Education working for all: developing Scotland's young workforce

Appendix 2 - Terms Of Reference

Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce

Terms of Reference

The Government's vision is one where high and increasing skill levels in the workforce drive increased productivity and growth, higher real wages and social mobility across Scotland.

Looking forward, Scotland requires:

• Good prospects for sustainable economic growth supported by a skilled workforce and a high quality intermediate vocational education and training ( VET) system which complements our world-class higher education system. The key sectors will be particularly important in the longer term as will a strong commitment to continuing workforce development.
• Better connectivity and cooperation between the worlds of education and work, at political and operational levels, to ensure young people at all levels of education understand the expectations of employers and employers are properly engaged.
• A culture of real partnership between employers and education, where employers view themselves as co-investors/co-designers rather than simply customers.

Building upon the Government's Economic Strategy, the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence and the extensive reforms of Post 16 Education now underway, the Commission for Developing Scotland's young Workforce will develop proposals that:

• enable young people to make the best transition from a broad general education under CfE into a comprehensive range of opportunities for vocational & further education and training;
• stimulate work awareness and work readiness, and make best use of work experience in the compulsory phase of schooling and thereafter;
• achieve a system of vocational & further education and training which meets the needs of the changing economy as set out in the Economic Strategy, and delivers the qualifications and skills which employers need;
• identify improvements in the methods of Schools, Further Education and Modern Apprenticeships, and their integration with advanced tertiary education, as required by the above considerations;
• improve the way in which schools tertiary education providers work together to change the extent and nature of vocational education;
• promote improved access and a genuine equality of opportunity, broadening the prospects of occupational choice in the years ahead;
• make this a genuine national endeavour, with stronger employer commitment and investment;
  

The Commission will engage senior figures in the world of business and education in re-examining the purpose of vocational education in future. It will draw upon the experience of other OECD economies. It is expected to draw preliminary conclusions in the autumn of 2013, with final recommendations in the second quarter of 2014, and to lead and shape the climate of business and education opinion.