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In 2000, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) launched an initiative aimed at providing basic information and communications technology (ICT) skills to unemployed and economically inactive people. The initiative, 'UK online computer training', delivered courses through existing training providers from both the private and public sectors in a range of locations throughout the UK. This document reports on research used to evaluate the initiative, particularly its effectiveness in providing basic ICT training to the 'information poor' and the extent to which the training helped recipients to come off social security benefits and onto positive outcomes such as employment. The specific objectives were to: (a) identify all individuals participating in the training and their resulting outcomes; (b) identify the extent to which individual and other factors were related to participation and course completion; (c) identify and assess the factors which contributed toward coming off benefits and entering employment; (d) identify the extent to which courses have facilitated employment in comparison to the results of not participating in such courses. The report presents explanatory notes and summarised findings in relation to online participants, courses from the perspective of participants, training providers, and the impact of courses. Qualitative and quantitative research was undertaken and the appendices contain further information on the research method and the participants. Show less

This report maps vocational routes into education and training upon completion of compulsory education in the UK. It is based on recent cohorts of the England and Wales Youth Cohort Study (YCS). Cohort members are surveyed for the first time when they finish compulsory education at age 16 or 17 and again at yearly intervals up to the age of 18 or 19. This report mostly relates to 16-17 year olds surveyed at the beginning of 2002 and analyses that track young people over time relate to the two-year period between the beginning of 2000 and 2002. The report provides information on many aspects of vocational pathways after completing compulsory education including: (1) the proportion of young people who work for vocational qualifications after age 16; (2) the balance between vocational qualifications and full-time education and work-based training; (3) recent trends in the take-up of vocational qualifications; (4) the kinds of young people who choose vocational qualifications; (5) vocational qualifications achieved in full-time education and government support training (GST); (6) differences within GST in qualifications aimed for and training received; (7) length of stay in GST and the factors that affect this; and (8) dropout rates from vocational qualifications during the first postcompulsory year and the factors linked to dropout. Some key findings at the beginning of 2002 were that: a third of 16-17 year olds had a vocational qualification as their main study aim; three quarters of those taking vocational qualifications were in full-time education and just under a fifth were in GST with very few in ordinary jobs; the proportion of 16-17 year olds taking vocational qualifications was smaller in 2002 than in 1989, partially due to a decreasing proportion of the age group in work-based training but also affected by curriculum policy reforms; in the cohort as a whole, one in seven 16-17 year olds who started working for a vocational qualification after the end of Year 11 had dropped out by the beginning of the following year and most of these gave up studying for qualifications altogether. Show less

In the Swiss vocational education system, which is often called a 'Dual System', trainees enter into an apprenticeship contract with a training company. On average, 25 per cent of those contracts are terminated prematurely (PCT). This article examines the relationship between training companies' selection methods and PCTs. The investigation is based on a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design and on qualitative interviews. Trainers and operations managers (N = 335) of Swiss training companies for cooks and painters were surveyed. Half of the companies have been affected by a PCT in the past and the other half have not. The findings indicate that a certain amount of the explained variance between companies with and without reported PCTs can be explained by the companies' selection process. Companies that were affected by a PCT use a job interview and a company visit significantly less often in their selection process than companies without a PCT.

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This report presents the findings of a survey of early leavers from further education (FE) and work-based learning (WBL) courses. Findings are based on a telephone survey of 2,180 learners recorded as having withdrawn from a FE or WBL course before completion, during the academic year 2004/05. Most learners provided just one reason for leaving their course early. When grouped, course-related reasons such as being unhappy with course choice or with the quality of the teaching/training were the most common (32 per cent), followed by circumstantial reasons (28 per cent) and time/workload issues (20 per cent). The most common single reason for leaving was finding that the course was not what they wanted to do after all/changing their mind about it part-way through, cited by 14 per cent of early leavers. Poor quality teaching, and the course not being at the right level, were the next most common reasons (each cited by 11 per cent).

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The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) commissioned this study to investigate the extent of, and reasons for, younger worker drop-out from National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) units and full NVQs for which they are registered. The study relates to three of DfES's themes: the inclusion of the younger work group; access and participation; and, enhancing skills and employability. Existing DfES and Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) statistics and research were examined to identify the proportion of younger workers who commence training awards towards an NVQ, but do not achieve the units of full NVQ for which they are registered. This data was supplemented by the collection of quantitative information through quantitative and qualitative investigations with a sample of employers, awarding bodies, careers advisory bodies and individual candidates. The report identifies reasons for non-completion and makes recommendations on how DfES and other national partners might address the barriers identified. The major conclusion of the research is that NVQ non-completion is not caused by the learning structure of the NVQ and most learners appreciate that the NVQ offers an opportunity to work and gain a qualification at the same time. Key factors leading to non-completion include changing employer or occupation for one with better prospects, insufficient employer involvement and support, and inadequate quality, consistency and frequency of trainer and assessor support. Show less