Shiremoor adventure playground in North Tyneside provides five to 13 year olds with opportunities for adventurous play in a staffed, safe environment.
Manager Keeks McGarry says during the peak summer season, up to 300 children can use the facility on a single day: “Having a high ratio of staff to children is key to providing quality playwork service.”
Motivated by the need for more staff, Keeks recruited four apprentices to join his team of three fulltime workers in August 2011. One of those is Natasha Killeen, 17, who is completing her level 2 Apprenticeship in Playwork.
Natsaha says: “I’d always wanted to work with children. An Apprenticeship allowed me to gain paid experience in the field and recognised qualifications to kick start my career.
An average day for Natasha involves setting up the facility and engaging children in activities such as drawing or football, as well as additional duties such as cleaning. On Thursdays and Fridays she attends Tyne Metropolitan College to gain the knowledge component of her apprenticeship.
“It’s a really challenging role because you have to adapt your methods depending on whether you’re working with a five year old or a 13 year old,” she says.
Keeks says Apprenticeships help professionalise the sector, and promote playwork as a viable career option.
“Apprenticeships provide a clear entry point for people looking for a career in playwork. We now have several students on work placement wanting to start their career in playwork with an Apprenticeship.”
To learn more about Apprenticeships in the sport and active leisure sector, and how your business can benefit, please register your interest at www.skillsactive.com/takethelead
SkillsActive - 27/1/12
Bydd Chwarae Cymru a The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) yn helpu SkillsActive Cymru i fynd i’r afael â chynnydd disgwyliedig yn y galw am gymwysterau yn y sector gwaith chwarae yng Nghymru.
Mae SkillsActive Cymru wedi sicrhau tua £235,000 o gyllid y Llywodraeth o Raglen Beilot Cronfa Flaenoriaethau’r Sector i ddatblygu cymwysterau ar lefel Gwobr, Tystysgrif a Diploma ar gyfer Rhoi Egwyddorion Gwaith Chwarae ar Waith. Mae Chwarae Cymru a SQA wedi’u penodi i arwain trosglwyddiad y prosiect.
Meddai rheolwr SkillsActive Cymru Richard Tobutt: “Eisoes, mae’r sector Gwaith Chwarae yn wynebu prinder sgiliau sylweddol yng Nghymru. Bydd hyn yn siŵr o waethygu pan ddaw deddfau i rym yn 2012 a fydd yn gofyn i bob awdurdod lleol ddarparu cyfleoedd chwarae digonol i blant a phobl ifanc.
“Rydym yn falch bod ein cais am y cyllid hwn wedi bod yn llwyddiannus, ac y bydd gweithwyr chwarae yn cael cyfle i ennill y cymwysterau lefel uwch hyn.”
Bydd y cymwysterau newydd yn cael eu rhoi ar y FfCCh ar Lefel 3 ac fe’i bwriedir ar gyfer gweithwyr chwarae a staff gofal plant sy’n dymuno symud i’r cam nesaf ar ôl cwblhau’r gyfres o gymwysterau P3 Lefel 2 sy’n bodoli eisoes. Bydd Chwarae Cymru hefyd yn creu ystod o adnoddau dysgu arloesol.
I gael rhagor o fanylion am yr hyfforddiant a’r modd y gall cyflogwyr a gweithwyr chwarae ddatgan diddordeb, anfonwch e-bost at reolwr SkillsActive Cymru, Richard Tobutt, ar This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
27/1/12
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.
6/1/12
SkillsActive, the sector skills council for active leisure, learning and well-being, has secured £230,000 of Government funding from the Growth and Innovation Fund, which is jointly administered by The Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Skills Funding Agency and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).
The Fund matches employer funding with Government funding to help meet skills gaps in economically important sectors. The Joint Investment Programme in Playwork focuses on the skills gaps identified to SkillsActive by playwork employers.
Lesli Godfrey, Strategic Lead for Playwork at SkillsActive, says: “We are really pleased that our bid for this funding has been successful and that employers will now have this opportunity to access a Playwork qualification for their staff from an early years background.”
Playworkers provide spaces and resources for children and young people to come together and play in their free time, at out of school clubs, adventure playgrounds, parks and community centres across the country. The subsidised qualification equips staff who have gained early years qualifications with the principles, knowledge and understanding of Playwork that they need in order to facilitate play opportunities for children and young people.
SkillsActive is looking for playworkers in England to take advantage of the offer of 50pc matched funding towards the Level 3 Award in Transition to Playwork (from early years).
SkillsActive is now working with City College Norwich and a network of partner training providers to deliver the programme across all counties of England. It is intended that the programme will be completed by the end of July 2013.
To be eligible for funding, learners must hold a full level 3 early years qualification, based on the children’s care learning and development or early years and education standards. This does not include the new level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce at present. Employers will need to pledge at least 50pc of the cost of the qualification i.e. £229 to enable this to be matched by Government.
All learners will also receive their own SkillsActive activepassport, an on-line tool to record their qualifications, training and experience.
Dick Palmer, Principal, City College Norwich, says: “We are delighted to be working with SkillsActive and partners to deliver the Level 3 Award in Transition to Playwork nationwide which will help extend the opportunities available to those already trained in early years.”
Details of the training available and the process by which both employers and playworkers can register their interest can be found at http://www.ccn.ac.uk/form/playworktransition
16/11/11
SkillsActive in Northern Ireland recently completed consultation on proposals for ‘Minimum Standards for Daycare and Childminding for Children under 12’ with Playwork partner PlayBoard NI and eight key Playwork employers in Northern Ireland.
SkillsActive’s Northern Ireland Manager Siobhan Weir says the consultation produced three positive outcomes:
There is one type of Apprenticeship available in the active leisure, learning and wellbeing sector in Northern Ireland:
For information and documents relevant to Apprenticeships in Northern Ireland see Frameworks and Guidance for Northern Ireland.
Frameworks and Guidance for Northern Ireland>
SkillsActive manages the Hair and Beauty Apprenticeship frameworks in partnership with Habia, the sector body for the hair, beauty, nails and spa sector. For Hair and Beauty Apprenticeship frameworks see the HABIA website.
For more information on apprenticeships in Northern Ireland see the Department for Employment and Learning website.
Department for Employment and Learning website>
For more information on Apprenticeships in Northern Ireland please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This section contains information and documents relevant to apprenticeships in England. All files are in PDF format.
The Apprenticeship frameworks developed to meet the requirements of the Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE) are now available on the Apprenticeship Frameworks Online website.
Apprenticeship Frameworks Online website>
SkillsActive offers 12 Apprenticeship frameworks in England in the active leisure, learning and wellbeing sector.
Intermediate Level Apprenticeships
Intermediate Apprenticeship in Leisure Operations (September 2011)
Possible job roles: park operative, maintenance operative, park receptionist, groundsperson, and recreation/leisure attendant.
Intermediate Apprenticeship in Coaching (January 2012)
Possible job roles: coach, instructor, teacher (tennis and swimming only)
Spectator Safety (June 2012)
Possible job roles: steward, marshal
Playwork (June 2012)
Possible job roles: assistant play worker, play centre assistant
Intermediate Apprenticeship in Activity Leadership (June 2012)
Possible job roles: community sports coach, activity leader, fitness leader, outdoors instructor, activity instructor
Exercise and Fitness (June 2012)
Possible job roles: fitness instructor / gym instructor, recreation assistant, exercise instructor, leisure centre assistant
Advanced Level Apprenticeships
Advanced Apprenticeship in Outdoor Programmes (April 2011)
Possible job roles: outdoor instructor, senior instructor, assistant & trainee variations, activity specific titles, for example climbing wall supervisor, team leader / supervisor, head of activity, project leader, group leader / counsellor
Exercise and Fitness (June 2012)
Possible job roles: advanced fitness instructor, personal trainer
Spectator Safety(June 2012)
Possible job roles: senior steward, marshal
Playwork (June 2012)
Possible job roles: playworker, senior playworker
Advanced Apprenticeship in Leisure Management (September 2011)
Possible job roles: advanced fitness instructor, studio coordinator, personal trainer, and yoga and pilates teacher
Advanced Apprenticeship in Sports Development (January 2012)
Possible job roles: community sports development officer, sports specific development officer
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.
This section contains Apprenticeship frameworks and guidance documents for Northern Ireland.
This section contains Modern Apprenticeship frameworks and guidance documents for Scotland.
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Browse our catalogue of approved training providers to find quality training for your staff, ensuring you get the best value for money.
SkillsActive can offer you a number of tools to support how you manage your staff training.
SkillsActive issues Apprenticeship frameworks, which outline the minimum requirements needed to complete the Apprenticeship at each level and for each occupation. We also provide certification for apprentices in England and Wales.
If you are a training provider in England or Wales and you would like to deliver government funded Apprenticeships, you need to hold a contract with the Skills Funding Agency.
Training providers in Scotland need to hold a contract with Skills Development Scotland. Training providers in Northern Ireland need to hold a contract with the Department for Employment and Learning.
To gain a contract, you must meet certain requirements, such as minimum contracting value. If you do not meet the minimum contracting value, you can enter into a subcontracting arrangement with a larger training provider. If you are a training provider in England, one way to do this is by joining SkillsActive’s Group Training Association.
To find out more about the Group Training Association email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Only training providers in Scotland need to register with SkillsActive to deliver Apprenticeships.
To register as a training provider with SkillsActive Scotland, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
There’s a wide variety of Apprenticeships available in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Select a country below to learn more about the types of Apprenticeships available in your area.
SkillsActive has worked with employers and training providers to develop a set of Apprenticeship frameworks. These outline the minimum requirements apprentices need to complete the apprenticeship at each level and for each occupation. You can then work with your employer and apprentice to identify the most suitable framework for their needs.
Learn more about the Apprenticeship frameworks available in your country by viewing Frameworks and Guidance.
At the end of their Apprenticeship, all apprentices need a certificate to show they have fulfilled the Apprenticeship requirements.
In England, Wales and Scotland, certificates are issued by SkillsActive. In Northern Ireland, they are issued by the Department for Employment and Learning.
Apprentices can apply for their own certificate or authorise their training provider to apply for one on their behalf.
England
A new certification service run by the Alliance has been developed and is known as Apprenticeship Certificates England (ACE). Apprentices, learning providers or employers who act on their behalf, will be able to request Apprenticeship certificates using the ACE online system. ACE provides a unique centralised certification system that will save Sector Skills Councils / Sector Skills Bodies (SSCs/SSBs), providers and certifying authorities valuable time, resource and investment and will allow them to track the progress of apprenticeship candidates. The system was officially launched on Wednesday 25 January 2012 by John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning.
You will need to register your organisation on the system via the online registration form; this can be done by going to www.acecerts.co.uk and completing the information and contact details. Once you have completed this process you will be emailed a username and password for ACE. This will be your "administrator" account which you can then use to create additional accounts for your centre. You will be able to create a maximum of 5 additional users.
The user guide that has been created for centres to help you use the system and also further e-learning materials can be found on www.acecerts.co.uk/tutorials.
The cost of certificates will be £22.
Should you have any questions relating to the new online system, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Apprentice Authorization Form England (mandatory to complete for all framework claims via the ACE system)
Wales
This certificate is for apprentices completing their programme in Wales.
Certification Request Form Wales
Scotland
To request a certificate in Scotland, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Northern Ireland
These are issued by the Department for Employment and Learning.
Keep track of your apprentice’s training with an activepassport™
activepassportTM is an auditable online tool that will help you track and record an individual’s Guided Learning Hours - a statutory requirement of the new frameworks in England and Wales.
If you’re a training provider, activepassport™ can:
Learn more about activepassport™ >
Our consultants can provide you with detailed information about delivering Apprenticeship training, or developing frameworks to suit businesses in your area.
To find out more, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Find out about Apprenticeship framework updates and other news relevant to Apprenticeships.
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