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November 2005 |
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Five weeks ago today I was heading off into the hospital – not quite knowing what to expect of this "major surgery" – and now here I am writing another editorial in another issue of ADSET Members' Update. Thanks to all of you who sent good wishes, cards etc. I was only out of action for a week although the return to work is still a "part-time as and when" thing. My physical condition doesn't, however, stop my brain from working so keep the questions coming to the Enquiry Service and I'll do my best to provide sensible answers.
The "theme of the month" seems to be "accessibility" – not just for disabled people trying to access websites but also the problems that everyone has from time to time with trying to work out exactly what this website is about and where to find the information you want.
Appropos of finding information, I've included details of "MrSapo" that [or should that be who?] is a search engine portal that carries your search across 150+ different search/meta search engines one at a time. I hope that you will find it as useful as I have done since ResourceShelf told me about it.
eLearning Credits have been extended for another two years to the tune of £125 million. No, it's not a fortune but it is, in the vernacular phrase, better than a kick up the backside.
Details of the reorganisation of the Learning and Skills Council emerged just as last month's edition of Members' Update was being put to bed. The intention is to reduce the number of staff dramatically, from 4,700 to 3,384 thereby making considerable financial savings.
In the manner of the diarists. This is now some few days later since I had to leave to go to London and sent this to the proof reader with the editorial unfinished. In London I attended a very interesting seminar on the uses of Labour Force Survey data with particular reference to extracting more than basic LMI. I expect to get the PowerPoint presentations shortly, or at least a link to them, and will let you know how to access etc. As an incidental I was not aware until that seminar that Excel automatically colours graphs "blue for boys, pink for girls".
All of you should by now be aware that the Directory of Guidance Provision for Adults in the UK 2005/06 has just been published. Priced at £43 (non members pay £4.30 post and packing +VAT on the p&p) it is available direct from ADSET (phone, post, email or use the order form on the website) and your usual third-party bookseller.
You will appreciate, I am sure, that my health difficulties have meant some delay with some of the usual ADSET work. One result is that Opportunity: a directory of sources of lifetime learning and career development information 2005/06 is not now expected to be published until early in 2006. I would, however, hope that 2006/07 edition would be appearing in September 2006. Research is moving on apace – and there are lots of amendments. So, if you haven't bought this for a year or so now is the time to get your order in.
While I'm trying to prise money out of you (in return for supplying very useful information) I'd like to make sure that you have booked for the ADSET Conference at Barleythorpe Management Centre in Rutland. The programme is, in my opinion, the best that there's been – that means that we're living up to "continuous quality improvement" – and will provide you with even more useful information about information! Hazel Edmunds, Editor
Between summer 2003 and spring 2005, thirty 14-19 area-wide inspections were carried out by OfSTED. This report draws on the outcomes of those inspections and a small number of additional visits. It also draws on other relevant OfSTED inspection evidence. It evaluates the progress which has been made in developing a coherent phase of education and training for young people between the ages of 14 and 19. Key findings include:
info4local.gov.uk 18 November
Full report (PDF 30pp) http://tinyurl.com/dccoo
Update comment: Implied criticism here of "impartial advice and guidance" services and praise for Connexions services!
This LSDA report, by Peter Bates, Will Hunt and Jim Hillage, details the findings of a scoping study into initiatives, methods and approaches designed to encourage a widening adult participation in learning via the workplace below Level 2. The focus of the study is on approaches and initiatives aimed at widening participation in learning via the workplace among adults in employment.
LSDA Briefing November 2005
Hard copies of this report are currently not in stock.
The full report (PDF 64pp) is at
http://tinyurl.com/av93w
A new report from the National Skills Forum urges the government to "rethink its policy of refocusing resources on younger students at the expense of adults". The report, which was sponsored by City and Guilds, examined the skills needs and current skills provision in the constituencies of Members of Parliament. Based on constituency-specific data and current government policies and initiatives, it identified major issues from individual MPs through a series of questionnaires and interviews. Key findings include:
Joe Clancy, The TES FE Focus 4 November
Skills: A Parliamentary Perspective
Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council for property services, housing, cleaning services and facilities management, has set up a helpline (tel: 08700 567 160) to enable access to information on career paths, training standards, courses and funding for training.
Newscheck November 2005
The Council for Administration (CfA) has launched a new careers website which provides information, advice and guidance on careers in business and administration. The website provides a wide range of information including job roles and progression opportunities.
SSDA INvolve Issue 110 (15 November)
URL: www.breakinto.biz
The government's career advice system needs to do better and businesses fear proposed reforms will not tackle the problem, claims the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). OECD evidence shows that where careers guidance is the responsibility of schools and colleges, information and guidance is strongly biased towards continuing with academic studies. With the government's Green Paper on Youth Services proposing to devolve responsibility and funding for careers advice partnerships to local schools and colleges, firms are deeply concerned that the problem will get worse, not better. Businesses are also worried that outdated gender stereotypes are still dictating career choices. CBI Director-General Sir Digby Jones said: "Informed careers advice is vital if young people are to realise their full potential and promise. This year's CBI/Pertemps Employment Trends Survey revealed that more than half of employers (56%) are dissatisfied with school-leavers' knowledge about their job and career. And poor careers advice, or the lack of it, sees over two-thirds (69%) of apprentices dropping out of training programmes. Every young person must be able to talk to experienced and knowledgeable advisers who understand how business works, the career options open to them, what employers need and where their talents and skills would best be applied. … We just can't afford a careers advice system that is stuck in a 1970s timewarp. Government, careers services, local authorities, businesses and schools must all pull in the same direction, and rise to the challenge of delivering a better-quality experience for both students and employers. We all want our economy to prosper and our young people to succeed."
HRLook Daily News 7 November
Vivienne Barker, A G Watts, Tricia Sharpe and Andrew Edwards (Department of Career and Personal Development, Canterbury Christ Church University College)
A programme designed to develop the capacity of voluntary agencies and community groups to deliver information, advice and guidance (IAG) on learning and work to their clients and members is outlined. Four forms of capacity building are distinguished: internal IAG capacity building, based on developing IAG resources within the agency or group itself; external IAG capacity building, based on the agency or group offering IAG resources delivered by outside providers; learning capacity building, based on learning brokerage; and organisational capacity building, contributing to the development of the agency or group in broader terms. (Original abstract)
British Journal of Guidance and Counselling
Volume 33 Number 4 (November 2005)
Barrie A Irving, Department for Career and Personal Development, Canterbury Christ Church University College
For many Muslim girls, decisions about career, opportunity and progression are closely intertwined with family, culture and religion. Choice is often mediated by a sense of collective belonging and responsibility, and this may far outweigh any individual aspirations for members of this group. Yet much career education continues to focus on the individual, and is presented in a culturally neutral way. This article explores ways in which Islam generally impacts on the lives of Muslim girls and argues that cultural understanding is essential if career education is to be both accepted and effective. The rationale behind the development of this pack, focused on Muslim girls, is discussed, an overview of the pack provided and potential challenges explored. (Original abstract)
Career Research and Development Number 12 (Summer 2005)
Research launched by the business education charity businessdynamics reveals that 75% of young people, more than ever before, have a clear idea of their future career plans. According to the Student Attitudes to Business annual survey, students increasingly know what they want and are relatively confident they will get there, with 31% thinking it will be "easy" for them to get their job of choice. Key findings include:
HRLook Daily News 11 November
More information in the press release: www.businessdynamics.org.uk/gen/2005_nopcareer.aspx
An NOP poll by the Learning and Skills Development Agency shows that mature students would be prepared to pay more for their FE courses. The survey found that 60% would be prepared to pay some or all of the costs of their personal interest or leisure studies, while 54% would be prepared to pay more for studies that further their career prospects. The Association of Colleges has, however, questioned the validity and usefulness of the findings, which give support to the government's plan to reduce its contribution. John Brennan, the AoC Chief Executive, commented: "Part of the problem is what people say in response to a survey is not always the same as what they are prepared to do when it comes to the crunch. The experience of colleges is that the willingness to pay significant increases in fees is quite low. A survey of this kind is no basis for policy."
Neil Merrick and Steve Hook, The TES FE Focus 4 November
The Education Secretary has told college leaders that both the government and principals must make "really tough choices" in trying to raise employment skills in Britain to the level of other industrialised countries. Speaking at the Association of Colleges' annual conference, Ruth Kelly described the UK's staying-on rate among 16- and 17-year-olds as "scandalous". She warned that public funding for post-compulsory education and training would be concentrated on those "who most need help" to improve their job prospects. She said that colleges will have to increase charges for everybody else by 40% within two years and by almost 100% soon after. Most of the 3.5 million adult students in further education colleges pay about 27% of the cost of their courses.
Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 17 November
College principals have told the government that they are losing students as a result of having to charge employers higher fees for training. Presenting evidence to the Commons Education Select Committee, John Brennan, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said that employers are simply refusing to send their employees on further education courses. He argued that there needs to be "a shift in cultural attitudes to investment in learning". Labour MP Gordon Marsden said that the failure to invest in employee training was "a pretty demeaning and disgraceful indictment of business".
Joe Clancy, TES FE Focus 2 December
This report comprises key findings and recommendations from the first cycle of OfSTED/ALI inspections of further education colleges. It finds that most of the provision seen in FE colleges over the four years of inspection was good or outstanding. This cycle of inspections has produced the most detailed account of FE ever assembled, and it has confirmed the broadly positive picture that emerged from earlier inspections conducted by previous inspectorates. The main strengths of FE are:
The weaknesses are diminishing, but still include:
info4local.gov.uk 18 November
Full report (PDF 30pp) http://tinyurl.com/7ujch
College students and staff have presented a petition signed by 60,000 people to Downing Street in a call over better funding. The protestors want the government to protect adult education courses and to equalise funding between schools and colleges.
BBC News Online 1 November
"There's no such thing as half-trust. The instructor pilot can't `half' sit next to you on your first solo."
Tom Peters, US management author, presenter
Some of those entitled to free tuition are losing out because of cuts to childcare support, writes Louise Tickle (The Guardian 1 November). Ms Tickle tells us that FE colleges across the country are being forced to cut their funding for childcare places because of a "shockingly big bite" taken out of the 2005-06 Learner Support Fund (LSF) allocation. The LSF is allocated to FE colleges by their funding body, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), and contains a ring-fenced allocation for childcare. Colleges argue that they are finding it difficult to implement the government's commitment to free tuition to anyone without Level 2 qualification, as significant numbers are low-skilled single parents. Many of these students will be unable to take up places, regardless of whether the tuition is free or not, without childcare support. Stephen Doyle, the LSC's Childcare Funding Manager, has admitted that the amount available for childcare nationally has been reduced from £40 million in 2004-05 to £30 million in 2005-06 – a 25% cut.
Full article: http://tinyurl.com/amxub
Colleges and lecturers offered cautious support for further education reform plans unveiled by Sir Andrew Foster, but expressed disappointment that there were no recommendations for extra funding to fuel the changes. John Gravatt, the Association of Colleges' Director of Funding and Development, argued that the review had "dodged the question of money". He said: "If the funding issues aren't addressed then we can't do these recommendations. Without addressing what the government will pay for, what individuals will pay for and what businesses should pay for it's an interesting read but won't transfer into action." Paul Mackney, General Secretary of the lecturers' union NATFHE, echoed this view, saying: "NATFHE is concerned that the report does not give any clear guarantees on improving further education funding or college lecturers' pay."
Polly Curtis, Education Correspondent, The Guardian 15 November
The financial health of Scottish further education colleges is improving, but it is unclear how much of the improvement is due to extra funding rather than better financial management, according to a report by the Scottish Executive's Audit Committee.
Education and Training Parliamentary Monitor Number 128 (November 2005)
Further Education Colleges: http://tinyurl.com/d2zso
"Wise are those who learn that the bottom line doesn't always have to be their top priority."
William Arthur Ward
The Foster Review of Further Education sets clear goals for a service which, as Sir Andrew Foster describes it, is "not a Cinderella but a middle child with huge potential that everyone has overlooked and it does itself no favours by moaning". Key recommendations include:
Sir Andrew identifies two priorities for colleges. First, they must develop a much clearer sense of their purpose, which he believes to be "its contribution to the success of the economy, employers and individual learners". Secondly, colleges must adopt a "tighter, more effective approach to improvement" to eliminate the pockets of poor provision that exist in further education.
Peter Kingston, The Guardian 15 November
Realising the Potential: A review of the future role of further education colleges (PDF 110pp) http://tinyurl.com/dfzvc
Threats to hand over control of failing colleges to the private sector have been dismissed by Mark Haysom, the Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). In his review of further education, Sir Andrew Foster argued that the private sector should be able to take over institutions that have "relentlessly failed their communities". However, Mr Haysom insisted that such a handover would be highly unlikely. He said: "In truth, I see that as a bit of a red herring. To my knowledge, there has been only one college that has failed re-inspection – and re-inspection comes within a year."
Ian Nash, The TES FE Focus 24 November
In an article for The Guardian (15 November), Stephen McNair asks if the solution to the funding crisis in post-compulsory learning could be found in the Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs). Professor McNair argues that, despite all the bad publicity, the ILA addressed the issue of "who pays and how much" for adult learning. He maintains that, while the scheme in England was ruined by fraud, versions operate successfully in both Scotland and Wales, suggesting that the ILA was, in itself, "a success". Professor McNair writes: "[ILAs] put the resources into the hands of individuals, enabling them to buy the learning they need or want. The government could still support its priorities – it could invest more public money in accounts for those with the lowest qualification, and those at risk of social exclusion. Sectoral bodies could invest in accounts for those in their sectors, and enlightened employers could contribute to the accounts. Most critically, a proper scheme would be fairer."
Stephen McNair is Professor of Education at the University of Surrey
The Yearbook is a directory for anyone involved in adult learning. Containing details of over 3,000 key contacts, it is organised by sector, including details of regional, national and international organisations. The new edition contains chapters on central and local government, national and local Learning and Skills Councils, further and higher education, voluntary and community organisations, workplace-led learning, and media organisations, plus many more. It has information on named contacts, with contact details and websites, as well as a list of acronyms and key adult education resources.
Price £23.95
Order from Publication Sales,
NIACE, 21 De Montfort Street, Leicester, LE1 7GE
tel: 0116 204 4216
email: orders@niace.org.uk
A report from the National Audit Office praised learndirect for its excellent progress, but warned that it must continue to improve its performance. The report stated that learndirect had "pushed the boundaries of learning methods by making innovative use of technology to help make learning much more flexible". It also recognised learndirect's capacity for attracting hard-to-reach learners. However, it warned that there are significant issues regarding the sustainability of the network, particularly for rural UK Online centres. It called on UfI, learndirect's managing body, to explore "creative" solutions to this problem.
eGov Monitor Weekly Issue 191 (7 November)
Extending access to learning through technology: UfI and the learndirect service: (PDF 68pp) www.egovmonitor.com/x?191b1
Responding to the publication of the Foster review of further education, Dr John Brennan, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, questioned the wisdom of downgrading leisure learning. Dr Brennan argued that there are sound economic and social benefits to be reaped from learning for personal development and enjoyment. He said that one of the core purposes of further education would always be "to transform individual lives and equip people to realise their hopes and dreams". He also criticised the "anti-college" propaganda emanating from the CBI, arguing that businesses need to provide more training and identify the skills they needed rather than criticising colleges.
Alison Smith, BBC News Online 16 November
A review of further education (FE) colleges which calls for a "sharper focus to improve students' employability" has been welcomed by the government today (15 November). The Department for Education and Skills/Learning and Skills Council commissioned report by Sir Andrew Foster, the Deputy Chairman of the Royal Bank of Canada, examines the key challenges and opportunities facing FE colleges. It calls for improvements in college leadership and for colleges to specialise in key vocational subjects, to improve prospects for young people and adults in the workforce.
Copies of the report are available on the FE Review website at www.dfes.gov.uk/furthereducation/fereview
DfES press release 15 November Client ref 2005/0136
One in 10 further education colleges is failing to give students a decent education and should be subjected to tougher sanctions including outright closure, the Foster Review warns. Sir Andrew Foster, the former chief executive of the Audit Commission, said that "persistent underperformance" in some of England's 389 colleges is failing individual learners. He called for "a more targeted focus on skills and employability".
Rebecca Smithers, Education Editor, The Guardian 15 November
Colleges are complaining that they are being forced to subsidise teenage students because their 16-18 budget is too small. Mark Haysom, Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), said that many places went unfunded because colleges had exceeded their recruitment targets. When this occurs, colleges must then either turn the students away or fund the additional places themselves. Mr Haysom said: "It's encouraging in one sense and concerning in another."
Joseph Lee, The TES FE Focus 24 November
Changes announced in October to the planning and funding of the further education (FE) sector will allow thousands more young people and adults to gain qualifications and skills for the workplace. The two-year strategy builds on the policy priorities in this year's
14-19 and Skills White Papers and will see increased investment to:
At the same time, changes will be introduced to ensure funding remains sustainable in the long-term, with a greater proportion of the costs of training coming from individuals and employers.
Funding will be targeted at:
Priorities for Success - Funding Learning and Skills will be of interest to all providers receiving LSC funding plus partners and stakeholders (PDF 28pp) http://tinyurl.com/atq3d
Priorities for Success - School Sixth Form Funding will be of interest to schools with sixth forms and local authorities (PDF 14pp) http://tinyurl.com/cxczr
Success For All News 7 November
New research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council suggests that the quality of teaching in FE colleges is under threat from "poor funding and constantly changing government priorities". The study, part of the Transforming Learning Cultures in FE project, warns that, for many institutions, ensuring financial survival takes up more time than ensuring teaching quality is high.
Martin Whittaker, The TES FE Focus 11 November
More information about the TLC project is at www.education.ex.ac.uk/tlc/
Growth in post-compulsory educational participation has meant increased numbers of young people from disadvantaged families experiencing higher education (HE). To what extent do they benefit? Having traced a group of less advantaged young people through HE, the researchers focused on their progress in trying to move into the graduate labour market. The study looked at the difficulties encountered and jobs entered, and whether the young people derived value from the time and money invested in HE. Key findings include:
An overview of the research is at www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/0505.asp
The full report, Graduates from disadvantaged
families: Early labour market experiences by Andy Furlong and Fred Cartmel,
is published for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation by The Policy Press (ISBN:
1-86134-780-4, price £12.95)
It (PDF 53pp) is also at
http://tinyurl.com/a8g78
JRF mailing list 8 November
A third of company directors refuse to recruit graduates from universities that are at the bottom of newspaper league tables, according to research conducted by the Institute of Directors (IoD). The research found that 32% of IoD members avoid employing graduates from "certain establishments". Just 44% of company directors believed that the graduates they employed had "the skills necessary to perform their jobs efficiently".
Jessica Shepherd, The THES 4 November
Kate Purcell, Nick Wilton (ESRU, Bristol Business School, UWE), Rhys
Davies and Peter Elias (IER, University of Warwick)
Brief no: 690
ISBN:
1-84478-588-2
October 2005
This investigation of the transitions into teaching and early career experiences of those with teaching qualifications was undertaken to throw light upon the early career decisions of recent graduates who chose to train as teachers. The key questions addressed include who trained to become a teacher and why; who left the teaching profession, why and what are they doing instead; what did these recent recruits to the teaching profession think of their occupations; and what were their future intentions. Key findings include:
The full report (RR690), 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 (RB690) 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
Mark Wilberforce, Room N4, DfES, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ
email:
mark1.wilberforce@dfes.gsi.gov.uk
The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education and Skills.
"Diversiton is a practical one-stop resource for HR specialists – with information on EU legislation, good practice checklists, training courses, in-house training packages etc. There's everything you need to raise awareness, build confidence and develop capacity in your organisation to deal with individual needs – such as holidays, food, prayer, dress, etc."
Update comment: This site will help employers to avoid discrimination on the basis of religion.
Figures from the National Assembly for Wales profiling the teaching profession in 2004, show that teaching has once again become an attractive profession for young people. Teacher recruitment and retention has improved steadily over the year from 2003, in contrast to the position recently reported for England. Secondary schools in Wales receive "a relatively healthy" nine applications for every position, while primary schools receive, on average, 22 applications per post. In a "marked" contrast with England, just 50 teachers with less than five years teaching experience left the profession in Wales during 2004.
Aled Blake, The Western Mail 24 November
The 25 countries of the European Union (EU) have a combined population of about 460 million inhabitants, which makes it the third most populous "political entity" in the world after China and India. Since its inception as the European Economic Community in 1958, its population has grown at a steady pace through a combination of positive natural increase (births exceeding deaths), positive net migration (immigration exceeding emigration) and by leaps caused by "enlargement" – the political process by which countries become member states. The future will be very different, with the EU expected to decline in absolute number in the coming decades as the population ageing process accelerates. As the population of the EU ages and declines in size, the same will happen to the population of traditional labour force age (16-64). The potential supply of labour will shrink, which will be a factor working against economic growth. In this paper, data from the most recently available United Nations population projection is used to try to quantify these effects. The analysis suggests that the addition of the ten mainly Eastern European countries to the EU in May 2004 will accelerate both population ageing and decline within the EU. These countries, because of their own demographic circumstances, will not be a key source of labour for other higher-income member states in the longer run. However, the demography of the candidate country of Turkey is very different. Its population is growing at a relatively rapid rate and its age structure is much younger. If Turkey is allowed to join the EU, and if the UN projections prove to be correct, it will have the largest population of any of the current 25 member states (Germany will be second largest). In the same period, the number of people aged 20-64 will increase by about 14 million. In this sense, Turkey has the potential to supply the rest of the EU with a substantial share of workers who are going to be needed in the future. (Original summary)
National Insitute Economic Review Number 194 (October 2005)
A new research report from the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) details the results of a project undertaken jointly by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) and the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) for the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA). The project developed a range of "skills indicators" based on educational attainment, training, and occupational level/type, and then examined the contribution these indicators make to productivity levels and growth at sectoral level for 23 sectors. The report also uses a range of international data sources to compare the position of the UK in terms of productivity with a selection of other European countries, as well as the United States and Canada. Key research findings presented in the report include:
SSDA INvolve Issue 109 (8 November)
Sectors Matter: An International Study of Sector Skills and Productivity (PDF 129pp) http://tinyurl.com/axvj9
Printed copies available free of charge from
Jonathan Sykes, Marketing Assistant,
Sector Skills Development Agency,
3 Callflex Business Park, Golden Smithies Lane, Wath-upon-Dearne, South
Yorkshire S63 7ER
email: jonathan.sykes@ssda.org.uk
Alexander Hijzen, Holger Görg and Robert C Hine
This article investigates the link between international outsourcing and the skill structure of labour demand in the UK. It is the first detailed study of this issue for the UK. The main results show that international outsourcing has had a strong negative impact on the demand for unskilled labour. Hence, international outsourcing is an important component in explanations of the changing skill structure of manufacturing industries in the UK.
The Economic Journal Volume 115 Issue 506 (October 2005)
"History is the only laboratory we have in which to test the consequences of thought."
Étienne Gilson (French historian)
"The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell."
Confucius
The latest edition of this publication (Volume 113 Number 11) is now available. Contents include:
News and research – Items on: tourism employment; public sector employment; international comparisons of productivity; people, strategy and performance; skills and business performance; and trade unions.
Labour market statistics – quarterly update.
LFS reweighting and seasonal adjustment review 2005 – The effects of incorporating the 2004 mid-year population estimates and the results of the latest seasonal adjustment review findings on LFS time series (Alex Murray-Zmijewski and Peter Alstrup, Labour Market Division, Office for National Statistics).
Tables – The most recent figures for employment, unemployment, economic activity and inactivity, earnings, claimant count, vacancies, redundancies and labour disputes plus enquiry points.
ONS website November 2005
Full publication (PDF 128pp) http://tinyurl.com/c5yv8
This month's figures show increases in the number of people in employment and the employment rate. The number of unemployed people and the unemployment rate are little changed. The claimant count has increased and the number of job vacancies has fallen. Growth in average earnings excluding bonuses is unchanged but growth in average earnings including bonuses has fallen. In the latest reference period, the working age employment rate was 74.9%, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter. The number of people in employment rose by 123,000 over the quarter.
All the tables are at www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/lms1105.pdf
National Statistics press release 16 November Client ref lms
Figures from the 2005 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), published by the Office for National Statistics, paint a mixed picture of shifts in the UK's various pay gaps. Analysis of the figures shows there has been a welcome narrowing in the median gender pay gap for full time employees. But the median pay gap between the public and private sectors has widened, as has the gap between the pay of the UK's highest- and lowest-paid workers.
CIPD press release 10 November
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2005 (PDF 11pp) www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/ashe1105.pdf
"Intelligence is quickness in seeing things as they are."
George Santayana
The latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reveals that UK employers have become much more pessimistic about employment prospects. Employment prospects for the next three months have fallen to their lowest level since the survey began two years ago, with only around a third of employers expecting their staff numbers to increase in the next three months. However, while the jobs slowdown continues, UK employers seem as keen as ever to recruit migrant workers – in particular from EU accession countries. UK employers intend to recruit from accession countries more than from any other region of the world. This represents a shift when compared to last year's CIPD survey figures which showed that employers were more keen to recruit from "old Europe" and the rest of the world than EU accession member states. A quarter of employers intend to hire migrant workers this winter, with more than 10% of UK organisations saying that they will step up their efforts to recruit migrant workers in the next year. Public sector employers (26%) and employers in London (35%) are those most likely to recruit migrants.
CIPD press release 16 November
Labour Market Outlook, Autumn 2005 (PDF 19pp) http://tinyurl.com/7egks
Statistics released by the Department for Work and Pensions show that, at 69.4%, London's average employment rate is lower than any other part of the country. The jobless figure in the capital is higher now than in 1979. It has an unemployment rate of 6.6%, significantly worse than the national average of 4.7% and second only to the North East. Moreover, in five of London's boroughs – Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Haringey and Barking & Dagenham – employment is below the already low European average. Employment Minister Margaret Hodge argued that London has particular difficulties for a number of reasons. Many of the available jobs are taken by people who live outside London, while extortionate rents and house prices can mean that people cannot afford to take up jobs, especially low-paid ones. In addition, Ms Hodge said that London has a greater proportion of disadvantaged groups, such as drug addicts, ex-prisoners, lone parents and people from black and ethnic communities.
Ashley Seager, The Guardian 28 October
"Physical strength is measured by what we can carry; spiritual by what we can bear."
Author Unknown
Centre for Educational Research and Innovation
Price: £17
ISBN: 9-26401-360-1
Published by: OECD Publishing <www.oecdbookshop.org>
This publication provides a range of comparable, cross-national education indicators for 19 middle-income non-OECD countries comprising over 50% of the world population. In particular, it examines the extent to which countries were able to widen participation in higher levels of education between 1995 and 2002/3. Coverage includes data on educational attainment, education expectancy, enrolment rates of different age groups, age ranges of universal primary and secondary education, female participation, upper secondary enrolment patterns, entry rates into upper secondary and tertiary education, graduation rates, grade repetition, population and GDP, expenditure on education, teaching staff, class size, teachers salaries, and expenditure per student. By examining the data from these countries and comparing it to that of OECD countries, this volume examines the factors which can generate growth in education in one country and constrain it in another.
OECDdirect 21 November
Gilda Farrell, Sabine Urban et al
ISBN: 9-28715-813-4
Price: 35
Euros
This volume on labour flexibility invites readers to question the effects of labour market institutional and organisational reforms on social cohesion. The Council of Europe suggests reconciling social cohesion with the inevitable changes wrought by globalisation, namely the reorganisation of the parameters governing competition. This reconciliation should take into account the essential political value of democratic security, to be found firstly in employment; the high social and societal cost of precariousness attests to this. However, security should not imply rigidity. It should rather translate into societal recognition of a "right to transition" which calls for co-responsibility on the part of all social actors and stakeholders. Reconciliation is more than a political duty, it is a prerequisite for the stability necessary for social sustainability. It should therefore raise awareness of the need to find new ways of fairly sharing the costs and benefits such transitions create.
Council of Europe Publishing email update 21 November
Palais de l'Europe, 67075 Strasbourg Cedex, France
tel: +33 (0)3 88 41
25 81
email: publishing@coe.int
A breakdown of public sector employment by the Office for National Statistics shows that growth in the number of managerial and back-office staff is outstripping the increase in new front-line staff. Over the year to June 2005, teacher numbers rose by 1% compared with an 8.2% rise in education administrative staff and a 10.6% increase in "other support staff". In the NHS, clinical staff numbers rose by 4.2% while numbers of support staff increased by 5.9%. Police numbers showed a 1.4% rise in officers but a 4.7% increase in civilian staff.
Philip Thornton, Economics Correspondent, The Independent 29 October
The government has announced a new drive to deliver major efficiencies for taxpayers by merging backoffice functions in public services. Announcing the creation of a new cross-government team to promote shared services, John Hutton said merging functions such as call centres or human resources that can be delivered more efficiently on a larger scale, has the capacity to make big savings that can be redirected to the front-line. He added that, when funding is awarded for projects, there will be a presumption that only sharing and joining up delivers value for money, making it much harder to go ahead with wasteful duplication. The cross-government strategy, Transformational Government: Enabled by Technology, also outlined measures to ensure better management and delivery of IT projects. Common standards for new projects will be overseen by cross-government IT leaders, the CIO council and a new Service Transformation Board. The board, composed of officials from the wider public sector, will set operational strategy, promote best practice and develop new channels for access to public services
Cabinet Office press release 2 November
Transformational Government: Enabled by Technology (PDF 25pp) http://tinyurl.com/8mo2y
Councils could save £140 million by pooling "backoffice" services with each other, according to a report published by the Audit Commission. The report argues that councils could share the administration costs of a variety of activities, including council tax collections and processing benefit claims. It also identified other significant drains on local authority purses, such as high staff turnover, old IT systems, backlogs and overuse of temporary staff. It found that councils prepared to be more innovative in delivering revenues and benefits services can make considerable savings, without lowering service quality.
Hélène Mulholland, The Guardian 10 November
Efficiency challenge – The administration costs of revenues and benefits
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that he intends to legislate to make the Office for National Statistics independent of government, making the publication of official statistics the responsibility of an independent body at arms length from government and fully independent of it. Karen Dunnell, the National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, said: "I welcome this announcement as an important step forward in enhancing the integrity of official statistics. ONS has always worked in an independent, open and transparent way but there has been a perception that this is not so, which has been very damaging for official statistics as a whole. This announcement will increase the public confidence in official statistics. There are many details which will still need to be worked through. ONS will be working closely with HM Treasury on these details and a more detailed plan will be released in the New Year."
National Statistics press release 28 November
New funding proposals from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) could mean that sixth-form students may be restricted to three AS-levels or their vocational equivalent. The proposals would introduce two rates of funding based on the number of "guided learning hours" (GLH) a course attracts. A student requiring between 450 and 599 GLH a year would attract a standard amount of funding. Programmes demanding more than 600 GLH would attract the maximum amount of cash. However, college principals say that the LSC's new funding formula "fails to match the level and breadth of activity students have been encouraged to pursue since the curriculum 2000 reforms five years ago". John Guy, Principal of Farnborough Sixth Form College, Hampshire, argues that a student doing three AS-levels at most colleges would do 690 GLH. A four-AS student is taught for 870 GLH. He argues that, since colleges will not be given additional money for students who take more than three AS levels, they may remove the opportunity for students to do so. Professor Guy said: "If the LSC model does not distinguish between three- and four-AS students in GLH terms, why should a cash-strapped college see any reason to offer more than a three-AS load?"
Peter Kingston, The Guardian 15 November
A story about Charles Steinmetz who once charged General Electric $10,000 for chalking an "X" on a defective machine part. When GE protested and asked him to justify the charge, he sent back this itemised bill: "Making one chalk mark – $1. Knowing where to place it – $9,999."
New research finds that "effective in-site search, good navigation, and clear, well-constructed content" are the most important usability issues for disabled internet users. The research was conducted by user experience consultancy User Vision.
Top 5 annoyances
Top 5 most useful features
The research also asked respondents to name the websites which they found most and least usable. Google was unanimously voted as easiest to use – thanks mainly to its clear layout and uncluttered design – followed by Yahoo! and BBC News Online. Educational sites, webmail and travel sites all featured heavily in the "least usable" category.
OUT-LAW News 8 November
A new service for organisations wanting to have their websites tested to ensure that they can be accessed and used by disabled internet users, as required by UK law, is being launched jointly by the charities RNIB and AbilityNet. See it Right with UseAbility combines RNIB's "See it Right" expert accessibility assessment with accessibility and usability testing carried out by AbilityNet's panel of web users with a range of disabilities. Sites which successfully pass the joint audit will be eligible to display a joint RNIB/AbilityNet "See it Right: UseAbility" logo.
OUT-LAW News 21 November
A new agency offering technology users advice on accessible products and services, and bringing them into closer contact with designers and developers, has been opened by the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI). The NCBI Centre for Inclusive Technology has launched a website with information on how people with disabilities use technologies and the problems they face, advice for consumers, and guidance on the accessibility of websites and digital formats such as PDF. The centre's work will cover a broad range of technologies, from accessible cash dispensers to digital TV and the web.
E-Access Bulletin Issue 71 (November 2005)
URL: www.cfit.ie/
The BBC has launched "My web my way", a free online resource to assist disabled people to access the internet by customising their computer, mouse and keyboard. The site has been developed and maintained through a partnership between bbc.co.uk and AbilityNet, a leading UK computing and disability charity. It is based on AbilityNet's original My Computer, My Way site.
E-Access Bulletin Issue 71 (November 2005)
URL: www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/
The UK's first MA programme in audio-description and subtitling has been launched by the University of Surrey. The one-year course will equip students with the skills to subtitle and audio-describe films and television programmes. Audio-description ensures that blind people don't miss silent story cues, such as facial expression and body language.
Disability Now November 2005
More than 40 further education colleges are breaking the law by failing to provide adequate access to wheelchair users. An analysis conducted by Sash Callaghan, Equality Officer at lecturers' union NATFHE, concluded that institutions risk being sued by students and could face sanctions from the government for blatant breaches of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Ms Callaghan did not disclose the names of the errant colleges. Nevertheless, she warned that, without urgent action, they should "expect a wake-up call very soon".
Shekhar Bhatia, The TES FE Focus 11 November
In July 2004, a Steering Group was created to guide a strategic review of the planning and funding of LSC provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD). In September 2005 the LSC National Council received and endorsed the Steering Group's final report. The report offers an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the findings and recommendations arising from it. Responses should be completed and returned to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) by 31 January 2006.
LSC email update 10 November
"There are souls in this world who have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go."
Frederick Faber
Does your website "work" as it should for visitors not using Internet Explorer? Check using Optool www.kreacom.dk/tools/optool/ which lets you open the current webpage in different browsers. You should also check that your site can be viewed accurately with different screen resolutions.
Tips & Advice Internet Year 9 Issue 10 (20 May)
England's public libraries are joining forces to provide a suite of new online services – Enquire, Discover and Read. Managed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), the new services will be available for the first time from a single national website for public libraries with cutting edge 24/7 library services to help answer any question, guide you through the web and explore books and reading online. The new services comprise:
Enquire: real time 24-hour response to enquiries via
online chat or email.
Discover: combined search of items from libraries,
museums and archives.
Read: access to other readers and to reading
resources.
Info@UK Number 56 (November 2005)
The new services are at www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk
"MrSapo is a search engine aggregator you can use to search through over 150 search tools without having to go to every single site. By using MrSapo you can easily compare results from different sources and access a broader range of information than with any individual search engine."
Resource Shelf 25 November
URL: www.mrsapo.com
Update comments: More than worth a look for straightforward searching – I've used nothing else since I first found it. And it's not a new search engine nor a meta-search engine – it's a search engine portal that retains your search terms no matter which of the search engines you use! Hazel
NIACE has launched an online directory to support learning in the voluntary and community sector. The directory contains details of voluntary and community sector infrastructure organisations and networks across England that support learning and training.
Skills and Education Network Newsletter Number 42 (November 2005)
URL: www.niace.org.uk/projects/vcslearninglinks/
Update comment: "Useful" is the understatement of the year for this directory – "stunning", "magnificent" and similar terms would be more appropriate!! On top of that it's free!
"Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent."
Marilyn vos Savant
It is not only investors who want to look at company information but also prospective employees. With that in mind I, Hazel, was pleased to read about free sources on the web. Digital Look <www.digitallook.com> is aimed at stock market investors. Hemscott <www.hemscott.com> provides access to summary company results for the last three to five years, lists of directors, share price graphs etc. There is a free annual reports service and links to press releases. Fee-paying services are available for regular users. Hoover's <www.hoovers.com/freeuk/> offers a similar service to Hemscott but adds a list of a company's top three competitors – very useful if you're researching a sector. Steer clear of Hoover's fee-based services!
Tips & Advice Internet Year 9 Issue 7 (11 April)
Update comment: I had the chance to talk to a guy from Hemscott at the Online Exhibition last week – and he was enthusiastic about guidance professionals using the "free intro" information even if no-one ever went on to buy anything. Hazel
SkillsActive, the Sector Skills Council for active learning and leisure, has launched a dedicated website to provide careers information and advice. The website provides information about qualifications, courses, and career pathways, and offers advice on transferable skills.
SSDA INvolve Issue 109 (8 November)
URL: www.skillsactive.com/careers
This website helps users to protect themselves from online fraudsters and scammers by reminding us of the old adage: "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is!"
Resource Shelf 1 November
URL: www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com/
New factsheets have been published by Citizens Advice. The factsheets are designed to help people to use the internet safely by giving informed advice. They cover:
The factsheets are at www.adviceguide.org.uk from the "factsheet" drop-down menu on the home page
Managing Information Newsletter Issue 191 (31 October)
The government has launched a new website which gives details of cheap family breaks during the school holidays. The website was developed in agreement with the travel industry after "alarming" figures showed that one in six absences from school can be put down to parents taking children on holidays during term time because they are cheaper.
Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 16 November
URL: www.parentscentre.gov.uk/everylessoncounts
This response was developed in consultation with the 47 local Learning and Skills Councils as well as the national Council, providers and other stakeholders in the education and training of young people. The response was considered and strongly endorsed by the LSC's Young People's Learning Committee at its meeting on 10 November 2005. The LSC wishes to work with the DfES to overcome the serious concerns expressed in its response.
LSC email update, 15 November
Full document (PDF 18pp) http://tinyurl.com/c9uhy
The government's Green Paper, Youth Matters, proposed the development of quality standards for the provision of information, advice and guidance services for young people. David Andrews, an independent CEG consultant and NICEC Fellow, conducted a survey of the current availability to learning providers of quality awards for their programmes of careers education and guidance (CEG), and the level of take-up of the awards by schools, colleges and work-based training providers. His full report is at www.nacgt.org.uk/quality_award.htm
Newscheck November 2005
Ronni Abergel, Antje Rothemund et al
ISBN: 9-28715-766-9
Price:
8 Euros
The Living Library works exactly like a normal library – readers come and borrow a "book" for a limited period of time. There is only one difference: the "Books" in the Living Library are human beings, and the Books and readers enter into a personal dialogue. The Books in the Living Library are people representing groups frequently confronted with prejudices and stereotypes, and who are often victims of discrimination or social exclusion. In this library, Books cannot only speak, but they are able to reply to the readers' questions, and the Books can even ask questions and learn themselves. The Living Library methodology is part of the Council of Europe's youth programme on human rights education. The philosophy of this programme contends that human rights cannot be defended by legal texts alone. They need to be protected and fostered by everyone. In order to encourage citizens to think about their own human rights and those of the Other, awareness needs to be raised in the wider public about the importance of human rights for the personal well-being of all.
Council of Europe Publishing email update 23 November
Palais de l'Europe, 67075 Strasbourg Cedex, France
tel: +33 (0)3 88 41
25 81
email: publishing@coe.int
"Don't wait for your ship to come in – row out and meet it!"
Author unknown
Robert MacDonald, Tracy Shildrick, Colin Webster and Donald Simpson, University of Teesside
Drawing upon research with "socially excluded" young adults from some of England's poorest neighbourhoods, the article explores how locally embedded, social networks become part of the process whereby poverty and class inequalities are reproduced. Networks of family and friends, rooted in severely de-industrialised locales, supported young people as they carved out transitions to adulthood in adverse circumstances. Examples are given in respect of informants' highly localised housing careers and their longer-term experience of "poor work". Paradoxically, though, while local networks helped in coping with the problems of growing up in poor neighbourhoods and generated a sense of inclusion, the sort of social capital embedded in them served simultaneously to close down opportunities and to limit the possibilities of escaping the conditions of social exclusion. Overall, and contrary to some recent youth sociology, the article stresses the continuing importance of class and place in shaping youth transitions. (Original abstract)
Sociology Volume 39 Number 5 (December 2005)
Antisocial behaviour orders trivialise serious delinquency and criminalise boredom, writes Terri Dowty, Director of Action on Rights for Children (The Guardian 3 November). She argues that, when an ASBO is given for delinquent behaviour, it is often too late to make a difference to the recipient. Such individuals are usually well known to their local education and social services sector, as well as to the constabulary. Patterns of behaviour, such as persistent truancy, permanent exclusion from one or more schools and petty criminal activity, indicate that there has often been a history of neglect from all the institutions that could have helped. Ms Dowty believes that, to give someone in this situation an ASBO "would simply compound our abject failure". She says: "ASBOs are too weak an intervention for lost boys, and too harsh for those who hang around the edge of danger. They do not discriminate between a young person in need of massive containment and one in need of a playground and a good youth service. They trivialise serious delinquency and criminalise aimless boredom. They are society's way of tidying away its inconvenient problems, of washing its hands of responsibility for young people. They represent our failure and dereliction of duty. We should be ashamed of them."
Action on Rights for Children: www.arch-ed.org
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."
T S Eliot
Forget the notion that literacy to the youth of today is little more than stringing together a couple of misspelled clichés or incomprehensible text-speak. New research has found that today's teenagers are actually more literate than they were ten years ago. The study, conducted by the Cambridge Assessment exam group, reveals that 2004 GCSE entrants use better punctuation, more complicated sentences and are better spellers than a similar group from 1994, although they are more likely to use slang. The findings may come as a surprise to employers' groups which, despite continually improving grades, still insist that school-leavers lack adequate skills, including literacy.
BBC News Online 31 October
According to new figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, thousands of young people in Scotland's schools are failing to achieve basic levels of numeracy and literacy. The information was requested after the Scottish Executive refused to publish the data. It revealed that around a third of all school-leavers are not reaching the Executive's required standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave primary school. The figures also show a wide variation in achievement, with some schools recording failure rates of as much as 50%, while others enjoy perfect results. However, First Minister Jack McConnell refused to accept that the Scottish education system is facing a crisis. A spokesperson said that, while there remains much to be done, the First Minister "believes we have one of the best education systems in the world".
Hamish MacDonell, Scottish Political Editor, The Scotsman 14 November
Commenting on the continued use of the 11-plus examination in Northern Ireland, the Social Democratic and Labour Party education spokesperson said that the exam has become "a means of social exclusion". Dominic Bradley argued that, despite claims that the exam offers children a level playing-field, statistics show that children from wealthier families are more likely to succeed than poor children. He said: "We have tried over a dozen systems of academic selection here since 1947 and all were abandoned as inadequate. I believe that abolishing the 11-plus can help enhance standards for all as well as improving equality of opportunity and broadening options."
Kathryn Torney, The Belfast Telegraph 15 November
"My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition."
Indira Gandhi, Indian Prime Minister (1917-1984)
A government drive to cut bureaucracy in schools has made it even worse, according to new research, conducted by the DfES. One in three heads who took part in the pilot of the "new relationship with schools" initiative thought it had created extra unnecessary bureaucracy, with some forms more than 100 pages long. Ministers launched the initiative to streamline the relationships between schools, councils, OfSTED and central government after heads complained of excessive paperwork.
Rebecca Smithers, The Guardian 7 November
Cambridge University has developed a DVD providing tuition in the language, history and culture of the Romans. It is hoped that the interactive programme will reinvigorate the teaching of Latin in state schools. Will Griffiths, the Director of Cambridge Schools Classics Project (CSCP), said the enthusiasm could signal a revival in the number of state schools offering the subject, which currently stands at just 100.
Julie Henry, Sunday Telegraph 30 October
Update comment: Albeit that I, Hazel, failed to pass my O-level in Latin I still consider that it was one of the more useful subjects I studied at school.
Notschool is an online learning community which provides a second chance for young people who have disengaged from the education system. The project refers to its students as researchers – evidence of a more adult relationship based on trust. Researchers are self-directed and set their own learning goals, supported by an online mentor and locally organised tuition. It currently has some 6,000 researchers on its roll, although it is hoped that a recent collaboration with education charity The Cademy will enable it to expand further.
Stephen Hoare, The Guardian 8 November
More information: www.notschool.net
Primary schools are using covert selection to stop children as young as five from poor backgrounds winning places at the best institutions, according to a report from the Confederation of Children's Services Managers (ConfEd). The report highlighted "unashamed" tactics such as requiring an expensive uniform from a specialist retailer and demanding contributions to music lessons or school funds. The report warns that England could soon face an "admissions crisis", where only middle-class parents who know how to "play the system" will be able to secure places at the best state schools.
Sarah Cassidy, Education Correspondent, The Independent 7 November
Anna Ullman & Gemma Deakin
BMRB Social Research
Brief no:
674
ISBN: 1-84478-554-8
October 2005
This research aims to determine the average level of pay received by apprentices, and to provide evidence on the differences between different sector frameworks. Key findings include:
The full report (RR674), 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 (RB674) 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
Andrew Mellon, Room N611, DfES, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ
email:
Andrew.mellon@dfes.gsi.gov.uk
The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education and Skills.
More and more employers and young people are recognising the benefits of Apprenticeships, confirmed Secretary of State for Education, Ruth Kelly. Speaking at the Association of Colleges annual conference in Birmingham, Ms Kelly said that the Public Service Agreement (PSA) target for Apprenticeships has been met. To achieve this target, over 175,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 21 have started an Apprenticeship for the first time during the 2004/05 academic year. The number of young people starting Apprenticeships has been rising steadily for the last four years. Moreover, the increase in the number of starts was accompanied by an 8% increase in the percentage of Apprentices who completed their full framework in 2004/05. The rate now stands at 39%, 15% higher than the year that the LSC inherited the programme. However, meeting the PSA target is only the beginning. There is still a great deal of work ahead to ensure that more and more young people complete the Apprenticeships they start. The LSC is now working towards a target of increasing the number of Apprentices who complete their training by 75%. To achieve this, the LSC is working closely with Sector Skills Councils, training providers and their representatives.
LSC press release 16 November
Update comment: Let's hope they can afford them this time.
Two new guides offering support for apprentices have been published by the TUC. The first outlines the different types of apprenticeships available and offers vital information on issues such as terms and conditions, rights at work and pay. The second is a health and safety leaflet which aims to make sure apprentices work in a safe environment; in the past two years, 10 young people on government-funded schemes have been killed at work.
In ToUCh Issue 1 (05-06) 7 November
Your Rights As An Apprentice (PDF 2pp) www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/apprentices.pdf
Apprentices: A short guide to health and safety (PDF 16pp) www.tuc.org.uk/extras/Apprenticeships.pdf
e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for ICT, telecommunications and contact centres, has launched an apprenticeship website. The site offers advice for employers, individuals, training providers and careers professionals looking for information on apprenticeships in the industries that e-skills UK covers.
Newscheck November 2005
URL: www.e-skills.com/apprenticeships
Schools in the government's £5 billion academy programme have been accused of "turning their back on poor pupils and cherry-picking more able children from middle-class families". Figures obtained by the Guardian show that the percentage of pupils from deprived families fell at almost two-thirds of academies when compared with the "failing" schools that they replaced. Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "Instead of changing the school they are changing the children. The children who are likely to depress their test and exam results are unwanted." A spokesperson for the DfES said: "Academies are local schools for local people. The code of practice doesn't allow them to cherry-pick pupils."
Matthew Taylor, Education Correspondent, The Guardian 31 October
Update comment: Grow up Mr/Ms spokesperson – what the code of practice says and what actually happens on the ground are often two completely different things.
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has told the Education and Skills Select Committee that a number of Russell Group universities are considering how they can get involved in running the government's new trust schools. Trust schools, as outlined in the recent Education White Paper, will be run under the leadership of successful schools or other outside agencies. These may include businesses, universities or faith groups. Ms Kelly said that Microsoft and the Open University have also expressed interest in backing trust schools.
Jessica Shepherd, The THES 4 November
The government's plans to introduce trust schools, as outlined in the Education White Paper, have failed to inspire businesses to become involved. Few firms which currently sponsor specialist schools say they are interested in setting up trust schools. Moreover, three of the seven organisations that the government said were "backing" the programme have indicated that they are unwilling to set up their own trusts. Businesses and private sector organisations say that, while they are willing to support schools, they do not have "the right educational expertise" to create and manage their own schools.
Michael Shaw, Jon Slater and Shafik Meghji, The TES 24 November
"Charm is... a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question."
Albert Camus
According to new figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation the growth of online recruitment has had an adverse effect on national newspaper advertising. The Confederation has found that the national press advertising of jobs had fallen by 50%, despite a strongly rising job market. This state of affairs is supported by the results from a survey by totaljobs.com, which found that one in five businesses now perceive online recruitment to be critical to the success of their organisation, an increase of 14% since 2004.
HRLook Daily News 11 November
A local high street recruitment agency has uncovered the secret to securing the right job. Whilst many of us might think it logical, 83% of HR professionals questioned said that the ability to actually do the job was the most important characteristic when recruiting a new employee, according to Spring Personnel. In addition, 40% cited that skilled/niche positions were the most difficult to fill.
HRLook Daily News 23 November
ACAS is helping the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to reduce work-related stress by assisting in a pilot scheme involving 80 organisations from five key sectors – health, education, local government, central government and financial services. The plan is for these organisations to implement the HSE's stress management standards by developing risk assessments and putting in place improvement plans. ACAS advisers will be key to this. The aim is to help the participants to look at a range of stress-reducing issues, including communications, job design, how employees are managed, support for employees in their jobs and managing workplace change better.
HRLook Daily News 2 November
Starting a new job has been highlighted as one of the most stressful changes in life, according to a survey from Office Angels. Over three-quarters of respondents said that it is more stressful than taking an important exam, while almost half likened it to moving house. The survey also suggested that employees who are successfully integrated into a team within their first three months tend to stay an average of two years longer with the same employer than those who take longer to settle.
Training Journal September 2005
Research conducted by Penna plc, the human capital management consultancy, examined what creates "meaning" at work for employees and what employers need to do to implement it in their own organisations. The research found that employees rely on their careers to give them a sense of belonging, purpose and meaning. If an employee feels valued, s/he will work harder and be more motivated and loyal. Key findings include:
HRLook Daily News 3 November
The report is at www.e-penna.com (requires free registration)
Human resources company Rialto Consultancy has identified a new type of workplace employee – the stag. A stag is a worker who is "stagnating within their role without any career ambition". Research conducted by Rialto suggests that around 22% of the workforce fall into this category. It found that stags are "no longer motivated or inspired to work hard", and can cost their employers substantial amounts in lost productivity. Richard Chiumento, Chief Executive of Rialto, said that the solution is for employers to "actively help workers regain their enthusiasm for their jobs by increasing communications, developing roles and improving training opportunities".
Training Journal September 2005
"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one to ask why."
Bernard Baruch
Almost one in ten employees in the UK (2.3 million people) would like to work fewer hours, even if this meant taking home less money each month, according to a report published by the TUC. However, more than half a million workers who have asked for a shorter working week have had their requests turned down by their employers. The report, Challenging Times, reveals that over three-quarters of UK employees (77.4%) have no element of flexibility in their employment contracts, prompting the TUC to call for employers to do more to introduce changed ways of working that suit companies and individuals alike. Key findings include:
TUC press release, 17 November
Challenging times: flexibility and flexible working in the UK (Word document 14pp) is at www.tuc.org.uk/extras/CTreport.doc
A recent survey conducted by the TUC reveals that an estimated two million people have been bullied at work in the past six months, many of them by their managers. The survey showed that, in three-quarters of bullying incidents, the perpetrator had been a manager or supervisor. Bullying and the inability of most employers to deal with the growing problem accounts for the loss of some 18 million working days each year. The victims of bullying often have their confidence undermined to such an extent that they no longer feel able to do their jobs, many feel they have no option but to go off sick, while others are forced to find alternative employment. The TUC is calling on the government to change the law to prevent millions more workers becoming the new victims of the UK's office bullies.
HRLook Daily News 8 November
Update comment: I find it difficult to see how one can pass a law to stop managers bullying their staff when it's these same managers who will have to implement the law. Hazel
Bridgewater College won The LSC Award for College Engagement with Employers for its creation of a business development unit. The unit delivers responsive training, work-based learning and access to high-quality resources.
Blackpool and Fylde College won The LSC Award for Equality and Diversity for its wide range of initiatives that address a range of equality and diversity issues, from the under-achievement of young men and homophobia to staff development. The college gained praise from the judges for the integration of all policies relating to equality and diversity and good staff training and development.
LSC press release 16 November
Pupils are cheating on coursework with the help of parents, the internet and teachers, a report from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has revealed. Coursework comprises a significant part of many qualifications, including GCSE English where it makes up 40% and in some A-Levels it can provide almost 30% of the marks. The report found that parents are unclear about how much help they can give to their children, while teachers sometimes offered too much help to their pupils. Moreover, the majority of pupils were aware of internet sites where they could download entire sections of their coursework. Many also admitted to colluding with other pupils.
Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 22 November
A Review of GCE and GCSE Coursework Arrangements (PDF 35pp) www.qca.org.uk/downloads/coursework-report.pdf
Update comment: The internet doesn't change the rules – it makes it easier to break them!
A groundbreaking survey which will track the lives of thousands of children across Scotland until they leave school has been launched by the Scottish Executive. Eight thousand families will be asked their views on topics such as parenting, childcare, health and education in the study, which is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. Parents will be interviewed every year until their child is five, and then the youngsters themselves will be asked for their views annually until they reach 16.
Kevin Schofield, Education Correspondent, The Scotsman 31 October
The Scottish Executive is consulting with partner bodies and the public in an attempt to re-ignite interest in its Digital Inclusion Policy. The review is being undertaken in light of a spending squeeze and will "consider new and innovative ways of working" to make sure any initiatives are sustainable and cost-efficient.
eGov Monitor Weekly Issue 193 (21 November)
More information: www.egovmonitor.com/x?193a1
In a letter to the Daily Telegraph (19 November), Andrew Haldenby, Director of think-tank Reform, responded to a previously published letter which described the UK's 20- to 35-year-olds as "saddled with debt and with no hope, most of them, of getting on the property ladder". Mr Haldenby argued that the writer "might have added, however, that this has not happened entirely by accident, but as a consequence of government policy: arbitrary expansion of higher education, which has devalued degrees; tuition fees without compensatory tax reductions; and higher stamp duty for first-time buyers". He went on: "Huge increases in spending on the NHS (largely benefiting older people) are being paid for by higher taxes on the young and by borrowing, with more tax rises expected shortly. People under 35 in Britain could be described as a crossover generation who are paying the cost of the welfare state without being able to expect many of the benefits. A programme of public spending discipline and tax reductions is long overdue to benefit the whole economy and young people most of all."
The latest edition of Population Trends (Number 121 (Autumn 2005)) is now online. Contents include:
ONS website November 2005
Full publication (PDF 105pp) http://tinyurl.com/a2dck
Authors: Emma Dawnay and Hetan Shah
ISBN: 1-90488-203-X
Price
£5
September 2005
This is the first in a series of briefings from the theoretical new economics programme at NEF. It summarises the behavioural economics approach and contrasts it with standard (neoclassical) economics, where the assumption is made that humans are rational and maximise their individual self-interest. The neoclassical model has many shortfalls that can lead to unrealistic economic analysis and policy-making. This briefing distils many concepts from behavioural economics and psychology down to seven key principles, which highlight the main shortfalls in the neoclassical economics model of human behaviour. They are:
NEF newsletter November 2005
New Economics Foundation, 3 Jonathan Street, London SE11
5NH
tel: 020 7820 6300
email: info@neweconomics.org
Hard copies can be ordered from the New Economics Foundation. The full report is also available to download free of charge (PDF 20pp) http://tinyurl.com/de55k
Update comment: ... and very interesting!
"I plan on living for ever. So far, so good."
Author unknown
Christina Beatty and Stephen Fothergill, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University
Around 2.7 million non-employed adults of working age in the UK claim sickness-related benefits, and the numbers have risen steeply over time. The very large variation in the numbers across districts and regions points strongly