trainers, benchmarked to the EQF?
• Develop similar tools for other sectors e.g. healthcare; accountancy;
security services: military services
• Develop similar tools for other nations
• Contact details please
• For later thoughts: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YSTJVPP
…….. thank you.