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Pre-Vocational Pilots (PVP) and Pre-Vocational Training (PVT) were launched in the United Kingdom in 1996 and 1997/8 to address the needs of people with multiple disadvantages who were not ready to enter mainstream employment programs. Previous research on PVP, undertaken in 1997 (indexed at TD/TNC 63.187) found that while most participants regarded their training as beneficial, a significant proportion (approximately 20 per cent) of participants appeared not to be benefiting from this program. This report sets out the findings of follow-up research carried out in 1999 by BMRB, replicating in part, earlier work but also including a qualitative component focusing on why some participants failed to benefit from PVT programs. The research was carried out in two stages: (1) The quantitative survey of all PVT participants; and (2) The qualitative research with the 'discontented'. The main chapters of the report are: Characteristics of PVT participants; Experiences on PVT; Experiences after PVT; Perceptions of PVT helpfulness; 'Discontented' with PVT: an introduction; A profile of 'discontented' PVT participants; Experiences of pre-vocational training; Perceptions and content and delivery of PVT; Meeting the needs of the discontented. Also included are four appendices: (1) CHAID analysis of discontented participants; (2) The quantitative survey; (3) Qualitative study of discontented participants; (4) Analytical method for qualitative research. Show less

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.

This paper examines how economists forecast skill needs, how the economy responds to a lack of skills and the economic consequences of not anticipating skills needs. Following an introduction and summary, the authors first of all examine skills shortages and why we need to anticipate skill needs. They identify the results of skill shortages such as lower quality, lower productivity and higher wages and note the impact of the measures taken by firms to adjust to these shortages. They then discuss the difficulties implicit in leaving it to market mechanisms to address the problems. Finally, they analyse how economists attempt to forecast skills. They discuss occupational forecasting and whether it can be a useful indicator for predicting skill change, question the links between occupations and skills and present some case study examples of skill changes, particularly multi-skilling, in large organisations.

Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.634 to TD/TNC 62.651. Show less

This report examines three strategies (phonics, oral reading fluency and sentence combining) used by teachers in the project being reported on. These three teaching strategies had been identified as being 'promising' in terms of their potential to assist in the progress of adult literacy learners, and therefore, worth investigating via evidence-based research. This study also found that a high quality of teaching correlated with students' progress and would indicate a case for continuing professional development for adult literacy teachers. The report concludes with recommendations for adult literacy theory, policy, practice and further research. Show less

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

This study investigated the characteristics, circumstances, attitudes and employment details of 197 young people aged 16 and 17 who left school without qualifications at level 2, or above, and who are currently in work but not receiving any formal, structured training that would lead to a recognised qualification at that level. Little was known about the attitudes, circumstances or characteristics of this group. Given the objective of finding the range of opinions and circumstances of this group, a qualitative approach using face-to-face discussions was adopted. This study was commissioned to guide and inform policy making in this area. Show less

The National Skills Task Force was set up to ensure that Britain has the skills needed to ensure high levels of employment, be competitive in the global marketplace and provide opportunities for all. In this publication, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment acknowledges the work done by the members of the Task Force and reiterates his views on the importance of creating a learning society with a high degree of knowledge and skills. He stresses the value of knowledge capital and gives details of how the National Skills Agenda will operate. Case studies are presented, strategic plans discussed and new ways of creating excellence in vocational learning are outlined. He also reveals strategies for working with employers to boost skills and productivity, including details of a challenge fund to encourage small firms to work together and share resources. Finally, he asserts that 'learning and skills are the bedrock of social justice and economic prosperity' and that the Skills Agenda is there to ensure that it works for all.

Reports of the National Skills Task Force are indexed from TD/TNC 62.653 to TD/TNC 62.657. Show less

Background: Incentives have been proposed as a method to improve attendance in adult literacy classes. In the UK, several areas have piloted the use of incentives to promote attendance at adult literacy classes. To date no rigorous evaluation of this policy has been undertaken. This paper describes (as far as we are aware) the only UK-based randomised controlled trial to evaluate the use of financial incentives in order to promote attendance in classes for adult learners.

Methods: We used a cluster-randomised design. Twenty-nine adult literacy classes were randomised in two groups using minimisation. Intervention group learners received 5 (US$10) for each class attended. The main outcome was class attendance; the secondary outcome was literacy scores.

Results: After allocation, one class was found to be ineligible for the study. In the 28 remaining classes there was a statistically significant reduction of about 1.5 sessions (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.28, 2.79; p = 0.019) attended by the intervention group compared with control, after adjusting for cluster size and baseline scores. The difference in reading scores between the intervention and control group, conditioned on baseline scores, was -2.38 (with controls scoring higher than the intervention group), but this difference was not statistically significant (95% CI -7.40 to 2.57, p = 0.33).

Conclusion: Payments to attend adult literacy classes had an adverse effect on attendance. This trial needs urgent replication, ideally with a larger incentive, before this approach is widely used by policy makers.

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

Informal learning is defined as the learning that takes place in the work context, relates to an individual's performance of their job and/or their employability, and which is not formally organised into a program or curriculum by the employer. It may be recognised or unrecognised by the parties involved and may or may not be specifically encouraged. This report explores informal learning in the workplace and investigates how it can contribute to the success of companies, especially small and medium sized companies, and how it can enhance the employability of employees. The report is structured into five sections. The first provides a general introduction and background for the project. The second provides an overview of the national policy context and background to informal learning. The third sets out the working definitions of informal learning and employability for this study with a synopsis of the literature review. The fourth presents the main findings of the study, combining the literature review with employee discussions, employer interviews and company case studies. The fifth summarises the issues arising from the findings and considers the practical implications. Finally, a number of recommendations are made for the various stakeholders of informal learning. Show less

The British Government's Green Paper 'The learning age' (indexed at TD/IRD 88.177) emphasises both the economic and social benefits of increasing participation in learning and outlines a vision of how this goal can be achieved. Increasing employers', especially small and medium sized enterprises' (SMEs) participation in learning has been identified as a major challenge. In 1999, the Department of Education and Employment (DfEE) commissioned Segal Quince Wicksteed (SQW) to undertake research to assess employers' use and awareness of various approaches to learning and to examine the different methods of learning that enterprises are implementing, with the focus being on information learning technology (ILT). In its introductory chapter, the report outlines the background and methodology of the research. The remaining chapters are: Training systems and resources; Training activity; ILT based training; Views of provision and methods; Future use of ILT; SME extended survey; UfI sectors; Conclusion and recommendation. Also included are four appendices: Definition of UfI sector; Pilot report; Questionnaire; Case study topic guides. Show less

Certain groups have been recognised as suffering from multiple disadvantages that constrain their ability to take ready advantage of a rising labour market and their ability to participate effectively in programs designed to help them do so. Pre-Vocational Pilots (PVP) are designed to offer additional help to groups that need to overcome both the effects of long term unemployment and their additional disadvantage. The aim of this evaluation is to ascertain exactly how such PVP recipients fare in their subsequent activities. To meet this objective this research identifies the characteristics of PVP participants, describes their experiences on PVP, describes their experiences after PVP, and assesses the perceived helpfulness of PVP. This is followed by a multivariate analysis that explores the independent effects of various factors on participant self-confidence, the likelihood of entering Training for Work and getting a job. Four appendices are provided. They cover the research methodology, the questionnaire, the main classificatory variables used and an example of the PVP form. Show less