11/05/12
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 50% 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. Employers will need to pledge at least 50% 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 www.ccn.ac.uk/form/playworktransition.
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
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.
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:
Our National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure works with the best training providers in our sector to deliver cost-effective, quality assured training solutions.
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Providing training for employees not only helps them develop their skills and knowledge – it’s also a building block to business success.
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SkillsActive works with employers and training providers to develop vocational qualifications that enable people to be competent in specific types of work.
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Discover more about how SkillsActive ensures that quality training is available to those in the sector.
National occupational standards (NOS) form the basis of qualifications, from Apprenticeships and foundation degrees to vocational qualifications and training programmes.
The standards also help define job roles, measure staff performance and identify and develop routes for progression and professional development.
Some of these standards cross over with other sectors, while the Sport and Active Leisure National Occupational Standards cover our whole sector.
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.
National occupational standards (NOS) form the basis of qualifications, from Apprenticeships and foundation degrees to vocational qualifications and training programmes.
The standards also help define job roles, measure staff performance and identify and develop routes for progression and professional development.
Some of these standards cross over with other sectors, while the Sport and Active Leisure national occupational standards cover our whole sector.
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SkillsActive sets the standards for key occupations across the active leisure, learning and well-being sector.
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