A new scheme designed to raise the status of employer-based training has officially been launched.
Employer Based Training Accreditation (EBTA) is a new initiative that aims to provide organisations with the support and advice needed to raise the status of training. Academic experts in relevant fields will advise employers on workplace learning, and the awarding of ‘credits’ that can contribute to a university award and also lead to the development of a foundation degree, or other qualifications.
According to Foundation Degree Forward (fdf), the pilot project co-ordinators, government figures show that huge cash sums are spent by employers on training that can be ‘hit-and-miss’ because there is no official recognition of the training, or any guarantee that it will be put into practice in the workplace.
EBTA aims to operate by aligning employer training with university standards and brokering recognition between employers and universities.
Bill Rammell, minister of state for lifelong learning, further and higher education commented: “EBTA will encourage employers to recognise the importance of improving the skills of their workforce, and applies the rigorous standards of university learning to their in-house provision. This type of initiative supports the Government’s desire to see more employer-led and employer-influenced provision, which is crucial if we are to produce more people with the skills that business and the economy demand.”
The scheme’s first pilots are already being developed, including accreditation of a new training scheme for legal cashiers that addresses a gap in existing accredited qualifications. The course was developed by Quill Pinpoint Accounting and accredited by the University of Chester.
