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Part one of this report describes the background and context to the research project. The aim was to investigate how skills policy is formed, conducted and developed in six of Britain's competitor countries - Canada, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and Taiwan. The objectives and particular issues covered by the study are listed and the methodology is described in some detail. Details are also presented on the process used for selecting the number and choice of countries. Part two comprises six chapters, looking at how each of the countries provides the vocational education and training skills required for the present economic situation and in preparation for the future. There are comprehensive notes at the end of each chapter. The final part compares the policies of the countries covered with those of Britain. The three main questions examined were: (1) do the countries studied actually have a skills policy or strategy?; (2) what are the main influences or forces bearing on and shaping these countries' policies, and is it possible to isolate factors which predispose to more or less effective policies?; and (3) what can be said about the success of the six countries' policies? The paper concludes with some specific points to consider as lessons for Britain. Show less

The National Skills Task Force has been established by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to assist him in developing a National Skills Agenda. The Task Force was asked to provide advice on the nature, extent and pattern of skill needs and shortages, including associated recruitment difficulties, how these are likely to change and what can be done to ease such problems. This paper is one of a series that has been commissioned to review and evaluate existing literature in a number of skills-related areas.

The aim of this paper is to look at how government funding of post-16 education and training provision works, and to assess the impact that the funding mechanisms have on the skills produced. The two main funding bodies are the Further Education Funding Council for England (FEFC), responsible for allocating resources to the 435 providers of further education, and the 72 Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs), responsible for the government's work-based training programs. Following a brief introduction, Section 2 of the paper looks at how work-based training supplied by TECs is funded, from the allocation to government offices (GOs) for the regions and then passed on to TECs. Section 3 examines the effect that TEC funding arrangements have had on skills delivery, bearing in mind that the complexity of TEC arrangements makes it difficult to compare results across the country. Sections 4 and 5 are concerned with the funding of further education, in particular the financial support to the 435 institutions covered by FEFC and an assessment of the impact of the funding methodology on skills supply. In their conclusion, Felstead and Unwin give eight statements which combine to map how government funding of post-16 education and training provision operates. They then discuss the consequences of this complexity and diversity, highlighting the difficulties faced at all levels, and assert that there is an urgent need for the creation of a single body for post-16 funding to address skill needs and encourage providers to work together to meet the challenges ahead.

Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.633 to TD/TNC 62.642 and from TD/TNC 62.644 to TD/TNC 62.651. Show less

In this chapter, the authors concentrate on students at nine 'ordinary' or 'non-elite' secondary schools in Fiji. The authors found that most students and their parents still cling to the old idea of 'white-collar' employment, even though opportunities in this sector have declined. The authors found that the career aspirations of students were inflated or distorted in relation to their chances of success and students seemed to be unaware of some of the career options open to them in the skilled technical fields. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has a low status in Fijian society and positive attention to TVET by principals, teachers and community leaders may alter the culture of traditional 'white-collar' work being the logical outcome of secondary education. The authors conclude by recommending an expansion of career guidance both for students and their parents and a more flexible senior school curriculum that integrates academic and practical subjects.

The book from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 100.51. Individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 100.52 to TD/TNC 100.244. Show less