The UK’s poor performance in developing young people’s mathematical skills has been concerning for some time. In this article Dr Dick Evans explores the current state of play. Having written extensively about skills shortages over the past few years I would like to focus on a number of recent developments in one key area namely mathematics and numeracy. The importance of these subjects cannot be over emphasised not only as an intellectual pursuit in their own right but for their pivotal role in strategic subjects crucial for the economy such as science/engi-neering/technology/computing and indeed all elements of the workplace and
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Manufacturing –a Terminal Case?
A Personal Perspective “In June 2002 manufacturing output fell by 5.3% the largest decline since 1979” “500,000 jobs lost in manufacturing since 1997”. Here Dick Evans offers a detailed explanation of the causes and suggests some practical ways forward. Hardly a day passes without the press and media reporting the ongoing problem with manufacturing in this country. This state of affairs is not new – it’s been occurring over the past few decades with many commentators predicting the impending demise of this essential and strategically important activity. The issue of manufacturing in this country has not really seriously figured
Managing Supply and Demand
In this article Dr Dick Evans Principal of Stockport College further develops his arguments in favour of major research into major skill needs in the UK. In order for this country to compete in the global economies it must, once and for all, develop long term strategies for education and training, including the essential need for lifelong learning. The country must more fully recognise the consequences of the various transformations that are occurring at an ever accelerating rate in employment and in society in general. This certainly will require a fundamental and comprehensive reappraisal and redefinition of education and training
Managing and Creating Quality in Colleges
Dick Evans The first question to address is ‘What is quality in the context of education and training?’ Quality, after all, is subjective and it is an individual’s perception of a particular product or service and this in turn is influenced by what they experience and what they think. People may not agree on what constitutes quality, but they have a common idea of what it involves. It is about values and these critically depend on a wide range of factors that operate at particular times for that individual. Education is also concerned with a complex blend of production and
LICENCE TO PRACTISE?
Richard Evans is the Chairman of the CIPHE’s Education and Training Group. In this issue of ETM he looks at attitudes concerning licencing of plumbers. Why No Licence to Practise – An Historical Perspective I would like to focus on three inter-related issues, namely the existence of rogue traders and training providers and the reluctance of this country to introduce a licence to work for a number of occupations. These issues have sadly created an unfair and negative view of a number of professional trades including plumbing and the majority of practitioners employed within them. These issues continue to be
Libraries and Learning
Richard Evans looks at the college library of the future What should the library of the future look like in the further education sector? An important question that needs to be asked and answered by staff in the institutions within the new sector. The sector has at long last been recognised by the Government and has been required to expand its student numbers by 25 per cent over the next three years with 16 per cent additional resources over that period. It will play a significant role in achieving the National Education and Training Targets (NETTS) which set out the
Learning Organisations
In the 2nd of a two part article, Dick Evans of Stockport College looks at products, services and environment. Part 1 of this article – The Learning College – last month (September 1998) began to explore the concept of the Learning Or ganisation and focused on the value associated with ‘people’. A number of pitfalls and difficulties were highlighted and it was pointed out that these are present in all areas of employment and are not exclusive to education. Part 2 focuses on the other two chosen values, namely ‘services and products’ and ‘environment’. The emphasis will again be on
Learning on Whose Account?
Dick Evans looks at the problems and possibilities of Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs). Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) are one of the major elements of this Government’s campaign to develop a culture of lifelong learning. The national framework for ILAs will be launched in April 2000 and will operate UK wide, covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Between April 2000 and March 2002 the focus of the ILA national framework will be on the world of work with a potential coverage of 27 million individuals (but,it is important to note, not the unemployed) and approximately 3 million employers. During this
Learning Banquet or Dog’s Dinner?
Dick Evans helps us make sense of the Learning and Skills Bill and the changes that will affect us all in the years ahead. In December 1999, the DfEE published the Bill that will establish the Learning and Skills Council for England. The Bill set out the range of responsibilities for the Council, which would include: * planning and funding post-16 further education and work-based training. * assuring the quality of provision that the Council funds, and * taking forward a strategy for quality improvement. As a result the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will take over the funding responsibilities
Labour Market Research and Information
Three key questions successive Government have failed to tackle adequately are: How is the supply of sources of labour and skills changing? How is the demand for labour changing? How is the balance between supply and demand changing? In this article Dick Evans examines the consequences. These are the questions that drive and in form labour market research and information. In spite of an immense amount of effort over many years skills gaps and shortages continue to occur. Skills gaps and shortages occur when there is an imbalance in the labour market namely a mismatch between the demand for and