Search Results

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.at has been commissioned to review and evaluate existing literature in a number of skills-related areas.

The author begins this paper by attempting to define both the size of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the importance of their contribution to the United Kingdom (UK) economy. Considerable changes within the sector have made precise definitions difficult. These include sectoral shifts, economic uncertainty, technological change, organisational changes, and public policy which has encouraged the growth of small businesses. Johnson analyses national evidence on SMEs and skills, and includes tables of selected results from the Skills Needs in Britain (SNIB) studies and the Cambridge SBRC surveys. The third section deals with research findings on management skills, general workforce skills, graduate and higher level skills and the use and impact of policy initiatives. The last section presents key findings and the implications for future skills needs. Johnson comments on the incidence and types of training provision, the position and influence of owner/managers, and the suggested policy directions for skills and training initiatives within the SME sector, although the heterogeneous nature of the SME sector makes it difficult to provide categorical statements about the findings.

Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.633 to TD/TNC 62.644 and from TD/TNC 62.646 to TD/TNC 62.651. Show less

A National Skills Task Force was established to assist the UK government in developing a National Skills Agenda. The Task Force provided evidence on the nature, extent and pattern of skill needs and shortages in the UK and possible directions for their future development. This evidence was summarised in 'Skills for all: research report from the National Skills Task Force', published in June 2000 (indexed at TD/TNC 62.657). This report is one of a number of associated reports containing detailed information on various aspects of this research. These reports are indexed from TD/TNC 65.225 to TD/TNC 65.232. Other reports related to the National Skills Task Force are indexed from TD/TNC 62.653 to TD/TNC 62.656 and at TD/TNC 62.658.

The aim of this report is to provide a detailed assessment of skill needs and the extent and impact of skill deficiencies within the telecommunications sector which is changing rapidly under the combined impact of technological and market changes as well as the effects of deregulation. The report is based on 10 case studies from a cross-section of this sector and contains the following sections: Executive summary; Aims and context; Industry context, case studies and methodology; Products, process and markets; Human resource policies and practices; Knowledge and skill needs; Recruitment difficulties; Skill gaps. References and appendices are also included. 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 considers issues relating to the measurement of skill for national statistical purposes, drawing on research leading to the revision of the national occupational classification for the United Kingdom (UK), SOC90. (Note: the revised classification will be referred to as SOC2000.) It aims to provide advice on the measurement of skill and the monitoring of change and to explain how the revised classification will affect the analysis of skill change and lead to a re-examination of forecasting of occupational structure. During the two-year revision process, perceived inadequacies were identified and the paper notes the major problems of definition that arose. Following the introduction, Section 2 presents a brief history of occupational classification in the UK. Section 3 describes the conceptual basis of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). Section 4 looks at problems with SOC90 and the constraints placed on the process. Section 5 briefly discusses the major processes of labour market change which shaped the revision. Section 6 identifies the sources and methods that were used in investigating occupational change. Section 7 presents an outline of the major changes to be introduced within SOC2000. Section 8 presents the authors' conclusions, in which they point out the difficulties caused by the speed of change in both skill areas and work organisation, but also maintain that this will be a better tool for the measurement of skill and for job-matching purposes.

Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.633 to TD/TNC 62.650. Show less

The Department for Education and Employment (DFEE) has supported a number of Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) to encourage lifetime learning amongst employees in their respective sectors. Seqal Qunice Wicksteed Limited (SQW) was commissioned in November 1995 to review the effectiveness of a sectoral approach to lifetime learning through studying how six ITOs (covering agriculture, glass, hairdressing, information technology, local government and retail) had designed and implemented their strategies. In January 1997, the remit was extended to three ITOs (covering bus and coach, hospitality and plumbing). This report outlines the role of each sector and then discusses some of the lessons learned from the study of the sectoral strategies to encourage lifetime learning. Show less

The British Government's Green Paper 'The learning age' (indexed at TD/IRD 88.177) emphasises both the economic and social benefits of increasing participation in learning and outlines a vision of how this goal can be achieved. Increasing employers', especially small and medium sized enterprises' (SMEs) participation in learning has been identified as a major challenge. In 1999, the Department of Education and Employment (DfEE) commissioned Segal Quince Wicksteed (SQW) to undertake research to assess employers' use and awareness of various approaches to learning and to examine the different methods of learning that enterprises are implementing, with the focus being on information learning technology (ILT). In its introductory chapter, the report outlines the background and methodology of the research. The remaining chapters are: Training systems and resources; Training activity; ILT based training; Views of provision and methods; Future use of ILT; SME extended survey; UfI sectors; Conclusion and recommendation. Also included are four appendices: Definition of UfI sector; Pilot report; Questionnaire; Case study topic guides. 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

This analysis is aimed at planners and providers of future education and training, who need to assess anticipated demands for skills in their own area or sector. It draws together information from a variety of different sources about labour market trends and the demand for, and supply of, skills in the United Kingdom (UK), based on material provided by the Policy Studies Institute. Data sources include household surveys, official projections and registers and surveys of educational participation and attainment. The information provides a starting point for the detailed planning and assessment of likely demand and trends in the supply of skills, as projected and regional trends likely to have an impact on the labour market are included. 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.

Sociologists and economists have reported for some time that certain identifiable generic skills are now specially important, are in demand and therefore have pay implications. This paper tests the assertions in the labour market, using some newly-designed generic skills indices derived from a nationally representative survey. The generic skills identified are: verbal, manual, problem-solving and checking, numerical, planning, client communication, horizontal communication, professional communication, computing, autonomy, variety and organised teamworking. The skills were investigated using job analysis methods adapted by an interdisciplinary team and incorporating ideas from economics, sociology and psychology. Green describes the process in some detail, including the definition of skills. The results show that some skills continue to have a high value, such as computing, whereas other skills have virtually no labour market value or, in some cases, negative reward. The author concludes with comments on the results and suggestions for both employers and the government.

Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.633 to TD/TNC 62.639 and from TD/TNC 62.641 to TD/TNC 62.651. 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 authors of this paper begin with an overview which examines business services and the knowledge economy. They define the three major sectors as management consultancy, advertising, and market research, which they collectively label 'creative business services'. The following three sections address business trends, and employment and skills for each of these three major sectors. The fifth section looks at overall patterns and explanations, focusing on employment structures, skill development and recruitment. The authors conclude with fifteen comprehensive statements on identified skills issues within the sectors, derived from their analysis.

Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.633 to TD/TNC 62.647 and from TD/TNC 62.649 to TD/TNC 62.651. 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 main aim of this study of the banking, finance and insurance sector is to identify the implications of recent and projected changes in employment on the types and levels of skills required. It also examines the impact of organisational and technological change. The author begins by defining the main activities undertaken in the sector, the composition of employment and the gender and occupational structures. Hasluck then looks more closely at the background to previous employment growth and current developments, presenting supporting tables on employment trends, employment change and employment projections. Finally, Hasluck identifies skill shortages and gaps and presents the conclusions as a series of key messages which acknowledge the volatile nature of the financial sector.

Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.633 to TD/TNC 62.640 and from TD/TNC 62.642 to TD/TNC 62.651. Show less