Common use of THE CURRENT SKILLS PROFILE, SKILLS NEEDS AND PRIORITIES IN THE LIFELONG LEARNING SECTOR Clause in Contracts

THE CURRENT SKILLS PROFILE, SKILLS NEEDS AND PRIORITIES IN THE LIFELONG LEARNING SECTOR. The aim of this chapter is to present an assessment of the current profile of the skills of the lifelong learning workforce and its current skills needs and priorities. However, as described in section 2.1.3, the concept of ‘skills’ is difficult to define, and even more difficult to actually measure. The most common and regularly used proxy indicator for skills is qualifications. Qualifications data does allow comparisons to be made across different occupations and employment sectors – this is the case within most standard secondary data sources such as the LFS and, where data is available, also constituency-specific secondary data sources. However, qualifications types and levels and occupational categories are defined differently by different constituencies and within different UK home countries, which also creates obstacles to comparative analysis. The concept of skills also goes beyond merely qualifications to include other types of skills, categorised, for the purposes of this report, as: professional/ occupational/ technical skills; transferable skills; and wider employability skills. These types of skills are rarely (and very variably) addressed within secondary data sources. This chapter includes analysis of the primary data collected through the LLUK employer survey, which incorporates assessment of these different types of skills. This chapter also includes discussion of the current priorities in relation to skills needs (in the widest sense) within the lifelong learning sector, with conclusions based on two key issues: • external skills shortages – where applicants for vacant posts do not have the required skills, work experience or qualifications required • internal skills gaps – where current employees are perceived to be lacking the appropriate level or types of skills to enable them to be fully proficient in their post. So this chapter begins by drawing on data from the LFS to examine the profile and trends in qualifications in the lifelong learning sector (as defined by the SIC codes – see section 2.1.1 for a discussion of the challenges that this presents) at a UK-wide level, briefly exploring the key geographic variations. It then moves on to consider UK-wide issues in relation to current priority skills needs within the lifelong learning sector as a whole, based on data from the national employer skills surveys undertaken in the four UK home countries between 2002– 2005 (which are also based on the use of SIC and SOC codes, see section 2.1.2), as well as the employer survey and stakeholder interviews undertaken as part of this research. Sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 above contain a description of the methodology used in relation to each of these aspects of primary data collection. In particular it should be noted that they are not constrained by the same limitations as the sources based on the use of SIC codes. Finally, this chapter presents an analysis of the current qualifications profile and priority skills needs applicable to each of the individual constituencies comprising the lifelong learning sector, including discussion of key geographic variations where relevant.

THE CURRENT SKILLS PROFILE, SKILLS NEEDS AND PRIORITIES IN THE LIFELONG LEARNING SECTOR. ‌ The aim of this chapter is to present an assessment of the current profile of the skills of the lifelong learning workforce and its current skills needs and priorities. However, as described in section 2.1.3, the concept of ‘skills’ is difficult to define, and even more difficult to actually measure. The most common and regularly used proxy indicator for skills is qualifications. Qualifications data does allow comparisons to be made across different occupations and employment sectors – this is the case within most standard secondary data sources such as the LFS and, where data is available, also constituency-specific secondary data sources. However, qualifications types and levels and occupational categories are defined differently by different constituencies and within different UK home countries, which also creates obstacles to comparative analysis. The concept of skills also goes beyond merely qualifications to include other types of skills, categorised, for the purposes of this report, as: professional/ occupational/ technical skills; transferable skills; and wider employability skills. These types of skills are rarely (and very variably) addressed within secondary data sources. This chapter includes analysis of the primary data collected through the LLUK employer survey, which incorporates assessment of these different types of skills. This chapter also includes discussion of the current priorities in relation to skills needs (in the widest sense) within the lifelong learning sector, with conclusions based on two key issues: • external skills shortages – where applicants for vacant posts do not have the required skills, work experience or qualifications required • internal skills gaps – where current employees are perceived to be lacking the appropriate level or types of skills to enable them to be fully proficient in their post. So this chapter begins by drawing on data from the LFS to examine the profile and trends in qualifications in the lifelong learning sector (as defined by the SIC codes – see section 2.1.1 for a discussion of the challenges that this presents) at a UK-wide level, briefly exploring the key geographic variations. It then moves on to consider UK-wide issues in relation to current priority skills needs within the lifelong learning sector as a whole, based on data from the national employer skills surveys undertaken in the four UK home countries between 2002– 2005 (which are also based on the use of SIC and SOC codes, see section 2.1.2), as well as the employer survey and stakeholder interviews undertaken as part of this research. Sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 above contain a description of the methodology used in relation to each of these aspects of primary data collection. In particular it should be noted that they are not constrained by the same limitations as the sources based on the use of SIC codes. Finally, this chapter presents an analysis of the current qualifications profile and priority skills needs applicable to each of the individual constituencies comprising the lifelong learning sector, including discussion of key geographic variations where relevant.

THE CURRENT SKILLS PROFILE, SKILLS NEEDS AND PRIORITIES IN THE LIFELONG LEARNING SECTOR. The aim of this chapter is to present an assessment of the current profile of the skills of the lifelong learning workforce in Scotland and its current skills needs and priorities. However, as described in section 2.1.3, the concept of ‘skills’ is difficult to define, and even more difficult to actually measure. The most common and regularly used proxy indicator for skills is qualifications. Qualifications data does allow comparisons to be made across different occupations and employment sectors – this is the case within most standard secondary data sources such as the LFS and, where data is available, also constituency-specific secondary data sources. However, qualifications types and levels and occupational categories are defined differently by different constituencies and within different UK home countries, which also creates obstacles to comparative analysis. The concept of skills also goes beyond merely qualifications to include other types of skills, categorised, for the purposes of this report, as: professional/ occupational/ technical skills; transferable skills; and wider employability skills. These types of skills are rarely (and very variably) addressed within secondary data sources. This chapter includes analysis of the primary data collected through the LLUK employer survey, which incorporates assessment of these different types of skills. This chapter also includes discussion of the current priorities in relation to skills needs (in the widest sense) within the lifelong learning sector, with conclusions based on two key issues: • external skills shortages – where applicants for vacant posts do not have the required skills, work experience or qualifications required • internal skills gaps – where current employees are perceived to be lacking the appropriate level or types of skills to enable them to be fully proficient in their post. So this chapter begins by drawing on data from the LFS to examine the profile and trends in qualifications in the lifelong learning sector (as defined by the SIC codes – see section 2.1.1 for a discussion of the challenges that this presents) at a UK-wide level, briefly exploring the key geographic variations. It then moves on to consider UK-wide issues in relation to current priority skills needs within the lifelong learning sector as a whole, based on data from the national employer skills surveys undertaken in the four UK home countries between 2002– 2005 (which are also based on the use of SIC and SOC codes, see section 2.1.2), as well as the employer survey and stakeholder interviews undertaken as part of this research. Sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 above contain a description of the methodology used in relation to each of these aspects of primary data collection. In particular it should be noted that they are not constrained by the same limitations as the sources based on the use of SIC codes. Finally, this chapter presents an analysis of the current qualifications profile and priority skills needs applicable to each of the individual constituencies comprising the lifelong learning sector, including discussion of key geographic variations where relevant.

THE CURRENT SKILLS PROFILE, SKILLS NEEDS AND PRIORITIES IN THE LIFELONG LEARNING SECTOR. ‌ The aim of this chapter is to present an assessment of the current profile of the skills of the lifelong learning workforce in Wales and its current skills needs and priorities. However, as As described in section 2.1.3, the concept of ‘skills’ is difficult to define, and even more difficult actually to actually measure. The most common and regularly used proxy indicator for skills is qualifications. Qualifications data does allow comparisons to be made across different occupations and employment sectors – this is the case within most standard secondary data sources such as the LFS and, where data is available, also constituency-specific secondary data sources. However, qualifications types and levels and occupational categories are defined differently by different constituencies and within different UK home countries, which also creates obstacles to comparative analysis. The concept of skills also goes beyond merely mere qualifications to include other types of skills, categorised, for . For the purposes of this report, asreport skills have been categorised in three types: • professional/ occupational/ technical skills; skills • transferable skills; and skills • wider employability skills. These types of skills are rarely (and very variably) addressed within secondary data sources. This chapter includes analysis of the primary data collected through the LLUK employer survey, which incorporates assessment of these different types of skills. This chapter also includes discussion of the current priorities in relation to skills needs (in the widest sense) within the lifelong learning sectorsector in Wales, with conclusions based on two key issues: • external skills shortages – where applicants for vacant posts do not have the required skills, work experience or qualifications required • internal skills gaps – where current employees are perceived to be lacking the appropriate level or types of skills to enable them to be fully proficient in their post. So this chapter begins by drawing on data from the LFS to examine the profile and trends in qualifications in the lifelong learning sector (as defined by the SIC codes – see section 2.1.1 for a discussion of the challenges that this presents) at a Welsh and, where necessary, UK-wide level, briefly exploring the key geographic variations. It then moves on to consider UK-wide Welsh issues in relation to current priority skills needs within the lifelong learning sector as a whole, based on data from the national employer skills surveys undertaken in the four UK home countries between 2002– 2005 (which are also based on the use of SIC and SOC codes, see section 2.1.2), Wales as well as the employer survey and stakeholder interviews undertaken as part of this research. Sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 above contain a description of the methodology used in relation to each of these aspects of primary data collection. In particular it should be noted that they are not constrained by the same limitations as the sources based on the use of SIC codes. Finally, this chapter presents an analysis of the current qualifications profile and priority skills needs applicable to each of the individual constituencies comprising the lifelong learning sector, including discussion of key geographic variations where relevant.