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The Skills for Small Businesses (SFSB) initiative was introduced in 1995 to help small firms develop in-house capacity for training and development. SFSB has been subsumed into the wider portfolio of business assistance under the Local Competitiveness Budget. The experience of running SFSB has highlighted key principles and practices in working with small firms and this can still be applied in the current climate with Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs), Business Links and their providers. Key areas include marketing small firm initiatives, sector-based delivery strategies, overcoming barriers to training, innovative delivery processes, links to Investors in People (IiP), and providing follow-on services to action company training plans. This report draws attention to good practice in the implementation of SFSB and the implications for future TEC and Business Link relations with small firms. 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 research paper contains the evidence base for the Task Force's final report 'Skills for all: proposals for a National Skills Agenda'. It comprises 8 chapters and extensive supporting tables and graphs. In his Foreword, the Chairman, Chris Humphries, maintains that the body of evidence will form a base for planners and policy-makers of education and training, as well as for those advising individuals and employers on training and development. Chapter 1 - Introduction, sets out the purpose of the report; Chapter 2 - What we mean by skill and why skills are important, defines and identifies the main skill types and summarises their benefits to all; Chapter 3 - Changes in the nature of jobs and skill requirements, outlines changes and trends in demands; Chapter 4 - Qualifications of the workforce and job-related skills, looks at the relationship between skills and qualifications and the growth and pattern of training; Chapter 5 - The balance between skills supply and demand: skill-related recruitment difficulties, examines the extent and nature of recruitment difficulties and skill shortages experienced by employers; Chapter 6 - Internal skills gaps and future skill requirements, examines employer perceptions of current and future skill deficiencies; Chapter 7 - Market signals - what earnings and the nature of unemployment tell us about where skills are needed, analyses the rate of return to skills and considers the wage differentials between various skills; and Chapter 8 - Skill priorities, describes the six main skill priority areas which, evidence suggests, are the highest priority for further investment.

Other reports of the National Skills Task Force are indexed from TD/TNC 62.653 to TD/TNC 62.656 and an initial response to the final report is indexed at TD/TNC 62.658. Show less

This research was undertaken to identify and quantify the groups who use information communication technology (ICT) and those who lack access to ICT, feel unable to use it or lack interest in ICT. The report also investigates the reasons behind these attitudes. A survey of 4000 adults was undertaken as part of the study and the report provides information on: awareness and use of ICT media; perceptions of the value of computer skills; ownership of ICT media; usage and barriers to use of computers and usage and barriers to use of the Internet. It is intended that regular updates of the research will track the penetration of ICT usage among the general public over time. Show less

This report is set out in four main sections. The first section sets the context for the study by outlining the information needs of the Skills Policy Action Team. The second section reviews literature on skills definition in order to establish if there is an unambiguous working definition of poor/low skills. The third section identifies information sources on poor/low skills, then reviews and assesses the sources. The fourth section summarises the key messages from the first phase of the project and outlines work that could be undertaken as part of the second phase. Show less

This analysis is aimed at planners and providers of future education and training, who need to assess anticipated demands for skills in their own area or sector. It draws together information from a variety of different sources about labour market trends and the demand for, and supply of, skills in the United Kingdom (UK), based on material provided by the Policy Studies Institute. Data sources include household surveys, official projections and registers and surveys of educational participation and attainment. The information provides a starting point for the detailed planning and assessment of likely demand and trends in the supply of skills, as projected and regional trends likely to have an impact on the labour market are included. Show less

This report provides an evaluation and assessment of existing literature on returns to education in the United Kingdom (UK). It is concerned with returns to human capital, focusing on education as a private decision to invest in human capital and exploring the internal rate of return to that private investment. The study also looks at the available evidence on the social/non-pecuniary returns from investment in education and the effect of family background on schooling decisions. The key findings of this study are: (1) individuals who undertake an additional year of full-time study will earn around seven to nine per cent more than those who do not participate in an extra year of full-time study; (2) there is some evidence suggesting that leaving education the year immediately following the awarding of a qualification may result in a smaller return to that particular year of education; and (3) available evidence, limited in the UK mainly to higher education, suggests that net benefits to the economy are positive, but vary by degree subject. Show less

Purpose - This study aims to trace methods that help to develop the reflective behaviour that is necessary for identifying and describing learning processes in organisations that focus on improvement and innovation. Design/methodology/approach - An extensive literature review results in the characteristics of reflection when reflection is used to trace learning processes in innovation. This results in five characteristics. Literature on research methodology is reviewed in order to find methods that promote this reflective behaviour. These methods are analysed to find out to what extent they contain the characteristics for reflection in innovation processes. Findings - The literature review leads to five elements that characterise reflective behaviour in innovation processes. It offers a description of several methods that can be used to identify learning processes. The main conclusion is that hardly any method contains all five characteristics for adequate reflective behaviour. Research limitations/implications - The current study mainly reviewed research methodologies and no other methods that actively promote reflection. Practical implications - The findings offer concrete guidance for practitioners [on] how to encourage reflective behaviour and innovation processes. Originality/value - The paper refers to the interest of both research and practice. From the research point of view it presents a variety of methods for analysing learning processes in order to deepen our knowledge with respect to these processes. From the practice point of view, it offers concrete methods that enable participants to develop reflective skills that help them to become more knowledge productive.

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

This report presents information on the changes in the wage returns to education between 1974 and 1995 using the British General Household Survey data. Attention is paid to the changes in relative supplies of workers with different educational qualifications to explore how the changing supply has varied with the labour market rewards accruing to different groups in the labour market. It seems that there is a positive correlation between the relative wages and the employment of the more educated since the start of the 1980s. This suggests a shift in favour of more educated workers. This report looks in more detail at gender differences and considers more detailed breakdowns of educational groupings. It uncovers some interesting patterns. Essentially the shift in demand favouring more educated workers was more pronounced for women than for men. The report is set out in eight sections. Section two describes changes in educational attainment between the mid-70s and the mid-90s. Descriptive material on wage gaps between workers with different qualifications and how they have evolved over time is given in section three. Section four computes the relative demand shifts between different educational groups from the wage and supply changes documented in sections two and three. Section five focuses on a particular education cohort and studies the changes that have taken place over time. The changes in graduate wage by subject of study are described in section six. Section seven investigates the gender bias within the context of technological change and section eight provides a conclusion by summarising the main findings of the study. Show less

Encouraging the commitment of individuals to learning throughout life is a theme in the British Government's strategy for vocational education and training. This study focuses on the benefits of learning both to the individual and the organisation. It was based on a question. If the returns to learning were clearly understood by employers and others, would more learning accrue? This question is addressed in two ways. The first is to explore the literature that has been produced on adult learning, to seek out themes and to integrate information across the various disciplines that have contributed to this literature. The second is to explore some of the main issues and themes through case studies within a number of small and medium-sized enterprises. The conclusion is that for individuals, there is some evidence from the literature and case studies, of a general belief that training produces positive benefits. The main issue is the willingness of individuals to invest in their own development in terms of money, although the return on that investment is far from certain. For employers, evidence of gain is less readily available, although there is strong evidence that employers believe that training and development is beneficial. Overall there is a lack of understanding of exactly what the benefits of learning are. 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