March 2006
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Editorial

I'm starting this month's Members' Update with a plea for help that I received from Vivienne Rivis, President of NAEGA (National Association for Educational Guidance for Adults). I realise that not all readers are practitioners in this field (I'm not myself) but I am aware that many of those that are will not also be NAEGA members and will not, therefore, have seen this letter.

Learning from Feedback from Practice

"I am writing to you personally because NAEGA needs your help with a very important and urgent piece of work. You may have heard that the government's review of Information, Advice and Guidance is moving into its next phase. NAEGA has been asked by the Review team to provide current examples of feedback from practice to inform the outcomes of the Review. You, the practitioners and managers of adult guidance for learning and work, are the only people who have this vital information. We have always found in the past that direct examples of the impact of information/advice/guidance on adults' lives, in the form of case studies, or a short account of the outcomes for a particular client or user group, are enormously powerful in influencing policy makers, who so often tell us that people can't understand what it is we do. Now is our opportunity to tell them!

What I need from you, in any format, but preferably without too many graphics, are examples and evidence on some or all of the following:

• Case studies and user profiles (anonymised of course)
• The outcomes of IAG – for individuals and groups of users (the first question the Minister asked us last year)
• The really big issues for IAG users: their needs, their wants and the choices open to them (and those which are not)
• Who does not get access to IAG? How do we/should we reach them?
• How you respond – as practitioners, as a service?
• What you need to do your job better – additional experience, initial training, further training, ongoing professional development, formal additional qualifications, opportunities for further study, research, networking?

Last year's Skills White Paper, which set up the IAG Review, talks about: "an infrastructure to support adult to progress in their careers and their lives … a universally available, highly respected, and well-used service offering information on jobs, qualifications, training and related services … but would also give guidance online, over the telephone, or face-to-face for people wanting help to identify the best way of getting on."

• ·What kind of universal service do YOU want?

Please send your case studies and responses to any of the above, as soon as possible, to me: admin@naega.org.uk

Thank you

"A Reader" responds to the issue of "new words"

"Locally the allocation of caseloads to Connexions PAs has led to the following:

• The use of caseload as a verb, the action of allocating caseloads (e.g. caseloading), done by Team Managers to PAs.
• Caseloaded is also used (e.g. I have been caseloaded to work with a particular group of young people).

Have you been caseloaded recently? I can't think of anything that I would like less – but then I haven't been on the front line for more years than I care to remember. Hazel Edmunds, Editor

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Thinktank puts pupil spending goal in doubt

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has cast doubt on the Chancellor's plans to close the £3,000-per-pupil gap in spending between state and private schools. According to the thinktank's calculations, in order to raise pupil spending by this amount, Gordon Brown would have to find an additional £17 billion per year – the equivalent of 5p on the standard rate of income tax.

Larry Elliott, Economics Editor, The Guardian 24 March

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Kelly says target for spending on schools "is more like an aspiration"

Speaking at a Briefing on the Budget, Education Secretary Ruth Kelly told Labour MPs that the target to raise annual spending per head on state school pupils from £5,000 a year to £8,000 is "aspirational". She said that the Chancellor's plan to close the funding gap between state and privately-funded pupils is "a long-term aim rather than an immediate goal".

Andrew Grice, The Independent 24 March

Update comment: Brown says "we will" or even "I will" whilst Kelly waters it down to "in the long-term we hope to".

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Teachers' leaders call on Holyrood to match Brown's education promise

Education experts have warned that Scotland will fall behind England unless ministers agreed to match Gordon Brown's pledge to invest heavily in the state sector in England. The Chancellor announced that he wanted to raise the average amount spent per state pupil in England to the same as that spent in the private sector, while continuing to develop the capital investment in school buildings. David Eaglesham, General Secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, said: "There is a challenge there for the Executive. If that amount of investment is happening in England, then Scotland cannot afford to be left behind. That's what happened with regard to teachers' pay over a number of years, which is why we ended up with the McCrone agreement. If the same happens in terms of teacher numbers or building infrastructure, we could end up with a situation where we need a huge financial splurge in the future and that is not really the approach to take."

Kevin Schofield, Education Correspondent, The Scotsman 24 March

Update comment: "If that amount of investment is happening in England …" but according to Ruth Kelly it isn't likely to and it seems unlikely that 5p on income tax per head of the working population would be an acceptable way of raising the money to achieve it.

"Everything works out right in the end. If things are not working right, it isn't the end yet. Don't let it bother you, relax and keep on going."

Michael C Muhammad

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Academy programme reaches halfway mark towards 200 new schools

Today (6 March) the Prime Minister announced there are currently 100 Academies open or in the pipeline - halfway to the established target of 200 Academies. Education Secretary Ruth Kelly also welcomed the milestone. She said: "Academies have come a long way in a very short time, considering the first three opened in 2002, and it is good news for some of our most disadvantaged communities that sponsors and local authorities across the country have been inspired to embrace the exciting opportunities they bring. Thousands more children are set to benefit from the innovative Academy approach which is already paying off with better exam results and improved pupil behaviour in areas which suffered decades of neglect, as recent OfSTED reports confirm."

DfES press release 6 March
Client ref 2006/0036

Update comment: "In the pipeline" actually means, in several cases, "scheduled to open in 2010". Is this announcement just a little premature?

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Failed academy has not got better, says OfSTED

A third of City Academies have failed to produce better results than the poorly performing comprehensives they replaced, newly released figures from OfSTED show. Of the 14 Academies that have presented figures on the proportion of pupils with five good GCSEs, four have poorer grades and one the same as the schools that were closed. When GCSE results are measured to include maths and English at grade C or better – the benchmark the government will use for all schools from next year – academies overall have improved by only 1.3% compared with 1.7% nationally.

Geraldine Hackett, Education Correspondent, The Times 19 March

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OfSTED reports praise academies for raising standards in deprived areas

Andrew Adonis, Schools Minister, today (8 March) welcomed evidence in OfSTED reports that the Academy programme is raising standards, improving exam results and behaviour and helping bring new hope to deprived communities. OfSTED today published inspection visits and reports for Mossbourne Academy in Hackney, City Academy Bristol, Walsall Academy and Lambeth Academy.

Reports are published on the OfSTED website www.ofsted.gov.uk

DfES press release 8 March
Client ref 2006/0027

Update comment: Words fail me! And, see next article.

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Academies accused of turning away children to boost results

Figures obtained by Children Now show that the percentage of pupils with special educational needs has fallen dramatically at two of the most successful academies when compared with the schools they replaced. The Walsall Academy registers the most substantial decrease, with the total percentage of children with special educational needs falling from 41% to 8%. City Academy Bristol has seen the percentage of children with special educational needs fall from 46% to 28%. A spokesperson for the Special Educational Needs Consortium, which represents the major disability organisations, said: "This is the first concrete evidence we've had to back up many anecdotal complaints that academies are not treating children with special educational needs fairly. … It suggests that, at best, subtle screening is going on and, at worst, there is an informal policy to exclude children with special educational needs."

David Singleton, Children Now 13-20 March

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British children sent to West Indies for a better education

A senior education officer at the Ministry of Education in Bridgetown, Barbados, reveals that Barbadian schools are attracting record numbers of foreign students, including hundreds from Britain. Donald Padmore said that West Indian families in Britain are sending their children back to the Caribbean to receive what many have found to be a better state education. Mr Padmore said that the Barbadian approach to education is based on the British system, but uses traditional rather than "trendy" teaching methods. Parents who were born or have settled in Britain say the sacrifice is worth it, because British schools have become ill-disciplined and there is peer pressure on teenagers to do poorly in examinations.

Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter, The Telegraph 19 March

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School science held back by battle of the sexes

Research from the Centre for Studies in Science and Mathematics Education at Leeds University reveals that there is a stark gender contrast in the scientific areas pupils are interested in. The researchers found that boys want their science lessons to be about weapons of mass destruction and the effect of chemical weapons on the human body while girls prefer to learn about how to deal with anorexia or bulimia or the significance of their dreams.

Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 13 March

"Today, thanks to technology, there is no way to tell for sure where in the world your music is. It might be on a chip the size of a toenail that holds 19,000 songs, which means that a reasonably strong ant could make off with your entire music collection."

Dave Barry

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Careers advice proves useless

Nearly three-quarters of sixth-formers claim that their careers advisers were no help in guiding them to university courses. According to a poll conducted by UCAS, students tended to turn to friends, family and teachers when choosing universities and deciding what to read.

The TES 31 March

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Call for career advice on science

Students need a better idea of the career opportunities available in the science community, scientists say. The Society of the Chemical Industry argues that young people should have "better careers advice and more chance to see what goes on in contemporary industrial science". The SCI says the UK's future economic strength will be weakened unless more pupils and students study sciences.

BBC News Online 16 March

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Go Jonny Go

This is a DVD and accompanying workbook designed to prepare the under-25s for job hunting. It uses a Friends/Hollyoaks format to follow six friends as they prepare themselves for the world of work.

More information, including pricing structure, is at www.go-jonny-go.co.uk

Newscheck (December 05-January 06)

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New Life Network

The New Life Network is a "one-stop shop" to help anyone who:

• thinks they might be about to be made redundant;
• has been made redundant;
• has hit a mid-life career crisis and just wants to re-invent themselves and create a new and more enjoyable life; or
• is a career-break returner trying to get back into paid work.

It offers a wide range of resources, including information on how to deal with the emotional upheaval of redundancy, how to make a claim for social security benefits and how to cope with managing time.

URL: www.newlifenetwork.co.uk

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WannaLearn

WannaLearn has been designed to provide a wide range of users with an effective and efficient means of accessing the best learning opportunities available on the Web, in books, DVDs and other instructional media. It links to more than 350 categories of "free, first-rate, family-safe online tutorials, guides and instructionally oriented websites".

Internet Resources Newsletter Number 138 (March 2006)

URL: www.wannalearn.com/

Update comment: Wow! Bookmark this site. You never know when you might fancy trying something new. Like juggling. Or Spanish. Or even juggling in Spain. Dawn

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Scottish work experience goes virtual

A new virtual work experience programme has been launched in Scottish schools. The 3D computer programme simulates a variety of workplace scenarios to enable young people to carry out interactive tasks in businesses that may not always be accessible to them. Speaking at the launch of the programme, Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen said that the virtual work experience is intended to "supplement and never substitute the benefits of" work placements. The product will be rolled out to all Scottish secondary students by August 2006.

eGov Monitor Weekly Issue 204 (6 March)

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Futures for Professionalism

In partnership with Careers Scotland, thinktank Demos is working to draw together a collection of essays on the future of professionalism. The collection will include essays on teaching, the Police, accountancy and careers advice and thematic essays from contributors including Estelle Morris, Charles Leadbeater and Sir Michael Bichard. Resources currently available on the Demos website include a first draft of the introduction to the collection, a list of online sources of information about professionalism and notes from a Demos expert seminar on the topic.

Demos Update March 2006

More information: www.demos.co.uk/projects/currentprojects/theproducers/

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Careers boost for schools

Careers Scotland is on its way out of Scottish Enterprise, heralding a much stronger presence for careers officers in schools, writes Neil Munro (TES Scotland 10 March). It is believed that the enterprise agency was having difficulty convincing Scottish Executive ministers that the "uneasy marriage" between the careers and economic development agencies should be dissolved. Scottish Executive ministers are now thought to have given the go-ahead, although the exact structure for the careers service in the south of Scotland has yet to be decided.

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Reform must be radical, not just a bonfire of the quangos

The uncertainty surrounding the future of Scottish Enterprise has also left a question mark hanging over the Head of Careers Scotland. Enterprise Minister Nichol Stephen has moved to split Careers Scotland from Scottish Enterprise. However, writes Douglas Fraser (The Herald 31 March), the minister "has not made up his mind what to do next with its 1,100 careers advisers. He'll get back to us, maybe in the autumn. That gives him time to continue the internal cabinet row over whether it joins with Learn Direct Scotland, the training brokerage which is part of a Labour-created agency. Or else it might become a free-standing organisation dispensing careers advice. In other words, another quango."

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Enterprise agency plans to axe jobs in £40 million crisis

Scottish Enterprise, the quango charged with saving and creating jobs, is considering axing up to 130 of its own managers as part of a restructuring exercise. Senior posts are under threat following budget overspends of £30 million last year and an estimated £40 million this year. The agency, which is given around £500 million a year of public money to help grow the economy and foster overseas trade, is attempting to limit the crisis by scrapping and delaying funding for projects. A Scottish MP commented: "If this was a local authority, there would be heads on a spike."

Tom Gordon, Scottish Political Correspondent, The Herald 22 March

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MSPs summon jobs quango chiefs over budget crisis

Scottish MPs have summoned senior officials at Scottish Enterprise to appear before Holyrood's enterprise committee to explain their budget problems. Jack Perry, the quango's Chief Executive, Sir John Ward, Chairman, and Iain Carmichael, the Finance Director, will appear before the committee on 18 April to justify why the organisation had experienced a budgetary overspend of £30 million in 2005-06 and is set to overspend by £40 million in 2006-07. The committee has also demanded a "very detailed" financial report and a copy of a forthcoming restructuring plan in advance of the meeting.

Tom Gordon, Scottish Political Correspondent, The Herald 29 March

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Evaluation gives Investors in Careers programme positive feedback

An independent evaluation commissioned by Connexions Cornwall and Devon has found that the Investor In Careers (IiC) programme brings significant benefits to participants. IiC is a quality kitemark for careers education and guidance (CEG). It has been successfully implemented in almost 400 schools, FE colleges and training organisations and is "the most widely used quality award for CEG in England". The evaluation indicates that there are a number of benefits to achieving IiC status, including:

• raising the status and effectiveness of CEG; and
• improving young people's capacity to make choices and effective transitions.

More than three-quarters of respondents said they would recommend the scheme to others.

Careers Adviser Issue 10.1

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Claimant count falls but jobless rate rises

Unemployment as calculated using the claimant count fell for the first time in a year in January. The number of JSA claimants fell by 2,000, giving an unemployment rate of 2.9%. However, using the Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed people increased by 108,000 in the three months to December, giving a rate of 5.1%.

Labour Research Volume 95 Number 3 (March 2006)

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Biggest rise in jobless for 13 years

Unemployment has seen its largest increase for more than 13 years last month while growth in wages and salaries slowed, according to figures from National Statistics. Data compiled by ONS shows that 14,600 more people claimed benefits last month, bringing the total to 919,700, and the number of the unemployed rose by 37,000 to 1.53 million between November and January. Measured using the Labour Force Survey, the jobless total showed a rise of 37,000 to 1.53 million over the three months to January.

Philip Thornton, Economics Correspondent, The Independent 16 March

More details in the DWP press release: http://tinyurl.com/f884l

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Global employment trends 2006

The ILO annual Global Employment Trends report says global unemployment continues to grow, while youth now makes up half of those out of work. The number of people unemployed worldwide climbed to new heights in 2005, as robust economic growth failed to offset an increase in people seeking work – especially among the "vast and growing legion" of jobless youth. The unemployment rate remained unchanged after two successive years of decline at 6.3%. The total number of jobless stood at 191.8 million people at the end of 2005, an increase of 2.2 million since 2004 and 34.4 million since 1995. In addition, the report revealed that almost half of the world's unemployed are young people aged 15 to 24, and that they are more than three times as likely as adults to be out of work. The ILO called this figure "troublesome", given that youth make up only 25% of the working-age population.

Bettina Brenner, ETV 1 February

Global Employment Trends Brief (PDF 12pp) http://tinyurl.com/z2q7f

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Fears for UK car plants as factories shift east

Two of Britain's last car plants, Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire and Peugeot's factory at Ryton, face an uncertain future as production shifts to new factories in low-cost countries in central and eastern Europe and Asia. While these plants will not close immediately, the owners warn that taking production overseas, known as "footprint migration", may soon be inevitable, as British workers cannot compete with overseas rivals who work longer hours for up to 80% less pay. A spokesperson for the Peugeot factory in Ryton said that the footprint migration phenomenon is not peculiar to the UK, and that plants in France and Spain would also have to adjust.

David Gow, The Guardian 2 March

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Jobs blow to women as economic slowdown hits consumer services

Labour market figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that conditions in the UK jobs market weakened further in the winter months, particularly for women jobseekers. This highlights the degree to which the effects of last year's economic slowdown spread beyond manufacturing to hit consumer services sectors. CIPD Chief Economist Dr John Philpott said: "Although the male-dominated manufacturing sector continues to shed jobs, women have been the main casualties of the recent labour market slowdown. The number of women in work has fallen as the consumer slowdown has adversely affected employment in key consumer services sectors, notably the distribution and hotel and restaurant sectors. … The impact of this is seen not only in the unemployment figures (a large rise in the number of unemployed women easily offsetting a small fall in the number of unemployed men) but also in a rise in the number of people who are economically inactive because they are looking after family or home, which for many jobless women is shorthand for not being able to find work."

CIPD press release 15 March

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The Employment Rates of Disabled People The Employment Rates of Disabled People

Richard Berthoud
Institute for Social and Economic Research
DWP research report no. 298
ISBN: 1-84123-915-1
March 2006

As many as 2.5 million disabled men and women are without work in Britain. The number claiming benefits has increased three-fold since the 1970s. These figures are commonly represented by policy commentators as a major cost in terms of benefit payments. Alternatively, they are interpreted as a substantial under-utilisation of the nation's potential stock of labour. But many non-working disabled people are in poverty. The exclusion of disabled people from the labour market is at least as much a problem for their own living standards and social participation as it is for the macro-economy. The main aim of the research has been to unpack the large group of "disabled people", to show that they are not all in the same labour market position.

A hard copy of this report can be obtained by contacting
Paul Noakes, Social Research Division, Department for Work and Pensions, 4th Floor, Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT
email: Paul.Noakes@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
It (PDF 106pp) is also at http://tinyurl.com/gwp5a

DWP press release 16 March

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Guide to LMS

The ONS has published two complementary products which, together, provide both expert and casual users of labour market statistics with a powerful new reference resource.

The Online Guide to Labour Market Statistics provides easy-to-use online access to an immense range of information about the concepts, sources, methods, data and publications used for ONS's labour market statistics.

Labour Market Review 2006 stands back from the regular monthly labour market statistics to describe some longer-term trends in the labour market. It brings together examples of all ONS's labour market statistics following a simple framework based on the concepts of labour demand, labour supply and labour costs. The web version of Labour Market Review includes many clearly marked pointers which provide direct links to the relevant explanatory sections of the Online Guide.

• · Online guide to Labour Market Statistics
  www.statistics.gov.uk/about/data/guides/LabourMarket/
• · Link to Labour Market Review
  www.statistics.gov.uk/labourmarketreview/

ONS press release 23 March

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Labour Market Trends March 2006

The latest edition of this publication (Volume 114 Number 3) is now available. Contents include:

• News and research – Items on: accessing New Deal statistics; movement of workers within the EU; international labour market trends in 2005; and the geography of access to work.
• Do company wage policies persist in the face of minimum wages? – An analysis of earnings data for low-paid individuals, linked with the characteristics of their employer (Katherine Lam, Catrin Ormerod, Felix Ritchie and Prabhat Vaze, Social and Economic Micro Analysis and Reporting Division, Office for National Statistics)
• Understanding and improving National Statistics of employment and jobs – Analysis and recommendations from the National Statistics Quality Review of Employment and Jobs Statistics (Vivienne Avery, Labour Market Division, Office for National Statistics)

ONS website March 2006

Full publication (PDF 128pp) http://tinyurl.com/eud7k

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Manufacturers' misery continues

The monthly overview of industry from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply finds that manufacturing jobs fell for the eleventh consecutive month in February this year. The CIPS explained that a lack of new orders from abroad means that firms are "trimming excess capacity and raising efficiency".

Larry Elliott, Economics Editor, The Guardian 2 March

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UK employers to increase hiring pace

Employer hiring confidence is increasing for the second quarter in a row, driven by a resilient performance from employers in the Finance & Business Services sector, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. However, many employers continue to report difficulties finding the skilled staff they need. The report shows that employers in all nine industry sectors surveyed plan to take on more staff next quarter. Confidence is highest in the Finance & Business Services sector, where 26% of employers are looking to take on more staff and just 6% are looking to reduce their payrolls. At the same time, employers in the Manufacturing sector are recording their most positive second quarter hiring expectations since 1998, and hiring confidence from the High Street in showing signs of improving. Employers in the Transport & Communications and Utilities sectors are reporting figures above the national average. However, the Construction sector, whilst positive in its hiring confidence, sees a fall in the number of employers recruiting staff, compared with recent quarters. At a regional level, 11 of the 12 UK regions are looking to take on staff. Employers in the North East are the most optimistic for the second consecutive quarter, with 29% planning to take on staff and none looking to reduce their headcount. Employers in Scotland, the North West, London, the South East and Wales are all reporting hiring intentions at or above the national average. The South West is the only region where employers are looking to reduce their staff numbers.

HRLook Daily News 15 March

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Languages lead to better jobs – and a healthier economy

The National Languages Strategy, Languages for ALL – Languages for Life, outlines the strategy that is set to transform this country's capabilities in languages. It points to the need for the British workforce to be competitive in a global context. This research report from the Learning and Skills Development Agency considers the extent to which the National Languages Strategy can be supported through opportunities to embed languages in vocational-type courses leading to differing occupations. It also identifies the barriers to learning a language and the vital success factors that teachers and trainers need to take on board. The report calls for a broader spectrum of language provision, with clearer targets and benchmarks also recommended to give languages status and a firm place within vocational courses.

SSDA Intelligence Issue 43 (March 2006)

Modern Foreign Languages In A Vocational Context is free from the LSDA, Regent Arcade House, 19-25 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LS tel: 020 7297 9144
email: enquiries@LSDA.org.uk
The document (PDF 45pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/zkqf5

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Beware the "pod-slurping" employee

A silicon.com survey has found that companies are still failing to recognise the threat posed by portable storage devices such as iPods which enter and leave their offices. The survey found that 70% of organisations in the UK do not restrict the use of such devices connecting to desktop PCs and the corporate network. The survey also found that even in those companies that have a policy relating to such devices there is little done to enforce it. Abe Usher, a security industry expert, says that stealing corporate information via portable devices, a process dubbed "pod-slurping", is a relatively easy process. He warns: "This is a growing area of concern and there's not a lot of awareness about it. And yet in two minutes it's possible to extract about 100MB of files – basically anything which might contain business data – and with a 60GB iPod you could probably have every business document in a medium-sized firm."

Will Sturgeon, Silicon
via ITProPortal Midweek Round-up 16 March

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Experts welcome UK security training body

Industry experts have welcomed the launch of the UK-based Institute of Information Security Professionals (IISP). The IISP is a professional development organisation which aims to improve the training, certification and supply of staff in this field. Analyst firm Gartner said that, if the initiative is successful, it may spur other countries to set up similar institutes.

Robert Jaques, VNUNET SME Advisor 8 March

URL: www.instisp.com/

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Doctors' job site security fears

The BBC reports that a security breach has left medical students' references accessible for others to edit on the website they use to apply for work as doctors. The breach meant it was possible to read and amend students' applications without their knowledge. These areas of the New Doctor website have now been made secure after the medical authorities were alerted. The head of the medical training body said "improper or illegal" tampering would be dealt with.

Caroline Ryan, BBC News Online 8 March

URL: www.newdoctor.org/

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UK firms weak against ID theft, study says

Only 1% of UK companies use all methods available to control access to their IT systems and prevent security problems, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The annual Information Security Breaches Survey shows that companies using all available identity and access management safeguards recorded no security incidents. Businesses using biometric authentication methods reported fewer incidents than those using software-based tokens and certificates alone. However, around about 80% of companies were found to be using single-factor authentication such as passwords to protect data and access.

Jeremy Kirk, Computer World 16 March

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Two-thirds of businesses fail on data protection and privacy

A new survey among the UK's leading businesses reveals that around two-thirds of them are failing to handle incoming telephone enquiries related to data protection and privacy, despite their IT systems. The Marketing Improvement survey, How FTSE100 Companies Handle Data Protection and Privacy Enquiries, suggests that while many of these organisations may have addressed the technical challenges presented by the requirements of data protection and freedom of information laws, they have failed the people and processes issues. According to the survey, just one-third of individuals wishing to make a complaint or discuss a data protection matter with a corporation will be directed to the right person or department. In more than 60% of cases, the survey callers were transferred to irrelevant departments within the organisation. The call handler response in 14% of cases was that they did not understand the request being made of them. Marketing Improvement blames the lack of enforced penalty for the poor responses.

Managing Information Newsletter Issue 207 (21 March)

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Watchdog updates data protection guidance

The Information Commissioner has updated his Data Protection guidance in the wake of a House of Lords decision not to consider a landmark Court of Appeal ruling that effectively narrows the right of individuals to access "personal data". The ruling restricted both the definition of personal data and the circumstances under which structured manual files could be caught by the Data Protection Act 1988. The guidance focuses on two key issues considered by the Court:

• What makes "data" "personal" within the meaning of personal data? For information to fall into the "personal" category, an individual must be able to be identified from the information, and the information must relate directly to the individual identified.
• What is meant by a "relevant filing system"? A manual filing system that falls within the scope of the Data Protection Act must be "of sufficient sophistication" that files can be located with the same ease as an electronic system. They must also be organised in such a way that a searcher can retrieve information from the correct category without searching manually, or indexed to allow a searcher to directly find the relevant page.

OUT-LAW News 8 March

Updated guidance (PDF 12pp) http://tinyurl.com/jbadv

"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity."

Eleanor Roosevelt

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Review of Action Teams for Jobs

Jo Casebourne, Sara Davis and Rosie Page
Institute for Employment Studies
DWP research report no. 328
ISBN: 1-84123-979-8
March 2006

Action Teams for Jobs were first introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions in June 2000 in three pathfinder areas and are currently operating in 64 areas. They operate in disadvantaged areas with particular problems of labour market disadvantage and aim to increase the employment rate amongst disadvantaged groups. Action Teams is a voluntary programme providing an adviser-led service, often based in local communities and working in partnership with the private and voluntary sectors. This report presents the findings from a review of Action Teams for Jobs. Key findings include:

• From June 2000 to September 2005 Action Teams helped over 150,000 people into work.
• Action Teams examined were involved in Local Strategic Partnerships and had built good working relationships with community partners reporting a "win-win" situation with: joint funding for projects, premises and events, improved access to specialist help, fostering a joined-up service, better communication between partners, and the sharing of information and referrals with local job brokers, substance counsellors and training course providers.
• Overall Jobcentre Plus Action Teams tended to work with harder-to-help customers with more barriers to work who had been unemployed for over three years. Private Sector Led Action Teams operating under outcome-related funding tended to focus on customers with fewer barriers to work who had been unemployed for less than six months.
• Private Sector Led Action Teams offered more formal in-work support than Jobcentre Plus-led teams and had dedicated staff to manage relationships with employers.
• A community-based delivery service through outreach has been effective in reaching target groups, acting as an ambassador for Jobcentre Plus and making links with community partner organisations.

A hard copy of this report can be obtained by contacting
Paul Noakes, Social Research Division, Department for Work and Pensions, 4th Floor, Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT
email: Paul.Noakes@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
It (PDF 160pp) is also at http://tinyurl.com/mxgxz

DWP press release 7 March

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."

Sir Winston Churchill

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Working Futures: Disabled People, Policy and Social Inclusion Working Futures: Disabled People, Policy and Social Inclusion

Editors: Alan Roulstone and Colin Barnes
ISBN: 1-86134-626-3
Price: £27.50
Publisher: The Policy Press

This publication looks at the current effectiveness and future scope for enabling policy in the field of disability and employment. By addressing the current strengths and weaknesses of disability and employment policy, the book asks: is the dichotomy of "work for those who can and support for those who cannot" appropriate to the lives of disabled people?; does current and recent policy reduce or reinforce barriers to paid employment?; and what lessons from other welfare regimes can we draw on to further disabled peoples' working futures? It includes analysis of recent policy initiatives as diverse as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Draft Disability Bill, the benefits system, New Deal for Disabled People, job retention policy, comparative disability policy and the role of the voluntary sector.

Community Care 16-22 March

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Joint Report on social protection and social inclusion 2006

This second Joint Report on social protection and social inclusion responds directly to the challenge of the Hampton Court Summit and of Lisbon, and builds on the 2003 Communication "Strengthening the social dimension of the Lisbon strategy: Streamlining open coordination in the field of social protection". It draws on the plans and policy statements produced by the Member States during 2005 under the three policy strands of social inclusion, pensions, and health and long-term care. It is guided by the views on the value of the OMC expressed by Member States and stakeholders, and it anticipates the structure of OMC exchanges under the future streamlined process

Bettina Brenner, ETV 17 February

Full report (PDF 11pp) http://tinyurl.com/flza4

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Action to fight poverty

Homework clubs, educating parents on how their children learn, and tough anti-bullying policies are among measures proposed in a new anti-poverty action plan for schools. The End Child Poverty Network Cymru – made up from government and charity organisations in Wales – is calling on teachers and schools to take practical steps to tackle child poverty. Other measures include:

• engaging with parents who had poor education experiences;
• encouraging high, yet realistic, expectations for all pupils;
• ensuring a good social mix in schools; and
• measures to deal with school disaffection and truancy.

Moira Sharkey, The South Wales Echo 22 March

More information: http://tinyurl.com/fcrew

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Role of the regional agencies attackedRole of the regional agencies attacked

A report produced by the Small Business Service (SBS) suggests that giving responsibility for business support services to Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) was "a mistake that may fail some of the most deprived groups in society". The report examines the Phoenix Development Fund, which encourages enterprise among excluded groups. It argues that much of what has been learned may be "lost when the scheme closes at the end of April", largely due to a "lack of interest" from the RDAs. The report also expresses concerns about handing responsibility for The Business Link network, which offers targeted business support to women (among other services), to RDAs. It says: "The transfer of enterprise responsibilities from the SBS to RDAs has led to a loss of recognition of, and leadership on, women's enterprise."

Richard Tyler, Enterprise Editor, Daily Telegraph 28 March

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Sanctions: Qualitative summary report on lone parent customers

Mandatory lone parent work-focused interviews (WFI) were introduced in 2001 for all lone parent customers making a new or repeat claim for income support. This research examines lone parents' knowledge and understanding of how their benefit might be sanctioned for failing to take part in a mandatory WFI. It provides qualitative evidence on lone parents as part of the wider review of benefit sanctions.

DWP email update 16 March

Full document (PDF 42pp) www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/wp27.pdf

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Consultation on action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of the people furthest from the labour market

Comprehensive social assistance policies are in place in most European Member States, and activation policies have been implemented to bring excluded people back to the labour market, but there is still a sizeable "hard core" of people with little prospect of finding a job who, for that reason, remain at high risk of falling into poverty and social exclusion. The main challenge is to ensure that social protection policies effectively contribute to mobilising people who are capable of working while achieving the wider objective of providing a decent living standard to those who are and will remain outside the labour market. This consultation asks for views on what the EU should do to respond to this challenge. Deadline for comments is 19 April 2006.

ESMail Number 4 (9 March)

Consultation document (PDF 10pp) http://tinyurl.com/hkckf

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Inequality unchanged since Thatcher, says thinktank

A report published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies argues that inequality is "virtually unchanged since 1997". The report, Poverty and Inequality in Britain: 2006, finds that the government has struggled to reduce the number of people living on less than 60% of median income, despite rapid rises in the average income. The report also argues that, with the government's overall spending growth slowing after 2008, "the reversal of the increase in inequality seen over the 1980s still seems an unlikely prospect any time soon".

Larry Elliott, Economics Editor, The Guardian 14 March

Poverty and Inequality in Britain: 2006 (PDF 86pp) www.ifs.org.uk/comms/comm101.pdf

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Promoting the active inclusion of the people furthest from the labour market

For those who find themselves furthest from the labour market, Minimum Income (MI) schemes can be the only way to escape extreme poverty; yet, while performing this indispensable function, MI schemes must also promote labour market integration of those capable of working. The main challenge is thus to ensure that social protection policies effectively contribute to mobilising people who are capable of working while achieving the wider objective of providing a decent living standard to those who are and will remain outside the labour market. This communication concerns a consultation on action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of the people furthest from the labour market. It has two goals:

1. to review the progress achieved in the context of an enlarged Union towards the aim of fostering labour market access for those who are excluded; and
2. based upon this review, to launch a public consultation on possible guidelines for action at EU level, with a view to promoting the active inclusion of people furthest from the labour market.

Bettina Brenner, ETV 10 February

Communication document (PDF 10pp) http://tinyurl.com/k6325

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Lighter touch promised on Youth Opportunity Card penalties

The government has signalled its intention to water down plans to automatically take away money from young people who engage in antisocial behaviour. The government has confirmed that a new Youth Opportunity Card will be piloted in 10 areas over the next two years. The cards will be topped up with a cash amount, and holders will be able to gain discounts on "positive" activities. The government had intended to refuse to top up the cards of anyone engaging in unacceptable or antisocial behaviour. However, it has now acknowledged that this could be counterproductive. It will work with professionals and young people to "develop an approach which will achieve the right balance". Zero2Nineteen Bulletin 14 March

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A-level drive will send evening class charges soaring

The Further Education White Paper reveals that there will be substantial fees increases for most courses for adults over the age of 25. Subsidies, which are currently around 75% of the total cost of courses, will be reduced to 50% by the end of the decade. It is hoped that some of the increased revenue from adult courses will help to subsidise the Chancellor's budget pledge to provide free A-level courses for all adults up to the age of 25. However, many colleges are concerned that the increases will be counter-productive, as fewer adults over the age of 25 will sign up for courses.

Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 28 March

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Some of the other headlines on this topic:

Evening classes to double charges

The Times

Is adult learning going to pot?

Times Public Agenda Supplement

Higher fees and cuts in evening classes revolution

Daily Telegraph

Further education colleges to focus on employer needs

Financial Times

How to raise fees and hang on to students

In an article for the Guardian (7 March), Peter Kingston considers the difficulties faced by further education colleges which must tell their students that they have to pay more for courses. David Cheetham, the Principal at Gateshead College, estimates that the college will lose around 13,000 students over the next three years as a result of the fee increases. Mr Cheetham says that shifting funding to the government's priority groups will be "a disaster" for Gateshead, as all previous attempts to increase fees have failed. He says that the only option available is to abandon virtually all ACL provision. However, Dr Hugh Blair, Director of ACL at City College Brighton and Hove, says that the college is successfully raising fees without losing students. Dr Blair said that the college had adopted "a strategy of communication with the public". Applicants are told how much they will pay, why the charges are quite high and, perhaps more importantly, why the programme of study is worth paying for.

Full article: http://tinyurl.com/ru8cr

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Listen and learn

Commenting on the government's priorities for education and training, Alastair Thomson, Senior Development Officer at NIACE, said: "I've been moved, almost to tears, by the poignant stories of older workers, all with experience and many with skills and recognised qualifications, displaced from dying industries. It is simply wrong that the skills strategy does not prioritise support for people whose taxes paid generously for my higher education but who, when they need help, are told that first full Level 2 qualifications and basic skills come before their needs."

Adults Learning Volume 17 Number 7 March 2006

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Further Education: Raising skills, improving life chances

This White Paper builds on the existing 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper and the Skills Strategy to set out a series of reforms that will raise skills and qualification levels for young people and adults to world standards. The proposed changes will offer more choice for customers, tailor services to meet individuals' needs, encourage new providers to enter the market, and promote action to tackle poor quality combined with more autonomy for the excellent. Reforms include:

• A new entitlement for free tuition for learners aged 19-25 studying for their first Level 3 qualification (2 A-levels or equivalent). This will offer seamless support to help young adults get the Level 3 qualifications that the economy needs.
• ?£11 million for four new programmes of FE Workforce reform: to encourage the recruitment and retention of top-quality graduates and managers into the sector and more staff exchange between FE and business. There will also be a continuous professional development requirement for all staff.
• The £11 million national roll-out of the Adult Learning Grant to provide a weekly maintenance allowance for adults on low incomes (19 and above) studying for Level 2 (5 GCSEs A*-C or equivalent) or Level 3 qualifications.
• The introduction of Learner Accounts for learners at Level 3 to give them technician, skilled trade and associate professional qualifications, subsidising the cost of courses at a provider of their choice, together with tailored information and advice.
• Development of a single recognised quality rating, giving new incentives to raise quality and a new, clear source of information for learners and employers.
• The LSC to end funding for failing colleges, providers or departments, encouraging changes such as mergers or federation with another stronger college.

DfES news release 27 March

Full report (PDF 99pp) http://tinyurl.com/h4t3f
Executive summary (PDF 20pp) http://tinyurl.com/h5b4v

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"Government must try harder on FE reforms"

Britain's worsening skills shortage will remain a chronic problem despite today's release of the government's long-awaited White Paper on FE, the Association of Colleges (AoC) has warned. While the AoC welcomes the reforms, it is concerned that the measures will not deliver the "urgent transformation of the existing skills stock" that Britain needs. John Brennan, the AoC's Chief Executive, said: "Government should be much bolder in requiring employers to take their responsibilities seriously, and much more helpful to individuals."

Staff and agencies, The Guardian 27 March

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BCC welcomes Further Education White Paper

Commenting on the release of the FE White Paper, Bill Midgley, President of the British Chambers of Commerce, said that the proposals would help to close the skills gap, making it easier for businesses to benefit from "a highly-skilled and flexible workforce".

Mr Midgley also welcomed the commitment to making the FE system more "employer-facing" and responsive to the economy. However, Mr Midgley urged employers to redouble their efforts to improve the skills of their own staff. He said: "Employers already spend billions every year on upskilling the workforce, but they can do more. A more streamlined and accessible system which addresses their needs will help encourage them to do that."

British Chambers of Commerce press release 28 March

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Further Education White Paper is a major step forward but attitudes to vocational training remain a national disgrace

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) welcomes the Further Education Reform White Paper as a significant step towards driving up the economic prosperity for this country. The White Paper outlines a series of initiatives that will transform the life chances of young people and of the skills of the workforce. Chris Banks, Chair of the LSC, said: "The White Paper heralds the start of a new era for further education. It sets out a role and focus for the sector which sees it firmly positioned as the backbone of England's economy. The LSC and the sector already have a proven record of success. This White Paper will help us all accelerate progress by allowing the expansion of excellent provision, encouraging new providers into the market and reducing poor provision, thereby providing greater choice and higher standards of learning for learners and employers. This is also a once in a generation opportunity to challenge the traditional stereotype of vocational training being `second-best'; and to demonstrate the economic and social rewards it brings. Vocational learning is critical to the success of individuals, businesses and communities across the country."

LSC press release 27 March

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SSDA response to Further Education White Paper

In response to the publication of the Further Education White Paper, the Sector Skills Development Agency welcomed a number of aspects, including the government's shift towards an economically-focused FE system. The SSDA also welcomed the explicit reference to the links between Sector Skills Councils and Train to Gain. However, the Agency would like to have seen greater recognition given to sectors. The SSDA urges the government for "greater articulation on how Sector Skills Councils will help ensure the employer voice for the whole sector is known, articulated and influential in the planning and delivery of skills provision."

SSDA Involve Issue 125 (28 March)

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TUC on Further Education White Paper

Welcoming the White Paper Further Education: Raising skills, improving life chances, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "This White Paper is a welcome boost for employees who want to advance their careers through improved skills and training. It quite rightly puts colleges at the centre of a strategy for economic growth, and it still maintains their crucial social role. I am pleased to see that the government continues to recognise the role of unions in learning and skills. This is a tribute to the outstanding work of our union learning representatives. … This White Paper gives more employees opportunities to learn at work, and recognises the importance of extra resources for FE colleges and staff support."

TUC Press release 27 March

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Lifelong Learning UK outlines its role in the Further Education White Paper

Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) has outlined the role it will play in the FE White Paper. LLUK has been charged with launching a series of initiatives focused on developing the skills of existing staff and drawing in high-calibre talent to help accelerate improvements in teaching and learning. David Hunter, Chief Executive of LLUK, said the White Paper acknowledges the need for employers in lifelong learning to take a lead in developing their staff so that colleges and other providers can train adults and young people more effectively. He said: "LLUK is central to the delivery of the reforms set out in the White Paper. This is the first time that an employer-led organisation has been placed at the forefront of strengthening the quality of the lifelong learning workforce and I am confident that the sector can rise to the challenge that has been set."

SSDA Involve Issue 125 (28 March)

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Financial Services Skills Council launches "Skills Bill"

The Financial Services Skills Council (FSSC) has launched the Skills Bill, an 18-month UK-wide programme of work designed to provide much-needed solutions to the skills issues which affect the performance of financial services businesses. The FSSC is calling on employers throughout the industry to tell it precisely what skills they are looking for, not only from current employees but from people entering the industry in years to come. By setting out what skills employers want their people to have and planning how the necessary education and training will be funded and supplied, the FSSC aims to equip the industry with the skilled workforce it needs to build upon and maintain its world-leading status.

SSDA Involve Issue 122 (7 March)

More information: http://tinyurl.com/kn6r8

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Further Education, Work-based Learning for Young People and Adult and Community Learning: Learner numbers in England on 1 October 2005

This statistical first release shows learner numbers in Learning and Skills Council-funded further education and in work-based learning for young people at 1 October 2004 and 1 October 2005. It shows learners by age (16-18, 19 and over), gender, sector subject area, ethnicity and level. For further education learners, figures indicate more detailed age breakdowns of learners by institution type and mode of attendance.

ONS statistical release 23 March

Full release (PDF 14pp) http://tinyurl.com/oleho

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learndirect £5 million cuts "disaster"

In an effort to prevent a funding overspend, learndirect is planning £5 million of cuts to its contracts with training providers. The Association of Learning Providers (ALP) explains that, similar to apprenticeships, training providers have been more successful at retaining students than expected. Funding existing students for the duration of their courses has, therefore, created a threat of a 5% overspend. Paul Warner, Operations Manager for the ALP, said that its member organisations were being forced to turn new students away. He described it as "a public relations disaster".

Joseph Lee, The TES FE Focus 24 March

Update comment: I'm being dense! How can you achieve an overspend for providing that which the government requires you to provide – training for people who "stay the course"? The inbuilt drop-out ratio was obviously too high. Since the drop-out rate should ideally be zero any funding saved by someone leaving a course early should be transferred to someone else. Potential new learners should not be penalised because actual ones are still in place!

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Bichard says his LSC dream has gone sour

Sir Michael Bichard, the man behind the creation of the Learning and Skills Council, says that it has failed some of the country's most needy teenagers. In a speech at the City of York Annual Education Lecture, Sir Michael said that the LSC's priorities were guilty of making social inequalities worse. He highlighted the increasing lack of access to NVQs, apprenticeships and entry-to-employment courses, saying that this provision is fundamental to improving the life chances of disadvantaged young people. He said: "As someone who played a central part in the establishment of the LSC, this is personally very disappointing, because the simple fact is that the council is not treating seriously or equitably this most vulnerable group."

Joseph Lee, The TES FE Focus 10 March

Update comment: Blimey! was Dawn's comment. I, Hazel, heard Sir Michael at a recent seminar saying that "if you've made a mistake you have to be brave and honest enough to admit it" and also "I didn't like working with people who couldn't or wouldn't make mistakes – they stifle innovation".

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Education and Inspections Bill

The main points of the bill include:

• Trust schools (state-funded, independent schools) will be easier to set up. They may be run by outside organisations, such as businesses or charities.
• Schools must conduct their admissions "in accordance with" rather than "with regard to" the centrally-agreed admissions policy. Interviews and selection by academic ability will be banned.
• Failing schools will be given one year to improve, or face closure or forced federation with another school.
• Disadvantaged families will be given free transport to good schools.
• OfSTED will be merged with other children's inspection services.

The TES 17 March

Update comment: Hang about there! Hasn't the Adult Learning Inspectorate just been subsumed into OfSTED? But OfSTED is now to disappear into "other children's inspection services". Where does that leave the inspection of learning services for adults?

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The Economics of Knowledge: Why Education is Key to Europe's Success

This Lisbon Council policy brief, by OECD education expert Andreas Schleicher, shows that Europe is lagging in educational progress. Key problems highlighted include the erratic outcomes from primary and secondary education and "equity in learning opportunities". Schleicher also questions the promotion of lifelong learning as a way of remedying poor early educational experiences. He writes: "The reality is, people who depend the most on post-school education and training opportunities, such as the unemployed or those with low-skilled jobs, get the fewest training opportunities. People who have not completed upper secondary education are on average less than half as likely to be found in post-school education and training programmes in most European countries – and less than 25% as likely to be found there if they don't have adequate tertiary education. … Education and skills will be key for Europe to achieve its ambitious Lisbon goals. The world is indifferent to tradition and past reputations, unforgiving of frailty and ignorant of custom or practice. Success will go to those individuals and countries which are swift to adapt, slow to complain and open to change. The task of European governments will be to ensure that European countries rise to this challenge."

OECD website 7 March

Full paper (PDF 20pp) http://tinyurl.com/h4ngo

"According to a study, common words used by happy people are joy, love and hopeful. The study also found common words used by other people to describe happy people; annoying, irritating, obnoxious."

Jay Leno

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Personalising Education: What does it mean for education policy?

There is a growing awareness that one-size-fits-all approaches to school knowledge and organisation are ill-adapted both to individuals' needs and to the knowledge society at large. To move beyond uniform, mass provision can be described as "personalisation" of education and of public services more widely. The latest volume in the OECD's Schooling for Tomorrow series considers the meaning of personalised education, and the implications for key stakeholders in education systems.

OECD press notice 16 February

Personalising Education: What does it mean for education policy? (ISBN: 9-26403-659-8 price £16) is available from the OECD Bookshop: http:// www.oecdbookshop.org

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Parents struggle to pay for teens' needs

Many parents are struggling to pay for their teenagers' needs because of debt and low household incomes, according to new research from the Learning and Skills Council. Parents with children between 16 and 19 spend an average of £1,808 a year, or £34 a week, on each child in this age group. However, the amount among parents from households earning up to £30,000 a year is just £12 a week, according to the research commissioned to highlight the financial barriers young people face to remaining in education and training. The research suggests that young people from lower-income households are missing out on everyday needs. Just 31% of parents with a household income of up to £30,000 a year spend money on college and school trips for their children – compared with 40% of parents on more than £30,000 a year. Similarly only 28% of parents with a household income of up to £30,000 a year pay for equipment needed for their children's courses – compared with 39% of parents with a household income of over £30,000 a year. However, for many learners and their families struggling to make ends meet, help is at hand through Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) which young people can use on essential travel to college, lunches, course trips and materials. With EMA, 16-19-year-olds can earn up to £30 a week, plus bonuses worth up to £500 over two years – providing their household income is up to £30,000 a year. Staying in full-time education can also benefit the family as they become entitled to other benefits, such as Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit worth up to £60 per week.

LSC press release 1 March

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65,000 more young people to benefit from EMA

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), until now only available to young people in further education, will be payable from 10 April to those starting an LSC-funded Entry-to-Employment (E2E) programme or a course which leads to an Apprenticeship. The extension will benefit up to 65,000 more young people, many of whom will see a considerable rise in their household income, removing the financial barriers that often stop people from continuing in learning. At present, young people on E2E and courses leading to an Apprenticeship can receive the Minimum Training Allowance (MTA), payments of which are deducted from other household benefits. This serves as a disincentive to learning and can skew people's learning choices. Since EMA does not affect other benefits, some low-income families will see their financial support increased to £90 a week compared with just £40 a week under the MTA. The replacement of MTA with EMA will remove these financial anomalies, increase the financial support available to many low-income households, put all young people on a more level playing-field regardless of where they are undertaking their course, and ensure that people's learning choices are not influenced by factors other than what is best for them and their future.

LSC press release 1 March

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Study reveals financial crisis of the 18-40s

An official government study into Britain's personal finances reveals a "lost generation" of 18- to 40-year-olds unable to cope with debts and soaring house prices, with alarmingly low levels of savings and little hope of building a decent pension. The study, by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Bristol University, argues that higher education costs and the collapse of company pension schemes has led to a stark generational divide, in which 42% of adults have no pension and 70% have no meaningful savings. The FSA calls for a new National Strategy for Financial Capability, including:

• workplace-based financial seminars targeted at 4 million employees;
• making personal finance more prominent in the national curriculum from 2008; and
• "money doctor" packs which will be sent to 1.5 million new and prospective parents each year.

Patrick Collinson, The Guardian 28 March

Financial Services in the UK: Establishing a Baseline (PDF 28pp) www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/other/fincap_baseline.pdf

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Supporting young people to achieve

From April 2006, regulations come into force which introduce significant benefits paid for, or to, young people aged 16 to 19. Changes to Child Benefit and income-related benefits will remove the distinction between education and unwaged training. This will enable young people to access vocational courses without incurring financial penalties. In order to explain the main changes, the DfES, DWP and HM Customs and Revenue have collaborated on a new LSC guide: Financial Help for Young People.

Touchbase Number 42 March 2006

Full document (PDF 60pp) http://tinyurl.com/fkkgd

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Sixth-form colleges to take on 14-year-olds

Sixth-form colleges will be encouraged to expand their intake to include 14- to 16-year-olds who would normally attend secondary schools. The Further Education White Paper states that, if a sixth-form college wishes to deliver specialised diplomas, devised as part of the 14 to 19 curriculum reforms, it may expand its intake accordingly.

Michael Shaw, The TES 31 March

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Wayward pupils a cause for concern

A survey conducted by lecturer's union NATFHE finds "mounting evidence" that lecturers are struggling to cope with the government's increased flexibility programme. The programme places 14- to 16-year-olds on vocational courses in FE colleges. Respondent complaints included disruptive behaviour, ill-discipline and a general lack of motivation amongst pupils. Incidents of violence, threats of violence and aggressive behaviour were also reported. The majority of respondents felt they "had no choice" about teaching under-16s, although four out of five said they were not qualified to do so.

Martin Whittaker, TES FE Focus 31 March

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Claimants should be paid for community work, ministers told

The government is considering a plan by the British Urban Regeneration Association to pay unemployed people to work in their communities. Under the proposals, regeneration agencies would be able to pay benefit claimants a "community allowance" for socially valuable roles such as running school crossing patrols or taking part in environmental projects. The scheme, known as Create, has been developed by the Community Forum's benefits working group. Jess Steele, the group's chair and Deputy Chief Executive of the British Urban Regeneration Association, said it would involve "a radical change in attitudes to worklessness".

Julian Dobson, New Start Hotnews 22 March

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21 million calls to government go unanswered

Twenty-one million callers seeking advice on unemployment and disability benefits failed to get through to new government contact centres last year, a report by the National Audit Office reveals. The worst figures were for the disability and carer service, where 79% of calls – some 18.5 million – from people seeking help with Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance claims were never answered. The other poor area was the new Jobcentre Plus call centres, where 24% of callers – more than one million – failed to get through.

David Hencke, Westminster Correspondent, The Guardian 15 March

Department of Work and Pensions: delivering effective services through contact centres

• Full report (PDF 83pp) http://tinyurl.com/ncfqc
• Summary (PDF 13pp) http://tinyurl.com/lmsa7

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Anger at "denial of rights to education"

Young adults with severe learning difficulties in Northern Ireland are being denied their legal and human right to lifelong education, it has been claimed. Rev William McCrea, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has offered his support to calls for better opportunities for young people with learning difficulties when they reach the age of 19. Rev McCrea said: "I honestly believe that these young people are being denied their legal and human right to lifelong learning. … In Northern Ireland there is a total lack of appropriate provision for young people with learning difficulties when they reach 19 and I think this is criminal and wrong. There is excellent provision until they are 19, then many of them are cast aside."

Kathryn Torney, Belfast Telegraph 8 March

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Knowledge for Life – How museums, libraries and archives contribute to the Skills Strategy

This publication demonstrates how museums, libraries and archives help people of all ages learn and gain new skills. It outlines how the sector provides adults with choice about what and when they learn and how this contributes to meeting Learning and Skills Council targets. Knowledge for Life supports the development of new partnerships between Learning and Skills Councils, museums, libraries and archives, and the MLA Regional Agencies. These partnerships will help to widen participation by realising the potential of museums, libraries and archives to support learners and building on research evidence that demonstrates their success in recruiting, retaining and progressing adult learners.

Info@UK Number 60 (March 2006)

Full report (PDF 19pp) http://tinyurl.com/hcy8u

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Standards drive falters, say studies

Two separate studies have concluded that government interventions to raise standards in schools have little or no impact. Both Professor Stephen Gorard of York University and Professor Peter Tymms of the Curriculum Evaluation and Management Centre at the University of Durham find that pupils' results are largely unaffected by government initiatives. They argue that other factors, such as social class, parental attainment and the pupil's prior attainment are far more influential, and are key determinants of educational outcomes. Professor Gerard is particularly critical of the purported impact of target-setting. He says that claiming targets have pushed up standards is "contrary to the evidence". He concludes: "There is no convincing evidence of the beneficial impact of educational policy interventions, even where the originators claim otherwise."

The TES 31 March

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OfSTED to toughen up reports

The education standards watchdog has announced it intends to "wage war" on up to 8,000 state primary and secondary schools which have been judged as "satisfactory" in inspections. OfSTED will introduce a tougher inspection régime for the schools concerned from September. They will also face the same kind of follow-up visits to inspect any weak points identified in earlier inspections as failing schools. A spokesperson said: "We don't think `satisfactory' is good enough for the pupils involved."

Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 17 March

Update comment: Surely "satisfactory" means it is satisfactory – acceptable, adequate, competent, sufficient, and suitable are offered as alternatives by my thesaurus. Yes, it could be better but ...

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What's wrong with cheats

The cooption of parents as unpaid teachers is at the root of Britain's plagiarism epidemic, argues Frank Furedi (Guardian 28 March). He writes: "Parents are not entirely to blame. From day one in primary school they are told that the performance of their children is intimately linked to how much support they get at home. In a desperate attempt to improve standards of education, parents' concern for their children is manipulated to draw them in as unpaid teachers. The outsourcing of education by schools encourages a dynamic where many parents become far too directly involved in producing their children's homework."

Full article: http://tinyurl.com/zv3n9

Update comment: This is a fine dividing line which has existed for a very long time. I, Hazel, clearly remember "helping" my then 15-year-old daughter with her research into the history of pantomime in Nottingham for her theatre studies course. The only way to ensure that this "help" doesn't happen at all is to send all our children to boarding schools away from parents!

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Disabled students shut out by lack of money

Two-thirds of colleges cannot afford to educate severely handicapped people, a TES FE Focus survey has found. The survey showed that government funding for meeting the educational needs of severely disabled students is just 63% of the actual costs. The majority of respondents said that they were forced to turn down up to three-quarters of applications from disabled students.

Steve Hook and Martin Whittaker, The TES FE Focus 24 March

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Group Think

A group of 12 people with direct experience of disability has been set up to advise the UK government on establishing a national forum for disabled people. The forum will allow disabled people to communicate directly with government on service provision and policy and will launch next year.

E-Access Bulletin Issue 75 March 2006

More information: www.officefordisability.gov.uk/national/

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Dyslexic children "failed by system"

Eight out of 10 adults believe the education system is failing children with learning disabilities, according to a survey conducted by Dyslexia Action. Parents questioned by Dyslexia Action (formerly the Dyslexia Institute) say they have "little confidence in the system to identify learning difficulties". Responding to the findings, Dyslexia Action Wales is reiterating its call for one teacher from every primary school to be trained to test for dyslexia. Jane Owen, Principal of Dyslexia Action Wales, estimates the scheme would cost £3 million but would mean a long-term saving for the economy as more pupils would leave school with qualifications.

Moira Sharkey, South Wales Echo 14 March

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Applying a barriers approach to monitoring disabled people's employment: implications for the Disability Discrimination Act 2005

Alan Roulstone and Jon Warren, University of Sunderland

The Disability Discrimination Act responds in part to the perceived need for more proactive legislation that seeks to encourage good employer and service provider practice from the outset and diminish discriminatory action. This article focuses on the employment provisions of the 2005 Act. The article is based on a scoping study carried out during the gestation of the Act that looks at the challenges of applying a barriers approach to a disability employment monitoring scheme. Monitoring schemes have been a key part of recent anti-discriminatory legislation. The text of the Act and its Guidance might suggest that the future of monitoring as an explicit feature of proactive employer practice is uncertain. The article makes clear, however, the importance of disability employment monitoring if disabled people are to be better represented and receive equitable treatment in the workplace. (Original abstract).

Disability & Society, Volume 21 Number 2 (March 2006)

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Criminal record disclosure

A new report from crime reduction charity NACRO urges the government to reform the way people with criminal records are treated in the labour market. The report calls for legislation on discrimination against ex-offenders to be brought into line with that around other forms of unfair discrimination. In addition, NACRO wants to extend the practice of checking employers to make sure that they are operating within the Disclosure Code of Practice. At present, checks are only carried out on employers in specific fields. These measures would, NACRO argue, protect ex-offenders from unfair dismissal and would ensure that they are given a fair chance to find employment.

Working Brief Number 172 (March 2006)

Getting Disclosures Right: A review of the use and misuse of criminal records checks is available from
NACRO (ISBN: 0-85069-211-3 price £7.50)
Contact NACRO
tel: 020 7582 6500
email: helpline@nacro.org.uk

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McGuire launches review of Remploy

A review of Remploy Ltd, which will consider how to open up more employment opportunities for disabled people, has been announced by the Minister for Disabled People. The review will look at how Remploy operates and suggest ways to improve the opportunities for the 9,000 disabled people it supports and provide better value for money. It follows the publication of a report by the National Audit Office last autumn which recognised that some of Remploy's factory businesses were not financially sustainable.

HRLook Daily News 16 March

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OECD Development Centre database charts discrimination against women

A new OECD database shows that deeply rooted social norms and traditions are still harming women's economic opportunities in many countries around the world. Practices that discriminate against women, from forced marriages and female genital mutilation to restrictions on inheritance and ownership rights, stand in the way of gender equality and economic development. To help governments choose policies that will be effective in assisting economic growth, the OECD Development Centre has created a Gender, Institutions and Development database (GID). Compiled from various sources, the database gives comparative data for 162 countries on the socio-economic status of women. By identifying cultural and traditional practices that discriminate against women, it highlights the need for institutional and legal reforms.

OECD press release 7 March

URL: www.oecd.org/dev/institutions/GIDdatabase

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Vocational ghetto for SEN pupils

An unpublished report from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) finds that one in five secondary schools is offering vocational courses only to pupils with special educational needs. John Brown, Qualifications and Curriculum Adviser for Inclusion, said the report also showed a strong gender bias in provision, with pupils being "steered" towards sex-typical occupations. Mr Brown commented: "What sort of messages does this send out about vocational training and about learning difficulties? … Vocational provision needs to be planned into a school's whole curriculum, and not just bolted on for some pupils because you do not know what else to do with them."

Warwick Mansell, The TES 24 March

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Poverty and disability are linked, says commission

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) claims that the government will miss its child poverty target if it does not pay more attention to the relationship between poverty and disability. DRC Chair Bert Massie said: "The inequality experienced by disabled people affects us all. It stands between this government and the ability to achieve its core ambitions for Britain."

Working Brief Number 172 March 2006

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Young women are being trained up for the pay gap in the workplace

Female apprentices, aged 16 to 25, are being trained up for the gender pay gap by earning 26% less than their male colleagues. The apprenticeship pay survey has revealed that the pay gap is primarily due to the types of training young men and women do. In the best paid sectors, electro-technology and engineering, nearly 100% of trainees are male. The worst paid sectors, early years care and education and hairdressing, are almost entirely female. Early years apprentices earn on average £95 per week, compared to £165 for trainee engineers. The gender pay gap for apprentices is extended further by overtime pay. 73% of male apprentices are paid for their overtime, compared to just 52% of young women. The high levels of gender segregation in vocational training is deepening the UK skills crisis in key job sectors. In construction alone, 350,000 extra jobs are required to fulfil existing contracts, with a further 35,000 workers needed for the Olympics, yet just 2% of construction workers are female, indicating an untapped pool of potential labour. The shortage of childcare workers is exacerbated by the sector being a virtual "no-go" area for men. Jenny Watson, Chair of the EOC said: "Young women taking on Modern Apprenticeships are getting good training for the pay gap in later life; they face a shocking 26% pay gap and alarming discrepancies in payment for overtime working. Apprenticeships should be a great route into work. But financially they are not working for women. Almost half of young women working in the early years field fall below government's target pay rate of £80 per week. … We're pleased that data on pay rates is now available, and the next challenge is to get this information to young people so they are better informed about their chosen field of work. But we also need to ask why pay rates in the fields of early years and health and social care, where women predominate, are so low. We cannot continue to undervalue these fields, traditionally seen as `women's work', if we want to ensure we have a skilled workforce for the future."

EOC press release 21 March

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Poll reveals sexuality-based prejudice

Almost half of gay people hide their sexuality at work, according to a survey from gay marketing consultancy Out Now Consulting. The survey also showed that one in eight lesbians and one in eleven gay men had endured harassment in the workplace. Over a third of lesbians who responded had suffered verbal harassment, while 6% of gay men had been physically attacked.

Labour Research Volume 95 Number 3 (March 2006)

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Age discrimination regulations published

The Department of Trade and Industry has published the final version of new legislation that that will outlaw age discrimination in UK workplaces, giving the over-65s the same rights to unfair dismissal and redundancy payments as younger workers. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 are the final stage of implementing the European Employment Directive. The regulations will:

• ban age discrimination in terms of recruitment, promotion and training;
• ban unjustified retirement ages of below 65 (the age limit is to be reviewed in five years time);
• remove the current age limit for unfair dismissal and redundancy rights;
• introduce a right for employees to request working beyond retirement age and a duty on employers to consider that request; and
• introduce a new requirement for employers to give at least six months notice to employees about their intended retirement date so that individuals can plan better for retirement, and be confident that "retirement" is not being used as cover for unfair dismissal.

With the approval of Parliament, the Regulations are due to come into force on 1 October 2006.

OUT-LAW News 9 March

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New regulations have taken an age to come

The new regulations on age have been launched by the DTI, giving employers just six months to prepare before they become statutory. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) urge employers to appraise the new legal obligations without delay and take immediate action to avoid facing employment tribunals and hefty fines.

A recent CIPD survey produced in partnership with the Chartered Management Institute shows that age discrimination persists in many organisations. Tackling age discrimination in the workplace: creating a new age for all found six in ten respondents reported that they have been personally disadvantaged at work because of their age and nearly a quarter of those surveyed (22%) admitted that age has an impact on their own recruitment decisions. Dianah Worman, CIPD Diversity Adviser, commented: "Although research suggests that many employers have already taken steps to get to grips with tackling age discrimination, making preparations for the new legislation presents extensive challenges to workplace policies and practices. Employers who have delayed or simply avoided taking action will be vulnerable to claims being taken against them when the law comes into force in October this year. The complexity of the regulations leaves employers little time to get ready so taking action now is imperative."

CIPD press release 9 March

Tackling age discrimination in the workplace: creating a new age for all (PDF 28pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/g48h7

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Survey of employers' policies, practices and preferences relating to age

Hilary Metcalf with Pamela Meadows
National Institute of Economic and Social Research
DWP research report no. 325
ISBN: 1-84123-974-7
March 2006

This paper explores the extent to which current employment policies and practices accord with equal opportunity with respect to age. Using findings from a quantitative survey of employers in Great Britain, it provides information on practices relating to equal opportunities, pay and benefits, retirement, recruitment, appraisal, training, promotion and redundancy as well as attitudes and awareness. Key findings include

• 72% of establishments had an Equal Opportunity policy and 56% had one which addressed age. Equal Opportunities training addressing age was only carried out in 19% of establishments.
• 5% of establishments had incremental pay scales with length of service increments extending over 5 years, and 15% had performance pay with no formal assessment process. These could be hazardous practices under the new legislation.
• In recruitment, 6% of establishments used aged ranges in advertisements, recruiters were provided with age information in about half of cases and 49% of establishments had a maximum recruitment age.
• Criteria for receipt of training included age (1%), time before retirement (8%), and potential length of service (8%).
• Promotion criteria included age (5%) and length of experience (70%).
• Compulsory redundancy criteria included age (12%), last in first out (28%) and length of service (40%). Voluntary redundancy criteria included age (5%) and length of service (11%).

A hard copy of this report can be obtained by contacting
Paul Noakes, Social Research Division, Department for Work and Pensions, 4th Floor, Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT
email: Paul.Noakes@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
It (PDF 240pp) is also at http://tinyurl.com/nem5o

DWP press release 9 March

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TUC welcome for new age regulations

Commenting on the publication of new regulations which will outlaw age discrimination when they come into force this October, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "These regulations will make the world of difference because they will force employers to treat workers of all ages fairly. On redundancy, it's a shame that the government hasn't seen fit to bring all workers up to the higher rates of compensation that will continue to be paid out to older workers losing their jobs. All workers, regardless of their age, should get the same payment when they are unfortunate enough to be made redundant."

TUC press release 9 March

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Workplace of future to be more inclusive

Employers are ready to take on more workers over the age of 65 to meet a growing labour shortage and to fill the skills gap, according to research released by employment services experts Manpower. However, the number of older people at work might not match this demand as the majority of workers do not intend to work past the age of 65. The research reveals that over half (52%) of employers now want to employ their staff beyond the age of 65 whilst 81% of employees do not intend to work past this age. An in-depth report, Changing world of work: an insight into the work trends of 2016, examines how employers and workers anticipate the world of work changing in the next 10 years. The report reveals that the future workplace will be one where workers will increasingly work flexible hours; women will play a greater role in management with men taking on more of the family-raising responsibilities; and employee remuneration will be increasingly aligned with personal productivity. It also highlights a difference in perception between employers and workers on a number of key issues. For example, whilst nearly three-quarters of businesses (72%) expect their workers to have developed more skills, just 48% of workers believe they will need to do so.

HRLook Daily News 8 March

The full report is available free of charge by contacting the Manpower press office
tel: 020 8870 6777
email: jeremy@saltlondon.com

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Experience counts for older workers

A new initiative which aims to help older workers develop and improve their employability skills has been launched by the Scottish Executive. Experience Counts, backed by £500,000 funding, has been set up in partnership with the Skills for Business network in Scotland and recognises the increasingly significant role that people over 50 play in Scotland's workforce. It will see older workers being offered courses in areas like communication, team working and customer care.

SSDA Involve Issue 123 (14 March)

More information: http://tinyurl.com/haq6p

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Be ready for age legislation in October

The Age Partnership Group has produced a number of online products to help businesses prepare for age legislation. They include facts and misconceptions about age, health status and employability, good practice in the recruitment and retention of older workers, and facts to explode ageist myths and highlight the reality about pensions, retirement ages and insurance barriers.

Age Positive Update March 2006

URL: www.agepositive.gov.uk/agepartnershipgroup

"The best time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining."

John F Kennedy

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Evolved sex differences and occupational segregation Evolved sex differences and occupational segregation

Kingsley R Browne, Wayne State University Law School, Detroit

Average sex differences in workplace outcomes are often assumed to be products of a malfunctioning labour market that discourages women from non-traditional occupations and a biased educational system that leaves women inadequately prepared for scientific and technical work. Rather than being a product purely of discriminatory demand, however, many sex differences in occupational distribution are at least partially a result of an imbalance in supply. Sex differences in both temperament and cognitive ability, which are products of our evolutionary history, predispose men and women toward different occupational behaviour. The tendency of men to predominate in fields imposing high quantitative demands, high physical risk, and low social demands, and the tendency of women to be drawn to less quantitatively demanding fields, safer jobs, and jobs with a higher social content are, at least in part, artefacts of an evolutionary history that has left the human species with a sexually dimorphic mind. These differences are proximately mediated by sex hormones. (Original abstract)

Journal of Organizational Behaviour Volume 27 Number 2 (March 2006)

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Ending discrimination on basis of sexuality

Outlawing discrimination by pubs, hotels and restaurants to gay and lesbian customers is at the heart of a new DTI consultation. Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson announced last year that the government would make regulations in 2006 under the Equality Act to ban discrimination based on sexuality in the provision of goods, facilities and services. Views are being sought on the following areas:

• how religious organisations and faith schools should be covered by the regulations;
• whether or not exceptions should be provided in a few specific areas such as to allow sexual health clinics for gay men or lesbians to continue to target their services to these groups; and
• how charities should be covered by the regulations.

The consultation will close on 5 June. A copy of the consultation document (PDF 84pp) is at www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/publications/sexo_consult_paper.pdf

DTI press release 13 March

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An employers' guide to reasonable adjustments

The Central London Law Centre has produced a guide to reasonable adjustments employers might be expected to make under the Disability Discrimination Act.

An Employer's Guide to Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Discrimination Act costs £10 and is available from
Central London Law Centre, 19 Whitcomb Street, London WC2H 7HA
tel: 020 7839 2998
URL: www.londonlawcentre.org.uk

Equal Opportunities Review Number 150 (March 2006)

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New standards for website access

New guidelines on how to make websites more user-friendly for disabled people have been developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI). Called Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 78, the guidance is intended for any organisation that has a public-facing website. PAS 78 covers a number of different areas, including,

• Commissioning, building, publishing and maintaining a website
• Defining an accessibility policy
• The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines – why they are important and which ones to follow
• How to check that a site conforms to best practice
• Additional measures that go beyond WAI guidance

Geoff Adams-Spink, Age and Disability Correspondent, BBC News Online 9 March

More information: www.bsi-global.com/PAS78/index.htm

The document is available, price £30, in various alternative formats: Braille, easy read, accessible PDF large print, audio, DAISY and Welsh
Contact BSI Customer Services quoting reference code PAS78-U
tel: 020 8996 9001
email: orders@bsi-global.com

OUT-LAW News 9 March

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Disabled people check out site usability

A new service has been unveiled to help firms and organisations ensure their websites can be accessed by people with disabilities. The Usability Exchange offers practical testing by disabled people. Employing disabled people to check out sites for themselves, the Usability Exchange allows website developers to receive direct feedback regarding the accessibility and usability of their websites. Charges for the service start from £299 (exc VAT).

Tim Richardson, The Register
via ITProPortal Midweek Round-up 16 March

URL: www.usabilityexchange.com/

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Less than one in 100 councils hit web accessibility target

Just three UK councils out of 468 have websites rated at the "AA" level of accessibility to people with disabilities, the level required by government policy, new research from the Society of IT Management (SOCITM) has found. The SOCITM annual Better Connected survey of council sites found no improvement on basic accessibility levels of UK council sites compared with last year. Just 62 councils (13%) achieved the most basic (level A) conformance with the international standard Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – the same number as last year. The report also highlights a "disturbing picture" in the area of claims about accessibility made by council websites. In a sub-sample of sites, some 65 were found to make some kind of claim about accessibility levels, but of these just 10 were found to be justified.

E-Government Bulletin Issue 206 (3 March)

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Government funding gap halts progress on accessible books

A project to make it easier for publishers to produce books in accessible formats has stalled because the government cannot agree which of its departments should provide the £200,000 needed to fund it. The project aimed to develop a mechanism for creating accessible versions of publications so that they can be released at the same time as standard print versions. RNIB Campaigns Officer David Mann said that the lack of funding may stem from the fact that the project does not "fit neatly" into the remit of any one department. He said: "The Minister for Disabled People [Ann McGuire at the Department for Work and Pensions] has no money, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for libraries but not publishing, while the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is responsible for technology innovation. We had a meeting at the DTI with a working group and they wanted to go ahead, but when we got to the next step – government funding – we were stymied."

E-Access Bulletin Issue 75 (March 2006)

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Civil Service's "racial bias" attacked

The Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality has attacked the government's "disgraceful" failure to appoint more black or Asian civil servants to senior posts running Whitehall departments. Trevor Phillips said that the higher levels of the Civil Service were known as the "snowy peaks". He said: "I want to see the Civil Service start looking like the country it runs. Of course we've got lots of ethnic minority civil servants but virtually all of them are in the lower grades. … This is a disgrace. It's not modern – the Civil Service isn't keeping pace with the country it reckons it runs."

Colin Brown, The Independent 14 March

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Police halt jobs diversity scheme after discrimination claims

A campaign by Avon and Somerset police to increase the number of women and ethnic minority officers in its ranks has been withdrawn following advice that it may discriminate against white men. The scheme rejected applications from a number of white men before the interview process, in favour of women and applicants from ethnic minority groups. Complaints were made to the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission. These bodies clarified that, while "positive action" – such as helping applicants prepare for recruitment procedures or advertising in ethnic minority publications – is permitted, positive discrimination is illegal.

Owen Bowcott and Vikram Dodd, The Guardian 8 March

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Adapting Industrial Relations to Serve Knowledge-based Economies

Thomas A Kochan, MIT Institute for Work and Employment Relations

The field of industrial relations rose to prominence in the 20th century because it helped workers and employers adapt to their growing industrial economies. Today, we observe that many of the institutions and policies developed for the industrial era are in decline. A similar transformation of policies, institutions and practices will be needed to help workers, families, communities and societies adapt to the requirements of a knowledge-based, global economy. This will require renewed commitment to universal and life-long education and training, broad diffusion of knowledge-based work systems in organisations, more transparency and more direct worker voice in corporate governance structures and processes, flexible labour market policies that support mobility, and portability of benefits across jobs and movement in and out of full time work as women and men move through different stages of their careers and family lives. Given the global nature of economic activity, these reforms cannot be limited to single national systems; they must be part of a broader international consensus and coordinated effort to build transnational systems for managing cross border flows of human capital, jobs, knowledge, and value. (Original abstract)

Journal of Industrial Relations Volume 48 Number 1 (February 2006)