SkillsActive

Think workforce issues – think SkillsActive!

"Your club or business needs to invest in skills – its survival and growth depends on it", according to Jim Rose, Director of Leisure Services, Lisburn City Council

Are you from the Sport, Health/Fitness, Playwork or Outdoor sector?

If the answer is yes, then SkillsActive may be able to help you.

How can we help add value to your club, group or business?

• Access to a wide range of quality development and learning opportunities that are guaranteed to attract and retain staff;
• Improved career pathways and progression routes across and within our sectors;
• Simplified qualification structures;
• Awarding bodies, learning providers and official inspectors satisfying real workforce needs;
• Up-to-date data information about our workforce
• Quality training provision with adequate geographical coverage and capable of meeting different learning styles

Play work in Northern Ireland

One of the largest voluntary and community sectors in the SkillsActive profile is the Playwork industry. The Playwork sector includes paid workers, self-employed and unpaid voluntary workers. SkillsActive research suggests that 4,460 people are employed in Playwork in Northern Ireland with 70% of sector organisations employing a maximum of 10 people.

In the last few years there has been a surge of interest in children’s play as it is increasingly recognized as a cross cutting theme integral to Northern Ireland’s social, educational, economic and health policy issues. This is evident in legislation and policy directives i.e. Children’s Bill (2004) and Every Child Matters, Agenda for Change (2004) and the recently launched draft Play Policy for Northern Ireland.

Appointment of a Playwork Workforce Development Officer

To help support the needs of both the paid and unpaid playwork workforce, SkillsActive and PlayBoard Northern Ireland have formed a partnership arrangement resulting in the joint funding of a Workforce Development officer post. This officer will be working closely with the Voluntary and Community sector to help address many of the challenges outlined above. Those interested in finding out more about this initiative should contact Margaret Deevey at PlayBoard ( m.deevey@playboardni. co.uk).

How can you help develop your staff?

Join the SkillsActive Network

A simple and positive first step is to consider becoming a member of the SkillsActive network (www.skillsactive.com) which is closely linked to the PlayBoard membership scheme.

Contribute to the Voluntary and Community skills needs survey

SkillsActive are planning to join forces with NICVA and a number of other Sector Skills Councils whose footprint includes parts of the voluntary sector. This research will add value to the Playwork sector and will help develop a better understanding of the need for skills across the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland. This project marks an important development in an overarching research programme that seeks to develop a more robust and detailed view of the nature of employment in the voluntary and community sector.

For more information, please contact Siobhan Weir, SkillsActive Northern Ireland Manager, 028 9756 0002 or s.weir@skillsactive.com.