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The ‘Skills for Life’ survey, carried out in the UK between June 2002 and May 2003, aimed to produce a national profile of adult literacy, numeracy, English as a second language (ESOL), and information and communications technology (ICT) skills over five broad levels of competence, and also to assess the impact that different levels of skill had on people’s lives. There were two parts to the survey; the first part collected respondents’ background details and tested literacy and numeracy skills, and the second part consisted of two ICT assessments, including a practical component. The results were assessed against the national framework of standards for literacy and numeracy, and revealed that 16% of respondents had only entry level literacy skills, and 47% had entry level numeracy skills. Other important findings concerned the relationship between low literacy and numeracy skills and socio-economic deprivation, the relative skills of men and women, the differences between age groups, and the association between good literacy and numeracy skills and education and salary level. 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

Consultation on the Green Paper '14-19: extending opportunities, raising standards' (indexed at TD/IRD 88.170) revealed strong support for reform of learning opportunities available to 14-19 year olds at school, college and in the workplace. The UK compares poorly with other countries on measures of participation and achievement. The most persistent shortcoming of the system is the weakness of vocational provision. The challenge is to create a 14-19 phase that provides a clearer and more appropriate curriculum and qualifications framework that embraces strong provision for both academic and vocational options. This next steps document builds on the proposals outlined in the Green Paper and the extensive responses to the Green Paper consultation. It sets out the case for reform and outlines the strategy to introduce more flexibility into the system. The aim is to provide greater coherence for schools, colleges and employers, and a clearer understanding of how their qualifications lead to further education or work for students. Short-term reforms relate to curriculum change, the improvement of vocational options, consistency and quality of teaching and learning, an emphasis on local innovation and partnership, raising student aspirations, and support for local delivery. A new working group will be formed to examine longer term reforms in the areas of vocational provision, assessment, and the unification of the qualifications framework.

The Annexes accompanying this report are indexed at TD/TNC 74.145. A summary of the report is indexed at TD/TNC 74.146. 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

In June 2003, the UK government will publish a national Skills Strategy and Delivery Plan. The strategy will establish a broad agenda for raising skill levels amongst young people and adults in close cooperation with employers to ensure that their skill needs are satisfied. The strategy will describe the roles and responsibilities of employers, individuals and government in skills development, including the government’s role in providing institutional, qualifications and quality frameworks. The aim of the strategy is to create a more demand-led learning system and it will include: a comprehensive approach to promoting participation in learning through better advice and rendering learning more attractive and accessible to learners of all ages; the government’s approach to engaging employers across all areas of skills development; adult workforce development, especially in relation to the delivery plan for the new Level 2 target for adults, i.e. to reduce by at least 40% the number of adults in the workforce without a Level 2 or equivalent qualification by 2010; and the outcomes of the review of the funding of adult learning. This evidence paper summarises the key statistical and research evidence on the nature of the skill challenge that the strategy will address and on the rationale for government intervention to meet the challenge. The paper aims to explain the rationale and evidence underpinning the progress report published in conjunction with this paper. The key messages are that skills play an important role in increasing productivity and providing a route to stable employment for workers. Workforce skills are lower in the UK than in other countries with the cause being a mixture of supply and demand factors. There is a particular need for the government to help adults who have not achieved a level 2 qualification, therefore lacking the skills required for ongoing employability.

The companion report, ‘Developing a national skills strategy and delivery plan: progress report’ is indexed at TD/TNC 73.358. ‘Funding adult learning: technical paper’ is indexed at TD/TNC 73.360. Show less

In June 2003, the UK government will publish a national Skills Strategy and Delivery Plan. The strategy will establish a broad agenda for raising skill levels amongst young people and adults in close cooperation with employers to ensure that their skill needs are satisfied. The strategy will describe the roles and responsibilities of employers, individuals and government in skills development, including the government’s role in providing institutional, qualifications and quality frameworks. The aim of the strategy is to create a more demand-led learning system and it will include: a comprehensive approach to promoting participation in learning through better advice and rendering learning more attractive and accessible to learners of all ages; the government’s approach to engaging employers across all areas of skills development; adult workforce development, especially in relation to the delivery plan for the new Level 2 target for adults, i.e. to reduce by at least 40% the number of adults in the workforce without a Level 2 or equivalent qualification by 2010; and the outcomes of the review of the funding of adult learning. This interim report summarises progress in developing the strategy and outlines emerging ideas on its main elements. The report covers the following sections: (1) the background and context to the strategy; (2) the nature and extent of the skills challenge in the UK; (3) the proposed principles for the plan; (4) emerging ideas on how best to meet employers’ skill needs; (5) emerging ideas on providing better learning options for young people and adults, and on engaging more adults in learning; and (6) the implications for colleges and other training providers, building on the current reform program described in ‘Success for all: reforming further education and training: our vision for the future’ (indexed at TD/TNC 72.207).

The companion report, ‘Developing a national skills strategy and delivery plan: underlying evidence’ is indexed at TD/TNC 73.359. ‘Funding adult learning: technical paper’ is indexed at TD/TNC 73.360. Show less

The aim of this review was to advise on the key challenges and opportunities facing further education (FE) colleges in the UK over the next five to 10 years and to suggest ways of maximising their future contribution. This report of the review sets out a vision for FE colleges, a set of values, and key recommendations for the realisation of this vision. Recommendations include: General Further Education Colleges (GFECs) and tertiary colleges should adopt improving employability and supplying economically valuable skills as their primary purpose; there must be a continued drive by colleges to improve quality and achieve excellence; self regulation should be the medium term goal; FE colleges should strive for long term, continuous improvements in teaching and learning based on best practice from across the sector; FE colleges must address more urgently provision which is failing, supported by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) and others; FE colleges should look at what more they need to do to improve their offer to employers both through their primary role in improving the pool of employability and skills and in response to specific employer needs; the Government should articulate a core role for FE colleges, in particular GFECs, in supplying economically valuable skills; and the Government, with the Association of Colleges (AoC) and FE colleges and other key stakeholders, should develop a clear and targeted workforce development plan within the next 12 months which is published and consulted on prior to implementation. The contents are: The vision; The platform for change; The achievement imperatives; Improving management and funding; Improving inspection and information, reducing the qualifications bureaucracy; Improving infrastructure; Implementation; Summary of recommendations. Included as appendices are: The FE landscape; A view from abroad; Overview of how we worked; Foster review: terms of reference; Glossary and qualification level indicator. Show less

The Working Group on 14-19 Reform, chaired by Mike Tomlinson, published its final report [available in VOCEDplus at TD/IRD 88.166] in October 2004. This white paper responds to the challenge issued in the report, i.e. how to fulfil the needs and aspirations of every young person. The white paper sets out proposals that are designed to redress the 'second best] standing of vocational education while protecting and enhancing the reputation of the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and A levels. The proposals build on the strengths of the existing education system and are intended to: (1) ensure that every young person masters functional English and maths before they leave education; (2) improve vocational education; (3) stretch all young people and help universities to differentiate between the best candidates; (4) re-motivate disengaged learners; and (5) ensure delivery. The contents are: Executive summary; Introduction; The challenges we must overcome; Vision; A strong foundation at Key Stage 3; A strong core 14-19; Routes to success for all; A new system of diplomas; Strengthening GCSEs and A levels; Engaging all young people; Rigorous assessment in which all can have confidence; A system configured around young people; A sharp accountability framework, which makes sure that we offer the best to young people; Delivering the new 14-19 phase.

The interim report of the Working Group is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 77.322 and the final report at TD/IRD 88.166. Show less

This report sets out the UK government's plans for radical reform and investment in universities and higher education (HE) colleges. The proposals contained in this report are designed to meet the identified challenges for higher education. These include: recognising and encouraging diversity of role, with universities and colleges proud to be different and to play to their individual strengths; developing the way public funding is used so as to stimulate greater success and higher quality in teaching, research, knowledge transfer, widening participation and economic and cultural impact on the community; ensuring fair access for students from all backgrounds, to serving the whole community and to increasing the economic health of their region and the country as a whole; improving the economic contribution that universities and colleges make through innovation, improving the skills of the nation and stimulating new businesses in a increasingly competitive world; welcoming changes in the shape and structure of the sector, which will bring new forms of collaboration between higher education institutions, and between them and further education (FE) colleges; investing in even more effective leadership and management, so as to be able to meet the tasks ahead and to take advantage of the greater freedom which will flow from new funding sources; and continuing to embody the values which are central to a democratic society. Recommendations are set out under seven chapter headings: (1) The need for reform; (2) Research excellence - building on our strengths; (3) Higher education and business - exchanging and developing knowledge and skills; (4) Teaching and learning - delivering excellence; (5) Expanding higher education to meet our needs; (6) Fair access; and (7) Freedoms and funding. Also included are four annexes: Higher education strategy: phases of delivery; Work to reduce bureaucracy in higher education; Extending and simplifying student support; Glossary. 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