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?
