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This report presents a synthesis, review and assessment of the available evidence on the demand for, and supply of, skills in England. It also aims to identify the main aspects of skill deficiencies and imbalances between skills demand and supply and to bring together the key findings from research as a basis for the development of the skills agenda in the future. The first chapter outlines the purpose of the report, the research approach and definitions, the economic contribution of skills to the wellbeing of the nation and its people, and the structure of the report. Chapters two and three examine the demand for skills, i.e. skills needed both currently and in the future. Chapter four looks at the supply of skills that is currently available and chapter five identifies the main skill imbalances and deficiencies. These chapters conclude with a synthesis of key points. Chapter six draws on the findings presented in the previous chapters to identify the key challenges that could inform an agenda for action on skills issues.

A summary of this report is indexed at TD/TNC 72.138. Show less

The Skills for Life programme provides a range of support to improve the basic skills of those aged 16 and over. This includes free attendance on selected basic skills courses for those who lack literacy and/or numeracy qualifications at Level 2 or above. As part of the evaluation of the Skills for Life programme, [National Institute of Economic and Social Research] NIESR and BMRB [Social Research] were commissioned to conduct an evaluation of the impact of participation in literacy and numeracy courses for qualifications. The impact evaluation is based on a longitudinal survey of basic skills learners and of a control group (the ‘Longitudinal Learners’ Survey’). At least three waves of the survey, over three years, will be conducted. This report provides descriptive information on participation in literacy and numeracy courses, based on analysis of the first wave of the Longitudinal Learners’ Survey and of the Skills for Life Survey. All data have been reweighted to be representative of the population.

Published excerpt.

The report of the second wave of the survey is indexed at TD/TNC 83.461 and the report of the third wave is indexed at TD/TNC 89.258. Show less

This document reports on a research project which examined further education (FE) college mergers completed between 1996 and 2000 with the aims of: evaluating the effectiveness of FE college mergers in the short and longer term; establishing how merged FE colleges differ in substance from their pre-merger position and the degree to which this impacts on effectiveness; establishing the extent to which merged colleges serve as an effective model for the delivery of FE provision; and identifying the lessons learnt to assist in the implementation of mergers in the future. The first phase of the research involved interviews with Department for Employment and Science (DfES) and Learning and Skills Council personnel in order to gain background on college merger history and policy. The second phase of the study involved fieldwork visits at each of seventeen case study sites of FE college mergers. The findings of this review suggest that there are a number of key factors which may impact on the success or failure of a merger. These factors include: that the merger is seen as essential to the survival of one of the partners; that a realistic risk assessment has been carried out; that a business plan with measurable outcomes is in place; that there is a strong team supporting the merger, including the board, the principal and senior management; that accommodation strategies are in place; that preparatory training is made available to those who have a strategic responsibility for carrying forward the merger plans; that appropriate financial arrangements, support and guidance must be in place and that there is an experienced financial manager with adequate support systems; that the merger is particularly focused on support for the learner; that enhanced operational support systems are in place; and that a clear post-merger integration strategy is in place. Show less

This report summarises the findings of the National Employer Skills Survey (NESS) 2003 for the Skillfast-UK Sector Skills Council, which covers apparel, footwear, textiles and related businesses. The NESS was commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), in partnership with the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), to provide detailed information about the extent, causes and implications of England's recruitment problems and skill gaps. It also measures employers' training activities. Key findings include: the largest companies are proportionately more likely to have hard-to-fill vacancies, but in terms of actual numbers, the largest proportion of hard-to-fill and skill shortage vacancies lie within the smallest companies; larger companies are also more likely to have skill gaps and also have the highest proportion of staff suffering from skill gaps; the main causes of hard-to-fill vacancies are a low number of applicants generally, low numbers of applicants with the required skills and a lack of experience required by the company; the main causes of skill gaps are the lack of experience of the member of staff and it appears that skill gaps are linked to recruitment difficulties; vacancies are predominantly for machine operatives, sales and customer service staff, elementary jobs and associate professionals, with this last group experiencing the highest density of skills shortage vacancies; the main occupations affected by skill gaps are machine operatives, elementary staff, managers and sales and customer service staff; the most common skills lacking in applicants are technical and practical skills, problem solving skills, customer handling skills and team working skills; the major area of skill gaps are also in the same areas; and skills that are in shortage reflect the nature of the job, e.g. sales staff are more likely to have deficiencies in communication and customer handling skills and managers lack management skills.

The main report and the report of the key findings of the National Employers Skills Survey 2003 are indexed at TD/TNC 79.281 and TD/TNC 79.599. Individual Sector Skills Council reports are indexed from TD/TNC 79.275 to TD/TNC 79.280. Show less

Skills Dialogues constitute a series of consultations with all major industrial and business sectors in the UK, generating high quality authoritative skills assessments for each of these broad sectors. Their purpose is to improve the quality of information available on skills at sector level and to provide an effective means for national training organisations (NTOs) and employers to contribute to the planning and implementation of education and training provision in their sector. This report is the result of the Land-based Industries Sector Skills Dialogue and provides an assessment of trends in employment and skill needs and associated issues in this sector. The industry coverage includes agricultural crops, livestock and machinery (including garden machinery), animal care, environmental conservation, equine activities, fencing, fish farming, floristry, forestry, game conservation, landscaping, production horticulture, and professions allied to veterinary science (animal technologists, farriery, veterinary nurses). Section one presents key findings; section two provides the executive summary; section three presents introductory and background information; section four identifies common elements across land-based industries and highlights generic issues relating to skill needs; section five examines changing skill demands; section six investigates skills supply; section seven discusses skills demand/supply balance; and section eight contains individual industry analyses. The key messages to emerge present a challenge to the sector in the future. A major development program is needed to correct the imbalance between supply and demand for workers at higher skill levels. In agriculture, a third of the workforce is aged 55 and over and better management and business skills are required, particularly for the high number of owner/managers in the sector. Finally, better information and communications technology (ICT), key skills, initiative and problem solving skills are needed by all who work in land-based industries. Show less

In December 2004, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) commissioned a mapping of qualifications and training developments across the children and young people's (CYP) workforce. The aims of the research were: to support the creation of a qualifications framework and structure for career progression opportunities for members of the CYP workforce; to map the qualifications and existing training and development provision that is available; to provide information on the current take up of key qualifications and training provision that is available both nationally and locally; and to identify specific variations and gaps in qualifications and training provision and the funding streams available to support individual members of the workforce. The project covered all major occupational groups within the children's workforce, nationally available and approved qualifications from levels one to eight together with a mapping of the detailed content of significant qualifications against the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge. The research was organised in two related strands: the collection data about qualifications and training; and the exploratory development of the workforce through contextualising studies. A database was constructed: to store information about the qualifications associated with a set of agreed job roles within the CYP workforce; to capture how far the most significant qualifications for those roles cover the Common Core; and to allow analysis of the provision to identify, for particular clusters or roles, gaps, over-provision, and the differentiation in the level of coverage of the Common Core. This report summarises the process of developing and maintaining the database during the project, highlights some of the issues and difficulties associated with the process and describes the projected costs for its continued development and maintenance.

This report is one of six, each with a different theme. The reports are indexed from TD/TNC 85.226 to TD/TNC 85.231. Show less

As part of the UK government’s commitment to developing a coherent strategy to assist young people, the Connexions service was launched in 2001 as a service designed to raise the aspirations, participation and achievement levels of young people in learning. Connexions is an advice service for 13-19 years olds in England to help, support and guide them through their teenage years. Connexions personal advisers (PAs) provide assistance with life choices ranging from careers, further education, and training, to health and lifestyle issues. This study draws on the Connexions Customer Satisfaction Survey and a longitudinal qualitative follow-up study to explore the views and experiences of 135 young people who used the Connexions service. Respondents generally heard about the service through their school and initial contact tended to be made via school. The nature and type of impact appeared to vary according to the postcompulsory pathway taken by the young person. Young people who experienced more difficult transitions to adult life identified a broader range of impacts than those pursuing a straightforward path. In general, respondents seemed positive about their contact with the Connexions service.

Other reports associated with the Connexions service are indexed at TD/TNC 75.236, TD/TNC 74.124, TD/TNC 72.187, TD/TNC 75.437 and TD/TNC 63.236. Show less

In January 2006, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) launched a pilot project, entitled the Human Capital Benchmarking Consortium, as an initial step towards identifying the key people-related or 'human capital', drivers behind learner success rates. This report provides a summary of the findings that have emerged to date from the Consortium. Five further education (FE) colleges took part in the project by using McBassi and Company's Human Capital Capability Scorecard (HCCS), a rigorous, research-based benchmarking measurement methodology. Statistical analysis was carried out in order to identify the specific items that determine employee commitment/engagement within the FE colleges. This analysis, combined with information about the strengths and weaknesses of each of the participating colleges on these factors (i.e., their human capital management or HCM scores), was used to develop prioritised recommendations for improving learner outcomes. These involved taking action to improve the level of commitment among FE college staff. A summary of these recommendations is provided in the report. Show less

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) commissioned BMRB Social Research to carry out a research project to seek information about the pay received by waged trainees while they are on an apprenticeship. The main objective of the research was to determine the average level of pay received by apprentices and to provide evidence on the differences between different sector frameworks. Secondary aims included analysis of pay by age and sex. Trainees undertaking apprenticeships in the 11 largest sectors were interviewed for the Trainee Wages survey. Trainees aged 16-18 are currently exempt from the National Minimum Wage requirements but the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has provided guidance to encourage employers to pay trainees a minimum of 70-80 pounds per week. The LSC also plans to introduce a contractual requirement for a minimum weekly income for employed trainees later this year. This survey will provide a baseline against which the DfES can judge the impact of the LSC guidance and any future requirements for a minimum weekly pay for trainees.

Published excerpt. Show less

Pseudo cohorts are 'artificially created data sets constructed from repeated cross-sections'. They enable analysis of the extent to which the growth in qualifications held by the population is a result of skill upgrading as individuals age, and to what extent it is caused by new, more highly educated cohorts entering the workforce to replace older, less well-qualified workers. This report details such an analysis undertaken for the UK, France, Germany and the US. The analysis considers three cohorts: the first is aged 19-21 in 1985, and is then observed again in 1991 when its members are aged 25-27, and in 1997, when they are aged 31-33; the second cohort is constructed so that its members are aged 19-21 in 1991, 25-27 in 1997 and 31-33 in 2003; and the third cohort created is aged 19-21 in 1997, and 25-27 in 2003. The report considers the results for the UK and then compares those in the other countries. The report concludes that, although the education level of young people in the UK is rising (both within and between cohorts), gains are only being made in some respects on the other countries in terms of closing the skills gap. Show less