Shaping the future – a new advancement service for individuals

Aled Williams DIUSJune 2009

An advancement service - the vision

• New advancement service – to help you get on in work and life• Providing access to funding and IAG on careers, skills and jobs• Aims:

– More people taking up learning (supporting PSA targets)– More people motivated to continue learning (culture of lifelong learning) and invest

more of their own money in learning– Better informed customers for the learning and skills system

• Encompassing skills accounts and the adult advancement and careers service, under a single brand

• Universal access (ie. for everyone), but differentiated support based on guidance need• Working in partnership with:

– JCP for those out of work– Connexions for young people requiring further support as they reach adulthood– HE careers advice services for those seeking higher level skills and unsettled

graduates• “The voice of the individual learner”, alongside Train to Gain, Time to Train, strategic

skills

Origins of the advancement service

• Currently: national Careers Advice Service (formerly learndirect advice), local face to face nextstep advice services

• World Class Skills (2007) - integrated IAG service, personal skills accounts

• John Denham (2004) – Fabian society speech on “advancement agencies”

• Work Skills (June 2008) – skills accounts/aacs in context of Integration of Employment and Skills

• Shaping the future – adult advancement and careers service “prospectus” (October 2008)

Given fee policy changes for 16-24 since the survey, the results for this group are less robust.

Why do we need an advancement service?

•Lack of information 56%

•Fees 43%•Time due to family 28%

•Information 52%

•Time due to work 47%

•Confidence 30%

•Time due to family 54%

•Time due to work 39%

•Information 33%

•Time due to family 51%

•Time due to work 50%

•Information 42%

•Time due to work 40%

•Motivation 37%•Time due to

family / Information 34%

•Motivation 38%•Time due to family 34%•Information

27%

•Fees 39%•Time due to

work 38%•Lack of

Information 24%

•Time due to work 51%

•Time due to family 47%•Information

35%

•Time due to work 53%

•Time due to family 46%

•Information 43%

•Information 47%

•Motivation 29%•Time due to family 26%

Level 2

None

Level 3

Skill Level

Age16-24 25-34 35-49 50-59 60-69

Top 3 barriers to learning1

(1) NALS 2005, (2) LSC Statement of priorities, 07/08 figures

Time due to work is the main barrier. Time to Train’ may begin to address this, as may demand side

interventions to encourage employers to offer/support training more readily

Skills PSA, evidence of benefits of IAG for life chances, personalisation agenda…

…and focus groups/surveys showing desire for empowerment and support

ENTRY POINT: web

Eligibility & voucher

Learner record

Statement

Information: courses, providers, LMI

Diagnostic process and tools

Advice on wider barriers to learning and progression

Mentoring service

AACS national

CRM

Skills Account

Careers/skills advice &

diagnosis

Help and support

AACS regional

hub

Jobcentre Plus

ENTRY POINT: phone

SINGLE WEB INTERFACE

ENTRY POINT: face to face

information/data flow

information/data flow

LOCAL ADVICE NETWORKS

So what is this new service?

Potential key elements of service

• Access points to help and support located where customers need them.

• Find out how much Government funding is available to support your learning (fees and learner support).

• Information and advice on careers, skills and jobs, with a skills diagnostic tool.

• Access to wider sources of advice on barriers to learning (childcare, employment rights, personal finance, disability, health and so on)

• Personal record of skills, qualifications and plans for future.

• Interfaces with employer offer – maintaining the individual’s recognition of their right to choose, and supporting skills discussion between individual and employer.

Core/Level 1:LearningCareersJobsearch

[Level 1.5 – Jobcentre Plus/Connexions]

Level 2:Advice providers (housing, FECs, VCS, disability)

Level 3:Services that can provide advice (GPs, employer bodies)

aacs

kitemark?1

membership?2

How might the local networks work?

SA = skills account1 For example, subject to quality standards like matrix 2 Implying adherence to service standards and protocols

tel

f2f webS A

How are we developing it?

• Experimentation and Trialling:

– aacs prototypes (x10) – testing different ways of joining up advice from perspective of individual – SoS licence to explore

– trials of Skills Health Check diagnostic tool, co-location with JCP and skills accounts

• Evolution: current IAG workforce (CAS and nextstep) – capacity and capability – impact of downturn

• Consultation and collaboration: learning network/focus groups/stakeholder group/online “Ideas Forest”

• Wider context: Skills Funding agency, new IT systems

• Additional £50m by 2010-11 boosting current budget of around £60m for core IAG services

Advancement networks/ prototypes

• innovative ways of joining services for adults;

• strengthening partnership working across the local area;

• drawing together a range of advice and support on jobs, skills, financial issues, childcare, housing and personal issues to address the needs of its customers;

• ten prototypes in North West, West Midlands, London and South East;

• influencing national policy and the development of the aacs.

Support based on need – better assessment

• A skills diagnostic tool

• Web – based

• Universal

• Supported or unsupported

• Action plan

Skills Diagnostic tool

• More than just an assessment of interests

• Psychometric basis

• Basic skills screening

• Actions

• Links to other options

• Interface with skills accounts

Supporting Infrastructure

• National service standards and workforce development programme for core service, potential operating protocols for local advancement networks.

• CRM system – seamless data sharing between 3 elements of core service, and potentially with other partner advice services on basis of consent; automatic “keep in touch” with users.

• New National Learning Directory – data updated more frequently, cross referenced with Framework for Excellence for provider quality.

SA 2008/09 trials (SE/EM)

Core transformation – workforce, quality standards,

branding

Additional testing through prototypes…

aacs prototypes

SA 2009/10 national trials

Quality strategy operational

AS

RO

LLOU

T

Autumn 2009

Autumn 2010

further development…

2013?

Core preparatory work:

Customer testing of vision/concept

Definition of aacs structure

Specification for 2009/10 account trials

Easter 2009 High level timetable

Issues to be considered further

• aacs structure:– what is “inside” the aacs and what is “outside”?

– what service and quality standards will apply?

– how will aacs contracting sit with LAAs/MAAs?

– fit with OGD arrangements for delivering advice

• Operational links between the single service, Train to Gain, unionlearn and the National Apprenticeships Service

• Funding model for the aacs and value added services which the aacs could charge for

• Key features of an all age IAG strategy

Issues continued

• Workforce – qualifications, transferability, CPD, new skills sets linked to the new offer

• Links to other advice services – Connexions (age alignment and transition), HE careers advice, embedded advice in FE colleges

• Data – integrating data sources to create single access point; data sharing across advice services and Jobcentre Plus

• Access – ensuring the service meets the needs of all customer groups; offenders, people with learning disabilities and difficulties; those who are low skilled in work; those with higher level skills;