A new set of professional leadership standards have been published for Wales’ post-16 workforce.

Included as part of the recently launched Professional Learning and Development Framework, the standards aim to both promote the professionalism of leaders in the sector, and provide a framework for continuing professional learning through self-reflection and collaboration.

The framework which was funded by Welsh Government, has been developed by the Education Workforce Council (EWC) in collaboration with the further education (FE), work-based learning (WBL), and adult learning sectors.

Launched by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language in July, it brings together a range of advice, guidance, and tools to support practitioners on their professional learning journey. These include:

• updated professional standards for FE teachers, WBL practitioners, and adult learning practitioners
• new professional standards for FE and WBL support staff, and FE and WBL leaders
• an interactive tool that allows you to explore what the standards might look like at different levels of practice - exploring, embedding, and transforming
• new professional standards for leaders working in post-16 education

It was created in response to findings from the Post-16 Professional Learning Scoping Study, much of which focussed on the need for such a framework to bring the various aspects of professional learning together.

Hayden Llewellyn, EWC Chief Executive said “We’re pleased that the professional standards for FE teachers, WBL practitioners, and adult learning practitioners are now complemented by bespoke standards for leaders and support staff working within the post-16 sector.

“They’ve been created in partnership with practitioners, for practitioners, and are designed to equip them with the necessary skills and competencies to navigate the evolving landscape of the sector.”

All of the resources can be found on the Educators Wales website.

Conwy Youth Service and Vibe Youth have been announced as the latest recipients of the Quality Mark for Youth Work (QMYW) in Wales.

Administered by the Education Workforce Council (EWC), the QMYW is a national award which supports and recognises improving standards in the provision and performance of organisations that deliver youth work services. In order to receive the accreditation, youth work organisations must self-assess against a set of quality standards and pass an external assessment.

To achieve the bronze QMYW, Vibe Youth demonstrated that they have appropriate leadership and governance, effective monitoring and evaluation processes, are safe, and act within a legal framework of policies. They also showed that they provide a welcoming and safe environment for young people who can access trusted and skilled staff and volunteers.

Jacob Henry, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Vibe Youth said “We are proud to have achieved our bronze Quality Mark.

“This award highlights the impact and importance of youth work in Wales. As a small, local organisation, we have shown we have the right structures and robust policies in place, that align with local and national frameworks.”

In achieving the gold QMYW, Conwy Youth Service demonstrated its strength of partnership working, use of management information, and creative use of resources in meeting the needs of young people. It also recognises and celebrates young people’s achievements, as well as the impact youth work and youth workers have made on their personal journeys.

Councillor Julie Fallon, Cabinet Member responsible for Conwy Youth Service, said, “I’m delighted that the dedicated staff in Conwy Youth Service have achieved this gold status. To achieve bronze, silver, and now this gold award is testament to the skill, experience, and professionalism of the team.

EWC’s Development Officer for the QMYW, Andrew Borsden said “I would like to extend my congratulations to both Conwy Youth Service and Vibe Youth on achieving the bronze and gold Quality Marks.

“It is an outstanding achievement, recognising the hard work and commitment you all make each day in support of young people across Wales. Well done to everybody involved.”

The EWC are currently recruiting QMYW assessors. You don’t need any specific qualifications to become an assessor, but it helps if you're passionate about celebrating youth work in Wales and have an interest in quality assurance.

For more information about becoming an assessor, and about the QMYW in general, visit the EWC’s website.

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) has released the second episode of its podcast, Sgwrsio with the EWC.

In this episode, host and EWC Chief Executive Hayden Llewellyn is joined by representatives from sexual health charity Brook, and children’s charities Barnardo’s and NSPCC to answer questions outstanding from the EWC’s Masterclass event “We don’t tell the teachers”: understanding and addressing sexual harassment in education settings.

Throughout the discussion, the panellists cover topics including online bullying and harassment, best practice for schools, and talking to parents/guardians about the RSE curriculum.

Speaking about this episode, Hayden said “This is an issue affecting the education sector, not just in Wales, but worldwide. This podcast, which features valuable insights and resources from Kelly, Elinor, and Sharron, is just one way in which we aim to help our registrants deal with such issues.

“In addition, we are also developing a good practice guide on the subject which will provide further advice and guidance to our registrants on preventing, responding to, and recording instances of peer-on-peer abuse, exploitation, and harmful sexual behaviour.”

The episode, although aimed at EWC registrants, is also of use to parents/guardians looking to understand what they can do to help prevent and respond to instances involving their children, as well as governors looking to support colleagues in their schools.

‘Sgwrsio with the EWC’ is available now via the EWC website, or your favourite podcast provider.

Please be aware that this episode discusses potentially sensitive subjects. Refer to the show notes for more information, and links to guidance and support.

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) has today (5 September 2023) published its latest data on the education workforce in Wales.

The independent, professional regulator’s Annual Education Workforce Statistics for Wales 2023 provides its most comprehensive set of data to date, covering over 88,000 registered practitioners across schools, further education (FE), work-based learning, and youth work in Wales.

The data is derived from the EWC’s Register of Education Practitioners and provides valuable insights into the make-up of the education workforce such as age, ethnicity, and gender, as well as qualifications and subjects.

In this year’s report, all categories saw an increase in registrant numbers. However, of particular note was the increase in registered school teachers (1.6%), and the significant increase in registered school learning support workers (16%).

For the first time this year, the EWC also reported on the area of retention in each of the registrant groups.

EWC Chief Executive, Hayden Llewellyn said “We understand that retention in the education workforce professions is of particular interest to our colleagues and we are pleased to be able to share the findings from our comprehensive set of data.

“Although our data shows varying levels of retention across the registrant groups, it is positive to see that retention in the school teacher category remains healthy with over 75% still registered after five years.

“We are hopeful that this new data, along with our other data sets, will continue to drive the discussion and policy position around important education workforce topics including recruitment, retention, and work load.”

Further key findings, along with the full Annual Education Workforce Statistics for Wales 2023, are available to read via the EWC website.