In response to the Government’s ‘boot camp’ programme, to crack
down on young people’s unemployment, (as per the article below), I have a
suggestion to make.
There is one definite way we can all help young people’s
employability: and that is, the qualified assessment of non-graduates (or 'NEET's').
Qualified Assessment
as the Solution
Qualified assessment has been a huge success, for
apprentices in all industries of the UK. The assessment of people’s skills and
grading according to their ability, has given young apprentices the chance to
prove themselves, and show their potential to future employers. And for those
who have acquired skills already, recognition of prior learning through
qualified assessment, is a perfect way to measure people’s potential; because
after all, you don’t have to teach someone what they already know. And so, why
not do the same for non-graduates?
Take every 16-24 year old who is not in education or
training (known in the UK, as non-graduates or ‘NEETs’). Assess each candidate’s
skills and abilities, and if they have a skill for which they do not yet have a
grade, then assess and qualify them accordingly: as you would an apprentice. This
could be for any skill; from customer service, to manual handling. But
certificate qualifications in specific skills can make all the difference; as employers
are looking to fit young recruits into specific niches or roles.
To the organisers of the ‘Boot Camp’ programme, I say to you;
before you even send these young people on any courses, and train them for
interviews, why not start by assessing them for what they already know? The UK
Government’s agencies are quite capable of doing this. Because after all, they
did it before.
The Leitch Report
Lord Leitch Report: Prosperity
for all in the global economy in 2006, highlighted the need for more training
and qualification in the UK, in response to Britain’s poor rating at the time, within
the global skills economy. In Lord Leitch’s own words “we cannot be complacent
and we cannot predict future economic conditions with certainty, but we do know
that the demand for skills will grow inexorably.”
To meet this demand, the Government increased
apprenticeships, improved access to training and skills; and most interestingly
of all: back in 2006, sent qualified assessors into workplaces, to discover young
people’s potential. The assessors qualifies 16-24 year olds – including non-graduates
- by recognising their existing skills. I know this, because I applied for one
such role. I was also lucky enough to gain a certificate qualification through
assessment at work.
Qualified assessment of non-graduates in the workplace was a
success then, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be a success now: for all
non-graduates whether employed or unemployed. I have been giving the idea some
thought, and know one challenge we will face from the HR side. It has to do
with the qualified assessors themselves.
The Challenge
One challenge from a legal, and HR point of view,
will be redefining and renegotiating the assessors' role, to include
non-graduates. Qualified assessors must operate within strict guidelines of
their awarding bodies. As employees, they are recruited specifically to assess mainly
the apprentices. I would say that the whole financial structure of our
Government's programmes is geared to that effect. And so, to deviate from it in
any way, by assessing someone not within a set scheme, would potentially go
outside an assessor's contract. But there is a way round this.
Youth Engagement and other specialised youth teams, already
receive funding in some form, from local or central government. If we can
incorporate an assessor's role into each service, part of that funding for the
youth service, can then go towards hiring the assessor, to work with the
non-graduates. This is quite an important distinction to make, because an
assessor must have a clearly defined role within a service, to be given the
power to assess and qualify the non-graduates.
According to staff
from UK Youth, certain training organisations can in fact, apply for funding to
assess young people in their care. But again, this depends on their
applications being successful. I want us to make qualified assessment more
freely available to non-graduates who are services users of youth
organisations. Another way to do this, might be for an organisation to employ
an assessor as a temporary contractor within their youth service. That will
give the assessor the power, to qualify all of the organisation's young service
users.
Once we can work out
the legal, financial and HR side, I think there is a way that we can integrate
qualified assessors into all youth services.
Conclusion
I believe that qualified assessment is the single most
effective way, to ensure the employment, and career development of
non-graduates: both employed and unemployed. If all non-graduates in the UK
were assessed and qualified for any skills they had, then many of them would be
able to prove themselves to employers. If you have any opinions on this, then
you are welcome to visit our open forum on the link below:
And there is also a subgroup for discussions on qualified
assessment of non-graduates:
I welcome your thoughts on this.
Best Regards
James M
Founder
Let’s Build Bridges
Sources
Lord Leitch: Prosperity
for all in the global econonomy – world class skills Final Report, 2006
