Workforce Development - Introduction
NISCC is a partner in the UK Alliance ‘Skills for Care and Development’ (SfCD) – the Sector Skills Council for the social care, children and young people’s workforce. Together with a network of employers, education interests, government agencies, service users, carers and stakeholders from across the sector we are identifying and addressing skills needs to help build a trained and confident workforce. We are currently consulting on the Sector Qualification and Learning Strategy. This outlines priority skills areas identified by the Early Years and Social Care Sectors. It forms the basis of the future work to be undertaken by Skills for Care and Development across the UK and in Northern Ireland by the NISCC as the NI Sector Skills representative. It is vital to have input from the Social Care and Early Years sectors about the content of SQLS to ensure that the sector’s priorities for qualifications and skills have been heard and represented. This will ensure that the NISCC’s work on behalf of the sector will be relevant.
The way that qualifications are organised and structured is changing. This includes all vocational qualifications in all sectors - not just social care. The Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) was launched in NI in early 2011. QCF replaces the National Qualifications Framework (NQF. QCF is a government initiative across England, Wales and Northern Ireland which provides a new flexible way of recognising and rewarding skills and qualifications. The QCF presents units and qualifications in a simpler way and it will lead to qualifications that are flexible and meet the skills and knowledge needs of the workforce. The Guide to the QCF in NI provides information on the new QCF in NI.