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The Community Champions fund provides small grants to support individuals in the UK in developing their skills and access to information and wider networks and/or to help them realise community projects and pass on their expertise to others. These individuals are able to inspire their communities to become involved in regeneration and learning activity. The Skills for Regeneration project aimed to assess the skills and knowledge developed by recipients of Community Champions grants in leading and participating in community-based regeneration projects. The project looked at what recipients went on to do with the skills gained from the program, and how Community Champions could be improved. The project found that Community Champions made a real difference for a large proportion of those interviewed and the communities in which they work. Relatively few recipients undertook formal learning through the program. The greatest skills and knowledge gains were achieved by ‘learning by doing’. The analysis revealed a need to target less experienced and less qualified potential Champions and to offer more and better pathways for sustainable projects and greater learning gains. Show less

This document reports on a review of employer investment and co-funding in publicly-funded training. The review was commissioned in 2005 by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to explore current employer activity and to help inform public policy. It focuses mainly on qualitative assessment, examining the experiences of 32 targeted employers known to have been innovative in developing co-funding relationships within the post-16 sector. The report examines the following areas: (1) current employer activity in investment and co-funding of publicly-funded training, including patterns of employer investment and trends, and the role of brokers; (2) employer implementation and, in particular, rationales for co-funding, resourcing arrangements, and direction; (3) progress and impact within organisations with a focus on achievements and outcomes against expectations, success factors and constraints; and (4) issues and implications, drawn from the experiences of these employers, and implications for public policy. The review provides useful evidence of processes, benefits, and what enables, and frustrates, successful co-funding. The findings suggest a wide range of experience among employers on effectiveness of co-funding, but with employers generally perceiving the relationships as valuable and cost-effective. The evidence suggests that employer co-funding in the post-16 sector needs help to extend what appears to be a ‘currently narrow basis of employer experience’. Supporting annexes contain: the methodology and selection of employers; literature sources; a list of in-depth employer case studies; and summary matrices indicating employer investment and co-funding activity for all interviewed employers. Show less

The National Employer Skills Survey (NESS) is the largest of its kind ever commissioned, and aims to investigate the extent, causes and implications of England's recruitment problems and skills gaps, and at the same time measure employers' training activities. The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) commissioned reports from a number of Sector Skills Councils, and this report summarises the NESS 2003 for Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-based sector. This sector has a broad coverage, but for the purposes of this report only three broad clusters are focused upon: environmental industries, animal health and welfare, and land management and production. The overwhelming majority of establishments in this field are micro-businesses, with 94% employing fewer than five people. Due to survey restrictions, self-employed sole-proprietors were not included in the data, though many exist in the Lantra field, and 445 interviews were conducted in total. Employers were asked about specific skills they require now and skills they expected to be required in three years time. The two main occupations in this sector are identified as managers or proprieters in agriculture, and skilled agricultural tradespeople. For the former, communication, customer handling, numeracy, literacy and teamworking skills were all identified as important, while in the case of skilled trades, technical and practical skills are needed at an advanced level. The report also considers the extent of recruitment difficulties and skill gaps, and finds that: 56 per cent of establishments in the lifelong learning sector face hard-to-fill vacancies; 27 per cent of establishments suffer from internal skill gaps, with staff being regarded as less than fully proficient; vacancies and skill gaps are most common amongst skilled trades and elementary occupations, reflecting the importance of technical skills to this sector; the main causes of skill gaps are primarily perceived to be due to staff having a lack of experience; the main causes of hard-to-fill vacancies are a lack of interest in this type of work, and a low number of applicants with the required skills; and the most common skills lacking in applicants are technical and practical skills, communication skills, management skills and problem solving skills. Barriers to developing and maintaining a proficient team of staff in the Lantra sector are identified as including: lack of time for training for those with skill gaps; a lack of cover for training; and a lack of funds for training. The report also considers issues associated with employer engagement in developing their workforce. Show less

This document is the final report from the Post-16 Learning Arrangements Evaluation project, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to assess key stakeholder and partner views on critical post-16 processes and the contribution to learner performance, quality and standards. New arrangements for post-16 learning had been developed in response to a number of perceived weaknesses in the existing system. By November 2002, their implementation had resulted in policy, organisational and operational changes. This final report compares the progress to date with the findings from an interim study (indexed at TD/TNC 76.296) and is structured around four main themes: Learning and Skills Council (LSC) arrangements; Raising standards; Inspections; and Area inspection. Particular strengths of the system that emerged during the course of this study include: greater awareness of the impact on operational activity of the balance between DfES and LSC; strengthening of partnership and communication across the sector; strengthening of LSC staff expertise; and overwhelming support for the management of the inspection arrangements by both inspectorates. Show less

This longitudinal research study reports on the experiences of young people with special education needs (SEN) two years after they have completed statutory schooling. The study aimed to provide an overview of the experiences, achievements and attitudes of young people with SEN during their post-16 transitions and beyond and to identify strengths, weaknesses and barriers to further and higher education, training, employment and independent living. Key findings indicate that: most young people were likely to report that their parents were most helpful to them in their post-16 transitions; most young people had gained a level one equivalent qualification from school; young people in work were mainly engaged in elementary occupations and were not involved in any work-related or government-supported training; examples of relatively smooth transitions appeared to be the exception rather than the rule; and most parents believed that education had given their child greater confidence and taught them subjects that were work-related. 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 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