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This article discusses the results of a qualitative research study that examined clerical workers’ experiences of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in two retail banks, which were piloting Level 2 NVQs in Customer Services and Banking. The research suggests that the implementation of NVQs within the two banks did not bring about the kind of changes in work-based learning envisaged by advocates of the qualification framework. NVQ candidates conceptualised the process of doing an NVQ as ‘writing stories’ about routine work tasks in order to accredit existing skills. The potential for learning new skills and developing greater flexibility in the workplace was found to be very limited. On a more encouraging note, the research also identified a number of positive outcomes of doing an NVQ.

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This article presents the results of a qualitative study that examined the views and experiences of 12 large city employers of modern apprenticeships (MAs). Given the government's target that by 2004 at least 28 per cent of young people should enter an apprenticeship before the age of 22, it is imperative that large employers are fully involved in taking on young people as apprentices. However, this study found that many such employers are either not aware of these qualifications or do not see them as relevant to their businesses. The paper concludes by providing suggestions, based on the findings of this study, for different ways of raising the status of MAs and getting more large employers to take up the award.

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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.

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The contents of this report are: (1) The actual situation of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) in the UK: how big is the problem including main groups/typology of youth affected; (2) Which risk factors, according to national literature and expert knowledge, contribute to drop-out, deprivation, social exclusion, etc.?; (3) Main groups/typology of youth affected; (4) Overview of the general education and employment system relevant for the target group of the project; (5) Overview of the institutional framework; (6) 'General philosophy' of current approaches to mitigate the problem; (7) Involvement of stakeholders (social partners, state agencies, non-government organisations (NGOs); (8) What are, according to the discussion in science and civil society in the UK, the main strengths/weaknesses/opportunities of these policies? What are the main proposals of relevant groups to change these policies?; (9) Relevant good practices to intervene in the problematic situation on a community level; (10) Outreach strategies to harder to reach groups within the target group; (11) Bottlenecks for effective intervention; (12) Main recommendations to improve conditions for community based approaches and work based learning approaches; (13) State of the art of work-based approaches and social integration measures on a didactical/methodological level (typical curricula/measures/formats); (14) How are stages/degrees of social integration of the target group described in the UK?; (15) The overall principles of the UK's national best practice(s) on grabbing, orienting, stabilising and inserting; and (16) Ealing Pathway Programme, Prince's Trust 12-week Team Programme and the Academy Programme.

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The European Project 'Community Networking for Integration of Young People in a NEET Situation' (ComNetNEET) sought to provide an alternative solution to strategies and policies previously implemented, by strengthening and utilizing community networks. The developed model based on good practice examples was tested in three European countries (Italy, Spain, and Portugal). Following a preparation phase which included a territory diagnostic, selection of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) as well as identification of possible members of local community and stakeholder networks, the main part of the piloting involved supporting NEETs and building the network. Across Spain, Italy, and Portugal more than 50 young people who were NEET engaged in the project and took part in individual coaching-based sessions, group sessions and job-experiences. At the same time, community networks were developed and maintained to create a shared ambition and understanding of ways to integrate NEETs as well as to give them a better opportunity to gain access to the world of work.

The theory-based impact evaluation was carried out to assess the impact of the model, drawing on survey and interview data. Overall, young people showed significant improvement in their employability skills, their awareness of and preparedness for employment or training options as well as their social capital. There was no significant improvement in young people's quality of life as well as their confidence. At the end of the programme, 40 of the 53 participants across the three countries were in employment, education, or training. At community level, stakeholders reported an increase in awareness of the need for better coordination of local approaches for the integration of NEETs. More than half of the stakeholders had expanded their network as well as increased collaboration with others. The evaluation evidenced a successful application of the model in three different contexts with promising outcomes. Not all elements of the model were implemented due to practical constraints. Overall, this model makes a strong case for using such a community network approach to provide an improved pathway for re-integrating young people who are NEET.

This report will first provide a summary of the model of intervention and implementation as well as the evaluation methodology before presenting the evaluation findings and drawing conclusions.

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Youth unemployment is a serious issue affecting rural areas in the UK. One possible cause is believed to be low aspirations among young people, their families and the local community. The Local Government Group commissioned the [National Foundation for Educational Research] NFER to research young people's aspirations in three rural local authorities: Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Cumbria. The aim was to explore the influence and impact of low aspirations. Based on a rapid review of literature and case study visits to the three areas, this report covers: findings from the rapid review; the views of parents, professionals and employers on available opportunities and influences on young people’s aspirations; the aspirations of young people in rural areas; strategies for raising young people's aspirations; and conclusions and recommendations.

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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

The Scottish Executive commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to carry out an evaluation of the Skills for Work pilot courses between 2005 and 2007. Skills for Work courses were introduced to help young people to develop skills and knowledge in a broad vocational area, core skills, an understanding of the workplace, positive attitudes to learning, and employability skills. The courses are intended to provide progression pathways to further learning, training or employment for pupils of all abilities. Key findings include: (1) the study revealed four delivery models adopted across the Skills for Work pilot partnerships, of which the in-college delivery model was the most common one. However, delivery centres were increasingly moving towards adopting more diversified delivery models, including delivering courses in schools or in vocational centres; (2) respondents in many delivery centres documented ways in which the pilot had helped them to develop teaching approaches to better suit the needs of younger students; (3) most interviewees in schools agreed that the Skills for Work pilot had raised the status of vocational learning among teachers and students and all felt that it had enabled them to offer a more relevant curriculum to their pupils; (4) respondents in almost all schools and colleges agreed that the courses had had a positive impact on students' vocational skills and knowledge, motivation and behaviour. Most also thought that they had helped students to make better and more informed decisions about their post-school transitions. All 41 candidates interviewed were able to identify positive impacts of participating in Skills for Work courses. Almost three-quarters said that they thought it had improved their chances of finding work in the future; and (5) student retention on Skills for Work courses was very good in over two-thirds of the 29 schools contacted. Analysis of [Scottish Qualifications Authority] SQA data revealed that 85.6% of students had passed their courses by the end of the second year of the pilot.

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Although most young people find the decision about what to do after Year 11 easy and most are satisfied with what they have done post-16, almost a fifth of young people find the decision-making process difficult and seven per cent end up dissatisfied with the choice they make. In addition, almost a quarter of young people participating in education or training post-16 say that they would have done something different if they had been aware of all of the courses on offer.

This summary presents key findings from research commissioned by the [Department for Children, Schools and Families] DCSF aimed at exploring the barriers and constraints young people currently face when deciding what to do at the end of their compulsory schooling in Year 11.

The study, conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), working in partnership with Triangle and QA Research, included a survey of 2029 young people who completed Year 11 in either 2008 or 2009. This survey was supplemented by interviews with booster samples of 519 young people across specific sub-groups and 102 parent interviews.

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As economies begin to recover from the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic, labour shortages are becoming increasingly evident despite the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy and commodity prices. These include shortages exacerbated by the crisis in some sectors and professions where they had been endemic for some time. This report looks at measures implemented at national level to tackle labour shortages in the health, care, and information and communication technology sectors, as well as those arising from the twin green and digital transition. It assesses what measures are effective and explores the contextual factors supporting or hindering effective policy implementation and outcomes.

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