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Engaging adults in higher learning, and opening up more opportunities for them to study part-time in ways that fit around their work and family circumstances, are critical both to economic growth and to social mobility. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) has long argued that higher education should not be viewed in isolation but as part of a wider framework of lifelong learning. It is vital that in formulating policy for the sector the Government takes into account all aspects of the system that support adults into learning, and recognises their interconnectedness. Achieving a better articulation of the way in which the different elements of the system relate to each other is critical both to social mobility, a key concern of the Government which is also an important aspiration of the 2011 White Paper 'Higher education: students at the heart of the system', and to boosting economic competitiveness. The main messages of this reply to the White Paper are summarised under four themes: fairer funding; quality and information; a diverse and responsive sector; and social mobility. Concern is expressd that the unintended consequences of some of the Government's reforms to higher education could prevent adults from playing their full part in economic and social renewal. Show less

The focus of this report, which uses longitudinal data to map the dynamics of the youth labour market and to identify factors that are important in securing full-time work, is on the transition to full-time employment of young people who do not go to university. The study reports on the education and labour market activities of a national sample of youth on their leaving school and analyses the influences of social and demographic factors, school and other educational factors, and initial experiences in the labour market on their post-school activity four years after leaving school, focusing on factors influencing being in full-time employment four years after leaving school. The following research and policy issues are addressed: the general youth labour market situation; the influence of social background factors; the effects of education, including school leaving status and vocational education; and the role of prior labour market experiences. The report contains an executive summary, six chapters and five appendices. Following the introduction, chapter two sets the scene for subsequent chapters by presenting and examining the activity profiles of the group of school leavers who did not go to university; chapter three looks at the pathways of young people in the years leaving school to examine the extent of year-to-year movement in and out of activities; chapter four examines the correlates of activities in the first and fourth years after leaving school, investigating social and socioeconomic background, education and training, and labour market experiences; chapter five explores the influences on securing full-time work using a base model comprising factors found in the previous chapter to have significant influence on being in full-time work in the fourth year after leaving school; and the final chapter addresses the policy and research issues. The report does not support ‘crisis’ accounts of the youth labour market and disputes claims that young people who are not fully engaged in full-time work or study are ‘at risk’ of an unsuccessful school-to-work transition. The findings indicate that: 61% of young men and 45% of young women were in full-time employment in the first year after school; by the fourth year, 77% of young men and 64% of young women were working full-time; the effects of post-secondary vocational education other than apprenticeship and traineeship were mixed; full-time study in the first year after leaving school did not increase the odds of being in full-time work in the fourth year; and among those already in full-time work, a TAFE certificate or diploma tended to further increase the chances of staying in full-time work. Show less

This research study, funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), has identified the capabilities that characterise effective academic leaders in a range of roles and has produced resources to develop and monitor these leadership capabilities. It has identified that the core focus for leadership in the current operating context faced by our universities has to be on achieving effective change management and implementation. The approach has been to build upon a decade of studying professional capability, development and change leadership in a range of contexts. The study undertook an extensive international literature review, an online survey, and a series of national and international sector feedback workshops that tested the veracity of the results and identified their key implications. The study found that there was agreement that, in the current context, effective change implementation is a central challenge facing Australian higher education and its leaders, and that developing organisational and individual capabilities to manage change is a key priority. Show less

The purpose of the Review of Years 9 to 12 in Tasmania was to 'identify opportunities to improve attendance, retention and attainment outcomes' (Contract between ACER and the Tasmanian Department of Education, 2016). The Tasmanian Government is currently implementing significant reforms to improve students' retention and attainment in Tasmania's schools. There is a concern in the Tasmanian community however, that their students' performances are among the lowest in the nation. Reasons nominated for these results include weak literacy and numeracy levels; low attendance rates; high anxiety around transitions between Year 10 and Year 11 by some students, especially among those living outside of the larger cities; students seeking alternative education options; and family, financial, health and carer based issues. It is against this backdrop that the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned to undertake an independent review of Years 9 to 12 concerning the following issues: student and workforce data; curriculum policy and provision (including vocational education and training (VET); and design and delivery for Years 9 to 12 (which includes the three Tasmanian education sectors: the Tasmanian Catholic Education Office (TCEO), Independent Schools Tasmania (IST) and the Department of Education (DoE)).

This Report provides the following: an analysis of current student performance and aspirational data, workforce characteristics, and curriculum provision and design in Years 9 to 12; a report on VET and vocational education and learning (VEL) in Tasmania's government and non-government schools; and specific recommendations regarding: participation and transition policies and procedures that align with the findings of the report and the Education Bill, future curriculum provision and design for Years 9 to 12, future workforce characteristics, and VET and VEL in Tasmania's government and non-government schools.

Excerpt from publication.

Follow-up stakeholder workshops were held in 2018 to discuss a way forward to implement the recommendations in this report. The 'Years 9 to 12 Review Workshops, 19-20 February 2018: report' is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 133.949. Show less

This article reports on how continuing professional development (CPD) has come to be recognised as an important means of progression. The author notes that we are currently living in the knowledge society - or as it is sometimes called, the learning society - and that it is a time in which one must continuously be learning in order to keep up with, and stay ahead of, changes in our working lives. New structures of learning and thought are needed to cope with these changes, and lifelong learning is especially useful as it goes beyond the traditional 'education for work' concept, and emphasises personal as well as professional development. Questions are raised about how CPD relates to organisational learning, and the point is made that effective ways of measuring and assessing learning still must be found. The article does not provide answers to these issues, but is instead intended as a means of prompting discussion and thought. It concludes with the author's scenario for learning in the future. Show less

The purpose of this policy discussion paper is to identify barriers to equal access to learning opportunities for older people aged 50 years and over in the United Kingdom. The paper includes a background description of demographic factors, outlines National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) survey research into older learners' participation in formal and informal learning, and discusses why the barriers to older people's access to learning should be urgently addressed. A range of examples of good practice and settings and sectors of education provision, including local authorities, further education, higher education and the voluntary sector, are described. Distance learning is ideal for older people and making provision for learning through information technology and broadcast media is discussed. A series of new government initiatives, including the Better Government for Older People program, are outlined. A number of major issues which influence the access to and participation in learning programs of older people, including discrimination, disability, curriculum relevance, the learning environment, and funding of learning, are discussed and recommendations are made as to how these factors might be changed for the better. Show less

This article reflects on young people and adult education from two perspectives: that of a human right and that of human development. The first perspective suggests that access to education is a basic human right. The author discusses this in the context of Brazil, where, it is suggested, the political process has impeded the concrete expression of this right. The article details the international position on this aspect of human rights, with adult education being affirmed by the international community as a fundamental human right. It points out that while the educational rights of young people and adults are assured by law in Latin American countries, people are still being excluded because of gender, race, poverty, special needs and rural or remote location. From the perspective of human development, in Latin America development is considered to be economic growth, anchored in technological development. This does not produce change in social or educational inequality. The author suggests new model for development, one that includes not only economic growth but also takes into account human development, in which equality and access to education play a key role. Show less

This report investigates the relationship between post-school plans, family background and having a lifelong learning orientation. It highlights the important role of vocational education and training such as TAFE as an alternative for students with no plans to study at university. Data was drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Youth (LSAY) and the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The study investigated the post-school plans of young people, with a particular interest in those from families of low socioeconomic background, the factors associated with the development of these plans, and the association between types of post-school plans and predispositions towards lifelong learning. The study suggests that the most important factors for predicting post-school plans are gender, ability and the vocational orientation of the student. An orientation to lifelong learning also has an effect but, according to the LSAY data, only a small one. According to the findings, financial disadvantage is not a barrier to post-school study when students choose to study at TAFE or to pursue other vocational options. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds were found to be more likely to realise their plans for tertiary education when those plans do not initially involve attending university. Four guiding principles for policy development are proposed: (1) the establishment of a national youth mentoring strategy to enhance support provided to young people by families, communities and schools to enable them to make successful choices about their future employment and/or study; (2) government funding to support schools to develop more diverse and flexible pathways into work and/or post-school education to improve outcomes for all students; (3) incentives for businesses to work with schools and tertiary institutions to provide increased opportunities for mentoring and more effective career counselling to ensure that students are better prepared to make choices about post-school work and study; and (4) improved family and community support systems to better support students’ transition from school to work and the development of positive attitudes towards lifelong learning. Show less

There is growing concern among education providers, organisers and tutors in England about the narrowing or closure of programmes for adults in some locations, institutions and curriculum areas in response to policy priorities and targets. As a consequence of actual or expected pressure from their local LSC [Learning and Skills Council], some further education colleges have dropped their 'other provision' while some LEAs [Local Education Authorities] have narrowed the range of programmes they offer adults. This discussion paper considers these developments and their implications. Looking at specific government priorities, such as the Level 2 entitlement and Skills for Life provision, the paper scrutinises the implications on both the curriculum, being distorted and narrowed by pressures to meet particular targets, and the growing neglect of people with the lowest skills levels, as providers feel constrained to recruit learners most likely to reach the required level of qualification. The paper examines the potential additional impact of forthcoming changes in the planning and funding of adult provision, arguing that current developments could be detrimental not only to the overall spread and diversity of learning opportunities but also to the goal of widening participation. Probing the assumptions about 'usefulness' that underlie current priorities, [the author] suggests that the most effective way of achieving national priorities and targets would be to provide a broad and flexible curriculum that responds not to external requirements but to adult learners' own diverse interests and needs.

Published summary reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This paper looks at a range of possible approaches to competency assessment in the professions. Wider issues associated with competency-based assessment, and the advantages and disadvantages of various assessment approaches are discussed. The chapters are: Overview; Conceptualising occupational competence: implications for assessment; Setting standards: implications for assessment; Choosing methods of assessment; Maintaining an assessment system.

A companion paper, ‘Establishing competency-based standards in the professions’ is indexed at TD/TNC 87.1474. Show less