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Education and training whilst claiming Jobseeker's Allowance: workskill pilots

This report presents information on jobseekers' perceptions of the value of education and training and their motiva ... Show more
This report presents information on jobseekers' perceptions of the value of education and training and their motivation to participate in education and training whilst receiving the Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Under the JSA regulations jobseekers can undertake education and training courses provided they do not interfere with their availability and search for work. Jobseekers' awareness and understanding of the education and training regulations under the JSA are explored. This is followed by an evaluation of the Workskill pilot. The Workskill pilot was introduced to test more flexible rules that would allow jobseekers to attend either part-time or full-time courses. The impact of the relaxed training requirements was considered and differences between part-time and full-time pilot areas were explored. Reasons for the lower than expected take-up of places are set out as are the issues that should be considered when designing and implementing future education and training-related activities. Show less

Authors: Thomas, Andrew; Griffith, Sue; Pettigrew, Nick

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 1998

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Evaluation; Employment; Participation
Evaluation of modern apprenticeships: 1998 survey of employers

The Modern Apprenticeship (MA) program was introduced to improve the supply of intermediate level of skills in the ... Show more
The Modern Apprenticeship (MA) program was introduced to improve the supply of intermediate level of skills in the United Kingdom (UK). The Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) commissioned a study in 1998 to evaluate employers' views and experiences of MAs. This study set out to: (1) evaluate the impact MAs are having on the quantity and quality of work-based training for young people; (2) determine the extent to which the MA program has been effective in overcoming skill shortages and in improving skill levels; (3) assess whether the program provided value for money; and (4) provide some guidance in delivering and maintaining high quality training. The study, based on interviews with employers, found that while there was room for some improvements, overall, the MAs were meeting the needs and expectations of both employers and apprentices. Show less

Corporate authors: Economic Research Services (Firm) ... [+] Show more

Date: 1998

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Youth; Evaluation; Apprenticeship ... [+] Show more
Modern apprenticeships: exploring the reasons for non-completion in five sectors

Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) provide people aged between 16 and 24 with work-based training which leads to qualific ... Show more
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) provide people aged between 16 and 24 with work-based training which leads to qualifications at National Vocational Qualification level three (NVQ3) or above. This report provides a profile of non-completers and examines how trainees came to start the MA program, their understanding of the process at the start of the training, their training experience and the range of reasons for not completing the MA program. More specifically, it investigates why some leavers from MAs do not attain a NVQ3 and some attain a level three but do not complete the whole training, and why some leavers do not complete their MA in spite of remaining with the employer, in some cases still receiving training. The report also examines what non-completers do after the MA and ways of improving attainment. Information was obtained from recent non-completers, training providers and employers. The five sectors covered in this study are: Care, Hospitality, Retail, Motor and Electrotechnical. Some key issues to emerge from this research include: (1) despite non-completion, most participants felt they had benefited from the program; (2) most employers were generally positive about MAs and very few planned to discontinue their involvement with MA training; (3) most trainees started their training without being fully aware of what the training involved or how long it would take; (4) a large number of employers lack information and knowledge about MAs; (5) there appears to be no one stage of the training program where non-completion is more likely to take place; and (6) Key Skills was one of the key factors identified as leading to non-completion. Show less

Authors: Winterbotham, Mark; Adams, Lorna; Lorentzen-White, Damion

Corporate authors: IFF Research (Firm) ... [+] Show more

Date: 2000

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Youth; Apprenticeship; Evaluation ... [+] Show more
Basic skills, soft skills and labour market outcomes: secondary analysis of the National Child Development Study

Previous research has shown that basic numeracy and literacy skills have important positive effects on individuals' ... Show more
Previous research has shown that basic numeracy and literacy skills have important positive effects on individuals' labour market outcomes. However, the impact of 'soft skills' were not taken into account. There is concern that if individuals with better basic skills also have better 'soft skills', then some of the benefits of literacy and numeracy that were identified in earlier research may be attributable to individuals having better soft skills. A second area of concern is that previous research did not directly investigate whether improving adults' basic skills would also improve their labour market outcomes. The study aims to investigate whether the literacy and numeracy test scores in the National Child Development Study (NCDS) are correlated with 'soft skills' that were excluded from previous research but which also have a positive impact on individuals' labour market outcomes, and whether individuals who have measurably improved their basic skills since the age of 16 earn more because of their higher skills. Show less

Authors: Machin, Stephen; McIntosh, Steven; Vignoles, Anna; Viitanen, Tarja

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 2001

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Literacy; Numeracy; Labour market ... [+] Show more
Connexions: the best start in life for every young person

The Connexions strategy brings together a number of existing and new initiatives aimed at young people in England. ... Show more
The Connexions strategy brings together a number of existing and new initiatives aimed at young people in England. This document sets out the details of the various initiatives within the strategy. It covers the new Connexions Service, ideas for a new wide-ranging way of recognising teenagers' achievements, financial support and the wider education and training policies. The Connexions Service will help support and guide young people through their teenage years. The document is set out in two parts. Part one (chapters one to four) explains the context for the Connexions strategy, the policies for young people and the overall framework for ensuring high levels of participation and attainment in learning. The second part (chapters five to eight) focuses on the new Connexions Service. Show less

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 2000

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government information

Subjects: Youth; Participation; Policy ... [+] Show more
Early assessment of the Centres of Excellence, Skills Challenge and collaboration element of the Further Education Collaboration Funds: final report for DfEE

This report sets out the findings of the first stage of a longitudinal evaluation of the Centres of Excellence (CoE ... Show more
This report sets out the findings of the first stage of a longitudinal evaluation of the Centres of Excellence (CoE) and Skills Challenge (SC) elements of the Skills Initiative and the Wider Collaboration Element of the Further Education Collaboration Fund (FECF). These three funds had been introduced in the 1998/99 financial year with the aim of addressing local and regional skill shortages by funding new investment in the education and training infrastructure. The structure of the report is as follows: the first section outlines the objectives of the study and the methodology; the second section provides an overview of the three funds; the third section describes the bidding and selection processes associated with the three funds and provides an overview of the partnership development process; the fourth section is on project implementation and includes the findings from the case study fieldwork; and the fifth section presents the conclusions and recommendations. Also included as an annex are: the interview checklist used for Government Office/Regional Development Agency (GO/RDA) and case study interviews. Show less

Corporate authors: GHK Economics & Management (Firm) ... [+] Show more

Date: 2001

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Subjects: Technology; Finance; Governance ... [+] Show more
Skills requirements in the creative industries

The National Skills Task Force has been established by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to assis ... Show more
The National Skills Task Force has been established by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to assist him in developing a National Skills Agenda. The Task Force was asked to provide advice on the nature, extent and pattern of skill needs and shortages, including associated recruitment difficulties, how these are likely to change and what can be done to ease such problems. This paper is one of a series that has been commissioned to review and evaluate existing literature in a number of skills-related areas.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical appraisal of the skills issues relating to the creative industries, including how different parts of the sector have attempted to identify and meet their skills needs, the roles of different parts of the education and training sector in supplying the skills needed, and any evidence relating to the perceived failure in the United Kingdom (UK) to translate good design into good business. In his introduction, Parker identifies important issues to be addressed in the creative industries sector, including the difficulties in defining both the sector and the skills, the problems in estimating the size of the sector using standard data sources, the skills needs of specific creative industries with different work practices, and problems associated with the evaluation and measurement of particular jobs within the sector. It is pointed out that definition of the creative industries by the the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is 'those activities which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property'. Some difficulties lie in the fact that many creative activities are subsumed within other industries and many non-creative occupations are employed within cultural or creative industries. Key characteristics are identified and an analysis is made on changing skills needs of the following sectors: multimedia; publishing; broadcasting, film and video; music; performing arts; and design. Cross-regional perspectives are addressed, the difficulties in predicting and identifying skill shortages and needs noted and consequent implications for policy identified. In his conclusion, Parker makes it clear that treating creative industries as an entity is important in matching skill needs and addressing difficulties across the sector and notes that the Labour Market and Skills Information (LMSI) focus of the Skills Task Force supports that contention.
Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.633 to TD/TNC 62.643 and from TD/TNC 62.645 to TD/TNC 62.651. Show less

Authors: Parker, Michael

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 1999

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Skills Task Force research paper

Subjects: Culture and society; Industry; Management ... [+] Show more
Assembling the fragments: a review of research on adult basic skills

This report is a review of research on adult basic skills, commissioned by the Department for Education and Employm ... Show more
This report is a review of research on adult basic skills, commissioned by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) following the publication of 'A fresh start: improving literacy and numeracy (the Moser Report) in 1999. This review covers literacy, numeracy, oracy, English for speakers of other languages, and the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to teach basic skills to adults. Literature searches were conducted to gather information and the report concludes with a set of strategic recommendations. Show less

Authors: Brooks, Greg; Giles, Kerry; Harman, John; Kendall, Sally ... [+] Show more

Corporate authors: National Foundation for Educational Research in England and Wales (NFER) ... [+] Show more

Date: 2000

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Literacy; Numeracy; Adult and community education ... [+] Show more
Developing skills policies in six countries

Part one of this report describes the background and context to the research project. The aim was to investigate ho ... Show more
Part one of this report describes the background and context to the research project. The aim was to investigate how skills policy is formed, conducted and developed in six of Britain's competitor countries - Canada, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and Taiwan. The objectives and particular issues covered by the study are listed and the methodology is described in some detail. Details are also presented on the process used for selecting the number and choice of countries. Part two comprises six chapters, looking at how each of the countries provides the vocational education and training skills required for the present economic situation and in preparation for the future. There are comprehensive notes at the end of each chapter. The final part compares the policies of the countries covered with those of Britain. The three main questions examined were: (1) do the countries studied actually have a skills policy or strategy?; (2) what are the main influences or forces bearing on and shaping these countries' policies, and is it possible to isolate factors which predispose to more or less effective policies?; and (3) what can be said about the success of the six countries' policies? The paper concludes with some specific points to consider as lessons for Britain. Show less

Authors: Down, Tim

Corporate authors: Leeds Metropolitan University. Policy Research Unit ... [+] Show more

Date: 1999

Geographic subjects: Oceania; North America; Asia ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Government report or paper

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Research; Policy ... [+] Show more
Pathways to employment: the final evaluation of ESF Objective 3 in Britain (1994-99)

This report presents the final evaluation of the European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 3 activities. It is both an a ... Show more
This report presents the final evaluation of the European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 3 activities. It is both an assessment of the performance of the current Objective 3 program and a basis for planning and developing Objective 3-type activities for the next program. Sections cover a range of areas including recent trends in the British labour market, project delivery to meet individual needs, what Objective 3 has achieved, program performance, equality, assessment and evaluation. Show less

Authors: Alan, Jim; Hansbro, Jacqui; Mooney, Paul

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 1999

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Evaluation