Following a wide review of how existing qualifications meet health sector needs, Skills for Health has published its first UK-wide strategy on sector qualifications.
The Sector Qualification Strategy (SQS) sets out the way ahead for the development of qualifications designed to meet the needs of the sector as it changes in response to policies and priorities. It envisages a health sector with access to a wide range of qualifications giving people the skills which they need, and employers want, to do a job.
The scope of the SQS does not, at this stage, involve a full review of all qualifications. Qualifications delivered by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) fall outside the scope as do those delivered as part of the school curriculum. It does however, refer to the aims to improve links between school based qualifications and vocational qualifications and consideration has been given to the articulation of vocational qualifications within the HE system.
We carried out extensive consultation with employers and many other key stakeholders and regulatory authorities in each UK country. This work has helped create a strong foundation for partnership working with stakeholders to ensure that qualifications are driven by employer need to meet the requirements of patients and service users.
In general we found that there is no need for wholesale changes to the qualifications available in healthcare, but that we do need to ensure that these qualifications are fit for purpose and transferable. A number of qualifications are already based on National Occupational Standards (NOS) and are supported by the Sector Skills Council as being required by the health sector.
Action plans have been developed for the four UK countries, individually tailored to meet the needs of the health sector in each country. We are now looking at work streams to achieve the outcomes identified in the action plans.
The Sector Qualification Strategy will not be a static document and will be reviewed annually in order to keep pace with, and meet, the challenges of: evolving health services, new Labour Market Intelligence (LMI), and the ongoing development of the Joint Investment Framework in England.
