Skills for Success – A Skills Strategy for Jersey
Skills
for
Success
A Skills Strategy for Jersey
April 2014
CONTENTS
Foreword 3
Introduction 4
OBJECTIVE 1 10
Ensure our children enjoy the best start possible and prepare our young
people to make a positive contribution to the Island
OBJECTIVE 2 20
Encourage lifelong learning and equip individuals with the skills
that Jersey needs
OBJECTIVE 3 28
Align opportunities for skills development with the needs of current
and emerging labour markets
OBJECTIVE 4 35
Tackle unemployment and help people gain a foothold
in the labour market.
Conclusion 39
Glossary 40
FOREWORD
The Skills Executive was established in 2008 to coordinate, across States departments, the policies and activities designed to develop the capacity and skills of the workforce of the future.
Our vision is to develop the skills and aspirations of people in Jersey to enable them to be successful and to make Jersey economically competitive. We want to provide better opportunities for everyone to improve their skills and in doing so to encourage innovation, creativity and increase productivity.
This strategy sets out our commitment to a high performing education system, lifelong learning and training to meet the Island’s needs and ensure that we benefit to the greatest extent from the economic recovery. It provides strategic direction for the work of States departments, training providers and the Skills Board, the employer-led body that advises the Skills Executive.
Working together as Skills Jersey we have developed a comprehensive approach that complements the Enterprise Action Plan, the Economic Growth and Diversification Strategy and the Back-To-Work initiatives that have been successful in helping many people find jobs in a challenging economic environment. This strategy brings together long, medium and short term objectives that will ensure our Island is well-placed to meet the requirements of current and emerging labour markets.
As the three Ministers most closely involved with these challenges we know that skills development is essentially about people; helping them to gain meaningful employment, achieve their career goals and improve their lives. This strategy is designed to support their development and help Islanders achieve their aspirations.
Deputy Patrick Ryan, Minister for Education, Sport and Culture
Senator Alan Maclean, Minister for Economic Development
Senator Francis Le Gresley, Minister for Social Security
INTRODUCTION
Skills are essential for economic growth, personal success and a strong, cohesive community.
Why do we need a skills strategy?
- Skills are essential for sustainable economic growth, personal success and a strong, cohesive community. The improvement of skills supports the expansion of a highly motivated and capable workforce that is able to increase existing activity and grasp the opportunities that become available from new and developing industries. For individuals, skills can lead to more satisfying and rewarding work, transform lives and drive social mobility. This in turn benefits society. Higher skilled workers positively influence productivity, earn higher wages, pay more taxes and need less support.
- This strategy has been designed to support the vision of the Council of Ministers to stimulate economic development, diversification and job growth as set out in the Economic Growth and Diversification Strategy and the Enterprise Action Plan of the States of Jersey. It is based on available data and describes the structures and arrangements that will be necessary to promote employer engagement and inter-departmental cooperation in the context of managing population growth.
Skills and Qualifications
- Skills for employability are essentially acquired capacities that enable us to function effectively in the labour market. Although not all skills lead to or require qualifications, the level of qualifications in a community is a good proxy indicator of skill levels. Vocational qualifications, especially those taken in the workplace, can be regarded as indicators of interest, motivation and a willingness to learn and change – valuable attributes in an economy seeking to diversify, develop and embrace new opportunities.
- The need to focus on improving the skills of the Jersey workforce was recognised in 2005 when the 2001 census data highlighted weaknesses in the skills-set of the workforce at that time. Table 1 focuses on the highest qualification attained by working-age adults (16-59 years for women and 16-64 years for men).
Table 1: Highest Level of Qualifications in the Workforce
Highest qualification (or equivalent) | 2011 Persons | 2001 Persons | 2011 Percent | 2001 Percent |
Higher education | 21,596 | 7,200 | 34 | 13 |
Secondary level | 28,880 | 27,212 | 45 | 48 |
Other | 1,283 | 3,190 | 2 | 6 |
No formal qualifications | 12,594 | 19,413 | 20 | 34 |
All | 64,353 | 57,015 | 100 | 100 |
- Since 2001 the proportion of working-age adults with higher education qualifications has increased from one in eight (13%) to a third (34%). In contrast, the proportion of working-age adults with no formal qualifications has decreased considerably from that measured by the 2001 census which reported a third (34%) of working-age adults as having no formal qualifications. The reduction in the proportion of adults without formal qualifications is primarily due to the ageing of the working population between 2001 and 2011 and improved educational outcomes for younger entrants to the labour market since the raising of the school leaving age in 1992.
6. Overall this data shows that the qualifications profile of Jersey is very similar to that of the United Kingdom; about 80% of the workforce have a level 2 qualification or higher and about 20% have no qualifications at all. However, when comparing workplace skills with those of the UK it should be recognised that the two economies are very different and that the UK itself is considered to be ‘average’ in its educational attainment, often featuring between 21st and 31st on a league table of OECD countries[1]. Its performance is similar to jurisdictions such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway and Portugal. The UK is now ranked below the international average in maths and problem solving and average with regard to levels of literacy.
7. Over the past few years in the UK, 82% of newly created jobs required applicants to have a degree[2]; since 2010 only 2% of job losses were in knowledge-intensive roles; it is forecast that there will be three million fewer low skilled jobs in 2016 than in 2011; at the beginning of the year there was an 8.7% rise in graduate vacancies. In the future jobs will require proven education and skills as pre-requisites. As Jersey is a small service-based economy that relies on skills to be globally competitive, it is essential that we take steps to drive up educational standards even further. To achieve this we need to be absolutely confident that:
o Our children enjoy the best start possible and our young people are well-prepared to make a positive contribution to the Island.
Occupations
- Focussing on the education system is not enough. About 80% of the people who will be in the workforce in 2020 are no longer in compulsory education.
Table 2: Highest Level of Qualifications by Occupation 2011
- Table 2 illustrates that more than three quarters of working adults engaged in professional occupations had attained a higher level qualification, whilst nearly half of those in process, plant and machine occupations had no formal qualifications. In contrast, around one in eight workers in elementary occupations and a fifth of sales and customer services workers had attained a higher qualification.
- There has also been a significant improvement since 2001 in relation to level 3 and 4 qualifications and the percentage of people in the workforce with no qualifications at all. The data shows a significant increase in the proportion of senior managers, professionals and technical staff educated to first degree or higher level vocational qualifications.
- There has also been a general uplift in the level of qualifications attained by people working in skilled trades and a significant reduction in the number of people without any relevant qualifications. We also know that about 5% of adults already in the workforce would benefit from adult basic education particularly in literacy, numeracy and IT.
- To continue this improvement we need to ensure that high quality further and adult education are at the heart of our strategy to:
o Encourage lifelong learning and equip individuals with the skills that Jersey needs.
Industries
- Table 3 shows the highest level of qualifications for workers in each industrial sector in Jersey. Around half of those in finance and legal activities and in education, health and other services had a higher level qualification. A third of workers in agriculture and fishing and in construction and nearly a third of workers in hotels, restaurants and bars had no formal qualifications.
Table 3: Highest Level of Education Qualifications by Industry – Percent
Sector | Higher | Secondary | Other | None | % |
Agriculture and fishing | 15 | 44 | 8 | 34 | 100 |
Manufacturing | 23 | 48 | 3 | 26 | 100 |
Construction | 16 | 49 | 2 | 33 | 100 |
Electricity, gas and water supply | 30 | 49 | 1 | 20 | 100 |
Wholesale and retail trades | 21 | 47 | 2 | 29 | 100 |
Hotels, restaurants & bars | 24 | 39 | 5 | 31 | 100 |
Transport, storage and communication | 26 | 49 | 2 | 23 | 100 |
Financial and legal activities | 51 | 43 | 2 | 4 | 100 |
Miscellaneous business activities | 39 | 38 | 2 | 22 | 100 |
Education, health and other Other services | 49 | 37 | 1 | 13 | 100 |
- The shortage of skills in particular sectors such as construction[3], rural industries[4] and hospitality is well documented. This information should enable us to better align the development of skills with the needs of employers and learners[5]. For example, we know from the investment that is being made in major construction projects over the next five years that there will be a significant demand for skilled workers in this and related industries. We need to research and understand this demand to ensure that there is strong alignment between the industry and training providers.
- Securing information such as this in a timely way and using it effectively to structure opportunities for developing skills through further and adult education will be necessary if we are to minimise the need to import skills and achieve our objective to:
o Align opportunities for skills development with the needs of current and emerging labour markets.
Unemployment
- The unemployment rate for Jersey in June 2013 was 5.7%[6] (3,200 people). At the end of January 2014, 1,860 people were registered with the Social Security Department as actively seeking work. In a protracted recession short-term unemployment can become long-term unemployment and people who are out of the labour market need support to apply and develop their skills whilst seeking work. We have a responsibility to ensure that jobseekers have access to training, guidance and support to take up employment or training opportunities even in areas that they might not otherwise have considered.
Figure 1: Actively Seeking Work by Age Sept 2013-Jan 2014
- Figure 1 illustrates that young people are most vulnerable when work is hard to find and research shows that those who cannot find a job when they leave school or college are more likely to face long-term unemployment.
- The labour market for young people aged 16 to 18 has changed dramatically with fewer jobs available for school leavers. This has led to an increase in the number of young people enrolling at Highlands College. As this trend is unlikely to be reversed the education system needs to respond effectively, efficiently and in a way that is directly responsive to labour market changes.
- In England, full-time education or training up to 18 years is now the norm and reforms to 14-19 vocational education are underway following a major review[7] aimed at driving up standards. The new qualification pathways to be introduced from 2014 will provide us with the opportunity to develop the 14-19 phase of education so that it is valued by students and employers as the preferred route into the labour market, higher education and further training and lead to fewer unemployed young people 16-19 years of age.
- This work needs to complement the many successful ‘Back to Work’ initiatives already in train to:
o Tackle unemployment and help people gain a foothold in the labour market.
OBJECTIVE 1
To build a stronger and prosperous Jersey we need to ensure that our children enjoy the best start possible and our young people are well prepared to make a positive contribution to the Island.
Pre-school education
- We know from research that high quality early childhood education and care is important for the healthy growth and development of children. There is compelling evidence to suggest that it contributes fundamentally to the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and linguistic development of children[8]. We need to acknowledge that this is where skill development begins if we want to give our children the best start and set them off on a path that leads to positive outcomes later on.
- The Children and Young People’s Strategic Framework[9], overseen by the Children’s Policy Group[10], sets out a vision for children and young people in Jersey around six key outcomes. We want them to:
- Be healthy
- Be safe
- Achieve and do
- Grow confidently
- Be responsible and respected
- Have a voice and be heard
- Although this applies across the age range, for our children and young people to achieve these outcomes we need to maintain high expectations and provide support from the earliest years so that they may realise their aspirations and achieve their potential.
- The Play Strategy launched by the Early Years Childcare Partnership[11] will have a major role in promoting active learning and the development of skills in a broader context. The Foundation Stage curriculum in nursery settings supports children as they move from play-based learning and continue the early development of their cognitive and social skills particularly in language, numeracy and relationships.
- The current Early Years Strategy, introduced in 2009, has been effective in providing universal support for children in their pre-school year and 95% now access 20 hours free nursery education a week during term-time across private and public providers. Not only does this support the development of children, it helps parents who wish to return to work by increasing the availability of provision and reducing the overall cost of early education for those parents. To maintain this and cater for demographic growth an additional £450,000 per annum will be required from 2016. It is important that we now evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy, so that we can be confident our investment is making a difference.
- Although there is much to be proud of when it comes to early years, particularly in relation 3 to 5 year olds, there are still gaps. We lack a coherent cross-department strategy for 0 to 5 year olds; quality in nursery settings is variable and more targeted interventions need to be developed for the most vulnerable.
Figure 2: Human Brain development (synapse formation)[12]
- From birth to 5 years is the most critical time in a child’s life for intellectual and emotional development (Figure 2). The nature and quality of care, stability and a secure and stimulating environment affect the child’s potential to develop and thrive. Joint working in this area is already more effective with some good work on inclusion for children with special needs. The provision of a new Children’s Centre at Samares School, based on The Bridge and jointly funded by Health, ESC and Family Support, is another example of effective cross-department working to provide targeted support for families who need it.
- We now need to bring together, into one coherent framework, key policies on health, education, parental engagement, family support and targeted support for vulnerable children and those with special needs so that we provide a single coordinated early years’ service acting together to support children and parents. Working in this way can lead to an early recognition of difficulties in relation to speech and language, communication and learning and can enable professionals to provide effective support to children and parents at earliest stage making a real difference. To meet the educational needs of this group an additional £300,000 per year would need to be targeted towards early identification, assessment and programmes to support the early learning and development of children with special needs and learning difficulties.
- Quality is critical for early childhood services. Research[13] shows that children who attend higher quality preschool provision tend to do better throughout primary school, particularly in reading. Currently two forms of inspection operate across nursery providers; the Childcare Registration Team is responsible under the Day Care of Children (Jersey) Law 2002 for ensuring that private providers meet acceptable standards; the School Development and Evaluation Team at the ESC Department is responsible for ensuring that nursery provision in primary schools is of an appropriate standard. These need to be better aligned so that professionals working across both sectors operate within a clearly defined and agreed framework that involves parents and is aimed at improving quality.
- Well-qualified and trained staff are essential for quality in early years settings and yet there is evidence that a number of local providers struggle to recruit and retain good staff and turnover can be high. This can have a significant impact on quality and consistency. More analysis is required to understand the issues involved. Although a foundation degree in Childhood Studies commenced in 2012, further work needs to be undertaken with the Jersey Child Care Trust and Highlands College to raise the status of the profession and to ensure that first class training and development is available to early years professionals.
- Although early education in Jersey is perceived to be good we must never be complacent about quality and standards. It is important that we work constructively with parents, practitioners and providers to ensure quality and consistency in all early years settings. To achieve this we would need to:
- evaluate our current investment in early learning to be confident that it is making a difference and, if so, secure the resources to meet demographic growth;
- lead the development of a coherent cross-department strategy for 0-5 year olds;
- work with providers to ensure that the early years curriculum provides a secure foundation for children to make good progress;
- review the current framework for Day Care Registration to ensure that it challenges and supports providers to focus on developing the skills of early practitioners;
- work through the Jersey Child Care Trust to understand the issues facing private providers in relation to the recruitment, retention and training of staff in early years settings.
Primary and secondary education
- Schools must equip young people with the high levels of literacy, numeracy and IT skills that they need to be successful. There are already positive signs. Figure 2 illustrates that based on teacher assessments[14], standards of literacy and numeracy in primary schools across the Island have shown a 15% increase over the past three years. This success is primarily down to the introduction of high quality self-evaluation, enhanced data analysis, greater rigour in assessment, improvements in teaching learning and greater accountability.
Figure 2: % Pupils leaving primary school with Level 4 or higher attainment[15]
- Schools now have greater autonomy in terms of how they use their resources to drive up standards. However, with greater autonomy comes the need for effective evaluation and greater accountability. This has been the main function of the School Development and Evaluation Team at the Education, Sport and Culture Department. This approach is now embedded and has been well received by schools. It is seen as supportive, challenging, effective and, compared with other models of evaluation, very efficient. To maintain the drive towards higher standards this approach needs to be expanded and supported with enhanced data monitoring and analysis.
- The requirement for good quality, timely data is the key to effective and intelligent accountability and whilst the current arrangements for data collection and analysis have enabled high level comparisons to be made against England, the Education department lacks the capacity to provide the depth of analysis that is now the norm in English local authorities. The cost of providing this and enhancing the scheme for school evaluation would be circa £500,000 per annum.
- As Figure 3 illustrates, academic outcomes for Jersey students at the end of compulsory education, at 16 years of age, have plateaued and a gap is emerging between Jersey and England where resources have been targeted at raising the attainment of pupils who are vulnerable to low achievement. There is evidence[16] to suggest that, in terms of GCSE results, the rapid improvement seen in many English schools is to a large extent because many have invested in vocational programmes that have been counted as GCSE equivalents. In 2011, 3175 such courses were available for schools to choose from but only 4% are now considered to be of a standard equivalent to GCSE.
Figure 3: % of Pupils 5 A*-C at GCSE including English and Maths
- Of about 1,000 pupils in each year school year, more than 450 achieve level 3 qualifications through A-level study at one of the school sixth forms. Another 100 achieve level 3 in the same timeframe studying vocational courses at Highlands College. A year later a further 100 will achieve level 3 after three years study beyond compulsory education. This means that 60% of our young people attain level 3 by the age of 19. There is, however, a small but significant number of young people who are disengaged from learning and need a greater degree of support to stay engaged and be successful.
- We believe that additional resources targeted where they make the most difference can have an effect on pupil attainment and there is a growing body of research into interventions that are the most effective for raising low attainment[17]. That is why we intend to consider the introduction of an additional resource for pupils who are not making the progress that they should and give schools the flexibility to use this towards early interventions that can make the most difference. Given that this would require additional funding of circa £2 million a year, we need to ensure that schools are accountable for this additional resource and can demonstrate that it is used effectively.
- The recommendations of the 2013 Review of Mathematics teaching across the Island are currently being implemented. A review of English will be conducted in 2014 and Science in 2015. These, together with the improvements in standards already evident in primary schools, will translate into higher expectations at secondary level. To raise standards further we need to maintain the momentum of these successful initiatives and ensure that our teachers are well trained and supported to deliver them.
- We will also need to ensure that we identify in the next Medium Term Financial Plan the resources that will be needed to manage demographic growth in both the primary and secondary phases of education. It is predicted that an additional £2m will required for this purpose in 2016 rising to £3.8m in 2019. This will be necessary to provide additional teaching staff, resources and maintain class sizes at current levels.
- From research we know that the best performing school systems ‘get the best teachers, get the best out of teachers and step in when pupils start to lag behind’.[18] We have many excellent teachers in Jersey but we are mostly dependent on the UK to provide initial teacher training and a recruiting ground for specialist or shortage subject teachers where skills are not available locally. Attracting the best teachers from limited pools of applicants can be a challenge.
- A 21st century education system ‘requires teachers to be high-level knowledge workers who constantly advance their own professional knowledge as well as that of their profession’.[19] This means that our teachers need to have access to continuous professional development that focuses on helping them to use their professional talents to best effect in order to provide our children and young people with the quality learning opportunities to which they are entitled and our society is dependent. To do this we have committed to engage with headteachers and teachers in a review that focuses on building a teaching profession to meet the challenges of the 21st century and enables Jersey to recruit and retain the best teachers.
- Historically, Jersey has tended to follow the English National Curriculum with modifications to take account of local geography, history and the teaching of French. From September 2014 a new National Curriculum will be taught in England and the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture in Jersey has decided to adopt that curriculum and allow teachers to adapt it to the local context. This also will set higher expectations for children and enable teachers to prepare, plan and assess within a structure that is robust yet flexible enough to allow schools to be creative. As part of the development of the new curriculum a report will be brought to the States in September 2014 identifying the range of Modern Languages that could be taught in schools. The report will also consider the feasibility of establishing an English-French bilingual school.
- In secondary schools the new curriculum will be accompanied by significant reforms of the examination system particularly A-levels and GCSEs. However, employers also demand that young people have developed the ‘softer skills’ that are the hallmarks of good employees: a positive attitude; punctuality; enterprise; the ability to problem-solve and work collaboratively. This means that the curriculum needs to have the right breadth so that it provides opportunities for the development of these skills.
- Although it is generally recognised that the current structure of secondary education in Jersey appears to serve most pupils well, the high level of selection presents real challenges for the non-selective 11-16 schools who work with a broader range of ability and social need. The negative effects of this are evident in a number of important educational outcomes particularly GCSE results in English and mathematics. We know that we need to maintain our focus on standards, to recruit good teachers and train them well and to intervene where pupils fall behind. We also need to be confident that our structure is efficient and effectively supports the delivery of aspirations for all pupils. There are mixed views about whether this is the case which is why we would need to review the existing structure to have an informed debate about its effectiveness.
- An academic education is not for everyone. Some young people need and relish the opportunity to develop their skills through vocational programmes and learning in the workplace. The ESC Minister carries the statutory responsibility to ensure adequacy of education but in this capacity he can be aided by the Skills Executive and advised by the Skills Board with regard to the place, timing and appropriateness of vocational learning opportunities within the curriculum. These opportunities will help prepare young people for the world of work and also improve their motivation to learn by enabling them to see and experience at first hand the practical application of their learning in the workplace.
- With investment secured in the current Medium Term Revenue Plan, pupils from across the four 11-16 schools will have access to a better coordinated range of vocational options offered in partnership with Highlands College. Level 1 courses will be available in Construction, Engineering, Hospitality, Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Hair and Beauty. Level 2 courses were offered in Travel and Tourism, Public Service, Childcare and Retail Knowledge.
- Whilst these programmes provide young people with vocational tasters, if we are to increase the range of opportunities for them to acquire, practice and demonstrate their skills then a more effective approach might be to establish and resource a Skills Centre. This would be designed to support the concept of a skills based curriculum for 14-19 year olds that provides a broader offer than is currently available and focuses on developing employability skills for priority sectors locally. It would combine vocational education with additional support for vulnerable groups of young people accessing the provision. Funding of £3m has been identified in the Medium Term Capital Plan for the development of a standalone 14-19 vocational skills centre.
- Building on the strengths of our existing system we will ensure that it is high performing, provides equality of opportunity and is responsive to the needs of learners, employers and the community.
- To achieve this we would need to:
- expand and resource our arrangements for school evaluation, inspection and data analysis to ensure our schools get the support and challenge they need to raise standards;
- secure and target additional resources towards pupils who are falling behind and not reaching sufficient standards in literacy and numeracy;
- secure the additional resources necessary to meet demographic growth to 2019;
- work with key stakeholders to create a 21st century vision for education that provides every learner with opportunities to develop the key skills for learning, personal development and employability;
- work with school leaders and teachers to determine how we can recruit and retain the best teachers and to ensure they have regular access to high quality professional development;
- work with the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture to review the current structure of secondary education to ensure that it meets our aspirations for young people;
- commission a feasibility study into the establishment of a 14-19 Skills Centre.
OBJECTIVE 2
Employers often struggle to hire well prepared and skilled employees. To ensure that individuals are equipped with the critical skills necessary for employability we will encourage lifelong learning and help people develop the skills that make them an asset in the workplace.
- An 18 year old entering full time employment in September 2014 can hope to be employed until the year 2063. More likely than not, he or she will have several jobs during that period and will need to retrain, improve and develop new skills.
- It is equally important that people currently in the workforce are able to maintain and develop their skills in order to exploit the opportunities that may become available to them.
- In the wake of the global economic recession, the stimulation of economic activity and creation of employment are tasks facing countries across the world. Some have identified specific areas of activity and invested heavily in the growth of particular industries. Others have been less specific, preferring instead to establish a welcoming environment for business and commerce to flourish.
- This approach sets challenges for the development of a strategy for skills in that there are few industry-specific, identifiable skill sets to develop. Rather, investment must be made in the development of more general workplace skills that are useful, valued and transferable to other areas of activity. The task is to ensure that provision exists to enable people to learn and develop their skills and to gain increased expertise and experience.
- To support this, we need to extend the range of adult vocational learning opportunities and make them more accessible to adult learners, in or out of work, relevant to their needs and those of their employers.
Adult Basic Education
- Functional ability in English and numeracy (Basic Education) is the foundation to the development of workplace skills and vocational qualifications. Research undertaken on behalf of the Skills Board[20] suggests that about 80% of local employers expect prospective employees to be competent in literacy and numeracy before entering the workforce. They take the view that this learning is ‘general education’ which should have taken place prior to employment and whilst many employers are willing to invest in staff training, they see support for literacy and numeracy as a States function.
- Further research[21] commissioned by the Skills Board asserts that literacy, numeracy and IT skills provide a solid foundation for everyday life and work. When individuals lack these basic skills, they are less likely to gain employment and those that do often fail to progress beyond entry-level jobs and lack the confidence to access new opportunities. Approximately 5% of the local adult population could benefit from additional support in these areas and Figure 4 illustrates that people are willing to take advantage of opportunities to develop these skills where they are provided.
Figure 4: Adult Attendance at Basic Education Programmes at Highlands 
- We intend to progressively reduce the proportion of adults in the population who lack functional ability in literacy, numeracy and spoken English.
To achieve this we would need to:
- invest in and promote programmes of learning in adult basic skills to the general public;
- work with Highlands College, Social Security, Probation, the Prison Service, the Youth Service and other agencies to develop basic learning opportunities for the general public and additional programmes targeted to specific groups who can benefit;
- invest in the training of teachers in English and Adult Basic Education in order to establish an overall level of provision sufficient to meet demand for assistance by 2017.
Further Education
- For those who would normally leave school at 16, the economic recession has led to a reduction in regular employment opportunities available. This means that many young people, including lower achievers, are considering staying on in full-time education. It also means that there is increasing pressure on them to develop higher level skills and knowledge.
- Historically a high percentage (90% plus) of young people stay on in education or training post 16 years. Approximately 50% undertake A-level at one of the Island’s five sixth forms. One school, Hautlieu, has successfully introduced the International Baccalaureate.
- As Table 3 shows A-level results compare well with England. The question is whether, given the collaboration between sixth form providers, A-level students across the Island have equal access to the range of subjects that are available and whether the range itself is broad enough, for example in respect of the number of modern languages on offer.
Table 3: A-Level Results 2010 -2013
A-Level A*-C | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
Jersey | 84.8 | 85.7 | 83.9 | 81.3 |
UK | 75.4 | 76.2 | 76.4 | 77.0 |
- In relation to Highlands College, Figure 5 shows that the investment we have already made in providing additional places is having an impact and that people, particularly young people, are seizing the opportunity to develop their skills and gain qualifications by turning to full time education at a time when competition for jobs is strong. This is good as it will provide better skilled and qualified young entrants to the workforce in future.
- With regard to the current working age population, Jersey lags behind the UK when it comes to level 3 qualifications; about 14% (9,000) of the local workforce have attained level 3 as their highest qualification, whereas in the UK the figure is 21% (equivalent to 13,500 in Jersey).
Figure 5: Growth in Full-Time Students at Highlands College 
- A larger pool of better qualified young adult entrants to the workplace will be of benefit to employers and it may also be of particular benefit in the medium to long term for individuals who have made the decision to follow level 3 programmes rather than seek employment having achieved level 2.The challenge is to develop relevant and flexible learning opportunities that are valued by employers and accessible to adults regardless of whether they are in work or not.
- We want to reduce the proportion of adults in the workplace whose highest attainment is level 2 (or below), by improving access to full-time and part-time courses leading to level 3 qualifications.
To achieve this we would need to:
- undertake an audit of Level 3 provision (A-Level and BTEC equivalents) across the Island to ensure that a broad range of choice exists for all students;
- work through the Skills Jersey Board and with Social Security, employers, Highlands College and other training providers to consider ways in which existing programmes of learning up to and including level 3 can be offered in ways that are accessible to adults (mature students) regardless of their employment status;
- review Highlands College tuition fee structure for adult part-time learners with a view to ensuring that cost is not a barrier to part-time vocational learning;
- promote and publicise support to employers for training through resources such as the Skills Accelerator (see paragraph 77).
Higher Education
- Access to higher education is of immense importance to the development of skills and expertise within the workforce. At 34%, UK and international comparisons suggest that the proportion of graduates in the local workforce is inadequate.
- Each year more than 400 students begin studying at universities outside Jersey, with more than 95% in the UK and the vast majority in England. Although these students may access means-tested financial support towards the cost of tuition fees and maintenance, the cost is dependent on the fees charged by the universities that are in turn dependent on UK Government policy. The maximum fee charged to ‘home’ students is currently capped at £9,000. However should the UK policy change and the cap be lifted this would lead to increased costs for Jersey students. For example, if tuition fees were to increase by £1,000 the overall annual cost of supporting Jersey students would rise by £1.4m. However, as the increase would only apply to new students, the full effect would not be felt until 2018. In this scenario, to maintain the current level of support without increasing the cost to parents and students, the States would need to invest an additional £100,000 in higher education grants in 2017 rising to just over £700,000 in 2019.
- Notwithstanding, the pattern of provision for adult learners is changing and there are now many more part-time mature students attending university on short-course programmes as an alternative to the traditional three or four year degree course. We need to ensure our funding arrangements keep pace with this change.
- The growth of private higher education provision on the Island and the development of the University Centre at Highlands have supported this with the number of local participants increasing from 57 individuals in 2005 to 144 in 2013. On the other hand the number of students following Open University Programmes has reduced significantly from 400 in 2005 to 160 in 2013. This reduction in participation coincided with the introduction of increased fees for Channel Islands students.
- It is now possible to follow local degree programmes in:
Art Information Technology
Business Law
Childhood Studies Nursing
Construction Social Science
Financial Services Sport
- These programmes have been designed through discussion with local employers, many of whom give time to tuition and student placement. As such, they are well supported and have credibility within their business sectors. They also provide an opportunity for local people who are unable to attend a UK university to follow a degree course. Students following local programmes such as these can be confident that their training is in accordance with local employer need and they are more likely to remain in the Island and take up employment.
- New programmes are expensive to develop. However, once established they can be self-financing as students are entitled to apply for higher education grants towards tuition and maintenance regardless of whether they study on or off-Island.
- For those on income support and seeking work, the Social Security Department has an explicit policy to support people who secure places on ‘critical skills’ courses. This enables them to study and exempts them from having to seek a full-time job for the duration of the course. At the moment this applies only to the degree in nursing but this could be extended where it can be demonstrated that a course fulfils a local demand for skilled workers in a key area.
- We will continue to provide financial support for students studying towards a first degree and encourage the development of degree courses on Island that meet employer demand for local graduates and bring benefits to the individual, the community and the economy.
To achieve this we would need to:
- monitor policy changes in relation to university fees in England and review our funding arrangements to ensure that cost is not a barrier to potential graduates;
- fund the initial costs of establishing degree programmes in strategically important subjects;
- work through Skills Jersey to identify sectors of activity that would benefit from the development of new local higher educational programmes – for existing staff or as an entry route to employment in those sectors;
- consider how best to support adults in higher level vocational study through distance learning via the Open University or similar institutions;
- work more closely with private training providers to share information on opportunities for the development of higher education programmes locally.
Leadership and Management Training
- The importance of quality in leadership and management cannot be overstated. The most successful programmes balance theory with practical opportunities for participants to develop and apply their skills.
- Large national and international organisations are more able to design bespoke leadership programmes and many of their staff in Jersey can access these on or off-Island. Smaller local organisations struggle to provide such comprehensive opportunities for staff development.
- As well as providing start-up support for local entrepreneurs, Jersey Business has targeted some of its resources towards promoting the development of leadership and management skills across 180 businesses.
- In addition, the Skills Accelerator scheme provides grants to small and medium size employers to develop their employees with a view to enhancing the sustainability and growth of their businesses. Employees, together with their employers, can apply for a grant of up to 75% of training subject to a maximum of £5,000.
- The States of Jersey, as the largest employer in the Island, is in the midst of a comprehensive programme of public sector reform. To be successful this requires strong leadership and change management skills. The Modern Manager programme is making a difference in this respect. Over 350 managers have successfully completed the full programme and over 250 supervisors have completed the foundation stage. This is having an impact on the culture and effectiveness of the public sector.
- Not enough has been done to support the development and continuous learning of senior professionals in the public sector. That changed in 2013 when a new programme in strategic leadership and management was launched, and by mid-2014 over 60 senior leaders will have taken part. This needs to become more embedded in the culture of the public sector so that it becomes a model of good practice in relation to developing the skills of our workforce.
- We will continue to support the development of leadership and management across the private and public sectors to ensure that business is as productive and effective as possible.
To achieve this we would need to:
- work with Skills Jersey and Jersey Business to research and identify leadership and management skills gaps across local businesses and develop possible solutions;
- explore the potential for establishing public/private partnerships to develop and deliver combined leadership and management programmes for both sectors;
- support the Enterprise Action Plan objective to develop management training in order to support economic growth;
- review the effectiveness of our existing approaches to support the development of leadership and management skills to ensure that resources are effectively targeted and provide value for money.
OBJECTIVE 3
Economic benefits and increased productivity become more pronounced when skills development is in line with current and emerging labour markets.
- To make the vision of Digital Jersey a reality without a significant increase in the population, the predicted increase in IT jobs will need to be matched by a supply of people with relevant technological skills. The nature of technology is such that this will require organisations to engage in both initial and continuous training to ensure that IT skills are appropriate and up to date. This will be critical if businesses are to be competitive and take advantage of the benefits that will accrue from the Digital Strategy.
- The Enterprise Action Plan aims to create 600 new jobs in the Island over two years, 75% of which will be targeted to local residents. The nature of the jobs to be created and the skill sets that will be required of new employees remain unclear at this time. The Economic Growth and Diversification Strategy explains the measures that will be taken to attract new business to the Island although at the outset the nature of those businesses may not be known. This puts the onus on the government to be agile and to respond in a timely and positive way.
- In recent years we have demonstrated the ability to do this effectively by developing programmes to support people moving from declining business sectors into new ventures and facilitating the training of staff, often at very short notice. An intimate knowledge of forthcoming changes in the work environment and within the various sectors of employment in the Island has been critical to the success of many of the Back to Work initiatives that have supported individuals and employers.
- As a government we can deploy resources to react quickly to specific training needs but we rely on accurate and timely information on trends, developments, initiatives and interventions. We need to understand the current and emerging trends in the labour market and what competencies, jobs and industries are developing and need a training solution. The work undertaken by Skills Jersey engaging with local industry sectors, particularly finance and construction, is critical to this but it is also important that training providers such as Highlands College respond flexibly and offer models of training that best fit the needs of employers and individuals.
- Individuals also have a responsibility to keep abreast of change and developments that might affect them and to take responsibility for their own career and vocational development. To this end, an ‘All Age Careers Service’, is a vital component of the strategy.
- The Service must provide individuals, in and out of the workplace, with adequate information about jobs, change, options and the support that is available so that they can make judgments about what they must do to promote their own careers, cope with changes and grasp development opportunities in their workplace and in the local economy. Work has already started on an Island wide review of careers education within our schools and colleges and the central careers service, Careers Jersey, has begun the process to achieve a nationally recognised quality standard for advice and guidance services. The Matrix standard is a rigorous and challenging accreditation which all national careers providers must meet if they are to continue to operate in England. This work will help Careers Jersey to benchmark against national providers and to identify areas for development where appropriate.
- To ensure that we have an accurate picture of current and emerging demands we will listen to employers and publish an annual report on labour market changes to inform employers, training providers and the general public about employer requirements, changes in work practices, hard to fill vacancies and training opportunities available.
To achieve this we will:
- commission Skills Jersey to recommend ways in which employer engagement in staff development can be encouraged, improved and celebrated;
- work through Skills Jersey to expand its programme of sector-based research and establish a timescale for reporting information into employer demand focusing on demographic profiles to highlight future recruitment needs; changing entry requirements to inform initial training and apprenticeship programmes; changing skill requirements to highlight development needs; details of hard to fill vacancies;
- publish research findings to inform employers, training providers, learners and the general public of changes, developments and opportunities;
- publicise career opportunities, entry routes and support available to individuals through careers fairs;
- ensure the provision of a high-quality All-Age Careers Service benchmarked against UK quality standards;
- request regular updates from training providers on changes and adaptations to provision in light of research findings.
Jersey Finance and the financial services sector
- The finance sector is a vital part of Jersey’s economy employing over 12,000 people and generating over £1.5 billion in gross value added. However, the world of finance is changing with a greater emphasis on the management of risk, compliance, productivity and customer service. This has meant that the skills required by the industry today are different from those needed five or ten years ago and there is a greater requirement for appropriately qualified staff.
- Self-improvement and continuous professional development are vital within an increasingly complex financial services sector where productivity improvements are the key to Jersey maintaining its competitive position. It is vital that staff have the ability to learn a new skill or gain new qualifications as a necessary step to career development, higher income and increased productivity for the employer.
- The private and public sector provision available in Jersey delivers a range of flexible courses available locally which fit around commitments at work and at home. The Foundation Degree in Financial Services at Highlands College allows staff to continue to develop their skills through education, combining integrated and balanced academic learning with workplace learning.
- To encourage young people to consider a career in the industry, Jersey Finance operates a successful, structured Schools Roadshow programme designed to engage with secondary school pupils in years 10 and above. However, we need to engage more effectively with our undergraduate and postgraduate population in the UK and elsewhere to highlight the opportunities that exist in our higher value sectors. We also need to develop routes into those sectors for people who may not have the necessary entry level qualifications but have the ability to develop their qualifications portfolio whilst in post.
- A skills study has already been commissioned by Skills Jersey and Jersey Finance to analyse Jersey’s ability to meet the current and future needs of its finance sector so that it can attract and retain the skills of a globally competitive workforce.
- To ensure the availability of appropriately trained staff to meet the future requirements of the financial services sector in the short to medium term, we will work with Jersey Finance and private sector providers to support the development of programmes to encourage digital literacy and to enable people to develop specialist financial services sector skills.
To achieve this we will need to:
- engage in further discussion with Jersey Finance, private sector training providers and employers to identify the scale and nature of future skills requirements;
- encourage training providers to create further appropriate training programmes to meet the need;
- work with Jersey Finance Limited to establish whether and how the successful Schools Roadshow model can be extended to establish a policy for the support of out of work or economically inactive adults who may wish to gain employment in the financial services sector;
- continue to develop the Graduate Internship Programme to encourage young graduates to return to the Island.
Digital Jersey
- The plan for the development of Digital Jersey has significant implications for the current working population and for schools. We are already investing £6 million in Thinking Differently, the ESC strategy for the development of digital skills and the creative use of technology in schools. This strategy will integrate the use of technology in the general curriculum and develop computing as a discrete subject. It will encourage innovation and promote entrepreneurship. The impact of this will need to be monitored and evaluated. However, if it is to be sustained, £750,000 per annum will be required from 2016. This will enable schools to keep pace with changing technology and ensure that teachers are adequately trained to deliver a 21st century curriculum that stimulates, engages and inspires children and young people to develop the skills both they and the community will need for success in the future.
- Schools and Highlands College are currently developing plans for the implementation of this strategy and Highlands already offers courses that support those seeking to become digital professionals. The College currently has 117 full-time students, including 22 undergraduates, studying towards:
- BTEC Level 2 Diploma in IT
- BTEC Extended Diploma in IT
- FdSc and BSc in Information Technology for Business Degree in conjunction with Plymouth University
- These courses include embedded professional certifications such as CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, Microsoft Technical Associate and Microsoft Certified Professional status exams. In addition digital professionals endeavouring to update or extend their knowledge and skills have access to a wide range of technical and professional qualifications.
- To ensure the availability of appropriately trained staff to meet the requirements of the digital strategy in the short to medium term, we will work with Skills Jersey and Digital Jersey to support the development of programmes to encourage digital literacy and to enable people to develop specialist IT skills.
- To achieve this we will need to:
- engage in further discussion with potential employers and Digital Jersey to identify the timing, nature and volume of the jobs to be created by the Digital Jersey strategy;
- encourage training providers to create further appropriate training programmes to meet the need.
Apprenticeships
- Good apprenticeship schemes, designed in partnership with employers, match employer demand with job seeker aspirations. They offer a practical route into skilled employment for people who prefer an ‘applied’ form of learning. For some young people they can offer a seamless route from vocational programmes at 14+ to employment and ultimately level 3+ qualifications as young adults.
- We launched Trackers in 2012. This scheme replaced an earlier scheme and took account of the changed economic environment in that it enabled participants to continue their apprenticeship training during periods of unemployment. The success of the scheme has been due to a number of factors: a high retention rate, in excess of 95%; the coaching and support provided by professional mentors; the expansion into broader industrial sectors, for example dental nursing, health care and hospitality.
- Currently there are 128 apprentices in 12 different vocational areas with the highest numbers in health and social care, electrical, carpentry and joinery and hairdressing. By the end of 2014 it is anticipated that there will be 185 participants and 240 by the end of 2015. Continued expansion could result in as many as 350 apprenticeships being offered across about 20 sectors by the end of 2017 with opportunities being developed in the financial services, IT and rural sectors. This will require additional resources, primarily to support an increase in mentors and training costs. An increase of 50 apprentices per year would require circa £500,000.
- For young people, the emphasis on practical learning can assist in improving their level of qualification thereby increasing the numbers who achieve level 3. For adult job-seekers, an apprenticeship can offer the possibility of employment, training and the development of new or higher level skills.
We aim to increase the number of apprenticeships up to 350 across 20 business sectors by the end of 2017.
- To achieve this we will need to:
- take account of employer feedback provided through the ‘Skills Jersey’ research;
- encourage young apprentices to acquire level 3 qualifications where appropriate;
- encourage schools, Highlands College and other training providers to take account of the Trackers programme as a progression route when planning vocational education;
- explore the possibilities of expanding the scheme for unemployed adults.
OBJECTIVE 4
The provision of training and development is not in itself enough. Where people are unemployed we need to encourage and support them to gain and retain a foothold in the labour market.
- The drive for higher standards of literacy and numeracy, the formation of an all-age careers service, expanding vocational, further and higher education and the provision of training to meet the needs of local businesses all contribute to developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes that will enable business to flourish and employment opportunities to increase in the medium term. Unemployment needs to be tackled immediately. To support this priority an additional £19 million was invested in the Back to Work programme through the Medium Term Financial Plan for 2013-2015.
- In 2009 Advance To Work was established as a practical work experience scheme to help young people into work. The scheme has proved to be highly successful and given rise to the development of other sector-specific schemes for adults. These are successful because they make good use of sector intelligence to suggest where jobs might be available and close liaison with employers to ensure that the skills being developed are of direct use to them.
- In 2013 the schemes were expanded and now fall under the banner of Back To Work, which has helped unemployed people into 1,818 jobs. The relatively high level of unemployment also affects those within the community who traditionally have experienced difficulty in gaining employment. It is important therefore that the experience gained through the success of these initiatives is applied to supporting individuals and groups with more specific employment problems. Support through Back To Work is targeted at those who need most help including: the long-term unemployed; under 25s; Income Support claimants; school leavers and those with special needs. They are assisted through a broad range of employment support and training which includes working with Jersey Business to help those considering starting a business make the transition from unemployment to self-employment.
- To support people with special needs the Jersey Employment Trust (JET) provides a range of employment support services from pre-vocational education courses, work tasters and work experience placements in commercial settings. These help people to find suitable employment, negotiate with employers to provide opportunities and provide on-the-job training and support.
- Many young people aged 16-19 who are outside the education system also need support to find meaningful employment. In England the ‘participation age’ has been raised and from 2015 young people will be required to stay on in education or training until their 18th birthday. This is targeted at improving the skills of young people and reducing the number not in education, employment or training (NEETS).
- This was raised in the 2011 education consultation and the general consensus was that young people should be active in education, training or employment when they leave school at 16. There was no overall agreement that education should be compulsory particularly as over 94% of young people in Jersey already participate in education or training post 16 years.
- We believe that a better option is to continue our focus on improving and increasing the options available to young people who are at risk of disengaging with education, employment or training post 16.
- In this respect, the Prince’s Trust work carried out by the Jersey Youth Service provides practical and financial support to those young people who need it most. A range of programmes are in place to develop key skills and build confidence and motivation enabling some of our more vulnerable young people to move into work, education or training. In 2011 the Prince’s Trust, in partnership with the Youth Service, secured £1.2m in sponsorship to expand the range of programmes on offer to support over 200 young people each year between 2012 and 2017.
- To help manage this expansion additional funding of £240,000 was provided through the Council of Ministers to support the appointment of a coordinator; to facilitate secondments to work on the programmes; to expand the Get Started programmes that are designed to help young people develop new skills and grow in confidence. To sustain this work an additional £300,000 would be required in annual revenue funding from 2016.
- To complement this work and provide additional pathways for young people who need extra support, a Trackers Foundation Apprenticeship programme will be launched in 2014. This aims to equip 16-18 year olds who are starting out on their career with the qualifications and skills that employers are looking for. It will form part of a range of opportunities for those young people who would benefit from mentor support and a work-based training route.
- Advance To Work, Prince’s Trust, Trackers and the Trackers Foundation Apprenticeship are complementary programmes designed to meet the needs of particular groups of young people. We want these programmes to form part of a comprehensive offer that sits alongside sixth form provision, Highlands College and the provision of a skill centre so that we can offer a guarantee of education or training for any young person in this age group who is unable to secure employment or who wants to complement employment with further training.
- To ensure that unemployed individuals are supported to develop their skills and confidence we will continue to support and, where possible, expand Back To Work initiatives that help people gain a foothold in the labour market and reduce their dependency on the States.
- To achieve this we will:
- continue to develop initiatives through the Back To Work programme to support locally qualified jobseekers into work and reduce registered unemployment;
- focus on the retraining and skill development of unemployed adults to help them move into new industries and roles;
- work through Jersey Business to develop and promote schemes through Back To Work to increase the opportunity for jobseekers to start their own business;
- investigate the concept of a Youth Guarantee to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) and to develop their employability and skills for the future;
- collate and provide accurate and timely information to Social Security on employment trends and on the continued need for temporary support to job seekers;
- work with Skills Jersey to report on ways in which individuals with special needs can benefit from employment in social enterprise and make recommendations on measures to assist those groups of people who traditionally struggle to access the jobs market;
- ensure employers are aware of government support available for those with special needs in the workplace.
gov.je