UK Parking Qualifications Strategy
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY…..……………………………………………………………..……………………….......3
2
SCOPE OF THE QUALIFICATIONS STRATEGY
2.1
Overall scope of the qualifications strategy .................................................... 5
2.2
Priorities within the overall scope ............................................................... 11
3
SECTOR WORKING ENVIRONMENT
3.1
Special features or characteristics .............................................................. 16
3.2
Future trends........................................................................................... 17
4
CURRENT QUALIFICATIONS AND OTHER LEARNING PROVISION
4.1
Main qualification types............................................................................. 19
4.2
Current volumes ...................................................................................... 21
4.3
Match to employers’ needs ........................................................................ 22
5
5.1
6
OTHER SECTOR USES OF QUALIFICATIONS
Consumer protection ................................................................................ 24
HOW THE BRITISH PARKING ASSOCIATION WILL HELP REALISE THE FUTURE
6.1
Vision of future qualifications ..................................................................... 26
6.2
Past and future dialogues .......................................................................... 27
6.3
Practical help ........................................................................................... 28
6.4
Future evolution of the qualifications strategy .............................................. 28
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The British Parking Association is the standards setting body for the UK parking sector
and as such has taken responsibility for advancing the skills agenda for the sector. It
is the largest professional association in the UK representing organisations in the
parking and traffic management industry.
The BPA has around 700 member
organisations equally split between the public and private sector.
The parking sector requires a clear route map to enable it to get from where it
currently is to the position of having a clear skills and qualifications framework in
place. This qualifications strategy (QS) provides the vehicle to refocus and be
explicitly clear about the priorities for the professional development of the parking
sector, obtain a more detailed understanding of the practical action needed to achieve
these priorities and the resources required to implement the actions.
The UK Parking Sector Skills Strategy set out a number of clear aims to improve and
develop the skills, knowledge, qualifications and professionalism of the sector’s
workforce and to create a learning culture in the sector. It is essential that the QS is
developed in a way to achieve these aims and that activity is focused on the essential
building blocks for the creation of a parking profession.
A series of research documents, including the UK Parking Sector Skills Strategy has
been used as a base for the QS. As far as was possible these reports utilised the
available national secondary data sources, for example Annual Business Inquiry,
Annual Population Survey 2006 and 2001 Census. Qualitative research was also
commissioned to inform the skills needs and skills supply assessments. Unfortunately,
the parking sector does not have appropriate standard industry classifications and only
two parking occupations are currently separately identified in national statistics. The
weakness in the data sets makes the task of profiling the parking sector and workforce
particularly difficult.
To summarise the main findings, the parking sector has a consistently high proportion
of the workforce with no or below level-2 (level-5 SCQF) qualifications and skills gaps
were identified in the most essential skill and knowledge areas such as the law,
customer service and communications. Research for the skills strategy confirmed that
there are very few nationally accredited parking qualifications, those available cover
front line operational occupations only. The sector currently has only one suite of
NOS, it too applies to the front line operational workforce. There is very low uptake in
parking qualifications across the FE sector in all four nations.
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This vicious circle perpetuates the low skills trap and prevents the sector from moving
towards its vision of providing excellent service to the community through the
knowledge, skills and professionalism of the workforce.
Legislation and technology were identified as the main drivers of skills change within
the sector, including civil parking enforcement and the extension of CCTV
enforcement. Whilst there are broad similarities between the four nations in relation
to their skills policies, there are differences in both how the devolved administrations
organise the parking sector and variations in how far they have adopted the legislative
framework which will need to be addressed.
Starting from this low base it is essential that the sector is enabled and supported to
confidently articulate its qualification needs to providers and for providers to be
reassured that the sector is serious about up-skilling its workforce. The BPA is
committed to providing leadership to the sector in learning, skills and qualifications.
To achieve this goal, two overarching priorities have been developed.
The first priority is to build full functional and occupational maps for sector occupations
and work activities thereby charting the groups for whom vocational qualifications are
appropriate and the related standards. The process will identify gaps, reveal where
updates are necessary and classify existing applicable generic qualifications.
Priority areas for nationally accredited qualification development are CCTV
enforcement, notice processing and car park attendant. The priority for national
occupational standards development is administration and notice processing. Parking
management has been identified as a priority area for the development of specialist
modules that can be accessed either as stand alone units of learning or in conjunction
with generic qualifications.
The second priority is to develop a recognised career pathway, linked to qualifications,
that for the first time gives learners the opportunity to progress flexibly in the sector
and helps employers to establish a learning culture. Clearer signposting of possible
progression opportunities should help increase the demand for learning within the
sector.
These actions will enable the sector to establish clear priorities for learning and skills
and to conduct a more informed dialogue with providers and funding agencies,
driving up both the supply and demand for skills.
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2
SCOPE OF THE QUALIFICATIONS STRATEGY
2.1 Overall scope of the qualifications strategy
2.1.1 The UK Parking Sector
The UK parking sector covers a diverse range of activities in the public and private
sectors. Broadly speaking it covers the following activities:
•
Local authorities responsible for traffic management as well as both on-street
and off-street parking activities
•
Private sector operators responsible for off-street parking, for example, car
parks, hospitals, railway stations, supermarkets and airport parking sites
•
Private sector subcontractors working on on-street parking
•
Specialist learning providers and consultants advising both on- and off-street
operations
•
Specialist equipment manufacturers and suppliers (e.g. pay and display
machines)
•
Operators carrying out specialist activities such as vehicle immobilising, vehicle
removal and debt recovery (bailiffs) and so on
It has been estimated that the parking sector employs about 60,000 people in the UK1.
Of these:
• 18,000 work on-street
• 24,500 work in off-street activities
• 10,000 are office-based
• 3,000 are in management positions
• 5,000 are in support services (for example, finance, human resources)
Employers in the parking sector span both the private and public sector. Within local
government in England, Scotland and Wales, parking is usually, although by no means
exclusively, a function that is linked to the wider highways and transportation function.
Within Great Britain there are currently 442 local authorities divided between the three
nations as follows:
•
•
•
England - 388 local councils (including unitary, county, borough and district
authorities)
Scotland - 32 unitary councils
Wales - 22 unitary councils
Whilst parking in local government ranges from large parking units in metropolitan
areas employing hundreds of people, to small rural districts where one person may
take on responsibility for parking, it nevertheless is an extremely important function
within local government and one that has a fundamental impact on everyday life in
1
UK Parking Sector Skills Strategy, British Parking Association, 2007, page 16.
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towns and cities across the UK. Over 200 councils across the UK now have some form
of civil parking enforcement.
In Northern Ireland parking is dealt with differently, where it is managed by the
Department for Regional Development.
Within the private sector, employment within the parking sector tends to be dominated
by a number of very large ‘national’ organisations. The services provided include
responsibility for off-street parking, for example car parks, hospitals, railway stations,
supermarkets and airport parking sites. In addition there are some private sector
subcontractors working on on-street parking.
6.4.1.1
Standard Occupational Classification / Standard Industrial Classification
Parking appears under SIC code 63.21 ‘other supporting transport activities’ which is
extremely broad and includes activities that fall outside of the private parking sector.
In addition the code excludes private sector on-street contractors and vehicle removal
companies. The code also excludes the large number of local government employees
engaged in the parking profession which are classified under the SIC codes concerning
public administration. The SOC codes only enable identification of data for ‘traffic
wardens’ and ‘car park attendants’. The BPA is committed to lobbying ONS to improve
the relevance of the classification codes in relation to the industry. In the meantime, a
feasibility study will be considered to review if the industry will support a basic
employer LMI benchmarking survey.
The sector has experienced significant growth in the workforce over the period 1998 –
2005, with employment increasing by about 145% (40,352 jobs) across Great Britain,
however, due to issues with the SIC code the data cannot be analysed to determine
whether this growth is specific to the parking sector. The largest increase in numbers
has been in London, which accounted for well over 50% of all such growth in Great
Britain. London contained the highest level of employment (47%) for this parking SIC
code and is undoubtedly the centre of activity in relation to other supporting land
transport activities. The North West (11% of employment) and Yorkshire and the
Humber (8%) also had a relatively large share of employment at this time.
2.1.2 Occupations covered
The UK parking sector is necessarily diverse, with a wide range of occupations from
strategic level parking managers, to tactician-focused contract managers to a large
base of operational staff. The following table 2.1 maps parking sector occupations
against generic qualifications.
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Table 2.1
Parking sector occupations
NQF
and
FHEQ
England,
Northern Ireland and Wales
Level-8 / D
Doctorate
SCQF Scotland
Managing director, chief executive
Level-7 / M
Masters
SCQF level-11
Masters, SVQ 5
Parking manager, area manager,
parking operations manager
Level-6 / H
Honours degree
SCQF level-10
SCQF level-12
Doctorate
Honours Degree
Contract manager, contract
compliance manager, manager
of several car parks, call centre
manager, debt recovery
manager, correspondence
manager
Level-5 / I
HND,
Foundation degree
SCQF level-8
Assistant operations manager,
contract manager,
contract compliance officer,
permit supervisor,
call centre supervisor
Level-4 / C
Certificate of Higher
Education,
NVQ level-44
SCQF level-7
Parking attendant supervisor (onstreet, off-street), civil
enforcement officer supervisor,
pound supervisor,
permits officer, debt recovery
officer, appeals officer,
representations officer,
correspondence officer
Level-3
NVQ level-3,
A-levels
SVQ level-3, can sit at SCQF
level-6 or 7,
Higher SCQF level-6
SCQF level-5 / 6
Intermediate level-2 / Credit
Standard Grade at SCQF level-5
Senior on-street parking
attendant / civil enforcement
officer, senior off-street parking
attendant, dispatch controller
Level-2 / 3
SCQF level-5 Intermediate level-2
/ Credit Standard Grade at SCQF
level-5
Parking attendant, civil
enforcement officer, vehicle
immobiliser, removal truck driver,
pound officer, administrative
assistant, closed-circuit
television enforcement operator,
call centre operator,
customer service officer
Level-2
GCSEs at A to C,
NVQ 2
Intermediate level-2
/ Credit Standard Grade at SCQF
level-5
Trainee parking attendant / civil
enforcement officer, trainee
administrator / notice processor
Level-1
GCSEs at D to G,
NVQ 1
Higher National Diploma
SVQ 4 can sit at SCQF level-8 or 9
Higher National Certificate
HNC
SCQF level-6
SVQ level-2 sits at SCQF level-5
SCQF level-4
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Intermediate level-1 /
General standard grade,
SVQ level-1 sits at SCQF level-4
2.1.3 Population of learners
Research for the UK Parking Sector Skills Strategy estimated the sector employs some
60,000 people covering the breadth of the UK parking sector including those working
in equipment manufacturing and supply, debt recovery and other specialist activities.
This qualifications strategy is intended to clarify and support learning for those
involved or wishing to become involved in activities which are core to parking and not
represented within the footprints of other SSCs. The BPA is aware that as with all
sectors there are overlap areas, for example transport planners sit with GoSkills. The
intention is to update skills and encourage career progression for those already within
the sector as well as improving recognition and attractiveness of the sector as a
profession to those seeking employment.
The parking sector in the UK has a high proportion of traffic wardens2 and an
extremely high proportion of car park attendants that are male (about 90% of the
workforce comparative to 53% for all occupations).
Female car park attendants and traffic wardens generally appear to have higher
qualification levels than their male counterparts.
The proportion of car park
attendants and traffic wardens with no qualifications are concentrated in the 35+ age
bands.
The Annual Population Survey 2006 and 2001 Census indicated that the parking sector
has been particularly successful in attracting workers from black and minority ethnic
backgrounds in London. Outside of London however, there is scope for attracting a
more ethnically diverse workforce.
• 71% of traffic wardens are white, which compares with a figure of 92% for all
occupations in the UK.
•
82% of car park attendants are white, which again compares with a figure of
92% for all occupations in the UK.
There is a consistently high proportion of traffic wardens and car park attendants
across England, Wales, Northern Ireland with below level-2 or no qualifications (see
table 2.2). Data for Scotland is not directly comparable but there would appear to be
a similar profile.
Table 2.2: Proportion of traffic wardens and car park attendants with no
qualifications by nation
Nation
Traffic wardens
Car park attendants
England
28%
43%
Northern Ireland
40%
60%
Wales
31%
54%
Scotland
41%
45%
UK
30%
44%
UK (all sectors)
10%
10%
Source: 2001 Census and APS 2006
2
Traffic warden and car park attendant are currently the only two standard occupational classification (SOC)
codes available for the parking sector. It is noted that these categories are not in keeping with standard
industry terminology.
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For an employer, the problems that can be related to a poorly qualified workforce
include lower productivity, profitability and efficiency. Failure to invest in development
can lead to poor morale and motivation which affects performance and can result in
costly higher turnover. Research commissioned by the BPA indicated that a lot of
operational staff moved on because of the lack of development opportunities or clarity
of progression routes3.
In a changing environment an adaptable, flexible and skilled workforce is essential to
maintain a competitive edge and provide excellent services.
A predominately
unqualified workforce is likely to be less confident about change and take longer to
implement changes and adapt working practices. In England and Wales, the transition
from parking attendants to civil enforcement officers (CEOs) and the recommendation
that all new and existing CEOs hold a level-2 nationally accredited qualification is a
significant challenge for the sector.
The BPA is seeking to tackle these issues by: developing and maintaining accredited
parking qualifications, developing and maintaining the specialist learning modules and
units of learning and achievement, promoting the use of specialist parking modules
and units as options within general qualifications, developing and maintaining national
occupational standards.
2.1.4 Range of current provision
Employers use a range of generic qualifications in subjects such as customer services,
leadership and management, business administration etc. The formal qualifications
types held within the parking sector are:
• Scottish and national vocational qualifications (S/NVQs)
• Vocationally related qualifications (VRQs)
• Higher education qualifications
• Customised qualifications
There are few nationally accredited parking qualifications specifically related to the
sector and they are concentrated at NQF level-2 (equivalent to SCQF level-5).
The S/NVQ level-2 in Controlling Parking Areas is being updated during 2008 and from
2009 will offer five pathways: parking control, barrier and pay station control, vehicle
immobilisation, vehicle removal and CCTV enforcement. Other recent changes include
the replacement of the level-2 certificate for parking attendants with the VRQ level-2
award for civil enforcement officers (parking) which sits on the QCF.
The two level-3 qualifications, supervising parking areas and parking clerical, have
both expired. It would appear that these were not fit for purpose and subsequently
there was poor take up. Work undertaken to inform this qualification strategy has
highlighted the need to revisit qualification provision for these occupations,
underpinning the need for a functional and occupational mapping exercise.
3
Parking Workforce Survey February 2006 Turquoise Thinking Ltd
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By the end of 2009 the BPA will have facilitated the development of a nationally
accredited award for notice processing in conjunction with City & Guilds.
The BPA’s strategy is to make available specific underpinning parking knowledge in
VRQs and to then encourage learners to migrate into existing generic qualifications, for
example, team leadership, business administration and management. This provides a
learning pathway with both technical and generic elements and widens the choice for
development.
Table 2.3 Qualifications available to the parking sector 2008
Qualification
England
Wales
Scotland
Northern
Ireland
S/NVQ level-2
Controlling Parking
Areas
●
●
●
●
●
●
+
+
●
●
*
*
BTEC level-2
Award in Vehicle
Immobilisation
VRQ level-2 Award for
Civil Enforcement
Officers (Parking)
+ This qualification is linked to the SIA licence to practise for vehicle immobilisers.
Vehicle immobilising on private land is unlawful in Scotland, local authorities can
choose to immobilise if they wish, but rarely do so. The SIA currently has no remit in
Northern Ireland so SIA licences to practise are not required.
* The devolved administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland have not adopted the
legislation in full at this time. However, the role is essentially the same and therefore
the award is relevant.
There are currently three customised intermediate awards concerning decriminalised
parking and CCTV enforcement. The CCTV enforcement award was developed out of a
specific need in London and it is intended to develop a nationally accredited CCTV
qualification by the end of 2009. This is in anticipation of increased demand due to the
expected extension of CCTV enforcement powers throughout England and Wales in
2009.
The sector also benefits from non-qualification based provision including:
• Continuous professional development opportunities
• Unaccredited training by employers and private learning providers
• Informal and semi-structured work-based learning including induction training
It is the BPA’s vision that the Institute of Parking Professionals (IPP) will grow the
capacity to administer and develop from the wealth of existing unaccredited activity, a
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range of accredited parking learning and development that will update professionals
and contribute to their continuing professional development.
The overwhelming conclusion from the skills needs assessment, assessment of current
provision and resulting gap analysis (January 2008) showed that there is a very low
uptake in parking qualifications across the FE sector in all four nations.
This very low uptake also means that the parking sector does not appear to benefit
from government funding designed to increase participation in provision within the FE
sector (in England currently under Train to Gain4).
2.2 Priorities within the overall scope
The vision expressed for the parking sector can be summarised ‘from activity to
profession’. The UK Parking Sector Skills Strategy states that “our vision is of a
vibrant parking sector that provides excellent service to the community through the
knowledge, skills and professionalism of the workforce”.
Currently the parking sector only has one suite of national occupational standards
(NOS) that apply to the front-line, operational workforce. The BPA has applied for
funding to develop functional and occupational maps to identify where further NOS are
required. Concurrently the BPA is developing specialist NOS, in conjunction with the
Council for Administration, for notice processing staff. The research underpinning the
UK Parking Sector Skills Strategy and further skills needs analyses identified the
following major learning and qualification issues in the parking sector. Due to the
importance of these occupations, some of these areas are already being addressed.
•
There are significant skills gaps even in the most essential skills and knowledge
areas for example, communication, the law and customer service.
•
There are gaps in sector specific qualifications and several occupational groups that
are currently not served by a nationally accredited qualification. Whilst generic
qualifications would be suitable for some occupations it is considered that a case
can be made for specific qualifications for:
•
o
parking managers
o
car park attendants
o
administrators / notice processors in parking back-offices
o
closed-circuit television parking and traffic enforcement
The absence of a clear and structured suite of qualifications is a barrier to sector
entry, progression and retention.
Specifically there are significant gaps at
supervisory and management levels which impede career progress.
4
The Learning and Skills Council’s Train to Gain service provides impartial, independent advice on training to
businesses across England. Train to Gain provides access to a skills broker who carries out a needs analysis
of training and helps assess current and future skills needs. The broker also explores funding opportunities
for training, including funding available from public sources to support the government’s skills agenda.
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•
The parking sector does not have any apprenticeships relevant to parking
occupations.
•
Legislation and technology were identified as the main drivers of skills change
within the sector across the UK. In particular, in England and Wales, it is
anticipated that the implementation of the Traffic Management Act 2004 and
associated regulations will significantly increase the demand for qualifications and
skills development.
To address these issues and move towards the achievement of the sector’s vision, two
overarching strategic objectives have been developed. These incorporate the key
priorities in terms of development activity needed to ensure that a relevant
qualification framework is available and ensuring there is a sound structure for
employers to access and enable their use of the qualifications.
2.2.1 Priorities for qualification reform
•
To develop a full functional and occupational map for the sector
To develop a framework of national occupational standards and vocational
qualifications for the parking sector it is essential to define all the occupations that
make up the profession (the occupational map) and all the work activities that are
included within these occupations (the functional map) across the four nations.
The occupational map will enable the UK parking sector to determine all those
groups within the sector for whom vocational qualifications may be appropriate.
The functional map will facilitate the definition of the work activities for which an
occupational standard could be set. This will enable the identification of potentially
relevant occupational standards that the parking sector might use within its
qualification framework and highlight any gaps.
The analysis will be used to inform qualification reform and provide the basis for an
ongoing and detailed dialogue about relevant qualifications and development with
employers, awarding bodies, funding agencies and learning providers.
In recognition that no sector is wholly self-contained the mapping process will seek
to engage with other sector skills councils and standards setting bodies to refine
areas of overlap.
This work will also support the BPA in its lobbying of the ONS to improve the
relevance of SIC and SOC codes for the parking sector.
•
To develop a recognised career pathway linked to qualifications
The work on the occupational and functional mapping priority will directly feed into
the second priority which is to provide career development information, enabling
the UK parking sector to show the routes and pathways to qualification for each
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occupation and bring together information that includes academic and professional
awards, S/NVQs and other related vocational qualifications. ‘Job families’ can be
identified and their transferable skills mapped, which will enable the workforce to
assess any gaps in their skills set and facilitate progression.
This will assist the BPA to work closely with employers, awarding bodies, funding
agencies and learning providers to establish a more structured suite of relevant
qualifications and development that supports the workforce linked to the sector’s
career pathways. The development of clear pathways enables learners to progress
flexibly (both ‘vertically’ and ‘horizontally’) within the sector using qualifications
and development to further their skills, knowledge and understanding.
The
establishment of career pathways contributes to the development of learning
cultures within organisations.
2.2.2 Links
2.2.2.1 Skills and other policy drivers
Within each of the four UK home nations there is an underlying and common
recognition that the development of skills is key to improving productivity in each
nation. Although quite different and distinct policy frameworks exist within each
nation, briefly outlined below, it is clear that all the home nations consider that better
skills are key to improving individual life chances. In particular, it is generally
recognised that the increasing pace of technological change requires a flexible and
adaptive workforce that is ready to re-skill and re-train to keep pace with the
economy’s skills needs.
To summarise, the common policy threads with particular application to the parking
sector include:
•
•
•
•
•
Placing an increasing emphasis on skills for the employed.
Placing a focus on those who have not achieved a NQF level-2 / SCQF level-5
qualification.
Developing more flexible qualifications and dividing more qualifications into
units so that accreditation can be built up more easily. There is also recognition
of the need to speed up accreditation of qualifications and improve the
assessment of people’s existing skills and knowledge.
Increasing the use of ICT to deliver and assess learning.
Ensuring the FE and HE sectors seek to meet the needs of employers.
Principal Policy links England
The Leitch Review set out recommendations for the optimal level of skills in the
economy, estimated levels of investment required and made the case for effective
development and deployment of employees’ skills. Qualifications are to be employerled and there is an emphasis on overcoming barriers to training and upskilling. In
addition, Leitch calls for ‘fit for purpose’ provision delivering the skills the sector
requires.
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The BPA is currently working with awarding bodies to update the NVQ level-2 in
controlling parking areas which is due to expire in 2008. The BPA intends for the
qualification to migrate to the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).
The LSC’s ‘Agenda for Change’ has highlighted the need for further consultations with
further education bodies. This is particularly significant given the low take up of the
limited FE provision. The BPA is committed to ensure that the FE sector is better
engaged to provide the skills, learning and qualification opportunities the parking
sector requires.
The Foundation Learning Tier involves the reform of provision below level-2 for all
learners over the age of 14 working below this level. This includes 14 to 19 year olds,
adults with skills gaps and adults or young people with learning difficulties/disabilities.
The BPA will identify and review entry levels to the profession and where appropriate
encourage targeted and suitable provision. However, it should be noted that both the
TMA and SIA licensing requirements recommend a minimum entry NQF level-2
qualification.
Principal Policy links Wales
Many of the education and skills policies in England are also applicable in Wales. In
particular the QCF in England is planned to dovetail seamlessly with the CQFW in
Wales, the main difference being the inclusion of higher education in the framework in
Wales.
The BPA organised its first Welsh national group meeting in September 2008. This
forum will enable the BPA to strengthen their engagement with Welsh employers.
The Wales Workplace Learning Review initiative highlights the need for management
and leadership skills.
The development of higher level parking management
qualifications will align with this goal.
Principal Policy links Northern Ireland
The implementation of the Essential Skills for Living Strategy and Action Plan for Adult
Literacy (2002) is of particular importance to the workforce development activities of
the parking sector in Northern Ireland because of the high concentration of the parking
workforce with no qualifications.
The Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland (2004) sets out an overarching framework for
the development of skills including essential skills, employability skills and work-based
skills. Success through Skills (2006) sets out a vision to deliver high productivity,
increased global competitiveness, a future in the global marketplace and enabling
people to progress up a skills ladder in order to raise the skills levels of the whole
workforce. Improving the appropriateness and supply of qualifications, and providing
the sector with better career pathways information should drive up the demand for
learning.
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Principal Policy links Scotland
Scotland has a well developed network of programmes and initiatives addressing skills
development.
The four key documents define the way in which work in relation to skills has been
directed. The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland deals with overall
economic policy. A Smart Successful Scotland sets out the strategic direction for the
Enterprise Networks’ activities. Life through Learning; Learning through Life sets out
the key challenges facing Scotland including technological change, population change
and closing the opportunity gap.
Most recently Skills for Scotland: a Lifelong Skills Strategy (2007) shows how all of the
constituent parts of the Scottish education and learning systems can contribute to a
world class skills base.
At the heart of these strategies is the recognition that future prosperity and success,
both as a nation and as individuals, will depend on the strength of the match between
the skills of the workforce and the changing needs of employers.
The BPA intends to work with the SQA to ensure as far as possible qualifications are
relevant and included in the SCQF. Improving the information available to employers
through case studies, national meeting networks and the learning & development
forum should help to encourage the take up of qualifications.
2.2.2.2 Specific legislative drivers
Decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) is the process whereby responsibility for
traffic enforcement transferred from the police to local authorities throughout the UK.
With the implementation of the Traffic Management Act 2004 in England and Wales on
31st March 2008, the process is now known as civil parking enforcement (CPE). Parking
attendants in Wales and England are now known as civil enforcement officers.
The linked Parking Policy and Enforcement Operational Guidance to local authorities
recommended that new and existing civil enforcement officers hold a level-2 nationally
accredited qualification listed on the national qualification framework that is crossreferenced to the national occupational standards in parking control.
In addition, it is possible that authorities will grow the role and include a wider range
of enforcement or a wider ‘neighbourhood warden-type’ activities.
The devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Scotland have not adopted the
new legislation in full. However, the front line role remains essentially the same
across the four nations and the qualification, which reflects good practice, is therefore
relevant and fit for purpose.
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3 SECTOR WORKING ENVIRONMENT
3.1 Special features or characteristics
3.1.1 Barriers to access
Parking employers face a range of barriers to access to learning. There are a limited
number of providers offering a narrow range of qualifications. The Scottish / national
vocational qualification option is limited due to the very few occupationally competent
assessors available for work-based assessment. Additionally a significant proportion of
the workforce work in shift patterns which is an additional challenge to accessing
classroom-based provision. It can be disproportionately costly to carry out workbased assessment for many operational staff as they often work alone, for example,
out on patrol. For many specific learning needs it is unlikely there will be sufficient
numbers to commission local provision. This is also the case for certain groups of staff
like senior managers. This places an additional, often prohibitive, cost burden (travel,
accommodation, etc) on employers as they are forced to seek provision further afield.
In rural areas this situation is also true for operational staff.
The BPA will prioritise better engagement with the FE sector in order to address some
of these barriers. It is also committed to review and revise the range and quality of
information provided to employers about Scottish and national vocational qualifications
in order to facilitate the re-engagement of the sector with this form of learning.
3.1.2 Legislative differences
The differences in legislation and terminology across the four nations means the
potential learner population available to complete a totally tailored qualification is too
small and it is not economically viable for awarding bodies to proceed. The different
legislation frameworks for statutory and private land enforcement issues further
complicates the matter, albeit that good practice is common to most of what the sector
does across the four nations and across the public / private divide. The shift towards
self-regulation through qualification attainment and codes of practice is also impacting
on the sector.
Whilst recognising that there are legislative differences, it is the BPA’s intention to
work with awarding bodies and industry experts to ensure that the development of
qualifications reflect good practice, applicable across the four nations and public /
private employers.
3.1.3 Career path definition
There has been a lack of consistent training, development or a structured qualification
framework in the sector. Consequently there is no recognised career path. Although
the UK Parking Sector Skills Strategy, sector skills agreement based research and now
the qualifications strategy are actively changing this, there must be some recognition
of the challenge the industry faces. Employers want relevant qualifications to improve
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
the skills of the workforce, attractiveness of their organisations to new recruits and
professional reputation to the public, however the industry lacks confidence in defining
what it needs as it has never used qualifications in this way before. Compounding this
situation is the lack of specific data concerning the parking sector due to the extremely
broad classifications of the standard occupational and industrial datasets (SOC/SIC).
One of the findings of the qualitative data research5 suggested that as a consequence,
awarding bodies have been reluctant to develop qualifications for fear of poor take up
and employers, in turn, are frustrated with the slow response to their demands.
Hence the dual priorities addressing supply and demand issues have been formulated
to address and improve this relationship.
3.1.4 Local variance
As a comparatively new industry, there is an extraordinary amount of variance in roles
and responsibilities even for those who share a job title. Developing meaningful and
relevant modules has been identified as key to allowing individuals to shape their
development in line with their organisational need, but this is a lengthy process and
again potentially compromises take up figures.
3.2 Future trends
The lack of accurate labour market data makes a detailed analysis of the future
workforce particularly difficult. Developments in the BPA include the commissioning of
an improved member database which will help to address the data gap.
However, it
is possible to review the existing information and attempt to extrapolate trends and
discuss potential scenarios.
There does appear to have been growth in the sector. Whilst technology and
legislation may result in fewer people on patrol, other roles are evolving. For example,
the extension of regulations under the Traffic Management Act 2004, will give
authorities outside London the power to enforce a range of moving traffic offences
using CCTV. The same Act is leading a number of authorities to consider a wider
enforcement role for civil enforcement officers, implying that there will be a greater
need for wider knowledge and skills.
It would appear from SOC code analysis6 across all four nations, and local government
data that the sector has an ageing workforce profile. In addition, the data indicates
the sector is heavily dominated by males, who have traditionally achieved fewer
qualifications. This implies there will be a continuing skills gap, particularly in relation
to qualifications.
5
6
Parking Workforce Survey February 2006 Turquoise Thinking Ltd
Skills Needs Assessment for the Parking Sector January 2008 - “traffic wardens and car park attendants”
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
3.2.1 Technology
Advances in technology are significantly changing the way in which parking
enforcement is managed, for example automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and
CCTV mean fewer people are required on patrol.
Increasing numbers of local
authorities are contracting out parking-related services. For those managing these
services there is a widening skills gap concerning the commissioning and management
of those contracts. The BPA intends to tackle this by better signposting the existing
relevant procurement and / or management units / modules and developing, if
necessary, parking specific modules.
3.2.2 Career path
The sector aspires to become an attractive employment proposition for potential
recruits, particularly young people, and to retain its existing experienced workforce.
As the parking sector and inter-related services evolve there will be an increasing need
to clarify career options and to signpost potential career pathways. This is currently
exemplified by the debate about parking services adopting wider civil enforcement
roles. Also, as parking becomes increasingly recognised as a profession in its own
right, there will be elements that are recognised as specialist roles, for example, traffic
order makers.
The career pathway will need to be wider than just front line
operational roles due to the already complex and changing nature of job roles. It is
envisaged that the pathway will need to consider multiple occupations and potential
career choices across the industry and potentially to look beyond into linked
professions.
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
4 CURRENT QUALIFICATIONS AND OTHER LEARNING PROVISION
4.1 Main qualification types
Within the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and Qualifications and Credit
Framework (QCF) applicable in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Scottish
Credit and Qualifications Framework, there are currently only 3 nationally-accredited,
parking-specific qualifications available to the sector. These are:
• Level-2 S/NVQ in Controlling Parking Areas
• Level-2 VRQ award for Civil Enforcement Officers (Parking)
• Level-2 VRQ award for Vehicle Immobilisers (linked to SIA licence to practise)
In recent years a small number of customised qualifications, outside of these
qualification frameworks have been developed to meet increasing demand for
qualifications as the sector evolves. A particularly strong example is the development
of several CCTV enforcement short-course-based qualifications which were created for
the London market in response to a legislative change specific to the area.
There are currently no dedicated apprenticeships for the sector.
All current qualifications focus on operational roles (level-2) within the sector.
Learners wishing to enhance their careers through further formal development have no
choice but to opt for generic qualifications.
The level-2 VRQ award for civil enforcement officers (parking) was designed to
standardise and independently validate the induction training all civil enforcement
officers receive in line with the Traffic Management Act 2004 statutory guidance which
came into force in England and Wales on 31st March 2008. The qualification is also
being used to assess and “top up” the knowledge of experienced officers.
The role of traffic attendant and parking attendant in Northern Ireland and Scotland,
respectively, is essentially the same. However, the devolved administrations in these
two countries have not adopted the new legislation in full so equivalent role holders do
not share the same job title.
The level-2 S/NVQ in controlling parking areas also satisfies the requirements of the
Traffic Management Act 2004. The S/NVQ is suitable for experienced CEOs and is
often used successfully as a continuing professional development tool for those who
have already completed the VRQ.
Research7 indicated that parking organisations offered a wide range of largely
unaccredited skills and knowledge learning and development to employees. In the
private sector the majority of training was reported to be delivered in-house by
company trainers and managers/supervisors.
The approach to training was
categorised as informal and, in the majority of cases, involved on-the-job training.
The public sector tends to access internal generic provision or outsources to external
providers. Views differed on the need for accredited provsion. In general, the public
sector and parts of the private sector supported accreditation if it was flexible and
could be adapted / enhanced to meet different organisation needs.
7
An Assessment of Current Provision for Skills Needs for the Parking Sector January 2008
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
The Parking Workforce Survey 2006, reported that 48% of the workforce had received
or were receiving parking specific training.
The same research identified the essential skills and knowledge for the sector as:
• Managing conflict and aggression
• Health and safety
• Management
• The law
• Information technology
• Customer services
4.1.1 Purposes
The current qualifications are targeted at the frontline operational workforce. The VRQ
was designed to deliver a high quality standardised induction for CEOs across the
sector. The learning is classroom-based and covers the core knowledge areas for
CEOs and must be completed before the CEO enforces alone.
The vehicle immobilising BTEC award is linked to the SIA licence to practise in England
and Wales. The SIA currently has no remit in Northern Ireland so SIA licences to
practise are not required. Vehicle immobilising on private land is unlawful in Scotland,
local authorities may choose this method to enforce but rarely do so.
CCTV enforcement qualifications on Edexcel’s customised qualification framework are
listed on the London Councils’ Code of Practice for Operation of CCTV Enforcement
Cameras as a requirement before being allowed to enforce using CCTV. This is
delivered in a classroom environment with practical as well as traditional exam-based
assessment.
4.1.2 Inter-relationships (including progression routes)
The level-2 award for civil enforcement officers (parking) underpins the knowledge to
the level-2 S/NVQ in controlling parking areas. The BPA wishes to replicate this good
practice model in other areas, for example, notice processing. It is useful to note that
the S/NVQ is applicable to a wider range of learners than the VRQ as it covers the
following occupational areas: parking control, barrier and pay station control, vehicle
immobilisation, vehicle removal and, as of January 2009, CCTV enforcement.
4.1.3 Availability from different providers
The main types of organisations that offer parking qualifications are employers, private
sector learning providers and public sector FE colleges. The main providers of
qualifications to the parking sector are a relatively small number of private sector
learning providers. An analysis of FE enrolments on parking qualifications in 2005/06
revealed that there is very low uptake of parking qualifications offered by public FE
providers across the four nations.
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
Table 4.1: Enrolments on FE parking provision in 2005/06
Qualification
England
Northern
Ireland
Scotland
Wales
NVQ level-2
Controlling
Parking Areas
28
0
0
0
54
0
0
0
25
0
0
3
BTEC level-2
Vehicle
Immobilisation
NVQ level-2
Parking Control
Source: ILR 2005/06
4.2 Current volumes
Table 4.2 provides a profile of the total numbers of candidates registering each year
for the level-2 NVQ and total numbers successfully completing. Reliance on the
private sector rather than taking up FE provision means that parking organisations are
potentially missing out on government funding designed to increase participation in
accredited provision (e.g. Train to Gain in England).
Table 4.2: Level-2 NVQ Controlling Parking Areas (City & Guilds / Edexcel)
Year
Enrolled
Completed
2004/05
272
33
2005/06
404
324
2006/07
341
248
In terms of future data requirements, the new learning & development forum will
provide a platform on which parking organisations can come together as a learning
and development community to explore information needs, express priorities and
influence strategy.
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
4.3 Match to employers’ needs
4.3.1 Current use of qualifications
It has been outlined previously that the current VRQ is the standardised induction
vehicle for CEOs across England and Wales. At the time of writing the TMA 2004 has
not been adopted in Scotland and Northern Ireland. There is, therefore, no imperative
to take up the qualification in these nations. Evidence from the research8 indicated
that the qualification is increasing in popularity; being used as a benchmark for new
entrants and specified in tender documentation.
Pockets of the parking sector find the current S/NVQ useful, indeed our first group of
Scottish colleagues recently completed the qualification.
However, the research
reported several employer criticisms of the S/NVQ including perceived expense and the
lack of competent assessors. There has been little or no pre-requisite for operational
roles to hold qualifications. These attitudes are starting to change; public sector
organisations, in particular, expressed support for qualifications. This is in part due to
increasing pressure on local authorities to demonstrate they employ competent staff.
Notice processing was a significant need identified by employers. The research
indicated that some employers were not aware of the range of provision currently
available and more work needs to be done to signpost and promote qualifications.
For more senior roles there is an expectation that an applicant will hold a broad
management qualification.
Employers reported an interest in parking specific
management modules to supplement general existing qualifications, thereby
enhancing the options for parking professionals.
It is the BPA’s intention to provide strengthened leadership to the sector on these
issues by better engaging with FE providers and improving the marketing of vocational
qualifications to employers.
4.3.2 Gaps between current provision and employer need
The growing success of the VRQ entry level qualification supports the research
conclusions that a greater range of appropriately targeted entry level vocational
qualifications, would be supported. The priority areas are notice processing (for both
statutory and private land parking and traffic enforcement); CCTV parking and traffic
enforcement, car park attendants and flexibility to develop additional qualifications as
demand grows within the sector, for example vehicle pound staff.
There is also a need for better understanding of qualification overlap and clearer
signposting to existing qualifications offered by linked sectors that could be taken up,
for example bailiffs, equipment, manufacturing and supply, legal roles such as fraud
investigators, procurement and contract management.
There is a need to develop progression routes once a base of QCF level-2/SCQF level-5
qualifications has been established. Individuals want to know how they can progress
8
An Assessment of Current Provision for Skills Needs for the Parking Sector January 2008
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
with recognised qualifications through identifying existing qualifications and offering
parking-related add-on modules at levels 3, 4, 5, etc.
There is a need to consider a greater variety of qualification types providing additional
options for learners on the career pathway. For example, there is the induction-level
VRQ for civil enforcement officers at 67 guided learning hours or there is a full NVQ
with nothing in between. The sector needs to develop qualifications with pathways so
individuals can benefit from government funding whilst completing a qualification that
is meaningful to them.
Some employers have reported that they have found the S/NVQ process arduous
because they cannot find providers with vocationally competent assessors.
Some roles are very specific, therefore potential numbers for some qualifications are
limited. This makes them unattractive to awarding bodies. One large UK employer is
seeking to become an awarding body in its own right to overcome this challenge. The
BPA supports this, but is keen to ensure opportunities for structured and appropriate
development are available and consistent industry-wide.
There is a particular challenge in Scotland and Northern Ireland where terminology
differs for a key frontline role as new legislation has not been adopted by the devolved
administrations. There are not sufficient numbers to warrant an awarding body
offering a separate qualification, particularly as the content of the TMA based
qualification is good practice across the four nations and therefore relevant.
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
5 OTHER SECTOR USES OF QUALIFICATIONS
5.1
Consumer protection
Statutory guidance which came into force in England and Wales on 31st March 2008
strongly recommended that all civil enforcement officers in parking hold a nationally
accredited level-2 qualification mapped to the parking control national occupational
standards before enforcing parking contraventions alone.
The guidance was
introduced in support of the TMA 2004.
One of the key aims is to increase
transparency and public confidence in the management of parking by improving
consistency. Introducing standardised qualifications to this key group of staff is an
important step.
The guidance also states that investment in training, learning and development must
be protected. Management development was listed as a priority as was improving the
provision for “back office” staff. Specific qualifications could not be included in the
guidance as none existed. The BPA is currently working with the Council for
Administration to develop NOS for this group of colleagues with the view to developing
qualifications based on these NOS in the future. Additional work needs to be done to
develop HE provision.
The BPA Approved Operator Scheme went live in October 2007. All BPA members
involved in private land ticketing or vehicle immobilisation and removal must also sign
up to the scheme. The scheme is currently the only one in the UK that holds DVLA
accredited trade association status in the parking sector. This means only members of
the AOS can have electronic access to DVLA data for parking enforcement purposes.
In England and Wales9 individuals who apply, or direct the application of, vehicle
immobilising devices (except those directly employed by a public body) must hold a
valid SIA licence. One of the requirements in the process to secure such a licence is
achieving an SIA approved qualification. For those individuals engaged in the issue of
parking tickets on private land there is currently no equivalent process or VRQ route.
There is, however, a demand for this as the private land parking enforcement element
of the industry wants to be recognised as equally legitimate and professional as the
statutory enforcement side of the sector. Once an appropriate qualification is available
it could be listed in the relevant codes of practice in the same way the level-2 VRQ is
mentioned in the statutory guidance.
9
The SIA currently has no remit in Northern Ireland, therefore vehicle immobilisers in Northern Ireland are
not required to hold an SIA licence. Vehicle immobilising on private land is not lawful in Scotland. Local
authorities may deploy this enforcement method, but rarely do so. An SIA licence is not required by those
directly employed by public bodies.
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
A car park attendant in England, Scotland or Wales10 who undertakes CCTV security
within their role is, unless employed directly by a public body, required to hold an SIA
CCTV public space surveillance licence which is again linked to the attainment of an
SIA approved qualification11.
CCTV enforcement is a growth area for the sector. At the moment there are a small
number of qualifications for this area available on the Edexcel customised qualification
framework. These were developed to meet the needs of the London Councils’ code of
practice as specific London legislation gave London authorities the right to apply to
enforce using CCTV on the condition they signed up to the code of practice. The date
for enactment of part 7 of the TMA and the extension of powers to use CCTV for
parking and moving traffic enforcement throughout England and Wales (if the Welsh
Assembly Government introduces parallel regulations) is currently expected to be
March 2009. Authorities across England and Wales will then have the right to adopt
these powers. The BPA intends to work with awarding bodies to develop a national
qualification in 2009.
The S/NVQ level-2 in controlling parking areas will be updated during 2008 in response
to the recent review of the parking control national occupational standards. During the
review, the parking control suite of NOS was extended to cover CCTV enforcement.
The revised S/NVQ is scheduled to be available from January 2009 and will offer five
pathways (parking control, barrier and pay station control, vehicle immobilisation,
vehicle removal and CCTV enforcement) so could be used as a continuing professional
development tool for the above roles.
10
The SIA currently has no remit in Northern Ireland, therefore car park attendants performing a security
function in Northern Ireland are not required to hold an SIA licence.
11
Those who use CCTV for parking and traffic enforcement only are not required to hold an SIA public space
surveillance licence.
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
6 HOW THE BRITISH PARKING ASSOCIATION WILL HELP REALISE THE
FUTURE
6.1 Vision of future qualifications
There are very strong views in the sector as to which skills and knowledge are
essential in almost every job. The main drivers of change across the UK have been
identified as technology and legislation. Together these pose a considerable challenge
to the sector and imply a significant increase in the demand for qualifications. The
sector and learning providers emphasised the need for a clear framework that sets out
progression routes for people working in the sector linked to both standards and
qualifications.
This qualification strategy is an ambitious response to these challenges and is
underpinned by action planning which includes building capacity amongst the learning
and development professionals within the sector to enable them to more effectively
engage their organisations with the skills challenge.
It is the BPA’s intention to develop a complete set of standards and qualifications for
each level of the career pathway. There is a further commitment to develop a core
career pathway for the sector in partnership with Asset Skills.
These actions will support the overarching aim of increasing learning opportunities for
the workforce through the development of more effective partnership working with
learning providers in all nations and regions of the UK.
Specific activities to achieve these overarching aims are explored below:
•
The development of NOS-based accredited parking qualifications where gaps are
identified and/or change is required due to new policy and the evolution of
practice. The current priority areas for development include:
o
Administration and notice processing (for statutory enforcement and private
land ticketing)
o
CCTV enforcement
o
Car park attendants
•
The development and maintenance of a suite of specialist learning modules and
units of learning and achievement. This fit for purpose modular approach will
facilitate vocational training and enable progression. The current priority area for
development is parking management.
•
The development and maintenance of parking national occupational standards. It
is our intention through the mapping exercise to ensure high quality and usable
NOS which will form the building blocks for training, development and qualification
content. Our priority area for NOS development is administration and notice
processing (for statutory enforcement and private land ticketing).
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
•
We are aware of areas of commonality across the sectors and intend to promote
the use of specialist parking modules and units with generic qualifications,
increasing the transferability of skills.
•
We intend to increase the demand for learning, skills and qualifications through the
development and promotion of opportunities for progression and the related
applicable qualifications.
The BPA will work with employers and providers to increase learning opportunities to
the sector. Initially we will undertake a feasibility study into an apprenticeship scheme
and we will work with employers to extend the sector take up of public funding
regimes supporting skills development.
6.2 Past and future dialogues
The BPA has established joint-working with key employers and stakeholders through
the following means:
•
BPA Council and Executive Board
•
UK Skills Board for Parking
•
Institute of Parking Professionals
•
BPA special interest groups (e.g. Women in Parking / Equipment, Manufacturers
and Suppliers)
•
BPA regional and national groups including the English regions, Scotland,
Northern Ireland and Wales
This qualification strategy builds upon research carried out in support of the UK
Parking Sector Skills Strategy and sector skills agreement process which involved
extensive consultation with employers. Approximately 164 different organisations
responded to the 2006 Workforce Survey which carried out 15 in-depth interviews and
included the analysis of 352 questionnaire responses and a further 208 follow up
interviews. The 2008 Skills Needs Assessment for the Parking Sector held semistructured in-depth interviews with 16 employers and conducted two locality
assessments. The 2008 Assessment of Current Provision for Skills Needs for the
Parking Sector held semi-structured interviews with 12 learning providers and
conducted two locality assessments. The two main awarding bodies City & Guilds and
Edexcel were consulted and an online survey was made available to all employees in
the parking sector.
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final
The draft qualifications strategy was available for review on the BPA website from July
2008 and further employer consultation was facilitated via a web-based survey and by
telephone.
Before finalising the qualifications strategy in September 2008, the BPA engaged
funding agencies (LSC, DCELLS, English region RDAs), qualifications regulators (QCA,
SQA, DCELLS, OfQual, CCEA) awarding bodies (City & Guilds, Edexcel, SQA) and
trades unions (UNISON, GMB, T&G of Unite) in the consultation process.
6.3 Practical help
The BPA through the UK Skills Board for Parking and its partner SSC, Asset Skills, will
create a structured career pathway and promote it to employers, learning providers,
information, advice and guidance (IAG) networks and other key stakeholders.
Working through the UK Skills Board for Parking, the BPA, supported by Asset Skills,
will create a full set of standards and qualifications to improve the skills base of the
workforce.
The BPA will undertake to develop improved partnership arrangements between
funding bodies, providers and employers, brokering access to funding for skills
development and qualifications.
The BPA will continue to seek funding from the UK Commission for Employment and
Skills to deliver its ambitious strategy.
6.4 Future evolution of the qualifications strategy
The UK Skills Board for Parking will sign off the qualifications strategy and every six
months monitor its implementation. The Skills Board will oversee the development
and implementation of the detailed action plan intended to realise the strategic aims of
this qualifications strategy. This work will include the development of specific projects
and general activity to improve partnership working with the various funding agencies,
providers and awarding bodies throughout the UK. It is also envisaged that suitable
projects will be championed by the Institute of Parking Professionals.
The UK Skills Board for Parking will also be responsible for reporting on progress and
the impact of the qualifications strategy to the Learning & Development Forum, the IPP
and the BPA Council.
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UK Parking Qualifications Strategy, January 2009 – Final