Case Study 6

Using the Experience of Armed Forces Personnel

Skill Force

Skill Force is an organisation which uses the team building and problem solving skills of former Armed Forces personnel to deliver Key Skills training to young people. With its origins in a British Army initiative and later support from the Department for Education and Skills, Skill Force is now a not-for-profit company with charitable status. 23 Skill Force teams are currently delivering training for young people in over 130 schools across England, Wales and Scotland.

The programme

This programme observed for this study is based in an inner city school in Bristol. The school uses a range of external providers to deal with children who have been excluded or are at risk of exclusion from school, and/or are non-attendees. The Skill Force team is based in the school itself and delivers courses for both Year 10 and Year 11 pupils and post 16 students. The school directs children with a variety of needs - including behavioural problems, low achievement and lack of self-confidence - to the Skill Force courses.

The Learners

The learners are Key Stage 4 students (aged 14-16) who are at risk of exclusion from school and/or lack self-confidence/self-esteem.

Developing generic employability skills

The programme fosters the development of the following skills and attitudes:

• Communication
• Team working
• Problem solving
• Learning skills
• Confidence
• Self-esteem
• Reliability
• Punctuality
• Time management

Teaching and learning

Although pupils spend the majority of their time in classroom-based settings, external visits and outdoor activities are key aspects of the Skill Force experience. In the classroom, the Skill Force tutors work in pairs.

The following box summarises the key elements of good practice in the teaching and learning of generic employability skills through both curricula and extra-curricula activities.

Approaches to help foster the development of generic skills

• Build strong supportive relationships with each pupil through the use of individual attention, banter and outdoor activities and visits.
• Use external visits and outdoor activities to build relationships with the pupils, develop team-working skills and build confidence.
• Deal with pupils in ways which are non-confrontational.
• Work with each pupil in order to identify their particular needs and provide alternative ways of resolving issues.
• Develop differentiated teaching strategies which cater for the individual needs of pupils.
• Treat pupils as individuals by being accessible and giving them time as required.
• Give praise and be positive.
• Require politeness - they must learn that they have to earn respect.
• If pupils breach the rules, tell them when the rules have been broken and explain the reasons why they should not be.
• Always adopt a positive attitude and encourage the pupils to do the same.
• If there is a range of ability in a class (from the bright to those needing a lot of help) put the more able and the less able together so they can help each other.
• Use learning support assistants when classes include pupils with special educational needs.
• Encourage pupils to ask questions.

Assessing and certifying generic employability skills

The pupils work with Skill Force towards Life Saving, ASDAN and Duke of Edinburgh qualifications awards they are expected to achieve by the end of the programme Year 11.