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This document sets out the UK Government's suggestions for improving the system for recognising professional qualifications across the European Union (EU). Recent evidence suggests that there is significant untapped potential in EU services, both in terms of productivity and employment. Reforms that improved the single market in services could have a significant impact on growth within the EU. Reforming the process for mutual recognition of professional qualifications in the EU is a key achievable priority in improving the single market in services, and creating growth.

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The national strategy for access and student success in higher education has been developed at the request of the UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Minister for Universities and Science. The vision of this national strategy is: that all those with the potential to benefit from higher education have equal opportunity to participate and succeed, on a course and in an institution that best fit their potential, needs and ambitions for employment or further study. This final report to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills sets out what the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will do to carry out the strategy.

Part one summarises the vision, overall approach and key actions that are proposed across the three broad stages of the student lifecycle: (1) access - preparing for and entering higher education; (2) retention and student success - staying on and achieving a qualification; and (3) progression to further study or to/within employment. Part two describes the strategy in detail and the evidence that it is based on. It brings together new and existing research on access and student success, including evidence gathered through commissioned research, a call for evidence and discussions with a wide range of stakeholders. The first three chapters discuss issues, evidence, and recommendations relating to the three broad stages of the student lifecycle. The concluding chapter describes in detail the proposed implementation of the strategy and outlines the types of indicators that will be developed to measure progress against the priorities it identifies.

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The UK government has published this consultation in response to the ‘Richard review of apprenticeships’, published in November 2012. It sets out the government’s long term vision for apprenticeships, together with proposals for achieving this. The review looked at how apprenticeships in England can meet the needs of the changing economy. This government response accepts the review’s assessment of the challenges and opportunities to come and endorses its recommendations for reform, in particular to: place control of apprenticeships more firmly in the hands of employers; and ensure that all apprenticeships are rigorous and responsive to employers’ needs. The government’s response also launches a consultation on the practical steps needed to turn this vision into reality. The government invites contributions from those interested in the future of apprenticeships by 22 May 2013. These will be considered and used to inform the government’s future approach and implementation plan in 2013.

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In response to UK government reports that only six per cent of people with learning difficulties are currently in employment, a taskforce was formed to examine the accessibility of apprenticeships for people with learning disabilities. The aim is to see training opportunities and apprenticeships made more accessible so that young people with learning disabilities are more easily able to enter the workforce. Working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Education (DfE) the task force aimed to create three million apprenticeships by 2020 and halve the disability gap. The taskforce, led by Paul Maynard and including employers, training providers, charities and educational experts, met three times throughout May and June: once to identify issues, then to explore solutions and finally to form recommendations to make to ministers.

These two documents contain the recommendations of the taskforce and the response from the government response through BIS and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Show less

This paper builds on the analysis set out in ‘New industry, new jobs’ in April 2009 [report indexed at TD/TNC 97.225] and sets out the wide ranging work program that has flowed from that analysis over the last year. To maximise Britain’s potential, the role of public institutions and public policy alongside the powerful dynamics of the market in supporting the development of a diverse economy based on knowledge, innovation and productive investment needs to be well understood and fully exploited. This paper identifies those basic capabilities and sets out how the government has invested in them over the last six months. It also makes it clear how the commitment to continued investment in Britain’s industrial competitiveness will be taken forward. Seven core capabilities in the British economy will underpin the government’s drive to restore strong, sustainable, long-term growth: (1) supporting enterprise and entrepreneurial activity, including the access to finance required for starting and growing firms; (2) fostering knowledge creation and its application; (3) helping people develop the skills and capabilities to find work and build the businesses and industries of the future; (4) investing in the infrastructure required to support a modern low carbon economy; (5) ensuring open and competitive markets to drive innovation and rising productivity; (6) building on our industrial strengths where we have particular expertise or might gain a comparative advantage, and where government action can have an impact; and (7) recognising and employing the right strategic role for government in markets that allows us as a nation to capitalise on new opportunities.

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This report provides an economic analysis of the further education (FE) market in England. FE in England refers to any study taken after the age of 16 that is not part of higher education (that is, not taken as part of an undergraduate or post-graduate degree). It is delivered by a range of public, private and voluntary sector providers and, in general, equips a learner for further learning, including higher education, or for employment. It also plays an important role in reaching out to disadvantaged groups to encourage their participation in learning when they otherwise might not. To inform decisions about how best to fund and regulate the FE market so that it can deliver effectively for learners and employers and contribute to a skilled and productive workforce, this report has four key objectives. They are to: (1) describe the FE market and its sub 'markets': the economic structure, policy landscape and key players in the market; (2) investigate the extent to which features are observed in the FE market and its sub 'markets' that are common to well-functioning markets and to identify where such features would not be appropriate given the wider objectives of FE; (3) identify the barriers that prevent the FE 'markets' from functioning effectively; and therefore (4) stimulate discussion of priorities for policy intervention to improve effectiveness.

The focus in this report is on the publicly funded components of the FE market and not the wide range of education and training that is privately funded by employers for their staff. Also excluded is other study that FE providers may offer within the school and higher education systems, e.g. vocational provision for 14-16 year olds. The analysis draws on three substantive forms of evidence: a review of published literature, a quantitative analysis of data, and around 60 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders across the market.

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In January 2013, the Departments for Education and Business, Innovation and Skills published a discussion paper outlining initial proposals for the development of a new program of traineeships to help young people to prepare for and secure apprenticeships and other sustainable employment. Traineeships will begin in 2013-14 for 16 to 19 year olds with a view to extending traineeships to young people up to 24 in due course.

This framework for delivery provides employers, education and training providers and young people with information about traineeships. The core target group for traineeships are young people who: are not currently in a job and have little work experience, but who are focused on work or the prospect of it; are qualified below Level 3; and providers and employers believe have a reasonable chance of being ready for employment or an apprenticeship within six months of engaging in a traineeship. The core content of traineeships will be a high quality work placement, work preparation training and English and maths.

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Information and advice about learning and work can come from a variety of sources including parents, teachers, careers advisers, the internet, colleges, universities and other public services. However, young people, adults and those who advise them commonly report that difficult to find the information they need. There is evidence to suggest that many young people drop out of post-compulsory courses because these do not meet their expectations or because their chosen course was unsuitable for them. Evidence also suggests that people from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to receive informal careers advice from their family and social networks. In August 2010, the UK government introduced Next Step, providing careers information and advice to adults. Building on that experience, the government is now introducing a new service, the National Careers Service, to make it easy for everyone to find accurate information about learning and work, with a helpline giving professional advice on making choices. This paper describes the new service.

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This document sets out an investment strategy for the further education system in the UK that will deliver a truly lifelong approach to learning, nurturing sustainable economic growth and social renewal. The document outlines how the government plans to: reduce bureaucracy; remove unnecessary interference from intermediary agencies whether local, regional or national; streamline the organisational skills landscape; remove unnecessary regulation; and, introduce new freedoms and flexibilities. The strategy is based on three principles: (1) fairness, where those most in need are those least able to help themselves, so special attention will be paid to young people and those without basic literacy and numeracy skills; (2) shared responsibility for skill development, including government, employers and citizens; and (3) greater freedom in terms of abolishing bureaucratic impediments and trusting people to do their job.

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This report proposes that UK government policy-makers use supply chain analysis and greater business engagement to identify business opportunities. It takes forward the third strand of 'New industry, new jobs' [see report indexed at TD/TNC 97.225] on improving policy-making for business.

Published summary from BIS website. Show less