7 minute read
Learning to adapt
ROS PARKER OBE
Ros is the Principal of Southend Adult Community College and is part of the CIPHE’s Education Strategy Group. Here she reveals her thoughts on how the industry can further develop career opportunities.
Ros Parker OBE is championing adult education and new styles of learning to meet the skills shortage
The future of learning
With the heating and plumbing industry already stretched to capacity and the introduction of new carbon targets from the government, there needs to be a robust plan to recruit and educate within the sector.
Ros Parker OBE, who was recognised in the Queens New Year’s Honours List 2021 for her substantial contribution to services in adult education and the community in Southend, has a vision for the future.
In 1996, as a single mum who left school with no qualifi cations and barely enough food to feed her young family, Ros started attending an adult education class studying creative writing.
Four years later, Ros had achieved a BA Hons degree and a Master of Science in Education and Training Management. This enabled her to secure her fi rst leadership role in education as Principal of Prospects College of Advanced Technology, Essex. It was here that she developed and implemented virtual and augmented reality for plumbing and heating engineering, electrical installation, and air conditioning and refrigeration, which gained national recognition.
Ros developed and implemented apprenticeship standards across construction and engineering, providing 1,500 young people with the skills and development required for sustained employment in the future.
In her fi rst year in the role of Principal of Southend Adult Community College, she secured a provision across multiple trades to ensure young people and adults develop the skills they need to meet the skills gaps and progress into apprenticeships.
She is passionate about providing high-quality education that enables young people and adults to access the
Ros outside CIPHE’s head o ce with technical manager, Jerry Whiteley skills they need to enter into construction and engineering, where there is a signifi cant shortage of skilled practitioners to meet the demand.
At present she is working alongside the CIPHE to accelerate the skills o er and promote opportunities for young people and adults that enable them to develop their career opportunities across the sector.
Spreading the word
With demand for skilled tradespeople at an all-time high and government targets putting increased pressure on the industry, the need for investment in the education sector is vital.
“The skills shortage is a very real issue and there are many challenges when recruiting a skilled workforce which have been exacerbated by the pandemic,” says Ros. “Recruiting apprentices has many benefi ts, with education providers working alongside employers to get the right match of skills and experience that will bridge the skills shortages. For me, co-production of a meaningful programme of work and learning between education providers and industry would help to reduce the shortage of skills.”
With so many courses available, young adults can struggle to navigate their way through the options. However, the National Careers Service and the
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24% of women weren’t advised to take up a trade whilst at school
National Apprenticeship Service are great places to start, according to Ros.
“Good information, advice and guidance sessions can really help young people and adults to make the right choices for them,” she says. “Those that know exactly what they want to do and the pathway they want to take within the industry should look for good quality providers – a guide would be to look at the provider’s latest Ofsted report alongside reviews, and learner and employer feedback.”
The skills shortage isn’t just limited to installers, but lecturers too. It stands to reason that if more people need to be trained, there need to be more qualifi ed teachers too. However, this is also a major problem in the sector at the moment.
“If I could solve the problem of lack of lecturers I could probably retire in style!” jokes Ros. “Seriously though, it is a challenge and there have been many interventions around fl exible market rates and golden hellos, but this simply moves the problem around and provides a short-term solution. It would be great to fl ip the problem and tackle it in a di erent way, for example challenging the current delivery model to bring fl exibility and co-production between employers and providers.
CIPHE Education Strategy Group
The CIPHE Education Strategy Group (ESG) is a sub-group of the Membership Registration and Education Committee (MREC).
The ESG acts as an independent and professional leading authority to and on behalf of the plumbing and heating industry by raising educational standards, guidance, expertise and educational innovation.
It will liaise with government on educational matters concerning plumbing and heating engineering, develop progression in education, links with CIPHE membership, and liaison with appropriate educational establishments.
The principal tasks of the ESG:
• Develop a fi ve-year strategy regarding education, which aligns with government policy • Ensure government consultations on educational matters relating to the plumbing and heating industry are attended to • Communicate with government o cials and relevant authorities to further and advance education and training procedures on behalf of the plumbing and heating industry • Arrange regular internal audits in respect of CIPHE’s licence with the Engineering Council • Update career pathway information and disseminate it to colleges and private training centres • Seek and maximise funding opportunities in support of CIPHE’s educational aspirations • Review apprenticeship standards (Trailblazers) for professional registration progression • Develop strategic alliances with appropriate educational establishments and training authorities
Above: Ros helped to upskill hundreds of people during her time at Southend Adult Community College
Right: Ros with councillor John Lamb and Pat Lamb, former mayor and mayoress of Southend-on-Sea
Industry support
“The CIPHE plays an incredibly important role in promoting continued professional development within the industry, in understanding the changing skills needs and gaps that will inform the education sector in the development of its programmes,” says Ros. “It has a signifi cant part to play in promoting high standards of work across the industry and this starts with how e ectively people are trained and developed.
“I hope the group will shine a light on the education and skills needs of the industry, promote pathways that enable progression across the industry and work alongside employers and providers to reduce the skills shortages.”
Given the government’s announcement about the grants to encourage homeowners to upgrade to heat pumps, Ros believes the incentives provided by the government will encourage upgrades, but when it comes to maintenance of these new technologies there may be a lack of skills to meet demand.
“I would like to think that the government has a pipeline of industry professionals it is working with to understand the scale of need and demand, alongside the development of an upskilling programme that incentivises those displaced through the pandemic to retrain,” says Ros. “It would be great to think that there is a fi ve-year-plan in place to retrain, upskill and facilitate new opportunities for industry professionals to transfer into sustainable options for the future.”
Looking ahead
Ros has a clear vision for the future of the industry, which she shared in 2019, predicting that education would take place in dedicated industry-specifi c shops in empty high streets, college departments would co-locate with employers who would use empty o ce space as desk-based roles would work from home.
She also believed that training and development would be live-streamed worldwide to exchange excellence in the industry; virtual and augmented reality would be used for work experience and to develop skills safely, whilst optimising lecturers’ time, and employers and industry professionals would be part of a training academy to facilitate the learning of new skills whilst retaining their industry role fl exibly.
“By March 2020 we were in lockdown and the world changed dramatically. Much of what I set out happened within 48 hours,” says Ros. “I think I will stop setting out my 10-year vision!”
All jokes aside, Ros believes that the internet will play an important role in providing training support or vocational qualifi cations moving forward.
“Using digital resources, immersive technology and the internet are excellent support and enablers of learning if used well,” she asserts. “We have seen its impact during the pandemic. However, it lends itself better to some sectors more than others. Additionally, we have seen the real value in practical problem solving with others in a room together. The development of hand skills needs a practical space that is safe for learners to gain the skills they need for work.”
She also underlines the importance of face-to-face working alongside these new digital solutions. “Let’s not forget the value of social interaction that builds a resilient workforce, a team that can work together, support and coach each other. We have seen the impact that being isolated from others has on mental health and physical wellbeing so it is about a balance: where technology is an enabler, it should be used to best e ect, but not to the detriment of building a strong and skilled workforce of the future.”
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