June 2004
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Editorial

Last month, in this editorial, I quoted from an academic paper which criticised the government for placing spin above substance. Policies are presented for media presentation and public consumption. In other words (mine); it looks good but what does it do? Unfortunately, the move to take £25 million from the overall budget of Connexions Partnerships doesn't even look good on paper. According to a DfES spokesperson this move is "not expected to have a major impact on front line delivery". Thirty-four redundancies here, closure of offices there, demoralised staff who don't know whether they are going to have a job to go to in September. Does that sound like a recipe for "no major impact"? Charles Hendry, shadow minister for young people has been raising questions in the house and Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, says he will be referring the matter to the National Audit Office. One of Mr Hendry's questions was regarding how much money had been spent by the Connexions service on legal advice; "this information is not collected centrally". The minister may not know how much has been spent by "the service" but those who are ADSET members are, individually, using the Business Advisory Service like crazy! How much has been spent? Just your membership fee – BAS is included.

National "Social Science Week" took place during June and resulted in a crop of reports and other activities. The principal ones were associated with different aspects of a major piece of work: Seven ages of man and woman: a look at life in Britain in the second Elizabethan era. Makes for fascinating reading – but does take up a lot of space! But, as always, the selection or rejection of an article for inclusion has little to do with "quality", however you might judge that, and a great deal to do with "do I find it interesting?" or "do I find it boring but relevant?" and, of course, "have I got room for it?"

Calling all readers with a knowledge of information sources in, or about, Northern Ireland that would be useful for us to extract from for Members' Update. We've been using the Belfast Telegraph but, week after week, I'm getting files from Dawn which say "nothing this week" – usually in less printable language! So, where do we try next?

Changing tack, or rather country, The TES said, on 14 May, that it would be bringing out a Welsh edition. I have yet to see any output from TES Cymru (Dawn does all the newspapers and may have found other source for Welsh news last month). It will be good not to have to rely so heavily on ICWales and Assembly press releases for news of what's happening in the principality.

"When we plan a conference in November how can we decide what you want to discuss in the Spring?" asks a membership organisation in its regular newsletter. I'd just turn that round and ask all of you: when we're planning the ADSET Conference, which is just about done, how can we tell what will be the hot topics by the time we get to Darlington on 16 November? Answer: guess-work! And if anything major comes up between now and then we'll add it – somehow. Please make sure you have the date in your diary.

Oops! Grovel! I failed, last month, to say welcome to new member, Soutron Ltd contact: Alan Matthews – the new entry should now be in the members' directory on the website. A very warm welcome also goes to Enfield College (Lynette Heath-Brown) and Sutton Coldfield College (Mary Cartwright) who have joined us this month.

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"People-work": emotion management, stress and coping

Sandi Mann, Department of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston

Workers involved in "people-work" are expected to engage in a great deal of emotion management as they attempt to convey the appropriate emotions (which they may not genuinely feel) to their clients or customers whilst perhaps suppressing inappropriate ones. Should this emotion management be unsuccessful within some industries, a customer may be lost as they choose to take their business to a competitor; however, within the "caring" business, such as the counselling and guidance professions, a failure to display the appropriate emotion (e.g. sympathy) or a leakage of an inappropriate one (e.g. boredom) can have much more serious implications for the well-being of the client and their continued relationship with the professional. This paper will thus argue that emotion management or "emotional labour" is a vital skill within the counselling and guidance professions, but one that can also be a significant source of work stress. Strategies for coping with the stress of performing emotional labour are suggested.

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Volume 32, Number 2 (May 2004)

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Employers fight shy of questions about religion and sexual orientation

A survey conducted by IRS shows that even employers who have the most enlightened attitudes to monitoring staff about their gender or ethnic origin are struggling to get to grips with collecting employee data on religion and sexual orientation. A significant number of employers said that they were in the process of considering how they might extend monitoring to meet the requirements of the new employment regulations.

IRS Employment Review Number 798 (16 April)

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Executive de-stress

Bosses have the least work stress, most job satisfaction and the best health, according to a new study. A survey of 25,000 Britons in twenty-six jobs indicated that workers dealing directly with customers are much more likely to suffer stress than their bosses, with paramedics having the most stressful time, ahead of teachers and social workers. Senior business directors, who face performance pressures but are often more removed from direct contact with customers, were the least likely to suffer.

Changing Times News Number 42 (21 June)

Update comment: "What do you reckon to that then, Boss?" says Dawn. The boss replies: "I spend more time with customers than you do so I'm likely to be more stressed than you are!"

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Stresses of modern life leading to "rose rage" tantrums

Apparently, not content with having tantrums in the car, people are now throwing wobblies in their wisteria! BBC Gardeners' World Magazine claims that, far from being a relaxing haven, people's gardens are a major source of annoyance. Barking dogs, loud music, barbecues and sprinklers have resulted in "rose rage", where neighbours try to resolve their differences but end up arguing or fighting instead. Noise is one source of arguments. However, in the finest British tradition, the untidiness of the neighbouring garden causes a substantial number of disputes.

Lucinda Cameron, The Scottish Herald 7 June

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Four in five workers take a sickie

Absence from work is steadily increasing in the UK, with 81% of employees admitting they have pretended to be ill to skip work, according to a survey from law firm Peninsula. The survey suggests that stress, motivation and the balancing of work with domestic life are a big factor in the reasoning for absence. Interestingly, Birmingham has been identified as the "sickie" capital of Britain, with 85% of workers admitting to faking illnesses.

HRLooK Daily News 2 July

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Gadgets cause frustration in the workplace

According to research from the University of Surrey, the demand for instant communication in the office is making employees stressed and angry. Workers become frustrated when they are unable to contact someone immediately, but are resentful of distractions caused by intrusive communications. Professor Michael Warren said: "I'm afraid the research survey shows that we all want to have our cake and eat it. … The survey shows a clear need to establish workplace rules and for management to take a lead in setting examples and standards for each organisation. And I think that technology has its part to play too – tools and processes are needed that will allow us to manage our communications with the maximum degree of availability and the minimum degree of frustration."

HRLooK Daily News 4 June

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Job demands cause UK stress epidemic

According to research from City and Guilds, Britain's workers are "paying a high price with their health for being under-qualified to handle the demands of their 21st century careers". The research revealed that 43% of workers suffer from work-related stress. Of these, 67% blame their heavy workload, and 12% state that the added pressure is due to being handed extra responsibilities with no appropriate training. Moreover, despite two-thirds of workers stating that work-related training would help them to cope better with their jobs, 15% said that they hadn't had any training which related directly to their role.

City and Guilds Broadsheet

Issue 158 (Spring-Summer 2004)

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Drug Testing in the Workplace: summary conclusions of the Independent Inquiry into Drug Testing at Work (IIDTW)

What role, if any, does drug and alcohol testing have in the workplace in modern Britain? In what circumstances, if any, should an employer discipline or dismiss staff for using drugs and alcohol? Does business have a legitimate involvement in what people do in their own time? This report from the IIDTW sets out and considers the arguments on drug testing at work, and concludes with a set of detailed recommendations. Key findings include:

• The evidence on the links between drug use and accidents at work, absenteeism, low productivity and poor performance was inconclusive. Most employers who had drug tested employees told the IIDTW that levels of positive results were very low.
• There is a lack of evidence for a strong link between drug use and accidents in safety-critical industries, such as transport, engineering, quarrying and mining. Drug- and alcohol-induced intoxication will be a source of risk in such environments. However, other factors may have a greater impact on safety, productivity and performance, including bad working conditions, sleeping and health problems, excessive workloads and work-related stress.
• Evidence considered by the IIDTW suggests that alcohol is probably a greater cause for concern in the workplace than illicit drugs.
• There is no clear evidence that drug testing at work has a significant deterrent effect.
• Drug testing is not a measure of current intoxication and will reveal information about drug use that can have no impact on safety, productivity or performance. Someone may test positive after taking a drug days, weeks or even months before. People are not generally required to organise their lives to maximise their productivity at work, and employers do not have a direct law enforcement function. Empowering employers to investigate private behaviour actively – in the absence of legitimate safety or performance concerns – is in conflict with liberal-democratic values.

An overview of the research is online at http://tinyurl.com/2thhe

The full report, Drug testing in the workplace: The report of the Independent Inquiry into Drug Testing at Work by the Independent Inquiry into Drug Testing at Work, is published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation as part of the Drug and Alcohol series (ISBN: 1-85935-211-1, price £15.95 plus £2.00 p&p per order)

It is available from York Publishing Services Ltd,
64 Hallfield Road, Layerthorpe, York YO31 7ZQ
tel: 01904 430033

It is also available free of charge (PDF 104pp) at http://tinyurl.com/3dd6c

Joseph Rowntree Mailing List 28 June

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TUC backs report on dangers of drug testing

The TUC has welcomed the report by the Independent Inquiry into Drug Testing at Work following an 18-month investigation. The TUC gave evidence to the inquiry on the basis of its extensive work in this area and was represented on its steering group. The TUC's evidence to the inquiry argued that:

• Workplace drug testing is a costly waste of time, and a gross infringement of an individual's privacy. Testing doesn't prove someone's inability to do a job, all it shows is exposure to a substance maybe months before the test took place.
• While there may be a case for testing in safety-critical jobs, tests should never be randomly carried out.
• Every workplace should have a policy on drug and alcohol use drawn up by managers in consultation with union representatives. The policy should state that individual confidentiality will be maintained at all times, with the emphasis on assistance and advice, not disciplinary measures and dismissal.

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said: "Drug testing is irrelevant to most employees and companies. The TUC believes that testing is only appropriate for staff in safety critical posts and should be part of a comprehensive safety strategy that includes support for staff who test positive."

HRLooK Daily News 28 June

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EU Drug Strategy not working

DrugScope, the UK's leading drug information and policy charity has launched its manifesto for the future of EU Drug Policy. The manifesto calls for European countries to work together to tackle drugs and drug-related harm. DrugScope argues that, despite the introduction of EU Drug Strategy in 2000, there have been no signs of a significant reduction in illicit drug use. Indeed, DrugScope claims that the trend is upward.

Community Care 10-16 June

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ACAS code of practice on discipline and grievances in the workplace

The revised draft of the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance procedures was laid before Parliament on 17 June 2004 and, subject to Parliamentary approval, is due to come into effect on 1 October 2004. The Code has been revised to take account of the new statutory discipline and grievance procedures which come into operation on 1 October 2004.

ACAS press release 21 June

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Seven ages of man and woman: a look at life in Britain in the second Elizabethan era

It is over 400 years since Shakespeare described the "seven ages" of life in As You Like It. How accurate is that narrative today? One way of finding out is to draw on the wealth of information now available to us on the health, incomes, education, employment, families, relationships and social attitudes of the people of Britain – large-scale datasets like the three big birth cohort studies of 1958, 1970 and 2000/1, the British Household Panel Survey, the Workplace Employment Relations Survey and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Analysis of these data by some of Britain's leading researchers, published in ESRC's new report, Seven Ages of Man and Woman, reveals considerable changes.

• The infant: 15% of babies in the Millennium Cohort Study, which tracks the lives of nearly 19,000 children born in 2000/1, were living with just their mum at nine months – of these, nearly half see their dad at least once a week but nearly four in ten have no contact with him at all.
• The schoolchild: today's schoolchildren can expect to remain in education much longer than previous generations – and to finish their educational careers far better qualified. But the circumstances in which they grow up still have an enormous effect on their later lives, including educational attainments, income, employment, self-esteem and marital stability.
• The lover: there is little support for the "post-modern" view that we can all now choose individual fulfilment in our personal lives. Data on numbers of same-sex partnerships and couples who are "unmarried with children" – indications, many argue, of a new "individualised" society – reveals that supposedly individualised choices are in fact constrained by social class, the local economy and local culture.
• Thirty-somethings: British society is witnessing an increasing prolongation of youth and dependency. As growing numbers seek the qualifications needed for success in a transformed labour market, traditional rites of passage to adulthood, such as entering employment, leaving home and starting a family, are being postponed.
• The worker: the Workplace Employment Relations Survey, first conducted in 1980, charts considerable change in the British workplace – from the "winter of discontent" of 1978/9 to a time now when talk is rarely of "industrial relations", more of "human resource management". The key change has been the growth of women in the workplace – but they still earn substantially less from their employment than men.
• The golden oldie: people nearing retirement now will receive the most generous state pensions of any generation. They will also live considerably healthier and longer lives. But they do not seem to realise just how long they are going to live. Those retiring in the next decade are also underestimating the chances of their retirement lasting at least ten years – and hence not saving "enough".
• The oldest old: two surveys of Britain's "oldest old" – those aged 75 or over – dispel many myths about ageing: even the oldest old live much of their life without the illness and disability considered a normal part of ageing, though women on the whole spend more of their extra years with disability. And if some older people are lonely and dissatisfied, most continue to lead socially active and productive lives.

ESRC press release 21 June

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Never had it so good? The future of welfare to work in the UK

In an article for Working Brief (Issue 155 (June 2004)), Andy Westwood warns that those working with marginalised clients may only have a short time left to ensure that they are given every chance to fulfil their potential. He believes that, while the UK is enjoying employment prosperity at the moment, it is essential to recognise that the fundamental nature of economics is cyclical. He says that the current climate will not last for ever, and there are already "dark clouds on the horizon". These clouds include an unsustainable housing market and a consumer-driven economy which is underpinned by credit and debt.

Mr Westwood says that those who wish to "make labour market policy more effective and social inclusion a continuing priority" should take advantage of the strong economic climate to deliver the best possible service to their clients, particularly those who are at the extreme edges of social exclusion. He believes that even the smallest downturn would mean that "the hardest to help will just go to the back of a lengthening queue for government assistance", effectively putting an end to the kind of personalised and tailored services currently available.

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Government launches working time consultation

A consultation into the UK's opt-out from the EU 48-hour Working Time Directive limit has been launched by Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe. Mr Sutcliffe said the government was committed to retaining the opt-out to protect employee choice and workplace flexibility, but was also determined to make sure it was being used correctly. The consultation covers three main areas of discussion:

• making sure workers have a real choice about long hours;
• making sure people are protected while they are working long hours; and
• making sure people know about their rights.

Information from the consultation will help inform the government's policy on long hours working and its position on proposals expected soon from the European Commission on amending the Working Time Directive.

HRLooK Daily News 30 June

Further information and a copy of the consultation documents is at www.dti.gov.uk/er/work_time_regs/index.htm

The closing date for the consultation is 22 September

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Working time consultation "hard to take seriously" says TUC

Responding to the government's consultation on long hours working, Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said: "It's hard to take this consultation seriously. The Minister's statement makes it clear that the government has made its mind up to resist an effective crackdown on Britain's long hours culture. The government appears to have dismissed the views and research of employee organisations in favour of a sample of letters carefully selected from its mail bag. The government should stop defending the indefensible and end the UK opt-out of the 48 hour working week."

TUC press release 29 June

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EOC calls for more time for dads

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) is calling on the government to call an end to Britain's long hours culture and to provide more support for working fathers. Julie Mellor, chair of the EOC, said government should give fathers the opportunity to spend more time with their children. Many dads have to squeeze their relationship with their children into a very limited period of time, spending, on average, just an hour caring for them during a working day, according to a new EOC analysis. Ms Mellor called for a package of measures to help fathers take a more active role in caring for their children, including:

• better-paid paternity leave for fathers, many of whom say they cannot afford to take time off at the moment; and
• higher levels of pay for, and more flexibility and choice about, the leave available for fathers and mothers during the first years of a child's life.

Changing Times News Number 42 (21 June)

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Women in the workplace: the gender pay gap remains

The British workplace has been increasingly "feminised" in the past 25 years – but women still earn substantially less from their employment than men. That is the central finding of research by Keith Whitfield and colleagues, reported in ESRC's new publication Seven Ages of Man and Woman. The Analysis of the Workplace Employment Relations Survey, a project first conducted in 1980 which has been repeated in 1984, 1990, 1998 and now in 2004, shows that:

• The participation in employment of women of working age has increased from 59% to 70% since 1980, almost entirely due to an increase in part-time employment.
• At the same time, women have made marked inroads into middle and senior managerial positions.
• Women still earn substantially less – approximately 20% – from their employment than men. While the differences may vary, the pattern is consistent and unambiguous: women doing broadly comparable hours and broadly comparable work earn less than their male counterparts.
• Among full-time employees, twice as many men are in the top quarter of income earners as women.
• The minimum wage has reduced the gender pay gap through its impact on part-time work, where women are disproportionately highly employed.

ESRC press release 21 June

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Female engineering graduates facing poor employment prospects

According to the latest Eurostat data, women are still significantly under-represented in scientific and engineering disciplines although the numbers of female graduates have increased over the last few years. Figures taken from Women, Science and Technology: measuring recent progress towards gender equality provide continuing evidence of a narrowing of the gender gap for graduates in "hard sciences", especially in engineering. European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin commented: "This means that efforts to increase the female workforce in science and technology have led to some initial progress, but now governments, universities, and especially industry, must take steps to ensure that this will actually translate into increased employment of women researchers, especially in the natural sciences and engineering. To foster this human resource potential, science and engineering need to become more attractive and accommodating workplaces for women."

More details at http://tinyurl.com/2y8az

HRLooK Daily News 14 June

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Delayed domesticity for men and women: time for the thirty-somethings to settle down?

British society is witnessing an increasing prolongation of youth and dependency. As growing numbers seek the qualifications needed for success in a transformed labour market, traditional rites of passage to adulthood, such as entering employment, leaving home and starting a family, are being correspondingly postponed. That is the conclusion of analysis of two of Britain's big birth cohort studies – one recording the lives of a large, representative sample of people born in one week in 1958; the other covering a comparable batch born in 1970. The research, reported by Elsa Ferri in ESRC's new publication Seven Ages of Man and Woman, shows that:

• By the time they reached adulthood, women born in 1970 had actually overtaken men in terms of degree-level educational achievement. This success has translated into the work experience of these women: half are in full-time employment in their early thirties compared with just a third of women in the 1958 cohort.
• How do such transformations in education and employment relate to the domestic lives of today's 30-year olds? In general, they are associated with delays in settling down and starting a family. Although the majority are either married or cohabiting, a sizeable minority have no partner.
• The "single lifestyle" is much in evidence, particularly among men – as many as one in seven live alone, compared with one in 11 women. Independent solo living at 30 is strongly associated with extended education and career development.
• Delays in establishing a family are not confined to the high achievers. "Solo livers" contrast strongly with another group, again mostly men. No fewer than one in six – twice as many as among those born in 1958 – have returned to, or never left, their parents' home. These are likely to be low achievers in education and employment.
• Delays in partnering have led to delays in starting a family. Overall, only half of all the women born in 1970 had become mothers by 30, compared with two-thirds of those born 12 years before.

ESRC press release 21 June

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Characteristics of Families in Debt and the Nature of Indebtedness

Elaine Kempson and Steve McKay (Personal Finance Research Centre, University of Bristol), and Maxine Willitts (Social Research Division at the DWP).

DWP research report No. 211 June 2004

Research published by the DWP examines the characteristics of households and families that are in debt and the nature of their financial difficulties.

A summary and copy of the report is available on the DWP website at www.dss.gov.uk/asd/asd5

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Unhappy families? New evidence on life satisfaction in Britain

How satisfied are we with the lives we lead? ESRC's new publication Seven Ages of Man and Woman reports evidence from a variety of sources on the changing lives of Britons.

• Among thirty-somethings recorded in the 1970 Birth Cohort Study, women seem slightly more contented than men, and in both cases the most satisfied are those living with a partner, either with or without children.
• Only half as many men living alone appear really positive, but the most unhappy men are those living with their parents – four out of ten claim to be dissatisfied. This seems to reflect their inability to "get on" owing to lack of qualifications, marketable skills and economic independence.
• Among women, dissatisfaction is greatest among lone mothers. But this is concentrated among those who are out of the labour market or in poorly paid part-time work. This suggests that, in terms of life satisfaction, the double burden of full-time employment and child-care is outweighed by the economic and social benefits.
• Another indicator of emotional well-being points to more stressful lives among young adults. Reported symptoms of depression and anxiety have doubled from one in 14 for the cohort born in 1958 to one in seven for a comparable cohort born in 1970.
• But any suggestion that family life is the key to contentment is belied somewhat by findings on how relationships are actually viewed. There is a startling increase in reported unhappy relationships among those born in 1970: one in five men and nearly one in four women claim they are unhappy with their partner, compared with just one in 30 among those born in 1958.
• One clue as to the reasons for this shift may lie in the balance of gender roles in the workplace and at home. The huge increase in women's participation in the labour force has not been matched by men's contribution in the home. A trend towards more egalitarian domestic roles among the 1958 cohort in the early 1990s appears to have stalled, even slightly reversed, among the 1970 cohort. Contrary to popular perception, graduate men in higher social class occupations are the least likely to be heavily involved in domestic work and child-care.
• By far the most negative indicator of social alienation is conflict with authority and the law – a much more common experience among the 1970 cohort, for both men and, at a much lower level, women. But there are also marked differences within the cohort: the greatest disengagement from the community is found among the least qualified, those in low-skilled jobs or without work, and mothers bringing up children single-handed.

ESRC press release 21 June

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Life chances: the impact of family origins and early childhood experiences on adult outcomes

A large body of research evidence indicates that the circumstances in which a child grows up have an enormous effect on later outcomes, in areas including education, income, employment and self-esteem. What's more, despite the opportunities presented by educational, economic and social change, family origins continue to exert a strong influence on adult outcomes. Writing in the ESRC's new publication Seven Ages of Man and Woman, Maria Iacovou reports on changes in family life and their impact on children's life chances, drawing on analysis of the 1958 and 1970 birth cohorts and the British Household Panel Survey. Ms Iacovou notes that growing up in a poor family has multiple effects on children, both while young and later in life. Adolescents who have grown up poor are more likely to have poor self-esteem, to have low educational aspirations and to play truant. Later on, those who grow up poor are more likely to leave home early, to do less well in education and to be out of work. Young women who grow up poor are at higher risk of early childbearing. There is an additional effect of early poverty and disadvantage. Not only are children who grow up poor more likely to do less well later in life, there is also a degree of "intergenerational transmission": these people's children are also more likely to experience poorer outcomes. But some children can and do overcome unfavourable early circumstances to find happiness and success in later life. Family relationships are key: good communication with parents improves young people's well-being and reduces the risk that they will be involved in risky behaviour or truancy. Aspirations also matter – young people who make an early decision to stay on at school tend to do better at both GCSE and A-level, even if their home circumstances are unfavourable. Girls brought up in less traditionally "gendered" roles also tend to do better in education.

ESRC press release 21 June

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Unregistered families lose out on childcare cash

Parents relying on family or friends for childcare are missing out on new-style family allowance because they are not registered carers, claims a new report. The report, A Different Kind of Care, argues that less than 3% of UK families with children receive tax credits, partly because they can only be used to pay for approved or registered childcare. Caernarfon Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams, who commissioned the report, commented: "The tax credits system is clearly not flexible and sensitive enough to respond to the actual circumstances of real families. At the same time there is pressure on parents to take low-paying jobs. Their childcare needs are too often disregarded because `help with childcare costs is available'."

Martin Shipton, The Western Mail 14 June

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Unhealthy, unhappy and with no self-esteem: British teenagers lag behind world's young

According to a survey from the World Health Organisation, Britain's teenagers are among the unhealthiest and unhappiest in the world. The survey found that, not only are they more likely to smoke and drink too much than most of their counterparts in other countries, they also feel the highest levels of stress and "don't even really like each other". Underage sex is prevalent, as are low levels of life satisfaction, fruit consumption and feelings of physical well-being. Findings include:

• Less than half of all the English adolescents saw their peers as "kind and helpful", compared with the study's average of 60%. Only Russian 11-year-olds and Czech 15-year-olds had a lower opinion of their generation than the same age groups in England.
• English and Welsh youngsters have the highest rates of drinking and get drunk at a younger age than children from most other countries.
• While they have below-average hours of homework, with only a quarter of 15-year-olds spending more than three hours a day on after-school assignments, they feel under greater stress. Six out of 10 boys and seven out of 10 girls aged 15 in England say they feel pressured by schoolwork, with only Lithuanian and Welsh peers reporting greater stress.
• Only children from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland eat less fruit than English and Welsh youngsters.

Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent, The Independent 4 June

More information on the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey is available at www.hbsc.org/

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Discovering potential – a practitioner's guide to supporting improved self-esteem and well-being through adult learning

Kathryn James and Christine Nightingale; NIACE.
ISBN: 1-86201-119-2

Building confidence and a sense of well-being is increasingly seen as a means of enabling learners to make the most of their potential and to participate more fully in society. But how do you achieve it? Discovering potential is a resource pack that supports practitioners and managers who work with adults with low self-esteem.

Price £12.95 from NIACE, Publication Sales,
21 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GE
tel: 0116 204 4216
email: orders@niace.org.uk

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Email and Internet policies

ACAS has updated its guide to email and Internet policies for employers.

Internet and E-Mail Policies (ACAS/AL06) is free of charge and can be ordered from ACAS
tel: 08702 42 90 90
email: acas@eclogistics.co.uk

It is also at www.acas.org.uk/publications/al06.html

Employment Team Legal Update
Volume 6 Number 3 (March 2004)

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Stepfamilies and lone parents: changing family life in Britain

More and more men are raising other men's children, while, in many cases, their own children grow up elsewhere – no fewer than 17% of dads born in 1970 are stepfathers, nearly double the number among men born just 12 years earlier. And six out of 100 babies born in Britain at the turn of the millennium have no contact with their fathers. These are some of the major new findings about changing family life, reported in ESRC's new publication Seven Ages of Man and Woman. The report reveals that:

• 15% of the babies in the Millennium Cohort Study – which is tracking nearly 19,000 babies born in 2000/1 – live just with their mothers. Of these, nearly half see their father at least once a week though nearly four in ten have no contact with him at all.
• Family life among 30-year-olds is characterised by instability. Partnership breakdown continues to rise. People born in 1970 are twice as likely as those born 12 years before to have experienced at least one partnership breakdown by 30.
• The number of lone mothers rose to nearly one in five among those born in 1970 compared with one in eight among mothers born in 1958.
• The most rapidly growing family type is the stepfamily, created when a new partnership is formed by a mother and/or father who already has dependent children. Since most children remain with their mother following divorce or separation, most stepfamilies have a stepfather rather than a stepmother. "Social" as opposed to "biological" parenting is an important new phenomenon in family life.
• Unmarried cohabiting parenthood is nationally pervasive and quite common. The average is 31% of all parents. The lowest areas record 12%. And in the very highest, around half of births to all couples are to unmarried parents.
• Sibling composition has an effect on educational attainment. Children in two-child families do better at school than only children, and they also do better than children from larger families – there is a steady decline in attainment with each additional sibling after the first.
• For any given family size, eldest children do significantly better than their younger siblings, which may be attributable to having more undivided attention from their parents in the early years.

ESRC press release 21 June

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All in a day's work for man about the house

According to a survey conducted by Lloyds TSB, the contemporary "hands-on" father is worth a small fortune to families in terms of unpaid labour. The survey claims that fathers would be paid £318,000 a year if they started charging for services rendered, including:

• Family BBQs and parties: £16,880
• Buying and serving drinks: £12,129
• Helping with homework/reading stories: £32,448 (secondary schools)
• Fetching and carrying to and from social events: £16,343
• Helping to buy and maintain first car, bicycles, go-carts, etc: £20,181
• Rushing kids to hospital, fixing bumps, cuts and bruises: £23,816
• Shoulder to cry on when split from first girlfriend, go on first date: £22,365
• Helping you learn how to swim, play football, build sand castles: £15,532
• Replacing batteries in toys, gluing broken toys together, building climbing frames: £21,517
• Teaching how to use the Internet and play games: £35,760
• Organising activities and taking messages from friends: £39,696

Duncan Higgitt, The Western Mail 15 June

Update comment: Judging by the above list, my kids owe their Dad about £2.37. Dawn.

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Social capital, social inclusion and services for people with learning disabilities

Peter Bates (National Development Team Ipswich) and Fabian A Davis (Bromley Mental Health Services)

Both social capital and social inclusion have emerged as significant concepts for human services in the last decade and yet their inter-relationship remains largely unexplored. This article argues that, whilst they are similar in their vision for a healthy society, they adopt sufficiently different perspectives to stimulate and challenge each other. This can be well illustrated by reference to services for people with a learning disability. Commissioners and providers of learning disability services are encouraged through this article to harness both concepts in order to assist in the process of modernising services and increasing life opportunities for the people they support. It is argued that it is not possible to understand the full consequences of adopting either theoretical position without an adequate understanding of the other. Examples are given of the implications of this for advocacy services, day opportunities, rural communities, transition and staff training.

Disability & Society, Volume 19 Number 3 (May 2004)

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The IAG National Policy Framework

The government has recently published a document which defines, at a national level, the information and advice services which adults should be entitled to expect, the standards at which those services should be delivered, and how they will be delivered. In an article for Newscheck (June/July 2004), NICEC Fellows Tony Watts and Ruth Hawthorne offer a detailed critique of the statement. While recognising that the statement contains "the potential for significant advance", they are concerned that it also contains "a number of ambiguities and limitations". In particular, they are concerned that there has been a "semantic shift", in which the "guidance" element of IAG appears to have been ignored. They suggest that, rather than the traditional policy of universal access to information and advice and "rationed access" to guidance, what the government appears to be offering in this statement is universal access to information and rationed access to advice. The authors are also critical of the overarching message contained within the statement. They feel that, although the document appears to suggest that IAG will be universally available to adults, what it actually proposes is targeted provision which focuses on "those who need the most help and are least able to pay for it".

Information, Advice and Guidance for Adults: the National Policy Framework is at www.lifelonglearning.org.uk/iag/front.html

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Jobs – just what the doctor ordered

London-based charity Tomorrow's People has set up a "one-stop shop" for health and welfare advice at a doctor's surgery in North London. Users of a practice in Kentish Town can make an appointment with an employment adviser who offers advice and support to "help people off the sickness register and back into work". So far nearly 200 patients have seen the adviser, and, of those registered, 100% have returned to employment or are in education or training. On average, 75% are still in work 12 months on. This project is just one of many programmes Tomorrow's People has developed.

More information from Rebekah Jones
tel: 01424 203752/ 07766 836974
email: rjones@tomorrows-people.co.uk
URL: www.tomorrows-people.co.uk

Working Brief Issue 155 (June 2004)

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Goals "way to end school boredom"

Pupils do better at school when they have clear ideas about what they want to do afterwards – irrespective of which school they attend or their social background. But almost a third have no future plans and they are likely to be the ones who find school boring. Careers Scotland believes research it has commissioned proves that there is a significant link between career goals and pupil performance. It has called for more recognition for the role of careers in the Scottish Executive's inclusion and improvement agendas.

Neil Munro, TES Scotland 25 June

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The Influence of the School in the Decision to Participate in Learning Post-16

Nick Foskett, Martin Dyke and Felix Maringe; University of Southampton.
ISBN: 1-84478-240-9 May 2004

This research study was commissioned by the DfES to enhance understanding about the role of the school in shaping the perceptions and choices of post-16 pathways amongst young people in school. The primary aim of the study was to identify the nature, and influence of school-based factors in the choices of young people about their post-16 education, training and career pathways. The study also contributes to the wider understanding of "choice", and aims to identify implications for the development of careers education and guidance and decision-making awareness amongst pupils and students in schools. It also further enhances the modeling of pupil decision-making in education and training, and in labour markets.

The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education and Skills.

The full report (RR538), price £4.95, is available from DfES Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ

Cheques should be made payable to "DfES Priced Publications"

The Research Brief (RB538) is available free of charge from the above address
tel: 0845 60 222 60
Research Briefs and Research Reports can also be accessed at www.dfes.gov.uk/research/

Further information about this research can be obtained from
Maura Lantrua, DfES, Room W611, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ
email: maura.lantrua@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

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An inspector calls – culture change for adult learning

A new publication from the Learning and Skills Development Agency examines "rising expectations and the drive towards modernisation" with particular regard to adult and community learning (ACL) provision. It explores leadership and management of change in local authority ACL, and asks: "How can ACL staff use leadership to win the hearts and minds of their colleagues and encourage them to respond positively and proactively to the changing policies and priorities that impact on their work?"

Dancing on a moving carpet: leading change for quality improvement in adult and community learning is available free of charge from the
LSDA, Regent Arcade House,
19-25 Argyll Street London W1F 7LS
tel: 020 7297 9144
email: enquiries@LSDA.org.uk

It is also (PDF 65pp) at www.lsda.org.uk/files/PDF/1490.pdf

LSDA Briefing June 2004

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Disappearing act

Some of the £280 million pledged by the government for adult and community learning (ACL) is under threat, writes John Crace (The Guardian 1 June). Mr Crace tells us that the government's commitment to ACL, as outlined in the further education White Paper, 21st Century Skills – Realising Our Potential, seems to have been somewhat eroded, as indeed has the £280 million promised for the delivery of ACL. This funding was believed to have been ring-fenced for the delivery of "non-qualification-bearing programmes". However, the government has since announced that Modern Apprenticeships are to be added to Level 2 programmes and basic skills training to complete a core of targeted priorities. Since no additional funding has been announced, there are no prizes for guessing which "pot" will be raided first. ACL organisations are, not surprisingly, "spitting blood" and believe the government has failed to honour its promises. Peter Lavender, director for research and development at the National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education (NIACE), said: "Apart from economic competitiveness, the government also has a policy for social cohesion, poverty reduction and improving the quality of life. This, too, merits funding. Research shows that involvement in learning can improve health, reduce crime, break the cycle of poverty and promote citizenship. It's also a mistake merely to concentrate on the rather narrow range of basic skills and Level 2 courses. There's a huge range of courses in between, many of them unaccredited, that bridge the two. Indeed, people often build up their confidence on these courses before moving on to ones that provide qualifications. Removing funding puts at risk the very provision that allows people to step on the escalator of learning."

Update comment: £280 million "missing". Later in this publication you'll learn that the government has pledged £130 million for further education. No relationship between these two "facts" is there?

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Opening up schools for adults

NIACE lifelines in adult learning – Number 16
Judith Summers; NIACE.
ISBN: 1-86201-192-3

The government's support for "extended schools" will encourage community-based learning – but how does adult learning fit in with the rest of the school's agenda? What should schools be doing to match what they have to offer to the interests of their community? Who is there to help schools and whom should they be working with? Based on questions and ideas from practitioners, this Lifeline starts with statutory issues, then goes beyond them to look at how a programme can be developed and managed, how quality is judged, and how we can make the most of opening up schools for adults.

Price £6.95 from NIACE Publication Sales,
21 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GE
tel: 0116 204 4216
email: orders@niace.org.uk

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National Learner Satisfaction Survey 2002-03

The National Learner Satisfaction Survey is the largest survey of the views of post-16 learners ever undertaken in England. It provides an invaluable insight into learners' perceptions of what is already working well in post-16 education and training and what might be improved. Key messages from this survey include:

• Almost all learners across all provision are satisfied with their learning experience. The number of learners in further education who are "extremely" satisfied has increased since 2001/02.
• Importantly, most learners are also satisfied with the quality of teaching and training, which is the main driver for overall learner satisfaction. This too has increased for learners in further education and work-based learning.
• A growing majority of learners who left school with negative feelings about education now feel positive about learning.
• Learners report a wide range of benefits from their learning, including developing skills which can be used for employment.

Although satisfied, a substantial number of learners do experience some difficulties while on their courses, including financial problems – and this has increased slightly from last year.

LSC email alert 15 June

The documents relating to the Learner Satisfaction Survey are:

National Learner Satisfaction Survey, Further Education Summary Report 2002/03
(PDF 36pp) http://tinyurl.com/29r2v

National Learner Satisfaction Survey, Adult and Community Learning Providers Summary Report 2002/03
(PDF 32pp) http://tinyurl.com/yvtxa

National Learner Satisfaction Survey, Work-Based Learning Summary Report 2002/03
(PDF 32pp) http://tinyurl.com/33noz

National Learner Satisfaction Survey 2002-03: Highlights
(PDF 12pp) http://tinyurl.com/2erj9

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Greater fairness and improved quality for post-16 learning in Wales

Ensuring a fairer system for all post-16 learners in Wales, which will take account of local needs and priorities, is the aim of ELWa's National Planning and Funding System (NPFS). ELWa's paper to the Assembly's Education and Lifelong Learning Committee sets out clearly the strong case for change. Change will be gradual and carefully planned so as not to destabilise the learning network. The focus will be on the quality of learning, encouraging more young people to stay on in learning, and promoting collaboration between schools, colleges and other providers.

ELWa's paper, The Development of the National Planning Framework and Funding System (NPFS) For Post-16 Education and Training (Except Higher Education (HE), can be found on the National Assembly for Wales Education and Lifelong Learning Committee website at www.wales.gov.uk

Welsh Assembly press release 2 July

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Adult Education, Lifelong Learning and the Future

Alfred Bork

Adult continuing education will be of increasing importance as the median age of our society and the pace of change continue to increase. The paper begins with an examination of the goals of all learning and focuses on a new paradigm for learning tried, so far on only a very limited basis – computer-based tutorial learning considered particularly important for adult learning. This paradigm, practical with modern technology, allows a much more individualised approach to learning than is largely available today, and for very large numbers at much lower total costs than at present. Student interaction with the computer will be frequent, every few seconds, and in the student's native language. Little large-scale experience is available with such highly interactive material so we should begin with extensive experimental efforts in this direction. A large world-wide development effort in many languages would follow successful research.

Campus-Wide Information Systems Volume 18 Number 3 2001

Update comment: It is interesting to conjecture as to why this has only just appeared in Library and Information Science Abstracts (March 2004). Is the date on the attribution correct? If yes, where has it been for nearly three years?

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Hargreaves' harangue

David Hargreaves, the former head of the Qualification and Curriculum Authority, claims that the English schools system "damages young people's ability to learn later in life". In a new book, entitled Learning for Life: the Foundations For Lifelong Learning, Mr Hargreaves argues that the current system puts children off learning, and is organised to suit the needs of teachers rather than pupils. He says: "Lifelong learning seems to have little, if anything, to do with school education."

Warwick Mansell, The TES 18 June

Update comment: Get real, Mr Hargreaves! Lifelong learning is not about lifetime – it's about ensuring that working age people get qualifications at Level 2.

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Lifelong learning - but learning for what?

This research discusses the results of an OECD research programme investigating which skills are key competencies, in addition to the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy. The research outlines the three main categories of competencies and discusses the key competencies which contribute to each: the ability to interact in socially heterogeneous groups; the ability to act autonomously; and the ability to use tools such as language and technology interactively. It looks at the implications for learning and teaching key competencies and discusses the problem of assessing and measuring them.

Lifelong Learning in Europe Volume 9 (1.2004)

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The future of libraries [in the United States]

"Learning is ubiquitous. We learn not only in school but in the workplace and at home and in the community," said Robert Martin, director of the Institute for Museum and Library Services at CLIR's fourth annual Sponsors' Symposium in Washington DC, in April. What does this portend for libraries? Libraries are critical agencies in an evolving "seamless learning infrastructure" of social agencies that facilitate learning, including schools, museums and archives. To support this infrastructure, we must break down the institutional silos of libraries and museums, repurpose learning materials, and develop systems that support customised learning experiences and portals that will enable learners to locate the resources they need. Finally, he added, we have to think about how we prepare library professionals for practice.

CLIR May/June 2004

www.clir.org/pubs/issues/issues39.html#blue

ShelfLife Number 160 (10 June)

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Evaluation of Post-16 Learning Arrangements: Final Report

Philip Wilson, John Rodger, Vicky Hopwood and Matt Antill;
York Consulting Limited.
ISBN: 1-84478-244-1 June 2004

The implementation of the post-16 learning arrangements during the past three years has been characterised by ongoing change and development from the publication of the White Paper Learning to Succeed in 1999 and the Learning and Skills Act 2001, resulting in the establishment of the LSC and new inspection arrangements, through to the range of recent strategies and White Papers covering Success for All, the 14-19 strategy and the Skills Strategy. Throughout this period the sector, and in particular learning providers, has endeavoured and generally achieved the maintenance of "normal operations" as far as the learner is concerned. This has been achieved in parallel with adopting new systems for funding and planning and developing working relationships with the funding bodies – the LSC and Jobcentre Plus. The interim report of one year ago highlighted a series of issues, which were causing difficulties, frustrations and negative perceptions. One year on, there is evidence of improvement against many of these issues. There is also evidence of increasing confidence and optimism across the sector as a whole.

The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education and Skills.

The full report (RR542), price £4.95, is available from
DfES Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ
Cheques should be made payable to "DfES Priced Publications"

The Research Brief (RB542) is available free of charge from the above address
tel: 0845 60 222 60
Research Briefs and Research Reports can also be accessed at www.dfes.gov.uk/research/

Further information about this research can be obtained from Paul Mount, DfES, Room N611, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ email: paul.mount@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

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Progression from Adult and Community Learning

Judy Morrell, Rezina Chowdhury and Ben Savage;
NOP Social and Political.
ISBN: 1-84478-260-3 June 2004

There has been increased focus in the past few years on measuring the outputs of various forms of learning provision. This focus is not simply on "hard outcomes" of learning such as increases in skills and in qualification levels. There have also been attempts to define and measure the softer outcomes which can be achieved as a result of learning. The relative informality of this learning provision makes it difficult to measure its effectiveness. Many benefits derived are not necessarily benefits that were sought at the outset but they are no less valuable for being unexpected. Main findings include:

• Local Education Authority Adult and Community Learners are: female (77%), predominantly older (51% aged 55 and over), retired (36%).
• 35% had a disability or long-term illness compared to 21% of the general population.
• 56% had either no qualifications or qualifications at Level 1 on leaving compulsory full-time education.
• ICT learners included a higher proportion of males (38%) and those under 55 (62%) than amongst LEA learners.
• 29% of the sample were "serial attendees" who had attended four or more courses since leaving full-time education.
• Benefits were mainly non-economic such as improved mental and emotional well-being and confidence. Just over 40% of LEA learners experienced benefits to their social life, their ability to communicate and to their physical well-being.

The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education and Skills

The full report (RR546), price £4.95, is available from
DfES Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ
Cheques should be made payable to "DfES Priced Publications"

The Research Brief (RB546) is available free of charge from the above address
tel: 0845 60 222 60
Research Briefs and Research Reports can also be accessed at www.dfes.gov.uk/research/

Further information about this research can be obtained from Deborah Beck, DfES, Room N611, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ email: Deborah.Beck@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

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Byte-sized learning

According to a survey from e-learning provider SkillSoft, people who use e-learning at work tend to access only "small chunks" of the module each time they log on. Most fail to complete the module in one session, if at all. In addition, more than half of respondents said that they access e-learning during quiet periods, but one in eight admitted to coming in early, leaving late or working through their breaks to complete their studies.

IRS Employment Review Number 798 (16 April)

Update comment: Somewhat negative reporting. What about the next one?

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Online learning receives thumbs up from employees

According to a survey from e-learning provider SkillSoft, online tuition has received the backing of employees, with nine out of ten respondents expressing approval. The survey found that:

• 90% said e-learning was enjoyable and an effective way to learn;
• 93% welcomed the ability to learn at varying speeds;
• 85% said that the flexibility and freedom that e-learning offered was an important advantage; and
• 92% said that they had been able to learn exactly what they needed to from their chosen course.

Croner Training Briefing Issue 9 (14 April)

Update comment: You might have been reading about a completely different piece of research – which just proves that attitude changes presentation.

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Open for business

Outgoing chief of the University for Industry (UfI), Ann Limb, predicts that the organisation will have to work harder to develop partnerships with business if it is to survive. Ms Limb warns that UfI must become more "commercially competitive", which will probably mean charging students for some courses, in addition to responding to the specific needs of business. She suggests that, while the provision of basic skills and Level 2 qualifications via learndirect is of great importance, businesses want industry-specific training. She said: "Our research shows that small and medium-sized enterprises aren't interested in qualifications per se. What they want is to acquire the skills to do the job; they're not interested in being put through a standard course."

John Crace, The Guardian 8 June

Update comment: Has this fact only just been discovered? If I, Hazel, as the managing director of a company, want to learn how to do something then I want a short, sharp exercise which will tell me the basics and where to get further help should I need it. I want low-cost, high-impact learning which does not remove me from my desk for too long.

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World's largest e-learning programme

Interactive University, the distributed learning specialist, has launched the Heriot-Watt SCHOLAR programme in India. Ten secondary schools in Delhi have signed up as part of a pilot project supported by the British Council.

URL: www.interactiveuniversity.net

Marchmont WebFlash Volume 8 Number 2 (June 2004)

"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't."

Anatole France

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Working Together – A strategy for the Voluntary and Community Sector and the Learning and Skills Council

This document sets out the strategy that the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) intends to adopt with its partners in the voluntary and community sector (VCS). It explains in detail the "ways of working" that the two bodies will adopt in order to achieve their shared aims. The document looks at the VCS as a provider, employer and source of expertise. It also sets out the recommended practices for working with members of the VCS. It ends with an implementation schedule and a list of references and sources. This document is of interest to the full range of individuals and organisations that are interested in, or involved with, voluntary and community sector engagement with adult learning.

The Learning and Skills Council May 2004

The document (PDF 140pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/2evbd

Update comment: The downloaded copy is of very poor quality and we strongly recommend that you telephone the LSC publications helpdesk (0870 900 6800) and ask them to send you a hard copy instead.

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Charles Clarke launches the next stage of reform in the learning and skills sector

Charles Clarke, Education and Skills Secretary, today (15 June) unveiled proposals to develop a more modernised and demand-led network of learning and skills providers offering choice and value to learners and employers. Speaking at the annual Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) conference in London, Charles Clarke outlined his vision for a new relationship with the sector. With success rates improving and positive signs that the Success for All reforms are being embraced by the learning and skills sector, he set out his proposals for empowering the front line by reducing bureaucracy and creating a high-quality, responsive, demand-led sector responsible for its own future.

Sir Andrew Foster's Bureaucracy report (referred to by Charles Clarke) is at www.successforall.gov.uk/contentList.cfm?contSectionId=8

DfES press release 2004/0117 applies to England) 15 June

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Call to clear up training muddle

The responsibilities of the education department and its £8 billion-a-year skills agency are so confused that colleges and training providers are prevented from delivering government policies, according to a damning report. The Independent Review of Bureaucracy in Further Education and Training by Sir Andrew Foster, former head of the Audit Commission, has called for a fresh negotiation of the public contract between the Department for Education and Skills and the Learning and Skills Council. Sir Andrew said: "I think that accountability does need to be clearer in this sector. If you want to make strategy happen you must know who is responsible for what."

Miranda Green, Education Correspondent, Financial Times 17 June

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Civil service under fire

The red tape burden faced by colleges would be reduced automatically if the quality of management within the DfES was improved, according to the former head of the Audit Commission. Sir Andrew Foster said that the term bureaucracy in itself is "a broad synonym for bad management". He called on the DfES to issue a statement which details its relationship with and to the LSC in a way "which the public can understand". He also calls for a clearer explanation of the relationship between the LSC national office and its local branches. He said: "The way forward is not to adopt the narrower approach of shortening forms and streamlining administrative processes, but to modernise management to the highest standards."

Steve Hook, The TES FE Focus 18 June

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Clarke to put extra millions on the table

A pledge for "significant new money" for further education will be made by Charles Clarke, the Education Secretary, at a national conference this month. Mr Clarke will announce a funding boost of up to £100,000, at the same time as he unveils a new five-year plan to create a "more self-regulating and self-improving sector". In a speech to the Learning and Skills Development Agency conference, Mr Clarke will acknowledge the administrative burdens placed on the further education sector and will accept key proposals from Sir Andrew Foster to reduce the "overwhelming burdens of accountability and scrutiny" that providers are faced with.

Ian Nash, The TES FE Focus 11 June

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Colleges win £130 million to plug gap

College heads this week welcomed news of a one-off £130 million boost for further education, writes Tony Tysome (The THES 18 June). Mr Tysome tells us that the additional funding was announced following emergency talks between the LSC and the DfES regarding a funding gap which would have led to the loss of 70,000 FE places next year. Charles Clarke, the Education Secretary, said the money would allow allocations for next year to be "kept on track" for all colleges meeting their student recruitment targets. The AoC welcomed the cash but warned that a quick fix would not save the FE sector from its current crisis. It called for permanent baseline increases for all colleges to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future.

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Clarke says tap firms for cash

Charles Clarke has told FE colleges that they need to find new ways of raising money if the FE sector continues to expand. Mr Clarke warned that the £130 million injection must be supplemented by income from the private sector. He said that the rift between colleges and employers "remains too wide" and called on colleges to "prove they are the best places to spend corporate training budgets".

Steve Hook, The TES FE Focus 18 June

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Further education wins £130 million funding "reward"

The government has confirmed that there will be a £130 million boost in the budget for colleges. A statement from the LSC said that the increase was "a reward for colleges who have met several key targets". However, it warned that the government would continue to crack down on underachieving institutions. John Brennan, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said that he was "delighted" by the announcement, but added: "While very welcome indeed, this extra money leaves many difficulties for colleges still unresolved. While they educate two-thirds of 16-18-year-olds, colleges are still funded at some 10% less than schools for the same courses. Staff retention is at risk because many colleges cannot afford to match schools' pay levels. And while colleges are straining to grow, it is unclear whether there will be enough money in the system to avert a similar crisis in 2005-06."

Polly Curtis, The Guardian 14 June

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Learning and Skills Council addresses college funding

The LSC and the DfES have jointly agreed a way forward to deal with the funding challenges that have arisen as a result of the success in the further education sector. Over the last year the FE sector, with other providers, has exceeded expectations in participation, retention and attainment. As a result the LSC and DfES have worked closely to resolve the situation and this has resulted in the LSC planning to take further action to bear down on providers who are under-performing, while rewarding success. In return ministers have agreed to increase, within the overall DfES budget, the total three-year funding allocation for the LSC by £130 million. This will enable the LSC to confirm college allocations for 2004/05 in line with the principles of three-year development planning, and the LSC's new Business Cycle. The LSC has written to all colleges to inform them of the changes.

LSC press release 14 June

Update comment: "Increase by £130 million within the overall DfES budget" means that something or someone else is going to lose out by £130 million.

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Colleges call for extra funding

Welsh colleges are calling on the Assembly government to follow England's lead to safeguard the future for learners. In response to the announcement from education minister Charles Clarke of an extra £130 million for colleges in England in 2004-5, FFORWM, the representative body for further education colleges in Wales, hopes that the Welsh Assembly government will offer the same support.

Jenny Rees, The Western Mail 16 June

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Papers go abroad to speed up marking

Thousands of GCSE papers are being marked overseas this year, The TES has discovered. The Edexcel exam board has set up marking centres in the American mid-west and Sydney, Australia, to assess answers in eight subjects. The board said that the move was part of a trial of an electronic marking system. A spokesperson reassured critics that it would only send "tick-box and short answers" overseas. All other answers would be marked by British examiners. He said that the move would help to "make the marking system more efficient while easing the burden on our markers in the UK".

Warwick Mansell, The TES 25 June

However, on the very same day we get, from The Independent, the following:

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Exam board halts online marking test

Examining board Edexcel has been forced to curtail its online marking of exam scripts after markers complained that the software they were required to use caused their computers to crash. Edexcel has asked markers to return to traditional marking methods, despite a spokesperson insisting that the switch back had nothing to do with computer failure. However, an anonymous marker told The Independent: "Hours and hours of online marking work by hundreds of teachers has been wasted. There must now be a race on to get the papers in question marked in time. Thousands of scripts will have to be sent round the country a week after the exams were sat."

Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 25 June

Update comment: One feels like saying, "Here we go again" whilst praying like mad to any power that might prevent a recurrence of earlier exam fiascos.

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Exam costs rocket

Schools and colleges are spending more than a quarter of a billion pounds a year on exam entry fees and the bill is likely to rise still further, a TES survey has revealed. Secondary schools are now allocating an average of £50,000 just for entering students for A-level, GCSE and vocational assessments, a 31% increase in just two years. Extrapolating these figures across the UK would add up to a whopping £250 million. Moreover, if national curriculum assessments were included, the total testing bill would be almost £300 million. John Dunford, General Secretary of the Secondary Heads Association said: "This is damning evidence of the excessive system of external assessment in this country. Schools have never received additional money for fees, and there's never been any recognition of the steep increase in costs caused by Curriculum 2000 and frequent increases in costs from the boards."

Patrick Hayes and Warwick Mansell, The TES 25 June

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Trial by ink

This is an enchanting article, written by a "second-time-around" student, which challenges the tradition of sitting hand-written examinations. The author argues that writing exams is all well and good for those students who pursue the school-college-university path. It is, she suggests, very different for anyone who has been active in the workplace for a number of years. The author argues that, as a journalist by "trade", she has had very little need of long-hand writing, using shorthand for note-writing, and a word processor for finished articles. She suggests that word-processing itself has changed the way in which people not only write, but think, in that it encourages people to "start arguments in the middle, not at the beginning, to routinely cut and paste thoughts and insert finesse". She says: "But how long can the status quo endure? Most of my fellow students have been working for at least a decade, and in the world of work who ever asks you to handwrite a report? More importantly, who ever judges you on your ability to do so? Schools and universities are championing a skill that in the real world quickly rusts and flakes away."

Mary Braid, The Guardian 8 June

URL: http://tinyurl.com/2emx5

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Immigrant children make learning a richer experience for all, study shows

Research from Compas, an independent centre that studies migration policy in Europe and Britain, has concluded that migrant pupils enrich the classroom and aid the education of non-migrant counterparts. The research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, studied a number of schools in East Oxford which have a high turnover of migrant children. It found that the experiences of children in racially diverse classes were overwhelmingly positive, even where there was evidence of hostility to asylum-seekers, migrants and Muslims in the social climate outside the school.

Arifa Akbar, The Independent 26 June

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Science exams are failing pupils, says Royal Society

The Royal Society has condemned science GCSEs and A-levels for "failing to prepare youngsters for university or the world of work". According to a new report from the Society, secondary school and college science is examined on too narrow a range of skills, such as "rote learning for exams and mastering standardised and predictable experiments, to the neglect of those demanded by employers and universities". The report calls for greater use of ongoing assessment, undertaken by teachers, so that pupils' learning needs can be identified and addressed. It emphasises that this can and should be achieved without increasing the existing excessive exam-related workloads of teachers and pupils.

Richard Garner, The Independent 28 June

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Schools "let down brightest pupils by failing to use super A-levels"

Schools have only themselves to blame if their brightest A-level pupils are not being given the chance to distinguish themselves from the rest, claims a report published by Cambridge University. The report says that schools are failing to submit their more able candidates for Advanced Extension Awards (AEAs). These "super A-levels" were introduced by the government four years ago, but "have been largely ignored by both state and independent schools". According to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, AEAs are available in 17 subjects, do not require any additional teaching or resources and are designed to be taken by the top 10% of pupils. However, 750,000 students sat A-levels last year, while just 7,000 were entered for AEAs. The Cambridge report called for "more widespread, ideally universal, taking of Advanced Extension Awards by high-achieving students" would enable universities to discriminate between the best performing applicants. This would also remove the need for universities to devise their own admissions tests.

John Clare, Education Editor, Daily Telegraph 3 June

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Students all get As as tutors are laid off

First and second-year art students at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, have been told that they will be automatically awarded "A grades" for work that could not be assessed properly because their tutors had been laid off. The students were awarded the grades by the academic director, the head of the School of Art and the external examiner at UWIC. However, a spokesperson for the university said that the marks "would not stand" and that no student would receive an automatic A grade. In response to the situation, a source at UWIC anonymously set up a website to protest against the removal of the tutors. Hey! What Happened To My Education? reads: "Having dismissed their tutors, thereby depriving the students of the teaching they were supposed to be receiving, (the school) indicated it would continue to pursue its avant-garde approach to education by awarding all students a grade A for the work that could not be assessed. Naturally stunned, some of the students made the point that this expedient solution, while admittedly novel, might not be considered entirely fair."

URL: http://whathappened.org.uk/

Phil Baty, Whistleblowers: The THES 11 June

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Languages dying of ennui

Boring GCSE courses are to blame for putting pupils off languages, claims a report from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The report urges exam boards to replace "uninteresting and irrelevant syllabuses", after complaints from teachers that they have to "sell" dreary French, German or Spanish courses about buying bus tickets and ice creams.

Helen Ward, The TES 11 June

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"Improve your Connexions" The Connexions Service Customer Satisfaction Survey

Summary results for all Phase 2 and 3 Connexions partnerships

Andrew Jones and Ed Mortimer;
BMRB Social Research. May 2004

This report summarises the key findings from the second and third stages of Improve Your Connexions – the Connexions Service Customer Satisfaction Survey. The survey was carried out in 13 Phase 2 Connexions Partnerships (CPXs) that began delivering the service between April and June 2002, and 19 Phase 3 CPXs that began delivery between September 2002 and April 2003. Key findings include:

• Results for Phase 2 and Phase 3 were very similar. Where there were differences, the results for Phase 3 tended to be slightly less positive than those for Phase 2, although in some cases this was attributable to a higher proportion of subcontracted partnerships in Phase 3.
• Awareness of the Connexions service was very high.
• Overall satisfaction with the service was very high and Connexions staff were also very highly rated.
• Contact with Connexions had a positive effect on many of the respondents. Around half from both Phases said that it boosted their confidence and a majority said that it helped them to make decisions about their futures.
• Awareness of other aspects of the Connexions service was fairly low.
• The topics most discussed with Connexions were jobs and careers, education and training, or work-based learning.

The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education and Skills.

The research brief (RBX07-04) is available, free of charge, from
DfES Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ

Further information about this research can be obtained from
Bev Bishop, Room W611, DfES, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ
email: beverley.bishop@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

Update comment: Unlike most DfES research there is no information about a full report, only the Brief. Nor is there any information about online sources.

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Connexions Direct

The University for Industry (UfI) has lost the contract to run the Connexions Direct youth advice service. The helpline will now be run by Essentiagroup, the company behind the Home Office's drug advice helpline for young people, Frank. Earlier this year a £28,000 evaluation of the helpline had to be abandoned following suspicions from researchers that less-favourable reviews were being hidden from them. Essentiagroup, of Glasgow, will run the helpline from 1 July, but the service provided will not change. The call centre will still be based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the company plans to boost staff levels.

Community Care 10-16 June

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Why is the Connexions service not working?

In an article for The Independent (1 July), John Brennan, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, commends the theory which underpins the Connexions service. However, he is concerned that the notion of "traditional careers advice for all, supplemented by extra support for those young people who were at risk of dropping out of education" is not working out too well in practice. He highlights a survey conducted by the AoC which found that over half of young people in colleges have never received help from a Connexions PA.

Mr Brennan believes that too many young people are not getting the advice they need at arguably one of the most crucial times that they need it. He argues that the lack of funding for this type of support is extremely imprudent on the part of the government. He says: "Good advice can save money, by reducing drop-out rates and ensuring that students start on the right courses in the first place. That's something that Gordon Brown and Charles Clarke should think about as they put the finishing touches to their plans for spending and education over the years ahead."

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Careers service is failing teenagers

Key findings from the AoC survey include:

• 50.6% of "vulnerable" and general college students (both part- and full-time) receive no advice (as a group or as individuals) from the Connexions service.
• Of those who do receive advice, 56% receive a maximum of one hour's careers advice per year.
• 41% of respondents report that the amount of access to the Connexions service has decreased since September 2002 for general students.
• 46% of respondents report that the service has improved for vulnerable students by up to 50%.
• 84% of respondents think Connexions should do more in schools to explain to all young people their options at 16.

The survey also revealed that colleges are using teaching budgets in order to supplement the inadequate provision, spending an average £37,500 per year on extra advice. A significant minority pays over £100,000. The AoC argued that unemployed young people who were outside education took "the lion's share" of attention, leaving students in colleges with whatever was left over. It called on the government to "abandon the original aim of universal provision or find more money".

Steve Hook, The TES FE Focus 25 June

Update comment: Interesting that the author of this article described Connexions as "the government's careers advice service for teenagers". And if you assume that most of the young people in colleges are outside the target "at risk" category then of course the service won't be as visible as previously.

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Reforms may see Connexion's demise

Connexions Partnerships could be phased out under children's services reforms, a leading figure in the voluntary sector warns. Keith Williams, chief executive of YMCA England, said that the government appeared to be aiming to make children's trusts "the pre-eminent body" for 13- to 19-year-olds, despite Connexions having an explicit responsibility for this age group. He said that, by virtue of the name "children's trust", there was a danger that the needs of teenagers will be sidelined.

Community Care 10-16 June

Update comment: Let me get this straight. The National Audit Office says that Connexions is "on target to meet its major objective", reducing the number of 16-18 year olds not in employment, education, or training. Then the government takes away £25 million of the funding. Now it seems that the money is to be used to build up these "children's trusts" which will, possibly, replace the Connexions Partnerships.

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Question over Labour's skills target claim

The government is poised to announce that it has passed its adult literacy and numeracy "milestone" of 750,000 people having passed basic skills tests. However, there are concerns about the accuracy of these figures. Andy Westwood, director of the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion, points out that many of the "adults" included in these figures are actually 16- and 17-year-olds who passed English or maths GCSE, or acquired a key skills certificate. Mr Westwood accused the government of "sleight of hand", particularly since "a substantial number" of these teenagers would probably not have been included in the 20% of the adult population diagnosed with seriously poor literacy or numeracy. The figures are also questioned by Alan Wells, director of the Basic Skills Agency. He argued that the priority set out in the Moser Report, which formed the impetus for the Skills for Life programme, was to "target the 7 million adults who had poor literacy and/or numeracy skills". However, the government widened this group to include all adults at below Level 2. The breakdown of Skills for Life participants reveals:

• 41% of the total were learners at Level 2;
• 41% were at Level 1; and
• just 18% were at Entry Level.

Mr Wells said: "This increases the target group from about 23% of adults to about 75% of adults – from 7 million to more than 20 million. While this may be right, it's important to acknowledge that many of this target group will not have any significant difficulties with basic skills, so getting a certificate to say that they have good basic skills does not necessarily indicate improvement but merely an existing fact."

Peter Kingston, The Guardian 29 June

Update comment: So, the government says: "We've done it" and two leading experts in the field say: "Have you really?" Who's right? No prizes for the answer – not even on a postcard.

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Testing, Testing...1,2,3: Assessment in adult literacy, language and numeracy

Peter Lavender, Jay Derrick and Barry Brooks;
NIACE.
ISBN: 1-86201-193-1

This new NIACE policy discussion paper brings together three contributions that add to the debate of how Britain can best meet the policy goal that underpins the target – that of how to strengthen skill and confidence in literacy, numeracy and language amongst adults in Britain who need support and encouragement. In the first, Peter Lavender explores how narrowly drawn LSC guidance on funding and priorities risks distorting a generously drawn national policy. In the second, Jay Derrick looks at the relationship between formative and summative assessment and literacy learning. In the third Barry Brooks analyses the challenges confronted and progress made in identifying national standards and tools of assessment.

Price £8.95 from Publication Sales, NIACE,
21 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GE
tel: 0116 204 4216
email: orders@niace.org.uk

Key Skills Work Issue 20 (June 2004)

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Transition to Key Skills 2004

The main focus of this issue of the Key Skills Work newsletter (Issue 20 (June 2004)) from the Key Skills Support Programme is the transition from the KS specifications of 2000 to the new KS 2004 standards. The updated specification will be implemented in September. Significant changes include:

• The wider key skills, such as improving own learning and performance and working with others will become available as national qualifications.
• The entitlement to level 2 communication, number and ICT key skills will be introduced.

Further details and a full statement of the transition arrangements are at www.qca.org.uk/qualifications/types/6443.html

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Egan Review: skills for sustainable communities

In April 2003, Sir John Egan was asked to conduct a review to consider the skills needed to help deliver the vision and aims of the Sustainable Communities Plan. This report presents the findings of his review and seeks to: clarify what the term "sustainable community" means; identify who is responsible for leading the delivery of sustainable communities; and recognise the skills necessary to achieve sustainable communities. It makes a number of recommendations, including the establishment of a new National Centre for Sustainable Communities Skills. The centre would work with others in developing world class generic skills, to contribute to research and national and international debate on sustainable communities, identify skills gaps, review formal education available for core occupations, and encourage more entrants into these professions.

BOPCAS-EMPLOYMENT 25 May

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Skills shortages hobble manufacturing

An NOP survey of managers in the UK, France and Germany has revealed that British employers were alone in complaining about the shortage of skills among school leavers. The survey, commissioned by the EEF – formerly the Engineering Employers Federation – revealed that British firms were also the least likely to try and address the shortage themselves by hiring and training their own apprentices. Just 40% of British companies had employed apprentices in the past two years, compared to 60% in France and 70% in Germany.

Miranda Green and Steve Johnson, Financial Times 28 June

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"Go-betweens" champion learning – learning brokers' vital role as ambassadors in the workplace and community

Brokers are getting an increasing profile helping to deliver government priorities. But, unlike business brokers, the role of learning brokers is not well understood. Nevertheless, learning brokers are playing a crucial role in the campaign to boost skills and widen participation in education and training by acting as go-betweens that link individuals with learning providers. Two new reports from the Learning and Skills Development Agency's (LSDA) research centre (published on 28 May) present the findings of a major piece of research to discover how widespread learning brokerage is and how it operates, what learning brokers do, and the barriers that prevent brokerage working effectively.

• Learning brokerage: building bridges between learners and providers, prepared for LSDA by the Institute for Access Studies at Staffordshire University, identifies different forms of learning brokerage, how it can stimulate organisational change, and the strategies that learning brokers use to engage non-traditional adult learners.
• Learning brokerage in the workplace, prepared by researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University and the University of Hull, looks specifically at the role of intermediaries, such as union learning representatives, within the workplace. The terms "learning broker" and "brokerage" cover a wide range of roles and activities, including paid professionals involved in advice and guidance (such as JobCentre staff), national organisations such as the University for Industry (learndirect), union learning representatives, librarians, health visitors, learning champions in communities, football coaches and unpaid volunteers.

Both reports are available free of charge from
Information Services, LSDA, Regent Arcade House, 19-25 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LS
tel: 0207 297 9144
email: enquiries@LSDA.org.uk

LSDA press release 3 June

Update comment: We're told that the terms "broker" and "brokerage" cover a wide range of roles and responsibilities. OK, so where's the mention of professional guidance practitioners?

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Evaluation of the Community Champions Fund

Andrew Watson, Glyn Owen, Mary Crowder, Brian Ellis;
ASW Consulting.
ISBN: 1-84478-267-0 June 2004

The aim of the evaluation was to assess the added value of the Community Champions Fund (CCF), and its benefits to both individuals and local communities, in order to inform the future shape of the fund. The study was undertaken by ASW Consulting on behalf of the DfES. Key findings include:

• CCF is successful in stimulating volunteering. Almost all of the respondents to the survey said they had involved others in their project, giving, on average, nearly 10 volunteers per award.
• Nearly 35% of respondents had either achieved a qualification or begun studying while in receipt of CCF. Attribution to CCF was at a medium to high level.
• Champions were typically more highly qualified than the average levels across the population as a whole - 44% had qualifications at Level 4 or higher, 49% had qualifications between levels 1-3 and 6% had no qualifications.
• The CCF is successful in attracting black and minority ethnic groups. About 40% of Champions were from black and minority ethnic communities – a far higher percentage than within the general population.
• Whilst 28 (7.0%) of the Champions had found employment (including self-employment) since starting their project, attribution of the employment to CCF was low.

The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education and Skills.

The full report (RR550), price £4.95, is available from
DfES Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ
Cheques should be made payable to "DfES Priced Publications"

The Research Brief (RB366) is available free of charge from the above address
tel: 0845 60 222 60
Research Briefs and Research Reports can also be accessed at www.dfes.gov.uk/research/

Further information about this research can be obtained from
Alison Solomons, DfES, Room W1129, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ
email: alison.solomons@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

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Sustaining projects for success

NIACE lifelines in adult learning – Number 15

Kay Snowdon;
NIACE.
ISBN: 1-86201-188-5

Sustaining projects for success shows how good projects can, and do, make a difference to people's lives as individuals, in communities and in organisations. This guide brings together the different aspects involved in project working, from initial consultation with the community to evaluation and celebration of achievements. The guide highlights the key processes and factors needed to encourage a sustainable future and includes checklists and a listing of useful resources and contacts.

Price £6.95 from NIACE Publication Sales,
21 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GE
tel: 0116 204 4216 email: orders@niace.org.uk

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Survey of Companies in England Supported by European Social Fund Objective 3

PACEC Ltd. DWP In-house Report No. 143 June 2004

This research presents the findings of a survey of companies in England which have benefited from training funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 3. The survey assessed the extent and nature of the support provided, characteristics of companies in receipt of the support, and the effects of the support on those companies. Main findings include:

• Nearly 80% of the companies surveyed had fewer than fifty employees – around a third were micro-firms employing fewer than ten people, while around six in ten were from a wide range of service sectors.
• Almost two-thirds (64%) of the companies surveyed used ESF to provide training to managers and supervisors. Just over a fifth (22%) trained skilled manual workers. The majority (up to 60%) of employees of ESF-supported companies were from higher or intermediate level skills occupations (managers, professionals, skilled manual workers).
• The content of the training provided showed wide variation. The main types of provision related to aspects of managerial, supervisory and technical training. Almost four in ten companies (38%) reported training in management such as team-leadership, time-management etc. Over a third reported training in health and safety.
• The main reported aim of the ESF-supported training was to improve employees' skills for their current job (57% of companies). This indicates a generally reactive approach to training. However, ESF-supported companies were overall more likely to train than non-ESF companies (20% of which said they had done no training in recent years). Significantly higher proportions of ESF-supported companies than non-supported companies said they used the support to prepare employees for a future job (23%) or to help improve business performance (26%). These findings suggest overall a more strategic orientation to training and higher skills awareness on the part of the ESF-supported companies.
• Nearly 45% of supported companies reported positive effects on their bottom-line performance as a result of the ESF funding – 75% reported improved employee productivity.
• Some four in 10 ESF-supported companies reported that they would "definitely" or "probably" not have undertaken alternative measures to achieve the same effects as the training in the absence of the ESF support. This measure of additionality was highest amongst micro-firms (52%). A further 20% reported they would have taken alternative measures to achieve the same effects, but later than the ESF-supported intervention.

DWP news release 18 June

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Evaluation of Equality Mainstreaming in ESF Objective 3

Carolyn Hay, Ginnie Betts and Stephen Murray
ECOTEC Research and Consultancy Ltd. DWP In-house Report No. 141
ISBN: 1-84388-277-9 June 2004

This report reviewed the effectiveness of the implementation of equality mainstreaming in the England Objective 3 Programme at national, regional and project level. The study was informed by interviews with national and regional stakeholders, a review of relevant policy documents at national and regional level, analysis of recent administrative and survey data, and 15 case studies of projects in order to identify good practice.

A summary and copy of the report is available on the DWP website at www.dss.gov.uk/asd/asd5

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Local Impact of ESF Objective Funding

The Policy Research Institute at Leeds Metropolitan University,
the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University and
the Institute for Employment Studies.
DWP In-house Report No. 140
ISBN: 1-84388-276-0 June 2004

This report assessed the impact of ESF at the local level and whether ESF is meeting local needs, including those of rural areas. The research included contacting over 600 ESF-funded projects together with undertaking 25 case studies, interviews with key players and a review of programming documents.

A summary and copy of the report is available on the DWP website at www.dss.gov.uk/asd/asd5

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Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in ESF-Supported Projects

CRG. DWP In-house Report No. 138
ISBN: 1-84388-274-4 June 2004

This report looks at the impact of the Objective 3 Programme on the Information Society and the role ICT is playing within Objective 3. The research used a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods, involving interviews with key players, a postal survey of projects and 12 case studies.

A summary and copy of the report is available on the DWP website at www.dss.gov.uk/asd/asd5

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Support is lacking for minority students

Research conducted by the Institute for Employment Studies has concluded that universities are failing to offer adequate academic and career development support to students from ethnic minority groups. The research found that although ethnic minority people are more likely to enter higher education than their white peers, they are less likely to get a "good" class of degree or job after graduation. Helen Connor, IES associate fellow who led the research, said that ethnic minority students were more likely to enter HE through non-traditional routes, which meant that they often did not receive the kind of careers support offered to traditional students. She said: "It can mean that while they gain entry to higher education, they do not necessarily get onto a course they can cope with or that is right for them."

Tony Tysome, The THES 2 July

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Quango famed for red tape set to cross divide

A model of collaboration between HE and FE institutions is rumoured to be under consideration for a national roll-out. Sussex LSC is currently taking steps to increase its involvement in the "strategic planning of vocational higher education". The partnership involves working with universities to "develop courses, reduce overlaps in provision and meet employer and student needs in the region". The LSC and the HEFCE are consulting vice-chancellors and college principals on plans to establish regional lifelong learning networks of FE and HE institutions. Academics have expressed concern that collaboration with the LSC could create a divide between lecturers, with some academics being "subject to the full impact of the LSC's directives and targets" and others escaping unscathed. Lecturers are worried that the burden of accountability will be too high. John Bryan, chair of the FE committee of NATFHE, warned: "Trying to show you have hit LSC targets can become a paper chase with no apparent benefit. My advice to HE would be: don't let the LSC in." Eddie McIntyre, principal of Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies, which moved from the FE to the HE sector last year, said: "I cannot see how it would work. If universities think bureaucracy is bad under HEFCE, it is worse under the LSC." Michael Thrower, principal of Northbrook College, a mixed economy college in Sussex, said greater collaboration between FE and HE made sense. But, he added: "I am sure that the cost of bureaucracy in dealing with the LSC will be on the minds of vice-chancellors."

Tony Tysome, The THES 18 June

Mr Tysome notes the difference in bureaucratic burden for lecturers in both FE and HE.

Higher Education

• Research assessment exercise including filling in forms to help predict RAE outcomes.
• Quality Assurance Agency audits, including compiling data for assessors and preparing self-evaluation documents for institutional audits.
• Transparency review, including filling in diaries on the time spent on activities, particularly research.

Further Education

• 73 separate funding streams each with its own rules and accountability requirements.
• Self-assessment reports: form-filling and meetings to compile reports demonstrating courses are properly quality assured.
• Short courses that are all internally examined and assessed.
• Multiple Learning and Skills Council targets requiring paperwork and data returns.
• OfSTED inspections generating reams of paperwork.
• LSC area reviews that sometimes require radical changes in provision
• Regular student retention and achievement returns.

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Survey highlights perceptions of career guidance for FE students with learning difficulties

A recent survey has found that FE students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities studying alongside non-disabled students, were generally clear about how their college was helping them to achieve their long-term goals. The majority of these students had received early careers advice. In contrast, many students on discrete courses, designed specifically for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, were not clear about how these linked to their personal goals, or what they were trying to achieve. This group of students were less likely to have received careers advice and were more likely to experience "recycling", or being shunted from one course to another because there appeared to be no alternative.

Newscheck June/July 2004

Count Me in FE by Vikki Anderson, Sally Faraday, Steve Prowse, Gill Richards and David Swindells,
is available free of charge from the LSDA, Regent Arcade House,
19-25 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LS
tel: 020 7297 9144
email: enquiries@LSDA.org.uk

It is also (PDF 60pp) at www.lsda.org.uk/files/PDF/1476.pdf

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Improvements "barely scratch surface"

Government initiatives to improve the lives of people with learning difficulties "barely scratch the surface of what is needed", according to the mental health charity MENCAP. Responding to the release of the governme