A Common Language for Wider Skills

A Common Language for Wider Skills

Many providers are committed to developing learners' wider skills, but efforts can be fragmented. Different tutors might use different terms for similar skills, and learners may struggle to articulate what they have developed. A 'common language' - a shared, explicit framework for skills and professional behaviours - brings clarity and consistency.

Adopting a whole-provider framework helps everyone, from tutors to governors to employers, understand what skills are being developed, what progress looks like, and how they connect to future success. It strengthens your approach to the 'Participation and development' and 'Achievement' evaluation areas by making skill development intentional, visible, and easier to evidence.

1. Audit Your Current Approach

Before creating a new framework, you need a clear picture of your starting point. This audit helps you identify existing good practice and inconsistencies. It provides the foundation for building a framework that genuinely reflects your provision and stakeholder needs.

• Review documentation: Examine curriculum plans, schemes of work, and assessment criteria. Where are skills like communication, teamwork, or problem-solving mentioned? Is the language consistent across different provision types?
• Talk to learners and apprentices: Ask them directly what skills they are building beyond their main qualification. Can they name them? Can they give examples of how they've developed them? Their language is a crucial insight.
• Consult your staff: Survey or hold focus groups with teaching and support staff. What terms do they use for professional behaviours and transferable skills? Are there any common points of confusion or disagreement?
• Engage external stakeholders: Speak to the employers, universities, and community partners you work with. What skills do they value most? What terminology do they use in their own organisations? Aligning with their language makes your learners' skills more recognisable.

2. Define Your Core Skill Categories

Once you have gathered your audit findings, the next step is to structure them into a simple, memorable framework. The goal is not to create an exhaustive list, but a practical tool that people can easily understand and use every day.

• Select a few key categories: Aim for four to six high-level skill areas. Common examples include Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Professionalism, and Self-Management. The specific names should resonate with your provider's context and values.
• Co-create clear definitions: For each category, write a simple, jargon-free definition. What does 'Collaboration' actually mean for a learner at your provider? Involve a mix of staff, learners, and employer partners in drafting these definitions to secure buy-in and ensure they are meaningful.
• Keep it focused: Resist the temptation to include every possible skill. A focused framework is more likely to be embedded effectively than one that is too complex and unwieldy.

3. Create 'What It Looks Like' Descriptors

High-level categories are a good start, but they become powerful when translated into observable behaviours. These descriptors make abstract skills tangible and provide a basis for feedback and self-assessment.

• Write in behavioural terms: For each skill, list what a person demonstrating that skill does or says. For 'Self-Management', descriptors could include: 'Arrives on time and prepared for sessions', 'Meets deadlines for assignments', or 'Seeks out help when needed'.
• Use 'I' statements: Framing descriptors from the learner's perspective ('I can contribute ideas in a group discussion') can make them more accessible and useful for self-reflection.
• Consider a progression model: To show development over time, you could create simple descriptors for different levels, such as 'Emerging', 'Developing', and 'Confident'. This helps both tutors and learners recognise and celebrate progress, which is a key component of 'Achievement'.

4. Embed the Language Across the Learner Journey

A framework is only effective if it is used consistently. Embedding the common language requires a conscious, coordinated effort across all aspects of your provision.

• Curriculum and teaching: Integrate the skill categories and descriptors into session plans, learning objectives, and teaching resources. Refer to the skills by name during lessons, for example: "Today's group task is a great chance to practise our 'Collaboration' skills."
• Assessment and feedback: Reference the skill framework directly in assessment criteria and when giving formative or summative feedback. This makes the connection between a learner's work and their skill development explicit.
• Visible environment: Display the framework visually in classrooms, workshops, and online learning spaces. This constant reinforcement helps the language become part of the provider's culture.
• Learner self-reflection: Equip learners to use the framework to articulate their own development. Encourage them to use the language in their CVs, personal statements, and when preparing for interviews, helping them evidence the skills they have gained.

Where this fits in QualityHero

Creating a common language for wider skills is a strategic quality improvement initiative. Within QualityHero, the Toolkit Areas module is the ideal place to build, document, and share your bespoke skills framework and its descriptors. You can then link evidence from observations, work scrutiny, and learner voice directly to your framework, building a robust evidence base for your SAR. This provides a clear, triangulated picture of how effectively your provider supports learner 'Participation and development' across all provision types.