Professionalism and why a Guild

A fundamental question raised at every focus group was around the  need for and function of an FE Guild, articulated in different ways from “what problem is it trying to solve?”, “what value will it add?”, or “which part of the complicated sector ‘space’ is it trying to occupy and own”? 

 There is of course quite a lot already in print including in the Lord Lingfield report and the BIS invitation to tender for the development phase. For example: “acting as an overarching body with end to end responsibility for professionalism and vocational education across the sector”. But rather than trying to repeat or paraphrase these previous statements, I thought it would be worth just trying to articulate some key reasons for proceeding with this initiative.  Again these are just my own personal musings and I have a suspicion this post is higher risk of being more contentious than my previous ones, and indeed some may think it’s a bit of ‘a blinding glimpse of the obvious’!  But here goes and I would positively welcome any input and comment, even if you disagree completely with anything I say.  

 I wonder do you think that a useful starting objective for a guild could primarily be the focus on professionalism of the sector workforce and how this might be recognised, developed and enhanced by the Guild?  You can of course write a thesis about what professionalism means, and even an internet search throws up a plethora of views.  Before even starting to look at professionalism perhaps we need to consider why we want a recognised professional workforce, or is that obvious?

·         To improve the learner experience and outcomes?
·         To enhance the reputation of the sector with learners, society, government and employers so that it is widely respected as a provider of high quality, fit for purpose education and training?
·         To make the sector an attractive place to work so that it can attract and retain the best staff – as one person said to me “FE becomes a first choice career”?

Of course a professional workforce is not the only ingredient needed to achieve the above and others might include high quality infrastructure, adequate resources and strong political support?

But turning back to professionalism and what it means, I have adapted one version below, which I felt reasonably closely matched our sector and thus might provide an interesting basis for a discussion:

One dictionary definition of professionalism is "the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person"; and it defines a profession as "a calling requiring specialised knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation."

These definitions imply that professionalism encompasses a number of different attributes, and, together, these attributes identify and define a professional.

So, what are these attributes?

Specialised Knowledge

First and foremost, professionals are known for their deep understanding and expertise based on specialised knowledge. They've made a strong personal commitment to develop and improve their skills, and, where appropriate, they have the qualifications that serve as the foundation of this knowledge.
Professionals work in a serious, thoughtful and sustained way to master the specialised knowledge needed to succeed in their fields, and that they keep this knowledge up-to-date, so that they can continue to deliver the best work possible.

Competency

Professionals understand bits of knowledge or separate facts as organised ideas and can apply them in many different contexts; They're reliable, and they keep their promises. If circumstances arise that prevent them from delivering on their promises, they manage expectations up front, and they do their best to make the situation right.

Honesty and Integrity

Professionals exhibit qualities such as honesty and integrity. They never compromise their values, and will do the right thing, even when it means taking a harder road.  More than this, true professionals are humble – if a project or job falls outside their scope of expertise, they're not afraid to admit this. They immediately ask for help when they need it, and they're willing to learn from others.

Accountability

Professionals hold themselves accountable for their thoughts, words, and actions as well as the standard of their work. This personal accountability is closely tied to honesty and integrity, and it's a vital element in professionalism.

Self-Regulation

They also stay professional under pressure. Genuine professionals show respect for the people around them, no matter what their role or situation. They exhibit a high degree of emotional intelligence by considering the emotions and needs of others, and they don't let a bad day impact how they interact with colleagues or learners.

Image

Professionals look the part and act accordingly.  Because of this, they exude an air of confidence, and they gain respect for themselves, the profession and the organisation they work for.
Based on feedback I think we would need to add one specific characteristic for our sector: Professionals recognise and actively promote equality and diversity considerations in everything they do?

I suspect that some will have different views and this whole subject could generate interesting debates.  But if we assume that the above is not a bad starter for 10 at defining what professionalism is about, then clearly many of these are more about personal characteristics.  Equally, even before that, there is a need for individuals to recognise that they actually belong to a distinct profession and for many they will effectively need dual professionalism covering their core vocational area and as a teacher/trainer/assessor or support function.

So how might an FE Guild help?  Before attempting to address that question, it is important to be very clear that I am not saying that some of this does not already exist in the sector, which it clearly does in some form or other through, for example, LSIS, IFL and the various programmes offered by representational bodies. 

The relatively easy part might be around qualifications and standards.  If professionalism implies some level of qualification to undertake a role, then individual practitioners and organisations need to know what qualifications are appropriate to their role and what represents best practice.  In theory I guess we could rely on awarding bodies maintaining the qualifications, but who would develop and improve qualifications in the future.  So for me this would not just be about being the overall custodian of sector qualifications and standards, but more importantly continuously reviewing them with the sector and through research to ensure they are fit for purpose and reflect changes in the specific environment, e.g. use of technology, changing employer needs etc.  A further complication for this sector is that ‘one size does not fit all‘, so whilst there appears to be a consensus that there mal qualification for many staff,ey.  ndeed I have a suspicion that the sector will see thiis a clear need for a suite of qualifications and standards for staff directly involved in teaching/training, learning and assessing, there is also an appetite to have a wider range of either qualifications or perhaps continuous professional development opportunities for everyone in the sector (e.g. those doing outreach work in community settings).

A key theme in the above and in all the articles I have seen, is the concept of professionals keeping their knowledge and practices up to date, as well as learning from others.  The idea that the FE Guild would somehow support, facilitate, endorse and generate CPD opportunities seems appropriate and was a key topic of discussion at the focus groups. It also got very high support in the survey.  There also appears to be a real demand for networks of professionals to facilitate learning from and with others, which is a key selling point of many other professional institutes and bodies. 

In addition, based on feedback at the focus groups, there appears to be a real demand for an organisation to set standards at organisation level also – “being a custodian of what represents excellence”. I guess this could be as simple as saying these are the standards, qualifications and CPD approaches, which are best practice for various providers, although this might sound a bit over simplistic and I suggest will need more debate across the sector.

But, as discussed above, a key part of professionalism is related to individuals and their personal qualities and approaches.  In most professional bodies this is covered by some form of individual professional code or ethics statement, which people effectively sign up to when they become members.  For us the concept of a sector covenant or compact between employers and employees has been raised.  This could encompass both specific agreements, e.g. for employees to undertake CPD and for employers to support employees in undertaking CPD, as well as wider expectations and behaviours.  Whether these are on an individual provider basis or part of being a member of the FE Guild is open to debate.  But in my view, without some approach to cover the wider attributes of professionalism we may not achieve the recognition and end result we are seeking.   

So what space should the Guild occupy if it is to “act as an overarching body with end to end responsibility for professionalism and vocational education across the sector?”

The above would suggest it could be about?

·         Qualifications and standards for the workforce;
·         Champion, support, endorsement and facilitation of high quality and appropriate CPD and networks of professional practitioners;
·         Building a shared understanding of professionalism and what this means for the sector, including ‘dual professionals’;
·         Defining the ‘professionalism gold standard’ for individuals and organisations to aspire to. 
 
At the outset I said I was trying to look at the generic ‘why a Guild’ question and I will admit in doing so I have strayed into a wider debate about professionalism in the round, but felt that without this any comments might be rather superficial – ah the benefits or a unstructured blog!  Anyway I would be very interested indeed to hear what you think and if the above makes it any clearer about the Guild or have I merely succeeded in mudding the waters further?   Perhaps you might wish to use some of this blog content as a discussion point with your individual teams?