This
project is financed by the LSC, SEEDA and
the European Social Fund
SPOTLIGHT
ON…..
For the May 2007 edition of Spotlight On we focus
on the Education and Skills agenda in relation to
learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
Please read the synopsis below and click through
to the full feature on the Labour
Market Focus Website
Remember, ‘Spotlight on…’ is here
to help you. Please feedback your comments or requests
for future ‘Spotlight on..’ features
through the feedback button on the bulletin.
IMPROVING LEARNING PROVISION FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING
DIFFICULTIES AND/OR DISABILITIES There have been numerous policy developments nationally
and at regional and local levels in recent years
to facilitate the transformation of provision for
learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
(LLDD), to significantly improve their life chances.
Within the context of wider strategic thinking
across the learning and skills and health sectors,
the Learning and Skills Council published its strategy
Learning for Living and Work: Improving Education
and Training Opportunities for People with Learning
Difficulties and/or Disabilities. The strategy
sets out national LSC’s vision for provision
for learners with learning difficulties and/or
disabilities (LLDD), and how the FE system in particular
needs to respond to meet the vision under 6 key
themes of ‘planning’, ‘quality’, ‘funding’, ‘working
with partners’, ‘communicating priorities’ and ‘learner
progression’.
In line with the Learning for Living and Work agenda,
the South East Learning and Skills Council strategy
Action for Inclusion provides a vision for the
South East region to improve the post-16 learning
and skills infrastructure for learners with LDD.
This includes: increasing the range of high quality
learning available for those with LDD; the development
of foundation learning and flexible mainstream
provision for those who are NEET and who are not
eligible or suited to E2E; developing a network
of specialist and mainstream providers; transforming
the provider infrastructure through review, collaboration,
improved organisation and capital investment, and;
the implementation of a five year £1.4 billion
Regional Capital Strategy which includes learners
with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
Please click
here to read a full article on the Labour
Market Focus website about emerging policy on LLDD
provision.
FLEXIBLE
WORKING FOR ALL
Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, Young
People and Families, recently suggested that workers
without children should get the same rights as
parents to request flexible working hours. The
minister said that the move would help all 29 million
UK workers balance their home and work lives better.
Ms Hughes wrote: "We must redefine the 'ideal
worker' and accept it is a fantasy to expect people
to have none other than work commitments."
These comments will be published in a new book
to be released in May, marking 10 years since Labour's
1997 election victory. In the book, commissioned
by the Institute for Public Policy Research,
Ms Hughes argues that the best way to help children
see more of their parents is for Britain's working
culture to change.
Please click here to
read a full article on the Labour Market Focus website
about emerging thinking on
flexible working practices, and activity in this
area in the South East region.
MATCHING SKILLS TO JOBS FOR THE SOUTH EAST From the perspective of those
working and living in the South East, identifying
how the local and
regional economy will grow, and which skills will
be needed, can ensure that the economic prosperity
of the region is accessed by its residents. This
edition of Spotlight On presents some of the main
information from the Region Profile, looking at
current performance, growth areas and activity
being undertaken to address issues.
The LSC South East has recently
released the Learning and Labour Market Region
Profile for 2006/2007,
and we have summarised the key information relating
to skills supply and demand to show target areas
for employment in the South East in the next seven
years. Of interest to advisers and those working
in IAG will be the projected growth in employment
in professional and managerial occupations, and
some decline forecast in occupations in manufacturing
and construction. Please click
here to read the section on
the Current Picture of Skills and Qualifications
and to find out more about growth areas, as well
as activity being undertaken to match supply with
demand.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER
The local government white paper, entitled Strong
and Prosperous Communities was published on 26th
October 2006. The aim of the white paper was to
make changes to local government that would give
local people and local communities more influence
and power to improve their lives. This stated aim
builds upon a growing consensus across central
and local Government that steps need to be taken
to strengthen local leadership, to enhance the
role of frontline councilors and increase community
involvement. The main areas covered by the white
paper are detailed in the full Spotlight On article
on the Labour
Market Focus website.
The implications on the ground are then considered,
with the reaction from the Local Government Association
as well as opposition groups considered.
THE SOUTH EAST PLAN The Government’s South East Plan (SEP) has
been in the news over the last couple of years,
as it outlines how we need to respond to the challenges
facing the region such as housing, the economy,
transport and protecting the environment. The SEP
also includes improvements that need to be made
to ensure that the South East remains economically
successful and an attractive place to live. With
the SEP about to be scrutinised by a series of
public examinations, we felt it would be an apt
time to highlight some of the content, why it is
needed, and the effect of it’s implementation
the on the local labour market. A few case studies
have been chosen to outline the types of job
opportunities and careers that will be in demand
as a result
of the SEP. Click
here to go through to the website for the full Spotlight
On article.
LONDON
2012 OLYMPIC GAMES As the excitement of London’s success
in becoming host city for the 2012 Olympic Games
fades,
the focus now turns to the task of delivering a
world class event. The Olympic Delivery Authority
has begun recruiting for a range of roles. However,
putting on a world class event will involve more
people than those working directly for the ODA.
In this Spotlight On we highlight what is happening
in the South East to get the most benefit from
the Games for the region. This includes a look
at a dedicated multi-agency skills and employment
group and also the WorldSkills games which will
be held in London in 2011.
Click here for
the full Spotlight On article on
the website which covers the possible impact of
the Games on jobs, skills and tourism in the South
East; the work of multi-agency groups to progress
the skills agenda; opportunities for young people
from the Games and an introduction to WorldSkills
2011.
OLDER PEOPLE IN THE WORKFORCE
Britain has an ageing population. The government,
alongside governments in other developed economies,
is trying to encourage people to work longer. Companies
are also experiencing skills shortages and recruitment
difficulties. The environment as well as forthcoming
legislation is making employers increasingly look
to the older workforce in their human resource
strategies.
In the South East Region, there are 1,424471 people
between the ages of 50 and 64 (NOMIS, Census 2001).
Under the new Employment Equality (Age) Regulations
2006, businesses may only target a certain age
group if they are under-represented in the workforce,
but they must be careful not to exclude other groups.
Click herefor
the full Spotlight On article on the website
which covers barriers to the labour
market that might face older people, recruitment,
information advice and guidance issues as well
as other information.
THE GRADUATE LABOUR MARKET
Motivations for Entering Higher
Education
Students state that their primary motivation for
going to university is to improve their job or
employment prospects. The Sodexho/Times Higher
University Lifestyle survey revealed the next most
common reason to be that a degree is essential
for their chosen profession. In fact, three of
the top six reasons relate directly to future employment.
Unsurprisingly, future earning potential was also
a common reason.
For the full feature on the graduate labour market,click here
Graduate employers are
increasingly looking for new graduate employees
to bring transferable skills
with them and to slot straight into the workforce
without intensive training. Skills gained through
part-time work during student years can have
long-term benefits in a competitive graduate
employment market.
The Graduate Prospects website contains student
employability profiles for twenty subject areas.
It’s not only part-time work that can
give students valuable transferable skills,
many organisations
offer work experience opportunities from a
week or two, to a whole year: more information
can
be found by contacting the National Council
for Work
Experience (NCWE)http://www.work-experience.org/
Information about the Graduate Labour Market
The Higher Education
Careers Services Unit’s
(HECSU) ‘Graduate Market Trends’ comments
on the latest data about graduate employment,.
Find these no-nonsense articles on the Prospects
website.
Did you know that …
More than three
fifths of UK-based graduates are in paid employment
within six months of graduating.
Almost a quarter
(23.9%) of graduates return to study after
graduation.
Female graduates
are slightly more likely than male graduates
to either be employed or be undertaking further
study.
The number of graduate
level vacancies is expected to grow for the
third year in a row.
The
average starting salary of graduates is around £17,000,
but can be more than £30,000 in top city
firms.
Find out much more about graduates’ first
jobs by reading the full feature click here
Graduate Employment in the South East
The South East region has campuses of 24 higher
education institutions, and almost fifty further
education colleges in the South East also offer
higher education courses. BUT, only a third of
young students from the South East undertake
their degree within the region. More than half
(53%) of those graduating from South East HEIs
find employment within the region, but more than
a fifth find work in London.
The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services
is the professional association of careers professionals
in Higher Education. http://www.agcas.org.uk/
The Skills for Business network
comprises the Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). Sector
Skills Councils are employer-led, independent bodies
that operate UK-wide and are, unsurprisingly, sector
based.
The SSCs are regulated and
funded by the Sector Skills Development Agency
(SSDA).
The Sector Skills Matrix provides
a range of economic, employment and skills data
by sector.
SECTOR SKILLS COUNCIL IAG PROJECT – BRINGING
INDUSTRY AND IAG SERVICES TOGETHER
The project is funded by the
SSDA (the Sector Skills Development Agency) to
test the capacity of SSCs to develop and offer
IAG services. In particular, the project will focus
on the accessibility and interpretation of sector-specific
labour market intelligence in enhancing IAG provision
to clients.
Click
here for the interview with Ann Mason from
the Sector Skills Agency for Audio Visual Industries
who is Project Manager for the IAG Project.
