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This document reports on research conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of the Student Apprenticeship (SA) initiative, created in order to introduce sixth form and college students to the world of work. The report is structured as follows: the first section discusses the aims and objectives of the study, the methodology, and the keys issues and structure of the report; the second section provides an overview of the SA initiative; section three identifies some of the key differences in the implementation structures applied in each of the three pilot areas; section four discusses the issue of promoting the initiative and includes promotional activities for the future; section five considers the selection, recruitment and take up process for the SA initiative; section six looks at the impact of the initiative upon attainment and retention rates; section seven demonstrates how the initiative increased participant motivation; section eight illustrates how the initiative prepares people for becoming Modern Apprentices; section nine considers progression routes; section 10 considers the key benefits of the post-16 model; section 11 identifies the main benefits and disadvantages of the pre-16 model that emerged during the pilot phase; and the final section discusses some of the key issues that emerged from the evaluation. Also included are: Annex A - Presentation of the initial findings; and Annex B - Attendees at the initial findings presentation, 19th October, 2001. Show less

The Increased Flexibility for 14-16 year olds Programme (IFP) was introduced in 2002 by the UK Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in order to 'create enhanced vocational and work-related learning opportunities for 14-16 year olds who can benefit most'. Partnerships between schools and colleges and training providers were formed and two cohorts of Year 10 students began two-year vocational courses including National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), other Vocational Qualifications (VQs) and new General Certificate in Secondary Education (GCSEs) in vocational subjects. The partnerships aimed to enhance student attainment, develop their skills, knowledge and social learning, and increase retention in education and training after 16. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) was commissioned by the DfES to conduct an evaluation of the first and second cohorts of IFP students. This report focuses on the outcomes for participants who participated in the programme between 2003 and 2005 (second cohort) during a time of change in 14 to 19 policy. The evaluation of the second cohort of IFP participants aimed to: evaluate the extent to which the IFP has fulfilled its national aims, objectives and targets; and assess the impact of vocational qualifications and new work-related learning opportunities on young people’s attainment and post-16 progression. Overall, the majority of participants in the second cohort had achieved their qualifications in line with expectations based on their prior attainment and other background and school-level characteristics. The majority (87 per cent) of the representative sample of young people had progressed onto further education or training after completing their involvement in IFP. Implications for policy and practice are proposed in relation to: sustaining progression; provision of appropriate qualification types; English and mathematics provision within the IFP programmes; addressing discontinuation; and location of study.

Other reports from the evaluation are indexed at TD/TNC 77.125, TD/TNC 80.651, TD/TNC 80.678 and TD/TNC 80.679. Show less

[This publication] is a guide to setting up a 'Prescriptions for learning' project - an initiative that bases a Learning Advisor in a GP [general practitioner] surgery or health centre to take referrals of individuals and work with them to access appropriate learning opportunities. 'Prescriptions for Learning' addresses two key government objectives: to tackle health inequalities and to widen participation in learning. This guide offers everything you need to know about 'Prescriptions for learning', from why it is such a valuable and worthwhile project, to how a new project can be set up and run, and how an existing project can be sustained and embedded within existing services in your area. The book incorporates case studies and quotes from learners and practitioners, contact details of leading members of existing projects and useful websites, as well as sample materials from existing projects. In short, it provides all you need to win over the hearts and minds of health and education sector practitioners and managers to the idea of 'Prescriptions for Learning' as a means to widen participation and tackle health inequalities.

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

This research study addresses a number of research questions regarding the engagement of employers with higher education institutions (HEI). These include: how do employers use and view graduate skills; what are employer views on high-level skills development and HEIs; is there scope for greater employer-HEI collaboration in pursuit of knowledge transfer through high-level skills development; and what are the geographical patterns of employer-HEI engagement and is this engagement organised at national or local (city-region) levels? Evidence was compiled from a literature review, a compilation of statistics from the Labour Force Survey, National Employers Skills Survey 2005, and Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Origins and Destinations data, and from case studies with 74 employers, all of whom had recently recruited new graduates. The case studies were distributed across 18 city-regions in England. Key findings include: the majority of employers are satisfied with the recent graduates they had recruited; there is already a considerable degree of employer engagement with HEI, especially amongst larger employers; continuing professional development (CPD) is mainly a local relationship, as employees need to be able to study close to where they work; and the introduction of Foundation Degrees, although highly regarded by those employers that have committed to them, has had little impact on employer-HEI engagement. Show less

This paper sets out the challenges that Britain's workforce will face in the increasingly competitive global economy and the steps that the government will take to ensure that all adults are equipped with the skills they need for sustainable employment and have the opportunity to improve these skills throughout their working life. It is presented in five chapters. The introductory chapter discusses the global challenges ahead and the government's planned response. The second chapter highlights the importance of skills to the economy in improving productivity, reducing economic and social disparities across society, and in meeting global competitiveness. The UK's historic skills are outlined and its current skills distribution is compared to those of other countries. Chapter three outlines the government's current approach to improving skills and recent progress in this area. Chapter four describes how the government will build on this progress to ensure that all low-skilled adults have the opportunity to achieve basic skills, including literacy and numeracy, required for employability and progression. The final chapter summarises the government's approach outlined in this paper. Show less

In October 2006, the Department for Education and Skills commissioned The National Youth Agency (NYA) to undertake a six-month research project to explore the skills, knowledge and attitudinal development that young people derive from volunteering. The project was envisaged as a first stage in identifying the range of skills gained through volunteering that can be translated and potentially accredited to provide evidence for employability. Key findings [were that]: young people identify for themselves a wide range of personal and social skills developed through volunteering, but opportunities to reflect on and articulate this learning are often underdeveloped; the fieldwork findings clearly support the evidence of the literature review that young people can and do increase their self-confidence and self-esteem, develop a range of communication skills and improve their ability to work with other people through volunteering; volunteering can act as a catalyst for young people to engage more effectively with other learning, or in some cases re-engage with formal learning or training, putting them in a position where they can develop skills and potentially gain qualifications; [and] many young people also develop practical skills related to their specific experiences of volunteering. Three themes emerged strongly from the project: the potential contribution of volunteering to young people’s learning and skills development; the specific skills that young people identified and articulated; and the need for mechanisms to promote this learning and development.

Excerpt from published introduction. Show less

Skills Dialogues represent a series of consultations with all major industrial and business sectors in the UK, producing high quality authoritative skills assessments for each of these broad sectors. This report in the series presents generic skills findings from sector and national research and provides an overview of generic skills issues currently facing the UK workforce. It results from an analysis of national research including the ‘Employers skills survey (ESS 2001)’ (indexed at TD/TNC 69.214), ‘Skills in England 2001’ (indexed at TD/TNC 72.137; summary indexed at TD/TNC 72.138) and ‘Work skills in Britain 1986-2001’ (indexed at TD/TNC 70.250). This national research informed a review of the generic skill requirements identified in the existing Sector Skills Dialogue reports. The report examines the main factors influencing generic skill trends, the demand for such skills, their supply and the associated shortfalls in provision. The report also addresses the key challenges being faced by employees, employers and government in developing the generic skills required to maintain productivity levels in the contemporary workplace. The report addresses the following generic skills: communication; improving own learning and performance; information technology; management; numeracy; organisation of work; problem solving; and team-working. Major observations are that generic skills are transferable, independent of the sector or occupational grouping in which the individual may operate, and relate to work processes and the way a task is carried out. Recommendations are made in relation to establishing a common approach to generic skills, optimising generic skills training, and driving generic skills development forward. Show less

Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) were introduced as a key element of the United Kingdom (UK) government's lifelong learning agenda with the objective of providing a vehicle for funding continuous learning. The national ILA framework was introduced in September 2000. The strategy was designed to empower individuals to invest in their own learning through individual accounts combined with complementary government incentives. As part of the first year of the national ILA scheme, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) commissioned an early evaluation of the characteristics of ILA redeemers/non-redeemers and customer satisfaction with the process of opening and using an ILA. Findings are published in the reports indexed at TD/TNC 69.213 and TD/TNC 69.215. This small scale follow-up study was commissioned by the DfES to supplement and extend the initial evaluation. The main aims of the study is to provide evidence on how early and more recent ILA holders view and use their ILAs and to make comparisons between each group. Associated key questions were: (1) to identify if ILAs are a fund for continuous/repeated learning; (2) to assess if opening/using an ILA has changed individuals' attitudes towards further learning; (3) to identify the levels of investment by individuals and employers in learning activities funded by ILAs; (4) to assess if taking part in an ILA-funded course has affected an individual's employability; and (5) to assess ILA holders' awareness of the ILA 'brand'. This report makes several recommendations, including the suggestion that policy options be considered to reduce 'deadweight' or those redeemers who would have been able to fund training without support from their ILA, which could inform the development of future plans which build on the successful elements of the ILA program.

An evaluation of the effectiveness of promoting ILAs through community-based organisations is indexed at TD/TNC 70.243. 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

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 Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector Skills Dialogue and provides an assessment of trends in employment and skill needs and associated issues in this sector. This sector consists of a number of sub-sectors: bakery, dairy, food and drink, meat, and seafood. The first chapter provides background information on the skills dialogue and the food and drink manufacturing industry, highlighting changes that have taken place in the industry. Chapter two investigates the demand for food and drink manufacturing skills, including employment forecasts and changing skill priorities. Chapter three investigates the supply of skills in terms of the availability of people and in terms of the qualifications that they hold. Chapter four discusses current skills issues and explores the implications of these by considering recruitment difficulties, skills shortages and skills gaps. Chapter five highlights the main issues associated with supply and demand for skills, qualifications, commitment to Modern Apprenticeships, barriers to training, skills gaps, business size, regional variation, craft sector changes influencing skill levels, production processes, information needs, and future actions. Some key messages emerging from the dialogue are that: (a) the demand for workers, both skilled and less skilled, currently exceeds supply; (b) within the existing workforce, occupations suffering major skill gaps include production workers, managers and the traditional craft sectors; and (c) poor image and profile of work in the industry is aggravating recruitment difficulties and there is a particular need to address the shortage of food scientists and technologists. Show less