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This report presents the findings of a scoping study into initiatives, methods and approaches designed to encourage a widening of participation in below Level 2 adult learning via the workplace. This publication is no longer available.
The research aimed to identify factors that might contribute to under-reporting of accidents and incidents of learners, primarily apprentices and those on entry to employment programmes. It consisted of a literature review, interviews with the Learning and Skills Council regional health and safety managers, a review of the data on accident reports, focus groups with learners, a survey of learning providers and a survey of employers.
The term 'Assess-Train-Assess' (ATA) refers to the approach to development in which there is an initial assessment of any skills gap, followed by training provision to meet the needs identified in that initial assessment. Lastly, there is a follow-up assessment to determine the extent to which the training need has been met. The Department for Skills and Education (DfES) gained funding through the 'Success for All' budget for research to explore good practice in ATA approaches to workforce development, in order to assist other providers who wished to adopt this model of provision.
The Employer Training Pilots (ETP) were introduced in six Local Learning & Skills Council (LSC) areas in September 2002, initially for one year. They were subsequently extended for a second year a further six pilots were added. An initial evaluation report was published in November 2003 and this report presents an assessment of progress at the end of August 2004.
Part 2 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 was extended to cover organisations which conferred, renewed or extended a professional or trade qualification. If a provision, criterion or practice of a qualifications body placed a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in getting or retaining a qualification, then the qualifications body would have a duty to make a 'reasonable adjustment' for a disabled person.
This report uncovers the barriers to adult basic skills learning, such as issues of stigma and negative perceptions, practical barriers relating to health or childcare and cost, barriers experienced by providers (eg, funding and class sizes) and barriers to workplace learning. The report considers how, and to what extent, these barriers can be overcome and highlights elements of good practice.
The Employer Training Pilots (ETP) were established in six Learning and Skills Council areas in September 2002, aiming to provide training to a first level 2 qualification, or in basic skills for employees. They were successful in getting a substantial numbers of employers involved in training their low-skilled employees to achieve qualifications. Employers and learners expressed high levels of satisfaction with their experience of the pilots.
University for Industry (Ufi) was launched in autumn 2000 as the government's flagship for lifelong learning, intending to make a reality from the vision of a 'university for industry'. Ufi delivers under the brand name learndirect. In 2002, the DfES commissioned IES to undertake an evaluation of Ufi's performance against its strategic objectives of improving individuals' employability and organisations' productivity and competitiveness.
This study examines the impact of a series of development projects funded by the ESF-sponsored ADAPT Initiative on the development of the University for Industry concept in the UK. While the Ufi policy was being developed, organisations were encouraged to submit proposals for the final round of ADAPT funding for projects which both met the aims of the ADAPT Initiative and would contribute to developing Ufi-related policy. This study tracks the development of ten of the successful projects and examines their policy contribution in terms of the outcomes of the projects themselves and the factors affecting their achievement and the implications for Ufi/learndirect and the processes in place for these lessons to be communicated. This is the main report on the findings; the case studies are published in a separate report (ref RR305).
This study examines the impact of a series of development projects funded by the ESF-sponsored ADAPT Initiative on the development of the University for Industry concept in the UK. While the Ufi policy was being developed, organisations were encouraged to submit proposals for the final round of ADAPT funding for projects which both met the aims of the ADAPT Initiative and would contribute to developing Ufi-related policy. This study tracks the development of ten of the successful projects and examines their policy contribution in terms of the outcomes of the projects themselves and the factors affecting their achievement and the implications for Ufi/learndirect and the processes in place for these lessons to be communicated. These are the case studies; the overall findings are published in a separate report (ref RR304).
