Skills Passport Scheme

[BAJR]

I am glad to see at last that more support is gathering for my proposal for a skills passport scheme.

after first mooted at an IfA conference, some years back I have been moving back and forward with the scheme. Recently working with Manchester Uni and hopefully soon to have the long awaited website up and running.

The idea ( part one ) to have a list of quantified skills that archaeologists can gather and have signed off. and this is collected in a skills passport, that can be produced to an employer letting them see what you can do. and to help the archaeoogist see where they have skills gaps. ( I found I needed more geophysical training and basic environmental )

second stage (which I am now 25% through ) is to match the list of skills to the jobs. so you know what you need as basics for each position. - a bit like archaeologists happy families ...

THere is soon to be another HEA meeting where this will get going. ( both the Skills Passport Scheme and BAJR will be presented )

WHat is needed is for companies to recognise skills and reward them and for workers to realise that skills need constant sharpening. which leads well into the IfA CPD scheme.

Kick start careers with Skills Passport.

I am so happy to see this idea starting to take hold.

[P Prentice]

well done bajr - i will fully support such a scheme

[BAJR]

Long time coming... believe it or not, it dates back a few years now to when I stood up in the Reading IfA conference and first mooted it --- waving a mocked up version around like a little red book

I have had some great help...quite a bit from BAJRites. but it has been a struggle I can tell ya!

[Dinosaur]

At the risk of me and PP agreeing again, yes, well done! :face-approve:

[Jack]

I;m looking forward to the day when it is standard! Good work Mr Badger

[BAJR]

It is a tough one... but teh thanks goes to all those who have helped./

I just need a good kick up the arse to finish it!!

to see the new incarnation _ I have transcribed the first section only about archive and documentary research ...

http://www.archaeologyskills.co.uk

it still needs edits and a revamp... so I need to complete it first then get comments... then pdfs on each one and then the hard copies of teh passports. - already have a version from back in 2007 far more advanced now...

thanks to Manchester Uni.


Will hopefully have something ready for June (ish)

[pdurdin]

:face-approve:

[Wax]

Nice one BAJR but how would I get all the previous courses and training I have been on signed off as finding line managers and mentors several years afterwards would be very difficult. Much of my training was done a decade ago at least. Or do you see the employment positions one has held reflecting this training?

[BAJR]

It was one thing I considered.

first.. this is supposed to be a starter ... so if you are currently a po or supervisor it would suggest that you currently have these skills. if not. you could see where you need to brush up. so yes... previous employment history would reflect ( hopefully )

second... it is a case of start somewhere. so there will be a 3-5 years before it is carried by all... ther really is no other way other than testing everyone who is currently an archaeologist. ifa membership is one way. though since the loss of areas of competence it is not the best.

Training needs to start... of that we can agree. validation in a way validates itself.

:face-approve:

[kevin wooldridge]

Training needs to start... of that we can agree. validation in a way validates itself. :face-approve:

But it could be a problem. One of the major (and repeated) reasons quoted for non-confidence in the IfA is that the first wave of membership was self-validated. You wouldn't want your excellent scheme to be tainted in a similar way.

I don't have an answer but suggest at the end of the day that an employer will make a decision on employability based not solely on the Skills passport, or academic qualification or length and type of experience, but an appropriate combination of all 3 factors...much like they do nowadays in fact. Skills passport just confirms a level of practical experience.....

One question...how would the self-employed use the scheme?