The University for industry (UfI) is a serious misnomer. Dick Evans brings employers and colleges into the debate. The Government’s Green Paper ‘The Learning Age’ highlighted a number of initiatives to develop lifelong learning. Two of these will become a reality – as the Government, and particularly Gordon Brown, is committed to them – the University for Industry and Individual Learning Accounts. The Green Paper projected a vision of the University for Industry that would exploit the newer technologies to boost productivity, employability and competitiveness. Although this seems exciting and innovative, many questions are still unanswered. Even when the Ufl
Browsing 49 Articles Originally Published in: “T Magazine”
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
The Learning College
Colleges and other institutions of learning are not necessarily ‘learning organisations’. Dick Evans explains. In the 1980s, many businesses began to move towards becoming ‘learning organisations’. Interestingly, institutions of learning, colleges, universities, and training providers, which should perhaps have been in the vanguard, are only now beginning to follow suit. The development of the learning organisation idea is founded on the assumption that learning pays, not just for the individual but also for the organisations to which they belong. Even though the development of the learning organisation concept has been occurring over the last two decades, its definition and operation
The Challenges of The New Deal – 18 to 24 Element
The Government, before they were elected, stated clearly that one of their flagships was The New Deal (ND) for young people and long-term unemployed people. Now they are elected, the initiative is very live and real. The New Deal will have major implications for these individuals but also for the partners who will be needed to make it a success and colleges of further education are most certainly going to be a major player in the delivery of this initiative. So what is The New Deal? The basic proposals are as follows: New Deal: will help young people aged 18-24
The Moment of Truth
Education consultant Jenny Cronin and Dick Evans, Principal of Stockport College, attempt to explore what the ‘Moment of Truth’(MoT) is and where it occurs in the education and the business worlds. In the world of quality assurance (QA), dominated by jargon, a particular expression is being increasingly adopted, the Moment of Truth (MoT). It sits comfortably alongside other helpful and generally accepted phrases, for example, ‘right first time’. MOT is an example of a piece of jargon that does serve us well, in that it triggers fundamental and essential questions and precipitates meaningful reflections on the issues of processes operated
Models of Quality Assurance
The Business Excellence Model (BEM) and FEFC Inspection ace considered by Dick Evans, Principal of Stockport College and Education Consultant Jenny Cronin. Colleges have been required to respond to a multitude of quality assurance interventions. The FEFC, HEFCE, TQASM, Common Accord (CA), etc have consumed an immense amount of valuable and increasingly limited resources and involved a great deal of replication of effort. In a time of diminishing resources and following questions about the cost benefit of these quality interventions, many of the frameworks are beginning to converge in terms of methodology and intended effect. One of the main vehicles
Working Away
Dick Evans, Principal of Stockport College of F&HE, considers Curriculum 2000, NVQs and realistic working , environments (RWEs). The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) are currently preparing the specifications for the qualifications and awards that will attach to the new proposed national curriculum framework. This is increasingly being referred to as Curriculum 2000 (C2k). The framework will be established from September 2000 and one of the new pieces of jargon is associated with the word ‘specifications’, previously known as syllabuses. ‘Specifications’ will recognise the necessary knowledge, skills, understanding and competence that will be assessed for the purpose of awarding a
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
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