Forgot your password?
Education and training
The increasing need to upskill the workforce means there is an increasing demand by employers for people with qualifications and training at Levels 3 and 4. The sector is well served by educational provision and has:
- national occupational standards
- an extensive range of vocational qualifications (NVQs)
- Modern Apprenticeships
- sector relevant subjects at secondary, further and higher education levels
- provision at Key Stage 4 has been extended with the addition of new applied GCSEs in science and Engineering
A number of key issues are apparent in the sector relating to education:
- micro-businesses are not always able to provide the range of work experience required: much of this experience is also seasonal and cannot easily be replicated
- the increased 'rigour' of the MA, especially in terms of the externally assessed and general education components, is not conducive to attracting new apprentices
- there are low recruitment levels due to the profile and image of the sector and the low esteem in which much of the sector is now held
- funding and other factors in the system act as a barrier to young adults taking up MAs yet there are often statutory and regulatory reasons why the employed route is more appropriate/accessible to them
- many industries need to recruit from the post 25 age groups or facilitate ‘adult’ entry which current funding mechanisms do not necessarily support
- for traditional subjects most of the apprentices are drawn from land-based families and therefore already have considerable practical experience
Source: Environmental and Land-based Sector Market Assessment 2003
Qualification level of the workforce
In the UK, 28% of the Lantra sector workforce has attained S/NVQ Level 2 (or equivalent) qualifications, the highest proportion in the sector. Only 3% of the workforce has S/NVQ Level 5 (or equivalent), 19% hold Level 3 and 14% hold Level 4. 23% of the workforce has no qualifications.
Managers and senior officials are well qualified with 27% holding S/NVQ Level 3 or 4 (or equivalent) qualifications, 29% Level 2 and 25% Levels 3.
Statistics suggest that the workforce has varying qualification levels by nation:
- England – 40% of the workforce possess an NVQ (or equivalent) at Level 3 or above, whilst 28% Level 2 or equivalent and 31% either has Level 1 or no qualification
- Scotland – 38% of the workforce have an SVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) or above, 34% has Level 2 qualifications and 28% have Level one or no qualifications
- Wales – no sector specific data are available
- Northern Ireland – 54% of workers have attained an NVQ Level 1 or below, but no data are available for Levels 2, 3 and above as numbers are too small
Source: Sector Skills Agreement Stage 1: Analysis of Current and Future Skills Needs 2005
For data on qualifiction level of the workforce see:
Qualification provision for the land-based sector
Notes:
1. The above table lists only qualifications at Entry and levels 1 - 3 that are accredited to the NQF or SCQF. It is however recognised that there are qualifications within the sector that are recognised by industry that are not accredited to the NQF.
2. NQ denotes qualifications accredited to the SCQF. No figures for Scottish vocational qualifications at higher levels are currently available.
3. VRQ for levels 4 and 5 denotes qualifications that are offered through HE Institutions and Universities, including a wide range of Foundation Degrees, HNC, HND and other Degree programmes.
Source: Environmental and Land-based Sector Market Assessment 2003, page 57.
Future trends in education and training
There are clear implications for the sector in terms of up-skilling and delivery of associated training and development. Future issues include:
- making training delivery more accessible and more innovative
- increasing the use of on-line and other methods of learning which support professional development and work-based learning
- the need for forms of blended learning to complement delivery of smaller ‘units’ of learning
- combining ‘packages’ of skills into accessible and recognised qualifications
- the need for more flexible qualification design and delivery in future to support lifelong learning
- the demand for smaller, more flexibly accredited learning programmes
Sources: Lantra Strategic Action Plan 2004-2009 and Environmental and Land-based Sector Market Assessment 2003
Last cached: 2008-05-10 09:46 AM