Commission for the land-based learning review: report to Scottish Ministers

4. The early years and school engagement with the Sector

The Commission recognises the range of policy initiatives and attainment priorities schools must address as ‘Education reform’ discussions progress. It also acknowledges the need to ensure its work supports greater strategic alignment of national policies, recognising the wider work underway within the Future Skills: Action Plan^[10] and the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill (WSD Bill) – with cognisance to sector specific challenges that need to be overcome. This will also need to involve successor organisations to Education Scotland and SQA.

The Commission engagement workshop feedback and a range of supporting data from: RHET, Scottish Forestry, Education Scotland, Lantra (Scotland) and Further Education (FE) and Higher Education Institutions (HEI) Providers, highlighted a variety of examples of excellent practice but also identified some inconsistency in delivery as well as gaps in both provision and data.

4.1 Engagement with early years and primary education providers

A wide range of outdoor engagement and learning initiatives within early years^{[11] [12]} and primary schools are undertaken by teachers supported by many other nature-based industry and outdoor learning organisations which include; Royal Highland Educational Trust (RHET), the John Muir Trust, the Royal Forestry Society, Countryside Learning Scotland, the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Learning through Landscapes, Forest and Outdoor Learning Awards (FOLA), Eco-Schools, Learning About Forests (LEAF) to name but a few. These promote a wider understanding of nature, farming, woodlands, aquaculture or use outdoor spaces and activities to improve learner self-confidence and team building. It is noted that several different sectors out with Agriculture, support the work of RHET by preparing delivery material/publications and providing specialist speakers and resources (Aquaculture, Food & Drink^[13], Learning & Education providers). Table 1 below provides an indicative example of one organisation’s activities.

Table 1: School engagement activities – Sample of some activities

RHET Activities 2019	Number	Children	Adults
Farm Visits	574	12467	1920
Farm Visit Events	363	8540	1107
Classroom Speakers	979	23027	1734
STEM and Food/Farming awareness activities		2859	919 (teachers)

Source: RHET 2022

• Stakeholder feedback indicated considerable variation and lack of consistency in engagement with learning outdoors across different Early Learning Centres (ELC) and schools within the same local authority and across local authorities.
• A pre-requisite of a good Care Inspectorate inspection is demonstrating daily access and engagement in outdoor and natural spaces. But the demonstration of such outdoor learning is not required within schools and anecdotal evidence suggests this tails off from primary to secondary.
• A broad understanding of the value of outdoor learning^{[14] [15]} including Learning for Sustainability (LfS) was evident from stakeholder feedback but a lack of consistency of application was identified from anecdotal evidence.
• Education Scotland and GTC Professional standards^[16] have embraced and promoted Learning for Sustainability^[17] (LfS) and it is recognised as learner entitlement within Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). Again, there is no evidence of consistency of uptake and application across the school phases.
• It is noted that over 90% of schools are registered as ‘eco schools’ but there is no requirement for primary or secondary schools to record LfS activities delivered within the curriculum.

The Commission has viewed early engagement with learning outdoors and LfS as ‘sowing early seeds’ which support and nurture young learner’s interest in the world around them and may influence later subject and career choices focused on the Sector.

“Simply expanding access (universal) to outdoor education in schools would be brilliant”^[18]

“How could schools pick up and implement the Care Inspectorate requirements?”

4.2 Secondary school engagement

As indicated in earlier comments, there are generally fewer opportunities for land-based employers or Education providers to engage with Secondary Schools.

However, there were some opportunities including:

• Supporting careers events, information and taster days.
• Some contextualised STEM and Industry initiatives such as the ‘Growing Rural Talent pilot’^[19]. An employer lead partnership with a Local Authority/Schools and Education Providers delivering accredited training and work placement opportunities to 5^th year secondary school pupils.
• Provision of some element of work experience with an industry employer or Education and Training provider.
• Supporting candidates with work placements and delivery as part of a formal SQA Award: Skills for Work (SfW), National Progression awards (NPA’s), Foundation Apprenticeships.

There are a limited number of nature-based qualifications relevant to the needs of the Sector as evidenced by Table 2, which provides an indication of the uptake of NC, NPA and SfW awards over recent years for school and FE learners (100 + approved centres including 50+ schools).

The SfW and NPA awards are considered as an introduction to the different land-based industries and provide a positive entry option which enables progression to further study pathways. National Certificate programmes have a high practical skills content and have over many years have provide a clear route directly into employment or higher-level study.

It should be noted that the NPAs in horticulture, horse racing and agriculture, have only recently been introduced, with a significant growth anticipated in the latter. NPA and SfW delivery can be a mix of School, Industry and School College partnerships which cannot be identified from the data sets provided.

Except for Horse Care which has seen some displacement to the Racing Yard awards and declining Gamekeeping and Agriculture NC numbers, most other awards have a relatively stable recruitment trend.

Table 2: SQA – NC, NPA and SFW award uptake

Land and Environment		2018	2019	2020	2021
National Certificates
Agriculture	SCQF6	72	52	54	48
Countryside Management	SCQF5	16	18	18	18
Greenkeeping	SCQF5	34	19	20	12
An Introduction to Horticulture	SCQF4	35	35	37	35
Horticulture	SCQF5	79	68	66	87
Rural Skills	SCQF4	37	35	26	36
Totals		273	227	221	236
National Progression Awards
Angling and the Aquatic Environment	3	10	0	0	0
Aquaculture	SCQF4	9	8	5	7
Aquaculture	SCQF5	0	0	1	0
Beekeeping	SCQF5	0	5	14	27
Crofting	SCQF5	0	0	0	5
Horticulture	SCQF4	0	0	85	56
Investigation of Modern
Agriculture	SCQF5	0	0	0	13
Horse Care	SCQF4	104	65	104	49
Horse Care	SCQF6	38	33	23	32
Racehorse Exercise and Performance	SCQF5	0	0	0	6
Racing Yard Routine	SCQF5	0	0	0	36
Specialist Racehorse Care	SCQF5	0	0	0	12
Thoroughbred Preparation	SCQF5	0	0	0	1
Zoo Animal Behaviour and Welfare	SCQF6	0	15	11	10
Totals		161	126	243	254
Skills for Work
Rural Skills (Nat 4)	SCQF4	310	288	346	291

Source: SQA 2022

Table 3 shows that in relation to Nat 4 SfW Rural Skills (Table 2), Environmental Science has a comparable uptake, but both fall well behind the more traditional subject of Geography, with over 10 times the uptake and below Health and Food Technology. With no general land-based degree, Geography is often cited as a useful degree in some Sector roles for example Conservation and Forestry.

Table 3: School Qualification uptake

Environmental Science

	2019	2020	2021	2022
National 3	185	105	145	70
National 4	330	320	370	495
National 5	205	260	335	350
Higher	390	360	515	545
Totals	1110	1045	1365	1460

Health and Food Technology

	2019	2020	2021	2022
National 4	520	640	640	750
National 5	460	1495	1700	1805
Higher	1190	1110	1435	1245
Totals	3170	3245	3775	3800

Geography

	2019	2020	2021	2022
National 3	600	705	825	705
National 4	3315	3430	3230	3975
National 5	9795	9700	10070	10265
Higher	6865	6435	7130	7175
Advanced Higher	710	750	795	1025
Totals	21285	21020	22050	23145

Source: SQA 2022

There are currently no SDS approved Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) in land-based subjects other than Food and Drink Technologies^[20]. Several challenges regarding the introduction of a specific FA within the land-based sector were identified within the Lantra review^[21] and wider issues within the Education Scotland review^[22].

However, Commission stakeholder feedback identified FAs as an area which may be worth revisiting with Sector partners, with strong support from industry bodies such as the Aquaculture Skills Group. There is however a need to support greater curriculum design and partnership between schools and tertiary education providers to change the view that schools are just ‘feeders’^[23].

The key issues emerging from the data is the low uptake of the available land-based SQA awards across the school senior phase. It is unclear why Environmental Science which could be considered a land-based proxy subject also has a low uptake. Local Authority analysis (see Appendix 5) does broadly support a more rural school uptake of Environmental Science and this has generally been the case with Rural skills SfW and NPA awards.

• The school ethos and location
• Collective/shared timetabling
• Senior management support
• Reliance on supportive and enthusiastic individual teachers
• Willingness to seek out local partners
• Funding for generally small cohorts
• Can be viewed as only suitable for learners who are struggling with other subjects
• Time required to develop effective industry or school college partnerships
• Transport and timetabling issues to enable practical skill activities to be undertaken
• The school estates infrastructure (grounds/garden/greenhouse). The issue of Health & Safety (risk assessments) constraints, with different local authority restrictions imposed on school visits and work experience opportunities

Recommendations

• Establish clear progressive experiences for nature-based learning and climate literacy across all levels of Curriculum for Excellence.
• Ensure that the Learning for Sustainability (LfS) Action Plan refresh encompasses strong progressive learning experiences relating to nature-based learning.
• Establish a robust approach to monitoring quality of the curriculum delivery of LfS, including the quantity and quality of nature-based and outdoor learning.
• Promote the delivery of more outdoor learning by supporting local authorities and colleges to undertake a review of their estate, to identify the potential for carbon reduction, climate change mitigation and the creation of accessible nature spaces.
• Identify ways to support an increase in Sector school/college partnership learning pathways, offered and undertaken by schools.

4.3 Factors influencing school subject choices and careers

There are mixed perceptions around the key school factors influencing senior phase learners’ subject choice and future career options. Data extracted from ‘Young People in Scotland Survey 2019’ and presented in Table 4 indicates the key sources of careers advice within the school environment.

Table 4: Schools Careers Advice – Survey responses

What guidance did you receive in selecting your courses/subjects for the senior phase?	Totals from all pupils
Class teachers	25%
Pastoral care/guidance teachers in school	22%
My own research (for example Googling, social media)	14%
Career Advisers	14%
Option assembly at school	9%
Personal Social Education at school (PSE)	14%
My World of Work website	10%
Careers evenings at my school	7%
A mentor in my school	4%
Attending careers fairs	4%
Other websites and employer presentations	2% each
Main Outside Influence S2-S6 – Parent/Guardian
Parent/Guardian influence at S2	31%
Parent/Guardian influence at S6	16%

Source: Young People in Scotland Survey 2019

The survey report concludes that:

• There are a multitude of factors that influence young people when they are considering their course choices, and these tend not to be based on what their peers are doing.
• Young people report that class/guidance teachers are the most commonsource of guidance for choosing courses.

The role of external Careers Advisors (14%) and career web sites (10%) are important but less so than anecdotal stakeholder feedback had suggested. Parents/Guardians remain the main outside influencers but this declines from 31% at S2 to 16% at S6.

There is a recognition that early selection of subjects is less focused on career pathways and more related to FE/HE course entry requirements. The key message is that early intervention in the secondary years significantly affects course and potential career choices.

The rural or more urban location of learners does impact on their interests and subject/career choices. Learner uptake evidence within Appendix 11 identifies some Local Authority areas but further research would be required to quantify geographical variations and related influencing factors.

“Influencing the influencers–- how do we change perception of the sector?”

“Need to influence careers advisers, primary teachers and parents”

“Subjects such as National Progression Award (NPA 5) Horticulture could sit brilliantly alongside, for example, Higher Biology in secondary schools but needs good engagement from school”

Recommendation

• Provide on-going Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL) support for school-based staff and volunteers across all education authorities, supported by education providers to improve their knowledge and understanding of the opportunities within the Sector. Include practical training in supporting learning in the natural environment.

4.4 Career websites

There are a few careers websites available to inform influencers and senior phase learners. These include: ‘My World of Work’, Lantra and those specific to sectors such as the Royal Forestry Society. These are also supported by education provider sites which provide more specific course-based information and industry body specific promotional sites.

The messages and navigation across all vary from clear career routes to a mix of career and course choice options for each step on a particular pathway. The very wide range of Sector career opportunities and jobs, across the very different industries for example Agriculture, Aquaculture, Forestry, Equine and Horticulture, could be confusing for learners.

Each site has its own target audience. Table 5 is a sample of the most popular pageviews by learner input of a job title, within My World of Work, which is also used to inform the 16+ Data Hub career analysis. (See Appendix 6 for other examples).

Table 5: Extract of the most popular land-based page views–- SDS – ‘My World of Work’

Animals, land and environment job profiles: April 2021 – March 2022
Job Profile Page	Views
Veterinary surgeon	12,239
Veterinary nurse	8,376
Zookeeper	7,929
Animal care worker	7,729
Dog handler	5,810
Farm worker	4,346
Dog groomer	4,138
Agricultural engineer	4,086
Tree surgeon	3,856
Oceanographer	3,852

Source: SDS ‘My World of Work’

The indicative focus on animals is clear (urban and rural) and this does appear to translate into later FE/HE course choices.

The question raised within some stakeholder sessions was “Is there a need for a ‘one stop shop’?”. There is some clear duplication of effort across the sites, but the issue of choice and approach had no clear consensus. This may be an area which should be reviewed further and involve influencers and young people to assess the best communication platform which really has an impact.

4.5 The perception of the Sector

Many sectors wish to influence and inform careers advisors and teachers in order to meet their skills and recruitment gaps. As Table 4 indicates, there are a variety of ways in which pupils can access guidance and information on careers, but teachers and guidance staff are most influential. There is hence a need to support and inform all school influencers and parents at a local and national level, but this has led to a ‘crowded landscape’.

There is a poor understanding of the wide variety of job roles across the different industry sectors such as Aquaculture^[24]. The land-based sector also faces a challenge around perception that there are poor working conditions/pay/progression opportunities and that careers in the area are more suited to the less academic^[25]. There may also be a gender bias with young women and girls not encouraged to consider a career in a particular industry for example Aquaculture or Land-based engineering.

There is a strong need to change the perception of the Sector regarding the personal, social and environmental value offered by careers and jobs which support our food industry and help tackle the nature and climate emergencies. Young people’s interest in the environment and their wish to influence change is clear^[26].

“There is a need to reframe land-based”, “value in the job” “What you can get from the job”

This will only be achieved through a more collaborative and focused approach by the Sector. While there will always be a need for industry specific initiatives there is also a need for an effective communication strategy embracing a more collective nature-based focus.

This should provide examples of how new entrants and career changers have accessed a wide range of Sector job roles (supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation, nature restoration, ensuring sustainable and high quality food and materials production) that can provide unrivalled job satisfaction.

This approach should also be reflected in the names of courses and awards that support pathways into these new jobs and the names of the jobs themselves. For example, ‘rural skills’ though well used by schools and colleges, does not really seem appropriate when delivered in an urban environment, neither does it accurately portray the diversity of skills required in rural areas. Equally, the term Green Skills, which has been adopted across a range of areas^[27], has become largely associated with carbon capture, waste and energy use reduction, and risks swamping the importance of protecting and conserving nature. All activities in the Sector are based in Nature or use natural processes, and it is clearly of benefit to both parties if those interested in working in Nature were more aware of the diversity of roles in which they can work, whilst having a positive impact on the environment.

This is not to say that industries such as Forestry, Farming, Aquaculture or Horticulture require any ‘re-branding’, rather it makes sense when capturing data on vacancies and skills requirements, for the collective name to encompass the transferable skills as well as their environment. It may be that collective adoption of Nature-Based as the sector title, rather than Land Based, presents a better ‘face’ to the prospective new entrant, as well as better capturing the importance of the industries therein, but further research and sector engagement would be beneficial before proceeding.

The Sector has promoted and supported many varied industry specific and broader initiatives with a range of key stakeholders. Each initiative has varying levels of success at a local and national level, such as Women in Agriculture^[28] link to taskforce and the ALBAS^[29]. Each has benefited from a collaborative, innovative and co-ordinated approach, which now needs to be widened. A structured and supported cross Sector approach and aligned implementation strategies, could help change perceptions, promote uptake and support growth.

Recommendations

• Work towards the reframing of the land-based sectors as nature-based.
• Develop an effective communications strategy to support the reframing of the Sector.

4.6 Anticipated school leaver destinations and predicted Sector uptake

The 16+ Data Hub School leaver destination data (2022) indicates that over 80% of leavers wish to enter Further or Higher Education, with 4% entering a Modern Apprenticeship (MA) and 9% entering work directly.

Graph 3 below provides an indication of the broad initial interest in land-based occupations as defined by the 16+ Data Hub for S3-S6 learners still at school across Scotland. This is based on initial careers interest and uses the standard job role classifications used by SEEMiS and SDS.

Source: 16+ Data Hub 2022

The use of many outdated job titles perpetuates an unhelpful image of a limited number of available roles. The image of a ‘Farm Worker’ or Gardening/Landscaping are uninspiring titles and should be revised over time. No Conservation or related job roles are listed as available careers options.

The gender balance in Chart 1 shows the very high level of female interest (67%), in the Sector which is primarily in the animal care and veterinary related roles. Later tertiary provision data analysis confirms the high female uptake within this area of education across the HE provision.

Source: 16+ Data Hub 2022

Table 6 shows the anticipated land-based career interests of the 2022 school leavers in Scotland, who will enter the tertiary education system or job market (based on the learners most recent interview with school careers advisors).

Table 6: Land-based – Predicted School S5/S6 summer 2022 leaver career interests

School leavers 2022: Land-based career interests
Animal Care/Veterinary Nurse	420
Animals land-based – Animals	341
Blank – no specific sector job indicated	279
Veterinary Science	221
Farm Worker	159
Zoologist	108
Work with horses	67
Fishing/Aquaculture	52
Gardening/Landscaping	33
Forestry Worker	29
Gamekeeper	23
Greenkeeper	8
Total	1740

Source: 16+ HUB 2022

The emerging message is one of an apparent low interest in most of the traditional job roles except for Animal care and Veterinary. This is a point in time measurement of the predicted school leavers career interests using the 16+ Data Hub but it does provide a useful indication of the Sector’s ‘appeal’ to school leavers across Scotland.

Recommendation

• Contribute to the Skills delivery landscape independent review, ensuring that the 16+ Data Hub captures the wide range of job roles undertaken across the Sector to allow for effective monitoring and impact.