UKCES

SQRP is part of a broad reaching UK initiative to radically change the landscape of vocational qualifications in the UK. The SQRP forms one part of the wider UK Vocational Qualifications Reform Programme (UKVQRP). For further information relating to UKVQRP please visit the DIUS website which will provide further detail.

The SQR Programme aims to ensure that the qualifications and other learning programmes available across the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland) are more effective in equipping people with the skills that employers want and that learners need to secure and maintain employment. In doing so it will contribute to the UK's business productivity by ensuring that employers are able to make the most of the skills of their employees.

The Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and Standards Setting Bodies (SSBs) have built on their Sector Skills Agreement work, or other robust market intelligence, and have developed a Sector Qualifications Strategy (SQS). They then worked closely with stakeholders such as Awarding Bodies and Regulatory Authorities to develop SQS Action Plans that identify a way forward to realise the SQS. Awarding Bodies are developing new or revised qualifications that are identified as required within the Sector Qualifications Strategy (SQS).

These qualifications will then be taken forward in terms of their position within qualifications frameworks and funding and delivery arrangements of the relevant UK nations, as part of the work of the other projects in the overall programme.

SQRP Key Deliverables

Sector Qualifications Strategy (SQS)

An overarching strategic document, broad in scope, that reviews current qualifications and other learning provision in a sector, highlights the needs of the sector and sets out the sector’s vision for the future in relation to qualifications and other learning provision.

Copies of the SQSs for all of the 25 SSCs can be found under the Sector Qualification Strategies section of the UKCES website.

SQS Action Plan(s)

This is the detailed section of the SQS itself which sets out the agreed actions, signed up to by stakeholders, for addressing the needs identified in the SQS, together with costs and timescales. There may be individual Action Plans for discreet policy areas, qualification types or geographical locations, as identified as appropriate by the sector.

Qualifications Development

New or revised qualifications that are identified as required within the Sector Qualifications Strategy (SQS). These are developed by Awarding Organisations in conjunction with the SSCs and SSBs to ensure they are fit for the requirement identified by the sector.

What is the UK Commission's role?

The UK Commission has been appointed to lead Project 1, SQRP. A new delivery team was appointed from September 2006, to work closely with the SSCs, SSBs and other partners, to manage the project and deliver the outputs. 

Geoff Fieldsend, Director of Qualifications at the UK Commission, is the Senior Responsible Officer for Project 1.        

To contact a member of the Sector Qualifications Delivery team, please email the SQRP team

Who else is involved?

SQRP has many stakeholders who need to work together to ensure that the qualifications resulting from this process meet the needs of both employers and learners, and that they can be effectively developed, regulated and delivered.

The Project 1 Board includes representatives from all four home nation government administrations and qualifications regulators, as well as SSCs, SSBs, Awarding Organisations, funding, advisory and development bodies, Higher Education and the UK Commission.

The reform of vocational qualifications is relevant to all employers and to all those developing, funding and delivering qualifications in the UK, not forgetting the end users of qualifications, the employers and learners themselves.  

For further information please email the SQRP team