The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) recently published its Post-16 Skills Plan, drawing on recommendations from the independent panel headed up by Lord Sainsbury.
The plan, which is aimed at reforming the ‘overly-complex’ skills system in England, proposes that just one awarding body should be licensed to deliver all qualifications within the 15 new technical routes.
At YMCA Awards, we believe that having one single body with full control over cost and quality would be detrimental to the leisure sector. Not only could it present a single line of failure if that one body fails to deliver, such monopolisation would also diminish the drive to compete and improve – stifling research and innovation, and potentially holding back the development of new delivery and assessment strategies.
Not only that, Lord Sainsbury’s model could also threaten niche and non-profit award organisations, such as trade or professional bodies. With the proposed technical routes covering less than half of occupations, this would mean a sizeable portion of the labour market isn’t catered for – making it even more difficult than it already is for young people to secure employment.
Given, however, that we are a charitable organisation and have evolved over the last 175 years, we do need to be open to reforms. We are willing to help implement these changes, but only in a way that ensures the best outcome for our young people. In order to do that, we need the government to listen to the needs of the leisure sector and to be willing to work with us – not against us.