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This report sets out the findings of a study on the form and nature of the work-based training provided for young people in employment. The main aim was to contribute to the understanding of the sorts of activities that constitute work-based training for young people in employment. The study was undertaken in two parts. The first was a literature review and the second was a fieldwork stage, revolving around a series of employer-based case studies. The report is divided into three sections. One chapter looks at where the young people are employed and establishes the link between recruitment and training, which underpins the employers' recruitment strategies. The next chapter examines the approaches to training young people that were adopted by the case study employers, the form and nature of the training they provided and their practices for recording and accrediting training. The skills that young people develop as a result of their learning experiences and the reason why employers provide the training that they do are also covered. The key findings are summarised with the conclusion that the training that is provided for young people tends to reflect the employer's overall resourcing strategy. Show less

The National Skills Task Force was established in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1998 to develop a National Skills Agenda to ensure that the workforce had the necessary skills to maintain high levels of employment, to compete in the global marketplace, and to provide learning and employment opportunities for all individuals. This document from the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, sets out the Department for Education and Employment's (DfEE's) plans to act on the recommendations of the National Skills Task Force to realise the skill development required for economic success. The plan aims to strengthen the link between learning and employment, create excellence in vocational learning, provide second chance learning opportunities for adults, ensure equal opportunities for both men and women in job searching and skill development, and engage employers in the skills agenda.

The White Paper on enterprise, skills and innovation 'Opportunity for all in a world of change', is indexed at TD/IRD 88.20. 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. This final report brings together the themes and recommendations of the three interim reports. Proposals for a national skills agenda are presented in three areas: policy actions to improve the supply side of education and training; an approach to managing the system so that employment needs and learning strategies match; and a set of targets and measures to monitor and improve progress. Chapter 1 outlines the vision for a National Skills Agenda; Chapter 2 summarises the findings and is an assessment of the main skills gaps and shortages; Chapter 3 presents the features of a new post-16 education and training system; Chapter 4 examines a strategy for stimulating demand and managing the system; and Chapter 5 looks at the way forward in terms of priorities, targets, roles and responsibilities. The publication also contains five annexes detailing terms of reference, membership of the Task Force, publications list and definitions.

Other reports of the National Skills Task Force are indexed from TD/TNC 62.653 to TD/TNC 62.655 and at TD/TNC 62.657 and an initial response to the final report is indexed at TD/TNC 62.658. Show less

Employee Development Schemes (EDSs) which have been in existence in the United Kingdom (UK) since 1989 have two essential features: (1) opportunities to voluntarily engage in learning activities which are wider than those required by the employer; and (2) support from the employer, usually in the form of cash entitlements to spend on learning activities. The overall aim of this research project was to identify the effect of EDSs on individual attitudes and commitment to learning and this report describes the findings of the project. The structure of the report is as follows: section one contains the executive summary; section two introduces the project covering the background, research objectives and methodology; section three presents the main findings and discusses the overall attitudes to, and experience of, learning, individual differences and how they relate to EDS based learning; and the last section presents six case studies. Also included are three appendices: (1) Respondent letter and self completion recruitment sheet; (2) Respondent profile; (3) Detailed topic guides. Show less

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

This document reports on the progress of projects funded in round 2 of the Union Learning Fund and on the longer term impacts of the projects funded in round 1. It reviews the implementation processes and the features of effective and sustainable projects. Key success factors, such as sound project management, good project design, and effective project integration with employer learning strategies, union learning strategies or mainstream post-16 initiatives, are identified. Conclusions, implications and recommendations are outlined with a view to ensuring that the future progress and development of union capacity to support workplace learning is achieved. Show less

Employee Development Schemes (EDSs) in the United Kingdom have been slow to take off. Despite this slow start there has been no lack of ad hoc research. What has been missing is comparative evidence on how EDS has been taken up by firms, individuals within firms and its impact. While the general objective of this project was to undertake an evaluation of the impact EDS has had on increasing learning at workplaces, more specific research aims include gathering information about how far EDS encourages learning activity within the workplace, the impact of attitudes to the take-up of learning in the future and as reflected in post-EDS take-up of learning opportunities, the direct and indirect benefits of EDS to employers and, where appropriate, to other funders, integration with or tensions between the focus of EDS and employer participation in more business-orientated training and development activities and initiatives, and how to improve the contribution made by EDS to lifelong learning. The report presents evidence from past research of EDS activity and distribution, details support and facilitation of EDS by Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) and Chambers of Commerce, Training and Enterprise (CCTEs), explores employer rationale and expectation of EDS, describes the benefits and impact of EDS and discusses development issues and implications for organisations and policy makers. Show less

This is a qualitative study into the barriers impeding the take-up of Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) and National Traineeships (NTs) among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). MAs and NTs were introduced in the 1990s to help equip young people with relevant skills and provide employers with a consistent framework for training. SMEs account for the majority of businesses and employ around three in five workers. How SMEs develop their staff to meet business needs is critical for the individual company performance and national prosperity. The main barriers identified were lack of knowledge of the MA and NT initiatives, lack of relevance, lack of support and lack of suitable young people. The study suggests that employers were uninformed or indifferent rather than negative about the MA and NT concept. Suggestions and recommendations to improve the promotion and future development of the initiatives are given in the final section. 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.

The aim of this paper is to look at how government funding of post-16 education and training provision works, and to assess the impact that the funding mechanisms have on the skills produced. The two main funding bodies are the Further Education Funding Council for England (FEFC), responsible for allocating resources to the 435 providers of further education, and the 72 Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs), responsible for the government's work-based training programs. Following a brief introduction, Section 2 of the paper looks at how work-based training supplied by TECs is funded, from the allocation to government offices (GOs) for the regions and then passed on to TECs. Section 3 examines the effect that TEC funding arrangements have had on skills delivery, bearing in mind that the complexity of TEC arrangements makes it difficult to compare results across the country. Sections 4 and 5 are concerned with the funding of further education, in particular the financial support to the 435 institutions covered by FEFC and an assessment of the impact of the funding methodology on skills supply. In their conclusion, Felstead and Unwin give eight statements which combine to map how government funding of post-16 education and training provision operates. They then discuss the consequences of this complexity and diversity, highlighting the difficulties faced at all levels, and assert that there is an urgent need for the creation of a single body for post-16 funding to address skill needs and encourage providers to work together to meet the challenges ahead.

Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.633 to TD/TNC 62.642 and from TD/TNC 62.644 to TD/TNC 62.651. Show less

This study aimed to estimate employers' total financial contribution to Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) and Youth Training (YT) in England for the period 1995 to 1996. This is the payment made directly to the trainee or on the trainee's behalf by the employer. Other contributions by the employer, such as on-the-job supervision and premise overheads, were not covered. Show less