CLD. No ‘core’ and only very limited ‘supplementary’ data sources were identified specifically for the CLD constituency during the data-scoping exercise (see section
CLD. In England, analysis of the qualifications of the adult and community education workforce (also known as personal and community development learning) collected through a limited survey undertaken for the DfES in 2003 (Xxxxxxx and Xxxxx-Xxxxx, 2004) revealed that nearly all of the 1,577 CLD respondents (91%) were teachers or tutors and more than a quarter of these (27%) held a qualification at NVQ level 5. Over a quarter of the workforce held professional qualifications (recognised by a professional body, but equivalent to a range of different NVQ levels). Only 5% reported a qualification at NVQ level 2 as their highest qualification (table D5). Figures from the National Youth Agency annual audit of local authority Youth Services in 2004/05 (NYA, 2006) suggest that compared to the previous year, the proportion of youth workers who were ‘professionally qualified’11, rose from 75% to 83%. The proportion of youth support workers, who were similarly professionally qualified, remained around 50%. Given the contribution to service delivery made by these youth support workers and also by volunteers, the development of this essentially ‘pre-professional’ part of the youth work workforce is crucial to its overall effectiveness. Moreover, recruitment and retention continue to be major issues within youth work. 5% of youth worker posts were vacant at the time of the audit, as were 8% of youth support worker posts. In Scotland, limited data relating to workforce qualifications was available for those working within community education. According to a report undertaken by the Scottish Council for Research in Education (Xxxxxxx et al., 2002), a survey of 147 community education organisations (including voluntary organisations, community/new community schools, FE colleges, local authority main providers, local 11 There are 33 HEIs providing 50 Youth and Community Work programmes, which are recognised by the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) as conferring qualification as a professional youth worker. authority other providers and other public sector employers) found that local authority departments which were the main provider of community education had the most highly qualified paid staff – more than two thirds of these responses reported that most or all paid staff were qualified to the equivalent of NVQ level 4. The report also confirmed that paid community education staff were far more likely to hold a qualification in community education (a degree, diploma or certificat...
CLD. In Wales, workforce qualifications related to youth workers (part of the CLD constituency) were available in the report of a survey of principal youth officers employed in youth or community education services departments in 22 local authorities, conducted in 2003/04 (Sharp and Xxxxxx, 2005). Analysis of the responses revealed that (p.5): “Although the vast majority of managers are qualified, almost half of the full-time workers are listed as unqualified as are over half of the part-time workers. However, it needs to be noted that many of those listed as unqualified are currently on a range of training courses but this figure was not requested.” No further definitions of the terms ‘qualified’ and ‘unqualified’ were provided. Skills shortages, gaps and priorities In response to the LLUK employer survey, employers in the CLD constituency were most likely to report skills shortages among professionals and support associate professionals. Shortages were most commonly reported at NVQ level 4 when recruiting managers and professionals. In terms of the different types of skills, the CLD employers surveyed by telephone identified shortages in both transferable skills (ICT user skills) and wider employability skills (team working and customer services), particularly for professional but also for administrative occupations. Employers within the CLD constituency most commonly reported skills gaps among professionals, although gaps at NVQ level 4 were reported most frequently for managers In addition to the priorities revealed in relation to the skills gaps and shortages outlined above, the stakeholders interviewed revealed a range of specific priorities for skills development within the CLD constituency, including: • transferable and wider employability skills – with examples including leadership skills, partnership working, interpersonal skills, outreach skills, skills to promote social inclusion and empowering communities, and the ability to think creatively • professional/technical/practical skills – such as organisational and financial planning skills.
CLD. No ‘core’ and only very limited ‘supplementary’ data sources were identified specifically for the CLD constituency during the data-scoping exercise. Moreover, only some of the limited sources identified provided details of workforce profile characteristics. In Wales, the ‘Local authority Youth Service in Wales: audit 2003/04’ (Xxxxx and Xxxxxx, 2005), based on a survey of principal youth officers employed in the youth service or community education service departments within all 22 local authorities in Wales, suggests that (p.5): • 119 management and 2,730 delivery staff were employed in local authority youth services in Wales in 2003/04 and, in addition, youth services were staffed by a further 330 volunteers • 87% of delivery staff were employed part-time.
CLD. No ‘core’ and only very limited ‘supplementary’ constituency-specific data sources were identified for the CLD constituency during the data-scoping exercise (see section 2.1.2). Moreover, only some of the limited sources identified provided details of workforce profile characteristics. In Northern Ireland, ‘Sector Skills: a skills foresight research report on the paid workforce of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland’ (NICVA Research Unit, 2004) suggests that over 72% of the paid workforce in the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland were female, but that men were over- represented at the more senior occupational levels. See also Annex C.
CLD. Skills shortages, gaps and priorities In response to the LLUK employer survey, employers in the CLD constituency were most likely to report skills shortages among professionals and support associate professionals. However, in Northern Ireland, employers in this constituency more commonly reported shortages amongst administrative staff, compared with employers in the same constituency in other UK home countries. Shortages were most commonly reported at NVQ level 4 when recruiting managers and professionals. In terms of the different types of skills, the CLD employers surveyed by telephone identified shortages in both transferable skills (ICT user skills) and wider employability skills (team working and customer services), particularly for professional but also administrative occupations. Employers within the CLD constituency most commonly reported skills gaps among professionals, although gaps at NVQ level 4 were reported most frequently for managers. In Northern Ireland they were more likely than those in other UK home countries to report gaps at NVQ level 3 specifically for associate professional and technical occupations. In addition to the priorities revealed in relation to the skills gaps and shortages outlined above, the stakeholders interviewed revealed a range of specific priorities for skills development within the CLD constituency, including: • transferable and wider employability skills – with examples including leadership skills, partnership working, interpersonal skills, outreach skills, skills to promote social inclusion and empowering communities, and the ability to think creatively • professional/technical/practical skills – such as organisational and financial planning skills.
CLD. No ‘core’ and only very limited ‘supplementary’ constituency-specific data sources were identified for the CLD constituency during the data-scoping exercise. Moreover, only some of the limited sources identified provided details of workforce profile characteristics. No useful data was found relating to Scotland, but for the other UK countries, in summary: In England, ‘Qualifications of staff in LSC-funded provision’ (Host Policy Research/ DfES, 2004) provides some workforce characteristics, based on a sample of the ACL sub-group: • 91% of ACL respondents described ‘teaching’ as their main activity • 76% were female • 22% were aged 40 years or under • Only 7% worked full-time, with the most common employment status being sessional/hourly paid, accounting for 45%. In Northern Ireland, secondary sources of data identify the total number of paid employees in the voluntary and community sector as over 29,000. (NICVA Research Unit, 2006). Another report, ‘Sector Skills: a skills foresight research report on the paid workforce of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland’ (NICVA Research Unit, 2004) suggests that over 72% of the paid workforce in the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland were female, but that men were over-represented at the more senior occupational levels. In Wales, the ‘Local Authority Youth Service in Wales: Audit 2003/04’ (Wales Youth Agency, 2005), based on a survey of principal youth officers employed in the youth service or community education service departments within all 22 Local Authorities in Wales suggests that: • 119 management and 2,730 delivery staff were employed in local authority youth services in Wales in 2004, and in addition, youth services were staffed by a further 330 volunteers • 87% of delivery staff were employed part-time.
CLD. Public sector staff working in CLD will need skills to match and integrate accountabilities of their own agency’s agenda with those of the communities for and with whom they work. Expansion of partnerships with the statutory sector will result in the growth of some smaller organisations, with growing numbers of CLD volunteers. Managers will need skills in defining and managing changing staff roles and in managing increased numbers of volunteers as a consequence of this closer integration.
CLD. Very limited ‘supplementary’ constituency-specific data sources were identified for the CLD constituency during the data-scoping exercise (see section 2.1.2) for Scotland. Moreover, only some of the limited sources identified provided details of workforce profile characteristics. Learning Connections, part of ‘Communities Scotland’, which has policy responsibility for the CLD constituency in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Executive, conducted a study of the CLD sector that obtained responses from, primarily, local authorities (Communities Scotland, 2007). This study estimated the CLD workforce to be around 6,000.
