We must not sacrifice delivering high quality skills and assessments

Concerns over #TLevels and Apprenticeships amid #Covid_19 

Calling for a clear connected vision for FE and skills, urging the government to work with FAB to help advise on the most appropriate methods of assessment during the current crisis, Kirstie Donnelly, CEO, City & Guilds Group, has said:

“The FE and skills system has proved itself vital time and time again when it comes to driving quality and much needed skills development for our individuals, employers and UK plc as a whole – this will be more important than ever as we look to come out of the current crisis.

“To achieve this, we must not sacrifice delivering high quality skills and assessments, even if we do have to take a very high degree of pragmatism around what is achievable and make some sensible compromises – although we must never compromise on competence and quality. Therefore, more than ever we need our sector to come together with one voice, and respect the whole skills ecosystem we belong to, while ensuring that funding goes through the whole supply chain.

“Coming out of this “annus horribilis” has to be our moment as a sector to finally articulate a clear connected vision for FE and skills – one that embraces new ways to go online and blends our offers in the way we have been forced to do right now. 

“There can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach to matters such as assessment and teacher estimation, which can work for GCSEs, but is not suitable for many of our vital functional skills qualifications, and even some vocational technical qualifications.  

“As a leading awarding organisation, we would urge the Government to work with FAB and so I welcome Tom’s letter so that we can advise on the most appropriate methods of assessment that will suit this current crisis, but also ensure we are still producing highly skilled people who are job competent. As we come out of this crisis, we will need a thriving skills system that is able to support people to skill and reskill, helping the country to get back on its feet and move forwards. The only way to do this is by working together on a collective strategy and respecting one another’s vital role in our skills ecosystem.”