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Evaluation of modern apprenticeships: 1998 survey of employers

The Modern Apprenticeship (MA) program was introduced to improve the supply of intermediate level of skills in the ... Show more
The Modern Apprenticeship (MA) program was introduced to improve the supply of intermediate level of skills in the United Kingdom (UK). The Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) commissioned a study in 1998 to evaluate employers' views and experiences of MAs. This study set out to: (1) evaluate the impact MAs are having on the quantity and quality of work-based training for young people; (2) determine the extent to which the MA program has been effective in overcoming skill shortages and in improving skill levels; (3) assess whether the program provided value for money; and (4) provide some guidance in delivering and maintaining high quality training. The study, based on interviews with employers, found that while there was room for some improvements, overall, the MAs were meeting the needs and expectations of both employers and apprentices. Show less

Corporate authors: Economic Research Services (Firm) ... [+] Show more

Date: 1998

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Youth; Evaluation; Apprenticeship ... [+] Show more
Modern apprenticeships: exploring the reasons for non-completion in five sectors

Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) provide people aged between 16 and 24 with work-based training which leads to qualific ... Show more
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) provide people aged between 16 and 24 with work-based training which leads to qualifications at National Vocational Qualification level three (NVQ3) or above. This report provides a profile of non-completers and examines how trainees came to start the MA program, their understanding of the process at the start of the training, their training experience and the range of reasons for not completing the MA program. More specifically, it investigates why some leavers from MAs do not attain a NVQ3 and some attain a level three but do not complete the whole training, and why some leavers do not complete their MA in spite of remaining with the employer, in some cases still receiving training. The report also examines what non-completers do after the MA and ways of improving attainment. Information was obtained from recent non-completers, training providers and employers. The five sectors covered in this study are: Care, Hospitality, Retail, Motor and Electrotechnical. Some key issues to emerge from this research include: (1) despite non-completion, most participants felt they had benefited from the program; (2) most employers were generally positive about MAs and very few planned to discontinue their involvement with MA training; (3) most trainees started their training without being fully aware of what the training involved or how long it would take; (4) a large number of employers lack information and knowledge about MAs; (5) there appears to be no one stage of the training program where non-completion is more likely to take place; and (6) Key Skills was one of the key factors identified as leading to non-completion. Show less

Authors: Winterbotham, Mark; Adams, Lorna; Lorentzen-White, Damion

Corporate authors: IFF Research (Firm) ... [+] Show more

Date: 2000

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Youth; Apprenticeship; Evaluation ... [+] Show more
TECs and small firms training: lessons from Skills for Small Businesses

The Skills for Small Businesses (SFSB) initiative was introduced in 1995 to help small firms develop in-house capac ... Show more
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

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) ... [+] Show more

Date: 1997

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Skills and knowledge; Industry; Quality ... [+] Show more
Individual commitment to learning: motivation and rewards

Encouraging the commitment of individuals to learning throughout life is a theme in the British Government's strate ... Show more
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

Authors: Tamkin, Penny; Hillage, Jim

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 1997

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Participation; Lifelong learning; Workforce development ... [+] Show more
Opportunity and skills in the knowledge-driven economy: a final statement on the work of the National Skills Task Force from the Secretary of State for Education and Employment

The National Skills Task Force was established in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1998 to develop a National Skills Agen ... Show more
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

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 2001

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Subjects: Workforce development; Skills and knowledge; Economics ... [+] Show more
Employers' contributions to Youth Training initiatives

This study aimed to estimate employers' total financial contribution to Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) and Youth Trai ... Show more
This study aimed to estimate employers' total financial contribution to Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) and Youth Training (YT) in England for the period 1995 to 1996. This is the payment made directly to the trainee or on the trainee's behalf by the employer. Other contributions by the employer, such as on-the-job supervision and premise overheads, were not covered. Show less

Authors: MacLeod, Alison; Maitland, Ben

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 1997

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Workforce development; Employment; Finance
Employee development schemes: the benefits of participation for employees in small firms

Employee Development Schemes (EDSs) which have been in existence in the United Kingdom (UK) since 1989 have two ess ... Show more
Employee Development Schemes (EDSs) which have been in existence in the United Kingdom (UK) since 1989 have two essential features: (1) opportunities to voluntarily engage in learning activities which are wider than those required by the employer; and (2) support from the employer, usually in the form of cash entitlements to spend on learning activities. The overall aim of this research project was to identify the effect of EDSs on individual attitudes and commitment to learning and this report describes the findings of the project. The structure of the report is as follows: section one contains the executive summary; section two introduces the project covering the background, research objectives and methodology; section three presents the main findings and discusses the overall attitudes to, and experience of, learning, individual differences and how they relate to EDS based learning; and the last section presents six case studies. Also included are three appendices: (1) Respondent letter and self completion recruitment sheet; (2) Respondent profile; (3) Detailed topic guides. Show less

Authors: Firth, Diane; Goffey, Linda

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 1997

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Participation; Workforce development; Skills and knowledge ... [+] Show more
University for Industry: engaging people in learning for life

The University for Industry (UfI) is at the heart of the Government's vision for lifelong learning. It will be a pu ... Show more
The University for Industry (UfI) is at the heart of the Government's vision for lifelong learning. It will be a public-private partnership to boost the competitiveness of business and enable individuals to improve their employability.
It will have two strategic objectives: to stimulate demand for lifelong learning amongst businesses and individuals; and to promote the availability of, and improve access to, relevant, high quality and innovative learning, in particular through the use of information and communications technologies.
The UfI will be an organisation for open and distance learning. It will have both private individuals and businesses as customers. Using modern technologies, it will broker high quality learning products and services and make them available at home, in the workplace and at learning centres countrywide. It will break down barriers to learning by making provision more flexible and accessible, by stimulating new markets to bring down costs, by offering clear, reliable information and advice and by providing opportunities for people to learn at their own pace and in convenient locations. Show less

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 1998

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Subjects: Lifelong learning; Industry; Providers of education and training ... [+] Show more
Work-based training and job prospects for the unemployed: an evaluation of Training for Work

Subsidised skills training has an important role among the battery of measures that comprise the British government ... Show more
Subsidised skills training has an important role among the battery of measures that comprise the British government's policies to help long-term unemployed adults to find jobs. This study evaluates the effectiveness of such training for the individual who receives it. Does it help unemployed people to find jobs more quickly, and if so, what kinds of jobs does it lead to? Which elements in training programs are the most effective? How long-lasting are the benefits that training gives unemployed people and does it increase their potential earnings? The present evaluation focuses on a program formerly known as Training for Work (TfW). Although this program no longer exists under that name, most of the features of TfW have been retained in what is now termed 'work-based learning for unemployed adults' and such training is one of the options available to unemployed people under the New Deal. Thus the findings of the study remain highly relevant to current policy. Show less

Authors: Payne, Joan; Payne, Clive; Lissenburgh, Stephen; Range, Martin

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 1999

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Evaluation; Employment; Policy ... [+] Show more
Evaluation of Small Firms Training Loans

This is an evaluation of the Small Firms Training Loans (SFTL) scheme. One of the aims of the project was to establ ... Show more
This is an evaluation of the Small Firms Training Loans (SFTL) scheme. One of the aims of the project was to establish whether SFTLs are increasing training in participating firms. Of particular interest was what impact, if any, this training had on the business performance and on the employability or continued employment prospects of the staff members who undertook the training. The key partners' views of SFTL process and its outcomes were also examined. The final part assesses the scheme's value for money and makes practical recommendations for the future to improve the scheme. Show less

Authors: Maton, Kevin

Corporate authors: Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

Date: 1999

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain

Resource type: Government report or paper

Series name: Research report

Subjects: Workforce development; Employment; Policy ... [+] Show more