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Reflections 
Frank Pignatelli
learndirect scotland
It is difficult to believe that the Scottish Executive's Lifelong Learning Strategy is just 3 years old. Such is the universal support for lifelong learning across all sectors of Scotland today that the strategy is now seen as one of the most important policy commitments of the Scottish Executive.
The strategy is central to the ambition of ensuring that everyone in Scotland will have the opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours which will bring significant improvements to their own lives while strengthening Scotland as an economy and as a society.
The ambitions for the strategy were clearly signalled in the focus and remit of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee's inquiry into lifelong learning, which indicated "the need for a long-term, comprehensive strategy for continuing post-compulsory education and training in Scotland which meets the needs and aspirations of individuals and society as a whole in respect of quality, relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, accessibility, accountability, funding levels and structures and delivery mechanisms". What a relief to find that the strategy which emerged from such a complex and uninspiring remit was such an exciting and challenging document which immediately captured the imagination of partners across Scotland.
Never before has a policy document encapsulated in such passionate language the aspirations of the people of Scotland. The Minister's foreword talked about encouraging people to be eager, curious, inspired and passionate about learning. And so it has come to pass.
It has been said that policies and strategies are only as good as the outcomes they achieve. If this is the test of success, the Lifelong Learning Strategy passes with flying colours.
Our own organisation, learndirect scotland, has seen a huge surge of interest in lifelong learning from across the whole of Scotland. Our engagement with our target groups is very strong indeed as evidenced by the fact that every minute of every hour of every working day we receive four contacts from individuals and businesses seeking our support. Our annual performance indicators confirm that since our inception we have received just under 2 million individual enquiries about education and training and 56,000 business enquiries.
I know that other partners across Scotland are experiencing similar success, much of which is due to the fact that the Lifelong Learning Strategy has achieved its key aim of creating a climate in Scotland which promotes and sustains lifelong learning.
Dr Janet Lowe
Chair, Skills Committee
Scottish Funding Council
"There is a very close match between the overall vision of lifelong learning as set out in the strategy and the specific role of the Skills Committee..."
Scotland's colleges and universities have a major role to play in developing the economy by ensuring that students are equipped with the skills they need in the workplace.
Dr Lowe has taken on a role which is designed to strengthen the contribution that colleges and universities make to the economy while, at the same time, achieving some of the key objectives of the Lifelong Learning Strategy.
She chairs the Skills Committee of the Scottish Funding Council. This Committee was established in 2005 to advise the Council on how it can work with colleges and universities to ensure there is a skilled workforce in Scotland which is vital for economic development.
The creation of the Skills Committee has grown directly from the recommendations within the strategy to create a joined up and coherent system and one in which learning providers plan and adapt provision that is relevant to Scotland's economic and social needs.
"There is a very close match between the overall vision of lifelong learning as set out in the strategy and the specific role of the Skills Committee and I think that, in our first year we have already begun to make a contribution," said Dr Lowe.
Employers report few significant skills gaps or shortages at a Scotland-wide level, which shows that colleges and universities are doing a good job in meeting the demands of the labour market. However Dr Lowe said it would be complacent to leave the matter there. Instead, the Skills Committee has decided to examine specific sectors of the economy to determine if there is more that colleges and universities could be doing.
It is looking first at health, financial services, energy and textiles. These areas have been chosen because there is some evidence of skills shortages and recruitment problems. In addition, the Scottish Funding Council is already supporting projects that address skills issues in the tourism, fishing and construction industries.
"What we are trying to do is look below the national level to see if on a sector or geographical or an occupational basis there are areas where skills could be improved and could contribute to economic growth and development more effectively," said Dr Lowe.
Two other areas of direct relevance to the Lifelong Learning Strategy have been identified by the Skills Committee for attention:
- Assisting colleges and universities in helping students develop employability skills. There are core skills such as project management, team building, working with others and enterprise which employers value highly. This work will focus on how students can be helped to develop those skills to a greater extent.
- Supporting colleges and universities to work with people who are unemployed but who could become economically active if they were given the right support.
The Skills Committee is working with a range of partners in addressing these issues. They include Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Sector Skills Councils and the Skills for Business Network. Regular meetings are also held with the STUC and with industry representatives including the CBI, Federation of Small Businesses, Chambers of Commerce, Scottish Council for Development and Industry and the Institute of Directors to ensure that employers' and employees' views are influential. The Committee is also keen to work with the Scottish Parliament's Enterprise and Culture Committee to pursue common priorities.
Dr Lowe, a former Principal of Lauder College in Dunfermline said: "Having a Lifelong Learning strategy that we are all working towards has really focused people's minds on where we can work together to meet aims and objectives in lifelong learning. We are beginning to understand more clearly the relationship between supply and demand. It is about students choosing the right courses, it is about employers getting the skills they need and colleges and universities responding to demand from both learners and employers. Collaboration will help all of us achieve the objectives of this strategy more effectively."
Robert Pollock
Director of Skills and Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise
"The strategy has brought coherence around discussions on specific programmes delivered by one agency while allowing many organisations to contribute to the redesign of these programmes."
The many organisations with an interest in lifelong learning are now working more collaboratively in pursuit of the common vision created by the strategy.
This is one of the main benefits that has emerged from the strategy according to Robert Pollock, Director of Skills and Enterprise at Scottish Enterprise. "It has brought a common vision of skills and learning to a wide range of stakeholders and allowed us to head in the same direction towards the objectives."
This is no simple achievement given the complexity of lifelong learning which involves individuals, communities, the wider society and the economy. "There are issues about reconciling the interests of all the groups involved in these areas. The strategy, with its convincing vision, does that very well," said Robert.
The responsibilities of individual organisations are now seen within the wider context of the overall objectives of the strategy. As a result Scottish Enterprise, for example, is involved in discussions with the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Qualifications Authority on how education can help deliver the skills Scotland needs. "Of course, we met before there was a strategy but it has explicitly stated the linkages and, most importantly, the expectations on different organisations. As new partners emerge, such as the Skills for Business Network, the strategy provides a platform for discussion and partnership working."
Similarly, Scottish Enterprise is working with other organisations to address the issues of NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) young people. Robert said it has become clear that early intervention is the key here. Consequently Careers Scotland is working with schools to identify young people likely to fall into this group and Scottish Enterprise is reviewing its Get Ready for Work Programmes to maximise opportunities for these young people.
"The strategy has brought coherence around discussions on specific programmes delivered by one agency while allowing many organisations to contribute to the redesign of these programmes. Because we are working towards this common vision, we do review our own individual programmes in a more collegiate manner," he added.
It is about sharing responsibility for issues that cannot be solved by one agency alone. Skill shortages exist in certain sections of the Scottish economy such as tourism, construction and in some engineering areas. The strategy allows organisations to focus on how best to address these issues.
Modern apprenticeships, for instance, have been a big success. A recent evaluation of 3000 employers found that nearly 80% considered they had contributed to improved productivity and company performance. "The issue now is how do we improve this further - how do we align it better to address skills issues in the economy?" said Robert.
The strategy will need to continually evolve in order to take account of changes in the labour market such as the recent addition of people from Central and Eastern Europe into the Scottish economy.
There is also the need to address the issue of productivity. "Scotland has invested more in skills and learning than the rest of the UK over a sustained period of time yet our productivity does not appear to have had the associated boost that one would have anticipated from this increased spending," said Robert. "We need to look at the relationship of skills and learning with other drivers of productivity such as enterprise, innovation and investment. "
He believes the next phase of the Lifelong Learning strategy will offer the way forward in addressing this vital issue. "As we work with the Scottish Executive to build and develop the strategy, it will give us the vehicle to have a meaningful dialogue with all the partners to ensure we collectively address the productivity challenge."
Joyce Connon
Scottish Secretary
Workers' Educational Association
"I don't think we would have been developing workforce learning to the extent that we have if it had not been for the strategy."
Scotland's leading voluntary sector provider of adult education, the Workers' Educational Association ( WEA) has used the strategy to help guide some of its key development work.
The WEA has extended its role in providing workplace-based learning in direct response to the strategy. This is helping to fulfil the strategy commitment to create a Scotland where people have the chance to learn irrespective of their background or current personal circumstances. One important example of strategic vision and leadership, backed up by new resources, is the successful national initiative to improve adult literacy in Scotland.
The WEA's Scottish Secretary Joyce Connon said: "I don't think we would have been developing workforce learning to the extent that we have if it had not been for the strategy, and its influence on the partners who fund our work. We could all identify the goals that were set and see how our work fits in with that."
The WEA has a range of programmes that are bringing educational opportunities to people in their own workplace. "Giving people time in their working day to study is important. If you are a working family with care responsibilities it can be difficult getting time to study at home. This can often be a barrier for poorer paid people that can be really hard to overcome," said Joyce.
She also welcomed the clear focus of the strategy on learning that is more than just vocational. "It is not just about learning for earning but learning for life." She hopes to see a greater focus on these broader purposes of learning in the next phase of the strategy.
One of the WEA's programmes that has expanded in recent years meets two of the key objectives of the strategy in improving the skills of people at work while, at the same time, helping those not in work. The Job Rotation programme focuses on small companies that often find it difficult to release staff for training. The solution, imported from Europe by the WEA has been to train unemployed people to take on the work of staff released for training. The companies benefit from having better trained staff, the staff benefit by improving their own skills and the unemployed workers gain from valuable work experience paid at the rate for the job. The majority are either retained by the companies concerned or find jobs elsewhere thanks to the experience they have gained. Over 80% have a positive outcome.
"The strategy recognises that small companies are a vital part of the Scottish economy but it can be very difficult to engage with them. We have been very successful in doing that," said Joyce.
She highlighted the process that led to the development of the strategy as being extremely important in shaping what has followed. "There was a lot of consultation with stakeholders who were given a say in what should be in there. That made it easier to share the goals and objectives."
Looking to the future, she said now is the time to review what has worked well and reap the benefits of the development work that has taken place. "We need to take stock, be proud of what has been achieved and maximise the benefit of that." That should include considering how best to sustain projects that have proved themselves to be effective and recognition of and support for the valuable role played by the
non-statutory providers in Scotland," she added.
Meanwhile, Joyce said the strategy has made a difference in prompting organisations like her own, to look at their own provision and tailor it in line with national objectives. "It has helped us have a focus and see where connections can be made to be most effective."
Professor Seamus McDaid
Principal
University of Paisley
"We are attempting to engage as many of the population as possible in the learning process within a quality framework."
Universities are often seen as catering almost exclusively for young people, many of whom come from privileged backgrounds.
However, Scotland cannot recruit from such a narrow base if it is to meet the challenges posed by an increasingly ageing population. It needs to offer opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds to help them realise their full potential.
The University of Paisley is doing just that. It is fulfilling the Lifelong Learning Strategy's aims of increasing participation in learning by widening access in a wide variety of different ways. Professor Seamus McDaid, the University Principal said: "Our broad strategy and mission fits very well with the key goals of the Lifelong Learning Strategy. There are a whole series of things we do that tie into the Lifelong Learning Strategy."
The university already has campuses at Paisley, Ayr and Dumfries which provide geographical access to learning for local people. It offers flexible learning with more than 70 courses run on a part-time basis or through distance learning to make it easier for people to gain new qualifications by studying in the evening or at weekends. It runs its own Centre for Lifelong Learning which is a dedicated resource to support learners.
The result is a student body that is older than most other universities, attracts more students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and has more than half of all students studying on a part-time basis.
There are plans to merge with Bell College in Hamilton and to rename the university as the University of the West of Scotland. Professor McDaid said the goal is to develop a university for the region with the aim of increasing accessibility to university education across the west and south-west of Scotland. That, in turn, will benefit the local economy.
Partnerships are crucial in achieving this objective. The university already works closely with further education colleges, NHS Boards, local enterprise companies, local authorities and major employer organisations. "These partnerships help ensure that what we are delivering is high quality higher education that meets the needs of the area," said Professor McDaid. One example of this partnership approach is the establishment of a Centre for Engineering with major employers aimed at improving the skills in that sector.
Specific programmes are also offered to students to provide them with a step on the ladder to a better future. One of these called Winning Women is designed to bring women into higher education to develop skills that are needed in the workplace. It has proved so successful that the university is offering a similar programme for men, called Motivated Men. These courses are run in addition to more traditional university-based education.
"We are putting down a structure that will support the delivery of higher education to meet the incredibly challenging time that is facing us as demographic changes kick in. All of the work we have done has shown that if you don't have accessible higher education, then big chunks of the population are going to miss out," said Professor McDaid. "We are attempting to engage as many of the population as possible in the learning process within a quality framework. There are huge benefits that can accrue to them as individuals and to society as a whole."
more choices, more chances
Scotland has one of the highest rates of youth employment in the OECD and a world-class education system which serves most young people very well, but, despite this, there are around 35,000 16-19 year olds who are not in education, employment or training ( NEET). Evidence suggests that the actual numbers requiring support to access and sustain employment, education or training opportunities will be less than this, but the numbers are still too high.
The headline figure of 35,000 represents young people in a wide variety of different circumstances. For some young people being NEET is a finite, transitional phase, ending in a positive outcome. For others, NEET is both a symptom of disadvantage and disengagement in earlier years and an indicator of lifelong disengagement from actively participating in and benefiting from a prosperous society.
Recognising this, in June 2006 the Executive published a 39-point action plan, More Choices, More Chances: a strategy to reduce the proportion of young people NEET in Scotland. This was supported by a package of almost £10m over the next 2 years for delivering the strategy to kick start a redoubled effort to tackle this at the local level. More Choices, More Chances was published alongside Workforce Plus - an employability framework for Scotland.
During the development of the strategy and since, work has gone in to understanding the make-up of the group. We know that while the NEET group is a dynamic one, with young people moving in and out of the group (and back in to it again) over time, the overall numbers of young people who are NEET remains broadly static and there is a core cohort who do
not change.
The Executive recognises that this is a national problem which requires a coordinated national effort from national and local government, schools, further and higher education, the voluntary sector, health, and business and all the other people and services young people come into contact with. This is a nationwide issue, but there is a particularly strong initial focus on 7 target areas where the challenge of eradicating NEET is greatest (Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire, Dundee and Inverclyde).
Local authorities are taking ownership of this issue and leading on it at a local level. Working with their local partners and government, they are being asked to ensure that there is in their own area, a coordinated, young person-centred approach which focuses on the individual needs and aspirations of individual young people and targets the right services at the right people at the right time. We must recognise that young people are not simply "homeless" or "young carers" or "drug users" but are complex individuals with a wide and varied range of circumstances. Policies and services in health, housing, education, justice, regeneration, the voluntary sector and others must join-up and see each young person and his/her needs as a whole.
For the 35,000 young people who are currently NEET, there needs to be a responsive system post-16 with plenty of choices and appropriate support for young people and to ensure that no one is written off as a failure because they don't succeed at first.
But, as well as addressing the current NEET problem, focus must be given to the group of children pre-16 who, without the appropriate support, will be likely to become NEET in the future. A great deal of work is going into that. For example, Careers Scotland is deploying additional resources to 13 selected schools in our NEET target areas which have too many young people leaving school and not entering education, employment or training. Choice for work relating vocational training is being expanded and we are working with Scotland's employers to improve the work related and job opportunities on offer to young people. We need to know where our school leavers go, with sustainable, positive school leaver destinations for young people as a key indicator of the success of the pre-16 education system. To know if this is being achieved, we are working to develop better tracking of young people's progress beyond school.
The Scottish Executive is committed to continue working with local partnerships to eradicate the problem of NEET in Scotland. This commitment is reinforced by our work with the Smith Group - a partnership of business and education leaders who are helping us get to the heart of the challenge.
NEET means that individuals and society are not fulfilling their potential. We have set ourselves an ambitious challenge. But the economic, human and social cost of NEET is simply too great to ignore.
Determined to Succeed
In Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life, the lifelong learning strategy for Scotland, we recognised the need to ensure young people were better supported to make effective transitions from the classroom to life beyond the school gates. We said that implementation of our enterprise in education strategy, Determined to Succeed - or DtS - was a key mechanism through which we would do so. DtS would aim to develop in all our young people, from the first year of Primary 1 to the last year of secondary, the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for them to become successful employees, employers, and entrepreneurs.
Our strategy goes well beyond straightforward "entrepreneurship education"; instead, it brings together, under a coherent framework, enterprise and entrepreneurial experiences, work-based and related vocational learning and appropriately focused career information, advice and guidance. Crucially, each of these strands is underpinned by a pedagogy which is in itself focused on enterprising teaching - and learning. So DtS does not see enterprise or entrepreneurship taught as subjects. Rather, teachers deliver their subjects in an enterprising way that contextualises the learning.
Working hand in hand with all our local authorities, and backed by £86m of Scottish Executive funding from 2003-2008, we began to implement DtS in school session 2003/04 in 10 pathfinder local authorities, with full roll-out across the remaining 22 authorities the next session. And, some three years on, much has been achieved.
All local authorities are ensuring young people in their schools (primary, secondary and special) are experiencing entrepreneurial activities appropriate to their age and stage of learning: some activities are delivered by teachers within the curriculum; others take place as stand-alone activities delivered by external providers. Meanwhile, all authorities feature DtS in their education improvement plans and the overwhelming majority of schools make the strategy a component of their school development plan - so we are making excellent progress in embedding a culture of enterprise in our schools. And by way of support, a dedicated network of Enterprise Development Officers is coordinating DtS activity at local authority level.
Central to the success so far of DtS are partnerships between schools and employers. We are delighted - and grateful - that Scotland's business community has so far risen to this challenge: our target, due to be reached this year, of 2,000 school/employer partnerships was met over a year early, and the early indications are that the number of partnerships in place at the end of the last school session will be well in excess of that target.
Supporting teachers is self-evidently crucial as we expand provision of enterprise education and we have increased significantly the opportunities for training as part of continuing professional development. Some 22,000 teachers have received training specific to enterprise in education, for example, on experiential entrepreneurial programmes, leadership, and subject-specific enterprising teaching and learning. We are also piloting the introduction of enterprise education in Initial Teacher Education programmes; and the Excellence in Education Through Business Links programme run on our behalf by Careers Scotland, through which teachers enjoy placements in business, has helped over 600 teachers to take experience from a different workplace back to their classrooms.
So we have put in place a strong base on which to build. But build we must: the new Curriculum for Excellence identifies the outcomes we need from our young people as Scotland moves into the 21st century: they must be successful learners, effective contributors, responsible citizens and confident individuals. To help achieve these aims, DtS will continue to promote learning opportunities that are relevant, exciting and inspirational - and linked to the world of work.
John-Robert Eunson
Modern Apprentice of the Year
"I look forward to going to work every morning and I have a range of skills that I can now build on."
Apprenticeships were once seen as the route into work for people who had few other options.
John-Robert Eunson is one of a new breed of modern apprentices who is changing that perception. Having completed his four-year apprenticeship training as a mechanical technician in the oil and gas industry in August, he is now studying for an engineering degree through the Open University and his goal is to qualify as chartered engineer.
John-Robert was named as Scotland's Modern Apprentice of the Year for 2006 and he believes strongly in the apprentice route into a career. He is also fully supportive of the commitment in the strategy to increase the total number of modern apprenticeships as part of the objective to improve the skills base, employability and enterprise of the people of Scotland.
It all started with an advert in his local newspaper in Shetland looking for apprentices. John-Robert was 16 at the time and he admitted that becoming an apprentice was not part of his initial plans. "At that time apprenticeships were not high on the list of recommended things when it came to careers advice - everyone said you had to go to university."
John-Robert already had two Highers and could have studied for more but a work experience placement from school with an engineering firm had convinced him that he wanted to be in that line of work. He applied and got the apprenticeship with the oil firm BP.
He has never looked back. "I have no regrets at all, none at all. I could have had the opportunity to go to university but I chose to do the apprenticeship instead and it's been great."
Far from being an end in itself, the apprenticeship has opened the way to new opportunities for John-Robert to advance in his chosen career. Halfway through the apprenticeship, he approached BP to ask for support in studying for an Open University Bachelors degree in engineering. They were only too pleased to help and now pay for all John-Robert's courses, books and associated travel.
He believes it has given him the best of both worlds. He is benefiting from the practical experience of working as a mechanical technician while supplementing that with the knowledge gained from his studies. He is also getting paid for doing a job he loves.
He has also been grateful for the support of his local training provider, Train Shetland which visited John-Robert every three months throughout the apprenticeship to check on his progress. They arranged supplementary training when that was seen to be needed.
Now aged 20, John-Robert is a time-served apprentice with a promising career ahead of him. "If I had gone to university, I would be competing with other graduates for jobs and could have a student loan to pay back after graduation. I don't have any of that." He expects to have around 10 years of study ahead of him to achieve the goal of becoming a chartered engineer but at the end of that period he will have a qualification plus years of valuable experience.
"The apprenticeship has just been great. I look forward to going to work every morning and I have a range of skills that I can now build on. The biggest thing for me is that I have a job and a career," he said.
Coach is managing well
"The funding from ILA Scotland helped a lot.
I just fitted the course around my work schedule..."
Rugby player Paul Hunter is enjoying a run of success at the moment - off the pitch.
The 23-year-old has just completed a managerial skills course at Dunfermline High's Community Use learning centre and got his first managerial position at Beath High School.
This talented athlete was promoted to assistant head of centre at Beath High but also works with many educational and sporting organisations across the Dunfermline area.
Paul used his ILA Scotland to help pay for the online course. He studied at home, after work, at lunch times or during breaks from his job as a sports coach.
"I work with children aged 4 to 18 on various projects involving a lot of different sports and it is very rewarding. The best bit of my job is when you see a child progressing and really getting something out of their involvement in an activity or sport," explained Paul, who wanted to do more sports development work.
He added: "I got a lot out of sport over the years and really felt that I should put something back. I did my HNC and HND in sports coaching at Telford College and I am now in my final year of a degree at the University of Abertay."
Paul wanted to progress in his career but didn't have any managerial experience.
"I work at Dunfermline High quite often and the Community Use learning centre team there are great. It is a learndirect scotland branded learning centre, and the staff encouraged me to do the managerial skills course. The funding from ILA Scotland helped a lot. I just fitted the course around my work schedule, getting on to the laptop when I could and doing it where and when I could fit it in," he said.
Paul said he would recommend online learning for anyone who doesn't work 9 to 5, as it lets people learn wherever and whenever suits them.
A short time after he completed the course he was given the post as assistant head of centre. He is able to set up his own classes thanks to the project skills he learned on the course. "There are parts of the course I use constantly. It has been great. I would recommend it to anyone" he added.
The Rosyth man also spent some time at McMaster University during a rugby tour of Canada. He saw a different approach to sport there. "I learned a lot about developing sport for young people when I was there. So, I have incorporated some of that in my approach. If it gets more children interested and playing sport, developing their talents, then I'll use it and the managerial course has helped me to develop my skills to put it all together."
Paul, who plays for Alloa Rugby Club, said: "What I would say to anyone thinking about doing a course is to go for it. The people at the learning centre were so enthusiastic and they kept encouraging me and supporting me. It gave me the confidence to sign up for the course and doing it has already made a big difference to me."
Malcolm Murray-Smith
Senior Care Worker
Viewpoint Housing Association
"This process made me realise that I had more skills than I thought. There are all these bits of experience that actually make up to quite a lot. It certainly helped my confidence."
Malcolm Murray-Smith has accumulated a vast array of skills, knowledge and experience from a varied career that has included being a warrant officer in the Army to working in the South African mining industry.
It's not the kind of background that would appear to be directly relevant to working in a care home in Edinburgh. However, thanks to a pilot project that recognises the informal learning that has taken place throughout an individual's lifetime, Murray (as he prefers to be known) has successfully applied for a promotion. He is now planning to build on this further to take a formal Scottish Vocational Qualification ( SVQ) at Level Three.
Murray is now leading a team of care workers at Viewpoint Housing Association in Edinburgh, providing support to older people in residential care. He - and the many older people he cares for - are benefiting today from the recognition of the importance of lifelong learning.
"This process made me realise that I had more skills than I thought. There are all these bits of experience that actually make up to quite a lot. It certainly helped my confidence," said Murray.
The Recognition of Prior Learning ( RPL) pilot aims to develop a Scotland-wide scheme to take account of all prior learning that has not been assessed and credit rated. It can be used to gain entry to programmes of study and to gain credits towards such programmes. It can also be linked to the development of learning at both personal and professional levels. In social services, it is part of the implementation of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework which is managed by the Scottish Social Services Council.
The RPL process involved Murray reflecting on the skills he had gained throughout his life, with the support and guidance of his mentor, Care Home Manager Julie McNaughton. Although the care sector is very different from the Army, he found there are core skills that apply to both, including team working, problem solving, prioritising, discipline, diplomacy, adaptability and communication.
Murray put together a portfolio of his previous learning and how it can impact on his present role. It includes painful experiences such as dealing with death in a bush war against terrorists in South Africa and how that has helped him comfort the bereaved in his new role. It also includes how his chess hobby can help in his work by thinking things through and planning ahead. The portfolio has helped him gain the confidence to develop his skills and gain the recent promotion from a care worker to a senior care worker. "It shows that you never stop learning and there are all sorts of experiences that can help in everyday situations," said Murray.
He never expected to be working in the care sector and admitted that it was a "sheer fluke" that he has ended up doing so. He was on a Job Restart programme when he found he was under-qualified for some vacancies and over-qualified for others. He was given a placement in a day centre which, at the time, he thought was just another job. However, he became hooked and the job has now become a career, thanks, in part, to the RPL project.
Pat Sinclair, HR Manager at Viewpoint hopes that Murray's experience will encourage more staff to use their past experience to develop skills for the future. "It is great that we are recognising prior learning and using it to help people build career pathways. That has got to be the way ahead."
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