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This report forms part of the extensive evaluation of the adult basic skills Pathfinder Extension program which was launched by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in September 2001. Stage 2 of the evaluation focused on providing impact estimates and descriptive analyses of learner characteristics, their attitudes and their course experiences. It also introduces outcome measures such as employment outcomes, job changes and new course enrolment. There is a comparison of key characteristics between Pathfinder Extension participants and a comparison group of learners on traditional adult basic skills courses. Estimates of the impacts of Pathfinder activities compared to traditional provisions are given.

There are three accompanying reports on the evaluation of the Pathfinder Extension program: the report of Stage 1 of the evaluation is indexed at TD/TNC 75.222; an overview of the evaluation is indexed at TD/TNC 75.221; and the final report of the evaluation is indexed at TD/TNC 75.224. Show less

The 1997-1999 European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 3 Programme in Great Britain introduced a new priority, Priority 4, called 'Enhancing the capacity for community development'. Its aim was to build the capacity of organisations (immediate beneficiary organisations - IBOs) to provide support to unemployed people. Between December 2000 and April 2001, a long term impact evaluation of Priority 4 was carried out to identify the benefits of capacity building for both the IBOs and the ultimate beneficiaries. The evaluation was based on the following questions: (1) Has the capacity of IBOs increased such that they are able to work better with ultimate beneficiaries? (2) Has the capacity of IBOs improved such that they are able to apply for ESF to work directly with ultimate beneficiaries? (3) Has the capacity of IBOs improved in other ways? (4) Have the above factors led to improved labour market outcomes for the ultimate beneficiaries? The report contains eight chapters. The first chapter provides the background and aims of Priority 4, the rationale for its introduction and the beneficiaries, its orientation and implementation. It also outlines an interim evaluation of Priority 4 which was carried out in 1999, the specific questions used for the current evaluation, and the 2000-2006 Objective 3 Programme. Chapter two outlines the evaluation methodology and chapter three provides an outline of the remaining sections of the report. Chapter four summarises the types of organisations that Priority 4 has assisted and the outputs that have resulted from it and chapter five discusses the outcomes and impact of Priority 4. Evidence about the sustainability of Priority 4 benefits is discussed in chapter six and chapter seven raises further issues (measurement of capacity building, global grants and co-financing) that require consideration in the new program. The final chapter sets out the findings of the study and makes recommendations to help improve the extent to which benefits can be felt in future. Case study projects and the questionnaire used in the evaluation are provided as appendices. Show less

This study is based primarily on the evaluation of 21 Action Research Projects (ARPs) which explored the impact of work-related learning on Key Stage 4 (KS4) students in 1998/9 and 1999/2000. The objectives of the ARPs were: to improve motivation and attitudes; to increase skills and knowledge; to improve attendance and behaviour; and to raise attainment. Indicators of actual or potential disaffection were the principal criteria used for selection of students for the projects in approximately 80% of participating schools. In the remaining 20% of participating schools, students were selected on other criteria, often linked to curriculum choice. This made it possible to compare and contrast the differential impact of work-related learning on different types of students enabling additional insights to be gleaned. The projects generated much valuable material on learning points at project and school levels. Show less

The European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 3 Programme was aimed at overcoming long-term unemployment and integrating young people into the labour market. In Great Britain, it comprised a three-year program (1997-1999) and was designed to raise the skills level of the labour force and to improve the labour market prospects for those individuals most at risk of exclusion. The Institute of Employment Studies and NOP Research Group were commissioned by the then Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) to undertake the 1999 leavers' survey for the ESF Objective 3 Programme in order to assess the beneficiaries of Objective 3 projects. This report presents the results of the survey. It is structured as follows: chapter one outlines the aim of this research and presents the main findings; chapter two identifies the characteristics of Objective 3 beneficiaries and the labour market difficulties they face; chapter three discusses the kinds of support provided by the projects under ESF Objective 3; the fourth chapter examines project completion, early leaving and identifies the activities undertaken by the beneficiaries leaving the projects; the fifth chapter discusses outcomes from ESF Objective 3 in terms of qualifications, jobs and other 'soft outcomes' and the impact of ESF on beneficiaries; and the final chapter concludes the study and summarises the key findings of the research. Also included are three appendices: (1) Research methodology and sampling procedures; (2) Survey questionnaire; and (3) Logistic regression. Show less

This report contains the findings of a research study commissioned by the Guidance Council to inform the future development of information and guidance (IAG) services in the UK. It is a comprehensive follow-up to the first Market & Opinion Research International (MORI) study undertaken in 2000 and its primary aim is to assess how the public's perceptions of IAG provision have changed since the first study. The research consisted of a literature review, a pilot survey and a large-scale face-to-face survey of the general public. The report analyses the relevance and perceived benefits of IAG, and suggests how provisions can be improved to meet the changing needs of adults. The research indicates that users are still generally very satisfied with IAG services currently available. One concern is that, although provision has expanded rapidly over the past four years, use of IAG has fallen slightly over this same period of time. The evidence suggests that the same, or very similar, groups are being excluded, or at risk of being excluded, as reported in the earlier survey. Employers continue to be seen as the most useful source of IAG, although the Internet has increased in importance. Demand for IAG remains tightly connected to demand for new skills, a new job and career progression. Targeted strategies are proposed to promote wider access and take-up of IAG services. The report presents its findings under the following topics: general attitudes towards learning and skills development, and perceptions of IAG services; awareness of different sources of IAG; levels of use of IAG and the nature of IAG interventions, including employer provision; satisfaction with IAG process and outcomes; unmet need for IAG provision; IAG service priorities and gaps in provision; image of IAG services; scope for expansion of services; and public willingness to pay for IAG. Show less

This report examines the impact of a series of development projects funded by the European Social Fund-sponsored ADAPT initiative on the development of the University for Industry (Ufi) concept in the UK. Ufi was established to stimulate demand for lifelong learning and to improve access to higher quality and innovative learning opportunities, particularly through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The report presents case studies of 10 projects, selected to present a variety of different kinds of project funded under this initiative.

The main findings from the case studies are indexed at TD/TNC 74.148. Show less

This document reports on Stage 1 of the extensive evaluation of the adult basic skills Pathfinder Extension program which was launched in September 2001. It provides descriptive findings on the progress of the program, surveying learners, learners in prisons and teachers. Interviews were conducted with learners in Pathfinder programs as well as a comparison group of learners on traditional basic skills courses and this information was confined to providing descriptive information which was of interest from a policy viewpoint. The survey of learners in prisons covered all Pathfinder courses and was conducted in seven prison establishments. A postal questionnaire was sent to all teachers known to have taught Pathfinder courses with a view to obtaining their experiences concerning the courses they taught. The surveys found that the great majority of learners wanted courses that would lead to a qualification. Their responses to course content, teaching methods and relationships with teachers and other participants were all very positive. Teachers found courses an enriching professional experience and believed that learner motivations and outcomes were being positively affected. One challenge identified by the evaluation concerned barriers to access such as child care difficulties and working hours conflicting with course times.

There are three accompanying reports on the evaluation of the Pathfinder Extension program: the report of Stage 2 of the evaluation is indexed at TD/TNC 75.223; an overview of the evaluation is indexed at TD/TNC 75.221; and the final report of the evaluation is indexed at TD/TNC 75.224. Show less

Progress File aims to promote the skills of setting learning goals, planning and reviewing and recording achievement, replacing the National Record of Achievement (NRA). From 1999 to 2002 ten pilot demonstration projects were set up to gain further experience and insight into the implementation of Progress File, with a national evaluation of the projects running concurrently. This report is structured round two evaluation frameworks. The first framework looks at the impact of Progress File and its success in meeting its national objectives. The second framework looks at the conditions and contexts which helped or hindered the successful implementation of Progress File. The report found that, using the first framework, Progress File was largely successful in meeting its objectives but identifies its impact on users’ learning habits and behaviour as being uneven and finds very little evidence that it had any impact on users’ attitudes to lifelong learning. Using the second framework, the evaluation successfully identified those factors which enhanced the implementation of Progress File, and those that could inhibit it, pointing out that while school students were particularly receptive to Progress File, there was little enthusiasm amongst further and higher education students (except mature students), trainees or employees. The evaluation concludes that Progress File has the potential to contribute to a number of important priorities in education, including key skills, target setting, action planning and work experience programs for young people. It can also build on the NRA and supplement it with a greater emphasis on the important processes that underlie learning. Show less

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is an allowance paid to young people between the ages of 16 and 19 from lower-income families to support their participation, retention and achievement in post-16 education. This report investigates young people’s labour market experiences in order to assess the effect of two years of post-16 education on their initial position, and subsequent progression within the labour market. It has drawn on data from the large scale surveys of young people that have formed part of the evaluation of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) pilots. The data compare the employment and training trajectories of two groups of EMA eligible young people when they were 19 years old: (1) those who had entered the labour market at the end of Year 11 and who remained in employment or training until the age of 19; and (2) those who had completed two years in post-16 education and then entered the labour market at 18. The final section of the report looks at young people who were not in education, employment or training (NEET), investigating both the length of time for which those who were NEET at the age of 19 had been so, and the circumstances at 19 of young people who had been NEET at 18 following two years in compulsory education. Key findings indicate that: young people who had spent two years in post-16 education before entering the labour market at 18 were generally in a better position than those who had entered the labour market immediately after compulsory education and were much more likely to be in managerial, professional and associated professional and technical jobs; nearly a third of young people who had left school at 16 were in skilled trade occupations at 19 and had accessed training in sectors such as engineering and construction, where skill shortages are known to exist; as far as participation in government supported training was concerned, there was a clear difference between 16-year old and 18-year old labour market entrants, with a significantly larger proportion of 16-year old school leavers accessing the labour market through this route; a number of young people who had left education at 18 had spent one year in employment before resuming their studies at the age of 19; young people who had entered work with no training had the highest turnover rates; among young people who had accessed the labour market at 18, the largest proportion of young people who became NEET at 19, came from the jobs without training category; and the majority of young people who were NEET at age 18, following two years in full-time education, had left the NEET group at the age of 19. Show less

New arrangements for post-16 learning in the UK were developed in response to a number of perceived weaknesses in the existing system. By November 2002, the implementation of new learning arrangements had resulted in policy, organisational and operational changes. This interim report is part of a two-year project to assess key stakeholder and partner opinions on key post-16 processes and their contribution to learner performance, quality and standards. Key organisations representing accountable stakeholders for the post-16 learning arrangements are: the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Jobcentre Plus, the Adult Learning Inspectorate, and the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). The report examines the development and changes since April 2001 in the funding, institutional structure and operation of learning for adults and young people over the age of 16. The qualitative evaluation focuses on five key areas: implementation of the LSC arrangements; raising standards; the Standards Fund; inspections; and Area Wide Inspections. The report suggests that there have been some difficulties associated with the changes but the key elements are in place. There is a high level of awareness among stakeholders of the need for improved performance and raised standards. Many new and improved processes have been and continue to be put in place. At this point, a systematic impact on learners appears limited apart from a few specific isolated instances of changes affecting learners. A final evaluation report will be compiled when the study is completed in January 2004. Show less