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
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To Learn or Not to Learn?
That is the basic question says FE College Principal Dick Evans. A recently-introduced government performance indicator focuses on graduates obtaining employment and the new national target regarding participation rates for 16 to 19 year olds. This has provoked reflection on student retention, achievement and the wider aspects of people who do not participate in education and training. Student retention and achievement justifiably continues to be an important issue for colleges and universities. Obviously they wish to see all their students succeed and have value added to them through their studies and the associated learning opportunities and experiences afforded to them
What’s in a Name?
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
Educating the Energy Technician
Dick Evans, Principal, Stockport College of Further & Higher Education. Over the past five to ten years, the further education sector has seen a serious and steep decline in enrolments in vocational science, engineering and construction. The reasons for this decline are multidimensional and reflect the major transformations that have occurred, not only in the world of work but also within the workings of the global economy. The long and deep recession in construction and engineering has seriously impacted on the number of students studying these subjects in further education. As companies have downsized and outsourced their services, fewer staff
Establishing a Culture of College Research
Dr R G Evans, of Stockport College, outlines the range of research being carried out in colleges today College Research quite rightly advocates a strong and effective culture of research in FE colleges and the sector. There needs to be a central focus for research and development in a college to share and use findings and developments across the institution and, in some cases, to disseminate findings throughout the sector. The publication College Research is an ideal vehicle for such dissemination. To create such a culture, a college needs a comprehensive research policy and money from the college’s budget. Colleges
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