New professional standards for staff in the further education and work-based learning sectors were launched today at the ColegauCymru Conference on Post 16 Education.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The standards will set high expectations for all practitioners and be more explicit about the role of high-quality collaborative professional learning to support improvements. They reflect the importance of ongoing professional learning for staff and the role vocational learning plays in creating the skilled, innovative and adaptable workforce Wales needs.
Speaking at the conference, Eluned Morgan Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning said:
"Vocational learning is every bit as important as academic education and if we want the best for our vocational learners their teachers, tutors and assessors have to be supported in their role. These new standards set out a clear, aspirational framework for the sector to work to.
"The critical principle of vocational education is that those working in both FE and WBL tend to operate as dual professionals, as experts both in a ‘vocation’ and as ‘teachers’. This has been made a central strand throughout the standards.
"I am confident that these standards will further engage and motivate practitioners and their employers in their pursuit for excellence and improved outcomes for all."
Kelly Edwards Head of Work Based Learning Quality at the National Training Federation Wales said:
"The Work-based Learning sector was delighted to be involved in the development of the new standards. The standards will support professional learning for WBL practitioners, with a key focus on developing the dual professional. We welcome the standards as an important step to enhance professional recognition for the WBL sector in Wales."
Iestyn Davies, Chief Executive of ColegauCymru, Wales’ post compulsory education charity, added:
"The development of professional standards is a move which is welcomed by ColegauCymru. Further Education provides the practical skills and knowledge that communities rely upon, we fully endorse and will promote these standards as a way of ensuring that the public and the profession alike are clear on what is required to continue to deliver world class skills in the rapidly changing world of work."