1. Corporate slide master With guidelines for corporate presentations Colegau Cymru Annual Conference 31 st May Hazel Israel Senior Project Manager for Skills Development DfES Welsh Government Hazel.Israel@wales.gsi.gov.uk

2. Corporate slide master With guidelines for corporate presentations ESW: Changes and Challenges Aim: To update Senior Managers regarding where Essential Skills are currently, where they are going, what the challenges will be and how we might meet these challenges. Objectives: To provide information regarding recent developments and updated thinking regarding Essential Skills To clarify concepts associated with models of delivery and staffing To identify CPD priorities To explore and define current position regarding challenges – what are we doing well and what do we still need?

3. Corporate slide master With guidelines for corporate presentations Essential Skills in the Review of Qualifications Four themes: 1. To identify the most relevant qualifications and ensure they are available to learners; 2. to ensure that qualifications are trusted and understood; 3. to ensure that the value of qualifications is clear; and 4. to ensure that our qualifications remain fit for purpose.

4. Corporate slide master With guidelines for corporate presentations Stakeholder engagement: Headlines Where skills are developed effectively the Essential Skills qualifications are valued and perceived to be relevant. However, portfolio assessment can be: time consuming at the expense of teaching and learning open to question in terms of its authenticity, i.e. how much of it is a candidate’s unaided work. There are also issues of consistency regarding internal assessment and external quality assurance. Identification of the need for support and CPD for delivery staff.

5. Corporate slide master With guidelines for corporate presentations Alternative Assessment Methods Model A Portfolio and element of external assessment Model B External Assessment Model C Portfolio and controlled task / assessment Model D Controlled task / assessment Model E Controlled task / assessment and element of external assessment

6. Developing Essential Skills Units Units available on QCF. Developed in partnership between C&G, Agored and Edexcel. Rewarding and reporting differentiated attainment addressing learners’ skills gaps. Supporting personalised learning, building Award, Certificate and Diploma qualifications across the three subjects at different levels.

7. Corporate slide master With guidelines for corporate presentations Development of Wales Essential Skills Assessment Tool (WESAT) Need consistent use of reliable and robust tool. Intended benefits for: Learners Practitioners Providers Government Procurement 2012

8. Corporate slide master With guidelines for corporate presentations Wider Key Skills Why review? lack of awareness and understanding need to make the skills involved more easily understood Options review and amend the title of the qualifications to ensure clear and easily understood purpose and content, e.g. Employability Skills, Skills for Work review and update standards to support a more clearly identifiable sense of progression up through the levels

9. Quality Assurance Review of Quality Standard Review of assessment strategy for Essential Skills

10. Corporate slide master With guidelines for corporate presentations Continuing Professional Development Professional Networks Practitioner qualifications Essential Skills in the Workplace (ESiW) Essential Skills Practitioner Trainer Group (ESPTG) Tender for Essential Skills Support Programme

11. Models of Delivery What do we mean by: integrated contextualised embedded?

12. Staffing to Develop Essential Skills Key staff roles: Specialist Vocational Support

13. What are we doing well?

14. What do we still need?

15. Corporate slide master With guidelines for corporate presentations Any questions?