Automotivate
The Sector Skills Agreement for the Motor Industry
Sector Skills Agreement – Stage 2 – Assessment of
Current Provision
Scottish Final Draft Report
August 2006
Institute of the Motor Industry
Fanshaws
Brickendon
Hertford
SG13 8PQ
01992 511521
www.motor.org.uk
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Contents
PREFACE ................................................................................................................... 8
1
Executive Summary: Assessing Education and Training Provision for
the Retail Automotive Sector in Scotland............................................................... 9
1.1
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 9
1.2
Assessment of Current Provision - Methodology ............................................... 9
1.3
Training and Workforce Development ................................................................ 10
1.4
The Funded Training Structure in Scotland ....................................................... 11
1.5
Mapping Provision ................................................................................................ 11
1.6
Funded Learner Data Review ............................................................................... 12
1.7
Private Sector Training Provision ....................................................................... 12
1.8
Quality of Provision .............................................................................................. 14
2
Introduction and Background to the Report.......................................... 15
2.1
Automotive Skills Sector – an overview ............................................................. 16
2.2
Occupations within the Sector ............................................................................ 17
2.3
Data Sources ......................................................................................................... 17
3
Training and Workforce Development in the Automotive Sector ........ 20
3.1
Key Messages and Issues .................................................................................... 20
3.2
The Role of Automotive Skills in Training and Workforce Development........ 20
3.3
Level of Training Activity...................................................................................... 21
3.4
Training and FE Colleges ..................................................................................... 23
3.5
Business Plans and Training Budgets................................................................ 23
3.6
Training Volume .................................................................................................... 24
3.7
Types of Training .................................................................................................. 25
4
Overview of the Funded Training Structure in Scotland ...................... 26
4.1
Key Messages and Issues .................................................................................... 26
4.2
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 27
4.3
Departments, Institutions and Stakeholders...................................................... 27
4.3.1
The Scottish Executive ...................................................................................... 27
4.3.2
Scottish Enterprise (SEn) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)............ 28
4.3.3
Scottish Funding Council (SFC) ........................................................................ 28
4.3.4
LearnDirect Scotland ......................................................................................... 29
4.3.5
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) ............................................................. 29
4.3.6
Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU) ............................................................ 29
4.3.7
Scottish Trades Unions Congress (STUC) ........................................................ 29
4.3.8
Quality Assurance Bodies.................................................................................. 30
4.4
Policies ................................................................................................................... 30
4.4.1
Scottish Executive: ‘Life Through Learning Through Life’ ................................. 30
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4.4.2
Scottish Executive: Smart Successful Scotland Strategy (SSS) ....................... 31
4.4.3
Framework for Economic Development in Scotland (FEDS)............................. 31
4.5
Qualifications Framework .................................................................................... 32
4.5.1
National Qualifications: Courses........................................................................ 33
4.5.2
National Qualifications: Group Awards ............................................................. 34
4.5.3
Higher National Qualifications ........................................................................... 34
4.5.4
Vocational Qualifications ................................................................................... 34
4.5.5
Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs) ...................................................... 35
4.5.6
Modern Apprenticeships .................................................................................... 35
4.5.7
Skillseekers........................................................................................................ 36
5
Mapping Provision in Scotland............................................................... 38
5.1
Key Messages and Issues .................................................................................... 38
5.2
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 38
5.3
Distribution of FE Provision................................................................................. 38
5.4
Distribution of HE Provision ................................................................................ 41
6
Funded Learner Data Review .................................................................. 42
6.1
Key Messages and Issues .................................................................................... 42
6.2
Methodology .......................................................................................................... 42
6.3
Further Education ................................................................................................. 43
6.4
Work Based Learning ........................................................................................... 47
6.4.1
Scottish Enterprise............................................................................................. 47
6.4.2
Highlands & Islands Enterprise.......................................................................... 52
6.5
7
Higher Education................................................................................................... 55
Private Sector Training Provision........................................................... 58
7.1
Key Messages and Issues .................................................................................... 58
7.2
Methodology .......................................................................................................... 59
7.3
Incidence of Training ............................................................................................ 60
7.4
Funding the Provision of Training....................................................................... 60
7.4.1
Indirect and direct costs of training .................................................................... 62
7.4.2
Increased costs of training................................................................................. 63
7.4.3
Availability of external funding ........................................................................... 64
7.4.4
Drivers of external automotive funding .............................................................. 66
7.4.5
Improving the model of public funding of provision ........................................... 67
7.5
Drivers of Training ................................................................................................ 67
7.5.1
Internal drivers of training .................................................................................. 67
7.5.2
External drivers of training ................................................................................. 68
7.5.3
Occupational drivers of training ......................................................................... 69
7.5.4
Profitability as a driver of training....................................................................... 71
7.6
Training Plans and Budgets................................................................................. 72
7.6.1
Formal Training Plans........................................................................................ 72
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7.6.2
Formal Training Budgets ................................................................................... 73
7.6.3
Individual Training Plans.................................................................................... 74
7.7
Identifying Training Needs: Employers .............................................................. 75
7.7.1
Employees most likely to receive training.......................................................... 75
7.7.2
Determining the type of training to be delivered ................................................ 76
7.8
Identifying Training Demands: Training Providers ........................................... 77
7.8.1
Types of training in demand .............................................................................. 78
7.8.2
Levels of training in demand.............................................................................. 78
7.9
Recruitment and Retention of Learners.............................................................. 80
7.9.1
The quality of recruits......................................................................................... 82
7.9.2
Collaboration between providers ....................................................................... 84
7.9.3
Changes in sector training composition............................................................. 84
7.10
Employer Engagement ......................................................................................... 84
7.10.1
7.11
Use of Internal and External Training ................................................................. 86
7.11.1
Use of internal training schemes ................................................................... 86
7.11.2
Use of external training schemes .................................................................. 87
7.11.3
Employers using a combination of internal and external provision ............... 87
7.11.4
External provider selection processes........................................................... 89
8
9
Employer involvement in the design of training/courses ............................... 85
Quality of Provision ................................................................................. 92
8.1
Key Messages and Issues .................................................................................... 92
8.2
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 92
8.3
HMIe Reports ......................................................................................................... 93
8.4
Employers’ Perceptions of Quality...................................................................... 95
8.5
Provider Evaluation of Training........................................................................... 98
Conclusions............................................................................................ 100
Appendices............................................................................................................ 103
Appendix 1: Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) Qualifications ................................ 103
Appendix 2: City and Guilds Automotive Qualifications ............................................ 104
Appendix 3: Automotive Training Provider Depth Discussion Guide ....................... 105
Appendix 4: Automotive Employer Depth Discussion Guide .................................... 119
Appendix 5: Automotive Employer Telephone Questionnaire ................................... 137
Appendix 4: Overview of Stage 2 Methodology and Sampling .................................. 162
Secondary Research .................................................................................................... 162
Provision ....................................................................................................................... 162
Funded Learner Data.................................................................................................... 162
Private Sector Training Provision ................................................................................. 163
Quality of Provision ....................................................................................................... 163
Qualitative Research..................................................................................................... 165
Quantitative Research .................................................................................................. 165
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Glossary................................................................................................................. 168
Courses and Qualifications............................................................................................ 168
Courses......................................................................................................................... 168
Qualifications ................................................................................................................ 168
Types of Skills ................................................................................................................. 168
Basic Skills.................................................................................................................... 168
Core Skills ..................................................................................................................... 168
Essential Skills .............................................................................................................. 169
Generic Skills ................................................................................................................ 169
Key Skills....................................................................................................................... 169
Life Skills ....................................................................................................................... 169
Technical Skills ............................................................................................................. 169
Types of Training Provision........................................................................................... 170
External Training Provision ........................................................................................... 170
Internal Training Provision ............................................................................................ 170
Formal Training Provision ............................................................................................. 170
Informal Training Provision ........................................................................................... 170
9.1
Abbreviations ...................................................................................................... 171
Bibliography .......................................................................................................... 173
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List of Figures
Figure 1.
Data sources for Stage 2 ..................................................................................................... 17
Figure 2.
Training activity in the Automotive Skills sector ................................................................... 22
Figure 3.
Training activity in the Automotive Skills sector: comparative Scotland/England ................. 22
Figure 4.
Automotive Skills employers who have a business plan, training plan or budget ................ 24
Figure 5.
Types of training arranged by employers in the Automotive Sector in the last 12 months ... 25
Figure 6.
Qualifications Structure in Scotland ..................................................................................... 32
Figure 7.
Distribution of Automotive Sector FE Provision – Central Belt and South............................ 39
Figure 8.
Distribution of Automotive Sector FE Provision – Highlands and Northeast ........................ 40
Figure 9.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and year ................. 43
Figure 10.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and age, 2004/05...
........................................................................................................................................ 43
Figure 11.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and ethnicity,
2004/05
........................................................................................................................................ 44
Figure 12.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and mode of study,
2004/05
........................................................................................................................................ 44
Figure 13.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and level, 2004/05 .
........................................................................................................................................ 45
Figure 14.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and qualification,
2004/05
........................................................................................................................................ 45
Figure 15.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and qualification,
2004/05
........................................................................................................................................ 46
Figure 16.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and location,
2004/05, Southern and Central Scotland ................................................................................................ 46
Figure 17.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and location,
2004/05, Northern Scotland and the Highlands and Islands ................................................................... 47
Figure 18.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by year.................... 47
Figure 19.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by LEC, 2004/05..... 48
Figure 20.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeshipsby gender, 2004/05.. 48
Figure 21.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by age group, 2004/05
........................................................................................................................................ 48
Figure 22.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by ethnicity, 2004/05...
Figure 23.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by year.......................... 49
Figure 24.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by gender, 2004/05....... 49
Figure 25.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by ethnicity, 2004/05..... 50
Figure 26.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by age group, 2004/05.. 51
Figure 27.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by LEC, 2004/05........... 52
Figure 28.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by year.................... 52
Figure 29.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by area and year..... 53
Figure 30.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by learner
........................................................................................................................................ 49
demographics, 2004/05 .......................................................................................................................... 53
Figure 31.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by year.......................... 54
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Figure 32.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by area and year........... 54
Figure 33.
Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by learner demographics,
2004/05
........................................................................................................................................ 55
Figure 34.
Automotive Engineering HE students by nation/region ................................................... 56
Figure 35.
Number of Automotive Engineering HE students by qualification aim and nation/region 56
Figure 36.
Number of Automotive Engineering HE students by qualification aim and nation/region 57
Figure 37.
Level of training provided by employers in Scotland, 2004 ............................................. 60
Figure 38.
Split of Internal/External training within the automotive sector. ....................................... 86
Figure 39.
Inspection Grades for FE Colleges in Scotland, Percentages and Numbers .................. 93
Figure 40.
Inspection Grades for FE Colleges in Engineering Subjects in Scotland, Percentages .. 94
Figure 41.
Inspection Grades for FE Colleges in Engineering Subjects in Scotland, Numbers........ 95
Figure 42.
Quantitative Survey: Perceived Business Benefits of Training........................................ 98
Figure 43.
IMI Scottish vocational qualifications (SVQs) ................................................................ 103
Figure 44.
City and Guilds automotive qualifications in Scotland ................................................... 104
Figure 45.
Primary Research Activities .......................................................................................... 164
Figure 46.
Retail Automotive Sector Head Offices ......................................................................... 166
Figure 47.
Responses to the Quantitative Survey .......................................................................... 167
Figure 48.
Abbreviations ................................................................................................................ 171
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PREFACE
This report is one of a suite of reports prepared as part of the sector skills agreement (SSA)
negotiated between stakeholders in the retail automotive sector.
The SSA process
commenced in 2004 and most reports present a view of the sector in 2006.
The SSA represents a milestone in the development of processes that will ensure the United
Kingdom has sufficient numbers of appropriately skilled people to meet the future needs of
the retail automotive industry and in particular to meet the targets identified by Lord Sandy
Leitch in his 2006 report, a Prosperity for all in the global economy - world class skills.
This report reflects the work of Automotive Skills Ltd (ASL), which was the original sector
skills council (SSC) for the retail automotive sector. Readers should be aware that in July
2007 ASL merged with the Institute of the Motor Industry IMI, the industry’s professional body
since 1920, and in September 2007, the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) issued
IMI with a licence to be the SSC for the sector. The name ‘Automotive Skills’ is still used by
IMI in relation to its role in developing national occupational standards and qualification
frameworks.
The nature of the retail automotive sector means that research and policy development is
ongoing.
Also, there are ongoing changes to the sector’s footprint.
Details of current
research, the wide range of policy issues being addressed in the sector and the most recent
definition of the sector’s footprint can to be found on the IMI’s website, www.motor.org.uk.
Sarah Sillars
Chief Executive Officer
The Institute of the Motor Industry
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1
Executive Summary: Assessing Education
and Training Provision for the Retail
Automotive Sector in Scotland
1.1
Introduction
This is the Scottish national report of a UK-wide study carried out for Automotive Skills, titled
‘Assessing Education and Training Provision for the Retail Automotive Sector’. As such, this
report forms part of the Assessment of Current Provision, which is Stage Two of the Five
Stage Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) process led by Automotive Skills, the Sector Skills
Council (SSC) for the Retail Automotive sector. The overall process is overseen by the Sector
Skills Development Agency (SSDA).
This document has drawn on information from a wide variety of sources, mostly in Scotland
but also UK wide, including primary research, comprising a set of in-depth interviews with
employers and training providers, and a quantitative survey of employers from across the
sector.
1.2
Assessment of Current Provision - Methodology
Stage 2 of the Sector Skills Agreement draws on information obtained from a range of
secondary and primary research activities.
Secondary data was sourced in order to identify:
•
The characteristics of current provision; by using a database of courses serving the
sector from the University for Industry (UfI) Learn Direct database.
•
The take-up of learning, learner demographics and achievement; by assessing data
sourced from the Scottish Funding Council for Further Education and from Scottish
Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise for work based learning.
•
The extent of training delivered by employers in the workplace; via assessment of
data obtained from a range of sources including the SSDA Matrix and Futureskills
Scotland.
•
The quality of provision serving the sector; by examining assessment undertaken by
the relevant inspection body in Scotland (HM Inspectorate of Education Scotland).
In addition, a number of large scale quantitative and qualitative investigations were conducted
in order to explore the issues behind the secondary data. The qualitative components of the
research involved focus groups and depth interviews including:
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•
Focus group activities centred on a series of six Regional Employer Workshops which
focused on key issues for workforce development and training in the sector.
•
An additional focus group was conducted with members of the retail automotive
CoVE Quality Improvement Group to examine key issues facing public sector
training, in the short, medium and long term.
•
40 depth interviews were conducted with UK employers and training providers
highlighted by Automotive Skills as being either ‘exemplar’ or highly knowledgeable.
This involved small, medium and large scale employers and both public and private
sector training providers.
ƒ
Training provider questioning focused on market assessment activities,
funding issues, quality assurance, networking activities, and future training
within the sector.
ƒ
Employer enquiries focused on the drivers of training, priorities for upgrading
skills, training plans and budgets, the delivery of training, and return on
investment assessments.
To support this qualitative information, a quantitative survey of employers operating within the
retail automotive sector was also conducted. A total of 599 interviews were completed,
stratified by geographic location and company size in order to offer a reflective representation
of the views of employers. The quantitative questionnaire examined a number of issues,
including training plans and budgets, the drivers of training, training activities, and the impact
of training.
Further detail on the methodological approach adopted for Stage 2 can be found within the
main report.
1.3
Training and Workforce Development
The Automotive Skills footprint covers the automotive industry downstream of the factory
gates. This includes the sale and rental of vehicles; their servicing, maintenance and repair;
the sale and distribution of vehicle parts, tyres and other related goods; and roadside rescue
and recovery services.
Businesses in the Scottish automotive sector perform better than their counterparts in other
areas of the UK in providing training to their employees, with 59% providing training,
compared to 62% of businesses in the wider Scottish economy. According to UK-wide data,
smaller employers were dramatically less likely to provide training. The automotive sector
uses FE colleges more frequently for training than the Scottish national average. However, it
is still true to say that private sector training providers are a major source of training for the
sector.
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About a quarter of automotive sector employers in Scotland were found to have a business
plan but less than a fifth had either a training plan or budget. According to UK-wide data,
smaller employers were significantly less likely to have any of these. For a majority of Scottish
automotive sector companies, training spend did not exceed £5,000 per annum.
Training provision in the Scottish automotive sector concentrated mainly on technical skills;
training in other skills was significantly below the average across all sectors. 42.9% of all
organisations in Scotland devoted 90% or more of their training to technical skills. The UKwide data suggested smaller companies were the most likely to provide only technical skills
training.
1.4
The Funded Training Structure in Scotland
Education and training in Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive, and is
administered and funded for school age learners via the Education Department and the
Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department (ETLLD) for other learners. ETLLD
fund two independent economic development agencies, Scottish Enterprise (SEn) and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), who operate many of Scotland’s vocational training
schemes, and provide funding for work-based training, either directly or via Local Enterprise
Councils (LECs). Funding for Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) is allocated
by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). Qualifications are usually designed and accredited by
the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), often in collaboration with other partners such as
SSCs, although universities develop their own degree programmes.
An outline of the key policies guiding these organisations is provided in the main document,
as is the framework for qualifications in Scotland.
Almost all courses available to school age learners can also be taken by older learners,
although funding is mainly targeted at the under 25 age range.
1.5
Mapping Provision
FE courses relevant to the automotive sector are available at some level in most parts of
Scotland, although potential trainees and students may have to travel long distances in the
more rural parts of the country to find the specific course they require. Provision is strongly
concentrated in the Central Belt, particularly in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.
HE provision is sparse compared to the rest of the UK, with only one dedicated Automotive
Engineering course at degree level available in Scotland.
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1.6
Funded Learner Data Review
The numbers of public sector FE enrolments for automotive sector related courses has not
changed significantly since 2000/01. FE enrolments in automotive sector subjects in Scotland
in 2004/05 were more than 200% higher than in England when the relative population sizes
were taken into account. Level 3 courses were the most popular, and the most popular FE
course was Vehicle Maintenance/Repair. The majority of FE enrolments were for part-time
courses. The most popular Skillseekers course was Vehicle Fitting (Fast Fit).
Analysis of the geographical distribution of students enrolling in automotive sector related FE,
Skillseekers and Modern Apprenticeships showed that for all three, students were more likely
to come from Lanarkshire than the population of the county would suggest. Glasgow also had
a large number of enrolments for all course types. Detail for the Highlands and Islands,
consisting of Highland, Argyll, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland is included in the main
report.
The vast majority of learners on all automotive sector related FE, Skillseekers and Modern
Apprenticeship courses were under 25, and the vast majority of learners for all course types
were White and male.
All HE courses in Automotive Engineering undertaken in Scotland in 2002/03 were at first
degree level, although the situation has changed since then. 1
1.7
Private Sector Training Provision
This section covers training of all types, as provided by employers, using a variety of sources
including an in-depth survey of employers and training providers across the UK, which
included a representative proportion from Scotland. Therefore, unlike the previous sections, it
includes informal training and training sourced from independent providers.
On the subject of funding of training, no consensus emerged. While few wanted full funding,
most believed some kind of funding should be provided. Costs of training were, however,
identified as a significant problem by many employers, although equally the logistical
difficulties of training were a serious issue, particularly for smaller businesses. Many training
1
Recent evidence, although incomplete, suggests that HNC/HND courses in subjects relevant to the automotive
sector are available in three or more locations in Scotland, including the University of the Highlands and Islands in
Inverness.
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providers were aware of this issue. Employers also highlighted the implications of training for
relations between senior and junior staff.
The system of distribution of funding for workplace training in Scotland is complex, with each
national scheme tending to be funded from a different source. This was reported to be a
major source of confusion for employers. In addition, some funding is distributed via Local
Enterprise Companies (LECs), each of which has a different set of policies, leading to further
uncertainty. Training providers in the UK as a whole believed the funding system had to
become more flexible, to cover a broader age range and to allow more innovation in course
provision. They also believed that in general employers should meet the full cost of workbased training, given the benefits incurred. However, stakeholder experience suggests that
lack of public funding is a more important issue for Scottish training providers.
Management training was seen as a high priority among larger and ‘exemplar’ employers;
smaller employers in contrast tended to concentrate mostly on technical training. General and
basic skills training were not generally seen as a priority by any group, although employers
were alarmed at the increasing amount of basic skills training new recruits required.
Futureskills Scotland found that the high level of technical training hides a significantly lower
level of other types of training than in the wider economy. Training providers concurred with
this view, suggesting that there is a widespread problem with management skills, as well as
with the basic skills of new recruits. As a consequence, they felt that expansion of provision in
these areas, as well as bringing existing technical provision up to date, should be prioritised.
Formal and/or individual training plans were relatively uncommon both for very small and very
large businesses; for the former because of the predominance of informal procedures, and for
the latter because of the difficulty of co-ordination across the whole organisation. Formal
training budgets were widespread among businesses with more than 10 employees.
For school age recruitment, providers felt they were hampered by the negative perception
among parents and teachers of potential careers in the automotive sector, as well as a
general perception of the Apprenticeship route as inferior to the more academic routes. This
was believed to cause automotive sector courses to be used as a ‘dumping ground’ for the
less able. Changing these perceptions has become a policy priority in Scotland. Adult
recruitment was limited by funding difficulties, largely due to policy priorities lying elsewhere.
The main limitations when promoting courses to employers were felt to be that employers
expected courses to be shorter than was possible, and the fear of ‘poaching’ of staff once
training was completed.
Training providers also highlighted obstacles to collaboration caused by the introduction of
competition to the Further Education (FE) sector, meaning that providers were often unwilling
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to refer potential recruits to more suitable courses elsewhere. They were also concerned that
consolidation in the sector would lead to a reduction in choice for employers.
Employer involvement in the design of training courses was promoted particularly strongly in
Scotland, although providers noted that larger employers found it much easier to contribute.
Trade Unions believed that too often contributions from industry were only from senior
management, neglecting the views and needs of frontline employees, and that the social and
cultural roles of FE colleges were at risk of being marginalised in the rush to realign FE as
purely a service to employers.
Employers used a variety of methods to measure the effectiveness of training, although
overall they found this difficult. Despite this, 80% of employers in the Scottish automotive
sector found a strong link between training and business performance, although many
employers stated that training enforced by manufacturers tended to be ineffective. Reasons
for preferring internal training included relative convenience and low cost, dissatisfaction with
courses on offer, and ease of quality control. Take-up of external training was driven by a lack
of skills to train internally, contractual requirements, or perceived good quality of an external
course. While the quality of provision and variety of courses available were major factors in
choosing an external provider, the convenience of the location was also very important. Staff
with strong industry experience was viewed as a big advantage for a course, as was flexibility
of provision. Some employers were dissatisfied with quality of provision; it is notable that the
framework for inspecting FE colleges in Scotland does not specifically consider employer
requirements.
1.8
Quality of Provision
The performance of FE colleges serving the automotive sector across Scotland was found to
be generally satisfactory by HMIe (HM Inspectorate of Education). Internal monitoring of
quality was found to be a slight weak point.
Levels of satisfaction among employers with training recently undertaken were in general
high. The largest impacts were felt to be on productivity of employees and staff retention. It
should, however, be remembered that employers dissatisfied with a form of training would be
unlikely to continue to use it if they were unhappy with the results. Many employers not
undertaking external training, for example, justified their decision by citing experiences where
trainees had returned with little additional knowledge. Training required contractually by
manufacturers was particularly criticised by employers for its inflexibility.
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2
Introduction and Background to the Report
Automotive Skills Limited is the Sector Skills Council for the retail motor industry. The Council
is led by employers on behalf of the Government and is championing the drive to enhance
competitiveness through skills development. The sector is widely diverse and covers a broad
range of activities and occupations in all aspects of sales, maintenance and repair of vehicles.
The Assessment of Current Provision is Stage Two in the Five Stage Sector Skills Agreement
Process led by Automotive Skills on behalf of the sector. Broadly, the Sector Skills Agreement
process is designed to ensure that the skills the sector wants are the skills the sector gets and
this requires work to be undertaken to understand employer needs and map current provision.
Stage Three of the process will involve reviewing skills demand with the current supply of
training and education, both public and private, to identify any gaps in provision.
To achieve this, Automotive Skills commissioned Ci Research to deliver an extensive piece of
research involving both primary and secondary information. This document is the report for
Scotland and its objective is to provide an overview of training and education provision across
the sector in that country. It provides a snapshot of provision in Scotland, and covers the
whole Automotive Skills footprint. Other reports have been produced for the UK as a whole,
and the other three home nations.
The Automotive Skills activities cover:
•
New vehicle sales,
•
Used vehicle sales,
•
Regular maintenance and repair,
•
Parts suppliers, including factories, wholesalers and retailers,
•
MOT testing and certification,
•
Vehicle body repairs,
•
Restoration services,
•
Valeting services,
•
Fast-fit operations,
•
Other fitting operations,
•
Roadside rescue and recovery services,
•
Vehicle leasing and contract hire,
•
Daily rental fleets.
The scope of the assessment includes the identification of provision, a quantification of
student numbers, analysis of learner demographics and a review of the quality of provision.
Where available, information has been included regarding the costs of training. This
Assessment of Current Provision
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information has been sourced from a variety of stakeholders and partners including the
Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Qualifications Authority and quality assessment
organisations such as the HM Inspectorate for Education. The secondary data has been
supplemented with a wide variety of employer engagement activities including focus groups,
in-depth interviews and a quantitative survey of 599 employers across the UK sector, a
representative proportion of which were from Scotland.
2.1
Automotive Skills Sector – an overview
Data from FutureSkills Scotland indicates that the automotive sector in Scotland comprises at
least 5,000 businesses, and employs 43,200 people; 2% of the working population. This
makes it a major contributor to the national economy. 2
Although specific Scottish data is not available, findings from elsewhere in the UK suggest
that the greatest number of establishments in the Automotive Skills sector (about 70%) fall
into the category of Vehicle Maintenance. Motor Trade Sales has almost as many employees
as Vehicle Maintenance, but despite this contains only around a quarter of establishments,
suggesting the presence of larger establishments in this activity. 3
Analysis of businesses within the sector in Scotland reveals a slightly higher proportion of
small businesses (83% versus 79%), with 10 or fewer employees, compared to Scotland as a
whole. 4
In regard to the geographical scope of the market for vehicle maintenance and repair, it was
found that for the UK automotive sector as a whole, the primary market is local (66%)
followed by regional (18%). 14% of respondents said their main market was national and only
2% reported that their main market was international. 5
2
Futureskills Scotlan (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004),
http://www.futureskillsscotland.org.uk/
3
Some organisations are often assigned to the sales SIC code. However, in addition to sales they also operate
maintenance, repair and other activities.
4
Futureskills Scotland (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004),
http://www.futureskillsscotland.org.uk/
5
Skills for Business (May 2005) Raising sector skill levels: how responsive is local training supply? p24, figure 10
Assessment of Current Provision
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2.2
Occupations within the Sector
Awareness of the occupations within the retail automotive sector and especially the
proportional representation of the workforce in those occupations can serve as a guide as to
where a boost to skill development may be most beneficial. The proportion of employees in
the Scottish automotive sector with occupations in Skilled Trades (28%) is much higher than
the average for Scotland (9%), but the proportion of Professionals (7%) is much lower than
the national average (15%). 6
2.3
Data Sources
This study draws on a wide variety of data sources, both primary and secondary, as
summarised in the table below.
Figure 1.
Data sources for Stage 2
Title
6
Description
Chapters
Coverage
Ci Research
Quantitative
Employer
Survey
(2006)
(‘the
quantitative
survey’)
Primary research carried out for
Stage 2 of the SNA. 599
employers
were
surveyed,
stratified to reflect the retail
automotive sector in terms of
regional/national
distribution
and company size. For this
reason the survey contains
more small employers (with less
than 10 employees) than many
other relevant surveys.
3, 7, 8
UK
Ci Research
In-depth
Qualitative
Employer
Survey
(2006)
(‘the in-depth
survey’)
Primary consultation carried out
for Stage 2 of the SNA,
gathering opinions from a wide
range of employers who were
highlighted by Automotive Skills’
as
being
exemplars
of
good/best practice.
7, 8
UK
Futureskills Scotland (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004),
http://www.futureskillsscotland.org.uk/web/site/home/Reports/IndustrySector/Report_Scottish_Sector_Profile_2005_
Automotive.asp
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Title
Description
Ci Research
In-depth
Qualitative
Training
Provider
Survey
(2006)
(‘the in-depth
survey’)
Automotive
Skills
Regional
Employer
Workshops –
facilitated by
Ci Research
(2005)
Futureskills
Scotland,
Scottish
Employer
Skills Survey
(SESS)
(2004)
University for
Industry (UfI),
LearnDirect
Course
Database
(December
2005)
Chapters
Coverage
Primary consultation carried out
for Stage 2 of the SNA,
gathering opinions from a wide
range of private and public
sector training providers who
were highlighted by Automotive
Skills’ as being exemplars of
good/best practice.
7, 8
UK
A series of six Regional
Employer Workshops held in
2005
in Thatcham (01/09),
Loughborough (06/09), Bristol
(08/09), Manchester (13/09),
Newcastle
(14/09)
and
Edinburgh (23/11). Groups were
well attended and discussions
focused on key issues for
workforce development and
training in the retail automotive
sector.
A large-scale survey carried out
to assess skills and training
across the English economy.
The SESS was stratified by
sector, enabling information
specific to the retail automotive
sector to be considered. It was
not, however, stratified by the
company size characteristics of
different sectors and therefore
tends to contain views more
typical of larger employers
within the retail automotive
sector.
The UfI course database is
used by the LearnDirect website
and by careers advisers to
source
vocational
training
courses across the UK. It
includes both public and private
provision. The database does
not include most of the provision
serving the sector in Scotland.
In addition, the classifications of
courses in Scotland, both in
terms of subject areas and
levels,
are
different
and
therefore difficult to compare.
7
UK
3, 7
Scotland
5, 6
UK, but
only
partial
coverage
in
Scotland
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App. 319
August 2006
Title
Description
Chapters
Coverage
Scottish
Funding
Council
(SFC), Infact
Database
(2004/05)
The Infact database, available
online from SFC, provides
detailed statistics on students in
Further Education in Scotland. It
does not, however, contain
enrolment statistics, since it
focuses on the number of
students on the courses at any
one time.
6
Scotland
Scottish
Enterprise
(SEn),
Modern
Apprenticeshi
p and
Skillseekers
Statistics
(2004/05)
This dataset, from Scottish
Enterprise, is the closest
substitute for statistics on Work
Based Learning in most of
Scotland (excluding Highlands
and Islands), although only
enrolments
on
Modern
Apprenticeships
and
Skillseekers
courses
are
included.
6
Scotland
Highlands
and Islands
Enterprise
(HIE) Modern
Apprenticeshi
p and
Skillseekers
Statistics
(2004/05)
This dataset, from Highlands
and Islands Enterprise, is the
closest substitute for statistics
on Work Based Learning in the
Highlands and Islands of
Scotland,
although
only
enrolments
on
Modern
Apprenticeships
and
Skillseekers
courses
are
included.
6
Scotland
Higher
Education
Statistics
Agency,
Enrolment
Statistics
(2002/03)
The Higher Education Statistics
Agency collects data covering
all aspects of Higher Education
across the UK. These are their
enrolment statistics.
6
UK
Sector Skills
Development
Agency
(SSDA),
Sector Skills
Matrix (2005)
This survey of the UK Labour
Force, provided by the SSDA,
includes data on employment
and skills needs across the UK,
broken down into sectors
corresponding to the individual
Sector Skills Councils (SSCs).
7
UK
HMIe
Scotland,
Further
Education
Inspection
Reports
(2002-2006)
These inspection reports cover
Further Education colleges in
Scotland,
grading
them
numerically according to a
number of criteria and also
recording pass rates and
student retention levels. The
figures used are grades for
whole colleges offering relevant
courses.
8
Scotland
Assessment of Current Provision
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3
Training and Workforce Development in the
Automotive Sector
3.1
Key Messages and Issues
•
Automotive Skills endorse a number of qualifications and standards for training in the
sector, and co-ordinate the relationship between the sector and training providers.
•
Slightly fewer employers in the Automotive Sector in Scotland than in the economy as
a whole provide training to their employees; however, this is significantly higher than
in England.
•
More employers in the retail automotive sector in Scotland use FE colleges for
training than the average across all sectors.
•
Research carried out for Stage 2 indicates that 29.3% of employers in the sector in
Scotland had a business plan or strategy. 14.6% had a training plan and 14.6% had a
training budget. Smaller companies were much less likely than larger companies to
have any of these.
•
The most common type of training was Technical, followed by Health and Safety.
Training in Basic Skills, ICT or Supervisory Skills were less frequently provided.
•
42.9% of sector employers in Scotland devoted 90% or more of their training time to
workshop occupations. This figure increased substantially for smaller employers.
•
Only a minority of small companies (less than 10 employees) in the sector across the
UK provided training other than technical training.
3.2
The Role of Automotive Skills in Training and Workforce
Development
Automotive Skills are responsible for developing qualifications for all sectors of the retail
motor industry alongside setting national standards. Automotive Skills offer standards and
qualifications in the following industry sectors: Vehicle Fitting; Vehicle Maintenance and
Repair; Vehicle Body and Paint Operations; Roadside Assistance and Recovery; Vehicle
Parts Operations; Vehicle Sales; Vehicle Rental and Leasing Operations.
Automotive Skills offer fourteen NVQs/SVQs over three levels covering each sector of the
industry, some of which have been broken down further to accommodate specialties.
Although open to anyone, they are often obtained within apprenticeships. Adjacent to the
educational route, training in Core Skills is offered. These are generic skills to aid individual
improvement, self learning and performance in education, training and work. In addition, the
sector has developed a range of technical certificates for most motor industry sectors. These
are now a mandatory requirement for all Automotive Skills apprentice programmes.
Assessment of Current Provision
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To improve the productivity and competitiveness of the retail motor industry, Automotive and
Retail Management Standards have been developed and approved for managers and
potential managers.
Universities in the UK now offer educational courses related to the motor industry. One
example is Motorsport Engineering and Motorsport Management Degree programmes.
However, despite the observed growth of higher education courses for sectors within the
automotive industry, The Motorsport Valley Workforce Development Plan 2003 (WDP),
undertaken by the Motorsport Industry Association, questions whether such courses really
meet the needs of the industry by being industry-led and thus responding to employer
pressure or, as it suggests, provision of such courses are determined more by the University
and student’s choices. 7
Research also suggests that the motor industry needs help towards taking responsibility for
defining and developing the skills of its employees. The current approach of the industry to
meeting their needs is to ‘poach’ from other companies, in preference to developing the skills
of their own staff. In addition, to enable educational courses to be industry led, the sector
must collaborate with the learning and skills sector in identifying skills needs, and to assist
with the way in which courses are designed and delivered. This partnership may become
more important as predicted technological and sectoral changes occur resulting in a change
in demand of the skills required. 8 As such, the management and coordinating role of
Automotive Skills will be crucial to ensuring that effective relationships are fostered.
3.3
Level of Training Activity
The quantitative survey conducted for Stage 2 of the Skills Needs Assessment highlights that
70% of employers in the retail automotive sector in Scotland had provided training within the
last 12 months. This compares to 54% across the UK as a whole, although the low base size
for Scotland means that the apparent comparative strength in this area should be treated with
caution.
7
Motorsport Valley Workforce Development Plan, 2003, Motorsport Industry Association
8
Motorsport Valley Workforce Development plan, 2003, Motorsport Industry Association
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Figure 2.
Training activity in the Automotive Skills sector
Over the past 12 months, have you
funded or arranged any training or
development for staff?
Automotive Skills
Yes
54.01%
No
44.92%
Don’t Know
1.07%
70.00%
30.00%
0.00%
1–9
41.38%
56.90%
1.72%
10 – 99
67.92%
32.08%
0.00%
100 – 1000+
94.44%
5.56%
0.00%
Nation
Scotland
Size of Company
Source: Ci Research 2006 Automotive Employer Quantitative Survey
That said, a survey conducted in 2004 by Futureskills Scotland, the Scottish Employers Skills
Survey (SESS), supports the finding that the Scottish automotive sector provides more
training than in England; 59% of employers in their survey provided training, compared to
54% in the English counterpart survey, the National Employers Skills Survey (NESS), which
was conducted in 2003. The figure of 59% for the automotive industry in Scotland is only 3%
behind the Scottish average of 62%, in contrast to a 10% disparity in England. 9
Figure 3.
Training activity in the Automotive Skills sector: comparative
Scotland/England
Row %
England
Scotland
Percentage of Employers Providing
Training Overall
64%
62%
Percentage of Employers Providing
Training in the Automotive Sector
54%
59%
Source: National Employers Skills Survey 2004, p88, Figure 5.7, and FutureSkills Scotland Automotive
ScottishError! Bookmark not defined. Sector Profile 2005, p8, based on data from SESS (2004)
(http://www.futureskillsscotland.org.uk/web/site/home/ Reports/
IndustrySector/Report_Scottish_Sector_Profile_2005_Automotive.asp)
As shown in Figure 1, when the findings of the quantitative survey are assessed by company
size across the UK, larger businesses were more likely than medium sized and small
businesses to have funded or arranged training for their staff over the last 12 months (94.4%
of large companies compared to 67.9% of medium sized companies and 41.4% of small
companies).
9
Futureskills Scotland (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004),
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
3.4
Training and FE Colleges
According to the Stage 2 quantitative survey, 40% of Scottish employers in the automotive
sector used FE colleges to fulfil their external training needs, compared to a UK average of
42.3%. The other 60% used either private training providers or provided training via a
company such as a product or service supplier or vehicle manufacturer. However, the degree
of accuracy of figures from the survey is significantly limited by the small base size for
Scotland.
Futureskills Scotland’s SESS survey 10 indicated that 31% of Scottish automotive sector
employers used FE colleges to fulfil their training needs, significantly higher than the Scottish
average of 24%. The disparity between these figures and the figures obtained from the
quantitative survey may be explained by differences in sampling technique giving more
emphasis to larger businesses in the SESS survey.
3.5
Business Plans and Training Budgets
The quantitative survey, conducted as part of the Stage 2 research, found that only 29.3% of
employers in the Scottish retail automotive sector had a business plan or strategy that
outlined their objectives for the coming year. Only 14.6% had a training plan, and the same
proportion had a specific budget for training expenditure.
The quantitative survey, unlike some other surveys which produce higher figures for take-up
levels of initiatives such as training budgets, was stratified to reflect the overall business
population of the retail automotive sector and was therefore predominantly focused on small
businesses (511 of the 599 completed interviews in the UK were with businesses with 1 to 9
employees). Smaller companies throughout the UK were dramatically less likely than medium
or large size companies to have a business plan (23.1% as compared to 50.6% for medium
size companies), a training plan, a HR handbook, individual training plans, a training budget,
a dedicated HR or training manager, or a formal staff appraisal process.
10
Futureskills Scotland (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004),
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 23 of 175
August 2006
Figure 4.
Automotive Skills employers who have a business plan, training plan or
budget
Q1. Which of
the following
exist at your
establishment?
A Business Plan or
Strategy that outlines the
objectives for the coming
year
A company Training Plan
or Strategy
A Training or Human
Resources Handbook for
Staff
Individual Training Plans
for employees
A TrainingError! Bookmark
not defined. Budget
A Dedicated Human
Resources or Training
Manager
A Formal Staff Appraisal
Process
Automotive Skills
27.55%
12.02%
13.19%
12.69%
7.18%
8.18%
14.69%
29.27%
14.63%
9.76%
12.20%
14.63%
4.88%
17.07%
23.09%
5.68%
7.83%
6.85%
2.94%
3.72%
6.85%
Nation
Scotland
Size of Company
1–9
10 – 99
50.63%
45.57%
43.04%
45.57%
25.32%
27.85%
58.23%
100 – 1000+
77.78%
77.78%
55.56%
55.56%
88.89%
88.89%
77.78%
Source: Ci Research 2006 Automotive Employer Quantitative Survey
3.6
Training Volume
The quantitative survey found that the 42.9% of employers questioned in Scotland had
provided less than 10 days training per member of staff receiving training, compared to 69.3%
in the UK as a whole. In particular, only 28.6% of employers in Scotland provided 1-5 days
training per employee receiving training, compared to 51.5% for the UK as a whole. However,
these findings should be treated with caution due to the low base size for Scotland.
Another finding from the quantitative survey was that smaller organisations across the UK
were significantly more likely to provide long periods of training over 20 days (23.4%), than
medium sized organisations (6.5%). This could be due to the practicalities of providing
training in an environment where the loss of one member of staff presents operational
problems; concentrating training in longer periods might allow a temporary replacement to be
found for the employee.
In terms of spend, the majority (88.9%) of respondents in Scotland who provided training for
their employees spent less than £5000 in total per annum on that training. Across the UK,
59.4% of employers fell into the same category. However, very small base sizes mean that
this comparison should be treated with caution. For example, in Scotland only one respondent
spent less than £500 per year on training, but in the UK as a whole this category accounted
for the majority of all responses.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
3.7
Types of Training
Figure 5.
Types of training arranged by employers in the Automotive Sector in the
last 12 months
Any other training
General IT Training
Job-Specific IT Training
Environmental
Compliance Training
Financial or Financial
Compliance Training
Supervisory Skills
Training
Management and
Leadership Training
Technical Skills
Generic Skills Training
Basic Skills Training
Health & Safety Training
Induction Training
Q10:
Which
types of
training
have you
arranged
for your
employees
over the
past 12
months?
Total %
50.50 69.31 26.73 37.62 79.21 31.68 23.76 16.83 38.61 21.78 27.72
4.95
Nation
Scotland % 57.14 57.14 14.29 42.86 100.0 42.86 14.29 14.29 42.86 14.29 14.29 0.00%
Size of Company
1-9 %
31.91 51.06 12.77 27.66 87.23 12.77
8.51
4.26
27.66 10.64 14.89
2.13
10-99 %
65.22 84.78 39.13 41.30 73.91 45.65 34.78 23.91 50.00 28.26 36.96
8.70
100+ %
75.00 87.50 37.50 75.00 62.50 62.50 50.00 50.00 37.50 50.00 50.00
0.00
Source: Ci Research 2006 Automotive Employer Quantitative Survey
The Stage 2 quantitative survey identified that the most common type of training arranged for
employees in the sector in Scotland in the last 12 months was Technical (provided by 100%
of the employers asked). Health and Safety (57.1%) and Induction (57.1%) training was also
provided by more than half of employers. Relatively few employers provided training in Basic
Skills, Supervisory Skills, Financial, or IT skills (14.3% for each). This broadly reflects the UK
picture.
Overall, the largest proportion of training taking place in the Automotive Sector was in the
broad category of workshop occupations; 42.9% of organisations in Scotland devoted 90% or
more of their training to this, broadly in line with the UK average of 47.5%. On a UK-wide
basis, it was found that for smaller companies, with less than 10 employees, this was even
more pronounced, with 72.9% of all these companies carrying out 90% or more of their
training in this subject area. For many organisations, this was the only form of training
provided. Across the UK, 89.6% of small companies did not provide any Sales training,
81.3% no Management training, and 79.2% no Administrative training.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
4
Overview of the Funded Training Structure
in Scotland
4.1
Key Messages and Issues
•
Vocational training and sector skills in Scotland are primarily the responsibility of the
Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department (ETLLD) of the Scottish
Executive. This brings together business and further education in a single
department, a situation not found elsewhere in the UK.
•
Further and Higher Education in Scotland are funded by the Scottish Funding Council
(SFC). Further Education funding is currently under review.
•
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is the government body responsible for
qualifications in Scotland. They work in partnership with SSCs and the enterprise
agencies to provide various vocational qualifications.
•
The quality of the various categories of training in Scotland is monitored by three
agencies (HMIe Scotland, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the Scottish
Quality Management System (SQMS)).
•
Policies in Scotland focus particularly on increasing the role of employers in directing
vocational education, from school age onwards. There are also broad goals to
increase support for businesses in accessing training and to encourage lifelong
learning for employees over 25. Improvement of management skills is given particular
emphasis.
•
Qualifications in Scotland are classified differently to those elsewhere in the UK,
using the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) which has 12 Levels.
•
A wide range of third party vocational qualifications (VRQs) are available, which are
frequently not accredited by the SQA. The retail automotive sector uses a significant
number of these.
•
Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland are typically based on Level 3 SVQs, and
implemented by a wide-ranging partnership which includes SSCs, headed by Scottish
Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
•
Participation in Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland is higher in the retail automotive
sector than average; 28% as compared to 10% across all sectors in Scotland.
•
The Skillseekers initiative, unique to Scotland, is aimed primarily at providing
subsidised vocational training to the 16-18 age group. Participation in Skillseekers
has been declining, and a ‘re-engineering’ of the initiative is currently taking place.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
4.2
Introduction
This section describes the institutional and policy structure within which automotive sector
training takes place in Scotland. This includes coverage of the policies and strategies of
government departments, their partner agencies, and selected industry and trade union
bodies.
4.3
Departments, Institutions and Stakeholders
4.3.1
The Scottish Executive
The Scottish Executive splits its responsibilities for education between two departments; the
Education Department, dealing with school education, and the Enterprise, Transport and
Lifelong Learning Department (ETLLD) which covers most Higher Education, Further
Education and adult training. ETLLD, rather than the Education Department, leads on sector
skills policy in Scotland, being the primary point of interaction between the Scottish Executive,
the SSDA, and SSCs. ETLLD has recently established a division, with responsibility for
school-based vocational training programmes such as ‘Determined to Succeed’, which acts
as a link between ETLLD and the Education Department. 11
ETLLD’s 2005/06 Business Plan states that their policy is shaped by the three documents
detailed later in this section; the Framework for Economic Development in Scotland 12 , the
Smart Successful Scotland Strategy 13 , and the Life Through Learning Through Life Policy. 14
15
Until 2008, ETLLD give the priority within their lifelong learning remit to: 16
•
Improving the skill base of Scotland to be better prepared to meet the demands of the
knowledge economy.
•
Supporting an aspiring, ambitious and enterprising business and learning culture.
ETLLD also finances the Enterprise Networks in Scotland, Scottish Enterprise (SEn) and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) as well as the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).
11
ETLLD (2005): Business Plan 2005/06, p.4, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/54357/0013861.pdf
12
Scottish Executive (2000): The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland
13
Scottish Executive (2001): Smart Successful Scotland Strategy,
14
Scottish Executive (2004), Life Through Learning Through Life
15
ETLLD (2005): Business Plan 2005/06, p.1
16
ETLLD (2005): Business Plan 2005/06, p.1/p.6
Assessment of Current Provision
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4.3.2
Scottish Enterprise (SEn) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)
Scottish Enterprise (SEn) is the main economic development agency for Scotland, funded by
the Scottish Executive and covering 93% of Scotland’s population, the remaining 7% being in
the Highlands and Islands, where Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) fulfil the same role.
SEn contains 12 local enterprise companies, united by a governing board. The broad goals of
the Enterprise Networks are to support economic growth and translate the demands of
business into local public or community initiatives. 17 Their policy priorities are set out by the
Scottish Executive in the Smart Successful Scotland strategy document 18 , discussed in detail
later in this section.
SEn are the funders of Skillseekers and Modern Apprenticeships, the latter of which is one of
the most important forms of work-based training in Scotland. By 2009 they intend to have
offered 40,000 apprenticeships, according to their business plan. They also intend to work
with partners (such as SSCs) to improve the tailoring of training to the needs of business. 19
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) are also very much involved in skills development,
also funding Skillseekers and Modern Apprenticeships. Their priorities in their 2005 Operating
Plan include improving links between organisations working to provide training in the region,
in order to stimulate employer and employee demand. They put more emphasis than SEn on
the provision of Modern Apprenticeships for the over 25s. Like many skills bodies in the UK,
they recognise the need for greater emphasis on Management and Leadership training. They
are also supporters of the Business Learning Accounts programme, designed to help small
businesses overcome practical obstacles to training. 20
4.3.3
Scottish Funding Council (SFC)
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) funds teaching, learning and research in Further and
Higher Education in Scotland, and is funded in turn by the Scottish Executive, via ETLLD. It is
the recent product of a merger between the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council
(SHEFC) and the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC). 21 SFC is currently in
the process of reviewing Further Education funding, with the core aim of generating greater
value for money. 22
17
SSDA: Briefing Paper on Scottish Enterprise,
18
Scottish Executive (2001): Smart Successful Scotland Strategy
19
SEn (2006): Operating Plan 2006-09, Executive Summary http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/se-whatwedo.htm
20
HIE (May 2005): Operating Plan 2005, Executive Summary, http://www.hie.co.ukf
21
SFC Website: About Us, http://www.sfc.ac.uk
22
SFC (June 2006): Review of College and HEI Teaching Funding Methodologies
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
4.3.4
LearnDirect Scotland
LearnDirect Scotland promotes the University for Industry (UfI) initiative in Scotland. They
primarily promote lifelong learning to businesses and individuals, and maintain databases of
courses and information centres throughout Scotland in pursuit of that aim. They also provide
information on demand for learning to training providers, in order to improve the link between
supply and demand in the sector. 23
4.3.5
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is generally responsible for the development,
accreditation, assessment and certification of all qualifications in Scotland other than degrees,
including multipurpose group awards such as National Certificates (NCs), and awards aimed
at those already in work such as Professional Development Awards (PDAs). They are funded
largely by income from entry fees for their qualifications. The framework of qualifications
which they offer is detailed later in this chapter These also now include Skills for Work
courses, an initiative for 14-16 year olds which is being developed in partnership with SSCs. 24
SQA also accredit SVQs issued by all awarding bodies for use in Scotland. These may
originate from SQA or from awarding bodies in other parts of the UK. A large proportion of the
qualifications used by the Automotive Sector fall into this group.
4.3.6
Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU)
SFEU is the support body for Scotland’s Further Education colleges, and advises particularly
in areas such as curriculum and staff development. 25
4.3.7
Scottish Trades Unions Congress (STUC)
The Scottish Executive committed in 2002 to involve the Scottish Trades Unions Congress
(STUC), the Scottish branch of the Trades Unions Congress (TUC), in the process of
developing the skills of the Scottish workforce. It does this in part through its’ presence on the
SSA Scottish Project Board. STUC supports workplace learning through their Lifelong
Learning Unit, and in a practical sense through the Scottish Unions Learning Fund, which
provides funding for a large network of Union Learning Representatives in workplaces, who
promote training among employees. STUC is also initiating a project to create a Scottish
Union Academy, along the lines of that being developed in England.
23
LearnDirect Scotland: Who are we?, http://www.lds4partners.com
24
SQA Website: About Us, http://www.sqa.org.uk
25
SFEU Website: About Us, http://www.sfeu.ac.uk
26
SSDA: SSDA Briefing Paper: Scottish Trades Unions Congress
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26
August 2006
4.3.8
Quality Assurance Bodies
The quality of school-level education and Further Education in Scotland is monitored by Her
Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education in Scotland (HMIe). Higher Education is monitored by
the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), a UK-wide body. Training not taking place within a
Higher or Further Education framework is monitored by the Scottish Quality Management
System (SQMS).
4.4
Policies
4.4.1
Life’
ScottishError! Bookmark not defined. Executive: ‘Life Through Learning Through
27
‘Life Through Learning Through Life’ is a policy document, published in 2004, outlining the
Scottish Executive’s current lifelong and vocational learning strategy until 2010. It highlights
five key goals:
•
A Scotland where people have the confidence, enterprise, knowledge, creativity and
skills they need to participate in economic, social and civic life.
•
A Scotland where people demand and providers deliver a high quality learning
experience.
•
A Scotland where people’s knowledge and skills are recognised, used and developed
to best effect in their workplace.
•
A Scotland where people are given the information, guidance and support they need
to make effective learning decisions and transitions.
•
A Scotland where people have the chance to learn, irrespective of their background
or current personal circumstances.
There are also a number of initiatives and policy targets relevant to automotive sector skills in
the document. The establishment and support of the Sector Skills Councils and the Sector
Skills Agreement framework are central to these objectives. Examples include:
•
‘Business Learning Accounts’; a Scottish Executive pilot project to encourage small
businesses to train and develop their staff, to be delivered by Scottish Enterprise.
Given the preponderance of small businesses in the automotive sector, these could
be a significant initiative for the sector.
•
‘Enterprise in Education’; a £86m 28 scheme to prepare school pupils for the realities
of work on leaving education.
27
Scottish Executive (2004), Life Through Learning Through Life
28
Information provided by stakeholders suggests that funding for this £86m is being invested between 2003 and
2008.
Assessment of Current Provision
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•
A review of the provision for the professional training and development of FE
lecturers.
•
A target to increase the number of people in employment undertaking training by
2010.
4.4.2
Scottish Executive: Smart Successful Scotland Strategy (SSS) 29
The Smart Successful Scotland Strategy was published by the Scottish Executive in 2001, to
set a new direction for the Enterprise Networks in Scotland. This policy document has a
strong focus on the link between life-long learning and economic development.
The document highlights the growing vacancy levels for certain types of jobs in Scotland,
despite high levels of unemployment in some areas. It draws the conclusion that skills
shortages are impeding the progress of the Scottish economy and that therefore a ‘shared
understanding’ between the education system and the wider economy is needed. This is
something that Sector Skills Councils are now actively trying to achieve. It also recommends
increased use of Apprenticeships, and highlights a need to create a culture of learning
beyond school age, and to provide the opportunities for that learning to occur.
The Scottish Executive highlight Scotland’s past relatively weak record in workforce learning,
compared to other Western European countries, and particularly emphasise the need for
training in management and leadership skills.
4.4.3
(FEDS)
Framework for Economic Development in ScotlandError! Bookmark not defined.
30
FEDS is a policy document that covers the whole of the Scottish economy. One of the core
‘enablers’ of the Scottish economy is identified as ‘the human capital infrastructure’, in other
words, the skills of the present and future working population. The report suggests a marketled approach to providing work-based vocational training:
•
There is a need to consider the demands and needs of the new economic
environment in the education infrastructure; an objective in many ways central to the
work of SSCs.
•
A preference for sector-specific training to be met within the enterprises themselves.
•
The focus of the public sector should be on core skills training and on skills which
promote the flexibility and adaptability of the national workforce.
•
Sector-specific training should be market-led. However, there are roles for the public
sector; they should ensure market information is distributed to all potential customers,
29
Scottish Executive (2001): Smart Successful Scotland Strategy,
30
Scottish Executive (2000): The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland,
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especially young people. They should also encourage employers to provide training,
to compensate for the fact that training is more costly to some individual companies –
due to staff poaching – than to an economic sector as a whole.
•
There is a need for vocational training to be ‘accorded greater esteem’ in comparison
to other career routes.
Key initiatives include Skillseekers, Modern Apprenticeships, Get Ready for Work and the
Training for Work scheme. For Higher Education, the promotion of technical courses (such as
Automotive Engineering) is seen as a priority.
Qualifications Framework 31
4.5
The qualifications framework in Scotland, primarily administered by the Scottish Qualifications
Authority (SQA), is significantly different to that in the rest of the UK and in many ways more
complex. In order to provide a standardised system of classification for qualifications in
Scotland the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) was established. The
following diagram shows how the Scottish qualifications relate to one another:
Figure 6.
Qualifications Structure in Scotland
Table of main qualifications
SCQFError!
Bookmark
not defined.
level
12
11
SQA National Units,
Courses and Group Awards
Higher
Education
Scottish Vocational
Qualifications
Doctorates
Masters
SVQ 5
10
Honours Degree
Graduate Diploma/Certificate*
9
Ordinary Degree
Graduate Diploma Certificate*
8
Higher National Diploma
Diploma in Higher Education
SVQ 4
Higher National Certificate
Certificate in Higher Education
7
Advanced Higher
6
Higher
SVQ 3
5
Intermediate 2
Credit Standard Grade
SVQ 2
4
Intermediate 1
General Standard Grade
3
Access 3
Foundation Standard Grade
2
1
Access 2
Access 1
SVQ 1
* These qualifications are differentiated by volume of outcomes and may be offered at either level
Source: http://www.scqf.org.uk/
31
SQA Website: About Our QualificationsError! Bookmark not defined.: http://www.sqa.org.uk
Assessment of Current Provision
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SQA classifies qualifications into three broad groups; National Qualifications (taught mainly at
school), Higher National Qualifications (which are vocational, but not intended to be carried
out during employment), and Vocational Qualifications. A major recent change has been the
introduction of National Units, now used by most courses.
There are over 3,500 National Units which can be combined in various combinations to create
a wide range of academic and vocational courses.
4.5.1
National Qualifications: Courses
The main national qualification remains the Standard Grade, roughly equivalent to a GCSE in
the rest of the UK. It has three levels; Credit, General and Foundation, with Credit being the
most advanced. The courses are not based on the framework of National Units, and are
generally not vocational.
National Courses are created by combining multiple National Units, at one of four levels;
Access, Intermediate, Higher, or Advanced Higher. There are sub-levels within Access and
Intermediate. The bottom two levels overlap substantially with the Standard Grade courses.
Access Level National Courses start at a significantly lower level than the Standard Grade,
and can reach a maximum level equivalent to the Standard Grade Foundation level.
Intermediate Level National Courses equate to the upper levels of a Standard Grade. Schools
may offer Access and Intermediate Level National Courses as a replacement for Standard
Grades, or may offer Standard Grades and then switch to National Courses at a level
appropriate for the pupils in question; usually Intermediate or Higher Level.
Highers have historically been the highest level of school qualification in Scotland. They are
now incorporated into the National Course framework as Higher Level National Courses, and
follow on either from Standard Grades or from Intermediate Level National Courses. They are
one year long, compared with the two year A Level course available in other parts of the UK.
Historically, students left school after their Highers at 17, rather than at 18 as in the rest of the
UK, with University courses in Scotland having an extra foundation year.
However, Advanced Highers (which can also be called Advanced Higher Level National
Courses) are now available, lasting a further year. They now allow schools to provide a higher
level of qualification, so that when taken together a Higher and Advanced Higher qualification
are approximately equivalent to an A Level elsewhere in the UK. Both Highers and Advanced
Highers are now built from National Units.
‘Skills for Work’ Courses enable students to gain work-based skills within the National Course
system. They have been created as a result of collaboration between SQA, SSCs and
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individual colleges. They are generally targeted at 14-16 years olds, at Intermediate Level, but
are not full National Course qualifications in themselves.
4.5.2
National Qualifications: Group Awards
Group Awards are not courses in themselves, but are awarded to students who have
completed a set of courses or units which fulfil certain criteria and who can also demonstrate
certain key skills.
National Progression Awards (NPAs) cover almost the whole range of National Qualifications
levels. They indicate competence in a specialist vocational area, and are designed to link into
SVQs. They are primarily targeted at part-time and/or post-school learners.
National Certificates (NCs) cover almost the whole range of National Qualifications levels.
They indicate competence in a broad occupational area in addition to core skills, and are
designed to link into HNCs. They are primarily targeted at full time learners aged 16-18.
4.5.3
Higher National Qualifications 32 Error! Bookmark not defined.
Higher National Qualifications are either Higher National Certificates (HNCs) or Higher
National Diplomas (HNDs). Both are vocationally based and are usually provided by FE
colleges. HNCs are considered roughly equivalent to an Advanced Higher and cover narrower
subject areas than the longer HND courses.
These courses are now composed of a series of Higher National Units, following on from the
flexible framework of National Units now used for most of the National Qualifications. Higher
National Units can also be taken as stand-alone courses.
4.5.4
Vocational Qualifications 33
The main Vocational Qualifications are SVQs, which are roughly equivalent to NVQs in the
rest of the UK. They are based upon a framework of SVQ Units, designed to assess ability to
perform tasks in the workplace, which may be combined to produce an SVQ Course at any
one of five levels. SVQ Units are in turn based upon the National Occupational Standards
(NOS), which define the skills and knowledge required to work in particular occupations and
are produced in consultation with SSCs. Automotive Skills is involved in a number of SVQ
qualifications.
Level 1 is the lowest level of SVQ and Level 5 is the highest. Level 3 is approximately
equivalent to a Higher (Higher Level National Course) and Level 5 is approximately equivalent
to a Masters degree. They are designed to be carried out mainly by those in employment,
32
SQA (2005) Scottish Qualifications
33
SQA (2005) Scottish Qualifications
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especially at the start of their careers. SVQs can also be studied as part of a Modern
Apprenticeship, as explained in the next section.
Also available are Professional Development Awards (PDAs), which are programmes
designed for people already in long term employment who wish to broaden their skills or enter
a full-time college programmes.
Many colleges in Scotland also offer qualifications from the Scottish/National Vocational
Qualification (S/NVQ) scheme, including a number of automotive sector SVQs, which are
approved by SQA for use in Scotland, as explained in section 4.1.5 of this document.
4.5.5
Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs)
Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs) are offered by awarding bodies wanting to issue
officially recognised education and training certificates. In Scotland, these are not accredited
by SQA although there are ongoing developments to extend SQA’s accreditation function to
awards other than SVQs. They are designed and administered by awarding bodies such as
City and Guilds, IMI, OCR or Edexcel. 34
These types of qualification are heavily used for training in the automotive retail sector. For
example City and Guilds offer a number of VRQs relevant to the sector alongside their NVQs,
many of which are available in Scotland, and SVQs specific to Scotland. 35 Many of the VRQs
are delivered as a requirement for Automotive Skills Modern Apprenticeship Programmes –
they are also delivered by many colleges for full-time students.
4.5.6
Modern Apprenticeships 36
Modern Apprenticeships are the primary delivery system for formal work-based training in
Scotland. The curriculum for a Modern Apprenticeship is set with input from the industry, and
it combines on-the-job and off-the-job training, so that an Apprentice can train and earn at the
same time. A typical Modern Apprenticeship consists of:
•
An individual training plan,
•
A core skills component,
•
An SVQ, usually at Level 3, but sometimes at a higher level,
•
Some further job-specific content and/or qualifications.
34
NAA (website), QualificationsError! Bookmark not defined. Overview, http://naa.org.uk
35
City and Guilds (website) Automotive Sector Qualifications, http://www.city-and-guilds.co.uk/
36
Scottish Enterprise: Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland (2003 - an overview of policy and practice,
http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/publications/modernapprenticeshipsoverview.pdf
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There are now over 80 different Modern Apprenticeships, primarily aimed at the under 25s 37 .
Although they are now available to the over 25s, funding for these age groups is directed
toward priority sectors in the SEn area. They are implemented through collaboration between
a large number of agencies:
•
The Scottish Executive provides funding, via Scottish Enterprise and HIE.
•
SSCs work together with employers and other partners to design individual Modern
Apprenticeships.
•
The Modern Apprenticeship Implementation Group (MAIG) approves Modern
Apprenticeship Frameworks and promotes the scheme to employers and training
providers.
•
Careers Scotland and STUC promote the scheme to potential candidates.
•
The quality of apprenticeships is monitored by SSCs, as well as the normal education
and training quality monitoring agencies.
•
SQA provide accreditation for many of the qualifications, working in partnership with
SSCs to ensure the availability of the appropriate qualification frameworks.
Modern Apprenticeships are particularly important to the automotive sector in comparison to
other sectors in Scotland. Futureskills Scotland report that 28% of automotive employers
participate in the apprenticeship schemes, compared to 10% of businesses in Scotland as a
whole 38 . Indeed, Automotive Skills state that the Motor Vehicle Apprenticeship is the fourth
most popular in Scotland 39 , despite the fact that the automotive sector makes up only 2% of
the labour force.
4.5.7
Skillseekers
The SkillseekersError! Bookmark not defined. initiative, run by Local Enterprise
Companies, aims to encourage employers to allow employees under 25, although primarily in
the 16-18 age range, to take vocational training by subsidising the cost, to a varying degree
depending on the individual situation. 40 This allows trainees to be paid at full rate throughout
the process. The scheme is also available to those still seeking employment, who are paid a
‘training allowance’. Although Skillseekers are not strictly specific to a particular vocational
course, about 60% of learners take an SVQ Level 2 during the scheme. A Skillseekers course
may potentially lead onward to a Modern Apprenticeship course. 41 Participation in
Skillseekers has been declining, and a ‘re-engineering’ of the initiative is planned soon. 42 As
37
Scottish Enterprise (2004): Skillseekers: A Guide for Employers, http://www.scottish-enterprise.com
38
Futureskills Scotland (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004),
39
Futureskills Scotland (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004),
40
Scottish Enterprise (2004): Skillseekers: A Guide for Employers
41
Scottish Enterprise (2004): Skillseekers, a Guide for Young People
42
ETLLD Business Plan 2005/06, p.11, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/54357/0013861.pdf
Assessment of Current Provision
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of 2004, 15% of employers in the Automotive Sector were participating in the Skillseekers
scheme. 43
43
Futureskills Scotland (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004)
Assessment of Current Provision
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5
Mapping Provision in Scotland
5.1
Key Messages and Issues
•
There is little or no comparable data on training provision between Scotland and the
rest of the UK, due to differences in classifications and measurement methods.
•
Provision of FE is concentrated in the Central Belt of Scotland, particularly in
Lanarkshire. There is also good provision in all the major cities, although provision in
Glasgow is provided by a large number of smaller colleges.
•
Areas with a significant lack of provision include Argyll and the Islands. The border
area with England also has limited provision.
•
Provision for Higher Education in the sector in Scotland is minimal. Although new
courses have been added in recent years, only two universities in Scotland offer a
degree course involving Automotive Engineering. HNCs and HNDs are available in a
small number of centres.
5.2
Introduction
Since Scottish FE courses are classified according to different subject areas and different
levels of achievement, making comparisons with the rest of the UK in terms of courses
available is difficult. While the central UfI database of FE courses does cover Scotland, it has
not yet built up sufficient information to make effective comparisons, particularly on levels of
achievement. The data below therefore is gathered only from the Scottish Funding Council
and UCAS.
5.3
Distribution of FE Provision
Two of the Scottish Funding Council’s FE course categories were considered to be primarily
within the automotive sector; Vehicle Maintenance/Repair and Road Vehicle Engineering.
There were a total of 28 institutions providing such courses across Scotland; 26 providing
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair, and 15 providing Road Vehicle Engineering. Their distribution
across the country is outlined in figures 7 and 8.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Figure 7.
Distribution of Automotive Sector FE Provision – Central Belt and South
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database (www.sfc.ac.uk) and individual college websites.
FE provision of automotive sector related courses in Scotland was, as might be expected
given the population distribution, concentrated in the Central Belt. It is notable that
Lanarkshire had a high level of provision in 2004/05, 44 with two colleges enrolling very large
numbers of automotive students, uniquely outside a major city. Greenock also had a high
level of provision for a location outside a major city. All major cities had good provision,
including Dundee and Aberdeen, which are shown on the Northern Scotland map. Glasgow’s
provision was, however, split between a number of smaller colleges. While this may improve
convenience, it may have implications for the level of specialist equipment and facilities viable
at individual colleges. Fife contained a large number of institutions, 45 but these were relatively
small.
It is notable that no courses at all were available either in or near to Argyll, which would leave
most of this area beyond convenient reach of relevant training. Provision in the southern
44
As of 2006, it is clear from South Lanarkshire College’s website (http://www.south-lanarkshire-college.ac.uk) that it
no longer provides automotive courses. However, this is likely to mean that nearby Motherwell College’s newly
expanded and state of the art specialist facilities are taking considerably more learners.
45
Two colleges in Fife (Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy) have since been merged, as have Clackmannanshire and Falkirk
colleges.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Lowlands was also restricted, with the courses available being small in size. In the case of
Borders College in the South East of the country, only the Road Vehicle Engineering course
was offered. 46
Figure 8.
Distribution of Automotive Sector FE Provision – Highlands and Northeast
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database (www.sfc.ac.uk) and individual college websites.
In the North of Scotland, as might be expected given the low population density, provision
was relatively sparse, with very large areas being some distance from provision. However, it
must be noted that some colleges have small campuses away from the main site, which are
not shown on the maps. This said, it is unlikely that automotive-related courses are offered at
all sites.
There was no provision in either Orkney or Shetland; anyone requiring automotive training in
this area is likely to have to make a long journey to Aberdeen. The presence of a very small
college on the Isle of Lewis made this less of a problem for potential trainees located in the
Western Isles (Eilean Siâr). 47
46
As of 2006, stakeholder information suggests that Border College also provides automotive sector Modern
Apprenticeships. It may alternatively be that this information was missing from the SFC database.
47
As of 2006, it appears from Lews Castle College’s website (http://www.lews.uhi.ac.uk/) no longer provides any
Automotive courses.
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By far the largest colleges in terms of automotive sector provision in the North of Scotland
were in Aberdeen and Dundee.
5.4
Distribution of HE Provision
As will be seen in the next section, only 0.7% of the HE enrolments in Automotive
Engineering courses in the UKError! Bookmark not defined. overall 48 are in Scotland.
Given this fact, it is not surprising that the availability in Scotland of Higher Education
Automotive Engineering courses is limited.
UCAS data 49 indicates that Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh offers the only standard 4
year degree in Automotive Engineering in Scotland. The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow
offers a 5 year Masters degree containing both Mechanical and Automotive Engineering
elements, and the UHI Millennium Institute in Inverness offers a one year HNC in Automotive
Engineering, available at only the Inverness campus. This sparse provision indicates that the
availability of Automotive-related courses at all HE levels in Scotland is very poor compared
with the rest of the UK, and that outside the central belt provision is almost non-existent.
Given the difficulty sometimes experienced in accessing HE courses in England from a base
of standard Scottish school qualifications, this could be a cause for concern.
48
Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited, 2002/03
49
UCAS Course Database, http://www.ucas.co.uk/
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
6
Funded Learner Data Review
6.1
Key Messages and Issues
•
Further Education – 2004/05
ƒ
Enrolments in FE in the sector remained largely static between 2000/01 and
2004/05.
ƒ
The majority of students were under 18.
ƒ
Most courses were taken part-time, although this varied significantly
depending on the qualification level and type.
ƒ
A majority of those studying automotive-related FE qualifications in Scotland
were studying either ‘other’ qualifications (not SVQ, NVQ, HNC or HND) or
‘unrecognised’ qualifications. Frequently, these were awarded by individual
colleges.
ƒ
•
North Lanarkshire was a major centre of retail automotive sector FE.
Work Based Learning – 2004/05
ƒ
Enrolments in Modern Apprenticeships have been increasing steadily in
recent years. The vast majority of enrolments were for ‘Motor Vehicles’
apprenticeships.
ƒ
Skillseekers enrolments in the sector have decreased by more than 50%
since 2001/02. The majority of enrolments were for either Vehicle Fitting
(Fast Fit) or Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Light Vehicle).
ƒ
The number of females taking part in Modern Apprenticeships in the sector
was very low (1.0%), although not as low as for Skillseekers courses (0.2%).
ƒ
The vast majority of those taking either Modern Apprenticeships or
Skillseekers courses were under 19 in 2004/05.
ƒ
Lanarkshire was a major centre for work based learning in the sector.
ƒ
Very similar trends were observed in the Highlands and Islands, although a
larger proportion of those studying were over 19.
•
Higher Education: Automotive Engineering – 2002/03
ƒ
Comparatively fewer courses took place in Scotland than elsewhere in the
UK.
6.2
Methodology
This section of the report attempts to quantify provision. Rather than mapping the number of
courses offered, using data from the funders of publicly available courses, it attempts to
provide information on the take up of learning, learner demographics and achievement.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Data was provided by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). Due to differences between the
manner in which the SFC and funding boards in other areas of the UK categorise information,
performance comparison between areas of the UK is at present not possible beyond the most
basic level. This is something that will need to be addressed in future assessments.
This section represents the most up-to-date and comprehensive overview of publicly funded
learner data that was available at the time of publication.
6.3
Further Education
Figure 9.
Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and
year
Subject Area
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
Road Vehicle Engineering
879
1,206
791
669
743
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair
3,280
3,020
2,977
3,646
3,608
Grand Total
4,159
4,226
3,768
4,315
4,351
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database
According to data from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), enrolments on both Road Vehicle
Engineering and Vehicle Maintenance/Repair courses showed fluctuations between 2000/01
to 2004/05, but there were no clear overall trends. A study carried out for SFC in 2005
suggested that these types of fluctuations in FE participation were closely linked to short term
funding changes; “…fluctuations in FE funding can be seen to result in fluctuations in FE
participation.” 50
The overall total of 4,315 further education learners in automotive subjects in 2003/04
compares favourably to the England total of 17,308. 51 Given that Scotland’s population is little
more than a tenth of England’s, this indicates a more than 200% higher take-up of automotive
courses at FE level in Scotland than in England. However, there is no national data available
to show how many of these additional FE learners are entering the sector after completing
their courses.
Figure 10. Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and
age, 2004/05
Age of student (start of academic year)
Subject Area
Road Vehicle Engineering
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair
Grand Total
Under 16
163
920
16-18
297
1,525
19-24
118
541
25-59
153
602
60-64
5
9
65 & over
10
11
Total
746
3,608
1,083
1,822
659
755
14
21
4,354
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database
Totals in this table may differ from totals in other tables due to rounding up of low count values
50
Scottish Funding Council (2005) Supply and Demand of Further Education in Scotland, p.iii
51
Learning and Skills Council, ILR 0304 F05
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August 2006
Enrolments on the FE road vehicle engineering course saw the majority of enrolments from
16 to 18 year olds; this was followed by under 16 year olds. The least number of enrolments
were in the 60 to 64 age group with only five learners enrolling in 2004/05.
The majority of enrolments on the FE Vehicle Maintenance/Repair courses were from the 16
to 18 age group, again followed by the under 16 year olds. The least number of enrolments
were in the 60 to 64 age group with only nine learners enrolling in 2004/05.
Although the statistics are not generally directly comparable, this pattern roughly reflects that
seen in all other parts of the UK, with the vast majority of learners on all major FE courses
being under the age of 25.
Figure 11. Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and
ethnicity, 2004/05
Ethnic origin
Subject Area
Road Vehicle Engineering
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair
Grand Total
White
731
3,407
Asian
5
22
Chinese
5
5
Black
10
8
Other
5
11
NA/NR
10
164
Total
766
3,617
4,138
27
10
18
16
174
4,383
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database
Totals in this table may differ from totals in other tables due to rounding up of low count values
The vast majority of learners enrolled on the Road Vehicle Engineering and Vehicle
Maintenance/Repair FE courses were white. The majority of ethnic minority learners on the
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair courses were Asian followed by Black (22 and 5 learners
respectively). For the Road Vehicle Engineering course, the majority of ethnic minority
learners were Black (10).
Figure 12. Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and
mode of study, 2004/05
Mode of Study
Subject Area
Road Vehicle Engineering
Full Time
234
Part Time
471
Work Based Learning
15
Other
24
Total
744
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair
1,239
2,228
135
9
3,611
Grand Total
1,473
2,699
150
33
4,355
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database
Totals in this table may differ from totals in other tables due to rounding up of low count values
In 2004/05 the majority of learners on both FE courses were enrolled as part time learners,
followed by full time learners. This is similar to the situation in Northern Ireland, but the
reverse of the situation in England, where the majority of automotive-related courses at all
levels, although not in every subject, are studied full time.
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August 2006
Figure 13. EnrolmentsError! Bookmark not defined. on automotive sector related FE
courses by subject area and level, 2004/05
Level of Study
Road Vehicle Engineering
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair
Higher Education
Grand Total
0
100
Further Education
743
3,508
Total
743
3,608
100
4,251
4,351
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database
None of the enrolments to the road vehicle engineering courses included HE qualifications
and only 100 out of 3608 enrolments on the Vehicle Maintenance/Repair course were for HE
qualifications.
Figure 14. Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and
qualification, 2004/05
HNC or
Equivalent
SVQ or NVQ:
Level4
Advanced
Certificate
SVQ or NVQ
Level 3
SVQ of NVQ
Level 2
SVQ or NVQ
Level 1
Other
Qualification
No recognised
qualification
Grand Total
HND or
Equivalent
Qualification aim of study
Road Vehicle Engineering
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair
0
21
0
29
0
0
0
54
124
533
42
164
80
109
379
2,253
118
449
Total
743
3,612
21
29
0
54
657
206
189
2,632
567
4,355
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database
The majority of the learners who had enrolled on the Road Vehicle Engineering courses were
studying for qualifications other than the ones mentioned in the table above. Out of the 743
learners, 80 enrolled at SVQ or NVQ Level 1, 42 enrolled on at SVQ or NVQ Level 2 and 124
enrolled at SVQ or NVQ Level 3. None were enrolled on a HND, HNC, SVQ or NVQ Level 4
or Advanced Certificate.
Two thirds of the learners enrolled on the Vehicle Maintenance/Repair courses were studying
for qualifications other than the ones mentioned in the table above. Out of the 3,612 learners,
109 enrolled at SVQ or NVQ Level 1, 164 enrolled at SVQ or NVQ Level 2 and 533 enrolled
at SVQ or NVQ Level 3. 21 were enrolled on a HND or equivalent, 29 on a HNC or equivalent
and 54 were enrolled on an Advanced Certificate. None of the 3,612 learners were enrolled
on an SVQ or NVQ Level 4.
Because of the different types of courses available, these statistics are not directly
comparable with those in other parts of the country.
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 45 of 175
August 2006
Figure 15. Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and
qualification, 2004/05
Awarding body
Road Vehicle Engineering
Vehicle Maintenance/RepairError! Bookmark not defined.
SQA
317
City & Guilds
209
HEI
0
College
115
Other
64
No Awarding Body
38
1,262
909
0
717
605
115
3,608
Grand Total
1,579
1,118
0
832
669
153
4,351
Source: Scottish Funding Council Infact Database
SQA was the awarding body for the qualifications that the majority of learners enrolled on an
FE Road Vehicle Engineering course were studying towards. This was followed by the City
and Guilds qualifications. This pattern was repeated for those learners who had enrolled on
an FE Vehicle Maintenance/Repair course.
Figure 16. Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and
location, 2004/05, Southern and Central Scotland
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database
A fifth of learners (20.4%) enrolled on FE Road Vehicle Engineering courses were from North
Lanarkshire, followed by 10.3% who were from the Scottish Borders and 10.1% who were
from Glasgow City. None of the learners enrolled on FE Road Vehicle Engineering courses
were from Aberdeen City, East Lothian, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray or outside Scotland.
The areas providing the highest proportion of the learners enrolled on FE Vehicle
Maintenance/Repair courses were North Lanarkshire (12.5%), followed by Glasgow City
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 46 of 175
August 2006
Total
743
(7.8%), Edinburgh City and Aberdeenshire (both 7.7%). None of the learners enrolled on FE
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair courses were from Wales, Northern Ireland or the EU.
Figure 17. Enrolments on automotive sector related FE courses by subject area and
location, 2004/05, Northern Scotland and the Highlands and Islands
Source: Scottish Funding Council, Infact Database
6.4
Work Based Learning
6.4.1
Scottish Enterprise
Figure 18. Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by year
Framework
Motor Vehicles
2001/02
1,274
Vehicle Parts Operations
Grand Total
2002/03
1,166
2003/04
1,243
2004/05
1,301
0
11
53
116
1,274
1,177
1,296
1,417
Source: Scottish Enterprise
The number of enrolments on Motor Vehicles apprenticeships far outnumbered the Vehicle
Parts Operations apprenticeship. However, it should be noted that there was a steady
increase of enrolments to the Vehicle Parts Operations apprenticeship between 2002/03 and
2004/05. There was a decline in enrolments to the Motor Vehicles apprenticeship in 2002/03,
from 1,274 in 2001/02 to 1,166 in 2002/03. However, between 2002/03 to 2004/05 there has
been an increase in enrolments each year.
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 47 of 175
August 2006
Figure 19. Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern ApprenticeshipsError!
Bookmark not defined. by LEC, 2004/05
Framework
Local Enterprise Company
Ayrshire
Borders
Dunbartonshire
Dumfries & Galloway
Edinburgh
Fife
Forth Valley
Glasgow
Grampian
Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
Tayside
Grand Total
Motor Vehicles
106
28
43
30
152
70
128
140
137
266
81
120
Vehicle Parts Operations
1,301
4
0
2
2
37
5
7
7
15
19
8
10
Grand Total
110
28
45
32
189
75
135
147
152
285
89
130
116
1,417
Source: Scottish Enterprise
The Local Enterprise Company (LEC) with the highest number of enrolments on the Motor
Vehicles apprenticeship in 2004/05 was Lanarkshire with 266, followed by Edinburgh and
Glasgow with 152 and 140 enrolments respectively. Edinburgh was the LEC with the highest
number of enrolments (37) to the Vehicle Parts Operations apprenticeship followed by
Lanarkshire and Grampian with 19 and 15 enrolments respectively. These figures may,
however, be skewed by Lead LEC arrangements with larger providers.
Figure 20. Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by
gender, 2004/05
Framework
Motor Vehicles
Vehicle Parts Operations
Female
Grand Total
8
6
Male
1,293
110
Grand Total
1,301
116
14
1,403
1,417
Source: Scottish Enterprise
On both the Motor Vehicles apprenticeship and the Vehicle Parts Operations apprenticeship,
male students outnumbered female students with only 14 female students enrolling on both
courses in 2004/05 compared to 1,403 male students.
Figure 21. Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by age
group, 2004/05
Age Group
Framework
Motor Vehicles
Vehicle Parts Operations
Grand Total
16-18
979
65
19-24
177
21
25+
145
30
Total
1,301
116
1,044
198
175
1,417
Source: Scottish Enterprise
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 48 of 175
August 2006
The vast majority of apprentices on automotive sector related courses were aged 16 to 18.
Relatively few were aged 19 to 24, and even fewer aged over 25. This pattern was repeated
on both courses. It may be that this distribution is driven by available funding, given the much
higher level of funding availability for training those aged between 16-18, less for 19-24 and
limited funds for those aged 25 and over.
Figure 22. Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern ApprenticeshipsError!
Bookmark not defined. by ethnicity, 2004/05
Framework
Motor Vehicles
Vehicle Parts Operations
Grand Total
White
1,270
112
Ethnicity
Non-White
1,382
3
0
NA/NR
28
4
Grand Total
1,301
116
3
32
1,417
Source: Scottish Enterprise
Students’ ethnicity on the Motor Vehicles apprenticeship was predominantly White, with only
three out of 1,301 students being Non-White. On the Vehicle Parts Operations
apprenticeship, all students who stated their ethnicity were White. As such, of 1,417 students
enrolled on both courses who stated their ethnicity, just three were from an ethnic minority.
Figure 23. Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by year
Skillseekers – Automotive sector related courses
2001/02
1112
2002/03
839
2003/04
561
2004/05
429
Source: Scottish Enterprise
According to Scottish Enterprise, enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers
courses fell steadily from 1,112 enrolments in 2001/02 to 429 enrolments in 2004/05.
Figure 24. Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by gender,
2004/05
Gender
Subject Area
Female
0
0
Male
4
15
Total
4
15
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
16
3
26
146
17
1
8
16
3
26
146
17
1
8
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Light Vehicle)
Vehicle Mechanics and Electrical Systems Repair
0
0
0
14
85
1
14
85
1
Vehicle Parts Distribution & Supply
Vehicle Parts Operations
0
1
1
23
1
24
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (HV)
0
7
7
Maintaining Automotive Vehicles
Vehicle Body and Paint Operations (Body Repair)
Vehicle Body and Paint Operations (Refinishing)
Vehicle Body Repair
Vehicle Fitting
Vehicle Fitting (Fast Fit)
Vehicle Fitting (Tyres)
Vehicle Maintenance - Service Replacement
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair
Vehicle Maintenance and RepairError! Bookmark not defined. (Heavy Vehicle)
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 49 of 175
August 2006
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (LV)
0
52
52
Vehicle Mechanical and Elect Systems (HV)
Vehicle Mechanical and Elect Systems (LV)
0
0
3
6
3
6
Grand Total
1
428
429
Source: Scottish Enterprise
The total number of male enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses in
Scotland was significantly higher than that for females (428 males compared to one female).
Just over a third of male learners studied vehicle fitting; this was followed by Vehicle
Maintenance and Repair (Light Vehicle).
Figure 25. Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by ethnicity,
2004/05
Ethnicity
Subject Area
Maintaining Automotive Vehicles
Vehicle Body and Paint Operations (Body Repair)
White
4
15
NA/NR
0
0
Grand Total
Vehicle Body and Paint Operations (Refinishing)
Vehicle Body Repair
Vehicle Fitting
Vehicle Fitting (Fast Fit)
Vehicle Fitting (Tyres)
Vehicle Maintenance - Service Replacement
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Heavy Vehicle)
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Light Vehicle)
Vehicle Mechanics and Electrical Systems Repair
Vehicle Parts Distribution & Supply
Vehicle Parts Operations
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (HV)
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (LV)
Vehicle Mechanical and Elect Systems (HV)
Vehicle Mechanical and Elect Systems (LV)
16
3
24
146
17
1
8
13
85
1
1
24
6
52
3
6
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
16
3
26
146
17
1
8
14
85
1
1
24
7
52
3
6
Grand Total
425
4
429
4
15
Source: Scottish Enterprise
All students enrolled on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses who stated their
ethnicity were White. For four of the 429 students enrolled in 2004/05, ethnicity was not
known.
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 50 of 175
August 2006
Figure 26. Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by age
group, 2004/05
Age Group
Subject Area
16-18
19+
Total
Maintaining Automotive Vehicles
Vehicle Body and Paint Operations (Body Repair)
Vehicle Body and Paint Operations (Refinishing)
Vehicle Body Repair
Vehicle Fitting
Vehicle Fitting (Fast Fit)
Vehicle Fitting (Tyres)
Vehicle Maintenance - Service Replacement
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Heavy Vehicle)
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Light Vehicle)
Vehicle Mechanics and Electrical Systems Repair
Vehicle Parts Distribution & Supply
Vehicle Parts Operations
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (HV)
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (LV)
Vehicle Mechanical and Elect Systems (HV)
Vehicle Mechanical and Elect Systems (LV)
3
15
12
3
2
118
15
1
8
13
81
0
1
22
6
47
3
6
1
0
4
0
24
28
2
0
0
1
4
1
0
2
0
0
1
5
4
15
16
3
26
146
17
1
8
14
85
1
1
24
6
47
4
11
Grand Total
356
73
429
Source: Scottish Enterprise
The vast majority of students enrolled on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses were
aged 16 to 18. Within both age groups (16 to 18 and 19+) the majority of students had
enrolled on the Vehicle Fitting (Fast Fit) course. For 16 to 18 year olds this was followed by
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Light Vehicle), whereas for those who were 19+, the
Vehicle Fitting (Fast Fit) course was followed by Vehicle Fitting as the course with the second
highest number of enrolments.
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 51 of 175
August 2006
Figure 27. Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by LEC,
2004/05
Local Enterprise Company
Ayrshire
Borders
Dunbartonshire
Dumfries & Galloway
Edinburgh
Fife
Forth Valley
Glasgow
Grampian
Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
Tayside
Total
69
3
30
8
45
27
57
57
36
72
13
12
Grand Total
429
Source: Scottish Enterprise
According to Scottish Enterprise, the LEC with the highest number of enrolments in 2004/05
was Lanarkshire followed by Ayrshire with 72 and 69 enrolments respectively. Forth Valley
and Glasgow both had 57 enrolments each. The LEC with the least number of enrolments
was Borders with only 3 students enrolling in 2004/05.
6.4.2
Highlands & Islands Enterprise
Figure 28. Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by year
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair
Vehicle Body/Paint Operations
Vehicle Sales
Vehicle Parts Operations
68
10
0
1
65
6
0
5
69
8
0
0
Grand Total
79
76
77
Source: Highlands & Islands Enterprise
Overall, enrolments fluctuated slightly between 2002/03 and 2004/05. This pattern was
repeated for the Vehicle Body/Paint Operations apprenticeship and for the Vehicle
Maintenance/Repair apprenticeship. The Vehicle Parts Operations apprenticeship saw a
slight increase in enrolments between 2002/03 and 2003/04, but fell to no enrolments at all for
the academic year 2004/05. The Vehicle Sales apprenticeship had not received any
enrolments between 2002/03 and 2004/05.
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 52 of 175
August 2006
Figure 29. Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by area
and year
Area
Argyll & the Islands Enterprise
Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise
Lochaber Enterprise
Moray Enterprise
Orkney Enterprise
Ross & Cromarty Enterprise
Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise
Shetland Enterprise
Western Isles Enterprise
2002/03
21
3
8
6
16
1
9
7
6
2
2003/04
17
5
13
7
12
4
8
2
4
4
2004/05
16
2
9
2
18
3
8
6
9
4
79
76
77
Grand Total
Source: Highlands & Islands Enterprise
According to Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the overall number of enrolments on
apprenticeships fluctuated slightly from 2002/03 to 2004/05. Argyll and the Islands was the
area with the highest number of enrolments in 2002/03 and 2003/04; they did however
experience a steady decline in enrolments from 2002/03 to 2004/05. Moray experienced a
decline in enrolment from 2002/03 to 2003/04, but enrolments increased in 2004/05 to exceed
the numbers for 2002/03. Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise, Lochaber
Enterprise, Orkney Enterprise and Shetland Enterprise all experienced an increase in
enrolments from 2002/03 to 2003/04, with enrolments falling in 2004/05.
Figure 30. Enrolments on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships by
learner demographics, 2004/05
Gender
Age
Area
Argyll & the Islands Enterprise
Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch &
Strathspey Enterprise
Lochaber Enterprise
Female
0
0
Male
16
2
16-18
16
2
0
9
8
19+
0
0
1
Ethnicity
Other
Ethnic
White
Group
16
0
2
0
9
0
0
2
1
1
2
0
Moray Enterprise
Orkney Enterprise
Ross & Cromarty Enterprise
Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise
Shetland Enterprise
Western Isles Enterprise
0
0
0
0
0
0
18
3
8
6
9
4
12
3
7
6
8
4
6
0
1
0
1
0
17
3
7
6
9
4
1
0
1
0
0
0
Grand Total
0
77
67
10
75
2
Source: Highlands & Islands Enterprise
The majority of male learners enrolled on automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships
were found in Moray, followed by Argyll and the Islands (18 and 16 learners respectively).
Lochaber and Caithness & Sutherland had the least number of male learners enrolled of all
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 53 of 175
August 2006
the areas in 2004/05, with only two learners in each area. There were no female learners
enrolled on any automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeships in any of the areas in
2004/05.
Argyll and the Islands was the area with the highest number of 16 to 18 year olds enrolling on
an automotive sector related Modern Apprenticeship course, followed by Moray. Lochaber
and Caithness & Sutherland had the least number of enrolments from 16 to 18 year olds of all
areas, with only one and two learners respectively. Moray was the area with the highest
number of 19+ year olds enrolling. Western Isles, Skye & Lochalsh, Orkney, Caithness &
Sutherland and Argyll & the Islands did not have any enrolments by the 19+ age group in
2004/05.
The vast majority of learners across all areas were White, with only one learner respectively
from any ethnic group other than White in Moray and Ross & Cromarty.
Figure 31. Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by year
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
Vehicle Maintenance/Repair
Vehicle Body/Paint Operations
Vehicle Sales
Vehicle Parts Operations
25
2
0
1
22
2
0
0
15
2
0
0
Grand Total
28
24
17
Source: Highlands & Islands Enterprise
The Skillseekers course with the highest number of learners for the years 2002/03 to 2004/05
was Vehicle Maintenance/Repair. It is however a course which has experienced a steady
decline in enrolments, with 25 enrolments in 2002/03 falling to 22 in 2003/04 and 15 in
2004/05.
Figure 32. Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by area and
year
Area
Argyll & the Islands Enterprise
Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise
Lochaber Enterprise
Moray Enterprise
Orkney Enterprise
Ross & Cromarty Enterprise
Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise
Shetland Enterprise
Western Isles Enterprise
Grand Total
2002/03
0
3
8
2
11
0
2
0
2
0
2003/04
0
2
3
1
8
0
6
1
2
1
2004/05
0
0
1
0
5
0
1
1
5
4
28
24
17
Source: Highlands & Islands Enterprise
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 54 of 175
August 2006
Moray was the area with the highest number of enrolments in both 2002/03 and 2003/04,
though it should be noted that there was a steady decline in learner enrolment from 2002/03
to 2004/05. The pattern of decline in enrolments was apparent in several other areas, such as
Caithness & Sutherland, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey and Lochaber. The areas
which saw a slight increase in enrolments were Western Isles and Skye & Lochalsh.
Figure 33. Enrolments on automotive sector related Skillseekers courses by learner
demographics, 2004/05
Gender
Area
Female
Argyll & the Islands Enterprise
Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch &
Strathspey Enterprise
Lochaber Enterprise
Moray Enterprise
Orkney Enterprise
Ross & Cromarty Enterprise
Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise
Shetland Enterprise
Western Isles Enterprise
Grand Total
Age
0
0
Male
0
0
0
16-18
19+
Ethnicity
Other
Ethnic
White
Group
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
1
1
5
4
0
4
0
0
0
4
4
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
5
0
1
1
5
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
17
13
4
17
0
Source: Highlands & Islands Enterprise
The majority of male learners on an automotive sector related Skillseekers course were found
in Moray and Shetland with five learners in each area. This was followed by Western Isles
with four male learners. These three areas were also the areas with the highest number of 1618 year old learners. It should be noted that there were no female learners or other ethnic
group learners on any of the automotive sector related Skillseekers courses.
6.5
Higher Education
As can been seen in Figure 34, Automotive Engineering related Higher Education (HE)
learning in the UK was geographically concentrated. As is clear from the table below,
Scotland was not among the geographical areas with a high level of participation, containing
only 0.7% of the total students on Automotive Engineering courses, despite containing 8.5%
of the UK’s population, according to the latest (mid-2004) population estimate. 52
52
National Statistics Population Estimates 2004, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=6
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 55 of 175
August 2006
Figure 34. Automotive Engineering HE students by nation/region
Nation/region of institution
116
4.6
%
18
0.7
%
Total
30
1.2
%
Northern
Ireland
Scotland
209 320
8.3 12.7
%
%
Wales
455
18.1
%
South West
601
23.9
%
South East
328
13.0
%
London
167 271
6.6 10.8
%
%
East
0
0.0
%
West Midlands
Automotive
engineering
East Midlands
YorkshireError!
Bookmark not
defined. & The
H b
North West
North EastError!
Bookmark not
defined
Subject of study
0 2515
0.0 100
%
%
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited, 2002/03
All HE courses being undertaken in Scotland in 2002/03 were at first degree level, as were
the majority of courses in the UK as a whole. It should be noted that this may have changed
since 2002/03. 53 Masters courses in Automotive Engineering were available in some areas of
England, while HND/HNC qualifications dominated in Wales and the Southwest.
Figure 35. Number of Automotive Engineering HE students by qualification aim and
nation/region
Nation/region of institution
1
0
10
0
0
0
0
1
82 121 170 177 0
12
0
8
5
0
0
0
4
157 172 182 292 278 177 219
0
0
0
10
0
0
0
Grand Total
0
Total
IrelandError!
Bookmark not
ScotlandError!
Bookmark not
defined
WalesError!
Bookmark not
defined
WestError!
Bookmark not
South EastError!
Bookmark not
defined
London
0
0
0
0
0
East
North West
MidlandsError!
Bookmark not
MidlandsError!
Bookmark not
Yorkshire & The
Humber
North East
Doctorate degree
Masters degree
Postgraduate diploma
First degree
Foundation degree
Diploma or Certificate in Higher
Education
HND/HNC
Other formal HE
undergraduate qualification
No formal qualification
Qualification aim
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
18
0
0
0
0
0
0
11
563
17
1,495
10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
9
10
9
0
32
85
30
116
0
0
293
0
6
0
0
120
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
126
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
167 271 328 601 455 209 320
0
0
0
0
0
30
116
18
0
2,515
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited, 2002/03
53
Recent evidence, although incomplete, suggests that HNC/HND courses in subjects relevant to the Automotive
sector are available in three or more locations in Scotland, including the University of the Highlands and Islands in
Inverness.
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 56 of 175
August 2006
Figure 36. Number of Automotive Engineering HE students by qualification aim and
nation/region
100%
No formal qualification
90%
% of training
80%
70%
Other formal HE undergraduate
qualification
60%
HND/HNC
50%
30%
Diploma or Certificate in Higher
Education
20%
Foundation degree
40%
10%
First degree
sh
i
No
rt
No h E
re
r th a s t
&
T h We
e
s
Ea Hu t
st m
W Mi be r
e s dla
t M nd
id s
lan
ds
Ea
Lo s t
So n d o
ut n
So h E
u t as
t
h
W
es
W t
a
No S les
r t h c ot
er la n
n
Ir e d
lan
d
0%
Postgraduate diploma
Masters degree
Yo
rk
Doctorate degree
Region
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited, 2002/03
Assessment of Current Provision
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7
Private Sector Training Provision
7.1
Key Messages and Issues
•
In Scotland, the retail automotive sector provided training to 59% of employees in the
12 months to 2004, compared to 54% in the sector in England and 64% in the
Scottish economy as a whole.
•
Most employers felt there should be a mixture of employer and public funding for
training, although opinion varied as to where the division should be.
•
Providers highlighted a major gap in vocational training funding for over 19s, both for
skills development within a career, and for those seeking to re-train in mid-career. In
Scotland, improving this situation is a priority in policy documents.
•
Costs of training go beyond the financial cost of the training course. For smaller
employers, loss of productivity and/or the cost of finding temporary cover for an
employee undergoing training may be more significant. For rural areas, the cost of
travel and accommodation may also be a major issue.
•
A need for closer partnership between training providers and employers was
identified.
•
On one hand, training was recognised to improve employee loyalty and retention;
however, on the other it was thought to make a business more vulnerable to
‘poaching’ by other employers.
•
Many larger and ‘exemplar’ employers saw management training as a priority;
however, survey data indicates that most small companies in the sector tend to
concentrate on technical skills.
•
Basic literacy and numeracy were seen as an increasing problem among young
people, by both employers and training providers.
•
Employers used a wide variety of methods to determine which skills were critical to
the business.
•
The most popular method of identifying training needs was to monitor the
performance of individual employees.
•
90% of Scottish employers were able to describe their strategy for identifying training
needs, indicating a widespread awareness of the potential need for training.
•
The structure of provision and funding of courses was felt to be confusing for
employers. In Scotland, this was a particular problem due to variations in funding
priorities between individual Local Enterprise Companies, although this is currently
being addressed in policy.
•
Formal planning and budgeting of training was most likely in medium-sized
companies. Larger companies sometimes found company-wide schemes difficult to
administer. In some cases high turnover of staff was felt to be a difficulty.
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•
Training providers used a wide variety of data sources to assess and plan for demand
for training. In general they felt that demand from the sector was increasing.
Employers were believed to demand training mostly at Level 3.
•
Apprenticeships were broadly thought to have been a success in attracting
employers, but more flexibility was felt to be needed, particularly in terms of targeting
younger and older age groups.
•
Training providers felt that the range of courses in technical skills was already
adequate, so additional provision would be best focused in other areas. However, it
was also recognised that technical courses needed to be kept up to date with modern
technology.
•
Training providers believed that retail automotive sector training had a negative image
among many parents and school teachers, and as a result tended to be seen as a low
status option.
•
The level of cooperation between training providers was felt to have been reduced by
the introduction of competition between colleges into the FE sector.
•
Engagement with employers was made difficult by a lack of interest among many
employers, and by intense competition and fear of ‘poaching’ of staff meaning that
sometimes employers were reluctant to use the same training provider as any rival
firm.
•
Employer input into course design was felt to be significant for larger employers,
although limited by the rigidity of some of the qualifications involved.
•
Almost 85% of employers in Scotland offering training in workshop occupations
carried that training out internally. Generic training such as Health and Safety or
finance was more likely to be provided externally.
7.2
Methodology
In addition to the training supplied by the public sector through further and higher education
institutions, schools and work-based learning providers, training is also delivered by
employers in the workplace. Therefore as part of the assessment of current provision, it is
important that this activity is also captured. To achieve this, data has been taken from a range
of secondary sources such as SSDA Matrix and Futureskills Scotland.
This data has been supplemented by a series of in-depth interviews with providers of training
from across the United Kingdom as well as interviews with employers who were known to be
advocates of training, either through in-house training schemes or through links with public or
private sector providers. In addition, a large scale quantitative survey of employers in the
sector was also conducted to provide additional evidence of the level of training and
perceptions of the quality of training available to the sector.
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7.3
Incidence of Training
Using data from employer and labour force surveys in Scotland, it is possible to build a picture
of the level of training carried out within the workplace. This data can be used as an indication
of whether employers in the automotive sector have a higher or lower propensity to train than
employers in the economy as a whole.
In Scotland, the differential between the proportion of establishments funding or arranging
training in the automotive sector compared to the whole economy was not as large as in
England, where it ran at nearly 10%. In total, 59% of automotive establishments had funded
or arranged training in the preceding 12 months, compared to 64% for the economy as a
whole.
Figure 37. Level of training provided by employers in Scotland, 2004
Incidence of training
Proportion of establishments funded or arranged any
training in the preceding 12 months
Proportion of establishments funded or arranged any onthe-job training in the preceding 12 months
Proportion of establishments funded or arranged any offthe-job training in the preceding 12 months
Proportion of establishments funded or arranged any onthe-job training ONLY in the preceding 12 months
Proportion of establishments funded or arranged any offthe-job training ONLY in the preceding 12 months
Proportion of establishments funded or arranged both onthe-job and off-the-job training in the preceding 12 months
Automotive Skills
Whole Economy
59%
64%
42%
52%
50%
46%
9%
17%
17%
12%
33%
35%
Source: Futureskills Scotland, Employer Skills Survey
Note: The Automotive Skills Industrial definition is SIC 50.1 to 50.5 and 71.1.
7.4
Funding the Provision of Training
According to the interviews conducted as part of the primary research for Stage 2, the
majority of employers had paid for training themselves. The amount and type of funding or
payment required for training was dependant on the type of course being undertaken. Partial
funding for apprenticeships was the type most commonly received by employers, although
they had to pay the apprentices’ wages whilst being trained. In Scotland, the extent of funding
for apprenticeships is dependent on the policy of SEn and HIE and individual Local Enterprise
Companies (LECs).
“If we need training we pay for it ourselves. Apprenticeships obviously carry a degree of
funding and we currently have around 22 apprentices.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
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There was no common consensus between employers when considering who should pay for
training. The answers were split three ways, with people generally thinking that either the
employer should be responsible for training costs, public agencies should contribute more, or
a combination of both. Those who thought employers should pay usually gave the reason
that they were ones who benefited from having a well trained employee. Again, it was
acknowledged that there was apprentice funding available, but that it was unfair that it only
applied to employees under 25 and therefore, in some cases, people over that age were not
able to access these courses.
“If it’s looked upon as part of their education in terms of getting a qualification then maybe
there should be funding similar to that available for universities courses or other qualifications.
Essentially it’s employers that are benefiting from the training in the long term and I don’t see
any difficulty with them paying for it.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“If there’s an area where I think it would be helpful it is if there was some funding for over 25s.
It seems to me from what knowledge I have that pretty much all of the funding available for
development is targeted at 16 to 25 year olds which is great and I understand why that would
be the case, but the bulk of our employees would be typically over 25 and fall out of the
funding criteria.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Using the quantitative survey, it is possible to quantify the overall prevalence of some of these
views within the retail automotive sector. Although the majority of employers in Scotland
thought that they should receive some support with training costs, only 14.3% were of the
opinion that they should pay 100% of training costs. There was a consensus that employers
should contribute to the cost of training by more than three quarters of respondents.
However, while there was clearly a belief that employers should be supported financially in
some form, they were reluctant to rely solely on state funding. Furthermore, there was clear
and strong opposition to payment by employees for their own training, with 71.4% in Scotland
opposed to any trainee contribution at all.
An overwhelming number of training providers in the UK as a whole were also of the opinion
that it should be the employer who should be paying to train their own staff, especially where
they benefit directly from training in terms of increased productivity and profit, however,
stakeholder experience suggests that lack of public funding is a more important issue for
Scottish training providers. .However, the providers did acknowledge that there was a gap in
the funding provided by the Government in terms of providing financial support for people
over the age of 19 who wished to move into the sector and required re-training.
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“Obviously the Government … is saying that they are sponsoring the full time students, but
what about those over 19?. Funding doesn’t cater for someone in their 30’s who wants a
career change in the middle of their lives. I think for people who are employed obviously
you’ve got to expect a contribution from the employer and or the employee. What percentage
of that should be full cost to them, that’s difficult to say.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“The up skilling should be from industry, public money should not pay for companies to make
more money. We have said in the past, that if you are paying for something you tend to stick
with it, if you get it free you tend to waver.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
7.4.1
Indirect and direct costs of training
Apart from the actual monetary costs of sending an employee away to be trained (travel,
overnight stay, course costs etc.), the main indirect cost of training cited by respondents was
the loss of productivity. In particular, employers recognised how training impinged not only
the rest of the workforce in terms of employees having to provide cover, but in terms of the
lack of productivity which also cost the companies’ money, especially if they were paying for
training as well as paying wages.
“The actual cost of the course is only one thing and then you are taking the person away from
the business for a substantial period of time. This puts a burden on others, maybe working
longer hours.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Costs include travel – getting everyone together. We were looking at running training for
employees from all of our distribution centres but it was expensive. The cost of a 3 year
programme was £40-60K.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
In the quantitative survey, employers emphasised the indirect costs of training over the direct.
The majority of responses from employers who had not provided training for staff (for reasons
other than satisfaction with their existing skills base, cited by 76.0% of those in the UK as a
whole who had not provided training), indicated that time pressure on employees requiring
training (6.6%), or on employees who could provide internal training (3.9%), were more
significant factors than the direct financial cost, such as fees and expenses (3.4%).
The Scottish Executive has identified these indirect costs as a substantial problem particularly
for small businesses (hence especially relevant to the automotive sector). This is a
particularly significant problem for rural businesses, since they face higher transport costs due
to their distance from provision. For island areas, ferry or plane transport is even more
expensive, as reflected in the very low participation rates in training for Orkney and
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August 2006
Shetland. 54 As a result they have recently carried out a pilot project of a new scheme,
‘Business Learning Accounts’, designed to aid small businesses in overcoming these
difficulties 55 .
7.4.2
Increased costs of training
The majority of employers thought the cost of training to their organisation was increasing,
mainly because of demand and the pace the industry was moving at.
However, some
employers felt the cost had remained constant over recent years and because of this, they felt
they were getting good value for money. No employers believed the cost of training had
decreased.
“The cost of training is increasing. It is the pace the industry is moving at. Body construction
on vehicles is moving at a real pace and we have to keep abreast of the techniques.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Looking overall the cost of training is staying the same, I feel it is good value for money.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
In general employers felt they were not able to meet all of their training needs. The main
reason given for this was lack of funding, although employers with flexible or sufficient
budgets often felt that not being able to find suitable provision was more of an issue. In
Scotland, Futureskills Scotland reports that the lack of local availability of appropriate courses
was more often cited by employers than cost as the main factor behind non-provision of
training 56 . This may reflect the larger proportion of remote areas located within Scotland.
There was also an opinion among some in-depth survey respondents that a larger budget for
training would not have a significant impact on the amount of training provided, as there was
the issue of not being able to release a large number of employees for training at the same
time due to the loss in productivity.
“We only have so much money so you have to prioritise what is needed immediately and what
we are prepared to invest in.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
54
Scottish Funding Council: Infact Database (2004/05 data)
55
Scottish Executive (2004): Life Through Learning Through Life, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/lifelong/ltlt-
00.asp
56
Futureskills Scotland (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004),
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“There is always something else you can do, but if someone gave me twice as much money
to spend I probably wouldn’t spend it because the other side of the equation operationally is
how many people can I afford to take away from a centre on a daily basis before it affects the
organisation.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
The issue about whether employers are able to, or should fund employee training, was put
into context in the focus groups with employers who stated that the increasing financial
constraints of operating businesses in the motor trade meant that there was a limit to what
training could be supported. Profit margins were reported as being significantly lower than in
the past for a number of reasons, including the increased service intervals for customers who
had bought new cars, resulting in less work for garages. In addition, it was felt that as
technology had moved on so quickly, the cost of updating equipment was also a constraint on
the business and this had to be the priority over and above training. 57
7.4.3
Availability of external funding
The vast majority of training providers felt that the current level of external funding was not
sufficient to meet the needs of the sector for a number of reasons, including not being able to
keep up with the pace of technology and the skills gaps of newly qualified people who often
required significant induction. It was also commented that there was a severe lack of funding
for over 19’s and this was in need of being addressed; the low levels of funding for Modern
Apprenticeships in Scotland was also considered to be a serious limiting factor on the service
that they could provide to employers.
For Scotland, external funding availability is distributed by a number of different methods. HE
and FE based courses are likely to be subsidised via the SFC (Scottish Funding Council) 58 .
Skillseekers and Modern Apprenticeships are part-funded via Scottish Enterprise (SEn) 59 .
Other types of training for employers, unlike in England where any type of vocational training
may be subsidised on a systematic basis via the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) 60 , are
generally only funded via local initiatives on the behalf of Local Enterprise Companies (LECs).
In summary, for certain groups, especially the under 25s and those seeking skills identified as
economically valuable, part-funding is available, but for the over 25s seeking sector-specific
technical training or training in another non-priority area, employers will usually have to meet
all the costs, except in the Highlands in Islands, where HIE may offer funding.
57
CI Research SSA Pre-Work Regional Focus Groups May-June 2005
58
SFC Website: About Us, http://www.sfc.ac.uk/about/about_us.htm
59
Scottish Enterprise: Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland - an overview of policy and practicef
60
LSC Website: About the LSC (06/07/2006): http://www.lsc.gov.uk
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The complexity of this system was highlighted by employers’ representatives in a Scottish
Executive consultation, who stated that there was a high level of confusion among employers
as to what would be funded and by whom. They also severely criticised the disparity in
funding for older learners with England, and the fact that funding levels varied across
Scotland, because decisions on many types of funding were made by local LECs, not on a
national basis as in England, although stakeholders believe that this is now improving. They
were also concerned that in response to these problems, large numbers of overlapping
initiatives were being launched, causing confusion among employers but not necessarily
tackling the problem. 61
“What they never seem to take into account is that most people that come in, for example to
do service and repair on cars, they are expecting us to work with cars little over 3 years old,
but who’s paying for all of that? There is no funding for that.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“No, I don’t think there is sufficient funding and I think it’s for these modern technologies,
electronic based etc, where there is a lack of training.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
The general consensus amongst UK training providers was that the characteristics of external
funding made the provision of certain types of automotive training commercially unviable.
This was mainly due to the fact there was a lack of flexibility with the external funding which
consequently made it difficult to invest the finance in areas that would benefit.
“I think it’s more difficult to deliver day release programmes. I think if you are a small provider
it’s very difficult to make it viable. If you are a larger provider like us, I wouldn’t say it’s easy,
but you have the economies of scale, but you need to be delivering achievement rates
significantly above the national average in order to make it viable.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“The amount of investment required, particularly on body and paint work, is very high. We
have a £4.5 million facility here and we are still missing some things.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“Well, I think once you get into the team leading and supervisory level 4 qualifications then I
would say most of these courses are not viable.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
61
MITC submission to Scottish Executive Lifelong Learning consultation
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August 2006
“Sometimes there’s too many links in the chain. Funding isn’t direct, for example as a college
I might be commissioned to do a technical certificate for a group of young people. The
delivery of that technical certificate in terms of the workshop practice that they do, the
resources that they use, the administration from beginning to end, that is all entirely within the
college, but I know that colleges only get 90% of the available funding. The training provider
keeps back 10% and in some cases I’ve heard of 20%, but on what basis?”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
Amongst the UK training providers there was a prediction that in five years time many publicly
funded centres of excellence would have to close down as the funding was further reduced.
There was felt to be some evidence to suggest that this was already beginning to occur. This
was thought to be a negative move amongst training providers as there was the perception
that they would potentially lose the network of good practice, sharing ideas and the ability to
pool resources.
7.4.4
62
Drivers of external automotive funding
Training providers felt that the Government was a strong driver for external funding of
automotive training with their policies, targets and budgets being a large influence. The
Scottish Executive set the priorities in these areas in Scotland, most recently with their ‘Life
through Learning through Life’ policy, which encourages both increased funding for key types
of workforce training and increased promotion of training to employers and employees to
create a ‘culture of learning’ 63 . In addition to Government policy, skills shortages were also
commonly thought to be a strong driver as there was a genuine need to raise skills throughout
the United Kingdom, including Scotland.
“Skills shortages drive funding - if there were no skills shortages there would be no
Government funding.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“It is a case of raising skills – there is a genuine need to raise skill levels regardless of the
sector. Many young people change careers having been trained up and this does not help the
situation - apprenticeships will help to bridge that gap.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“Government budgets and availability of funding; the whole thing is about money and politics.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
62
Automotive Skills CoVE Meeting Quality Improvement Group November 2005
63
Scottish ExecutiveError! Bookmark not defined. (2004): Life Through Learning Through Life,
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/lifelong/ltlt-00.asp
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August 2006
7.4.5
Improving the model of public funding of provision
It was widely agreed that several changes needed to be made to the current model of public
funding in order to make improvements to automotive training. Training providers believed
the model needed to be made more flexible, for instance extending funding to include more
Level 1 courses and adult training instead of focusing primarily on 16 to 18 year old training.
In addition, it was thought that automotive training documentation needed to be simplified and
this could reduce administration, as providers reported that there were frequently several
audits being conducted simultaneously that were measuring the same things.
“I do think we need to think about the adults, there is too much emphasis put on 16 to 18, but
as regards to adults, there is a big up skilling need and I know it’s got to come from industry
but I still think we need adult apprentices.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“Well, I suppose there should be more flexibility built in and if someone wants to go on and
do their team training there should be provisions made for them if they have an aptitude for it.
As well as that we need to address the Level 1 training needs people, but that is something
that the Sector Skills Council and the funding bodies will have to look at it to make sure
there’s a wide enough range of courses to interest people, and that it is funded and the
timeframe for people to complete the qualification is appropriate.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
In addition to public funding of provision, it was also noted that training providers should be
proactive in sourcing additional funding directly from employers themselves, offering courses
which have demonstrable benefits which could persuade employers to pay a higher
proportion of the cost of provision.
7.5
Drivers of Training
7.5.1
Internal drivers of training
Views gathered from the employer interviews suggested that the internal drivers of training
concerned what was best for the customer and what was best for the business. In both cases,
providing what was best for the customer was seen as the crucial characteristic of a
successful company.
Improving customer service was the most common of internal drivers as if the customer went
away satisfied there was an increased chance of repeat business. Closely linked to customer
service were the company’s own standards; it was felt that training was necessary to attract
new recruits and to keep existing workers up to date in order to move the business forward.
The simple equation was, improve the skills of sales staff and the company will become more
profitable. This is more than just a perception; the CBI believes that “improvements in skills of
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
UK workers have accounted for 20% of the annual growth of the UK economy over the past
25 years.” 64
The quantitative survey also indicated that the main drivers behind training spend in Scotland
were the belief that it would improve performance and profitability (70%), followed by the new
skills required by new technology and products (50%). Improving customer service was also
an important driver in its own right, although clearly closely linked to other outcomes; 40% felt
that this was important in their decision to provide training. These figures were broadly in line
with the general UK trends, although a greater percentage of respondents in Scotland (70%
as compared to 42.9%) mentioned performance and profitability.
“Training is driven internally so that we can offer services to customers that help us stand out.
There is a strong emphasis on customer service. It is in our interest to ensure that customers
get the best out of our staff. Our staff need to know how to represent our brand to their
customers.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
There was a consensus that the industry had been slow to react to the needs of customers in
terms of communication and customer service levels. There was felt to be a need to invest
more heavily in improving customer service in order for the greatest returns on investment. 65
Staff retention was also seen as one of the drivers of training; if an employee was receiving
training then it would help improve job satisfaction as they could see a distinct career path
and progression. It was also felt that a happy and competent worker would prove to be more
productive, which would result in profits for the business. This is an important finding, since it
contradicts the point of view expressed in a number of Scottish Executive documents (e.g.
FEDS 66 ) that state it is perceived among employers that offering training leads to staff leaving
to join rival firms.
“If you train people then they are happy doing their job. They are going to earn the company
more money, so everybody prospers.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
7.5.2
External drivers of training
In terms of legislation being an external driver for training, it was felt that this mainly affected
the Health and Safety elements of training, although it was also acknowledged that it had
some influence on apprenticeship numbers, motor vehicle laws and environmental issues.
There was a view that legislation was a key driver of technology progression which in turn
64
CBI: Further Skills for Success (2006), http://www.cbi.org.uk/
65
Employer Focus Group November Edinburgh
66
Scottish Executive (2000): The Framework for Economic Development in ScotlandError! Bookmark not defined.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
affected training needs. However, in many instances it was felt that legislation had no
particular impact on training – it was evident that it was more of a driver of training in
manufacture, repair and technology than in sales, dealerships or suppliers. This may be
because of a lack of knowledge of consumer law and other legislation among smaller
businesses.
“Legislation drives what development we do with people managers within the business,
certainly in terms of health and safety and environmental issues.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Legislation drives product change. Product change requires new technology which needs
new training. An example of this would be the Euro 4 Emissions Standard.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
In terms of the external and internal drivers for training, it was acknowledged by the
employers that when training had been enforced by manufacturers and had not been seen to
be part of the overall programme of business, this resulted in the worst form of training which
had the least benefit to the business. On the other hand, where line managers had spent the
time identifying training needs and implemented learning outcomes on return to work, this
was identified as the most successful form of training. 67
7.5.3
Occupational drivers of training
Management occupations were seen as a high priority group for training by the employers
questioned in the in-depth survey, in line with the Scottish Executive’s view that management
training is a priority for skills in Scotland as a whole 68 . In some cases it was not regarded as
high a priority as technical staff, but employers widely recognised that management training
and leadership were crucial for a successful business. This was the case regardless of
business size as smaller businesses felt that management would be increasingly important as
the business grew and larger companies felt that good management training aided staff
retention. One particular company felt that this type of training had been “placed on the back
burner” over recent years, which suggested that when funding was short, this type of training
may be one that is forfeited.
“Often staff turnover occurs because of inadequate management of staff as mechanics are
typically fickle. I think it is important that managers know how to motivate and lead the team.
It’s quite a small environment and people spend quite a lot of time at work.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
67
Automotive Skills Focus Group November Edinburgh
68
Scottish Executive (2001): Smart Successful Scotland Strategy
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August 2006
Employers also identified a lack of management competence in every area of the business
and highlighted the adverse consequences of this lack of skills, including a lack of
understanding of recruitment processes and a lack of understanding about appraisal
processes, meaning staff were not properly rewarded or recognised for their work. 69
“Staff that are committed and are doing the job properly are not rewarded or recognised as
the appraisal system is not understood. This has a knock on affect on the individual and their
progression.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Like management training, training technical staff was a high priority among all employers.
They felt that this was due to the technical nature of the sector and affected not only new
staff, but, due to the fast moving pace of vehicle technology, affected experienced staff also.
As could be expected, repair, MOTError! Bookmark not defined., manufacture and part
suppliers felt that this was a higher priority than dealerships and sales franchises. Not only
was technical training a way of keeping up to date with new technology in manufacturing, it
was felt that it improved customer service in the repair and MOT business due to improved
speed, efficiency and quality of work.
“Vehicle technology is going at an alarming rate at the moment. It’s important to keep on top.
We send people on manufacturers training and they disseminate it through the group.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Technical training is a priority especially now with an increase in the complexity of vehicles
we’re looking at and dealing with everyday. So that’s very important.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
General skills training (which encompasses a range of competencies such as team working
and communication skills) was also something that was done regularly by the majority of
employers. It was not however, seen as a ‘priority’ over other types, such as technical
training, but was considered as very important nonetheless. Again, this was related to
customer service and communication. Leadership, team building and motivation were also
general types of training that were mentioned as important. These were not types of training
that were seen as more important by any particular type of business, for example customer
communication was seen as important in a workshop as much as a showroom, although they
were not really associated with management.
“General skills training is something that is ongoing all the time internally. In addition, some
customer training was bought in to focus people on the needs of the customer.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
69
Automotive Skills Regional Employer Events
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August 2006
“General skills training comes under other training schemes. For example, the tyre training
module is not just about how to fit/repair tyres, to diagnose faults with them. It goes a step
further in how to explain these problems to someone who doesn’t have technical
competency.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Basic skills were seen as a priority only amongst those employers who employed apprentices,
as basic literacy and numeracy was seen as an increasing problem among young people and
in lower level jobs.
“We don’t undertake basic skills training for the technicians as they are mature people, but we
do have a bespoke apprentice program, this includes key and basic skills.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Basic skills training is targeted at lower level occupations, really.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Employers were genuinely concerned that they had to train young employees in skills which
they felt should have been delivered by schools. It was also suggested that many of the job
applications from potential recruits had been written by parents reflecting the level of young
people with literacy problems. 70
7.5.4
Profitability as a driver of training
There were a number of methods used in determining which skills were most critical in
delivering profitability. It was felt that it was a difficult question to answer as, in sales in
particular, the whole process was equally important. Mystery shopping, site visits and
accounts checking were all part of the process of identifying skills gaps within the workforce,
as were customer satisfaction surveys and new staff basic skills inventories. The information
gathered from such studies was used in some cases to build a framework with which to base
the business around in the future. It was felt that to some degree, determining which types of
training were a priority was ignored; quick win training, such as sales techniques would
sometimes be undertaken and although it could provide a temporary fix, underlying skills
shortages in management might remain. Such training needs were perceived as harder to
quantify in terms of profitability and therefore may be left.
Differentiating between non-essential and essential competencies was not actively done by
the majority of employers; however, those that did mentioned specific techniques which could
70
CI Research SSA Pre Work Regional Focus Group May – June 2005
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be shared as best practice across the industry. Employers mentioned ‘core’ competencies to
enable staff to deliver the right kind of service. As staff became more experienced or rose
through the ranks, then the number of competencies would increase. One large business in
particular mentioned a ‘pyramid’ – as the employee climbed higher in the pyramid the level of
competencies would increase (for example, workshop/site manager would need financial
competency that wasn’t needed at supervisory level).
Overall, there was a perception that training did have benefits.
The quantitative survey
showed that four fifths (80.0%) of Scottish retail automotive sector companies felt that there
was a strong link between training and business performance, while none of the respondents
in Scotland felt there was no link at all.
7.6
Training Plans and Budgets
7.6.1
Formal Training Plans
Companies which did not have a formal training plan ranged in size, though within the indepth survey it was predominantly large companies who suggested that such a plan was
harder to accomplish in a large scale operation, while for small to medium sized enterprises it
was seen as more achievable. For large companies, or companies with multiple sites, it was
suggested that a company wide plan would not be feasible due to the fragmented way in
which some companies operated (head offices, franchise dealers, manufacturers etc), and
that it would be much more likely that the company would study the skills needs of each
individual area or site of the business. The quantitative survey, in contrast, found that the
likelihood of a company having a training plan or other such initiatives was considerably lower
if it was very small (less than 10 employees). This is a phenomenon recognised by the
Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, who have been
working to make assistance in planning training available to small companies, under a pilot
‘Business Learning Accounts’ scheme
71 72
. It was also felt that training needs could not be
predicted in companies where unanticipated new technology could suddenly become
available, and training would be required which would then not be in the plan. That said, a
number of employers mentioned that they would be developing training plans in the near
future.
The majority of companies did have a company training plan, although there was a degree of
variety in the way in which these were delivered. In some cases the plan mapped out the next
steps for employees and split them by occupation such as technical, sales, after sales,
management and leadership. In other cases, the plan involved systematically analysing
71
Scottish Executive (2005) ETLLD Business Plan, p.11, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/54357/
0013861.pdf
72
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (2005) HIE Operating Plan, Executive Summaryf
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different elements of the business, though it was felt that this way may lack detail and place
too much emphasis on technical training rather than managerial or administration.
“Each individual has their own development needs looked at. There is a review process with
in the company, so effectively each person has a training program from the first day at work.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“We do have a structure but it is not as detailed as I would like. It is based on the review of
skills analysis of various employees, but it is predominantly set by technical workshop floor
personnel rather than management or administration.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
7.6.2
Formal Training Budgets
Employers involved in the depth qualitative consultation tended to have a formal training
budget. Companies felt that it enabled them to ensure that the monetary outlay and return on
investment to the business was proportionate and that they were getting value for money. The
ability to plan for the future rather than just to react to immediate needs was also seen as an
important benefit to the long term stability of the company. It was also felt that a formal budget
clarified what could and could not be accomplished during that time period. In the past it was
felt that the plug was pulled on training for financial reasons where money was suddenly not
available; however, having a training budget helped companies make these decisions more
rationally.
The sector-wide quantitative survey which included many smaller employers revealed a
different picture, with only 14.6% of all respondents in Scotland having a specific training
budget. The explanation for the disparity is supported by the differing results for small,
medium and large companies. Only 2.9% of UK automotive companies with less than 10
employees were likely to have a training budget, but this figure rose considerably to 25.3% for
those with between 10 and 99 employees, and increased still further to 88.9% for companies
with 100 or more employees. A breakdown by size of company was not possible for Scotland
due to lack of data.
“I think the training should be proportional and beneficial to the business so we have to match
what we put in to what we get out. Obviously every pound spent must have an effect at the
other end for example, an increment in sales or growth in business.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“The fact I can plan for the future means it’s less reactive. I think what tends to happen
otherwise is you allocate resources to immediate needs rather than looking at what the future
needs of the business are.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
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In general there was at least an element of flexibility in the budgets. It was felt that such
flexibility was necessary in that it was only possible to plan ahead to a certain extent and that
unforeseen costs could crop up over the course of the year.
A number of companies did not have a formal training budget. In one case it was felt that
training was needs driven as there were so many different levels in the company and it was
too big to be able to plan funding for training company wide effectively.
7.6.3
Individual Training Plans
Companies involved in the qualitative consultation which did not have training plans for
individual employees felt that it would not be feasible for the majority of their staff, with the
exception of those in management occupations. One company, which identified that the
majority of their training was technical, introduced new training blocks to bring all staff up to
date together rather than on an individual basis. Another employer in the Fast-fit industry felt
that in their case, the idea of being so specific with employee training would be a poor use of
time and money as staff turnover was so high.
According to the quantitative survey 12.2% of employers in Scotland maintained training
plans for employees, not significantly different to the figure of 12.7% for the UK as a whole.
“Each employee would not have an individual training plan. One of the big problems we have
is that we’ll do skills analysis when the individual first comes to us and we’ll start working on
what’s been established that we need to provide training on, then the individual will leave so it
is not cost effective.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Most companies though, did have individual training plans which in the main were part of their
annual appraisal or review. Performance for the previous year was reviewed, competencies
analysed to help identify gaps and training planned accordingly. In all cases these plans were
undertaken by site or line managers in conjunction with the employee.
“Employees have an appraisal annually, where requirements are raised; they get passed to
me and logged, it is up to the individual to get the training they need as per appraisal.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“As part of the appraisal process you would get competency analysis. Training needs would
be identified against that on an ongoing basis. There are formal annual reviews as well.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
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7.7
Identifying Training Needs: Employers
7.7.1
Employees most likely to receive training
Employers felt that the groups most likely to receive training within their organisations
depended heavily on the type of business they were. Workshops and manufacturers were
more likely to provide technical training whereas dealerships were more likely to provide sales
training. Sales training was also currently seen as a priority because of the FSA financial
award which has become a legal requirement for all salesmen. The general consensus was
that the business would provide whatever would be most likely to improve site performance.
This was carried through into the quantitative survey; since the majority of the businesses
focused on technical services of one type or another, it is perhaps not surprising that over half
of those questioned provided more than 80% of their training for employees in workshop
occupations, rising to more than three quarters for small businesses with less than 10
employees.
What is perhaps more significant is that while the qualitative survey indicated an awareness
of the need for non-technical training among businesses, 57.1% of all Scottish employers
questioned in the quantitative survey provided no sales training, 42.9% no administrative
training, and 42.9% no management training. While these figures are considerably better than
for the UK as a whole (75.2%, 64.4%, and 61.4% respectively) this may be related to the low
base size rather than any real difference in provision in Scotland. It should be noted, however,
that Futureskills Scotland also found a slightly higher prevalence of training among employers
in the automotive sector in Scotland (59% as compared to 54% in England). They also
highlighted the trend in the automotive sector to concentrate on technical training at the
expense of all other types. While the overall level of training in the Scottish automotive sector
was not dramatically lower than for Scotland as a whole, this figure concealed significantly
lower levels of non-technical training.
73
“Sales occupations get the most training at the minute. They need the FSA which is a
financial award, and it’s a legal requirement to sell cars, it has been priority.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Technicians receive most training however getting people on soft skills courses is difficult.
Technicians recognise they have to have the skills and it is worth investing in their skills to
increase productivity in the workshop.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
73
Futureskills Scotland (2005), Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, based on data from SESS (2004),
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In terms of which employees were most likely to benefit from training, employers identified
that there could be resistance to training amongst some of their employees, particularly older
workers. In addition, older employees had on occasion felt resentment towards younger
employees participating in training for fear that they may ‘overtake’ other more experienced
staff.
Employees suggested that it was important therefore that training had a specific
purpose and training days could potentially be built into contracts of employment to highlight
its importance. 74
7.7.2
Determining the type of training to be delivered
The person responsible for determining the training action to be taken differed depending on
the size of the company. Within smaller, one site companies it could be the owner, whereas in
mid to large sized companies it was generally down to the branch, site or line manager. If a
company had a training or human resources department it was felt that they worked in
conjunction with site managers and company directors to determine what action to take. In
the main, it was felt that companies did not really rely on one person but on good
communication throughout the chain of command.
“It could be at the sales director or after sales director level, or if a car manufacturer has its
own training department it may be someone who fronts the training department.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“That will vary according to the individual’s position. It splits down into time at the sharp end,
and then we’ve got the call centre and all the minority departments. The head of each
department decides where they want the effort to go.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
In some cases it was mentioned that suppliers determined levels of training through the
provision of product specific training. From a sales and management point of view this was
minimal but was quite a large element in technical training. In some cases the company
worked with the supplier to design the best training course while in others the supplier
dictated this.
The quantitative survey gave a more detailed picture of the popularity of some methods of
identifying training needs amongst employers in Scotland, although the results should be
treated with caution due to the low base size. 30% monitored individual performance, 30%
used formal staff appraisals but just 10% used informal staff appraisals. External evaluations
and/or market research were, when taken together, used by 20% of employers, and customer
satisfaction surveys were used by another 10%. 50% used a method not detailed on the
survey; it is likely that, as with the UK as a whole, a large proportion of these applied training
74
Automotive Skills Focus Group November Edinburgh
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based primarily on the introduction of new products and technologies. In total, 90% of Scottish
employers were able to describe their strategy to identify training needs, indicating
widespread awareness of the potential need for training.
Some employers felt it was confusing as to who was responsible for providing training and
also reported feelings of frustration in trying to locate courses. There was felt to be a need for
one central information point and a recognisable approval system for training establishments
in order for employers to make an informed choice when choosing a training provider. 75
“Who is responsible for training and education? Too many organisations are attempting to
provide the same but different information.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“It takes far too long to find training courses. There is no central information available and no
recognisable approval system.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Training should be approved at national level for example, course content and course
providers kite marked with an agreement from the LSC as to the funding level.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
7.8
Identifying Training Demands: Training Providers
There were different methods that training providers used to establish the level of demand for
automotive training, these included examining labour market information and relevant trends
from bodies such as Futureskills Scotland, speaking to people within the industry, obtaining
feedback from schools and even conducting their own research.
“We tend to use information from the LSC, DTI and any other labour market information that
is useful to us.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“School interviews give the first indication of future demand, then interviews from new starts
and feedback from general college marketing. Schools also get feedback from employers on
what they want and what they need so we use that as well.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
The vast majority of training providers believed that there had been an increase in demand for
training in the sector, especially in areas such as work based learning, auto-electrical and
general full-time training.
75
Those training providers who believed that there had been a
Automotive Skills Regional Employer Event
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decrease, or that the demand had remained stagnant, felt that this had occurred mainly in the
area of manufacturing.
“Demand is definitely increasing, especially for the auto electrical parts of the course. We
now have a new auto electrical lab with approximately 80 students enrolled on the course.
There is definitely growth in the automotive area – there are more students and more
enquiries.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“Demand is beginning to emerge for ‘high-end technicians’. Vehicle re-finishing on the other
hand seems to be taking a bit of dip in terms of recruitment. We’re trying to get
apprenticeships and it’s very difficult for them. I don’t know if it is a structural issue within
those particular lines of work, but I know that the recruitment is very slow.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
7.8.1
Types of training in demand
Training providers suggested that there were numerous deficiencies across the board in
terms of the competency categories required by the automotive sector.
Several training
providers stated that deficiencies were evident in management and leadership skills and in
basic skills, with suggestions that this was due to a lack of funding at managerial level and
attracting less academically able people into the sector with poor literacy and numeracy skills.
“There are probably deficiencies in training for management and leadership but it depends on
whether or not there is a demand for it. A lot of employers have set up their own businesses
from nothing and they tend not to look further to see the benefit that management training
would have on their company.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“Schooling is failing young people as leavers don’t have the appropriate levels of Maths,
Science and English.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
The Scottish Funding Council also highlights that while a broad range of courses are available
to employers in the FE sector, they may be concentrated in one particular area of the country,
resulting in problems of accessibility. 76
7.8.2
Levels of training in demand
Overall, training providers believed that automotive employers tended to look for training that
was primarily cost effective and caused as little disruption as possible to their business as
they did not want to lose an employee for a long period of time from the business. In terms of
76
Scottish Funding Council (2005): Supply and Demand of Further Education in Scotland
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the levels of training demanded, the consensus was that Level 3 was the most frequently
required.
“I think they are looking for something that is easy to deliver, minimises bureaucracy and the
amount of time employees are out of the workplace.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“When we are talking about apprentices there are various things that employers look for, such
as having as little disruption as possible. They want training that is immediately going to
impact on the bottom line. So, for example, in terms of business improvement techniques we
will send an engineer in and he’ll make some recommendations prior to the training course.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“Demand for Level 3 provision is the norm. Auto electric and diagnostics will require Level 4
as they become more complex. In terms of day versus block release, there is evidence for
both, some prefer block, some prefer day.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
Providers within Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in England felt that there was a
significant demand from employers for apprentices and the apprenticeship programme.
Although CoVEs are neither established nor planned in Scotland, the views of those working
within them still have a wider relevance. Apprenticeships had worked successfully when
partnerships and networking had taken place to support the delivery, as had been developed
amongst the London based organisations on a managed system of increased competition. 77
Most training providers felt the qualifications that were available met the needs of the
automotive sector. However, there was general agreement that there was a need for
qualifications to be more flexible, specifically in terms of developing pre-16 qualifications. This
is being addressed to an extent by SQA working with SSCs on the development of Skills for
Work Courses. 78
There was a perception that the number of technical skills courses currently available was
adequate and that additional training provision would be more beneficial in other areas.
However, it was noted that due to the fast moving nature of the technological side of the
sector, there was a need to update qualifications at a quicker rate than was currently possible
so they could in turn update the content of their courses. The CoVEs agreed that many
aspects of the current syllabus had become obsolete and that more courses in customer
services, sales and management were needed. 79
77
Automotive Skills CoVE Meeting November 2005
78
SQA (website) Skills for Work, http://www.sqa.org.uk/
79
Automotive Skills CoVE Meeting November 2005
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“There need to be more courses for pre-16 year olds. These are a mile away from where
they need to be. I’d suggest at 14 kids have a less of a view of what they want to do than
when they are 16, so to put them on a specific course at this age is wrong. They should be
offered a more holistic view of the industry, including everything. A more generic view would
give them more options. I think this should be integrated into diplomas too.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“I think technical qualifications are probably well supported and are fairly adequate for the
industry. I think there is a gap in the non-technical side to be honest with you. For example,
customer facing, sales consultants, service advisors and managers. I don’t think there is a
thirst for academic type qualifications in these areas.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“To be honest qualifications can not keep up with the technology. We should have a system
where qualifications can be adapted and changed quicker, to match advances in industrial
developments.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
7.9
Recruitment and Retention of Learners
The vast majority of training providers actively and directly promoted the automotive sector
and the training that they offered to pre-16’s in schools. Only one training provider indirectly
promoted their courses to schools through sending literature and other information to further
education colleges who had direct links with schools. Common methods of direct promotion
included leaflets, exhibitions, taster days, open days, newsletters and visiting schools.
“I go out and visit schools and talk to interested students and their parents and teachers.
Obviously for the young apprenticeship scheme that’s vital because we have to get the right
calibre of students from age 14 to come in to college. You can’t beat the face-to-face
engagement, because you can answer any questions immediately.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“We have open evenings here during the year, we run tours of the site to show what we do,
we have taster days. We visit the schools but they are reluctant as they think we will poach
their sixth formers. We also go to Connexions and careers evenings.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“We have a recruitment team, and we market on behalf of the manufacturers in our cluster as
we recruit the learners from school. As part of that we spend about £1.5m a year on
recruitment services, and clearly part of that is going to schools, job fairs, all of those sorts of
things, clearly with a view to recruiting learners but there is a large element within that of
promoting the industry as well as promoting our business.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
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It was widely believed that automotive training providers faced numerous difficulties when
promoting the sector to young people.
The most common problem faced was the
misconception of the lack of career opportunities in the sector by both parents and teachers,
as the majority still held the stereotype that mechanics were ‘grease monkeys’. It was also
agreed that some schools treated automotive training as a ‘dumping ground’ for the less
academically able students. In addition, it was suggested that some head-teachers feared
that their S5/6 students would be attracted into vocational professions and were therefore
reluctant to suggest these careers to students.
Raising awareness of the sector in schools was seen by the providers as a necessity while
the image portrayed by teachers and parents was seen as being very negative. In particular, it
was thought teachers and parents actively encouraged the Higher and FE or university route
and regarded the Modern Apprenticeship route as second rate. 80
“I think the big problem is that they’re not aware of the range of opportunities within the
vocational areas. I still think schools are very poor in getting over to the kids what actually
can be done within a certain set of skills within the sector.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“For parents, their first impression when you talk about automotive is working in some oily,
dirty back street garage. I do think there’s a poor image yes. It is changing but slowly.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“Schools think we are out to poach their sixth formers.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
Although numerous training providers did promote training to adults, several problems were
highlighted including great difficulty in delivering relevant qualifications in a timeframe which
was suitable for adult learners. There was also a difficulty in encouraging employers and
adults to participate in training due to the lack of funding in this area.
“We do market our courses to adults but it’s difficult now with the funding. A lot of adults don’t
want the qualification, they just want the social side, they want the practical skills for their own
requirements, even if it’s just mending their own car at home, rather than moving into a
different industry from what they’re doing now.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
Although training providers stated that they did not experience many problems when
promoting to adults overall, difficulties were faced with specific groups, in particular the severe
lack of funding for over 25’s. The outlook for this in Scotland is mixed; while Modern
80
Automotive Skills CoVE Meeting November 2005
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Apprenticeships have recently been extended to cover the over-25s, in practice funding is
limited and dependent on decisions made by individual Local Enterprise Councils (LECs). The
Scottish Funding Council does suggest funding for training the over-25s 81 , but the major
policy documents do not make that age group a major priority. The Framework for Economic
Development, in particular, states that funding of sector-specific training in general should be
left to the market and therefore funded by the employer 82 .
“The bigger issue is the demand cycles. You may have someone who is 28 or 30 years who
says ‘I want to be a motor technician’, the demand’s there, but the funding isn’t because
funding with adult apprenticeships is still being worked through, and to a large degree is nonexistent at the moment.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
In order for employers to become aware of the training that was available, training providers
tended to send out information and literature, circulate newsletters, hold conferences and
continually visit employers, especially new ones entering the sector. In Scotland, automotive
training is also promoted to employers for specific schemes by a variety of bodies, including
Automotive Skills.
“We have a fairly active business development team who go out talking to as many people in
the industry as possible and aim to gauge what their needs are and to see where we can fit
the gaps that we identify.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“We market them, we have a sales and marketing department. Also we are owned by the
retail and motor industry federation so we have those links and also through Connexions
services.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
7.9.1
The quality of recruits
Although a few training providers did not encounter difficulties with the quality of recruits, it
was widely agreed that quality was a major issue. Training providers were of the opinion that
the school educational system was not equipping young people with the skills required, as
evidenced by the lack of basic skills, and that this was a serious issue which needed to be
addressed. Indeed, one provider stated that amongst one year group almost 50% of students
required additional basic skills support.
“A high proportion of 16 year olds that come out of school require significant basic literacy and
numeracy support.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
81
Scottish Funding Council (2005): Supply and Demand of Further Education in Scotland, p.125,
82
Scottish Executive (2000): The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland (FEDS), p.45,
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“We are doing the job that the schools should be doing. Students are at the D-E GCSE level
in terms of ability and we have to quickly raise the standard to enable them to cope with the
demands of the courses on which they are enrolled.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
Employers also acknowledged the difficulty in recruiting new, high calibre entrants into the
sector. They also felt that the school educational system was at fault because there had been
too much emphasis placed upon the importance of gaining IT skills, so that school leavers
often perceived automotive qualifications as second rate to gaining IT qualifications.
Therefore, the quality of the entrants starting the courses was often poor, since automotive
qualifications were sometimes perceived as the ‘last chance option’ for young people about to
leave education. 83 These are problems that are being addressed by policy; the education and
training departments in the Scottish Executive are promoting a number of initiatives to ensure
that school leavers are better equipped to join the workforce, and are seeking to involve
employers in these initiatives (e.g. ‘Enterprise in Education’, ‘Determined to Succeed’ 84 and
‘Skills for Work’).. There is also a wide recognition of the problem of a lack of prestige
attached to certain vocational qualifications (e.g. in the Framework for Economic
Development in Scotland 85 ).
There was also felt to be a lack of understanding amongst careers advisors about the sector,
resulting in poor advice and confusion amongst school leavers about where to go to find out
information about career opportunities in the automotive sector. 86
These issues are more relevant to the Scottish automotive sector than most industries in
Scotland; recruitment from schools runs at 40%, significantly higher than the average across
Scottish employers of 25% 87 .
“The sector is not promoted in a positive light by careers advisors who have little awareness
of career prospects in the industry and therefore do not promote it in a positive manner to
young people when they are looking to start a career path.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Young people are not briefed on the sector or the opportunities available and there is a lack
of understanding with regard to who should be approached for advice about apprenticeships.
Is it the employer, the provider, the LSC or Connexions?”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
83
Automotive Skills Focus Group November Edinburgh
84
Scottish Executive (2004): ‘Life Through Learning Through Life’, www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/lifelong/ltlt-00.asp
85
Scottish Executive (2000): The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland, p.48
86
Automotive Skills Regional Employer Event
87
FutureSkills Scotland Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, http://www.futureskillsscotland.org.uk
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7.9.2
Collaboration between providers
The majority of training providers surveyed collaborated with each other and with
manufacturers who were looking to access training. However, the extent of cooperation
varied, and where providers were in direct competition, the relationship was perceived to be
unstable as a result of a lack of trust from both parties. This was felt to be damaging to the
overall image of the sector, and it may prevent suitable referrals being made between
providers. Where collaboration did take place, it was often to take advantage of the specific
skills sets and/or resources of other providers.
“One area where we look for collaboration is e-learning because internally we don’t have the
technical expertise to develop or implement IT systems. We are experts in our subject matter
so we don’t seek to collaborate to develop that aspect of our provision.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
7.9.3
Changes in sector training composition
It was widely agreed amongst training providers that there would be a reduction in the number
of providers in the next five to ten years due to the increasing competition and it was felt that
this needed to be reviewed in terms of the impact on the recruitment and retention of learners.
It was also anticipated that technological improvements would have a significant impact on
provision, with vehicle services and repairs becoming less frequent and more complex in
terms of the levels of technical expertise required. The investment in new technology required
for this was seen as a threat to the viability of some courses.
“I would expect to see a continuation of the centralisation of manufacturer training within
Europe, with provision being rationalised to a smaller number of ‘special cell’ training centres.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“As vehicles become more reliable service intervals will become less frequent. Consequently,
there will be a reduced demand for technicians trained to conduct repairs on newer vehicles.
Older vehicles will still require more frequent services but with a reduction in prices their
numbers on the road looks set to decline.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
7.10
Employer Engagement
Numerous barriers were faced by providers in trying to engage a wide range of employers.
The main difficulties surrounded a lack of employer enthusiasm to send recruits on training
programmes, their desire for training to be completed within a short space of time, and a fear
by employers that training would increase the chance of their employees being ‘poached’ by
other companies.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
“Employers are extremely territorial and protective of their staff. At one time we provided
training for DAF and MAN ERF, who had 25% and 4% of the European market respectively.
However, we had to stop offering services to the latter to retain the custom of the former.
Similarly, Porsche nearly pulled out of the training after they saw a Daewoo car in the college
garage.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
7.10.1 Employer involvement in the design of training/courses
Several training providers actively sought and facilitated employer input into the design of the
automotive training courses they offered. This is likely to be the result of a concerted effort by
policy-makers to bring employers into course design, either directly or via SSCs. Almost every
recent policy or operating plan produced for an agency or public body in Scotland involved in
education or training emphasises the need for this.
Employers were involved in different aspects of the process and to varying degrees, with
consultation ranging from feedback on previous experiences to focus groups establishing
training needs. A small number of providers actually tailored their courses to the specific
needs of the employer. However, there were limitations due to the rigidness of certain
courses and qualifications. In addition, it tended to be only the larger employers who had a
significant influence on course design. “DAF, Porsche, Nationwide, Royal Mail, BT, the
military (etc.) all get involved and influence the design of our courses. We welcome the advice
and guidance they offer and even invite them to teach some aspects of the training.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“We deliver a framework that is predetermined. However, wherever possible we allow
employers to select from a range of optional units to ensure that the training best meets their
needs.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“When working with a large employer it is possible to work collaboratively to design bespoke
programmes which meet all of their specific needs because of the numbers of trainees
involved.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
An alternative viewpoint on employer involvement is presented by the TUC (Trades Unions
Congress), with whom the STUC (Scottish Trade Unions Congress) is affiliated. While they
are also in favour of training being tailored to fit the needs of industry, they highlight that in the
rush to do this, FE colleges have in some cases come seen as purely a service to employers,
with policy-makers losing sight of their local social and cultural roles. They also express the
opinion that measurements of employer demand too often rely on assuming that the views of
senior management will reflect all the needs of industry sectors without considering the views
and needs of frontline employees who are likely to experience skills gaps more directly and
88
will therefore know first-hand if training is appropriate to their needs .
88
Trades Unions Congress (TUC) (2006): Response to ‘Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances’
White Paper
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
7.11
Use of Internal and External Training
As can be seen from the table below, the quantitative survey indicated that for the UK as a
whole workshop training was by far the most common type of training provided by employers
in the retail automotive sector and was most likely to be carried out in-house (84.6%) without
external accreditation. There were no forms of training where the share of externally
accredited training exceeded 50%.
Figure 38. Split of Internal/External training within the automotive sector.
Was training internally or externally accredited?
Internally
Externally
Management
Sales
Workshop
65.5%
60.0%
86.4%
41.4%
35.0%
16.7%
Administrative
66.7%
45.9%
Source: Ci Research 2006 Automotive Employer Quantitative Survey
7.11.1 Use of internal training schemes
Of the companies who participated in the depth qualitative consultation, those which met all of
their training requirements internally did so in company owned centres which were staffed by
individuals with considerable knowledge and understanding of the needs of the employer. The
characteristics of the training varied, most notably in the format of delivery, which was either
in a block or day release format depending upon the geographic dispersal of branches and
the needs of the business.
“We have four regional training centres; we delivered 18,000 training days in our off site
training facilities last year and generally we have 28 people on each course, for each of these
days and we get close to an 80% turn out.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Amongst employers who met their training needs internally there was a belief, in some cases,
that traditional ‘external courses’ did not equip young people with the skills and competencies
they claimed to contain, whereas by meeting all training needs internally an organisation
could have full control over quality and outputs.
In contrast, the UK-wide quantitative survey highlighted inconvenience (cited by 50.0%) and
cost (35.0%) as the major reasons for internal provision. Poor quality of external provision
was only cited by 5% of respondents. However, 27.5% believed that internal provision
enabled them to better ensure quality, indicating at least a lack of confidence in the quality of
external provision.
Futureskills Scotland believe that external training provision in Scotland is less well tailored to
the automotive sector’s needs than to other sectors; 32% of automotive sector employers in
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
their survey found that no FE courses met their needs, as compared to 19% in Scotland as a
whole 89 .
7.11.2 Use of external training schemes
The companies who met all of their training requirements externally determined which
provider to use on an individual case basis; identifying the training requirements and then
selecting the provider who could best meet those needs.
The types of training providers utilised around the UK varied according to the type of training
which was required; technical training was provided by specialists (such as Robert Bosch,
LondonError! Bookmark not defined.), while general skills (such as customer service and
health and safety) and other specific learning (such as law) was provided by local Further
Education colleges, private training providers or Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE)
where available. In terms of delivery, much of the training was delivered in the evening so that
daytime operations were not affected.
Two primary reasons for providing training externally were identified; the first being
contractual (i.e. an obligation to send employees on manufacturers training courses) and the
second being operational, due to the belief that internal provision was distracting for the
individuals involved and other employees and that external provision assisted focus and
resulted in increased outputs.
The UK-wide quantitative survey suggested that a lack of internal capability to deliver
appropriate training is a major driver of external training uptake (35%), as is a belief that
external trainers might be able to provide higher quality than internal provision (23%). Again,
this reflects the higher level of participation of small companies with limited training
capabilities in the quantitative survey. The data available was insufficient to draw separate
conclusions for Scotland.
“It’s better to get people offsite and away from internal distractions to help ensure that they
give their full attention to what they are being taught.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
7.11.3 Employers using a combination of internal and external provision
In the main, those employers who combined internal and external delivery of their training had
proportionately more of their training delivered internally, though some companies reported an
equal split. None of the companies using a combination of delivery methods believed they
delivered more training externally than internally.
89
FutureSkills Scotland Automotive Scottish Sector Profile 2005, http://www.futureskillsscotland.org.uk
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Employers using a combination of training routes met a wide variety of their training
requirements internally, including technical and management training. Types of training which
were met by external providers included Health and Safety, ICT, ‘soft skills’, after-sales,
finance and law compliance training. Employer size appeared to have little bearing on the
types of training provided internally, with the method adopted reflecting the specific
requirements of the individual organisation.
In contrast, the size of the employer did impact on the characteristics of internal delivery, with
larger employers tending to deliver training at company owned sites. Where possible these
were spaced evenly throughout the country to reduce the distances that employees had to
travel. In some cases internal provision was delivered in conjunction with external suppliers,
such as CoVEs, though in general the trainers were specialists from within the company.
Training was delivered via a mixture of day and block release.
“We are seeking to establish regional academies to reflect the geographic dispersal of the
company, whilst ensuring that all employees receive the same level of training.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Small to medium sized companies tended to do the vast majority of their internal training
onsite, mainly in the workshop, although there were instances of companies using online and
video tools to supplement the learning process.
Amongst the employers consulted, workshop training was delivered by management or
experienced staff and also included mentoring. It was noted that smaller employers often
struggled to allocate dedicated members of staff to manage training activity and as such,
responsibility was frequently devolved to a number of individuals within these organisations.
“It is a mixture really, training could be delivered on the workshop floor, but it could also be
done via the computer with on-line training or even through watching a video.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Two primary factors were identified which influenced the employer decision to deliver training
internally, the first being cost. Whilst internal delivery was by no means cheap, it was found to
be less expensive than external provision, with additional savings being made on indirect
costs (i.e. travel, overnight accommodation etc.). The second reason was the ability to tailor
the training to the exact needs of the business. Employers were of the opinion that some
types of training required an in-depth knowledge of the business and therefore could not be
undertaken externally.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
“External training can be very expensive. In addition to the cost of training itself you have to
meet the additional costs of travel, subsistence, accommodation and in some cases cover.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Some training requires specific knowledge of the business. It would be very difficult to get
the same results from generic training providers.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Similarly, one employer believed that technical training was something which was difficult to
deliver externally because the amount of equipment required would be cost prohibitive.
“External provision of some forms of technical training can be difficult. It would be expensive
for providers to purchase some of the machinery and components (i.e. engines and
gearboxes), or for us to transport it to them. In contrast, other forms of training (i.e.
management training) can be done anywhere.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
External training was provided mainly for financial training (as qualified accountants were
necessary), employment law and other legalities and some technical training. There appeared
to be a difference in the types of technical training provided externally as opposed to that
delivered internally. External technical training was mainly used to update staff with specialist
and new skills which could not necessarily be offered internally. Some elements of
management training were also delivered externally.
7.11.4 External provider selection processes
A number of factors influenced which external training suppliers were chosen and, in some
instances, the decision over whether training needs were met externally at all. Employers
were of the opinion that the choice of external providers was limited. Within this, there was
apprehension in using the services of some providers, including CoVEs, because of a belief
that they did not fully understand the needs of employers.
“In our sector external provision is limited. There are not many options to choose from.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“We are trying to find an expert to offer key skills training, it isn’t proving as simple as we
expected!”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
The UK-wide quantitative survey highlighted the wide variety of factors considered when
sourcing external provision. While the simple availability of appropriate courses was the most
important factor, cited by 51.9%, the next most critical factors were the convenient location of
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
the provider (42.3%) and the quality of their equipment and facilities (40.4%). This suggests
that while quality of provision is critical, convenient local availability of that provision across
the country is still important. Among the other major considerations were cost, specialist staff
provision, and the time requirements of the courses.
Industry experience was perceived as hugely important for employers, as was the need for
the provider to ensure quality, offer flexibility in terms of delivery and have the capacity to
meet demand when required. There was an impression that external suppliers were inflexible
in this regard. Ironically, employers found that if a supplier did have the time to meet their
needs they were generally not of the required quality, whereas good quality providers were
booked up and were therefore unable to meet the training requirements. In certain instances
employers had ongoing relationships with specific training providers or had an approved list of
providers to approach and this was seen as the preferred route for sourcing external training.
“We’ve had ongoing relationships with a number of organisations for many, many years so
we know the quality that they deliver and they know our business and can develop training
which enables us to improve.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Employers expressed a concern about the level of quality of the technical skills training being
taught in colleges with employers commenting that employees returned from these training
courses at the same competency level as prior to completing the training. Many employers
felt that such training which had been carried out by colleges was a poor substitute for on-thejob learning. This in turn had encouraged employers to carry out training in house. However,
in response to this, it had been noted by some employers that training providers were
responding to such demands and were trying to deliver training in new facilities with an
employer focused approach. 90 It is notable that the framework in place for inspection of FE
colleges and other training providers in Scotland does not specifically consider whether
employer, as opposed to trainee, requirements are being met 91 .
“The learning is no replacement for experience and although staff had been accredited as
master technicians they were hopeless in the workplace.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Overall, it was apparent that employers adopted a value for money approach, assessing the
cost of training against anticipated benefits and then, subsequently, the value and cost of
internal versus external provision.
90
CI Research SSA Pre Work Regional Focus Groups May-June 2005
91
HMIe (2006) A Framework for Evaluating the Quality of Services and Organisations, http://www.hmie.gov.uk/
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 90 of 175
August 2006
“We would look at the skill requirement and weigh up the pros and cons of each training
provider, both in terms of the overall product and cost. We also take into consideration
whether the same outcome could be achieved in-house.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
There was a perception that in some cases complimentary training was offered initially to gain
business but that nothing materialised in terms of delivery. It was felt that the underlying
reason for this was cost, as offering the training was no longer cost effective for the suppliers.
An example given was exhaust manufacturers where training was previously complimentary
but now came at an additional cost.
The main appeal of external providers was their expertise (which in many cases, in both large
and small companies, was felt not to be available in-house) and the broad spectrum of
knowledge they possessed regarding training developments within the sector. The main
factors that training providers felt strongly influenced employers when determining what
training to use were cost, reputation, quality and facilities.
“The site we operate from is what makes us attractive to employers, as does our extensive
library and dedicated learning support team. The quality of service is key.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
8
Quality of Provision
8.1
Key Messages and Issues
•
In general, colleges and training providers Scotland could be said to have performed
well; no serious problems were highlighted.
•
Figures are not comparable between nations due to differing assessment and
reporting techniques.
•
In Scotland, insufficient data was available to assess automotive provision as
opposed to the standard of the whole institution.
•
The main shortcomings identified tended to be around internal quality assurance.
•
The effects of training were monitored by 60% of UK employers offering training to
their employees.
•
Employers used a wide variety of methods to assess the effectiveness of training.
•
In general, employers found the evaluation of training to be difficult.
•
According to Futureskills Scotland, 82% of workplaces across all sectors were either
very satisfied or fairly satisfied with the service provided by FE colleges. 88% who
had used private training providers were similarly satisfied. In the quantitative survey,
95% of UK respondents believed that the training they had provided to their
employees had improved overall business productivity.
•
Most providers conducted self-assessments in addition to the official inspections,
concentrating particularly on quality, value for money and achievement rates. There
was disagreement on what level targets for learner achievement and retention should
be set at.
8.2
Introduction
The following section offers an assessment of the quality of training provision in Scotland,
drawing on data from assessments undertaken by the relevant inspectorate bodies.
This data is supported by primary evidence from the depth qualitative consultations with
employers and training providers and from the large scale quantitative survey with employers.
It is important to note that comparative analysis between Scotland and other parts of the UK
is restricted by the different inspection methodology and reporting approaches used in each of
the four home countries and by the fact that not all public sector training providers servicing
the sector have had recent inspections.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
8.3
HMIe Reports
Quality of FE in Scotland is measured by HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIe Scotland). To
assess each institution, they measure performance in a series of defined areas of
assessment, grading each issue as ‘Very Good’ (1), ‘Good’ (2), ‘Fair’ (3), or ‘Unsatisfactory’
(4).
The table below details the general performance of twenty eight FE colleges offering courses
in Road Vehicle Engineering and/or Vehicle Maintenance/Repair (as indicated by Scottish
Funding Council enrolments).
Figure 39. Inspection Grades for FE Colleges in Scotland, Percentages and Numbers
Quality
Improvement
Quality
Assurance
Staff
Resources and
Services to
Support the
Learner
Meaning
Major
strengths
Strengths
2
outweigh
Good
weaknesses
3
Some important
Fair
weaknesses
4
Major
Unsatisfactory weaknesses
Total
Guidance &
Support
Educational
LeadershipError
! Bookmark not
defined. &
Direction
Grade
1
Very Good
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
15
53.6
13
46.4
11
39.3
7
25.0
6
21.4
9
32.1
9
32.1
12
42.9
13
46.4
20
71.4
17
60.7
15
53.6
4
14.3
3
10.7
4
14.3
1
3.6
5
17.9
4
14.3
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
28
100
28
100
28
100
28
100
28
100
28
100
Source: HMIe (Scotland) Further EducationError! Bookmark not defined. Reports
http://www.hmie.gov.uk/establish.asp?typ=4
Performance overall was satisfactory throughout the FE sector in Scotland, with no colleges
receiving ‘Unsatisfactory’ ratings (indicating major weaknesses) in any areas. The most
frequently achieved grade across the board was ‘Good’, indicating strengths outweighing
weaknesses, closely followed by ‘Very Good’, indicating no significant weaknesses.
Although average performances across all areas of assessment were at least ‘Good’, the best
performances overall were in Educational Leadership and Direction and Guidance and
Support, with average scores across all institutions of 1.61 {(1x15 + 2x9 + 3x4)/28} and 1.64
respectively, between ‘Very Good’ and ‘Good’. The most consistent performance was in the
area of Staff, where only a single college was found to have some important weaknesses.
There was, however, more room for improvement in the area of Quality Assurance, which had
a slightly lower average score of 1.96.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
The quality of provision in the broad category of Engineering, which would include most retail
automotive courses, had been the subject to either a full 92 (10) or short 93 (7) evaluation in
seventeen of the FE establishments offering Road Vehicle Engineering and/or Vehicle
Maintenance/Repair courses.
Different areas of assessment are used by HMIe Scotland in subject-specific analyses,
although the grading system, from ‘Very Good’ to ‘Unsatisfactory’ remains the same. The
short evaluations only focused on Teaching and Learning Processes and Learner Progress
and Outcomes, with the full evaluations encompassing nine criteria, which included the former
and excluded the latter.
Figure 40. Inspection Grades for FE Colleges in Engineering Subjects in Scotland,
Percentages
Teaching and
Learning Process
Assessment
Student Achievement
Guidance and Learner
Support
Quality Assurance
and Improvement
Learner Progress and
Outcomes
Strengths
outweigh
weaknesses
Some important
weaknesses
Staff
2
Good
Major strengths
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
20.0
20.0
30.0
20.0
29.4
10.0
40.0
50.0
0.0
42.9
70.0
70.0
60.0
70.0
64.7
60.0
40.0
50.0
50.0
42.9
10.0
10.0
10.0
5.9
30.0
20.0
0.0
50.0
14.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
3
10.0
Fair
4
Unsatisfactor Major weaknesses 0.0
y
Total
100
Equipment and
Materials
Accommodation for
Teaching and
Learning
1
Very Good
Meaning
Programme Design
Grade
Source: HMIe (Scotland) Further EducationError! Bookmark not defined. Reports
http://www.hmie.gov.uk/establish.asp?typ=4
92
A ‘Full Evaluation’ refers to an individual subject specific report which evaluates performance on a wide range of
criteria. See Aberdeen College Motor Vehicle Inspection for an example of a ‘Full Evaluation’
(http://www.hmie.gov.uk/documents/inspection/AberdeenMotorSubject.pdf)
93
A ‘Short Evaluation’ refers to a subject specific assessment contained within the main college inspection report.
These score subject specific performance on a narrow range of criteria and identify key strengths and weaknesses.
See Kilmarnock College Inspection (http://www.hmie.gov.uk/documents/inspection/KilmarnockCollReport.pdf) for an
example of a ‘Short Evaluation’
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Figure 41. Inspection Grades for FE Colleges in Engineering Subjects in Scotland,
Numbers
Assessment
Student
Achievement
Guidance and
Learner Support
Quality Assurance
and Improvement
Learner Progress
and Outcomes
Strengths
outweigh
weaknesses
3
Some important
Fair
weaknesses
4
Major
Unsatisfactory weaknesses
Total
2
Good
Teaching and
Learning Process
Major strengths
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
2
2
3
2
5
1
4
5
0
3
7
7
6
7
11
6
4
5
5
3
1
1
1
1
1
3
2
0
5
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
10
10
10
10
17
10
10
10
10
7
Equipment and
Materials
Accommodation
for Teaching and
Learning
Meaning
Staff
Programme Design
Inspection
Grade
1
Very Good
Source: HMIe (Scotland) Further Education Reports http://www.hmie.gov.uk/establish.asp?typ=4
Again, overall performance was acceptable, with no institutions allocated ‘Unsatisfactory’
grades for any of the areas of assessment. ‘Good’ was either the most commonly achieved or
the joint most commonly achieved grade for each area of assessment.
The best performance was in the area of Guidance and Learner support, where 50% of all
colleges were awarded a rating of ‘Very Good’, and the remainder ‘Good’, producing an
average grade of 1.5. Achievement in some other areas was less impressive; for Quality
Assurance and Improvement and Assessment, the average grades were 2.5 and 2.2
respectively, between ‘Good’ and ‘Fair’. Quality Assurance and Improvement is of particular
concern, since in this area no colleges succeeded in gaining a ‘Very Good’ grade, while 50%
were rated ‘Fair’, a higher proportion than for any other area of assessment.
8.4
Employers’ Perceptions of Quality
All employers involved in the depth qualitative survey attempted to evaluate the quality of
training and the impact it had on employees; the general rationale for this was to assess value
for money. It was recognised that training was expensive and that monitoring was necessary
in order to justify the expenditure and secure future training budgets.
However, when looking at a wider population of employers via the quantitative survey a
different picture emerged; 40% of those in the UK as a whole who provided training did not
formally assess the impact of that training on employees.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
The establishments selected for in-depth qualitative consultation utilised several different
methods to capture the impact training had on their business and on their employees. In
some companies, data was taken six months before and after the training took place (such as
KPI data, sales and growth margins) to assess any short term benefit, while in other instances
mystery shopping and surveys with customers took place to help assess progress made in
customer service and soft skills.
“For each of these processes we’ve identified 5 key performance indicators. If we’re getting it
right we’ll achieve the KPI’s.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Similarly, the UK-wide quantitative survey revealed that 35% of retail automotive employers
who formally monitored the impact of training assessed the performance of trainees before
and after the training had taken place, with a further 33% assessing performance solely after
training.
Where employers involved in the depth consultation assessed the quality of the training
received, this was done by evaluation forms and post training satisfaction surveys with
attendees. These methods were used to gain qualitative feedback on the usefulness of the
training, whether the objectives of the training were met, how the course was delivered and
whether it had been of any help to their everyday working life. It was noted that evaluation
forms were not particularly effective when assessing the quality of training, as the response
rate was usually low. This was perceived to be especially the case with management training
where attendees felt the process was too bureaucratic. Employers also used tactics such as
training observation and assessor monitoring to evaluate first hand the quality of training.
“For each training session that employees attend there is an evaluation form, which is to be
filled in, as to expectations and feedback etc. It’s not always filled in by employees though
and sometimes managers do not return them either. Due to audit we have identified it has to
go in their personnel file.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
There was perceived to be a degree of variation in the way different types of training were
evaluated. It was felt that technical training could not be evaluated in the same way as other
training; management, sales and soft skills training were seen as much easier to evaluate in
the short term. A specific problem was identified when evaluating technical training; it was
thought that much of this was pre-emptive training. If a new product or technique was in the
pipeline for introduction then staff were sent on training courses 6 to 12 months in advance of
its introduction, therefore evaluating how effective it had been was impossible for at least a
year.
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
“It would be different certainly for technical training for the simple reason your always trying to
pre-empt changes in vehicle systems. So the chances are that they come to learn about the
latest Mercedes ECU but they may not see one for 6 to 12 months so it’s hard to measure if
it’s had a direct impact.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Employers quantified the benefits of training in a number of ways, though in general, it was
looked at from the perspective of the customer. Employers discussed customer satisfaction
as the key to the business and the aim of training in many cases was to improve this
indicator, along with measuring repeat custom and the overall customer base.
It was thought that a satisfied customer base would guarantee increased profitability; if the
employee made the customer feel valued, they would have confidence in the company which
in turn would increase profit. It was therefore felt that competency before and after was a
quantifiable measure used by employers.
“I think the key issues are staff retention and customer satisfaction, by definition they go hand
in hand. If you have competent staff, you’ll have satisfied customers.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“Clearly good training means that the employee is able to attract customers and they have
confidence that they’re able to do a good job, selling a good product and they can provide the
necessary after care.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Analysis of the return on investment from training was undertaken by most of the employers
involved in the depth qualitative consultation. However, it was perceived as being extremely
difficult to accomplish given that there were so many different aspects to take into
consideration. Despite this, it was seen as important to justify the training expenditure and
ensure that it was providing value for money.
“There are a lot of things to take account of and it is such a complex subject to try and assess
but we do try to capture return on investment.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
“We do measure return on investment but I’d have to say it is one of those areas that’s
always a bit blurred around the edges. For example, on a finance course you may see an
uplift in gross margin over a 2 month period. Is it a direct result of the training module that the
guy attended or is it just that business trends changed? I like to think that’s it’s to do with the
training but hand on heart I couldn’t say it definitely is.”
Employer – Retail Automotive Sector
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Despite the difficulty of measuring outcomes, according to Futureskills Scotland, 82% of
workplaces across all sectors were either very satisfied or fairly satisfied with the level of
training provided through FE colleges. For private training providers satisfaction levels were
similarly high, at 88% 94 . In the quantitative survey conducted for this report, among
automotive sector employers providing training in the UK, the most frequently expressed
reason for their satisfaction was ‘Improvements in quality of work/less wastage/customer
returns’ cited by 43.5%. In addition, 30.6% thought there had been ‘Improvements in the
knowledge of employees’ and 28.2% considered that the training had ‘Improved the
productivity of their business’.
Figure 42. Quantitative Survey: Perceived Business Benefits of Training
Large
Impact
(%)
Small
Impact
(%)
No Impact
(%)
Unable to
Say (%)
51.7
38.3
8.3
1.7
Attracting and Recruiting Staff
Overall Business Productivity
15.3
38.3
25.4
55.0
44.1
5.0
15.3
1.7
Staff Retention
50.8
30.5
13.6
5.1
What impact would you say the
training you have offered to your
employees has had on…
Productivity of Employees
Source: Ci Research Quantitative Survey
As can be seen from the table above, the most significant perceived benefits of training
among quantitative survey respondents across the UK were in the productivity of employees
and staff retention. While the majority of respondents considered training to have a ‘small’
impact on their overall business productivity, it is also significant that only 5% of all
respondents considered that the training that they had provided had no impact at all in this
area, suggesting a reasonable level of satisfaction with the quality of training in practical
terms; although of course this conclusion should be considered in the context of the
previously mentioned difficulties in measuring absolutely the impact of training on a business.
8.5
Provider Evaluation of Training
In order to evaluate the quality of the automotive training that was delivered, providers tended
to conduct self-assessments, sending out satisfaction forms to both employers and students
upon the completion of training. Other basic quality assessment procedures included keeping
a track record of completion rates; with low rates being a clear indicator that programme
improvements are required. Observational activities and independent assessments of quality
(i.e. by HMIe, SQMS, or other inspectorates) were also mentioned.
94
Futureskills Scotland (2005): Employer Engagement with Further Education
Assessment of Current Provision
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“You have to implement continual self assessment and to continually ask the industry if what
is being delivered meets their needs. You can’t bury your head in the sand, it is essential to
keep up with change.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
The main driving factors for improvement included quality, value for money and achievement
rates. There was also recognition that minimum requirements for quality were driven by
funding agencies.
“We are forced now to achieve certain floor targets in terms of retention and achievement or
our funding is cut.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“There would be little point of asking clients to spend money if there was no demonstrable
benefit to them. It is vital that employers are able to demonstrate positive changes.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
Although the majority of the training providers surveyed believed that the floor targets for the
sector were set at the correct level, others thought that they were set far too low.
“Floor targets are about right, for apprenticeships there is a target to reach of 70% but this is
unrealistic. The fall out rate over the first 6 months is too high. Performance assessment
should take place after 12 to 15 weeks to give a true reflection. On long courses (2 years)
45% is probably as good as it gets, you might be lucky and get 55%.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
“Floor targets are miles too low. Personally I think anyone who doesn’t have an achievement
rate of over 50% shouldn’t have a contract.”
Training Provider – Retail Automotive Sector
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9
Conclusions
Stage 2 of the Skills Needs Assessment for the retail automotive sector has drawn on an
extensive range of existing secondary data and has utilised new information derived from
both qualitative and quantitative investigations. Whilst gaps in understanding are evident,
primarily because of the limitations of the provider and learner data available, it is clear that
the pattern of provision and its uptake is diverse and complex.
The Scottish Employer Skills Survey (2004) identified that 3% fewer employers within the
Automotive Skills footprint provided training for employees than the average for all
occupational sectors (59% in the Automotive Skills sector versus 62% overall), although this
was a better performance than in most of the rest of the UK. This finding was confirmed by
the quantitative survey, which added that small companies throughout the UK had a much
lower propensity to offer training (41.4% of companies with 1 to 9 employees) than their larger
counterparts (94.4% of companies with over 100 employees).
While Further Education (FE) provision for the automotive sector in Scotland was generally
good, although with some geographical weak spots in Argyll, the Northern Isles, and the
southern Lowlands, very few relevant Higher Education courses were available. The most
popular course at FE level was Vehicle Maintenance/Repair.
The structure of publicly funded training in Scotland is significantly different to the rest of the
UK; this has made comparative analysis difficult in many cases. The complexity and
geographical variability of the funding structure in Scotland was a particular issue for
employers.
A number of key trends have been identified. Further Education enrolments in Scotland have
remained broadly static since 2000/01, with most students being in the 16 to 18 age group.
Approximately two thirds of these learners were on part-time courses. The majority of
enrolments were at SVQ Level 3 or equivalent. The popularity of the Skillseekers scheme has
been declining in recent years, although Modern Apprenticeships have become more popular.
In Higher Education, Scotland was particularly poorly served; only one dedicated Automotive
Engineering degree course was available, in Edinburgh. No HNC/HND courses were
available in Scotland according to official SFC data, although this may not be representative
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
of the true situation. 95 As a result, only 0.7% of the UK’s HE enrolments in Automotive
Engineering take place in Scotland.
Across the UK, training providers argued that employers were not enthusiastic about sending
their employees on training programmes or courses and that when they did, they were eager
for such training to be completed in a short space of time. In order to increase the perceived
value of training several providers claimed to actively seek out and facilitate employer input in
order that the training could be industry led; this was particularly strongly supported by policy
in Scotland at all levels. A particular need was identified to help smaller employers both to
access and influence training; in Scotland this issue is now the subject of a pilot programme
to offer ‘Business Learning Accounts’, including both funding and advice elements, to small
businesses.
Of the employers in the retail automotive sector that provided training for employees it was
evident that the majority currently contribute to the cost of the training that their employees
receive. Within this, it is clear that there are both direct and indirect costs of training which
employers must take into consideration, including factors such as travel and the cost of cover
– a particular issue for rural employers. Many employers within the sector in the UK report
that training is becoming more expensive, largely because of increasing customer demand
and the pace of change of technological developments.
In terms of the characteristics of training delivery, employers who use external training claim
that they do so because they believe that it has the capacity to increase their business
productivity and because it is the most effective method of updating their staff with regards to
specialist and new skills. However, those that train internally, claim that they do so because it
enables them to tailor training programmes and activities around their own needs.
Public sector provision of training was considered to be satisfactory by the official training
inspectorate in Scotland, with relatively few colleges significantly criticised. However, it is
important to note that internal quality assurance was identified as a slight weakness. UK
employers’ perceptions of training varied; while most believed training they had undertaken
had made a positive impact on their business, some types of training, particularly compulsory
manufacturer training were considered less helpful. There were criticisms of the quality of FE
provision particularly in terms of maintaining relevance to employers’ rapidly changing needs,
primarily caused by the rapid pace of technological change, and in terms of flexibility of
provision, especially in providing courses to fit employers’ logistical needs. Training providers
across the UK recognised the need for a wider, more flexible range of courses, while
95
Recent evidence, although incomplete, suggests that HNC/HND courses in subjects relevant to the automotive
sector are available in three or more locations in Scotland, including the University of the Highlands and Islands in
Inverness.
Assessment of Current Provision
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stressing that this should not come at the expense of local availability in all areas, a particular
concern in Scotland due to the larger proportion of remote areas found in the country. Looking
to the future, training providers, larger employers and public bodies all foresaw a substantial
shift toward increased management and leadership training in the sector, something that is
generally agreed to be required to improve efficiency and competitiveness in the sector.
Assessment of Current Provision
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) Qualifications
For the rest of the UK, the framework is different; these qualifications are referred to as
VRQs.
Figure 43. IMI Scottish vocational qualifications (SVQs)
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Light Vehicle
Light Vehicle
Heavy Vehicle
Heavy Vehicle
Motorcycle
Motorcycle
Auto Electrical
Vehicle
Inspection
Auto Electrical
Fast Fit
Fast Fit
Tyre Fitter
Tyre Fitter
Vehicle Valeting
Level 4
Progression to:
Automotive Retail Management
Body Repair
Body Repair
Refinishing
Refinishing
and Technical Qualifications
Body Fitting
Roadside
Assistance
Vehicle Parts
Operations
Vehicle Sales
Assessment of Current Provision
Roadside
Assistance
Vehicle Parts
Operations
Vehicle Sales
Page 103 of 175
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Appendix 2: City and Guilds Automotive Qualifications
There are further City and Guilds qualifications available in other parts of the UK.
Figure 44. City and Guilds automotive qualifications in Scotland
Qualification Title
Level
Type of Award
Automotive Vehicle Maintenance
Entry
Vocational
Drivers hours recording equipment
Entry
Vocational
Automotive Vehicle Servicing and Repair
Level 1
Progression
Automotive Vehicle Servicing and Repair
Level 2
Progression
Automotive Vehicle Servicing and Repair
Level 3
Progression
Certificate in Advanced Automotive Diagnostic
Level 4
Vocational
Techniques
Vehicle Fitting
Levels 1-2
SVQ
Mechanical Fitting, Plant Maintenance and Metal
Levels 1-2
Vocational
Machinery
Automotive Qualifications
Levels 1-3
SVQ
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair
Levels 1-3
SVQ
Vehicle Parts Operations
Levels 1-3
SVQ
Maintenance and Repair of Construction Plant*
Levels 1-3
Vocational
Vehicle Body Competences
Levels 1-3
Vocational
Automotive Qualifications
Levels 1-3
Vocational
Motor Vehicle Engineering*
Levels 1-4
IVQ
Motor Vehicle Body and Paint Operations
Levels 2-3
SVQ
Motor Vehicle Roadside Assistance and Recovery
Levels 2-3
SVQ
Vehicle Parts Operations
Levels 2-3
Vocational
Engineering Council Examinations
Levels 4-5
Vocational
Exhaust Fitting
No Level
Vocational
Training Requirements for the Carriage of Dangerous
No Level
Vocational
Goods by Road (ADR)
Tyre Fitting – Agricultural Tyres
No Level
Vocational
Tyre Fitting – Earth Mover Tyres
No Level
Vocational
Tyre Fitting – Motor Cycle Tyres
No Level
Vocational
Tyre Fitting – Solid Tyres
No Level
Vocational
Tyre Fitting Advanced – Car and Van Tyres
No Level
Vocational
Land Based Engineering
Apprenticeship
Automotive Apprenticeships (Scotland)
Apprenticeship
* International Qualifications
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Appendix 3: Automotive Training Provider Depth Discussion Guide
Automotive Training Provider Depth Discussion Guide
Training Practices, Drivers and Barriers
Interviewer details
Name of interviewer:
Date of interview:
Time of interview:
Duration of interview:
Respondent details (FROM SAMPLE)
Name:
Job title:
Organisation:
Telephone Number:
Contact Email:
Introduction (PLEASE READ)
“Good morning/Good afternoon. My name is ……………… and I’m from Ci Research. We
have been commissioned by Automotive Skills to carry out an assessment of the
characteristics of training within the Automotive sector.
You may already be aware that Sector Skills Councils have replaced National Training
Organisations, and that Automotive Skills is the new Sector Skills Council for the whole of the
retail motor industry. Automotive Skills has been given the remit of working with Employers
and Training Providers to drive up skill levels in the sector.
The reason for this call is that ……………. (from sample) suggested that you were a key
person to speak to regarding training within the Automotive Sector.
In light of this, would you be willing to take part in an in-depth telephone interview, obviously
at a time convenient to yourself, to talk through your organisation’s approach to Automotive
training. The interview should take no longer than one hour and will make an important
Assessment of Current Provision
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contribution to the development of the Automotive sector. Your answers will be treated
confidentially, and only reported to Automotive Skills in an aggregated format.”
“The aim of this discussion is to identify the key drivers influencing training within the
Automotive Sector and we would appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions
openly and honestly.”
(NOTE: Ci will gain as much detail as possible on the provider (from the provision
mapping exercise) and respondent (from the Automotive Skills sponsor) before
conducting the interview to reduce the time spent on Sections A and B.)
SECTION A: THE PROVIDER CONTEXT
QA1:
Could we start by you outlining the characteristics of the Automotive training that your
organisation provides?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö The Automotive sector(s) catered for (i.e. Fast Fit, Heavy Vehicle etc)
Ö The range of Automotive training available (i.e. Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4
qualifications; non-accredited short courses etc)
Ö The characteristics of delivery (i.e. full-time/part-time)
Ö The number of learners involved in Automotive training at the organisation, if
possible outlining trends (i.e. are numbers involved increasing or declining)
SECTION B: THE RESPONDENT CONTEXT
QB1:
Could you please outline your role within the organisation and your responsibilities
with regards to Automotive training?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
Contextual factors:
♦ Role definition
♦ Training responsibilities
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SECTION C: MARKET ASSESSMENTS
“Thank you. I would now like to examine how your organisation establishes the demand for
Automotive training and the key skills deficiencies that you have identified.”
QC1:
Firstly, how do you establish the level and characteristics of demand for Automotive
training in the sectors and Labour Markets you serve?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QC2:
Which of the following Labour Market Information sources does the provider
utilise:
♦ Historical employer demand?
♦ Historical student demand?
♦ Historical destination analysis?
♦ Specific employer contact/surveys?
♦ Informal employer contact as part of trainee monitoring visits?
♦ Engagement with employer networks/groups?
♦ Secondary Labour Market Information from the:
ƒ LSC?
ƒ LA’s?
ƒ RDA’s?
ƒ DTI?
Which source or sources of Labour Market Information best helps the provider
determine skills gaps and training needs?
What are the barriers to gathering Labour Market Information:
♦ Provider staff, time or financial resources?
♦ What are the difficulties of establishing the needs of SME’s?
♦ What are the difficulties of establishing the needs of larger
employers?
How does the provider use the Labour Market Information:
♦ To ensure provision reflects employer needs/demand?
♦ To set the level of recruitment for the coming year?
♦ For long-term planning?
Would you say that the demand for Automotive training in the sectors and Labour
Markets you serve is increasing, decreasing or stagnant?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QC3:
What evidence do you have?
Are there any variations between the different Automotive sectors that the
provider serves?
Are there any variations in demand between employers of different sizes?
Of the following competency categories, which have you identified as being deficient
within the Automotive sector or sectors you cater for?
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♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Management and Leadership Skills
Technical Skills
General Skills (such as communication, problem solving and team working
competencies)
Basic Skills (such as literacy and numeracy competencies)
Life Skills (such as attitude, motivation, willingness to learn and reliability)
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QC4:
Why have these competency gaps arisen? Is it down to a lack of available
training or the limited number and/or quality of the workforce in these areas?
Are there any variations between different Automotive sectors?
Are there any variations between employers of different sizes?
What are the Automotive employers that you work with looking for in terms of levels
and types of training?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QC5:
Levels of qualifications, including:
♦ Graduate and post graduate degrees?
♦ Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 NVQ’s or SVQ’s?
♦ Non-accredited short courses?
♦ Seminars and workshops?
Type of delivery:
♦ Full-time versus part-time courses?
♦ On-the-job versus off-the-job training?
♦ Block release versus day release?
♦ How important is the provision of new forms of access to training to
Automotive employers (such as e-learning or distance learning)?
Are there any variations between different Automotive sectors?
Are there any variations between employers of different sizes?
In terms of the courses and qualifications that are currently available, to what extent
do you feel that they meet the needs of the Automotive sector or sectors that you
serve?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Do the levels of Automotive courses and qualifications reflect the needs of
Automotive employers (for example, is there insufficient or excessive emphasis
on Level 2 or Level 3 provision)?
Does the content of qualifications reflect the requirements of Automotive
employers (for example, is the balance between ‘technical’ and ‘soft-skills’
appropriate)?
Are there any qualifications or courses that you feel are lacking given the needs
of the Automotive sector or sectors you cater for:
• Pre-Entry Qualifications?
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
•
•
•
•
Customer Service Qualifications?
Technical Qualifications?
Management Qualifications?
Other Qualifications?
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SECTION D: FUNDING ISSUES
Thank you. I would now like to focus on the issue of funding for Automotive training and the
extent to which it makes it commercially viable for you to meet the identified employer
demand.”
QD1:
To begin, could you outline who pays for the Automotive training you provide and
offer approximations of the proportions that they contribute?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö The proportion of funding contributed by:
o External/public funding bodies; which funding bodies contribute?
o The Provider themselves?
o Employers?
o Trainees/Learners?
Ö Is there any variation in contribution proportions between different Automotive
sectors?
Ö Is there any variation in contribution levels between different sizes of employers?
QD2:
Who do you feel should actually be paying for Automotive training and in what
proportions?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö The proportion of funding the provider feels should be provided by:
o External/public funding bodies? Why?
o Employers? Why?
ƒ Should there be a variation in the contribution of employers to the cost
of training based on their size, turnover etc?
ƒ What would be the impact of taking this approach?
o Trainees/Learners? Why?
o Someone else? Who? Why?
QD3:
What factors do you believe drive the external funding of Automotive Training?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Are external/public funding bodies more interested in providers achieving numeric
targets (i.e. the numbers registering and completing courses) than policy objectives
(i.e. increasing skills levels in the sector)?
Ö How does this affect delivery – would you like to be able to offer a higher level of
training to a smaller number of people? Would this be more beneficial?
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QD4:
Do you feel that the level of external funding for Automotive training is sufficient to
meet the skills needs of the sector?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Is the level of external funding available for Automotive training adequate or is the
shortfall prohibitively large – does it discourage employer and/or employee
uptake of training?
Ö Does the level of external funding take into account the degree of provider
investment required to offer different forms of Automotive training (i.e. motorcycle
repair versus heavy vehicle repair)?
Ö Is funding focused on particular Automotive sectors?
Ö Is funding focused on particular types or levels of qualifications?
Ö Is funding focused on full-time education rather than part-time apprenticeship
training?
QD5:
Do the characteristics of external funding make the provision of certain types of
Automotive training commercially unviable?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö If so, which types of training?
Ö How significant is the problem?
QD6:
What key changes should be made to the current model of public funding provision to
improve the quality, type and coverage of Automotive training?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Is it difficult to locate sources of external funding and/or high quality information
about eligibility and the application process?
Ö Is the duration of external funding contracts an issue for providers?
o Do short-term contracts dissuade other providers from offering
Automotive training?
o Do short-term contracts divert attention from the improvement of
delivery to the retention of funding?
Ö To what extent is payment made in arrears?
o How does this impact on provider cash-flow and the number of
Automotive training places that can be offered?
Ö Is public funding of poor or unneeded provision an issue in the Automotive
sector?
o If so, what is the scale of the problem?
o Who should be responsible for ensuring this doesn’t continue?
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SECTION E: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
“The following questions focus on the business development activities which your
organisation undertakes within the Automotive sector.
Firstly, I would like to focus on the issues surrounding trainee recruitment.”
QE1:
Do you actively promote the Automotive sector and the training that you offer within
schools, particularly to the 14-16 age group?
If YES, issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö How?
Ö How frequently?
Ö What is the perceived benefit of this engagement?
If NO, issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Why not?
o Is cost an issue?
o Is time an issue?
o Is it not perceived as being important?
QE2:
What difficulties does your organisation and the sector in general face when trying to
promote Automotive careers to young people?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Do vocational courses and the Automotive sector in particular have a poor image
amongst teachers, students and parents?
Ö To what extent is Automotive training affected by competition from alternative
occupational sectors and non-vocational education provision?
Ö Is it difficult to develop relationships with schools who have 6th form provision
because they are in direct competition for post-16 students?
Ö Do you feel that Careers Advisors accurately reflect the sectoral employment
prospects to young people, outlining the range occupations in the sector and the
scope for progression?
QE3:
Do you actively promote the Automotive training that you offer to adults?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Do you undertake any marketing activity for the Automotive courses you offer
specifically targeted at adult learners?
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QE4:
What difficulties does your organisation and the sector in general face when trying to
promote Automotive training to adults?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QE5:
A reluctance to re-enter the world of education and training?
A lack of financial support from employers for adult training?
A lack of financial support from funding bodies for adult training?
Is the quality of recruits a major issue for training providers and employers operating
in the Automotive sector?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Do vocational courses tend to attract the lower achievers from the school
educational system? Is this even more of an issue for Automotive courses?
Ö Is the quality of new recruits an issue at all entry/qualification levels (i.e. the
Automotive sector has the lowest inflow of graduates of any industry sector; 0.1%
of existing management stock)?
Ö Is it more/less of an issue for your organisation than the sector in general (i.e. is it
less of an issue for Company Academies/Training Centres with a respected
brand (BMW, Kwik Fit etc))?
“I would now like to focus on the level of collaboration between yourselves and Automotive
employers; examining the degree of existing interaction and the potential for future
development.”
QE6:
How
do
employers
become
aware
of
the
Automotive
training
programmes/qualifications you offer?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö
Ö
Ö
Ö
Ö
Ö
Ö
QE7:
Previously established relationships?
Word of mouth from other employers?
Marketing/promotional literature?
Via employer forums?
Networking events?
Following a direct approach from your staff?
Other methods?
What factors do you feel most strongly influence employers when determining what
training providers to use?
Assessment of Current Provision
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Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö
Ö
Ö
Ö
Ö
Ö
QE8:
Location?
High quality equipment and facilities?
Availability of specialist staff?
Reputation for quality?
Price?
The ability to offer tailored training packages?
Do you seek to involve employers in the development or design of your Automotive
training programmes?
If YES, issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö How do you engage with Automotive employers?
o How do you engage with SME’s?
o How do you engage with larger employers?
Ö What is the perceived benefit of this engagement?
If NO, issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Why not?
o Is cost an issue?
o Is time an issue?
o Is it not perceived as being important?
QE9:
What are the barriers to engaging a wider range of employers and increasing their
involvement in training?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Scepticism amongst employers about the relevance of off-the-job training?
Ö Scepticism amongst employers about the value of full-time training coursers and
the skills of the students post-course completion?
Ö Poor previous experience of training and trainees?
Ö A perceived lack of training provision flexibility?
Ö A fear by employers that individuals will leave their employment if they become
too highly trained?
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SECTION F: THE QUALITY OF AUTOMOTIVE TRAINING PROVISION
“The following questions focus on how you evaluate the quality of the Automotive training you
offer and what drives you to improve.”
QF1:
Firstly, could you outline how you evaluate the quality of the Automotive training you
provide?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Methods of assessment:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QF2:
Feedback forms
Follow-up with trainees
Follow-up with trainees’ employer
Pier assessment
Levels of retention
Levels of completion
Destination analysis
Assessment of levels of repeat usage (a strong indicator of
quality)
Independent Formal Assessments (ALI, Ofsted)
Other techniques
What drives you as a provider of Automotive training to improve?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö What internal drivers are there for the improvement of quality (i.e. to gain a
reputation for quality which can be communicated to employers)?
Ö What external drivers are there for the improvement of quality (i.e. competition,
floor targets)?
QF3:
Focusing on the Floor Targets set for Automotive training provision, do you feel that
they are set too high, at the right level, or too low?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö How will the level of Floor Targets affect the quality of Automotive training
provision?
Ö Are they set high enough to eradicate poor provision?
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SECTION G: LINKS WITH OTHER AUTOMOTIVE TRAINING PROVIDERS
“I would now like to focus on the level of collaboration between yourselves and other
providers of Automotive training; examining the degree of existing interaction and the
potential for future development.”
QG1:
Does your organisation collaborate, either formally or informally, with other providers
of Automotive training?
If YES, issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö What form of provider interaction does the organisation participate in (i.e. a local
provider network, a national provider network, independent informal discussions
etc)?
Ö What is the perceived benefit of provider interaction:
o The exchange of information, ideas and good practice?
o The joint development of provision (i.e. the development of short courses
targeted at employers in specific sectors)?
Ö Do you feel that the level of your collaboration is adequate or do you believe that
your organisation and the Automotive sector in general would benefit from
enhanced provider interaction?
Ö What are the barriers to enhanced collaboration (i.e. time, cost, the perception of
competition) and what can be done to overcome these barriers?
If NO, issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö What are the barriers to collaboration (i.e. time, cost, the perception of
competition) and what can be done to overcome these barriers?
Ö Is there a lack of Automotive providers with which to collaborate?
Ö Is there a lack of interest in collaboration from the Independent Company
Academies/Training Centres?
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SECTION H: FUTURE TRAINING PROVISION
QH1:
How do you expect the composition of training provision in the Automotive sector to
develop over the next 5-10 years?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
Ö Do you expect:
o The number of providers to stay the same? Why?
o The number of providers to increase? Why?
o The number of providers to decrease – with a consolidation of
provision into a smaller number of larger-scale providers? Why?
Ö What impact will this development have on training in the sector – its cost, its
accessibility, its efficiency?
Ö How do you expect this to impact on the Automotive training that your
organisation offers?
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SECTION I: OTHER ISSUES
QI1:
Finally, are there any other comments relating to Automotive training, in either your
organisation or the Automotive sector in general, that you would like to make?
THANK AND CLOSE
“Thank you for taking part in this research, your views are important and will be fed back to
Automotive Skills.”
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Appendix 4: Automotive Employer Depth Discussion Guide
Automotive Employer Depth Discussion Guide
Training Practices and Attitudes
Interviewer details
Name of interviewer:
Date of interview:
Time of interview:
Duration of interview:
Respondent details (FROM SAMPLE)
Name:
Job title:
Organisation:
Telephone Number:
Contact Email:
Introduction (PLEASE READ)
“Good morning/Good afternoon. My name is ……………… and I’m from Ci Research. We
have been commissioned by Automotive Skills to carry out an assessment of the
characteristics of training within the Automotive sector.
You may already be aware that Sector Skills Councils have replaced National Training
Organisations, and that Automotive Skills is the new Sector Skills Council for the whole of the
retail motor industry. Automotive Skills has been given the remit of working with Employers
and Training Providers to drive up skill levels in the sector.
The reason for this call is that ……………. (from sample) suggested that you were a key
person to speak to regarding training within the Automotive Sector.
In light of this, would you be willing to take part in an in-depth telephone interview, obviously
at a time convenient to yourself, to talk through your organisation’s approach to training. The
interview should take no longer than one hour and will make an important contribution to the
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development of the Automotive sector. Your answers will be treated confidentially, and only
reported to Automotive Skills in an aggregated format.”
“The aim of this discussion is to identify the key drivers influencing training within the
Automotive Sector and we would appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions
openly and honestly.”
SECTION A: EMPLOYER CONTEXT
QA1:
Could we start by you outlining the Automotive sector or sectors that your
organisation/business operates in?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
QA2:
Outline the thirteen Automotive sub-sectors if necessary:
a) New vehicle sales - (franchised dealers, brokers, car supermarkets, on-line
retailers, etc.)
b) Used vehicle sales - (franchised dealers, car supermarkets, auctioneers,
and independents)
c) Regular maintenance and repair - (usually known as M&R, or “the local
garage”, that may be franchised or independent, plus mobile servicing, auto
electricians, and so on)
d) Parts suppliers, including factories, wholesalers and retailers
e) MOT testing and certification
f) Vehicle body repairs - (usually following an accident or damage, including
panel beating, painting, windscreen repairs, sunroofs, etc.)
g) Restoration services
h) Valeting services
i) Fast-fit operations - (in the style of 'Kwik Fit', for tyres, exhausts, clutches,
batteries, and other 'quick' replacement maintenance jobs carried out on
demand on the spot)
j) Other fitting operations - (e.g. ICE audio, electrical, security, etc)
k) Roadside rescue and recovery services - (e.g. AA, RAC, Green Flag, etc.,
and local breakdown operators)
l) Vehicle leasing and contract hire - (e.g. Lloyds TSB Autolease, LeasePlan
UK, Interleasing (UK), Lex Vehicle Leasing, etc.)
m) Daily rental fleets - (e.g. Hertz, Avis, etc); self-drive, vintage, classic, etc.
What is the size of the organisation/business?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
Contextual factors:
o Sales/turnover
o Number of employees
o Number of sites and geographic coverage within the UK
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SECTION B: RESPONDENT CONTEXT
QB1:
Could you please outline your role within the organisation/business and your
responsibilities with regards to training?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
Contextual factors:
o Role definition (i.e. Director, Personnel or Human Resource
Manager, Training Manager)
o Training responsibilities (i.e. local, regional, national or international)
o Experience with regards to training (i.e. time in the role)
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SECTION C: THE DRIVERS OF TRAINING
“Thank you. I would now like to focus on how you identify the nature and scale of training
requirements within your organisation/business.”
QC1:
Firstly, to what extent is the need for training within your organisation/business driven
by internal or external forces?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
How important are internal forces; such as a desire to:
o Improve performance?
o Increase customer service?
How important are external forces; such as training requirements created by:
o Legislation?
o Contractual obligations (i.e. franchise dealers whose employees have to
complete manufacturer training courses)?
o Technological or product developments in the sector which create skills
gaps?
o The activities of competitors?
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SECTION D: PRIORITIES FOR THE UPGRADING OF SKILLS
QD1:
Of the following competency categories, which has your organisation/business
prioritised for training and why?
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Management and Leadership Skills
Technical Skills
General Skills (such as communication, problem solving and team working
competencies)
Basic Skills (such as literacy and numeracy competencies)
Life Skills (such as attitude, motivation, willingness to learn and reliability)
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QD2:
How does the organisation/business determine which skills gaps are most critical
in delivering profitability?
How does the organisation/business differentiate between ‘essential’ and nice-tohave’ competencies?
Are some competencies such as ‘Life Skills’ perceived as being un-trainable?
Of the following occupation groups which are most likely to receive training within
your organisation/business and why?
♦
♦
♦
♦
Management Occupations
Sales Occupations
Workshop Occupations (i.e. Body Repair, Fast Fit etc)
Administrative Occupations
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QD3:
Do you assess which occupations have the greatest impact on profitability prior to
allocating training provision? If so, how is this done?
Does the training within the organisation/business focus on occupations which
are perceived as having the greatest impact on profitability or performance?
Or
Does training within the organisation/business focus on occupations with the
greatest competency gaps?
Who determines the training action to be taken?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
Are training decisions made at a branch level or by the head office? Why?
Is the training ‘action required’ determined solely by the employer themselves or
do external organisations have an input (i.e. organisations with whom they have
franchise contracts or the providers of ‘Product Compliment’ training)?
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SECTION E: TRAINING PLANS AND BUDGETS
“The following questions focus on how you plan for training within your organisation.”
QE1:
Are the training activities and priorities for your organisation/business contained
within a Company Training Plan?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
QE2:
ƒ
If NO, why?
o Is it not perceived as being necessary?
o Is the size of the organisation/business an issue?
o Are resource factors an issue?
ƒ
If YES, how?
o What does the plan contain?
o How often is the plan updated?
o What is the perceived value of the plan to the strategic planning
process?
Does your organisation/business have a formal training budget or is training funded
reactively when demand is identified?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
QE3:
ƒ
If the organisation/business has a formal training budget:
n) What are the perceived advantages of having a formal training budget (i.e.
enables forward planning activities)?
o) Is the training budget flexible or fixed?
ƒ
If the organisation/business funds training reactively:
p) Why?
i) Is a reactive approach perceived as being beneficial?
ii) Are resources limited, preventing specific allocations for specific
activities?
Do employees within the company have Individual Training Plans?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
If NO, why?
o Investigate whether this is because evaluation is perceived as being
unimportant, or whether it is prevented by factors such as insufficient
time, money or staff resources
If YES, how?
o What do the plans contain?
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o
o
How often are the plans updated?
What is the perceived of the plans to the development of both the
individual and the organisation/business?
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SECTION F: THE DELIVERY OF TRAINING
“The following sections focus on the delivery of training within your organisation.”
QF1:
Could you tell me whether your organisation/business meets all of its training needs
internally, via external private or public sector training providers, or by a combination
of internal and external provision?
Before you answer I would like to define what is meant by Internal and External
provision.
Internal
Provision
refers
to
all
training
that
is
delivered
by
your
organisation/business, either within the workplace or at designated training centres.
An example of internal provision would be Kwik-Fit, who provide ‘in-house’ training
on-site at their Kwik-Fit Centres and off-site at their Kwik-Fit Training Academies.
External Provision refers to all training that is delivered by an external organisation.
This includes public sector training, such as that provided by Higher Education
establishments, and private sector training, offered by independent training providers
(ReMIT) and companies with which your organisation/business has working
relationships with but no direct affiliation too.
Examples of private forms of external provision include companies who offer Product
Compliment training as a result of the purchase of new or updated equipment (i.e. a
new diagnostic machine) or a car dealership which receives sales and servicing
training from multiple car manufacturers.
INTERNALLY ONLY: Ask respondent SECTION F PART A
EXTERNALLY ONLY: Ask respondent SECTION F PART B
COMBINATION: Ask respondent SECTION F PART C
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SECTION F PART A: INTERNAL PROVISION ONLY
“You state that your organisation/business meets all of its training requirements internally.”
QFA1: How and where does the training take place and who is it delivered by?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Where does the training take place:
o On-site within the workplace?
o Off-site at a designated company training centre?
o Via a combination of workplace and training centre delivery?
If training centres are involved, is there a single training centre or multiple training
centres throughout the country?
How is the training delivered:
o On-the-job or off-the-job?
o Block release?
o Day release?
o Other methods?
o Via a combination of delivery methods?
Who is the training delivered by? Does the organisation/business have dedicated
training staff?
QFA2: Why does your organisation/businesses meet all of its training requirements
internally?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
The perceived value of internal training provision:
o Quality?
o Relevance?
o Cost?
The perceived flaws in private and public sector external provision:
o Availability?
o Quality?
o Cost?
o Relevance?
o Previous experience with external provision?
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SECTION F PART B: EXTERNAL PROVISION ONLY
“You state that your organisation/business meets all of its training requirements externally.”
QFB1: How do you determine which external training providers to use to meet your training
requirements?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
The extent to which the employer has a choice over how external training is
delivered and who it is delivered by. For example, how much of the training
offered by the employer is predetermined (i.e. Product Compliment
training/training provided by external companies with whom the employer has
franchise agreements with) and how much is down to their own discretion?
ƒ Which external training providers does the employer use:
o Private sector training providers?
o FE/HE/CoVE establishments?
o Universities?
o Other Companies?
o Other?
ƒ The factors which influence the employer when deciding which external training
provider or providers to use:
o The courses/qualifications on offer?
o Location?
o Quality of equipment and facilities?
o Specialist staff?
ƒ The extent to which the employer has developed a relationship with a single
training provider versus the propensity to use the services of a range of different
providers depending on the type and level of training
Ö How frequently the employer uses the services of external training providers?
QFB2: How and where does the training take place?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Where does the training take place:
o On-site within the workplace?
o Off-site at the external provider’s training centre?
o Via a combination of workplace and training centre delivery?
How is the training delivered:
o Full-time or part-time?
o On-the-job or off-the-job?
o Block release?
o Day release?
o E-learning or distance learning?
o Via a combination of delivery methods?
Does the employer believe external training providers are prepared to be flexible
to meet their needs?
QFB3:Why does your organisation/businesses meet all of its training requirements
externally?
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Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
The characteristics of private and public sector external provision:
o Availability?
o Quality?
o Cost?
o Relevance?
Ö The characteristics of the organisation/business which makes external provision
more appropriate:
o Cost of delivery?
o Size of company?
o Geographic dispersal of the organisation?
o The perceived benefit of external input (i.e. new ideas, experience of
working with other companies)?
ƒ Does the employer receive ‘Product Compliment’ training as a result of the
purchase of new or updated machinery or equipment, and if so, do they have any
choice in how or where it is delivered?
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SECTION F PART C: COMBINATION OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DELIVERY
“You stated that your organisation/business meets its training requirements via a combination
of internal and external provision.”
QFC1: Approximately what proportion of your training requirements are met internally and
what proportion is met by external training providers?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
Internal provision proportion: ……………
External provision proportion: ……………
QFC2: What training do you deliver internally?
QFC3: How and where does the internal training take place and who is it delivered by?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Where does the training take place:
o On-site within the workplace?
o Off-site at a designated company training centre?
o Via a combination of workplace and training centre delivery?
If training centres are involved, is there a single training centre or multiple training
centres throughout the country?
How is the training delivered:
o On-the-job or off-the-job?
o Block release?
o Day release?
o Other methods?
o Via a combination of delivery methods?
Who is the training delivered by? Does the organisation/business have dedicated
training staff?
QFC4: Why does your organisation/businesses meet these training requirements internally?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
The perceived value of internal training provision:
o Quality?
o Relevance?
o Cost?
The perceived flaws in private and public sector external provision:
o Availability?
o Quality?
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o
o
o
Cost?
Relevance?
Previous experience with external provision?
QFC5: What training do you deliver using external training providers?
QFC6: How do you determine which external training providers to use to meet your training
requirements?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
The extent to which the employer has a choice over how external training is
delivered and who it is delivered by. For example, how much of the training
offered by the employer is predetermined (i.e. Product Compliment
training/training provided by external companies with whom the employer has
franchise agreements with) and how much is down to their own discretion?
ƒ Which external training providers does the employer use:
o Private sector training providers?
o FE/HE/CoVE establishments?
o Universities?
o Other Companies?
o Other?
ƒ The factors which influence the employer when deciding which external training
provider or providers to use:
o The courses/qualifications on offer?
o Location?
o Quality of equipment and facilities?
o Specialist staff?
ƒ The extent to which the employer has developed a relationship with a single
training provider versus the propensity to use the services of a range of different
providers depending on the type and level of training
Ö How frequently the employer uses the services of external training providers?
QFC7: How and where does the training take place?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
Where the training takes place:
o On-site within the workplace?
o Off-site at the external provider’s training centre?
o Via a combination of workplace and training centre delivery?
ƒ
How is the training delivered:
o Full-time or part-time?
o On-the-job or off-the-job?
o Block release?
o Day release?
o E-learning or distance learning?
o Via a combination of delivery methods?
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ƒ
Does the employer believe external training providers are prepared to be flexible
to meet their needs?
QFC8: Why does your organisation/businesses meet these training requirements externally?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
The characteristics of private and public sector external provision:
o Availability?
o Quality?
o Cost?
o Relevance?
Ö The characteristics of the organisation/business which makes external provision
more appropriate:
o Cost of delivery?
o Size of company?
o Geographic dispersal of the organisation?
o The perceived benefit of external input (i.e. new ideas, experience of
working with other companies)?
ƒ Does the employer receive ‘Product Compliment’ training as a result of the
purchase of new or updated machinery or equipment, and if so, do they have any
choice in how or where it is delivered?
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SECTION G: COST OF TRAINING
“I would now like to focus on the cost of training to your organisation”
QG1:
To begin, could you outline who pays for the training that you provide and offer
approximations of the proportions they contribute?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QG2:
The proportion of funding contributed by:
o The Employer, either directly or indirectly (i.e. through the purchase of new
machinery – Product Compliment Training)?
o The Public Sector, which external funding bodies contribute?
o Trainees/Learners?
Is there any variation between different types of training?
Is there any variation between training provided for different age groups?
Who do you feel should be paying for Automotive training?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
QG3:
The proportion of funding the employer feels should be provided by:
q) The Employer themselves? Why?
r) External/public funding bodies? Why?
s) Trainees/Learners? Why?
As an employer, is it made clear to you what sources of public funds are available
for particular types of courses and/or employees? Who by?
What are the direct and indirect costs of training to your organisation/business?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
QG4:
The cost of the training?
The cost of travel and subsistence?
The cost of cover for absence?
The cost of reduced productivity whilst training?
Does the organisation receive ‘Product Compliment Training’, such as that
included with the purchase of new equipment or products? Are these costs taken
into account when assessments of the cost of training to the
organisation/business are made?
Is the cost of training to your organisation/business increasing, decreasing or
stagnant?
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Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
QG5:
Why?
o Is the demand for training within your organisation/business increasing (i.e.
more forms of training, more employees requiring more training)?
o Is the cost of the training programmes themselves increasing?
Given the costs of training, to what extent are you able to meet all of your training
needs?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
Are the budgets for training perceived as being sufficient?
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SECTION H: MEASURING THE IMPACT OF TRAINING
“I would now like to focus on how you measure the impact of the training you have provided to
employees.”
QH1:
Do you attempt to evaluate the quality and impact of the training your employees
have received?
Issues to consider/discussion prompts:
ƒ
If NO, why?
o Investigate whether this is because evaluation is perceived as being
unimportant, or whether it is prevented by factors such as insufficient
resources (i.e. time, money or staff)
o Examine what evaluation methods would the employer like to be able
to use
ƒ
If YES, how?
o How does the employer isolate the effects of training from other
factors that may have contributed to the results?
o Does the employer assess the employees involved before they
undertake the training, after the training has been completed, or both
before and after the training? Why is this method used?
o What criteria for measuring quality does the employer use (i.e. followup with trainees, follow-up with trainers, follow-up with employers,
follow-up with assessors, independent assessors, level of
completion)?
o Is there any variation in the assessment of training for personnel in
different occupations?
ƒ Management Occupations
ƒ Sales Occupations
ƒ ‘Workshop’ Occupations (i.e. Body Repair, Fast Fit etc)
ƒ Administrative Occupations
ƒ Other Occupations
o Is there any variation in the evaluation of different types of training?
Do certain types of training have measurable goals (i.e. the
productivity of a working in a certain process) and others not (i.e. soft
skills training)?
o What are the quantifiable benefits of training?
o Does the employer attempt to gauge the Return-On-Investment
(ROI) from training. Are the results of training converted into
monetary benefits in order to calculate the financial ROI or is the ROI
assessment restricted to the more subjective assessment of
objective satisfaction?
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SECTION I: OTHER ISSUES
QI1:
Finally, are there any other comments relating to training, in either your
organisation/business or the Automotive sector in general, that you would like to
make?
THANK AND CLOSE
“Thank you for taking part in this research, your views are important and will be fed back to
Automotive Skills.”
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Appendix 5: Automotive Employer Telephone Questionnaire
Automotive Employer Telephone Questionnaire
Training Activities and Attitudes
(Approximate Questionnaire Duration: 15 minutes)
SECTION A: RESPONDENT IDENTIFICATION
(Number of Questions: 3 Min 5 Max)
(NOTE: this section is intended to identify the individual most knowledgeable about training
issues at the Automotive establishment contained within the sample. The need for the
following questions will be determined by the level of information contained within the
sample.)
QA1:
Hello, my name is ……………., and I am calling on behalf of Automotive Skills.
Please may I speak to …………….
a) Individual named in the sample?
b) The person who is responsible for training at this establishment?
QA2:
Response/Category
Code
Route
Put through
1
Go to QA4
Person based elsewhere
2
Go to QA2
No such person
3
Go to QA3
Refused to put through
4
Close Interview
Call back later
5
Make Appointment
ASK QA2 IF ‘PERSON BASED ELSEWHERE’ AT QA1
Can you give me the details of the person I need to speak to?
RECORD DETAILS: NAME, JOB TITLE, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER
QA3:
ASK QA3 IF ‘NO SUCH PERSON’ AT QA1
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QA4:
a)
May I speak to the Owner, Managing Director or Senior Manager?
b)
Can I check his/her name? WRITE IN NAME
c)
Can I check his/her job title?
Response/Category
Code
Owner/Chairman/MD/Partner
1
Director or Manager of Personnel/HR/Recruitment/Employee Relations
2
Training Director/Manager
3
General/Site/Factory/Works Director or Manager
4
Administration/Office Director or Manager
5
Finance Director or Manager/Accountant/Company Secretary
6
Other Departmental Director or Manager
7
Senior Secretary/Secretary
8
Other (WRITE IN) …………………………………
9
Hello, my name is ………….. and I’m calling from Ci Research.
We have been
commissioned by Automotive Skills to carry out an assessment of the key issues
surrounding training in the Automotive sector.
You may already be aware that Sector Skills Councils have replaced National
Training Organisations, and that Automotive Skills is the new Sector Skills Council for
the whole of the retail motor industry.
Automotive Skills has been given the remit of working with Employers and Training
Providers to drive up skills levels within the sector and gaining an understanding of
the training practices of employers is vital to this process.
In light of this, would you be willing to take part in a short telephone interview which
focuses on your establishment’s training activities. Even if you do not carry out any
training we would still like to talk to you.
The interview can be conducted at a time convenient to yourself and will take
approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Your answers will be treated confidentially and will only be reported to Automotive
Skills in an aggregated format.
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QA5:
Can I just check that you are the best person for me to speak to about the training
you undertake at this establishment and if so whether you are willing to take part in
the survey?
Response/Category
Code
Route
Respondent correct and willing to be interviewed
1
Go to QB1
Respondent correct but call back later
2
Make
Respondent correct but refuses to be interviewed
3
Close Interview
Someone else at the establishment more relevant
4
Take Contact Details
Training matters only dealt with at a higher
5
Ask QA6
Appointment
level/central establishment of organisation
QA6:
ASK QA6 IF ‘TRAINING DEALT WITH AT A HIGHER LEVEL/CENTRAL
ESTABLISHMENT OF ORGANISATION’ AT QA5
Does this mean that nobody here has any say in the types and amount of training
undertaken at this establishment?
Response/Category
Code
Route
Nobody here has a say
1
Ask QA7
Someone else here has a
2
Ask QA8
3
Close Interview
say
Don’t know
QA7:
ASK QA7 IF ‘NOBODY HERE HAS A SAY’ AT QA6
Can you give me the details of the person responsible for training at a higher level of
the organisation and their responsibilities?
RECORD DETAILS: NAME, JOB TITLE, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER. DO NOT
CONTACT AT THIS STAGE
QA8:
ASK QA8 IF ‘SOMEONE ELSE HERE HAS A SAY’ AT QA6
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Can you give me the contact details of the best person to speak to at this location?
RECORD DETAILS: NAME, JOB TITLE, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER
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SECTION B: TRAINING PLANS, INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUDGETS
(Number of Questions: 2 Min 2 Max)
“The following questions focus on staff training and development.”
Q1:
Could you please tell me which of the following exist at your establishment…………..
READ OUT AND SELECT ONE OPTION FOR EACH CATEGORY
INTERVIEWER NOTE:
IF RESPONDENT INDICATES THAT ESTABLISHMENT IS COVERED BY A
COMPANY-WIDE BUSINESS PLAN/STRATEGY CODE AS ‘YES’
CODE AS ‘NO’ IF IN THE PROCESS OF DRAWING UP FIRST BUSINESS
PLAN/STRATEGY OR TRAINING PLAN/STRATEGY
CODE AS ‘YES’ IF CURRENTLY HAVE BUSINESS PLAN/STRATEGY OR
TRAINING PLAN/STRATEGY BUT IN THE PROCESS OF DRAWING UP A NEW
ONE
Response/Category
Yes
No
Don’t Know
A Business Plan or Strategy that outlines the
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
A Training Budget?
1
2
3
A Dedicated Human Resources or Training
1
2
3
1
2
3
objectives for the coming year?
A Company Training Plan or Strategy that
specifies in advance the level and type of training
your employees will need in the coming year?
A Training or Human Resources Handbook for
Staff?
Individual Training Plans for each of your
employees?
Manager
A Formal Staff Appraisal Process
Q2:
Which of the following categories best reflects your annual expenditure on training at
this location? READ OUT CATEGORIES AND SELECT ONE OPTION ONLY
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Response/Category
Code
Less than £500
1
£500 - £999
2
£1,000 - £4,999
3
£5,000 - £9,999
4
£10,000 - £49,999
5
£50,000 - £99,999
6
More than £100,000
7
Don’t know/refused (DO NOT READ OUT)
8
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SECTION C: DRIVERS BEHIND TRAINING
(Number of Questions: 3 Min 3 Max)
Q3:
How do you identify the training requirements of your employees? SELECT ALL
APPLICABLE. PROMPT ONLY IF NECESSARY
Q4:
Response/Category
Code
Informal staff appraisals
1
Formal staff appraisals
2
Performance monitoring
3
Customer satisfaction surveys
4
Independent evaluations/market research
5
Don’t undertake any specific activities to identify training requirements
6
Other (please specify)
7
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
8
What internal and external forces do you feel drive the need for training within your
organisation/business?
SELECT
ALL
APPLICABLE.
PROMPT
ONLY
IF
NECESSARY
Response/Category
Code
A desire to improve performance/profitability
1
A desire to increase customer service
2
Legislation
3
Contractual obligations
4
Technological or product developments in the sector
5
The activities of competitors
6
Staff retention/reduce turnover of staff
7
Other (please specify)
8
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
9
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Q5:
And to what extent do you see there being a link between training and the
performance of your business? PROMPT WITH SCALE, SELECT ONE OPTION
ONLY
Response/Category
Code
Strong link
1
Weak link
2
No link at all
3
Impossible to say
4
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
5
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
SECTION D: TRAINING ACTIVITIES
(Number of Questions: 3 Min 13 Max)
Q6:
Over the past 12 months, have you funded or arranged any training or development
for staff employed at this location?
Q7:
Response/Category
Code
Route
Yes
1
Ask Q7
No
2
Go to Q19
Don’t know
3
Go to Q20
Over the past 12 months, on average, how many days training and development
have you arranged for each member of staff receiving training? SELECT ONE
OPTION ONLY, PROMPT IF NECESSARY
NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: IF RESPONDENT SAYS ‘A WEEK’ OR ‘TWO WEEKS’
ETC PLEASE CHECK ‘SO HOW MANY WORKING DAYS IS THAT?’
Q8:
Response/Category
Code
Less than 1 day
1
1-5 days
2
6-10 days
3
11-15 days
4
16-20 days
5
More than 20 days
6
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
7
What proportion of all the training that takes place in your organisation is for
employees
in
each
of
RESPONDENT/EMPLOYEES
the
following
INVOLVED
IN
occupational
MULTIPLE
categories?
IF
OCCUPATIONAL
CATEGORIES ASK FOR PRIMARY OCCUPATION. IF NO TRAINING IS OFFERED
TO CERTAIN OCCUPATIONS OR IF NO EMPLOYEES WORKING IN CERTAIN
OCCUPATIONS AT SITE ADD 0%. ENSURE THAT THE OVERALL TOTAL
EQUALS 100%
Response/Category
Assessment of Current Provision
Percentage
Page 145 of 175
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
August 2006
Management Occupations
3
Sales Occupations
3
Workshop Occupations
3
Administrative Occupations
3
100%
Q9:
Thinking of the occupational categories that you have just outlined as receiving
training, I would like you to estimate the percentage of the training that has been
informal and the percentage that has been formal.
By Informal Training I am referring to training, such as demonstrations, workshops
and non-accredited short courses, which has been offered without the intention of the
employee gaining a formal qualification.
By Formal Training I mean training that has been undertaken with the intention of
the employee obtaining a formally recognised qualification such as an NVQ, BTEC or
Graduate Degree.
Firstly, what percentage of the training offered to employees in ………………. (each
occupational category receiving training at QD4) is Informal and what percentage is
Formal?
A) ENSURE THAT THE TOTAL FOR EACH OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY
RECEIVING TRAINING EQUALS 100%
B) IF FORMAL TRAINING IS OFFERED ASK THE INTERVIEWEE WHAT TYPES
OF QUALIFICATIONS ARE SUPPORTED FOR EACH OCCUPATIONAL
CATEGORY AND RECORD
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 146 of 175
August 2006
A) TYPE OF TRAINING
B) QUALIFICATIONS
SUPPORTED
Response/Category
Informal
Formal
Don’t know
1= Externally
Don’t know
Training
Training
(DO NOT
Accredited
(DO NOT
(i.e. NVQ)
READ
2= Internally
READ
OUT)
Accredited
OUT)
Management
100%
3
3
Sales Occupations
100%
3
3
Workshop
100%
3
3
100%
3
3
Occupations
Occupations
Administrative
Occupations
Q10:
Which of the following types of training have you provided or arranged for your
employees over the past 12 months? READ OUT TRAINING CATEGORIES AND
SELECT ONE OPTION FOR EACH
Response/Category
Yes
No
Don’t
know
Induction Training
1
2
3
Health & Safety Training
1
2
3
Basic Skills Training (such as literacy and numeracy
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
Management and Leadership Training
1
2
3
Supervisory Skills Training
1
2
3
Financial or Financial Compliance Training
1
2
3
Environmental Compliance Training
1
2
3
Job-Specific IT Training
1
2
3
General IT Training
1
2
3
Any other training (please specify)
1
2
3
training)
Generic Skills Training (such as communications, team
working, and customer interaction training)
Technical Skills (such as light/heavy vehicle maintenance
and repair, Fast Fit activities etc)
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Q11:
Thinking of each of the different types of training you have just outlined (Q10),
approximately what percentage of the cost do you feel has been paid for by your
organisation/business directly?
Response/Category
% paid for directly by
Don’t know (DO
the
NOT READ OUT)
organisation/business
Induction Training
3
Health & Safety Training
3
Basic Skills Training (such as
3
literacy and numeracy training)
Generic Skills Training (such as
3
communications, team working,
and customer interaction training)
Technical Skills (such as
3
light/heavy vehicle maintenance
and repair, Fast Fit activities etc)
Management and Leadership
3
Training
Supervisory Skills Training
3
Financial or Financial
3
Compliance Training
Environmental Compliance
3
Training
Q12:
Job-Specific IT Training
3
General IT Training
3
Any other training (QD5)
3
Focusing on the future, what proportion of the cost of training do you feel should be
met by yourselves, by the trainees/learners themselves, by external companies (such
as a manufacturer with whom you have franchise agreements) and by public funding
bodies? ENSURE THAT TOTAL EQUALS 100%
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 148 of 175
August 2006
Response/Category
Percentage
The Employer
Trainees/Learners
External
companies
such
as
Original
Equipment
or
Product
Manufacturers and Suppliers (OEMs)
Public Funding Bodies
Other
100%
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
Q13:
3
Of the different types of staff training and development that you have arranged, can
you
estimate
the
proportion
that has been
delivered
internally
by your
organisation/business?
Before you answer I would like to define what is meant by Internal and External
provision.
Internal
Provision
refers
to
all
training
that
is
delivered
by
your
organisation/business, either within the workplace or at designated training centres.
READ ONLY IF UNSURE: An example of internal provision would be Kwik-Fit, who
provide ‘in-house’ training on-site at their Kwik-Fit Centres and off-site at their KwikFit Training Academies.
External Provision refers to all training that is delivered by an external organisation.
This includes public sector training, such as that provided by Higher Education
establishments, and private sector training, offered by independent training providers
(ReMIT) and companies with which your organisation/business has working
relationships with but no direct affiliation too.
READ ONLY IF UNSURE: Examples of private forms of external provision include
companies who offer Product Compliment training as a result of the purchase of new
or updated equipment (i.e. a new diagnostic machine) or a car dealership which
receives sales and servicing training from multiple car manufacturers.
NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: CHECK IF RESPONDENT IS CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IS
MEANT BY INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PROVISION. IF NECESSARY, USE
EXAMPLES.
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 149 of 175
August 2006
ASK FOR EACH TYPE OF TRAINING SELECTED AT Q10.
Response/Category
Internal
Don’t Know
Provision %
Induction Training
3
Health & Safety Training
3
Basic Skills Training (such as literacy and
3
numeracy training)
Generic Skills Training (such as
3
communications, team working, and
customer interaction training)
Technical Skills (such as light/heavy
3
vehicle maintenance and repair, Fast Fit
activities etc)
Management and Leadership Training
3
Supervisory Skills Training
3
Financial or Financial Compliance
3
Training
Environmental Compliance Training
3
Job-Specific IT Training
3
General IT Training
3
Any other training (QD5)
3
Q14:
ASK ONLY IF PROVIDED SOME FORM OF ‘INTERNAL’ TRAINING AT Q13. IF
NOT GO TO Q16
Why did you offer the training you provided internally in that manner? SELECT ALL
APPLICABLE. PROMPT ONLY IF NECESSARY
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Q15:
Response/Category
Code
Company policy
1
To ensure quality
2
To ensure relevance
3
Cheaper than external provision
4
Training skills available internally
5
Quicker/Easier/Saves time off the job
6
Lack of availability of external provision
7
Lack of relevancy of external provision
8
Poor quality of external provision
9
Other (please specify)
10
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
11
Who delivered the internal training you provided for your employees? SELECT ALL
APPLICABLE. PROMPT ONLY IF NECESSARY
Response/Category
Code
Company Training Officer or Specialist/Dedicated Training
1
Staff
Q16:
Line manager
2
Other experienced staff
3
Other staff
4
Other (please specify)
5
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
6
ASK ONLY IF PROVIDED SOME FORM OF ‘EXTERNAL’ TRAINING AT Q13. IF
NOT GO TO Q22
Why did you offer the training you provided externally in that manner? SELECT ALL
APPLICABLE. PROMPT ONLY IF NECESSARY
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Response/Category
Code
Easily available
1
Cost of provision
2
Quality of provision
3
Size of company
4
Geographic dispersal of company
5
No option (requirement of franchise agreement, part of
6
equipment purchase package)
Q17:
To obtain external input (i.e. new ideas, experience)
7
Other (please specify)
8
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
9
Who delivered the external training you provided for your employees? SELECT ALL
APPLICABLE. PROMPT ONLY IF NECESSARY
Response/Category
Code
A ‘normal’ FE college
1
A ‘specialist’ FE college such as a COVE
2
A private training provider
3
Another company such as a Product/Service Supplier or
4
a Vehicle Manufacturer (OEM)
Q18:
Other (please specify)
5
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
6
When you have a choice, what factors do you take into consideration when deciding
what external training providers to use? SELECT ALL APPLICABLE. PROMPT ONLY
IF NECESSARY
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Response/Category
Code
Location of the provider/Distance from place of work
1
Courses/qualifications on offer
2
Quality of equipment and facilities
3
Time requirements of the courses/time taken off the job
4
Specialist staff
5
Cost
6
Historical usage/always used
7
Other (please specify)
8
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
9
IF ANSWERED INTERNAL AND/OR EXTERNAL PROVISION QUESTIONS GO TO Q22
Q19:
You mentioned that training has not been provided for any employees at this location
over the past twelve months, what are the main reasons for this? DO NOT READ
OUT. CODE ALL MENTIONED
Q20:
Response/Category
Code
Existing skills of employees meet our needs
1
New recruits have the skills that are needed
2
Employees learn from experience
3
Employees too busy to receive training
4
Employees too busy to give training
5
Training programme not yet in place
6
External training options not available
7
Can’t afford it/lack of finance
8
Other (please specify)
9
Don’t know
10
Are you likely to offer training to your employees in the future?
Response/Category
Code
Route
Yes
1
Ask Q21
No
2
Go to Q29
Don’t know
3
Go to Q29
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Q21:
Which of the following types of training are you likely to provide for your any of your
employees in the future? READ OUT CATEGORIES AND SELECT ONE OPTION
FOR EACH
Response/Category
Yes
No
Don’t
know
Induction Training
1
2
3
Health & Safety Training
1
2
3
Basic Skills Training (such as literacy and numeracy
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
Management and Leadership Training
1
2
3
Supervisory Skills Training
1
2
3
Financial or Financial Compliance Training
1
2
3
Environmental Compliance Training
1
2
3
Job-Specific IT Training
1
2
3
General IT Training
1
2
3
Any other training (please specify)
1
2
3
training)
Generic Skills Training (such as communications, team
working, and customer interaction training)
Technical Skills (such as light/heavy vehicle maintenance
and repair, Fast Fit activities etc)
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 154 of 175
August 2006
SECTION E: MEASURING THE IMPACT OF TRAINING
(Number of Questions: 4 Min 4 Max)
“I would now like to focus on how you measure the impact of the training that your
employees have received on the performance of your company.”
Q22:
Do you formally assess the impact of the training your employees have received on
the performance of your business?
Q23:
Response/Category
Code
Route
Yes
1
Go to Q23
No
2
Go to Q24
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
3
Go to Q25
How do you assess the impact of training on the performance of your business?
PROMPT. SELECT ALL APPLICABLE
Response/Category
Code
Assessment of the performance of trainees before the
1
Route
training has taken place
Assessment of the performance of trainees after the
2
Go to Q25
training has taken place
Assessment of the performance of trainees before and
3
after the training has taken place
Q24:
Assessment of the financial turnover of the business
4
Assessment of the profit margins of the business
5
Assessment of the sales of the business
6
The retention of key staff
7
Other (PLEASE SPECIFY)
8
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
9
Why don’t you assess the impact of training on the performance of your business?
SELECT ALL APPLICABLE, PROMPT ONLY IF NECESSARY
Response/Category
Code
Not perceived as being important
1
Insufficient money to do so
2
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 155 of 175
August 2006
Insufficient time to do so
3
Insufficient staff resources to do so
4
Simply responding to legislative requirements or compliance
5
Unable to isolate the impact of training from other factors which
6
may have contributed to results
Other (please specify)
7
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
8
IF RESPONDENT ANSWERS Q24 GO TO Q26
Q25:
What impact would you say the training you have offered to your employees has had
on…….? PROMPT WITH SCALE. SELECT ONE OPTION ONLY FOR EACH
CATEGORY
Response/Category
Large
Small
No
Unable to
Don’t
impact
impact
impact
say
know
Overall Business Productivity
1
2
3
4
5
Productivity of employees in
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Staff retention
1
2
3
4
5
Attracting and recruiting staff
1
2
3
4
5
Management Occupations (if
offered training at QD3)
Productivity of employees in
Sales Occupations (if offered
training at QD3)
Productivity of employees in
Workshop Occupations (if
offered training at QD3)
Productivity of employees in
Administrative Occupations (if
offered training at QD3)
Q26:
Overall, how satisfied are you with the impact that the training your employees have
received has had on the performance of your business? PROMPT WITH SCALE.
SELECT ONE OPTION ONLY
Response/Category
Code
Route
Very satisfied
1
Ask Q27
Fairly satisfied
2
Ask Q27
Not very satisfied
3
Ask Q28
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Q27:
Not at all satisfied
4
Ask Q28
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
5
Go to Q29
ASK ALL VERY SATISFIED/FAIRLY SATISFIED AT Q26
Why do you say that? DO NOT READ OUT. CODE ALL MENTIONED
Q28:
Response/Category
Code
Improved Business Productivity
1
Improved Financial Turnover of the Business
2
Improved Profit Margins of the Business
3
High financial ROI (Return on Investment) from training expenditure
4
Helped business meet strategic objectives
5
Gives a competitive edge to organisation
6
Improvements in quality of work/less wastage/customer returns
7
Improvements in staff motivation
8
Improvements in knowledge of employees
9
Other (specify) …………………………
10
Don't know
11
ASK ALL NOT VERY SATISFIED/NOT AT ALL SATISFIED AT Q26
Why do you say that? DO NOT READ OUT. CODE ALL MENTIONED
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Response/Category
Code
Little or no impact on Business Productivity
1
Little or no impact on Financial Turnover
2
Little or no impact on Profit Margins
3
Low financial ROI (Return on Investment) from training expenditure
4
Direct costs of training have been too high (i.e. cost of the training)
5
Indirect costs of training have been too high (i.e. reduced productivity
6
whilst training; cost of cover for employees undergoing training; cost of
other staff meeting the administrative requirements of training etc)
Hasn’t helped business meet strategic objectives
7
Hasn’t given a competitive edge to organisation
8
Little or no improvement in quality of work/wastage/customer returns
9
Little or no improvement in staff motivation
10
Little or no improvement in relevant knowledge of employees/training did
11
not provide the skills the business needs
Other (specify) …………………………
12
Don't know
13
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
SECTION F: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SAMPLED ESTABLISHMENT
(Number of Questions: 4 Min 4 Max)
“Finally, I would like to obtain some background information on your business.”
Q29:
Which of the following Automotive activities do you undertake at this location?
READ OUT ACTIVITIES AND SELECT ALL APPLICABLE
Response/Category
Q30:
Code
New vehicle sales
1
Used vehicle sales
2
Regular maintenance and repair
3
Parts suppliers, including factories, wholesalers and retailers
4
MOT testing and certification
5
Vehicle body repairs
6
Restoration services
7
Valeting services
8
Fast-fit operations
9
Other fitting operations
10
Roadside rescue and recovery services
11
Vehicle leasing and contract hire
12
Daily vehicle rental
13
Which of the following best describes your organisation’s type in the UK? READ OUT
CATEGORIES AND SELECT ONE OPTION ONLY
Q31:
Response/Category
Code
Route
Single site company or business
1
Go to Q32
Independent company with multiple sites
2
Ask Q31
Group of companies operating under different names
3
Ask Q31
ASK Q31 IF ‘MULTIPLE SITES’ OR ‘GROUP’ SELECTED AT Q30
What are the main functions of this site? SELECT ALL APPLICABLE. PROMPT IF
NECESSARY
Response/Category
Code
UK Head Office
1
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Q32:
Regional Head Office
2
Sales/Retail Branch
3
Workshop
4
Warehouse/Depot
5
Training Centre
6
Other (please specify)
7
Including yourself, can you tell me which of these category bands best represents the
number of people working at this location? READ OUT CATEGORIES AND SELECT
ONE OPTION ONLY
Q33:
Response/Category
Code
1
1
2-4
1
5-9
2
10-24
3
25-49
4
50-99
5
100+
6
Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT)
7
Thinking of all the people who work at this location, what percentage work in the
following four occupational categories? READ OUT FOUR OCCUPATIONAL
CATEGORIES AND ADD PERCENTAGE FOR EACH. ENSURE THAT TOTAL
ADDS UP TO 100%
Response/Category
Percentage
Don’t Know
Management Occupations
3
Sales Occupations
3
Workshop Occupations
3
Administrative Occupations
3
100%
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
SECTION G: FUTURE CONTACT
(Number of Questions: 2 Min 2 Max)
34.
Automotive Skills believe that capturing the views of employers within the sector is
vital to its successful development.
With this in mind, would it be possible for
Automotive Skills to approach you in the future to take part in similar research
activities?
35.
Response/Category
Code
Route
Yes
1
Go to Q35
No
2
Thank and Close
Would it be possible to obtain an email address which Automotive Skills could use to
contact you again in the future?
Response/Category
Code
Route
Yes (Capture Email Address)
1
Thank and Close
No
2
Thank and Close
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Appendix 4: Overview of Stage 2 Methodology and Sampling
Stage 2 of the Sector Skills Agreement was constructed using information obtained from a
range of secondary and primary research activities.
Secondary Research
Secondary data for Stage 2 was sourced by both Automotive Skills and Ci Research.
Provision
Using a series of LearnDirect classification codes (LDSC codes) selected by Automotive
Skills, Ci Research sourced a database of courses serving the sector from the University for
Industry (UfI), in order to provide a snapshot of the characteristics of provision (see Section
5). However, as a database could not be provided with the LDSC codes included, courses
were manually assigned to subject areas. Similarly, qualification levels were allocated via
primary research activities; including provider website analysis and telephone enquiries.
Once the database was constructed, GIS (Geographical Information Systems) software was
utilised to produce a range of maps giving a geographical overview of the number of courses
serving the retail automotive sector in each region or nation of the UK, encompassing
analysis of both course level and subject. In order to show all qualifications on one map,
courses were coded using the England, Wales and Northern Ireland Qualification Framework.
Whilst the UfI database cannot be considered a complete list, with particular concern raised
over the level of accuracy in Scotland, it did provide the most comprehensive indication of
how provision was distributed across the UK.
Funded Learner Data
In order to enable assessment of the take-up of learning, learning demographics and
achievement, Automotive Skills sourced data from the public sector funders of Further
Education and Work Based Learning in each of the four home countries; England (from the
Learning and Skills Council (LSC)), Scotland (from Scottish Enterprise (SEn) and Highland
and Islands Enterprise (HIE)), Wales (from Education and Learning Wales (ELWa)) and
Northern Ireland (from the Department for Education and Learning (DELNI)). Additional
Further Education data for Scotland was sourced by Ci Research from the Scottish Funding
Council (SFC). Higher Education statistics for the sector were obtained by Ci Research from
the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the Universities and Colleges Admissions
Service (UCAS).
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
However, due to variations in data collection systems, the level and detail of the information
available differed. Where information gaps were identified, each funding council was
approached for additional detail, however the data was either unavailable or resources did not
permit the supply of such data. As such, the Stage 2 report represents the most up-to-date
and comprehensive overview of publicly funded learner data that was available at the time of
publication.
Private Sector Training Provision
In addition to the training supplied by the public sector through further and higher education
institutions, and work based learning providers, training is also delivered by employers in the
workplace. Therefore, as part of the assessment of current provision, data was sourced from
a range of secondary sources such as SSDA Matrix, Futureskills Scotland, the Department
for Education and Learning in Northern Ireland (DELNI) and Future Skills Wales in order to
identify the incidence of this type of training in the sector.
Quality of Provision
In order to offer an assessment of the quality of training provision in each of the four home
countries, Ci Research sourced and examined assessments undertaken by the relevant
inspection bodies.
For provision in England, the available Ofsted inspection reports of providers of automotive
courses were assessed in terms of retention rates, pass rates and overall inspection grades
for Engineering and Motor Vehicle Departments. Similarly, Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI)
reports were assessed for providers of Engineering, Technology and Manufacturing work
based learning, both in terms of the overall inspection grade and in relation to the grades
awarded for leadership and management, equal opportunities and quality assurance. This
information was analysed for regional variations.
With regards to Northern Ireland, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) reports were
assessed. However, whilst the ETI is introducing a numerical grading system, the data
accumulated was insufficient at the time this report was produced to enable any meaningful
conclusions to be drawn. As such, the overall rating was based on an assessment of the
content of the conclusion or main findings sections of the inspection reports. Whilst these
assessments were subjective they did enable an overview of the quality of provision in
Northern Ireland to be produced.
For provision in Scotland, the quality inspection reports of Further Education colleges offering
courses in Road Vehicle Engineering and/or Vehicle Maintenance/Repair (as indicated by the
Scottish Funding Council enrolment data) were assessed in terms of overall college
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
performance. These HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIe Scotland) assessments focused on
a range of indicators, including educational leadership and direction; guidance and support;
resources and services to support the learner; staff; quality assurance; and quality
improvement. Where subject specific evaluations had also been undertaken in the broad
subject category of ‘Engineering’ these were also assessed.
For Wales, the inspection reports of HM Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales
(Estyn) were analysed, assessing overall Further Education establishment performance
against seven key evaluation questions. These questions focused on learner achievement;
the effectiveness of teaching, training and assessment; the extent to which the needs of
learners and wider community were being met; the level of care, guidance and support for
learners; the effectiveness of leadership and strategic management; the quality of evaluation
and improvement activities; and the effectiveness of resource utilisation.
Unfortunately, comparative analysis was restricted by the different inspection methodologies
and reporting approaches used in each of the four home countries and by the fact that not all
public sector training providers servicing the sector had received recent inspections.
Figure 45. Primary Research Activities
In collaboration with Automotive Skills, Ci Research designed and conducted a number of
large scale quantitative and qualitative investigations in order to support and explore the
issues behind the secondary data.
Assessment of Current Provision
Page 164 of 175
August 2006
Qualitative Research
The qualitative components of the research involved focus groups and depth interviews.
Focus group activities centred on a series of six Regional Employer Workshops organised by
Automotive Skills and facilitated by Ci Research. These took place in the fourth quarter of
2005 in Thatcham (01/09), Loughborough (06/09), Bristol (08/09), Manchester (13/09),
Newcastle (14/09) and Edinburgh (23/11), with discussions focusing on key issues for
workforce development and training in the sector. An additional focus group was conducted in
November 2005 with members of the retail automotive CoVE Quality Improvement Group
(see Appendix 23 for the discussion guide) to examine key issues facing public sector
training, both in the short, medium and long term.
In addition to the focus group activity, 40 depth interviews were conducted in the first quarter
of 2006 with a group of UK employers and training providers highlighted by Automotive Skills
as being either ‘exemplar’ or highly knowledgeable. The employers included small, medium
and large scale employers, whilst the group of training providers covered both public and
private sector. Lines of enquiry followed structured discussion guides (see Appendices 20 and
21) in order to elicit detailed and comparable responses. Training provider questioning
focused on market assessment activities, funding issues, quality assurance, networking
activities, and the future of training within the sector. Employer interviews focused on the
drivers of training, priorities for upgrading skills, training plans and budgets, the delivery of
training, and return on investment assessments.
Quantitative Research
To support this qualitative information, a quantitative survey of employers operating within the
retail automotive sector was also conducted. The sampling framework for the 2006 survey of
employers in the retail automotive sector utilised the Automotive Sector Integrated Research
Database. 96 This was constructed by Simpson Carpenter Ltd. on behalf of Automotive Skills
in September 2005 and represents the most comprehensive database of employers located
within the sector. It utilises data sourced from Yellow Pages, Dun & Bradstreet, and Sewells
‘Who Owns Who’ Database (covering car dealerships) and has been constructed around the
following SIC codes:
ƒ
5010
Sale of motor vehicles
ƒ
5020
Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles
ƒ
5030
Sale of motor vehicle parts and accessories
ƒ
5040
Sale, maintenance and repair of motorcycles, parts and accessories
ƒ
7110
Rent of automobiles
ƒ
7430
Technical testing and analysis (part only covering MOT inspection)
96
Simpson Carpenter Ltd. (2005) Automotive Sector Integrated Research Database
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The database is segmented by site type, region, employee numbers and primary activity
categories.
After consultation between Ci Research and Automotive Skills, a maximum sample size of
600 interviews was agreed. This was segmented by geographic location and company size in
order to offer a representative view of the opinions and experiences of employers.
Rather than using the entire database of 70,391 sites it was determined that the survey
should focus solely on Head Office locations, excluding subsidiary, divisional and branch
operations. It was felt that this would ensure that the respondents were those who were
responsible for making decisions with regards to training and would prevent the replication of
responses from branches of the same organisation. As such, the sampling framework was
constructed around a database of 52,035 organisations.
Figure 46. Retail Automotive Sector Head Offices
Country/Region
1-9 Employees
10-99 Employees
100+ Employees
Total
North East
1,675
222
22
1,919
North West
5,183
802
104
6,089
Yorkshire & Humber
4,012
590
93
4,695
East Midlands
3,200
547
75
3,822
West Midlands
4,427
707
96
5,230
South West
4,122
696
95
4,913
East
5,106
762
84
5,952
South East
6,661
1,128
162
7,951
London
3,225
445
66
3,736
Wales
2,318
350
42
2,710
Scotland
3,035
464
46
3,545
N Ireland
1,262
199
12
1,473
44,226
6,912
897
52,035
Total
Source: Simpson Carpenter Ltd (2005) Automotive Sector Integrated Research Database
Within the timeframe set for the survey, a total of 599 quantitative interviews were completed
with establishments in the Automotive Skills footprint. Reflecting the characteristics of the
sector these were predominantly with organisations with between 1 and 9 employees (511
interviews). 79 interviews were completed with organisations which had between 10 and 99
employees and 9 interviews with organisations with over 100 employees. 510 of these
interviews were with employers located in the nine English regions. Of the remaining, 41 were
completed with employers in Scotland, 31 with employers in Wales, and 17 with employers in
Northern Ireland.
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The quantitative questionnaire examined a wide range of issues, including training plans and
budgets, the drivers of training, training activities, and the impact of training. Responses were
weighted to reflect the actual population of the retail automotive sector.
Figure 47. Responses to the Quantitative Survey
Country/Region
1-9 Employees
10-99 Employees
100+ Employees
Total
North East
19
3
0
22
North West
61
9
1
71
Yorkshire & Humber
46
7
1
54
East Midlands
37
6
1
44
West Midlands
51
8
0
59
South West
48
8
1
57
East
59
9
1
69
South East
76
13
2
91
London
37
5
1
43
Wales
27
4
0
31
Scotland
35
5
1
41
N Ireland
15
2
0
17
511
79
9
599
Total
Source: Simpson Carpenter Ltd (2005) Automotive Sector Integrated Research Database
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August 2006
Glossary
Courses and Qualifications
Courses
When this report refers to courses, it refers to a programme of learning being carried out by
an individual training provider or college, which may or may not lead to a qualification. More
than one course available at an institution may lead to the same qualification.
Qualifications
When this report refers to qualifications, it refers to a specific type of programme of learning,
as accredited by an accreditation body such as QCA. In most cases, multiple training
providers will offer courses leading to any one qualification.
Types of Skills
Basic Skills
Basic Skills are considered to be a subset of particularly important Key Skills/Generic Skills
crucial for good performance in training, work and life in general. Official qualifications titled
‘Basic Skills’ are available. Basic Skills may also be referred to (outside Scotland) as Core
Skills, and some of the qualifications (e.g. IMI) use this title. They are usually defined as:
•
Communication (including Literacy)
•
Numeracy
•
ICT
Core Skills
In Scotland, Core Skills are an officially assessed set of skills, considered to be essential for
employment. Core Skills are those generic skills that can help individuals improve their own
learning and performance in education and training, work and life in general. A set of official
qualifications in Core Skills are available, which form an integral part of all Modern
Apprenticeships in Scotland. Core Skills are defined as:
•
Working with Others
•
Communication (including Literacy)
•
Numeracy
•
Problem Solving
•
ICT
Outside Scotland, Core Skills is an unofficial synonym for ‘Basic Skills’.
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Essential Skills
Essential Skills are the most basic set of generic employability skills. Although definitions
vary, and the term may be used informally to refer to a wider set of generic skills, they are
usually defined only as literacy and numeracy. For example, the Essential Skills Support Unit
(http://www.essu.org) define it as: “The ability to read, write and speak in English/Welsh and
to use mathematics at a level necessary to function and progress at work and in society in
general.”
Generic Skills
Generic Skills is a term used by this report to refer to skills useful in the workplace which are
transferable between employers and sectors, in particular communication, problem solving
and team working.
Key Skills
Key Skills are those generic skills that can help individuals improve their own learning and
performance in education and training, work and life in general. Apart from in Scotland, they
are an officially defined and assessed set of skills, considered to be essential for employment.
A set of official Key Skills qualifications are available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland,
which form an integral part of apprenticeship frameworks. Although the term may be used
unofficially in Scotland, the standard Scottish qualifications are in ‘Core Skills’. Key Skills are
defined as:
•
Communication (including Literacy)
•
Numeracy
•
ICT
•
Working with Others
•
Problem Solving
•
Self Improvement
Life Skills
Life Skills is an informal term used by this report to refer to a set of skills relating to the ability
to work with managers and other employees in the workplace, primarily attitude, motivation,
willingness to learn and reliability.
Technical Skills
Technical Skills in this report is a term used to refer to generic or specific vocational skills
involving the use or repair of machinery or vehicles, whether these skills are taught by an
external training provider or in the workplace. This would include, for example, a course in
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair.
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Types of Training Provision
External Training Provision
Provision of training by a college or other training provider separate to the organisation
employing the learner; whether that training is delivered by within the workplace or at a
designated external site.
Internal Training Provision
Training provided by employees of the company employing the learner. This may be provided
in the workplace or at an external training centre.
Formal Training Provision
For the purposes of this report, Formal Training Provision is defined as any learning activity,
whether provided externally or internally, which leads to a formally recognised qualification.
Informal Training Provision
For the purposes of this report, Informal Training Provision is defined as any learning activity,
whether provided externally or internally, which does not lead to a formally recognised
qualification.
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August 2006
Abbreviations
Figure 48. Abbreviations
Abbreviation
Full Title
ABC
Awarding Body Consortium
UK Relevance
ALP
Association of Learning Providers
ARMS
Automotive Retail Management Standards
BTEC
Business and Technology Education Council
C&G
City and Guilds
CBI
Confederation of British Industries
CMI
Chartered Management Institute
ECU
Electronic Control Unit
ETLLD
Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning
Department
FAB
Federation of Awarding Bodies
FE
Further Education
FEDS
Framework for Economic Development in Scotland
FSA
Financial Services Authority
HE
Higher Education
HESA
Higher Education Statistics Agency
HIE
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
HNC
Higher National Certificate
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland
HND
Higher National Diploma
HNQ
Higher National Qualification
Scotland
HMIe
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education
Scotland
HV
Heavy Vehicle
ICT
Information and Communication Technology
IMI
The Institute of the Motor Industry
IT
Information Technology
JCQ
Joint Council for Qualifications
KPIs
Key Performance Indicators
LDCS
LearnDirect Classification System
LEC
Local Enterprise Company
LFS
Labour Force Survey
Scotland
LSDA
Learning and Skills Development Agency
LV
Light Vehicle
MA
Modern Apprenticeship
MAIG
Modern Apprenticeship Implementation Group
NA/NR
Not Applicable/Not Recorded
Scotland, Wales, Northern
Ireland
NC
National Certificate
ND
National Diploma
NDPB
Non-Departmental Public Body
NI
Northern Ireland
NOS
National Occupations Standards
NQ
National Qualification
NVQs
National Vocational Qualifications
OCR
Oxford, Cambridge and Royal Society of Arts Exam
Board
Assessment of Current Provision
Scotland
Scotland
Page 171 of 175
August 2006
Abbreviation
Full Title
PDA
Professional Development Award
UK Relevance
QAA
Quality Assurance Agency
SCQF
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
Scotland
SEn
Scottish Enterprise
Scotland
SESS
Scottish Employers Skills Survey
Scotland
Scotland
SFC
Scottish Funding Council
Scotland
SFEFC
Scottish Further Education Funding Council
Scotland
SFEU
Scottish Further Education Unit
Scotland
SHEFC
Scottish Higher Education Funding Council
Scotland
SIC
Standard Industry Classification
SMEs
Small and Medium Enterprises
SNA
Skills Needs Assessment
SQA
Scottish Qualifications Authority
Scotland
SQMS
Scottish Quality Management System
Scotland
SSA
Sector Skills Agreement
SSCs
Sector Skills Councils
SSDA
Sector Skills Development Agency
SSS
Smart Successful Scotland strategy
Scotland
STUC
Scottish Trades Unions Council
Scotland
SULF
Scotland Union Learning Fund
Scotland
SVQs
Scottish Vocational Qualifications
Scotland
TUC
Trades Unions Council
UCAS
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
UfI
University for Industry
UHI
University of the Highlands and Islands
UK
United Kingdom
VRQs
Vocationally Related Qualifications
WBL
Work Based Learning
WDP
Workforce Development Plan
Assessment of Current Provision
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Scotland
August 2006
Bibliography
TM
Automotive Retail Management Standards
TM
Management Standards
(ARMS) (website, 04/2006) Automotive Retail
http://www.armsprofessional.org.uk/content/section/5/104/
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Standards, http://www.automotive-skills.org.uk/auto/control/standards
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http://www.automotiveskills.org.uk/auto/control/StandardsModApprenticeship_Intro_Menu
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Profile 2005
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Further Education
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Futureskills Scotland (2005) Scottish Employers Skill Survey 2004: Skills in Scotland 2004
Futureskills Scotland (2005) Scottish Employers Skill Survey 2004: Training Activity
Higher Education Statistics Agency (2006) Enrolment Statistics 2002/03, automotive sector data
provided by HESA for this report
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (2005) Operating Plan 2005: Executive Summary
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (2006) Modern Apprenticeship and Skillseekers Data, automotive
sector data provided by HIE for this report
HMIe Scotland (2006) A Framework for Evaluating the Quality of Services and Organisations
HMIe Scotland (2006) Further Education Inspection Reports 2002-06
LearnDirect Scotland (website, 07/2006) Who are we? http://www.lds4partners.com/Whoarewe/
whowearesummary.htm
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Assessment of Current Provision
Page 173 of 175
August 2006
Motor Industry Training Council (2001) MITC submission to Scottish Executive Lifelong Learning
Consultation
Motorsport Industry Association (2003) Motorsport Valley Workforce Development Plan
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http://naa.org.uk/examsoffice/help/ index_qualifications_overview.html
Scottish Enterprise (2003) Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland: Overview of Policy and Practice
Scottish Enterprise (2004) Skillseekers: A Guide for Employers
Scottish Enterprise (2004) Skillseekers: A Guide for Young People
Scottish Enterprise (2006) Scottish Enterprise Operating Plan 2006-09: Executive Summary
Scottish Enterprise (2006) Modern Apprenticeship and Skillseekers Data, automotive sector data
provided by SEn for this report
Scottish Executive (2005) ETLLD Business Plan 2005/06
Scottish Executive (2004) Life through Learning through Life
Scottish Executive (2000) The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland (FEDS)
Scottish Executive (2001) Smart Successful Scotland Strategy (SSS)
Scottish Funding Council (website, 09/2006) Infact Database, 2004/05 Data, www.sfc.ac.uk/infact
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Scottish Funding Council (2005) Supply and Demand of Further Education in Scotland
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Scottish Qualifications Authority (website, 07/2006) About Our Qualifications
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/
Scottish Qualifications Authority (website, 09/2006) Scottish Group Awards,
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/
Scottish Qualifications Authority (2005) Scottish Qualifications
Scottish Qualifications Authority (2006) NQ Quick Guide
Scottish Qualifications Authority (2006) Review of College and HEI Teaching Funding
Methodologies
Sector Skills Development Agency (2005) Briefing Paper – Organisation Series: Scottish Enterprise
network
Sector Skills Development Agency (2005) Briefing Paper – Organisation Series: Scottish Trades
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Sector Skills Development Agency (website, 04/2006) SSDA Sector Skills Matrix,
http://www.ssdamatrix.org.uk/
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006
Sector Skills Development Agency/Automotive Skills (2004) Key Findings from the National
Employer Skills Survey 2003: Automotive Skills
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Trade Unions Congress (2006) Response to ‘Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life
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this report
Assessment of Current Provision
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August 2006