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SLALE Sub-group: Professional Development of Staff
Minutes of Meeting
23 March 2006
Adam Smith College
Attendees:
James Alexander, NUS Scotland (Chair)
Marian Healey, EIS
Stewart McKillop, South Lanarkshire College
Douglas Black, UNISON
Bill Harvey, Scottish Funding Council
Peter Beaumont, Scottish Executive
Victoria Beattie, Scottish Executive
John Bowditch, HMIE
Christine Fitton, Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) *
Grace Sheed, Stirling University (TEIs) *
John McCann, Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU) *
Evelyn Adams, Professional Development Forum (PDF) *
* Associate Member
Apologies
Susan Bird, Stevenson College Edinburgh
1. Chair's Introduction, Apologies etc.
· Members welcomed the four Associate Members to the meeting.
2. Note of Meeting of 16 February 2006, inc update on Action Points
· The minutes were agreed to be accurate.
· Members agreed that the minutes should be sent to the main Working Group.
An update of the action points was provided as shown below:
Description of Action | Person(s) to provide update |
Executive to amend the conceptual framework to reflect discussions and issue the revised version to the full working group. | Victoria Beattie advised that this had been done. |
Executive to provide members with information about 'unqualified'. | Victoria Beattie advised that this had been done. |
Executive to draft a cover letter for College Principals seeking their comments about their staffing return statistics and asking for an indication of future trends and issue to sub group members for comment. | Victoria Beattie advised that this had been done. |
The Funding Council to could provide further information about the Professional Updating' Programme at a future meeting. | Bill Harvey will provide this information at a future meeting. |
Executive to send a letter, with paper SLEWG-SG-P04 attached, seeking their comments about their staffing return statistics and asking for an indication of future trends. | Peter Beaumont advised that this had been done. |
The Executive to report the comments back from Colleges to the sub group by 23 March. | Peter Beaumont advised that as some colleges required an extension, the comments will be discussed at the May meeting. |
Executive to formally ask the Funding Council to collect evidence of CPD activity in Scotland's colleges. | Peter Beaumont advised that a letter had been drafted and would issue shortly. |
Susan Bird to provide the contact details for the HR Strategy Unit. | Susan Bird provided the details. |
Funding Council should take forward the task of collecting evidence on CPD and should report the initial findings back to the sub group at the next meeting. | Bill Harvey advised that work would soon be underway and that he will update the sub group at a future meeting. |
Executive to invite Associate Members to attend the next sub group meeting on 23 March. | Victoria Beattie advised that this had been done. |
3. Associate Members Presentation
Each of the Associate Members gave a brief presentation on the work of their organisation and described how they believe they can provide advice and expertise on the tasks being undertaken by the sub group.
John McCann, (SFEU)
· The following main points were raised.
o The amount of contact SFEU has with college staff through Communities of Practice (CoP) and other training events - approx. 4,000 College staff engage with SFEU each month. Explained that CoP allowed colleges to have the opportunity to share best practice and develop informal networks. SFEU are increasingly delivering conferences and workshops in Colleges.
o The launch of the Equalities Unit.
o Commitment to continuous professional development (CPD), however cautioned against CPD becoming too bureaucratic and thought that there was a need to probe what is meant by professional learning in a supportive environment.
o Inclusion work should not only be driven by legislation but also by hearts and minds.
o Recognition that whatever professional development takes place it should ultimately improve the quality of the student's learning experience.
o Thought that it was important to have respect mentioned in the Conceptual Framework's value base. To allow respectful learning, there should be care taken to ensure:
§ individual circumstances of the learner are taken into consideration;
§ relevance of learning - working with the SQA to ensure that qualifications have currency;
§ consideration of the community; and
§ capacity of the individual to learn.
Christine Fitton, LLUK
· The following main points were raised.
o LLUK is the sector skills council for lifelong learning and is responsible for workforce planning.
o It supports employers and their workforce.
o Pushing to ensure that learners obtain a quality learning experience.
o Produce labour market intelligence.
o Mapping career path ways.
o Establishing a Scottish panel which will consult with and reflect the view of employers at the local, national and UK level, and a UK-wide FE constituency panel.
o 2 Principals from Scottish colleges will be sitting on each of the panels.
o There will be no replication of activities undertaken by other organisations nor will there be an extra layer of bureaucracy.
o Non subscription organisation.
o Will not provide training but will set the standards.
o Supporting employers who face structural changes ie working with the Funding Council on the issues associated with an ageing workforce.
Evelyn Adams, PDF
· A copy of the presentation is attached.
Grace Sheed, Stirling University (TEIs)
· A copy of the presentation is attached.
4. Teacher Training - Numbers Trained.
· Peter Beaumont informed members that Aileen McKechnie's letter and a copy of paper SLEWG -SG- P04 had been issued to the colleges. Recognised that the deadline for comments contained in the letter was perhaps too optimistic. As a result of requests from colleges for an extension the deadline had been extended until 13 April. The aim is to discuss the responses at the May meeting.
· Members were advised that from the responses received so far the main comments were in relation to cost, problems associated with headcount and contracts, the use of instructors and how to deal with staff who work in more than one college.
ACTION POINTS
Ø Executive to inform colleges who have not responded to Aileen McKechnie's letter of the extension to the deadline for responses.
Ø Executive to produce a full analytical analysis of responses to paper SLEWG -SG- P04 for the May meeting.
5. Update on CPD
· Bill Harvey provided members with a brief verbal update about the CPD pilot.
6. Agenda Items for Next Meeting
· Agreed that at the May meeting we will discuss:
o the analysis of responses to paper SG- P04;
o the guidance on the principles, based on good practice recommendations, which colleges should include in Codes of Practice for all staff; and
o the ongoing work of the CPD pilot.
ACTION POINTS
Ø HMIE and SFEU to prepare a paper on guidance using existing copies of guidance material, for the May meeting.
7. AOB
Peter Beaumont handed round a note of clarification on the parameters of RoSCO working groups' authority with particular regards to policy setting. Members were invited to note the policy process described with a view to aiding and informing the group's deliberations.
List of Action Points
Ø Executive to inform colleges who have not responded to Aileen McKechnie's letter of the extension to the deadline for responses.
Ø Executive to produce a full analytical analysis of responses to paper SLEWG -SG- P04, for the May meeting.
Ø HMIE and SFEU to prepare a paper on guidance using existing copies of guidance material, for the May meeting.
Review Team
Scotland 's Colleges
28 March 2006