Play Wales and SQA to lead Playwork qualification development
27/1/12
Play Wales and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) will help SkillsActive Wales address an expected increase in demand for qualifications in the Welsh playwork sector.
SkillsActive Wales has secured about £235,000 of Government funding from the Sector Priority Fund Pilot to develop qualifications at Award, Certificate and Diploma levels for Playwork Principles into Practice. Play Wales and the SQA have been appointed to lead the delivery of the project.
SkillsActive Wales manager Richard Tobutt says: “The Playwork sector is already facing a significant skills shortage in Wales. This will be compounded by laws introduced in 2012 requiring each local authority to provide sufficient play opportunities for children and young people.
“We are really pleased that our bid for this funding has been successful and that playworkers will now have the opportunity to access these higher level qualifications.”
The new qualifications will be placed on the QCF at Level 3 and are intended for playworkers and childcare staff wanting to progress from the existing suite of P3 qualifications at Level 2.
Play Wales will also produce a range of innovative learning materials. For details of the training and the process by which both employers and playworkers can register interest, please email SkillsActive Wales manager Richard Tobutt at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Minister: Commonwealth Games legacy workforce on track
SkillsActive in Scotland and its partners are making good progress delivering the workforce for the 2014 Commonwealth Games legacy, according to the Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport.
SkillsActive in Scotland established the Active Scotland Workforce Development Group in 2009 to ensure Scotland had the right workforce to deliver the Commonwealth Games Legacy of a more active Scotland. It consists of a range of sport and physical activity employers, government agencies and training providers.
SkillsActive in Scotland manager Pam Scott says the group recently submitted a Status Report on the progress that the Group was making to Shona Robison, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport and received a very positive response.
Ms Robison:
• welcomed the progress made in identifying the skills gaps and shortages within the physical activity and sports workforce both paid and voluntary.
• noted sport has an immediate attractiveness for most young people but it is important that we employ the right people with the right skills which will have an impact on their career and more importantly keep them physically active.
• acknowledged that the Development Model works towards meeting the challenges of skilling the workforce and ensuring the appropriate and realistic qualifications are in place to ensure priority areas such as volunteering and coaching are fit for purpose.
Ms Robison then added that it was “important people working in sport and physical activity have a greater knowledge and understanding of health issues relating to specific client groups and is encouraged by the co-operation of employers and training providers in taking this forward”
Pam says Ms Robison set out several next steps for the group, which they will consider at their next meeting on December 9.
Continuing Professional Development
The active leisure, learning and wellbeing sector is continually changing so keeping your skills and knowledge up to date is vitally important.
SkillsActive works with training providers to deliver a wide range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to help staff and volunteers maintain their professional knowledge and skills and prepare them for greater responsibility.
Quality training
Make sure you access quality training for you, your staff or your volunteers by choosing from SkillsActive’s list of approved training providers.
Browse SkillsActive's approved training providers >
Approved CPD for REPs members
To remain on the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs), instructors need to undergo training that has been endorsed by SkillsActive and recognised by the Register.
View the REPs qualification and training portal >
Online training
SkillsActive's range of e-learning courses offer a convenient way to develop skills anywhere, at any time.
Discover more about the benefits of online training >
Apprenticeship frameworks and guidance
SkillsActive has worked with employers to develop a set of Apprenticeship frameworks. These outline the minimum requirements needed to complete the apprenticeship at each level and for each occupation.
Apprenticeships are available in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. However, each country has a slightly different approach.
Select a country below to learn more about the frameworks available in your area.
Northern Ireland
This section contains Apprenticeship frameworks and guidance documents for Northern Ireland.
Scotland
This section contains Modern Apprenticeship frameworks and guidance documents for Scotland.
Training
Providing training for employees not only helps them develop their skills and knowledge – it’s also a building block to business success.
SkillsActive works on behalf of the active leisure, learning and well-being sector to develop a framework of qualifications, training and continuous professional that meet employer needs, ensuring the workforce is properly trained and qualified.
Through our National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure, we deliver those qualifications, ensuring the training is quality assured, cost effective and relevant to employers’ needs.
CPD
SkillsActive works with training providers to deliver a wide range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to help people maintain their professional knowledge and skills.
Business Skills
SkillsActive offers a range of resources to help people upskill in areas such as communication, literacy and numeracy, and management.
SkillsActiveCareers
SkillsActiveCareers provides expert advice on the training you need to work in the sport, fitness, playwork, outdoors and caravan industries.
Scottish Government launch refreshed Skills Strategy
The Scottish Government has refreshed the 'Skills for Scotland' Strategy, which aims to simplify the skills system, empower individuals and employers to access help and support more effectively and better meet the needs of the key economic sectors and industries of the future.
Building on the 2007 skills strategy, it takes into account the changed economic climate and the new challenges facing businesses looking to support sustainable employment.
Launching the Strategy during a visit to Gems Engineering Ltd in Glasgow, one of the first employers to take advantage of the Flexible 5,000 programme, Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning, Keith Brown MSP, said: "Our original Skills for Scotland Strategy was published three years ago when economic conditions were very different from those currently faced by individuals and employers across the country.
"This refreshed Strategy makes clear the Scottish Government's commitment to training and skills. It sets out a flexible, responsive, partnership approach to meeting Scotland's skills needs at a crucial point in our economic recovery.
"Skills are vital to employers of all sizes across all sectors of the economy and it is crucial that we have a strategy equipped to deal with the challenges and opportunities arising from the competitive environment we find ourselves in.
"This Strategy does just that by targeting support that meets the varying needs of both individuals and employers and the sectors of the future, including those in the low carbon economy."
The strategy reinforces national targets for Skills Development Scotland (SDS) which is already delivering more than 40,000 training opportunities this financial year, including up to 20,000 Modern Apprenticeships, 14,500 training places to support the unemployed and 5,000 places through the Flexible Training Opportunities programme. In addition more than 40,000 people are expected to benefit from Individual Learning Accounts this year.
It also builds on work already underway to support young people, including the 'Step Forward Scotland' programme, a package of measures launched in June to support young people leaving schools and college this summer.
Jacqui Hepburn, director of the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils in Scotland, said: "This refreshed strategy makes a crucial contribution to the ongoing process of simplifying the skills system, making it easier for employers and employees to navigate.
"As the voice of employers in that system, the Alliance Scotland particularly welcomes the strong emphasis on making the supply of skills more responsive to employers' needs. A highly flexible and responsive skills system is one of the bedrocks of sustainable recovery for the Scottish economy. As this document sets out, a sustained focus on streamlining the skills system and better matching the aspirations of individuals with the evolving skills requirements of employers will significantly smooth the path towards recovery."
Source: Alliance of Sector Skills Councils in Scotland
Fitness and Leisure
The fitness industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK economy. SkillsActive can help those looking for jobs in the fitness industry gain the right training and support employers to identify candidates with the right skills.
SkillsActive helps the fitness and leisure sector cater for the growing number of fitness clubs and leisure centres by developing recognised qualifications frameworks that meet the needs of employers – helping individuals find jobs in the fitness and leisure industries.
The Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) , which is part of SkillsActive, provides recognition those with jobs in the fitness industry as competent professionals.
SkillsActive’s endorsement process makes it easy to identify approved training providers offering quality courses and qualifications relevant to those in the fitness and leisure industry. SkillsActive can also support employers with finding cost-effective ways to train staff in common roles and increase the number of people with jobs in the fitness industry.
Playwork strategy
Our new UK play and playwork education and skills strategy for 2011 – 2016
We are pleased to announce the release of our new UK play and playwork education and skills strategy for 2011 – 2016, which replaces the previous UK strategy, ‘Quality Training, Quality Play’.
It is the culmination of an incredible amount of energy and focus, and SkillsActive would like to thank all those across the UK who participated in focus groups and workshops and responded to our consultation.
The key points from the strategy are:
Vision:
A skilled, qualified and developing play workforce, whose practice is underpinned by the Playwork Principles, who provide high quality, accessible play opportunities for children and young people
Aims:
- Position playwork as a distinct profession within the children and young people’s workforce.
- Support other sectors and the public in their understanding of the value of play and playwork
- Develop and promote a suite of sustainable qualifications that are valued by employers and the workforce, including volunteers
- Encourage delivery and uptake of high quality accessible training, education and professional development opportunities
Download the UK play and playwork education and skills strategy for 2011 – 2016
Training and qualifications - outdoors
Training and qualifications are vitally important to the outdoors sector and are closely related to the technical skills of different outdoors activities.
Many qualifications relate to 'technical' skills closely linked to different activities such as climbing, kayaking or sailing, and also include qualifications needed for first aid or to drive mini-buses.
Other qualifications of value relate to softer ‘people’ skills, and to management and leadership within the sector.
Qualifications are tailored to differing levels which in turn suit working with different groups of participants; it is not necessary to hold alpine level mountaineering qualifications to introduce children to the fun of rock climbing on an indoor wall!
Many entry routes to the sector do not require higher education level qualifications, although relevant vocationally focused degrees do have their place within many areas of the sector.
A relatively unique feature of the sector is the general need for its employees to be over 18 years of age. This can cause disappointment for those leaving education early and also causes a number of issues with funding streams that do not favour the adult work-based learning model, commonly used in the sector.
Whatever the qualification, they are vital to the sector to reassure participants of a safe and competent workforce.
Key qualifications in the outdoors
Find out more about the key areas of qualifications available in the outdoors, or find out about other training and qualifications available across our sector.