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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

This Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) policy document is a revision of 'Learning and working together for the future' published in September in 1997 which detailed a strategic framework for the development of the Department's education and employment services. This revised strategic framework to 2002 builds on the earlier draft and reflects the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review. The DfEE's revised aim is to provide individuals with the opportunity to reach their full potential through education, training and work. The policy program designed to achieve this aim is outlined. It consists of three main objectives supported by a number of specific targets. In addition DfEE offers it plan to modernise its approach to underpin the success of its program. 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 report was prepared for the Department for Education and Employment Workshop of Management Skills in the UK (London, 5 July 1999). It provides a compendium of data about managers and administrators drawn from a wide variety of mainly statistical sources, including the Labour Force Survey and the New Earnings Survey. In addition, it includes a complete new series on the starting salaries of graduates in management and related disciplines, and those graduates moving into management functions. Several important conclusions are drawn from the analysis of the data, of which the following are selected. First, managers and administrators are a large and diverse occupational group - the education and training for which will depend upon other factors, such as the number of individuals they are responsible for, and whether they are specialist or general managers. Second, most individuals, whatever their occupation, are required to exercise management skills and therefore there is a need for more widespread management education and training. Third, on balance, managers and administrators in the United Kingdom (UK) do not appear to be as highly educated or trained as one might expect, either by comparison with other comparable occupational groups or in comparison with other countries. Fourth, the tendency to focus on key groups, such as MBAs, which are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of numbers, distracts attention from the much wider problem of management education and training. Fifth, there is some evidence of skill shortages in a numerical sense, but more clear evidence of skill deficiencies, and an unknown (but likely to be large) latent skills deficiency. The evidence is consistent with the suggestion from the Workshop that the best UK managers are likely to be comparable with the best in other countries, but that there is a long tail where the standard is significantly poorer.

Published abstract.

Other research reports in this series are indexed from TD/TNC 62.633 to TD/TNC 62.649 and from TD/TNC 62.651 to TD/TNC 62.651. Show less

The first section of this report describes the aims of the review. The main intention is to appraise the evidence on disadvantaged youth and on the strategies being used to tackle the various facets of the problem. The second section provides more detail on the scope, quality and nature of the evidence available. Different dimensions and parameters of disadvantage are presented and the way in which they interrelate is explored. Quantitative data that describes the scope of each presented dimension is given and where possible compared to evidence for European countries. The third section identifies and describes the various strategies used to tackle different forms of disadvantage. These are evaluated in terms of their impacts, outcomes, replicability, sustainability and reception by different parties. The fourth, and final, section assesses the body of evidence that has been presented, draws out the main findings and their implications, highlights the most successful strategies, and makes recommendations for future research and policy development. Show less

Research on labor market outcomes for individuals who enroll in technical colleges is limited, with even less attention to the effects of short-term certificates than associate degrees. Also, despite the importance of manufacturing programs, there is a lack of research on employment outcomes for individuals who enroll in these programs at technical colleges. In this study, [the authors] explored how types of credential earned are related to employment outcomes four years post-enrollment for students in manufacturing programs at public two-year technical colleges in Wisconsin. [The authors] drew upon administrative and wage data on over 6,000 first-time students matriculating into manufacturing-related programs at Wisconsin's technical colleges between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009. [The authors'] analyses revealed that students, particularly males, who completed an associate degree or a two-year technical diploma were at an advantage in both rates of employment and earnings. White male students also enjoyed a stronger likelihood of being employed and earned higher annual wages than their ethnic minority counterparts. These advantages were not as manifest among female students.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This qualitative study uses in-depth case studies within six occupational sectors to explore the outcomes of Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) and National Traineeships (NTs). The occupational sectors were construction, motor vehicle service and repair, information technology, business administration, retail and hospitality. The study aims to provide an understanding of the utilisation and enhancement of skills developed on MA and NT programs. It aims to give a clearer view of further training, career development and the progression into further or higher education undertaken by the young people participating in these programs. 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 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

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 research paper contains the evidence base for the Task Force's final report 'Skills for all: proposals for a National Skills Agenda'. It comprises 8 chapters and extensive supporting tables and graphs. In his Foreword, the Chairman, Chris Humphries, maintains that the body of evidence will form a base for planners and policy-makers of education and training, as well as for those advising individuals and employers on training and development. Chapter 1 - Introduction, sets out the purpose of the report; Chapter 2 - What we mean by skill and why skills are important, defines and identifies the main skill types and summarises their benefits to all; Chapter 3 - Changes in the nature of jobs and skill requirements, outlines changes and trends in demands; Chapter 4 - Qualifications of the workforce and job-related skills, looks at the relationship between skills and qualifications and the growth and pattern of training; Chapter 5 - The balance between skills supply and demand: skill-related recruitment difficulties, examines the extent and nature of recruitment difficulties and skill shortages experienced by employers; Chapter 6 - Internal skills gaps and future skill requirements, examines employer perceptions of current and future skill deficiencies; Chapter 7 - Market signals - what earnings and the nature of unemployment tell us about where skills are needed, analyses the rate of return to skills and considers the wage differentials between various skills; and Chapter 8 - Skill priorities, describes the six main skill priority areas which, evidence suggests, are the highest priority for further investment.

Other reports of the National Skills Task Force are indexed from TD/TNC 62.653 to TD/TNC 62.656 and an initial response to the final report is indexed at TD/TNC 62.658. Show less

This research was undertaken to identify and quantify the groups who use information communication technology (ICT) and those who lack access to ICT, feel unable to use it or lack interest in ICT. The report also investigates the reasons behind these attitudes. A survey of 4000 adults was undertaken as part of the study and the report provides information on: awareness and use of ICT media; perceptions of the value of computer skills; ownership of ICT media; usage and barriers to use of computers and usage and barriers to use of the Internet. It is intended that regular updates of the research will track the penetration of ICT usage among the general public over time. Show less