Using skills excellence to build back better Edited by Stephen Exley Contents Foreword 3 Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE Foreword 5 Gillian Keegan MP Introduction 6 Stephen Exley Experiencing excellence 8 Anne Milton Understanding excellence 14 Dr Susan James Relly Case study: Toyota Manufacturing UK 19 Excellence and leadership 22 David Gallagher Establishing excellence 27 Ekaterina Loshkareva Case study: BAE Systems 32 Striving for excellence 36 Jennifer Coupland Embedding excellence 41 Professor Mehmet Karamanoglu Case study: Coca-Cola 46 Stimulating excellence 48 Matthew Fell 2 Using skills excellence to build back better Foreword Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE CEO, WorldSkills UK WorldSkills UK exists to As a small organisation we improve the quality of ap- can only do this by working prenticeships and technical with our amazing partners education for the benefit of in education, governments all young people and employ- and industry. And in this ers. We stand for excellence publication, I’m delighted in skills which we promote to say that we invited some through our decades-long of our closest partners to experience of international give us their take on what skills competitions, develop- excellence in skills means. ing training methodologies The range of answers in which hone young people’s this collection of essays and technical and mindset skills case studies speaks volumes to the highest level. We are about how and why high now developing innovative standards in technical ed- and exciting ways to share ucation are important. It is this knowledge throughout not just about qualifications, the skills sector to push for it’s about allowing young higher standards in tech- people to fulfil their poten- nical education and apprenticeships so tial, be innovative, confident and successful, that many more young people can benefit it’s about building prestige in our technical throughout the UK. education systems and it’s about giving UK firms the skills they need to boost their productivity, compete for new business and “It is not just about investment, create new jobs and ultimately raise standards of living. qualifications, it’s Current thoughts are understandably on the immediate next steps of surviving the pan- about allowing demic. But we will be selling our young people short if we don’t also focus on the longer-term young people to agenda of championing higher quality train- fulfil their potential, ing standards. I know from my experience of international skills competitions over the be innovative, last five years that other countries recognise the economic value of having a high-quality confident and technical education system much more than we have historically done in UK, and if we don’t successful.” start embedding excellence in skills now we risk falling further and further behind. 3 Using skills excellence to build back better By working with our valued partners we are I would like to thank all the contributors to developing new ways to do this. For example, this publication, who have given so much through our new Centre of Excellence in part- meaning to skills excellence and who continue nership with NCFE we are working in-depth to be valued partners of WorldSkills UK as with college leaders to pass on the key ele- we adapt and find new ways of inspiring and ments of our world-class training methodolo- developing young people. They have also gy to educators with a direct benefit to some given us plenty to think about in terms of how 40,000 young people. And we are developing we can evolve in our role to support all parts a suite of digital resources so that educators of skills systems across the UK to mainstream and young people can access insights on excellence, which we will give thought to and curriculum innovation and high-performance respond as soon as we can. mindset developed from our competitions Above all, I hope this publication gives real experience. These innovations will enable us meaning to the phrase ‘skills excellence’. To to reach many more young people to help me it means having more ambition for our them achieve their potential and start their young people, it means having more prestige journey towards successful careers. And I for our colleges and apprenticeship providers hope with new partners in the future we can and it means more and higher quality skills reach even more. to help boost industry, attract international investment and build back better. 4 Using skills excellence to build back better Foreword Gillian Keegan MP Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills The UK along with the rest of at different points throughout the world is currently navigat- our lives. Education and skills ing unprecedented challenges are vital in giving people the op- as a result of the COVID-19 portunity to upskill and reskill pandemic. The way we live to progress into higher-wage our lives has changed dramat- employment. The essays in this ically and the pandemic has publication echo the ambition shone the spotlight on the set out by this government to pipeline of skills this country ensure our post-16 education needs to enable us to recover system enables young people from COVID-19. Our skills and adults to gain the skills systems need to be ready for required for success and to the labour market challenges help the economy. and able to support a pro- WorldSkills UK and its partners ductive economy, fit for the continue to promote technical future, and underpinned by education and apprentice- world-leading technical and ships and inspire more young higher education provision. people to consider these as The National Skills Fund, announced at the prestigious career routes. The creation of the start of this parliament, signals a strong focus WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, which will in policy towards strengthening post-16 pro- mainstream international excellence, is some- vision in this country. This exciting new policy thing I welcome and would encourage more of. will look to transform and reenergise the adult The centre demonstrates the types of innovative training landscape. Likewise, apprenticeships approaches that are possible across the sector will be key to the skills-led recovery from to achieve better outcomes in skills provision in COVID-19, especially for young people. That this country and should serve as a rallying call is why we are helping employers of all sizes, to us all of what can be achieved together. through our incentive payments, to take on We all need to join WorldSkills UK in promoting new apprentices this year. It is also critical that this message. The national and international people get the right advice to support their networks forged through the global benchmark- careers choice and that is why the Chancel- ing of technical skills excellence, offers the UK an lor’s package of measures to boost skills and opportunity to showcase our technical provision support the labour market to recover includes globally whilst also bringing back world-class funding to help more people receive advice standards into our own national skills systems. from the National Careers Service. WorldSkills UK’s unique capacity to inspire and Now more than ever, investment in skills is vital to connect helps bring into our technical edu- to boost productivity and drive social mobility, cation system a brand prestige which, though which means that more of us will need to retrain historically lacking, is so deeply deserved. 5 Using skills excellence to build back better Introduction Stephen Exley is a freelance writer, Director of External Affairs at Villiers Park Educational Trust and former Further Education Editor at Tes If the turbulent months of – namely, the challenges 2020 have taught us anything, we already faced before it is that nothing can be taken COVID-19, and what comes for granted. Employers and afterwards. While the pan- skills providers alike have demic has unearthed social been forced to rip up their inequalities, it did not create business plans at short them. Levels of adult partic- notice, as the world adapts ipation in learning are at a to the ‘new normal’ of life in record low, and inequalities a pandemic. WorldSkills UK between higher and lower has not escaped unscathed skilled workers become ever with UK skills competitions clearer. Economic and tech- cancelled, the flagship LIVE nological changes on the event moved online and Eu- horizon mean that, as the roSkills Graz 2020 postponed CBI’s recent research with indefinitely. McKinsey demonstrates, up to 90% of the workforce will In a year dominated by a need reskilling by 2030. And virus which doctors are still the UK is already playing only beginning to under- catch up, with productivity levels lagging stand, planning and strategy have by neces- behind those of its main competitors. sity been tempered by the need for agility and resilience. Schools and colleges have In terms of education policy, the scenario been forced to move teaching online and unfolding before our eyes necessitates redesign their campuses. Supermarkets serious investment in the skills of the na- have had to overhaul their supply pro- tion. A long-term strategy informed – but cesses and pivot towards online shopping. not skewed – by the pandemic is essential Restaurants have ripped up their menus if we are going to, in the words of the Prime and rotas to cater for a far smaller, socially Minister, “build back better”. And if our distanced clientele. island outside of the EU is to compete with other developed nations, our skills must Given the uncertainty about what the future attain international standards of excellence. holds, there is a temptation to focus on the This is by no means a wildly ambitious pipe here and now, and react to the situation as it dream.