Welcome to your latest update from Stratagia. These newsletters aim to provide you with useful and relevant information. If you have particular topics that you would like us to follow in future editions please let us know info@stratagia.co.uk
- QCF Excellence Workshops
- Professional institutes and awarding organisation status
- Becoming an awarding organisation…
- Developing new QCF units for the Pensions Management Institute
- From RDAs to Local Enterprise Partnerships
- New pre-enterprise qualifications on their way
- Sharing for free!
- Skills for Sustainable Growth – and a thank you to BIS
- Follow us on Linked In and Twitter!
- Conclusion of long-term project with Herefordshire and Worcestershire LLN
- Helping a college to create flexible progression for BTEC students
Did you know that fewer than 10% of QCF units were found to be fully compliant with regulatory requirements in a recent Ofqual review? To help get it right first time and avoid the costs of revising units, we’re organising a series of QCF Excellence workshops.
| Birmingham, Central Premier Inn | Wednesday 29 September |
| London, Euston Premier Inn | Tuesday 12 October |
| Chesterfield, Stratagia Training Suite | Thursday 28 October |
Book by 10 September for the early bird discount price of £90
For more information and booking go to www.stratagia.co.uk/qcf-excellence-workshops or e-mail qcfteam@stratagia.co.uk
Professional institutes and awarding organisation status
The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) is currently going through exciting changes. It is seeking to ensure that their current high standards for members continue to be improved. To this end, IEMA has commissioned Stratagia to help to explore the options available in accreditation and whether or not to become an awarding organisation approved by Ofqual.
Following a review of their current structures and assessment arrangements including interviews with staff and stakeholders we made recommendations about the kind of changes that may be needed to meet with regulatory requirements.
Our initial draft report is currently being considered by IEMA. They will then choose whether to apply to Ofqual to be able to award their own qualifications or form a partnership with an existing awarding organisation.
Becoming an awarding organisation…
The Institute of Licensing (IoL) has decided to apply to Ofqual to become an awarding organisation and has enlisted Stratagia’s expertise to help achieve this.
The project is nearing completion. A draft application and appendices have been written and we are currently looking at other forms of support that may be needed, for example in IT.
We have also been able to assist IoL in developing a small qualification which is designed to support the training of councillors whose role is to consider whether or not licences should be approved.
As well as providing guidance and support to IoL to complete its application, Stratagia will continue to provide training to the key people involved in QCF qualifications and assessment.
For further information on seeking Awarding Organisation status e-mail enda@stratagia.co.uk
Developing new QCF units for the Pensions Management Institute
We’re also providing tailored help to the Pensions Management Institute by reviewing and giving feedback on draft QCF units. This will help PMI to convert their current suite of seven nationally recognised qualifications for pensions’ managers, consultants and administrators so they can be sure that they meet with Ofqual regulatory requirements.
From RDAs to Local Enterprise Partnerships
Regional Development Agencies are to be wound up by March 2011. A partial replacement will come in the form of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), which are expected to be business-led bodies involving local authorities and educational institutions. Bids to create a LEP have to be submitted in early September. If you’re interested in these developments there is now a dedicated LinkedIn group, From RDA to LEP, and an associated blog at: rda2lep.wordpress.com
Does anyone out there know what will happen to Business Link? The best bet at the moment is that there will be the current website and possibly a national call centre, with any other services funded by LEPs or others. If you’ve heard more do let us know!
New pre-enterprise qualifications on their way
SFEDI has won funding from the UKCES to develop a new family of units and qualifications based on their Business Enterprise standards. Their existing units are intended for people starting or running a small business and have to be assessed in that real-life context. The latest work will develop a parallel offer for delivery in colleges, prisons and other contexts where people want to develop their enterprise knowledge and skills prior to committing to start a business.
Stratagia will be working with a group of Awarding Organisations and providers to assist SFEDI in delivering this project. It will commence in September and new qualifications should be available in early 2011. For more information about this project e-mail us at: qcfteam@stratagia.co.uk
There are now lots of free resources available to us, especially via the Internet. Which resource helps you learn, share or achieve? Let us know and we’ll pass on your idea, with an acknowledgement, in the next newsletter. Just send an e-mail to: crystal@stratagia.co.uk
Here’s one suggestion. If you like using mind maps as a way of organising your thoughts then download the free mind mapping software from:
freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Let us know what you think.
Skills for Sustainable Growth – and a thank you to BIS
The Government is currently consulting on its skills policy. You can find all the documents at interactive.bis.gov.uk/comment/skills/ and responses have to be submitted by 14 October.
We were rather annoyed to find that the response form had categories for different size bands of business but excluded micros (those with less than 10 employees), so we wrote to the Minister on 26 July. We’ve now heard from John Hayes MP that the form has been amended to include a micros category. Thanks to BIS for listening on that one.
Follow us on Linked In and Twitter!
We have now expanded our online presence, you can now follow us on:
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Conclusion of long-term project with Herefordshire and Worcestershire LLN
Stratagia’s highly successful contract with Hereford and Worcestershire Lifelong Learning Network has now reached its conclusion. Over the last two years we’ve worked with numerous FE colleges, employers and Institutes of the University of Worcester on exciting activities that included:
- Research into employer needs for HE in North Worcestershire;
- Researching progression opportunities and IAG needs for the 14-19 Diploma qualifications;
- Developing and evaluating bridging programmes for vocational learners moving into higher learning;
- Developing numerous progression agreements for different groups of students at a variety of levels, enabling progression into and through HE;
- Research into apprenticeship progression at a national and regional level, with recommendations for the LLN;
- Mapping progression from all Advanced Apprenticeships into higher learning within the Herefordshire and Worcestershire areas.
Reports from the project are available by clicking here
Helping a college to create flexible progression for BTEC students
Stratagia carried out a survey of BTEC and AS level students to assist Halesowen College in its plans to develop an HNC course in Sports Coaching and Development for their learners. There was concern that some students were not able to move on to full-time higher learning for a variety of reasons and they wanted to provide a flexible, part-time progression route into either higher education or employment. The study included a questionnaire completed by 88 students and 2 focus groups which provided the basis for a detailed report of the results. This important information provided insight into students’ aspirations and level of interest in the HNC option and helped to inform the College’s development plans for the coming year.
The report from the project is available by clicking here