Developing Learners' Employability Skills: Application Guide
Developing Learners' Employability Skills: Application Guide
Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Contents
Introduction The context for developing learners employability skills Organisation of the document Section one: Elements Section two: Guidance on extent of elements 3 4 6 9 14
Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Introduction
This application guide denes the skills, knowledge and understanding that any teacher1 will need to support the development of employability skills of their learners. It is an application of the New Overarching Professional Standards for Teachers, Tutors and Trainers in the Lifelong Learning Sector. These standards were published in December 2006 and describe, in generic terms, the skills, knowledge and attributes required of those who perform the wide variety of teaching and training roles undertaken with learners and employers. The standards: are context free and level free, in order to represent all areas of work and new teachers, experienced teachers and teacher educators represent the teaching and learning cycle, with which all teachers engage; initial assessment, planning and preparation, teaching, assessment, evaluation and quality improvement through responding to evaluation. An application guidance document, such as this, provides more detail for the standards where this is considered of value. These documents can be written for any suite of standards. They can be written for a particular context e.g. offender learning, a particular group of learners or users e.g. disabled learners or for a particular subject, as in this document for employability skills. Application guidance documents are produced through consultation with stakeholders and the relevant community of practice. They reect a broad understanding of how the standards should be applied for a particular context, group of individuals or subject. Teachers may use the guidance to: identify their continuing professional development (CPD) needs plan the acquisition of new knowledge and skills develop existing skills to meet the needs of learners. Learning providers, employers, staff development and HR managers may use the guidance to: share and disseminate good practice illustrate how the standards apply to the teaching of employability skills underpin employability skills staff training and CPD opportunities use in recruitment and appraisal activities promote quality improvement motivate and assist their workforce to develop new skills. Teacher educators and awarding organisations may use the guidance to: support qualication development and associated guidance map current training programmes and qualications against the standards inform curriculum development, delivery and assessment.
1 For the purpose of document the word teacher for has been used as a generic term for teachers, tutors, trainers, lecturers and instructors in the lifelong learning sector
Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Personal skills
Self-management Thinking and solving problems Working together and communicating Understanding the business
Fundamental skills
Using numbers effectively Using language effectively Positive approach Using IT effectively
This guide concentrates on the four personal skills. It details how teachers can provide learners with the broad skills, knowledge and understanding to succeed and progress in the world of work. Developing employability skills goes beyond areas of current practice that are limited to the development of curriculum vitaes, preparation for interviews and a period of work experience. This guide does not consider how teachers can support the development of fundamental skills as part of employability. Lifelong Learning UK has published other guidance in relation to this4.
are relevant for all ages and for any work environment. A focus on employability skills is as valuable for university graduates as it is for those who are not in education, employment or training. These skills are also important for those wanting to progress at work, thinking about a career change, returning to work or seeking work following redundancy. All these individuals need to develop the same employability skills, and teachers can play an important part in supporting and developing them. This guide details the skills, knowledge and understanding that teachers will need if they are to provide that support effectively. The guide will be of value in any context, but teachers will need to apply the skills, knowledge and understanding for any particular learner cohort or learning programme.
The Employability Challenge, UK Commission for Employment and Skills (2009) The UKCES originally referred to these as functional skills, but has changed the name to fundamental skills with the advent of the new qualications in Functional Skills in England 4 Addressing literacy, language, numeracy and ICT needs in education and training: Dening the minimum core of teachers knowledge, understanding and personal skills A guide for initial teacher education programmes LLUK 2007 Inclusive learning approaches for literacy, language, numeracy and ICT Companion guide to the minimum core LLUK 2007
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Learners should be able to see how employability skills contribute to the effectiveness of a teacher. For example, learners will understand that when teachers and other support staff work together it can result in more personalised learning. make the learning of these skills more explicit When teachers acknowledge the ability of their learners to manage themselves, think and solve problems and work and communicate with others they can make learners aware of the value of these skills in the work environment. When encouraging learners to reect on their own performance and to improve, they can make the learners aware that these are skills that are valued by employers and not just of value to the current learning context. be aware of the importance of having up to date business and workplace practice. The Leitch review of skills commented: In the modern labour market, people need to update their skills more often, as they change jobs, adapt to new technology and working lives lengthen5. This statement is as true for teachers as anyone else, and to remain effective teachers need to undertake professional development in relation to teaching. However, teachers will also need to keep up to date with business and industry practice related to the learning programmes they deliver. This could be in relation to a particular vocational area(s) or to broader areas of employment. The latter may be of particular need for those who teach discrete employability skills programmes and are preparing learners for a range of opportunities. T eachers will need to understand the most efcient and effective ways of keeping up to date with local and global trends relating to business and employability. One way may be to take part in projects that support teachers to update their skills and knowledge in a related working environment.
DIUS, Prosperity for all in the global economy world class skills The Leitch Review of Skills
Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Elements
Elements have been developed to explain and illustrate how the generic commitment statements can be applied for teachers who develop learners employability skills. Some of the commitment statements have one associated element and others have more than one. If little or nothing could be added by applying the statements to employability, no elements have been developed. Where this is the case the words informed by professional standards only indicate that a statement has no associated elements.
Avoiding duplication
As this guide has been produced to address the needs of teachers working in a particular specialist area, there is a need to avoid repetition of information in Domain B and Domain C due to their similarity. T avoid this, the guide details more o pedagogical skills, knowledge and understanding in Domain B and more employability skills, knowledge and understanding in Domain C.
Coding
The elements are coded with the domain letter, linked with the associated commitment statement, and are in number sequence. For example, Element C1.2 EMP Understanding and keeping up to date with current knowledge in respect of own subject area. Letter C identies the standards domain, the number one relates to commitment statement CS1, and the number two identies this is the second element for this particular statement. EMP is a sufx to indicate this is an element from the employability application guide.
Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Guidance on extent
Extent of coverage for each element is given in section two of the document. This has been developed through consultation with stakeholders and the community of practice. This is not considered as comprehensive or prescriptive. Teachers may need a broader or narrower range of applied skills, knowledge and understanding than is detailed here. This will be dependent on the learners they are working with and the context. The suggested extent of coverage for each element is written below the associated element as shown below. Standard statement (Commitment statement from standards) CS1 Understanding and keeping up to date with current knowledge in respect of own specialist area. Employability element C1.2 EMP (Element) Provide opportunities for learners to understand how employability relates in a broader context. Teachers who develop learners employability skills know and understand: (Extent) Support learners in understanding the difference between employment and employability skills. Support learners to identify how employment in the relevant vocational area impacts on the economy and local communities. Encourage learners to consider and the contribution they could make as employees in the wider context. Support learners in their understanding of new and emerging technologies in the relevant vocational area.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Section one:
Elements
Domain B: Learning and teaching
Standard statement Teachers in the lifelong learning sector are committed to: BS1 Maintaining an inclusive, equitable and motivating learning environment. Employability element BS1.1 EMP Manage behaviour and develop attitudes that reect employer values and expectations, establishing a code of practice for learners that mirrors that of the workplace. BS1.2 EMP Encourage and motivate learners by creating ways to transform the learning area to reect the working environment. BS2 Applying and developing own professional skills to enable learners to achieve their goals. BS2.1 EMP Use own understanding of employability to create activities that relate to and develop learner understanding of the workplace. BS2.2 EMP Encourage learners to reect on their learning and plan strategies to meet their career goals, using a range of effective and appropriate teaching and learning techniques. BS2.3 EMP Relate learners attitude to work and future plans to their previous life experiences. BS3 Communicating effectively and appropriately with learners to enhance learning. BS4 Collaboration with colleagues to support the needs of learners. BS5 Using a range of learning resources to support learners. Informed by professional standards only.
BS4.1 EMP Collaborate with colleagues to support learners to gain, sustain and progress in employment or in alternative chosen routes. BS5.1 EMP Use knowledge and awareness of the workplace to develop and use a range of work related resources.
Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
ES3.1 EMP Promote peer and self-assessment of employability skills. ES4.1 EMP Use constructive feedback models that reect workplace practice. ES4.2 EMP Provide opportunities for learners to give and receive constructive feedback relevant to employability.
ES5 Working within the systems and quality requirements of the organisation in relation to assessment and monitoring of learner progress.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Section two:
Standard statement
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Standard statement BS2 Applying and developing own professional skills to enable learners to achieve their goals.
Employability element BS2.1 EMP Use own understanding of employability to create activities that relate to and develop learner understanding of the workplace. Teachers who develop employability skills: Apply a range of methods to ensure teaching reects current employer requirements and expectations. Develop creative, realistic workplace scenarios to enable learners to apply employability skills. Provide opportunity for learners to meet directly with employers both within the learning environment and the workplace. BS2.2 EMP Encourage learners to reect on their learning, and plan strategies to meet their career goals using a range of effective and appropriate teaching and learning techniques. Teachers who develop employability skills: Provide learners with the opportunity to reect on activities and what they have learned from them. Encourage learners to apply learning to the workplace and identify areas for improvement in order to achieve their short term goals and career aspirations. Support learners in the development and monitoring of action plans relevant to individual employment and career goals.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Standard statement
Employability element BS2.3 EMP Relate learners attitude to work and future plans to their previous life experiences. Teachers who develop employability skills: Encourage learners to reect on their backgrounds, cultural and any personal experiences of employment. Are able to use approaches to enable learners to understand the link between past experiences and their attitude to work. Employ strategies to enable learners to recognise development needs and plan accordingly.
BS4.1 EMP Collaborate with colleagues to support learners to gain, sustain or progress in employment or in alternative chosen routes. Teachers who develop employability skills: Liaise with colleagues to share knowledge and understanding of workplace requirements and practices across a range of disciplines. Support learners in developing their employability skills in the context of other curriculum areas. Work with others to develop employability skills in specialist areas. Communicate with internal agencies to support learner progression, for example, careers advisors, work placement ofcers. Develop relationships with external agencies to support learner progression, for example, employers, recruitment agencies. Liaise with colleagues to establish and maintain a support network for work based learners. Work with others to identify and implement support for learners wishing to pursue an alternative lifestyle.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Employability element BS5.1 EMP Use knowledge and awareness of the workplace to develop and use a range of work related resources including new and emerging technologies. Teachers who develop employability skills: Design, modify or use a range of resources that allow the analysis and exploration of employability skills. Ensure resources reect current perspectives on employability skills. Use a range of resources in the public domain to demonstrate employer needs, for example, advertisements, job application forms and websites. Encourage learners to develop and utilise networks. Understand new and emerging technologies used in the workplace and, insofar as possible, incorporate these in delivery. Encourage the use of ICT to support development of learner employability skills, for example, word processing, PowerPoint and video conferencing.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
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Quotation taken from page 14 of Reaching further: Workforce development through employer- FE college partnership by CBI 2009
Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Standard statement CS2 Enthusing and motivating learners in own specialist area.
Employability element CS2.1 EMP Implement innovative and creative ways to motivate learners. Teachers who develop employability skills: Engage with employers in the relevant vocational area to support and participate in the learning process. Relate learning to the workplace. CS2.2 EMP Make links between the development of selfcondence and a positive attitude through learning and its value when seeking and sustaining employment. Teachers who develop employability skills: Apply a range of learning strategies to develop self-condence. Know how to relate self-condence to personal effectiveness at work.
CS3 Fullling the statutory responsibilities associated with own specialist area of teaching.
CS3.1 EMP Apply appropriate teaching and learning strategies to developing learner understanding of employment law common to all vocational areas. Teachers who develop employability skills: Negotiate codes of practice in the learning environment that reect contracts of employment. Create awareness of health and safety regulations in both the learning environment and the workplace. Create an awareness of trade unions, their role and responsibilities. Create an awareness of and opportunity to practice risk assessment.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Standard statement CS4 Developing good practice in teaching own specialist area.
Employability element CS4.1 EMP Understand how to share good practice of embedded delivery, within vocational areas or with others who develop employability skills as a separate subject. Teachers who develop employability skills: Liaise with other teachers who develop employability skills in order to establish and share good practice. Liaise with colleagues to support crossdisciplinary approaches to employability skills development. Establish links and liaise with other learning providers to share good practice. CS4.2 EMP Identify learners transferrable skills related to employability. Teachers who develop employability skills: Work with learners to identify the transferable skills they are developing, and how these relate to employment opportunities in the relevant vocational area.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Employability element DS2.1 EMP Negotiate individual learning goals that reect individual attitudes to employment. Teachers who develop employability skills: Encourage learners to reect on their approach to and participation in activities in relation to future goals. Encourage learners to develop career or alternative action plans with short and long term goals based on their reections.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Standard statement
Employability element ES4.2 EMP Provide opportunities for learners to give and receive constructive feedback relevant to employability. Teachers who develop employability skills: Plan opportunities for learner feedback to peers. Empower learners to give constructive feedback to others simulating workplace practices in appraisals, interview and selection, team work, leadership, presentation, negotiation and conict management.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
FS2 Providing support for learners within the boundaries of the teacher role.
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Developing Learners Employability Skills An application of the new overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector
Standard statement FS3 Maintaining own professional knowledge in order to provide information on opportunities for progression in own specialist area.
Employability element FS3.1 EMP Establish external networks to maintain up to date knowledge of workplace requirements. Teachers who develop employability skills: Understand current debate in relation to employability skills, and use tool kits available to map skills and inform progression guidance to learners. Establish employer links and maintain networks. Identify work placement opportunities for learners in the relevant vocational area. Provide learners with current information on employer requirements and career paths in the relevant vocational area.
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