Search Results

[This document] describes the steps taken to reform the use of vocational qualifications (based on occupation or employment) in full-time education, including a timetable for the introduction of these reforms. It sets out new initiatives to take forward the reforms in new areas, including recommendations from the review of adult vocational qualifications led by Nigel Whitehead of BAE Systems. It also presents some ideas for future reforms, particularly to the way the development of skills and competences relating to employability are funded.

Published abstract. Show less

This statistical resource provides the latest provisional initial participation rates for higher education (HE). The Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) is an estimate of the likelihood of ayoung person participating in HE by age 30 based on current participation rates. These statistics include data on students who are: (1) 17- to 30-years-old; (2) in HE for the first time; (3) living in England; (4) in UK HE institutions and English, Welsh and Scottish further education colleges; and (5) staying in HE for at least six months.

Excerpts from publication. Show less

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is a credit transfer system developed for qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It comprises has nine levels covering all levels of learning in secondary education, further education, vocational, and higher education. This document presents the findings from the final wave of a three-wave follow-up survey of Learning and Skills Council (LSC)-funded Level 3 learners, undertaken in November 2009. This wave looks at learners two years after enrolment (in September 2007), with a particular focus on the impacts of the course on attitudinal, learning and job related outcomes. It examines learners' satisfaction with their practical experience of learning and training, receipt of value for money, the subjective and work related impacts of training, and draws together summative conclusions about the impacts of training on attitude and work related outcomes. Show less

This document presents experimental data that gives estimates of the earnings of learners up to three years after achieving a further education qualification in England. It is based on matched administrative data from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions. The data covers learners achieving Full Level 2 and Full Level 3 qualifications in the academic year 2009 to 2010. It shows their average 'sustained annualised earnings' in 2010 to 2011, 2011 to 2012 and 2012 to 2013.

Edited excerpt from publisher's website. Show less

The higher education blueprint, 'Higher ambitions', sets out a course for how the UK's universities can remain world class, providing the nation with the high level skills needed to remain competitive, while continuing to attract the brightest students and researchers. It documents the government's strategy for sustaining the strength of higher education in an increasingly demanding and competitive environment. Proposals are set out under six areas: (1) how all those who have the ability to benefit will be able to get access to higher education; (2) how universities will be supported in making an even bigger contribution to economic recovery and future growth; (3) how the research capacity of universities and its translation into economic impact will be strengthened; (4) how excellent teaching for all students in higher education will be promoted, with universities competing to attract students on the basis of the excellent service they provide; (5) how the role of universities at the heart of our communities and shared intellectual life, and as one of the key ways in which citizens engage with the wider world, will be further strengthened; and (6) how universities will be supported in continuing to maintain excellence, even under tighter public financial constraints. Show less

The research covers adult learners (aged 19 plus) undertaking Skills for Life courses in literacy, numeracy and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). It also includes adult learners undertaking: Skills for Life courses funded as mainstream classroom-based Adult Learner Responsive (ALR) provision; and courses in a work setting, funded under the Train to Gain service. The survey was conducted between October and December 2011, and included over 4,400 learners.

Abstract from publisher's website. Show less

This report gives employers an update on the reform of the apprenticeship programme. It encourages them to employ an apprentice and to consider becoming part of a trailblazer group to develop a new standard. This standard will set out the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices will have on completing their apprenticeship.

Edited excerpt from publisher's website. Show less

This report aims to provide a synthesis of international evidence on widening participation and demonstrate which initiatives might be most applicable and useful in an English context. An international search of published and grey literature on widening participation was conducted, with the help of a wide range of international contacts identified with the help of the project’s Expert Advisory Group (see Appendix A). A total of 240 items were then selected as suitable for inclusion in the initial evidence framework. Following a framework agreed by the [Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills] DIUS Steering Group, these were summarised, with details of authors, years and sources. They were sorted into three different levels, those that pertain to policy level initiatives, those that represent innovations at an institutional level and those that relate to the issues faced by disadvantaged groups at an individual level. Although all of the evidence included provided valuable information, the next stage of the process was to select those initiatives that were most salient to an English context. Part of this process included drawing up country profiles of those countries that seemed to have similar frameworks for higher education (HE) or which presented important lessons for the English context. These countries were: Australia; India; the Netherlands; Norway; Sweden; South Africa; Republic of Ireland; Canada; USA; China and Germany. Show less

This document reports on research on the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 to 24 year olds, also known as the 'AGE 16 to 24' program, which supports businesses to recruit young apprentices. The program provides grants to employers with an individual value of GBP 1,500, subject to eligibility and availability. This report describes the findings of the research, which involved talking with participating employers, government agencies and training organisations involved in the administration of the grant. All aspects of the policy are covered, from the way it was run, whether the grant amount was set at the right level, to satisfaction with the learning and training.

The grant was especially targeted to small and medium sized employers and those that had never taken on an apprentice before. The evaluation shows that 80 per cent of grants were given to businesses that employed up to 25 people, and 85 per cent of the grants went to employers that have never had an apprentice before. On the basis of the positive findings of this evaluation, the Department for Business, Education and Skills (BIS) has decided to extend the program to December 2014.

Abstract from publisher's website. Show less

The [Small Firms Loan Guarantee] SFLG was the UK government's primary debt finance instrument, which was established in 1981. SFLG seeks to address the market failure in the provision of debt finance by providing a government guarantee to banks in cases where a business with a viable business plan is unable to raise finance because they can not offer security for their debt and/or lack a track record. This rationale still underpinned the SFLG at the time of the evaluation. The key characteristics of the scheme are the government guarantee (the proportion of the outstanding loan balance covered by the government in the event of loan default) and the government premium (paid by businesses). Over the last decade, take up of the scheme has averaged around 4,500 loans per year. In January 2009, SFLG was replaced by the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG), which opened the scheme to a wider number of businesses, with the specific objective to facilitate new bank lending in response to the credit crunch. The main objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the wider economic impact of SFLG arising from supported businesses being able to access loans that they would otherwise not have received. The impact of SFLG is assessed on a number of business outcomes including employment change, sales change, labour productivity, likelihood to export, and propensity to introduce new products and processes.

Excerpt from published summary. Show less