SIR Data Insights gets sector support
This summer the Education and Training Foundation launched a new free workforce data service for the FE sector, covering all types of provider. The SIR Data Insights service is a descendant of the Staff Individualised Record system of previous years, but with a number of significant improvements. In exchange for providing data to the system, providers now gain instant analysis and bench-marking to support strategic workforce planning and reporting.
There is still time to take part. Providers can submit data up to 21st October by logging in or registering at: www.sirdatacollection.org.uk.
Feedback from across the sector has already been positive. A series of short snapshots of reactions has been captured on the SIR Data Insights website at: www.sirdatacollection.org.uk/news
Usability is clearly much improved, with many users pointing out the ease of navigating the system and the usefulness of the information and guidance provided for preparing and submitting data:
It was easier to find our way round the new system. When you start to upload the data, you can see the stages on screen, which is helpful. Then you can see reports straightaway.
Stode College
The new service includes extra data fields in order to provide more useful reporting, for example in the area of qualifications. Whilst this has created more work in the short-term, providers recognise the usefulness and are gearing up to capture this data systematically throughout the year ahead. Dialogue with HR system suppliers will be important to help make this process easier, building on positive beginnings this year.
I would definitely advise other Adult Community Learning Services to contribute data. We have practical experience of how it can be useful to do so. For example, staff in the ACL sector tend to be predominantly female and also ageing. We have used the SIR data to convince managers of the need to bring younger people in and train them up.
Hull Training and Adult Education Service
Unusually for a support service, the SIR Help Desk has received rave reviews. It is clear that a dedicated, well informed and motivated team on the Help Desk has made a substantial difference to smoothing the process for many providers.
We only had to use the Help Desk on a couple of occasions and they were brilliant, absolutely excellent.
North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College
The clear way in which the system points up errors in submissions allows providers to identify and correct errors in their HR data.
Being able to review our data and iron out errors was a useful exercise in its own right.
City of Plymouth College
Users can now see their data as soon as it is submitted. The instant-access management dashboards which present the data in a very visual way have been well received.
The data immediately fed into the management dashboards so we got an instant view on our staff data. Some of the dashboards are potentially very useful to us.
Chiltern Training
At this stage, information is comparative with previous years’ submissions but once all data has been submitted by the deadline, it can be aggregated and new benchmarks will be published for 2015/16. You need to submit data to benefit and the more users that provide data, the more useful the service will be.
My advice to other independent training providers is to use SIR Data Insights. It’s free and the more people that use it the more everyone will get out of it.
Release Potential
For support in submitting data, providers should contact [email protected] or call 0345 833 9040
Charlynne Pullen is Head of Workforce Data at the Education and Training Foundation
Responses