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This is a qualitative study into the barriers impeding the take-up of Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) and National Traineeships (NTs) among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). MAs and NTs were introduced in the 1990s to help equip young people with relevant skills and provide employers with a consistent framework for training. SMEs account for the majority of businesses and employ around three in five workers. How SMEs develop their staff to meet business needs is critical for the individual company performance and national prosperity. The main barriers identified were lack of knowledge of the MA and NT initiatives, lack of relevance, lack of support and lack of suitable young people. The study suggests that employers were uninformed or indifferent rather than negative about the MA and NT concept. Suggestions and recommendations to improve the promotion and future development of the initiatives are given in the final section. Show less

This report presents the findings of a review of the literature on partnerships. The aim was to synthesise material, rather than summarise it, and to present key lessons in an accessible way. The report has been set out in four sections that reflect the process or lifecycle of the partnership operation. These processes are presented sequentially although the reality of the evolution of the partnership may be quite different. The sections are: what makes a partnership, establishing a partnership, managing successful partnerships and sustaining the partnership. Each section starts with an introduction, reports on relevant research that has been undertaken, sets out the key learning points, and concludes with a page of key issues that bring together all the learning points from the section. The final part of each section is a series of action points that are designed to encourage the reader to think about how the experience of others relates to their own experience of partnerships. Show less

This is a study of the interaction between national employment policy and local employment policies. Eight case studies were selected and examined. Issues associated with national and local work are explored. The case studies suggested that attempts to integrate local and national policies did face some difficulties. The benefits, impacts and problems are discussed. The final section looks at the implications this raises for national policy development. Show less

Impact Assessments are an important management tool. A well-designed Impact Assessment will go beyond basic monitoring to provide an examination of real results. While there are a number of approaches to assessing the impact of Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) on their local areas, no single method exists that will satisfactorily encompass the differing roles TECs can take in their local economies. This document attempts to show how evaluators can develop their own tailored approach to measuring local impact, as well as identifying potential areas of complexity and confusion, and how the results of such exercises can be exercised to the full. Show less

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of four pilot projects aimed at improving young people's responsiveness to the labour market. The aim was to assess the four projects against the key outcomes and to draw some general conclusions on the future direction of labour market information (LMI) customised projects. The projects chosen for the evaluation were selected to provide a range of projects and regions. The emphasis was on identifying what works and what does not work. The evaluation consisted of two main stages: examining the processes involved in establishing the projects and assessing the impact of the products. The former stage was to examine the processes involved in establishing the pilots together with the relationships and links that have been developed through the use of LMI. The latter part of the evaluation allowed for an assessment of the impact of local projects on those who participated including the ability to make educational and vocational choices on the basis of LMI. Show less

The aim of this study was to provide a detailed assessment of the economic costs and benefits to employers of training to National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 2, or an equivalent standard, for young people aged 16 to 24 in selected occupations. Forty case studies from selected occupations in five industrial sectors were chosen. Four areas have been assessed. They are: (1) the total gross and net costs of training for the full training period; (2) the contribution of Youth Training (YT) to the costs of training; (3) the effect of YT funding on the volumes of young people being trained by employers; and (4) the structure of training offered by employers. Chapters one to three of this report provide detailed information about the methods and definitions employed in the study, measuring the costs and benefits of training and assessing the employers' net costs of training. Details of the costs and benefits from the electronics sector, the construction sector, the food retail sector, the hotel and catering sector and the financial services sector are provided in chapters 4 to 8. 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.

This paper begins with a description of the complex relationship between different individuals and groups involved in skill development and formation. The authors point out that people may be affected by the decisions of all or any of a large group of decision-makers, from central government agencies such as Training Enterprise Councils and Industry Training Boards, to educational institutions and employers. The problem is further complicated by different levels of interaction at the international, national, regional and local level, depending on skill level. Knowledge of the system and the ability to work through it are seen as essential tools in skill development and upgrading and the authors present the idea of 'cognitive filters' which operate within the skills formation area and influence decision-making. Clearly the least privileged in terms of social background have the least knowledge about how the system operates. The paper then concentrates on the influence of two areas - employers and schools. Employers can reproduce the skills they already have in their workforce and they can expand and change skills as required. Schools are seen to have divergent goals: they aim to develop each student's competence to the best and highest level, yet, at the same time, they aim to prepare students for the world of work. Within this contradictory environment, crucial decisions are made about future employment, training and the relative skills needed. When other factors relating to poverty, ethnicity, gender and social class are considered, it becomes clear that changes must be made to improve the current situation. The authors conclude that there is not one set of solutions to cope with skill shortages and the changing nature of work, but there is a need for new policies and programs to be developed to integrate these divergent elements.

Other research reports in this series are indexed at TD/TNC 62.633 and from TD/TNC 62.635 to TD/TNC 62.651. Show less

Skills Dialogues constitute a series of consultations with all major industrial and business sectors in the UK, generating high quality authoritative skills assessments for each of these broad sectors. Their purpose is to improve the quality of information available on skills at sector level and to provide an effective means for national training organisations (NTOs) and employers to contribute to the planning and implementation of education and training provision in their sector. This report is the result of the Engineering Sector Skills Dialogue and provides an assessment of trends in employment and skill needs and associated issues in the engineering sector. The introductory chapter provides details of the scope and coverage of the dialogue and describes the context, main economic trends and other factors influencing engineering skill requirements. Chapter two contains a discussion of the evidence on trends in demand for engineering skills and chapter three examines the supply and availability of such skills. Chapter four investigates the main demand-supply imbalances. The key messages are: (1) there is still a strong demand for engineering skills in the UK economy despite the long-term decline in much of engineering manufacturing; (2) there is particular demand in the fast-growing electronics and telecommunications industries; (3) a number of engineering employers are experiencing difficulty in recruiting staff mainly because of a shortage of people with relevant skills and experience; (4) skill shortages are apparent at all levels but particularly at the higher end of the occupational spectrum; and (5) the main skill gaps are in specific technical and practical skill areas but personal and generic skills are also in short supply. Show less

The National Skills Task Force was set up to ensure that Britain has the skills needed to ensure high levels of employment, be competitive in the global marketplace and provide opportunities for all. This final report brings together the themes and recommendations of the three interim reports. Proposals for a national skills agenda are presented in three areas: policy actions to improve the supply side of education and training; an approach to managing the system so that employment needs and learning strategies match; and a set of targets and measures to monitor and improve progress. Chapter 1 outlines the vision for a National Skills Agenda; Chapter 2 summarises the findings and is an assessment of the main skills gaps and shortages; Chapter 3 presents the features of a new post-16 education and training system; Chapter 4 examines a strategy for stimulating demand and managing the system; and Chapter 5 looks at the way forward in terms of priorities, targets, roles and responsibilities. The publication also contains five annexes detailing terms of reference, membership of the Task Force, publications list and definitions.

Other reports of the National Skills Task Force are indexed from TD/TNC 62.653 to TD/TNC 62.655 and at TD/TNC 62.657 and an initial response to the final report is indexed at TD/TNC 62.658. Show less

The Career Development Loan (CDL) scheme offers unsecured, deferred-repayment bank loans for vocational education and training courses. This report presents the results of the 1998 evaluation of the CDL survey. The survey aimed to help monitor who is applying for CDLs, what courses they are taking up, how the scheme is evolving and how cost effective it is. It will aid with understanding how training effects subsequent job opportunities and to understand what would have happened in the absence of CDLs. This particular survey highlights, for the first time, those who has been refused a CDL as well as those who were successful in their application. Show less