traiNiNg New ‘recruits’ for endorsement service


Central YMCA Qualifications (CYQ) has announced that Aquababies, Ariel Yoga and YMCAfit are among the pro- viders to have signed up to its endorsement service. Launched this year, the ser-


vice provides employers with a quality assurance kite-mark for the training provided, even if no qualification is offered. CYQ director Lori Randall


said: “[Endorsement] is of particular benefit where training does not lead to a qualification, or go through the rigmarole of having a qualification attached. “Tis independent quality assurance mark


activepassport is the path to a new career


Suki kalirai is interim chief executive officer at SkillsActive


Aquababies is among the latest recruits to CYQ’s endorsement service CYQ, which is an awarding body for the


also adds value to in-house training and less- ens the need for companies to send employees off-site to an external training provider.”


health, fitness and wellbeing sector, is operated by Central YMCA and develops qualifications delivered through a range of institutions.


PM reveals £250m skills training pilot


A new £250m pilot to give employers more control over the design and acquisition of training programmes has been announced by Prime Minister David Cameron. Businesses will have the


chance to bid for a share of the funding in early 2012, which will see public support go directly to firms to invest in the training they need. It is hoped the move will


boost growth, with £50m available in 2012-13 and a fur- ther £200m in 2013-14 subject to an ongoing evaluation. Collaborative proposals from businesses of


Te new funding will be made available to increase vocational training Cameron said: “Tis radical new approach


all sizes and sectors will be able to submit bids, which will have to demonstrate how public sector support will bring in private funding. Support for apprenticeships and a commitment to enhancing skills levels across their sector will also be a requirement for applicants.


will encourage even more employers to take on apprentices and ensure that the UK work- force has the skills we need to boost growth.” Business secretary Vince Cable added: “We


have to fundamentally alter the relationship between employers and the state.”


London mayor launches Culture Squad 2012


London mayor Boris Johnson has launched Culture Squad 2012, which will offer five full-time paid apprentices the chance to gain experience of producing a major festival. Te scheme aims to become a flagship for best practice and involves Arts Council England;


© CYBERTREK 2011


Te Albany; Barbican; English National Ballet; Watermans and Roundhouse. Each of the apprentices between the ages of


19- and 24-years old will be based at one of the five arts organisations for 12 months and will work towards a NVQ Level 2 in Live Events.


Twitter: @leisureopps


A


ccording to an article I read recently, employers can invite individuals to apply for jobs by submitting their LinkedIn pro-


file. In our fast-paced digital age, people expect almost instantaneous responses. Even the most resistant of us can’t fail to be impressed by how social media has trans- formed the way we communicate. The article also resonated with me


because SkillsActive has been involved with the development of a new-online skills record called activepassport. It aims to let individuals log all their qualifications, skills and experience; let employers verify their in-house training; and give training pro- viders the chance to give an overview of a client’s skills and qualifications. As expected, this has been a long, techni-


cally-challenging process but one we hope will help achieve our goal of ensuring more people in our industry are better qualified and skilled. If we’re to help people become more work-ready we have to ensure every skill and opportunity is at their disposal. Part of meeting this challenge is creating a system which allows gaps in training and skills to be recognised by both individuals and employers as well as giving training providers the chance to tailor courses/pro- grammes they offer to meet these gaps. As the sector skills council for active,


leisure and wellbeing, accountability and endorsement are things we take very seri- ously. Verification is, therefore, at the heart of activepassport. Unlike traditional social media sites, activepassport has a validation and verification process which means users, whether they’re individuals, training pro- viders or employers, can feel confident the people they’re connecting with have the right skills, training and experience. We’re now about to begin a three-month


trial of activepassport with two major fit- ness employers, before rolling it out the rest of the industry. As with all digital plat- forms, activepassport will change and adapt according to the needs of its users so it will be interesting to see what this trial shows.


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital 17


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