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Learning Partnerships were set up across the United Kingdom (UK) in early 1999 to promote a new culture across the school, further education (FE) work-based learning, and adult and community learning sectors to rationalise the range of existing local partnership arrangements covering post-16 learning. This revised report provides interim findings of the national evaluation of Learning Partnerships in November 2000. A separate report, 'Case study findings' (indexed at TD/TNC 69.280) provides an overview of key issues associated with progress, early impact and added value of Partnership Activity. The key evaluation questions addressed by these two reports are: What is the impact and added value of Learning Partnerships? How do they add value? What are the constraints; What are their costs? What is the value for money? The findings of these two reports represent an interim phase in the national evaluation with activities completed this year being repeated (using the same case studies) in 2000/2001 and 2000/2002. The contents of this report are: Introduction; Key points; Baseline and progress reporting: key issues; Key characteristics; Headline aims; Delivery objectives; Learning Partnership fund. Included as indices are: Good practice pro-formas; Added value actions.

Other related reports are indexed at TD/TNC 68.196 and TD/TNC 69.278 and the final report is indexed at TD/TNC 75.237. Show less

York Consulting were commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to evaluate the impact of the Learning Partnerships established across the United Kingdom (UK) in early 1999. The partnerships were designed to promote a new culture of provider collaboration across the educational sectors (schools, further education, work-based learning, and adult and community learning) and to rationalise the range of existing local partnerships arrangements covering post-16 learning. This interim report provides an analysis of interim progress and early impact of Learning Partnerships as at May 2001. The report is based on a review of management information, Learning Plan Executive Summaries, national case studies and regional evaluations. The final evaluation report which will be published early in 2003. The first part of the report outlines the key findings and issues from national data and the national Learning Partnerships database developed by the research team and based on Learning Plan Executive Summaries. The second part analyses the key findings from the 20 national case studies and regional evaluation reports and the final section draws together the research findings to present conclusions and key recommendations. The findings demonstrate that although progress and impact in relation to partnership is being achieved, Learning Partnerships continue to face a number of potential constraints.

Other related reports are indexed from TD/TNC 69.278 to TD/TNC 69.280 and the final report is indexed at TD/TNC 75.237. Show less

The Modern Apprenticeship Advisory Committee was appointed by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in March 2001 to provide advice to the Secretary and the Learning and Skills Council on a three year action plan for the development, promotion and delivery of Modern Apprenticeships in the United Kingdom (UK). The initial sections of the report provide a rationale for the development of an apprenticeship system, and an outline of the current situation after recent reforms. Recommendations are made in relation to the essential aspects of a national framework for apprenticeships, development in the content and certification of apprenticeships, the delivery of apprenticeships, and pre-employment and 'other training'. The report also provides projections of targets for the eventual place of apprenticeships within the education and training system, suggests basic entitlements to apprenticeship places, and looks at aspects of the task of promoting apprenticeships. The report concludes with a suggested timetable for the implementation of the action plan and a summary of recommendations. Annexes contain the terms of reference and committee membership, representations from various organisations, market research outcomes, participation statistics for apprenticeships by sector and gender, and the timetable for implementation. Show less

As part of the UK government's commitment to ensuring that by the age of 19, all young people are ready for higher education or skilled employment, the government has a long-tern vision of a simplified financial support system for 16-19 year olds. The aim of this review, which builds on the Education Maintenance Allowance, is to ensure that 16-19 year olds have the support and incentives they need to participate in education and training. This document reports on the review. The report describes and launches consultation on short and long-term measures being taken by the government to ensure opportunities for all young people. The chapters are: Introduction; Supporting choices; Supporting young people; Simplifying support. Included as appendices are: Supporting participation; Supporting transitions; Australia's youth allowance. Show less

This document outlines a number of key proposals and opportunities for young people. Those relating to information, advice and guidance will be of most interest to schools. These proposals will help schools to deliver the 14-19 curriculum set out in the recent White Paper, as well as giving them a clearer voice in the services that are delivered to their pupils. They will also provide clearer routes to help outside the school for pupils with additional needs. Show less

The 14-19 pathfinders are part of a broader process of reforming the 14-19 phase of learning proposed in the 2002 Department for Education and Skills (DfES) Green Paper, ‘14-19: extending opportunities, raising standards’ (indexed at TD/IRD 88.170). The pathfinders were intended to: test ideas; develop best practice in 14-19 education and training; identify how 14-19 policy will interact with other policies; identify barriers to a coherent 14-19 phase and propose ways to address them; demonstrate that a coherent 14-19 phase can be achieved nationally in the UK despite the diversity of participants and locations. This report provides a national evaluation of the first year of the phase one 14-19 pathfinders. It describes the progress of the 25 pathfinders and a number of partnerships not funded through the pathfinder program. As the pathfinders are in the early stages of development, the report focuses on objectives, plans and early developments rather than changes in student experience. The pathfinders are characterised by diversity in response to local needs and goals. Positive progress has been made in many aspects of development. These include: collaborative arrangements; the development of curricula offering more choice and flexibility and involving vocational and work-related learning in colleges, training providers and workplaces; provision for changes in the pace of learning for higher achieving students; improved advice and guidance for young people approaching and moving through the 14-19 phase; and productive links with other programs and further development of strategic planning of the 14-19 phase. Show less

This publication focuses on the recognition of progress made by adults with learning difficulties in non-accredited areas of learning. It contributes to the development projects on Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement (RARPA) in Non-accredited Learning, led by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) and funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). This publication is the result of an investigation by NIACE into the issues for both providers and learners with learning difficulties in recognising and recording achievements. It identifies issues through a literature review as well as a survey of post-age-16 learning providers. It investigates the curriculum design of learning programs available to learners with learning difficulties; the learners' needs and expectations; identification of learning objectives which meet the outcomes of the program, the group and the individual learner; formative assessment processes; and the recognition of student progress and achievement. The study indicates the dedication of many learning providers in attempting to recognise and record the progress and achievements of students with learning difficulties, but highlights that increased understanding of the situation is necessary, as a collaborative institutional and sectoral response to the issues outlined in this publication is still required. Show less

This White Paper builds on the existing 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper and Skills Strategy [available in VOCEDplus at TD/IRD 88.163] to set out a series of reforms for the further education (FE) system, focusing on the role of the FE sector in raising the skills level of young people and adults in order to achieve productive sustainable employment in a modern competitive economy. The proposed changes will result in more choice for clients, services designed to meet individuals' needs, new, innovative providers being encouraged to enter the training market, and action to address poor quality provision. The reforms are designed to enable learners to acquire high-quality skills and to ensure that employers have the right skills for their business to be competitive in a global economy.

The policy measures include: new incentives for colleges to develop one or more areas of special excellence, with a new higher standard of accreditation (under the program of Centres of Vocational Excellence or CoVEs); a more direct role for employers and an extension of the National Skills Academies (NSAs) program; a trial program of learner accounts and a new entitlement to free training and education for the under-25s to gain level three qualifications, with the continued roll-out of the Adult Learning Grant to help with maintenance costs for those on low incomes; the creation of a single Quality Improvement Agency to oversee a new national strategy to raise the quality of FE provision and promote continuing professional development of teaching staff; improvement notices to be issued to colleges judged to be failing and requiring the problems to be addressed within a year; and a simplified system for planning and funding provision designed to reduce regulatory bureaucracy at all levels, with an enhanced strategic role for the Learning and Skills Council at the regional level, new opportunities for innovative providers to enter the sector with new competitive arrangements and open advertising, and funding geared towards demand, particularly through the Train to Gain program. Show less

This strategy, launched on 8 July 2004, summarises the UK Government's plans for early years, primary and secondary schools, 14-19 education and training, adult skills, and higher education. Five key principles of reform will underpin the drive for a step change in children's services, education and training: (1) greater personalisation and choice, with the wishes and needs of children, parents and learners centre-stage; (2) opening up services to new and different providers and ways of delivering services; (3) freedom and independence for frontline headteachers, governors and managers with clear simple accountabilities and more secure streamlined funding arrangements; (4) a major commitment to staff development with high quality support and training to improve assessment, care and teaching; and (5) partnerships with parents, employers, volunteers and voluntary organisations to maximise the life chances of children, young people and adults.

Excerpts from publication.

A progress report published in 2006 is indexed at indexed at TD/TNC 95.749. Show less

The main aim of this project was to review the relevant literature on the impact of vocational qualifications (VQs). It investigated: What drives learner choice? What do we know about the nature and extent of the market for VQs? How do different delivery mechanisms impact on the effectiveness of VQs? What does the literature tell us about the wider impact of VQs? The findings show that there is a positive link between the attainment of qualifications and future participation, and some evidence to suggest that attainment of VQs is beneficial to an individual’s level of self confidence. It also shows that the demand for VQs that are delivered off-the-job and which combine theoretical knowledge and practical skills continues to be high. Other findings include: a lack of detailed statistical information on the numbers and characteristics of those taking up and achieving vocationally-related qualifications (VRQs) and other vocational qualifications (OVQs); more OVQs than National/Scottish Vocational Qualifications (N/SVQs) are awarded; while the cumulative number of NVQ awards continues to increase, the annual total of people gaining NVQs has started to decrease; and age is a key determinant of VQ take-up. This report is presented in 10 sections: section one is the introduction; section two outlines the methodology; section three outlines the development of VQs in the UK; section four provides an international perspective on the development of VQs in England; sections five to eight present the findings in relation to learner choice, market for VQs, delivery, and impact; section nine contains the review’s conclusions; and the final section offers some recommendations for further research. Show less