This
project is financed by the LSC, SEEDA and
the European Social Fund
NATIONAL & REGIONAL
NEWS
GENERAL & POLICY
New Government Departments Announced
Three new government departments were set up by
the Prime Minister in June, in a shake up of
the work of the previous DfES and DTI. The new
departments are the Department for Children,
Schools and Families (DCSF), the Department for
Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and
the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory
Reform (BERR). Ed Balls is Secretary of State
for Children, Schools and Families, John Denham
is Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities
and Skills, and John Hutton is Secretary of State
for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
For more information about these new departments
and about the future of the LSC, see this edition’s
Spotlight
On.
Minister for South East Appointed
Jonathan Shaw has been appointed Minister for the
South East. As well as his regional responsibilities,
the MP for Chatham and Aylesford oversees marine
and fisheries, rural affairs, landscape, and local
environment quality on behalf of Defra.
Jonathan Shaw qualified as a social worker in
1990, working in child protection, adoption, fostering
and children leaving care. He became a local councillor
in 1993 and in 1997 became MP for Chatham and Aylesford.
Source: Defra website, 31st July 2007
South East’s Key Transport Hub Given £425
Million Development Boost
In its Rail White Paper, the Government has pledged
to invest £425 million in a programme to
develop Reading station, which is a key transport
hub in the South East.
The planned improvements to Reading Station include
implementing radio-based signalling, major infrastructure
developments for a new generation of high speed
trains and for a new strategic freight network.
There are also plans to lengthen passenger trains
and increase the frequency of services. Click
here to go through to our website for further details.
Source: SEEDA website, 24th July 2007
Floods
Claims May Exceed £2.5bn
The June and July floods in the North and South
of England are expected to cost the insurance
industry at least £2.5bn, says the British
Association of Insurers (ABI). The costs of the
June floods alone are estimated to be £1.5bn.
A spokesperson from the
ABI said: "It could
well be our biggest year so far."
The £2.5bn estimate
is based on the individual claims to date, and
may rise further as the full
impact of the floods becomes clearer.
The ABI still remains committed to insuring those
in areas liable to flooding, so long as the Government
improves and maintains flood defences in these
areas.
Source: BBC online, 23rd July 2007
Women’s
Business Enterprise Council to be Launched
The Women’s Business Enterprise Council
UK (WBEC-UK) is to be launched later in the year.
WBEC-UK is a national certifying body for women
business owners, based on a US model, which has
had considerable success in America.
Pam Alexander, Chief
Executive of SEEDA and Co-Chair of the national
Women’s Enterprise Task Force
said: “The number of female-owned businesses
in Britain has recently topped the one million
mark. But women's businesses currently access less
than five per cent of corporate and public procurement
contracts, which severely stifles their growth.
The new WBEC-UK will encourage corporate and public
organisations to increase their supplier diversity
to mutual benefit. Healthy supply chains means
healthy profits."
Working in partnership
with the women’s
enterprise association Prowess, WBEC-UK is corporate-led
and backed by companies such as Accenture, Bank
of America, Microsoft, New Technology and Pfizer.
Pam Alexander believes that the introduction of
WBEC model will be important for women business
owners. By accrediting them as suppliers, major
purchasers will have more confidence to work with
businesses they have not previously used. WBEC-UK
will be formally launched in November 2007.
Source: SEEDA website, 12th July 2007
Equality
Between Men and Women “Generations
Away”
A report by the Equal Opportunities Commission
has said that it will take another 45 years from
women to receive similar pensions to men, and 25
years to close the gap between part-time workers’ pay
and full-time pay. The EOC believes that workplaces
and services are designed for a time when women
stayed at home.
The EOC is calling on the Government to do more
to close the gender pay gap. However, the report
also noted that there have been major changes over
the last 30 years, with more shared childcare responsibilities
between parents and more flexible working for both
men and women.
In October, the EOC will be become part of the
Commission for Equality and Human Rights.
Source: BBC online, 23rd July 2007
Bored Youngsters Get into Trouble in School Holidays
Research by the 4Children charity has found that
80% of 16,000 young people who were surveyed
said they had nothing to do outside of school.
70% of respondents stated that young people became
involved in anti-social behaviour and petty crime
due to boredom.
The charity’s research
report Make space for youth review calls for
a national programme
of UK youth centres for teenagers to give young
people the chance to socialise and have access
to activities such as music, the creative arts,
sports and extra classes and specialist support.
The report also recommends free public transport
and leisure for all young people under 18. Click
here (link to labour market focus website) to go
through to our website for further details.
Source: BBC online, July 11th 2007
UK Wealth Gap Remains Wide
A recent study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
(JRF) looking at wealth patterns over the last
40 years has shown that the gap in the UK between
rich and poor is as wide as ever. In the 1970s
the gap narrowed, but then widened again in the
80s and 90s. Since 2000 the picture is less clear
with pension and tax credits aiding the poor
and the wealthier gaining from the property boom.
The research found that
households in already wealthy areas have become “disproportionately” richer
compared to the rest of society. The number of “poor” households
has also increased during the past 15 years. Click
here to go
through to our website for further details.
Source: BBC online, 17th July 2007
Raising Awareness Among Employers of the Benefits
of Disabled Staff
22 seminars are to be run nationwide for 1000 employers
to develop their awareness of disability issues
and give them the benefit of services provided
by Jobcentre Plus. The project, Realising Potential,
was piloted in March 2007 and will run until March
2008. Realising Potential is funded by the Government’s
Office for Disability Issues and is being delivered
in partnership by the National Employment Panel,
the Employers’ Forum on Disability and Jobcentre
Plus.
The seminar events will
explain the advantages of recruiting and retaining
disabled people, with
employers providing delegates with examples of
the benefits of being ‘disability confident’.
Source: GNN, 5th July 2007
Cross Country Rail Route Goes to Arriva
Virgin Trains has lost the Cross Country rail route
after the Department for Transport decided to
terminate its franchise early. Arriva’s
bid won the franchise which covers 1,600 miles
from Aberdeen to Penzance. The new franchise
also includes services from Nottingham to Cardiff
and from Birmingham to Stansted. First Group
and National Express also bid for the Cross Country
franchise.
Arriva will take over
the route in November this year, and the franchise
will continue until April
2016. Shares in Arriva rose around 9% at the news.
Arriva will receive a subsidy of around £1.05bn
during the life of the franchise. However, fares
are likely to rise by around 3.5% above inflation.
There are plans to increase seating capacity by
35% on rush hour trains by June 2009 and for passengers
to be able to print tickets at home.
Source: BBC online, 10th July 2007
Postal Strikes Continue
Royal Mail faces ongoing strikes by postal workers
during the Summer. The first 24 hour strike took
place in June and the strikes continue in a row
between the company and its staff about pay and
job security.
An Early Day motion has been tabled by the Labour
MP for Morecambe & Lunesdale, Geraldine Smith,
for the Government to intervene.
The CWU union believes
that workers’ pay
should rise in line with inflation, while the company
is concerned about an increasingly competitive
Mail market. The Royal Mail’s modernisation
plans are also causing conflict as the CWU believes
that there will be 40,000 jobs lost as a result
of these plans.
According to figures
from Royal Mail, the UK Mail Market is reducing
by 2.5% per year. There are
now 17 operators in competition with Royal Mail
and the company has lost 40% of the most lucrative
area of the Mail Market – corporate business.
Meanwhile, some private mail companies are stepping
in to profit from the industrial action affecting
Royal Mail.
Source: BBC online, 13th July 2007
Law Change to Drive Up Learning Age
The Government plans to introduce an “Educational
Opportunity” bill to encourage young people
to stay in learning. The Government believes that
this is essential to improve people’s skills.
The new Education and Skills Bill will apply to
England and Wales, and will mean that all young
people will be able to stay in education or training
until they are 18. There will also be talks with
the devolved administration in Northern Ireland
and Scotland relating to 16 to 18 education and
training. Click
here to go through to our website for further
details.
Source: BBC online, 11th July 2007
Campaign Launched to Change Attitudes to Skills
and Learning
A new campaign: “Our future. It’s in
our hands” has been launched by the LSC and
the Department for Innovation, Universities and
Skills (DIUS).
The launch event took place at the British Academy
of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in London.
Over a 3 to 5 year period the marketing and communications
campaign aims to change the attitudes of employers
and individuals across England to learning and
skills. Click
here to go through to our website for further
details.
Source: Learning & Skills Council (LSC); hrlook
website, 23rd July 2007
Student Entrepreneurs Make Their Mark
10,000 teenagers from across the country were recently
each handed £10, and given a month to use
it to make as much money as they could. Whilst
many feared the scheme would bring chaos, the
sceptics were proved wrong.
120 schools from across
Britain were involved in the ‘Make Your Mark for a Tenner’ challenge,
which saw students making huge profits. Whilst
the average profit was £99.33, the highest
profit seen on £10 was £410; a 4,100
per cent increase in a month. A female student
from London, who set up a homemade doughnut business,
generated the highest profit. Once students had
broken even or made a profit, the £10 was
returned to entrepreneur Oli Barrett who funded
and organized the challenge.
Sources: The Observer, 15/7/07, Montrose reports,
17th July 2007
Parent and Carer School Involvement
A new report by the Office for Standards in Education,
Children’s Services and Skills (OFSTED)
suggests that many parents and carers feel they
have insufficient guidance to help their children
learn more effectively. Schools successful in
involving parents and carers are those that clearly
state such involvement is one of their explicit
aims; parents need to be active partners in learning.
Whilst many schools are good at recognizing the
importance of parental involvement, its impact
is rarely evaluated.
25 primary and secondary school were visited by
OFSTED for the research, seven of which were considered
outstanding in involving parents and carers. In
the best schools, a working partnership with parents
from the start ensured a long-term productive relationship.
Parents often contributed to the school using their
own knowledge and expertise of certain areas, which
led to parents gaining a valuable insight into
learning.
According to the report,
children strongly value their parent or carer’s
presence in the school. Effective home-school
communication includes newsletters
and diaries to text messages and e-mails. Those
schools that relied on minimal methods of communication
were not successful in building parents' confidence.
Only 3 of the 25 schools had attempted to analyse
the impact such parent-school initiatives had had.
OFSTED recommends that local authorities should
distribute suggestions about good practice and
effective strategies on parent/carer involvement.
Source: OFSTED, 18/7/07
Skills Revolution to Sweep Britain
Britain’s skills base is to be boosted by
a ‘demand-led’ approach, the Government
has stated. Secretary of State for Innovation,
Universities and Skills, John Denham, aims to make
the UK a world leader in skills by 2020.
The strategy is designed to tackle the UK skills
gap, where 5 million adults currently have no qualifications.
Plans for an adult careers service and better links
between employers and education are on the agenda.
Prime Minister, Gordon
Brown, has already taken up the recommendation
of increasing the age young
people leave full-time education from 16 to 18.
Lord Leitch has set a target of 95% of adults having
basic numeracy and literacy skills by 2010, a total
of 1.1 million adults. The planned ‘skills
revolution’ would see ‘employer-led’ and
demand-led vocational training, so colleges would
aim to provide training in areas local adults or
businesses wanted.
Many have welcomed the
Government’s plans,
however the Association of Colleges says it wants
to see more employers paying for training and being
held accountable for the nation's skills. The National
Union of Students was concerned that demands of
specific employers would have too significant a
role to play, at the expense of individuals' development.
Source: BBC online, 18th July 2007
School
Children in England: Participation & Attainment
A recent DfES topic paper explores the issues of
gender and education, looking at boys and girls
from reception through to Sixth Form level. The
paper summarises current statistics on participation
and attainment. Historical data is observed alongside
performance data from international research,
which strengthens the conclusions on overall
trends. Whilst gender differences in areas such
as special educational needs, bullying and school
exclusion are covered, the paper focuses upon
subject choice and attainment.
To view the paper click here
Source: LSC Research Newsletter, 18th July 2007
Tackling Low Educational Achievement
Underlying factors affecting low achievement in
British education is the subject of a recent
report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Why
is it that tens of thousands of young people
leave school with no or very few qualifications?
Low achievement at this age is frequently placed
alongside disadvantage and a variety of factors
relating to gender and ethnicity.
The report which will be of interest to those
concerned with educational outcomes including:
policymakers, education professionals, unions and
the media, makes use of the National Pupil Database
to examine four different measures of low achievement.
The paper goes on to address the ongoing debate
surrounding education policies in relation to reducing
low achievement.
Education and Training on the Up
Statistics from the Department for Education and
Skills indicates and increase in the proportion
of 16-18 year olds in full-time education and
training. The proportion of 16 year olds in full-time
education has risen from 75.8 per cent in 2005
to 78.1 per cent in 2006. The number of 16-18
year olds in education and training is 1,547,000,
its highest ever and a rise of 15,500 since the
end of 2005. Just over 10 per cent of 16-18 year
olds are Not in Education, Training or Employment
(NEET).
Early Leaving From Further Education and Work-Based
Learning
A recent report from the Institute for Employment
Studies draws upon the findings from a survey of
learners aged 16 to 18 and 19+ who withdrew from
a course of further education (FE) or work-based
learning (WBL) during the 2004/05 academic year.
The survey explored respondents’ learning
motivations and experience as well as their reasons
for leaving the course.
The research found that the most common reasons
for leaving are course-related: unhappiness with
course choice or with the quality of the teaching/training
(32%), followed by circumstantial reasons (28%)
and time/workload issues (20%).
Reasons for leaving FE courses were varied from
the course not being what the learner wanted to
do after all, to the course not being at the right
level, whilst reasons for leaving apprenticeships
and other WBL were more consistent. About 43 per
cent of early leavers gave reasons that may have
been addressed by more access to IAG, or to better
quality IAG.
Programme of Equality and Diversity
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) recently
commissioned Focus Consultancy Limited to conduct
a study into Equality and Diversity, as part
of their EQUAL programme. The study includes:
Better understanding of the nature of the
Equality & Diversity (E&D) field in
relation to demographics, activities and needs
Identifying potential benefits and risks
in launching an association in relation to
the improvement of diversity in the UK
Ensuring high levels of practice among E & D
practitioners, by setting out a competency
framework
Some of the key findings include:
The majority of E & D practitioners are
White British, female, aged 35-54
Social and interactive skills are essential
competencies for professional and proficient
E & D practice
The majority of E & D practitioners work
in the public sector and cover multiple strands
of E & D.
TDA States Newly Qualified Teachers Are The Best
For Generations
The Training and Development Agency for Schools
(TDA) believes that new teachers are better qualified
than ever before.
Undergraduate trainees have an average UCAS tariff
score of 250 (equivalent to two or three A-levels
at grade B). For postgraduate trainee teachers,
in 2005/6 fifty-eight per cent held a 2.1 or above
from a UK degree, compared to 51 per cent seven
years ago.
Data collected from schools, colleges and universities
that provide teacher training also suggest that
an increasingly diverse group of people are moving
into the teaching profession. There are increasing
numbers of trainee teachers from a minority ethnic
background, or who have a disability; there are
also far more men training as primary teachers.
Whilst a slight decline in numbers of trainee
teachers falls in line with decreasing pupil enrolment,
the numbers of science and maths teachers has increased.
For newly qualified teachers, employment rates
are fairly consistent: of the 24,000 new teachers
whose employment status is known, 90 per cent had
secured a teaching post within six months of completing
their training, and a further 6 per cent were seeking
jobs.
Source: Training and Development Agency for Schools,
18th July 2007
Universities Still Need More Pupils From State
Schools
Figures show that last year UK universities took
more pupils from state schools. However, more still
needs to be done to widen the intake. 2005/6 saw
87.4% of young undergraduates coming from state
schools, which was a slight increase on the previous
year.
Lowest proportions of state school entrants were
at specialist institutions, including the Royal
Agricultural College and the Royal Academy of Music,
and among mainstream universities, Oxford and Cambridge.
Drop out rates after
the first year of study are also falling; 7.2%
last year, down from 7.7% the
previous year. Bell College and the University
of Paisley had the highest drop out rates, whilst
Oxford and St George’s Hospital Medical School
had the lowest.
Source: BBC online, 19th July 2007
£140m
available in training grants
Four-fifths of construction companies in the
South East have not been accessing training grants.
Figures released by ConstructionSkills show that
last year, 2,200 construction companies accessed £12m
in grants to train their employees. However,
an estimated 9,000 other companies in the region
did not. From August 2007, £140m in Government
grants will be available to improve the skills
of workers in the construction sector. This includes
grants that cover a several years to ensure a
longer-term approach. Funds for apprenticeships
has also risen significantly in line with the
Government’s aim of having more young people
continuing in training and education until they
are 18.
Company development manager
at ConstructionSkills, South East, John Clark
, said: "Increasing
the number of companies investing in training is
vital to improving the industry's performance.
"With demand for
construction soaring and a huge range of projects
under way throughout the
South East, training has never been more vital.”
For further information about training grants,
visit http://www.cskills.org/grant
Source: Brighton Argus, 17th July 2007
Foreign Direct Investment Will Bring Over 2,300
Jobs to the South East
The UK Trade & Investment’s Annual Report
states that more than 2,300 jobs will be created
in the South East over the next three years as
a result of SEEDA’s assisting 84 overseas
companies, 34 of which are new or expanding UK
or European HQs. The investment in these companies
should also safeguard over 1500 jobs over the same
period. North America remains a leading source
of investment in the South East region. Click
here to go through
to our website for further details.
Source: SEEDA website, 11th July 2007
Unilever Offices to Close in South East and London
Unilever will close three Sales and Marketing offices
in the South East region, leading to the loss
of up to 350 jobs. The offices in Walton-on-Thames
in Surrey, Kingston-upon-Thames in south west
London and Crawley, in West Sussex are due to
close by the end of 2008. 40 senior management
jobs and 260-310 other jobs will be lost. There
will be a new merged operation in Leatherhead,
Surrey. The changes are part of a restructuring
programme that has been progressing over the
last two year to improve Unilever’s performance.
Source: BBC online, 16th July 2007
Graduate Recruitment Still Rising
Vacancies in the graduate recruitment market are
expected to rise for the fourth year running,
according to recent research published by the
Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR). The
research had the following key findings:
12.7% rise in graduate-level vacancies is
expected, an increase on last year’s
actual rise in vacancies of 5.2%.
Median salary of £23,500, a rise of
2.4%
Around 30 applications per vacancy are received
by those recruiting
Fewer recruiters are concerned about filling
vacancies, more than two-thirds of recruiters
expect to fill all vacancies
Click
here to go through to our website for further details.
Source: www.agr.org.uk; hrlook website, 23rd July
2007
New ‘Jobs Pledge’ From
Gordon Brown
A recent Green paper looking at the next steps
to full employment, published by Work and Pensions
Secretary, Peter Hain, and Prime Minister Gordon
Brown, depicts a revolutionary ‘jobs pledge’ to
find jobs for 250,000 people currently on benefit.
Public and private sector major employers have
committed to the Local Employment Partnership
by offering guaranteed job interviews to those
who have been on benefit and who are ready and
prepared to work. Click
here to go through to our website
for further details.
Source: GNN, 18th July 2007
Turn to Internet for Recruitment
A recent employer survey by Jobcentre Plus, demonstrates
sustained buoyancy in the recruitment market.
The report of over 4,500 employers shows that
as the numbers of employers recruiting goes up,
an increasing number are turning to the internet
to advertise jobs. Recruitment last year was
taking place in over a quarter of British businesses,
with around 25% of all filled job vacancies advertised
online. Jobseekers themselves are reflecting
this trend - in June, the Jobcentre Plus website
recorded a record 6.6 million job searches conducted
by nearly 2.2 million online jobseekers in a
single week.
The survey suggests that the UK recruitment market
continues to maintain momentum. 3.39 million vacancies
were filled successfully in 2006. The South East
and London remain the areas with the highest proportion
of filled vacancies, and also most likely to make
use of internet and web-based recruitment.
Many employers continue
to use Jobcentre Plus to advertise jobs. In the
last 12 months, over
a third of all advertised jobs were placed through
Jobcentre Plus. Overall those using Jobcentre Plus
found its service ‘very acceptable’,
suggesting it had a good knowledge of the candidate
skills and business requirements needed for the
vacancy.
Source: GNN, 19th July 2007
Minimum Holiday Entitlement to Rise
From 1st October 2007, the legal minimum holiday
entitlement of four weeks, including bank holidays,
will rise by 4 days to 24 days. Employers can
make a payment in lieu of the additional holiday
above four weeks until April 2009, when there
will be a further increase to 28 days overall.
The increase will be pro-rata for part-time workers.
Source: Brighton Business website, 23rd July 2007
Wet Weather Causes High Street Havoc
The UK experienced the wettest three months from
May to July on record this year, which caused
UK retail sales to rise more slowly than was
expected by many analysts, according to official
figures. The Office for National statistics (ONS)
states June saw a 0.2% rise in sales, down from
a 0.4% increase in May. However, analysts have
said that although sales growth had slowed, it
was probably still too strong to deter the Bank
of England from raising interest rates.
Supermarkets have been hit particularly badly.
In June, food sales fell 1.1%, because the poor
weather turned customers away from summer products
for picnics and barbecues. However the ONS have
said department store sales rose more sharply than
last year, a result of summer discounts beginning
earlier.
According to analysts, sales growth has still
been strong enough to merit higher interest rates
later in 2007. Interest rates in the UK are now
at 5.75%, having increased five times in the last
twelve months, to try and rein in inflation.
Source: BBC online, 19th July 2007
UK Economy Keeps on Growing
In the first quarter of 2007, the UK economy grew
at an annual rate of 3%; higher than most other
major economies. The Office for National Statistics
(ONS) says Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew
at 0.7% during the period from the previous quarter.
Although this figure was unchanged from previous
estimates, revisions to earlier data pushed the
annual growth rate higher to 3% from 2.9%. The
Bank of England has raised interest rates four
times in the past year to 5.5%, and certain analysts
believe it will reach 6% by the end of 2007.
Source: BBC online, 29th June 2007
No Change For Gender Pay Inequality in EU
Over the past decade, Europe has made little progress
towards removing sexual discrimination in the
job market according to the European Commission.
The gender pay gap in the EU certainly is not
narrowing, with women still earning an average
of 15% less than men, compared with 17% in 1995.
In Finland, the UK, Germany, Slovakia, Estonia
and Cyprus, the pay gap is at 20% or above. The
European Commission wants its 27 member states
to set out objectives and deadlines to remove
the gap and work towards equal pay.
The pay gap is seen to increase with age, education
and years of service. For those in the 50-59 age
group the gap is 30%, compared to 7% for the under
30s. For those with higher education the gap is
30% and 13% for those with lower level education.
In the UK and Germany, the pay gap can be partly
accounted for by the high numbers of women in part-time
work.
The commission identified
several other problems, including the ‘glass ceiling’ that
women face to get into top jobs, family responsibilities
and the fact jobs traditionally held by women are
less well paid. Those countries with the most women
in management positions are Latvia, Lithuania,
France and Hungary. Fewest women managers are found
in Denmark, Malta and Cyprus. However 60% of graduates
in the EU are women.
Source: BBC online, 18th July 2007
Unemployment Going Down in UK
UK unemployment figures have emphasised that the
economy is growing fast enough to create jobs,
without fuelling salary levels sufficiently.
Many analysts fear interest rates will climb
to 6% by the end of the year, but feel the unemployment
data may ease concerns of wage-driven inflation.
The Office for National Statistics state unemployment
fell between March and May by 35,000, and now
stands at 1.66 million. The number of people
claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance fell by
13,800 to 864,100 in June - a two year low. The
statistical office went on to say average earnings
increased by 3.5% on average in the year to the
end of May.
Source: BBC online, 18th July 2007
Future of Connexions Explored in Report
Research has been published by the CfBT about the
future of the Connexions service. The paper was
researched and written by Professor Tony Watts
and Allister McGowan and can be viewed on: http://www.derby.ac.uk/cegs/assets/CfBT%20Report.pdf
Alternatively, a paper copy can be requested by
emailing: Research@cfbt.com
Source: Centre for Guidance Studies website, 20th
July 2007
JobCentre Plus Committed to Improving Customer
Service for People with Communication Difficulties
As part of Jobcentre Plus’ aim to provide
equal access for all its customers, research was
commissioned investigating ways that its service
to people with communication difficulties can be
improved both on the telephone and face-to-face.
Key findings were:
Support for investment in British Sign Language
(BSL) interpreting and text phones for people
with hearing difficulties and the Big Word
translation service.
More can still be done to improve access
to services for those with communication difficulties.
Telephone contact can be barrier for some customers,
while others prefer to use the telephone.
Third-party advocates and interpreters play
an important role for Jobcentre Plus customers,
but there is need for more training and guidance
on when a third party should be involved in
a call.
Jobcentre Plus is taking action relating to the
findings of the report.
To see DWP Research Report 446: The use of Jobcentre
Plus Telephony and Face to Face First Contact Services
by Customers with Specific Communication Barriers,
visit http://www.dwp.gov.uk
Source: GNN, 19th July 2007
Graduate Recruitment Still Rising
Vacancies in the graduate recruitment market are
expected to rise for the fourth year running,
according to recent research published by the
Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR). The
research had the following key findings:
12.7% rise in graduate-level vacancies is expected,
an increase on last year’s actual rise
in vacancies of 5.2%.
Median salary of £23,500, a rise of 2.4%
Around 30 applications per vacancy are received
by those recruiting
Fewer recruiters are concerned about filling
vacancies, more than two-thirds of recruiters
expect to fill all vacancies
Click
here to go through to our website for further
details.
UK Wealth Gap Remains Wide
A recent study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
(JRF) looking at wealth patterns over the last
40 years has shown that the gap in the UK between
rich and poor is as wide as ever. In the 1970s
the gap narrowed, but then widened again in the
80s and 90s. Since 2000 the picture is less clear
with pension and tax credits aiding the poor
and the wealthier gaining from the property boom.
The research found that
households in already wealthy areas have become “disproportionately” richer
compared to the rest of society. The number of “poor” households
has also increased during the past 15 years. Click
here to go
through to our website for further details.
Source: BBC online, 17th July 2007
School
Children in England: Participation & Attainment
A recent DfES topic paper explores the issues of
gender and education, looking at boys and girls
from reception through to Sixth Form level. The
paper summarises current statistics on participation
and attainment. Historical data is observed alongside
performance data from international research,
which strengthens the conclusions on overall
trends. Whilst gender differences in areas such
as special educational needs, bullying and school
exclusion are covered, the paper focuses upon
subject choice and attainment.
Tackling Low Educational Achievement
Underlying factors affecting low achievement in
British education is the subject of a recent
report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Why
is it that tens of thousands of young people
leave school with no or very few qualifications?
Low achievement at this is age is frequently
placed alongside disadvantage, and a variety
of factors relating to gender and ethnicity.
The report which will be of interest to those
concerned with educational outcomes; including
policymakers, education professionals, unions and
the media, makes use of the National Pupil Database
to examine four different measures of low achievement.
The paper goes on to address the ongoing debate
surrounding education policies in relation to reducing
low achievement.
Education and Training on the Up
Statistics from the Department for Education and
Skills indicate 16-18 year olds in full-time
education and training increased. The number
of 16 year olds in full-time education has increased
from 75.8 per cent in 2005 to 78.1 per cent in
2006. The number of 16-18 year olds in education
and training is at 1,547,000; its highest ever,
a rise of 15,500 since the end of 2005. Just
over 10 per cent of 16-18 year olds are Not in
Education, Training or Employment (NEET).
Early Leaving From Further Education and Work-Based
Learning
A recent report from the Institute for Employment
Studies draws upon the findings from a survey of
learners aged 16 to 18 and 19+ who withdrew from
a course of further education (FE) or work-based
learning (WBL) during the 2004/05 academic year.
The survey explored respondents learning motivations
and experience as well as their reasons for leaving
the course.
Key findings from the report include: The most
common reason for leaving being course-related;
being unhappy with course choice or with the quality
of the teaching/training (32 per cent), followed
by circumstantial reasons (28 per cent) and time/workload
issues (20 per cent).
Reasons for leaving FE courses were highly varied,
from: the course was not what the learner wanted
to do after all, to the course was not at the right
level for them, whilst reasons for leaving apprenticeships
and other WBL were more concentrated. About 43
per cent of early leavers gave reasons that may
have been addressed by more access to IAG, or to
better quality IAG.
Never Stop Learning
A new OECD publication suggests our brains never
lose their capacity to learn. Understanding the
Brain: The Birth of a Learning Science contradicts
the myth that "everything important about
the brain is decided by the age of three",
and suggests learning never stops. “Learning
Sciences and Brain Research”, a project
launched by the OECD's Centre for Educational
Research and Innovation (CERI) in 1999 incorporates
the book on Understanding the Brain. By drawing
on current research in the field of neuro- and
cognitive science, the project delivers conclusions
that can be usefully applied to educational policy
and practice.
For full details, please click here
