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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

The findings reported in this article are based on qualitative research that explored the views and experiences of key stakeholders, including employer-bodies, training providers, employers and apprentices of Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) in retail. The study identifies fundamental barriers to the successful implementation of MAs in this 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 do not provide conditions that support the use of MAs. The paper explores some of the steps that could be taken in order to increase the demand for training and more generic skills among employers. However, it concludes that government initiatives such as MAs alone will not change employers’ attitudes towards training.

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

This report identifies emerging promising practice in the delivery of careers education and guidance (CEG) through the 'London Ambitions' careers strategy. It is accompanied by a guide for school senior leaders and teachers, which provides evidence-based illustrations of delivery of CEG within some London schools and colleges. The authors conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with staff and five focus groups with young people in case-study visits to four schools and one FE college in London between February-May 2017.

Key findings included: The schools and college prepare young people well for the world of work through responsive careers provision for all their students; Senior leaders value CEG and support its development and profile within the institutional ethos; Engaging with employers and the world of work is seen as a priority; and There is more work to be done in further raising the profile of the London Ambitions brand.

In order for CEG to become embedded these findings suggest that schools/colleges should: Embrace a whole-school/college approach to CEG, where senior leaders support and drive careers provision forward and all school staff fully understand its importance; Ensure they provide young people with meaningful learning experiences about the world of work to enable them to navigate through the choices that lie ahead; Engage in more dialogue about careers strategies and provision within, and between, institutions; and Encourage and support employers to become involved in education.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website. Show less

This report presents the findings, conclusions and recommendations from an independent evaluation by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) of the Department for Education (DfE) Work Experience Placement Trials. The trials aimed to test different work experience placement models for 16 to 19 year olds. The models were as follows: (1) removing cost barriers for employers (for example, by providing materials or financial incentives); (2) investigating specific challenges faced by small to medium-sized employers (SMEs) when offering work placements; (3) providing extra resources to colleges (for example, to employ staff to organise work placements and liaise with employers); (4) exploring the timing of placements for students (for example, investigating whether a block of time or individual days throughout a course is most effective and why); and (5) supporting students with learning difficulties and disabilities (LLDD) or vulnerable/disadvantaged students (for example, considering the support employers need to employ young people with specific needs).

The report sets out the key findings of an analysis of management information (MI) data provided by the 25 colleges, case studies of 10 colleges and a value-for-money (VfM) assessment. The main conclusion from this evaluation of the Work Experience Placement Trials is that they supported the development of a more systematic and structured approach to the planning and delivery of work experience for 16 to 19 year old students. Show less

This report, undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Edge Foundation, examines the University Technical College (UTC) approach to teaching and learning to understand whether it is providing an effective model of technical education for students in a 14-19 cohort. The study also provides further information on the challenges facing UTCs within the current education system. UTCs are schools for 14-19 year olds that deliver an education which combines technical, practical and academic learning. Students can study a technical specialism alongside core academic subjects at GCSE and A-level. There are 49 UTCs open in England at the time of this report. This is an interim report focusing on phase 1 of the research, presenting preliminary findings ahead of the final report.

Key findings included: (1) there are a range of approaches currently used to engage and liaise with employers and to utilise their input into the design and delivery of the curriculum; at its most profound level, some UTCs have relationships with employers where they are co-developing and delivering projects, with employers taking ownership of curriculum units; (2) most young people enrolled due to an interest in the specialism or to learn about the world of work; and (3) main challenges faced were: ensuring that UTCs secured and managed a suitable range of employers providing high-quality input into the curriculum; and recruiting and retaining appropriate students with an interest in the specialism and motivated to engage and succeed and high-calibre staff with appropriate knowledge and skills. Advice for new UTCs included: (a) developing a clear vision and mission, and raising the UTC's profile and reputation; (b) ensuring pupils develop meaningful, relevant and appropriate skills; (c) investing in building and maintaining quality relationships with employers; and (d) providing regular and sustained exposure to a range of industry partners.

Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website. Show less

This is an evaluation of the government-funded Adult and Community Learning Fund (ACLF) Round 5 programmes (59 in number), the background and details of which are outlined. It aimed to assess the effectiveness of ACLF-supported programmes not only in motivating learners and improving their basic skills, but also in increasing programmes' self awareness and effectiveness in these areas. Case studies of nine programmes in six regions were evaluated, based on interviews conducted with programme managers, tutors and learners - the latter drawn from a range of disadvantaged groups, such as the homeless, refugees, and recovering drug abusers. The studies were supplemented by data from end-of-project reports provided by ACLF for the Basic Skills Agency. The report findings are structured in relation to its evaluation aims. They are: engagement and motivation of learners; the impact on learners; the impact on organisational capacity. Conclusions present the main findings, outline challenges in evaluation procedures, and explore implications for future development.

Published abstract on the National Foundation for Educational Research website. Show less

British National Targets for Education and Training aim to raise attainment levels in education and training to world-class standards by the year 2000. Foundation Targets have been developed for young people and Lifetime Targets for those in the workforce. Foundation Target 1 states that by the age of 19, 85 per cent of young people will achieve five GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at Grade C or above, an Intermediate GNVQ (General National Vocational Qualification) or an NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) Level 2. Foundation Target 3 states that by the age of 21, 60 per cent of young people will achieve 2 GCE (General Certificate of Education) A-levels, an Advanced GNVQ or an NVQ Level 3. This document reports on research into progress towards Foundation Targets 1 and 3 in Government Office Regions in England. The research sought to identify the factors influencing variations in achievement of progress, effective strategies for raising attainment and accurate methods for monitoring progress towards the targets. Quantitative research was conducted using available data from various agencies, particularly the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Qualitative research involved interviews with personnel in Government Office Regions, Local Education Authorities (LEAs), Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs), schools and colleges. The report has five sections. The first section provides background information about the targets, the research aims and methodology and the report structure. The following section draws on the national and local data to provide a national and regional overview of progress towards the targets. The report then investigates the variations in achievement and concludes with strategies to improve progress. The appendices contain added information about the data collection. Show less

The overall aim of this two-year study, for The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Edge Foundation, was to understand effective practice and lessons learned from approaches to curriculum design and employer engagement by University Technical Colleges (UTCs). We used a case-study methodology supplemented with management information and a survey of UTC students' views. In phase 1 (2017) we carried out ten UTC case studies, in phase 2 (2018) we re-visited three UTCs demonstrating profound employer engagement in Project Based Learning (PBL).

Key findings included: (1) PBL represents a different way of learning; projects are industry-relevant and most effectively developed in collaboration with employers to ensure that the outcomes achieved help students to secure positive future pathways; (2) The evidence indicates that PBL and employer input, where delivered in a high-quality embedded way, deliver wide-ranging impacts for students, including work-readiness, enhanced emotional skills, high-level technical skills, and qualifications/awards; (3) The main challenges UTCs faced were recruiting: a suitable range of employers (including SMEs) providing high-quality input into the curriculum; appropriate motivated students with an interest in the specialism; high-calibre staff with relevant knowledge, experience and skills; and (4) Advice for schools included: be proactive and target the 'right' employers; develop and train staff so they fully embrace the importance of employer input into PBL; promote UTCs (or the school) and their educational approach; in order to improve the evolving PBL model, consider including timetable changes; employ key staff with industry backgrounds and connections; make employer contributions clear and easy to understand; celebrate successful completion of projects.

Excerpt from publisher's website.

The phase one report is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 131.581. Show less

Generation STEM (Gen STEM) is a work experience programme for Year 10 students (age 14-15) aiming to develop students' life skills and interest in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). By increasing students' ability to see the relevance of schoolwork to their future careers and motivation to engage in school, the programme also aims to raise students' attainment in maths and science. Generation STEM includes a work experience preparation day, individual student interviews, interview feedback sessions, a one-week work experience placement and a work experience debrief session. Work experience placements are a common activity and there is evidence that they can have a positive impact on employability skills, motivation in education, career decision making and knowledge of the world of work. However, the evidence base on how work experience impacts on academic attainment is weak, with few robust studies. This evaluation provided an opportunity to test the impact of a STEM work experience programme on pupils' attainment in [General Certificate of Secondary Education] GCSE maths and science. The trial was a school-level randomised controlled efficacy trial involving 113 secondary schools in England.

Edited excerpts from publication. 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