The number of people with vocational qualifications is now higher than those with degrees but the awards still suffer from negative prejudice. In an article on their website, ATL report the findings of research carried out by Edexcel which shows 38% of the population having a vocational qualification and 26% having a degree.
Over the past two years there has been a fall of nearly one and a half million adult learners on publicly funded courses. This week the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) is launching a nationwide search to find out what has happened to those adults.
NIACE is exploring how the cuts in publicly funded adult learning have impacted on individual learners and wants to hear about what people have done without publicly supported classes. In particular NIACE is interested in finding out from learners, tutors and providers.
Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, said, “These are challenging times for adult learners. Because of our ageing population we need more – not fewer – adults of all ages learning. Learning increases confidence, reduces isolation and has positive effects on your mental health, particularly as you get older. This is why we want to hear about how adults are learning now – if not on publicly-funded courses.”
Anyone interested in sharing their experiences should contact NIACE at: lostcourses@niace.org.uk or write to: Lost Classes, NIACE, Renaissance House, 20 Princess Road West, Leicester LE1 6TP.
The TUC has published its response to the Government’s consultation on World Class Apprenticeships; and it can be downloaded in PDF format from the TUC website.
In summary, the TUC welcomes the government’s strategy. However there are a number of areas where it has concerns, as well as recommendations for strengthening the strategy.
Indeed, the TUC is concerned about measures that would create additional responsibilities for apprentices, and it opposes any weakening of apprentice rights. It also says stronger levers should be used to boost employer-based places, including through the use of public procurement in all public sector contracts. The TUC wants to see sector levies as well as statutory rights to collective bargaining over training. It also calls for a further expansion of Adult Apprenticeships.
Female apprentices are still being left far behind their male counterparts according to a new TUC report.
The report Still More (Better Paid) Jobs for the Boys shows that while more apprenticeship places have opened up for women in general, this has not happened in better paid male-dominated sectors such as engineering and construction.
The TUC report shows that little has changed - and in some cases the situation has worsened - in the three years since the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) completed its report looking at this issue in detail.
The proportion of men and women entering into apprenticeships overall are fairly even - 54.2 per cent of people starting apprenticeships in 2006/07 were men, and 45.8 per cent were women - but apprenticeships are still strongly divided along gender lines. In 2006/07, the worst industry culprits were construction with only 1.3 per cent women apprentices, vehicle maintenance (1.4 per cent female apprentices) and engineering (2.5 per cent).
During the same period, 97.1 per cent of apprentices in childcare were female and 91.7 per cent of hairdressing apprenticeships were women, the two lowest paying sectors. This divide was identified by both the EOC and the Women and Work Commission, but this new TUC report shows that there has been virtually no change since 2002/03. In engineering the situation has actually worsened, with the proportion of women apprentices falling from 4.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent between 2002/03 and 2006/07.
TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Apprenticeships are an excellent route into work and we want to see more and more employers offering high quality places.
“But this report shows there is still a huge gender divide in apprenticeships. Too many young women are being limited to apprenticeships in low-paid traditionally female occupations like childcare and hairdressing, and are unable to break into better paid male occupations like engineering.
“Low pay in apprenticeships happens much along gender lines. Women receive on average 26 per cent less pay than men so action needs to be taken now to tackle this divide once and for all. Government and, in particular, employers need to take this seriously and make equality a major priority.”
The TUC report also shows that big employers - often said to be better at tackling issues such as occupational segregation - are amongst the worst culprits. Of the large employers who contract directly with the Learning and Skills Council’s National Employer Service (NES), women only comprise around one fifth (20.1 per cent) of all apprentices taken on.
Of the ten most popular apprenticeships taken up by NES employers, six had less than 11 per cent female apprentices. Even more strikingly, four of the five most popular apprenticeships taken up via the NES have less than four per cent women - construction (1.2 per cent), vehicle maintenance (1.3 per cent), engineering (3.5 per cent) and electro-technical (1.5 per cent).
The TUC report suggests a six-point plan to tackle this growing inequality:
To view the report in full please visit: http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/genderreport.pdf
Commenting on the Government White Paper Raising Expectations: Enabling the System to Deliver announced today (Monday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
“Many of the proposed reforms, such as giving local authorities a greater strategic role for young people, should help more employees get the skills they need. But with two in five workers still not getting any regular training at work, this organisational reform must not divert attention from the wider skills challenge - getting more employers to offer quality apprenticeships and training opportunities.
“It’s vital that as well as meeting the skills needs of employers, more individual employees are helped to get new skills under these new arrangements. Unions can help to do this, both at a strategic level and on the ground, through the 18,000-strong network of union learning reps.
“The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has played an important role in supporting the Government’s skills strategy in recent years. Ministers must ensure that the expertise built up by LSC staff is utilised in any future arrangements, without recourse to redundancies.”
LSC to be abolished in major shake up
The Government today set out the details of the transfer of £7 billion to local authorities to help colleges and sixth forms deliver the reforms needed to raise the education and training leaving age to 18.
At the same time the Government will direct £4 billion a year through a new agency to provide training and skills for adults. The intention is to transform the system to be responsive and demand-led.
The plans will mean the dissolution of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) by 2010 and instead make local authorities responsible for offering all young people in their area a full menu of choices - both the new Diplomas and Apprenticeships alongside GCSEs and A levels.
The DCSF, DIUS and local authorities will work together to deliver the main points set out in the White Paper.
For 14-19 year olds:
For adult learners it will mean:
The White Paper was presented to Parliament in Written Ministerial Statement by Ed Balls.
He said, “We want every 16 and 17 year old to participate in education and training. And we want every adult to have the chance to improve their skills to get a job, a better job, or have a more successful economic life.
“The key proposals in the document will help to deliver our ambition to raise the participation age and transform attainment by age 19 and underpin our aim of a demand led system and the integration of employment and skills.
“The consultation document sets out how for young people, we aim to place leadership of the system, accountability for outcomes, duties and the funding to deliver, at a local level - local authorities will have the responsibility and duties to deliver for everyone from birth to 19.”
The White Paper is now out for consultation and comments must be submitted by Monday 9 June 2008.
Last week was the first ever apprenticeships week. Below we take a quick look at the coverage and comment from those involved…
The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills announced that some leading employers are creating some 4000 new places for apprentices. On the same day the LSC was highlighting research that shows how apprentices benefit business performance.
One sector known for offering apprenticeships is the automotive retail industry. In promoting apprenticeships week they were keen to highlight their commitment to apprenticeships.
ATL reported that LSC Director of Apprenticeships Stephen Gardner said that apprenticeships should not be associated with just the traditional industries, as they offer a number of opportunities in a range of potential career paths.
Of particular significance was a call from the TUC, and backed by the employers body FSB, calling for an increase in the minimum weekly wage for apprentices from £80 to £110, once legislation has been passed to extend wage contributions to small employers who are taking on an apprentice.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said, “Apprenticeships are a great way for people to earn and learn, while employers benefit from skilled workers. The quality and diversity of apprenticeships must improve if they are to grow over the next decade. Completion rates are an important indicator of quality, and improving pay is crucial to ensuring that people can afford to complete their course. Increasing the minimum pay for apprentices to £110 a week will boost their reputation and convince more people to train.”
Trade union Unite called for more action on apprenticeships by urging the government and employers to agree a national training levy to fund more apprentice places. The UK’s largest trade union siad the fall in the number of apprenticeship places will create massive skills shortages in key industries.
A week-long celebration of Apprenticeships will take place from 25th-29th February across England. The week seeks to raise the profile of Apprenticeships and encourage more employers to recruit them.
The week will include events, interviews, webchats and activities throughout the country. The week’s key event will be the Apprenticeships Summit, to be held at the Congress Centre in London’s West End, on Tuesday 26th February. If you would like to attend, please visit the Apprenticeships Summit website or call 020 7407 6656.
A report commissioned by the TUC and published today (Friday) reveals a huge gap between the present contribution migrant workers make to the UK economy, and the contribution they could make if their skills and qualifications were recognised by employers.
Migrant workers in the labour market reveals how many migrant workers are trapped in low-skill, low-pay jobs with poor conditions that do not use their skills and experience gained back home. Too often they find themselves working well below their capabilities on the bottom of the jobs ladder, while British workers with similar skills and qualifications are much more senior.
The research highlights a disturbing lack of awareness among employers about the skills and qualifications migrant workers can offer them, and a systematic failure to employ migrants in jobs that allow them both to use their existing skills and learn news ones to enable their careers to progress.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “For too long the skills and qualifications of migrant workers have been desperately undervalued.
“Unions are working hard to develop learning and training strategies to persuade employers to recognise the qualifications of migrant workers, and employers need to wake up to the skills and potential these workers can offer. Trained migrant workers coming to the UK can fill gaps in our labour market, but business is failing to use their true skills.”
A new survey conducted on behalf of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has found that we are a nation with long term ambition rather than a quick fix attitude, with people choosing to improve their jobs rather than apply for new ones.
The survey reveals good news for employers, as more than half (54 per cent) of respondents said they would rather improve their current role compared to just 16 per cent preferring to start afresh. Despite this, less than half (40 per cent) of those surveyed were likely to ask their employers for training to help develop their roles.
Findings reveal 46 per cent of employees surveyed said training would make them more likely to stay with the company. An earlier report by the Department for Education and Skills, now the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) suggests employers are overlooking the benefits that training can bring to staff retention, which found that less than one per cent of employers would increase training to encourage staff retention or morale. Of those who did train their staff, 4 in 10 employers reported an increase in staff retention.
This is also reflected in employees’ views of work based training, as 45 per cent of employees surveyed would feel more valued, and 46 per cent more motivated if their organisation invested in their skills.
Jaine Clarke, Director of Skills for Employers at the Learning and Skills Council comments:
“This research reveals a clear need for employers to change their attitude to training if they are to reduce staff turnover and boost morale. This is now easier than ever before thanks to our Train to Gain Service, which offers independent, impartial advice at no cost to the employer.
“We would also encourage employees to take their future into their own hands and ask their employers about training before taking the step of finding a new job.”
A study by the Chartered Management Institute published this week reveals that job prospects are increasingly being influenced by an individual’s commitment to their long-term professional development. However, it also uncovers major barriers preventing significant numbers from improving their skills.
The findings show 64 per cent of employers – and 74 per cent of individuals - believe management qualifications will grow in importance over the next 5 years. Individuals and employers also agree that ‘proof of academic prowess’ is no longer a key driver for taking a qualification.
However, the report shows that desire to secure formal recognition is not matched by action, with only 1 in 5 individuals holding a management qualification.
The study suggests that low uptake of professional development is caused by a series of barriers. One of the key difficulties is the complexity of the qualifications system, with 65 per cent arguing too many qualifications exist and 51 per cent agreeing that the different levels are confusing.
The most widely felt barrier is the impact of study on managers’ time. Many agreed that it diverts energy from other interests (56 per cent), family (53 per cent) and their work (40 per cent). A significant proportion also said they sought employer investment, with 43 per cent seeking full-funding and 39 per cent looking for partial financial contributions.
The results of the CIM study, The Value of Management Qualifications, can be downloaded in pdf format from the Institute’s website.
Britain’s employers must act quickly to close the training divide between graduate and unskilled workers if Britain is to compete successfully in the global economy, according to a new TUC report.
Time to Tackle the Training Divide analyses the latest available official data for training take up in the UK to show that last year 41 per cent of graduate employees took part in work-based learning compared to only 12 per cent of their colleagues who left school without any qualifications.
A range of Government initiatives aimed at low and unskilled workers have helped narrow the training divide in recent years, but much more needs to be done if social inequality is not to get worse, says the report.
It also highlights the fact that over a third of UK employers (35 per cent) systematically fail to offer their staff any training at work, and says this is a key reason why the UK has such a long way to go before it has a highly-skilled workforce.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “The UK is becoming an increasingly unequal society and unless employers start to offer skills training equally to all their workforce, the situation is only going to get worse. Employers should be signing up to the Government’s skills pledge, and taking advantage of the cash on offer to help them run training courses for their low-skilled workers.
“Little or no access to training leaves many unqualified workers in a catch 22 situation where they cannot get on at work because they are trapped in low paid jobs with no prospects of enhancing their skills and moving up the career ladder.
“The Government needs to get tough with employers who believe that training at work need not be something that concerns them. If the Government’s skills pledge is going to change employer attitudes to training, ministers need to convince reluctant bosses of the urgent need to train their low and unskilled employees.”
Time to Tackle the Training Divide also highlights the role that union learning reps and the TUC’s learning organisation, unionlearn, are playing in workplaces across the country, encouraging workers with little or no academic qualifications to improve their career prospects and take advantage of training opportunities at work.
