ActiveInsight Spring issue out now!
12/4/12
The Spring issue of SkillsActive’s flagship publication, ActiveInsight, is out now!
Highlights include:
- Nancy Ovens Bursary funds learning outside the box
- Q&A with Lauren Taylor, AASE Apprentice and BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2011
- CITOs’ 2012 Best Park Apprentice, Tom Wilson-Croome
- Playwork qualifications offer goes live
- New match funding opportunity to activate the inactive
- Take the lead with Apprenticeships
- Surge in qualified sports coaches in Yorkshire and Humber
SkillsActive sponsors special Playwork Award
3/2/12
SkillsActive is pleased to sponsor the Paul Bonel Special Mention Memorial Award to commemorate the contribution that Paul Bonel, former Head of the Playwork Unit, made to the sector.
Paul worked as a playworker before moving into a development role, supporting and encouraging others to provide opportunities to play.
Following this, he took up his role with SkillsActive, leading the Playwork team in the development of workforce strategy, occupational standards and qualifications.
While at SkillsActive he continued his involvement in the delivery of play services through an active involvement in the management of an adventure playground, never losing touch with the children and young people who benefit from play provision.
The Award is being presented at the 10th Annual Playwork Conference in Eastbourne on 6- 7 March 2012.
SkillsActive will also be at the event, offering workshops on the new level 4 and 5 playwork qualifications at the event and explaining the fascinating world of SIC and SOC codes!
To nominate someone for this special award, please visit http://www.playworkconferences.org.uk/Awards.html
Nominations close Friday 10 February 2012.
Apprentices help provide quality service at adventure playground
Apprentices make up more than half the workforce at Shiremoor adventure playground in North Tyneside, enabling the company to provide children with more one to one support.
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
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.
Playwork qualifications offer now live
6/1/12
City College Norwich has been appointed the lead training provider for SkillsActive’s Joint Investment Programme in Playwork.
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
More NI people to get upskilled in Playwork?
16/11/11
Northern Ireland could see a significant increase in the demand for Playwork qualifications, if the Government there agrees to back proposals by SkillsActive.
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:
- If the Northern Ireland Government agree to these proposals, there will be a significant increase in the demand for SkillsActive's Playwork qualifications. This is because in some settings, they will be given the same status as the childcare and development qualifications owned by the Skills for Care & Development Sector Skills Council
- SkillsActive's Playwork employers and practitioners were directly involved in shaping and influencing government policy that will have a direct impact on how they run their businesses; and
- SkillsActive demonstrated the importance of working in partnerships to help us deliver our sector vision.
Apprenticeship types in Northern Ireland
There is one type of Apprenticeship available in the active leisure, learning and wellbeing sector in Northern Ireland:
- Apprenticeship in Active Leisure and Learning
This Apprenticeship provides apprentices with a mix of practical and technical skills to develop at work and progress to further education. It is available at level 2 QCF and level 3 QCF. Individuals can pursue the Apprenticeship through one of three different pathways: Exercise and Fitness, Playwork and Operations/Outdoors. The choice of Apprenticeship framework will depend on the individual's experience and job role.
Frameworks and guidance
For information and documents relevant to Apprenticeships in Northern Ireland see Frameworks and Guidance for Northern Ireland.
Frameworks and Guidance for Northern Ireland>
Hair and Beauty
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.
Apprenticeships in other sectors
For more information on apprenticeships in Northern Ireland see the Department for Employment and Learning website.
Department for Employment and Learning website>
More information
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.
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.
Staff Training
SkillsActive's main aim is to support employers with ensuring their staff have the right skills to do their job. Discover more about the many ways we can help you find the right training, at the right price.
Statutory training
Meet your training requirements simply and cost-effectively with our discounted offers.
Find quality training
Browse our catalogue of approved training providers to find quality training for your staff, ensuring you get the best value for money.
Manage your training
SkillsActive can offer you a number of tools to support how you manage your staff training.
Apprenticeships: training providers
Apprenticeships are usually delivered through a partnership between an employer and a training provider, although some larger employers may also operate as the training provider for themselves and others.
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.
Access funding for Apprenticeships
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.
Registration
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.
Types of Apprenticeships
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.
Frameworks and guidance
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.
Certification
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.
Download the Apprenticeship certification request forms for England and Wales below.
- Certification Request Form England
This certificate is for apprentices completing their programme in England. - Apprentice Authorization Form England (mandatory to complete for all framework claims via the ACE system)
- Certification Request Form Wales
This certificate is for apprentices completing their programme in Wales.
To request a certificate in Scotland, email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Verify apprentice training
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:
- Give you an overview of your client’s skills, qualifications and competencies
- Identify missing mandatory CPD and compliance requirements
- Help you target individuals with specific courses
- Let you access an extensive captive market, increasing sales and reducing marketing costs
- Enable you to offer clients a powerful tool for maintaining their own records.
Learn more about activepassport™ >
Consultancy
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.
Updates
Find out about Apprenticeship framework updates and other news relevant to Apprenticeships.