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In recent years there has been a considerable increase in adult participation in education in the United Kingdom. However, there is a lack of quality research into the feelings of adults about their learning programs. This report describes a project undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to determine the role of formal and informal guidance and learning support in the learning culture and experience of adults and its impact on adults' progress and achievements. The project, conducted in 1994, involved three multi-sited further education colleges. The research methodology comprised a review of recent literature on adult learning and guidance, and fieldwork in the colleges. The fieldwork consisted of semi-structured interviews and group discussions with a range of adult learners and interviews with college faculty. The first part of the report explores the reasons adults gave for taking up a course of study and describes the provision of guidance available on their entry to college. The following section examines adults' experiences of learning and their use of various types of on-course guidance. Findings are then presented on participants' future plans and the role played by guidance in the decision-making process. In conclusion, key issues are highlighted to assist colleges in designing strategies for supporting adults and improving learning outcomes. Show less

Industrial mentoring is becoming popular as a strategy for linking secondary schools with industry in support of student development and their career decision making. This report presents the results of a national study of the role played by industrial mentoring in schools, undertaken in the United Kingdom (UK) between March and May 1996 and funded by the National Foundation of Educational Research (NFER). Drawing on survey and in-depth interview data, the study identifies the main models of school-industry mentoring operating in the UK through an examination of their objectives, organisation, recruitment and training of mentors, funding and evaluation. The authors discuss the main benefits and disadvantages of industrial mentoring schemes as perceived by school personnel, students and employers, and conclude with an outline of the characteristics of a successful mentoring program. Show less

This study has identified fundamental barriers to the successful implementation and completion of Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) in the retail sector. These are related to the culture of the sector, including the mobility of young workers who frequently change jobs and the preoccupation with serving the customer, which can restrict and fragment training and development opportunities. The stresses and strains of this working environment, which is shaped by the immediate and predominant demands of sales transactions and customer relations, do not provide conditions that are generally conducive to working towards and achieving an MA. This situation has serious implications for the credibility of the qualification as well as for the likely impact on the intermediate level skills of the workforce in this sector. Low completion rates, especially in such a large industrial sector as retailing, will continue to undermine the perceived value of the MA framework and threaten its perceived importance, by the Government and others, as a tool for developing young people’s skills. As far as the promotion of MAs is concerned, it is essential to identify the key characteristics of strategies that have proved effective in encouraging employers and young people to use them more widely and to see them as valuable opportunities for staff development. Show less

This study aimed to examine the potential contribution of Determined to Succeed (DtS) to improving the outcomes of young people at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings. DtS is a long-term Scottish Executive strategy, which aims to prepare young people for the world of work through enterprising and entrepreneurial learning, work-based vocational learning and appropriately focused career education. There are teams in place throughout all 32 Scottish local authorities to ensure delivery from 2003-2008. The overall aim of this study was to identify the range of activities taking place in local authorities as a result of DtS, which may impact on young people at risk of becoming NEET. It also aimed to examine the context within which such activities were taking place, including their links with other relevant policies or initiatives and to examine the extent to which activities were developed by individual schools or within school clusters. In addition, it aimed to explore activities delivered through the mainstream curriculum as well as those outside the core timescale through external partners. This study has confirmed many of the findings of previous research relating to good practice in the delivery of projects and activities for young people at risk of becoming NEET. It has also shown that the 'at risk' group is not homogeneous and that it includes young people with a variety of, and at times complex, support needs which have to be addressed in different ways. This means that provision aimed at the 'at risk' group needs to be both flexible and diverse. It cannot rely on one type of provider alone, but should involve a variety of organisations and agencies which have the skills and expertise to address young people's needs in a professional way. Schools, providers and other agencies should work closely together to provide a continuous and consistent service to this vulnerable group of young people. The study has shown that even though the DtS strategy did not contain any specific recommendation relating to the 'at risk' group, it had enabled some authorities to expand, and in some cases initiate new, provision.

Excerpts from published executive summary reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

A related report is indexed at TD/TNC 86.521. Show less

The Learning Gateway, introduced in 1999, provides support and learning for young people aged 16-18 who are not participating in education, training or employment. This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the Learning Gateway which was carried out to gain an in-depth understanding of how it is being received by young people and to identify factors which determine and affect their participation and outcomes. The report is structured as follows: the first section provides the background to the research and the aims, objectives and the methodology of the study; the second section provides information on the backgrounds, characteristics and career histories of the participants of the study; the third section examines the participants' expectations of, and reasons for, joining the Learning Gateway; section four looks at the participants' experiences of the Learning Gateway; section five examines the outcomes of the Learning Gateway in terms of the participants' personal development, learning and skills development and on their future progression; and the final section presents the key findings and the implications for policy and practice. Show less