RPL Event 16RPL Event 16thth May May

Enda Donnelly Lead Consultant

Project aimsTo identify employers who use RPL to:

• a) help employees use their existing skills and knowledge for career development

• b) advise employees on matching their skills and knowledge to existing national qualifications and standards in the four nations

Key objectives• Identify employers who are using

a form of RPL within the workplace

• Get the agreement of 5 to participate in detailed research

• Produce at least 5 case studies: – covering 5 sector areas– covering the four nations

Methodology• Desk research to review existing

findings• Contact with SSCs, UKCES, Regulatory

bodies, AOs to identify employers• Initial letters sent to potential

candidates for case studies• Exploratory discussions with selected

employers • Extensive interviews with key people

within selected organisations

Difficulties • Lack of shared definition of RPL• Time-consuming process in

searching for case study employers

• Lack of access to those at receiving end of process

• Changes in personnel and priorities for organisation

Distribution of case studies

4 nations • England – Institute for Conservation

• Wales – Prospects Care• Scotland – Perth and Kinross

Social Services• Northern Ireland –

– Henry Brothers– Belfast Health Trust / others

Sectors covered

• Construction• Land based• Skills for Care

• Skills for Health

• Tourism

• Henry Brothers• Lantra /Poultec /

Cargill • Prospects Care and

Kinross and Perth CC• Belfast Health Trust

and other agencies• Institute for

Conservation

Some reasons for using RPL

• Raise qualification level of workforce• Accelerate process for gaining

qualification• Need for employees to be multi-skilled• More inclusive approach to recruitment• Improve confidence/status of individual

staff• Support for individual learning pathways

RPL and specific groups• Support workers in health service• Potential recruits to construction company• Professionals with high level specialist

skills in conservation/restoration• Employees across the Poultry industry • Learners/trainees during probationary

period in Residential Care setting• Long term unemployed people seeking

career in health and social services

Varied RPL Processes• Combination of observation and discussion against

NHS Key Skills Framework• Practical skills test and interview for recruitment in

manual skills• Detailed selection of evidence, reflection and

dialogue with assessor for accreditation for professionals

• Achievements logged to obtain industry ‘Passport’ • Reflection and evidence gathering during probation

matched to units in Level 3 QCF Diploma• Online profiling tool to record evidence of prior

achievements matched to Level 4 SVQ units

Benefits of RPL

• Relevant to diverse range of working contexts

• Improves confidence in learners• Low cost compared to qualifications• Easy to administer e.g. Passport• Qualification achieved more quickly • Reflective process very important within

some sectors

Challenges relating to RPL• Resource intensive process

• Affordability • Lack of awareness by learners of

potential RPL opportunity• Perceived difficulty of capturing RPL by

some trainers• Restrictions imposed by regulatory

bodies• Issue of recognition by academic

institutions• Issue of transferability to other employers

Overall Reflections

• Qualifications not always a priority for employers

• Some lack of employer confidence in RPL outcomes

• Skills demand related to projected as well as current industry needs

• RPL relevant to learning at all levels • ‘Passport’ tool very effective in enabling

transferability within the industry• Partnership between organisations very

helpful• Reflection very important to some sectors