Why should you look at other skills systems?
In a recent workshop for the Skills for Prosperity (S4P) programme, run in partnership with the British Council, we looked at the UK’s skills system, its scope and key features. We also shared challenges and lessons learnt with the participants, who deliver the S4P education and skills programmes in nine countries across Africa, Latin America and South East Asia.
Why did we look at the UK’s skills system?
Our purpose was to look objectively at the UK’s skills system and use it to reflect on challenges and interventions in our nine S4P partner countries. Some approaches that proved successful in the UK may also be interesting and relevant to other countries. For example, a strong theme across S4P is employer engagement and this is also central to the UK’s skills system.
Below are the three most interesting features of the UK’s skills system:
1. Employers at the heart of the system
Employers are actively involved in the UK skills system and their engagement is encouraged. They are consulted on national skills policies and contribute to high level committees and advisory groups. They are central to the way in which skills qualifications are developed and approved and their role has been enhanced in recent years. As well as contributing to the design of standards and qualifications, employers also participate in the delivery of skills training. This could involve working closely with technical colleges, through to being a learning provider in their own right.
2. The UK’s skills system is very flexible
Young people under 19 can undertake a technical pathway in a school, college or employer setting. After this, they can progress to employment, further technical training/qualifications and pursue higher education, including university. Learners can combine work-based training with off-the-job learning. Higher level apprenticeships include an element of learning at a higher education institution and colleges, universities and other providers offer higher technical education. Therefore, academic and vocational pathways in the UK are very flexible and integrated.
3. High levels of quality assurance
In the UK, funding to education and skills providers is linked to their service’s quality and successful learning outcomes. This helps to drive high standards, although quality assurance is also intrinsically part of how the system works and is heavily embedded into many jobs in the sector. Moreover, in the UK, national agencies are responsible for assessing the quality of skills standards, qualifications and education and skills provision. For example, education and training providers are inspected to determine how effectively the needs of learners are being met. Many providers will have quality committees and quality improvement plans and the sector is committed to continuous improvement.
Education and skills transformation in the UK
Due to the importance of skills development and dedication to quality improvement and transformation, the UK regularly adapts its skills systems and major policy changes are quite common. While this helps the sector to develop and innovate, it also brings challenges. This can make it more demanding for employers to keep up to date with changes and gives education and training institutions more work to do to implement new initiatives.
The deep experience of system reform in the UK does mean that the country has a breadth and richness of experience which it can share. This includes different types of interventions it has used and what has worked well and less well.
Although we refer to the UK skills system, in some areas, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have taken different approaches. However, in most cases, similarities are strong. For example, employer engagement is a key feature of skills systems across the UK and formal apprenticeships are also available, albeit with some differences in how they work in the four countries. In addition to devolution at the country level, the UK has also driven more oversight of the skills ecosystem to regions and cities.
These different approaches mean that the UK’s skills system is complex to explain but also that there is much to learn from it. UK skills organisations are very open to sharing their experiences and connecting with other countries. Not only do England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland learn from each other, but the UK is also committed to looking at other education and skills systems around the world.
Learning from other countries
Sharing your skills system journey with other countries can help you to reflect on your own and benchmark it against international practice. Using the example of employer engagement, it can be beneficial to look at how other countries have tried to actively involve employers in their education and skills systems. This can help to avoid pitfalls and drive innovation in systems transformation.
Reviewing and analysing other systems to better understand why certain features or interventions worked well or failed is of value when planning your future reforms. Even if the approaches taken in other countries are not right for your context, it can still be inspiring to see what is possible. This is why cross-programme learning is a crucial component of Skills for Prosperity.
What have you learnt by looking at skills systems from other countries? Let us know!
