COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING

Report on the Inquiry into Education and Training for Industry (Continued)

Report 01/01R

A need was highlighted for the development of education and training programmes - including basic literacy and numeracy - for particularly disadvantaged groups to assist them in accessing further training and employment. For example, there is a very high level of illiteracy, and a very high unemployment rate, among Travellers [92] Effective educational projects with the travelling community need to be implemented. The needs of the homeless were also highlighted [93] Problems in basic skills in many cases prevent people from developing specific vocational, as well as other generic, skills. Poor literacy and numeracy were a problem among participants in schemes, such as New Deal, which offer training to the unemployed in order to facilitate their entry into the labour market. Many people who were referred to New Deal had basic skill needs and therefore could not attempt a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 [94] which appeared to be the main qualification offered by the scheme. It was noted that for people with multiple barriers to employment (such as alcohol or substance dependency, illiteracy and innumeracy), personal development training can be as important as going through a unit of an NVQ [95]

Clear targets should be set, in association with industry, to address the needs of those with poor basic skills [96] The role of trade unions as advocates for learning should be enhanced. More research should be undertaken into developing effective models of workplace basic skills learning (as provision for basic skills learning was, with a few notable exceptions, very rarely undertaken in the workplace) [97] The curriculum should emphasise skills and competencies; basic skills should be taught in both formal and informal settings [98]

2.1.2     Key skills and generic skills

During this Section, it is necessary to bear in mind that one organisation's use of the term 'generic' or 'key' when referring to skills may not be the same as that of another organisation. The terms 'key skills', 'generic skills' and 'transferable skills' tended to be used interchangeably by some respondents, and in a more specific sense by others. As stated in Section 1.1: 'the National Skills Task Force' (NSTF) used the term 'generic skills' to refer to 'transferable employability skills used across a large number of different occupations, such as communication skills, problem solving and the ability to use ICT'. However the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) referred to 'the six key skills' as being: communication; application of numbers; information technology; improving one's own learning and performance; working with others; and problem solving. The CBI went on to say that other 'generic skills' are becomingly increasingly 'key', such as modern languages and customer service skills. For the CBI, the six key skills and other generic skills were just some of the qualities and competencies that make up 'employability'.

There was widespread acknowledgement among respondents that there have been, and will increasingly be, changing skill requirements. There is a need for new skills for new industries; including problem-­solving skills and a positive attitude to work. [99] However, it was acknowledged that, although there will be changing skill requirements and a need for an increase in skills, not all jobs will require high levels of skills. [100]

2.1.3     Skill shortages and skill gaps

In their discussion of skill requirements, respondents to the Inquiry did not generally distinguish between external skill shortages and internal skill gaps (see also Section 1.1.1). The point was made, however, that it is necessary to distinguish between skill shortages and hard-to-fill vacancies [101] Skill shortages can be due to retention problems, related perhaps to a low wage level and/or poor working conditions, or to the demand from some employers for unnecessarily high qualifications [102] Some concern was expressed about difficulties at the point of recruitment, as well as the need for retraining and upskilling existing staff. There is an urgent need for policies that deal with retraining and reskilling when mass redundancies occur [103] Recruitment can also be adversely affected by political instability in Northern Ireland as a whole, and especially in particular locations [104] Problems of sectarianism can affect the willingness of people to relocate, in order to take up employment. It was argued that all mechanisms that increase flexibility of skill provision, such as in-company training, conversion education, accelerated learning programmes and modular delivery of programmes, must be enhanced [105] In particular, it was suggested that skill shortages be addressed by fast-track programmes of education and training [106]

2.1.4            Sectoral skill shortages

Many of the respondents talked and wrote about the need for increased skills among the existing workforce and among new recruits. However, the Training and Employment Agency (T&EA) considered that though some reskilling and upskilling is needed among the workforce in general, the current skill shortage does not amount to a crisis [107]

Construction industry

Certain industries and sectors in Northern Ireland, such as the construction industry, are experiencing skill shortages more severely than others. These are due, in part at least, to the migration of workers to better-paid positions in the Republic of Ireland. One way to address the problem of the poor image of the industry would be to set entry criteria for jobskills traineeships. This would help to remove the notion that the construction industry is the place for those with no qualifications and no prospects. [108]   The skill shortages do not apply to all jobs within construction, but mainly to the 'wet' trades of plumbing and plastering. Modern Apprenticeships in the construction industry require key skills that many young people do not have on leaving secondary school. One recommendation was that young people should be brought into the construction industry from school and given six months training in key skills [109]

Manufacturing

A major multinational company with a manufacturing site in Belfast reported that levels of skills (as measured by a Savill and Holdsworth test) among its local recruits fall every year [110] In particular, the standard of core basic engineering skills had dropped. The firm had to support additional education in areas of science and mathematics, and needed people with 'traditional' skills such as fitting and sheet metal working. However, its young recruits were bringing little or no experience of the materials or skills needed. The company found that it was constrained by the time taken by new entrants to reach the required level of productivity [111]

Many respondents expressed concern about the quality and quantity of vocational and technical training courses: a reference to the 'dramatic decline in craft skills [112] expressed the views of many.

            Hospitality and tourism

The hospitality industry had difficulties in recruiting staff as, like the construction industry, it had an image problem. The high staff turnover made it difficult for businesses to forecast future skills needs [113] However, some young people were attracted to the 'high-tech' aspects of front office and reception work in hotels. The introduction of the minimum wage had led some employers to gain greater productivity and skill levels from their staff. In terms of preparation for employment, a leading company in this sector criticised the further education provision of training as ill co-ordinated and poorly marketed. Further education colleges were not rewarded for making students employable or securing them employment. Some of the types of training required for this industry, such as advanced culinary skills, did not meet the needs of the industry in Northern Ireland [114]

            The Sciences

A major pharmaceutical company reported difficulties in recruiting people in Northern Ireland with good qualifications in chemistry, to the extent that it recruits from continental Europe [115] There has been a general decline in the number of students taking science subjects at A level over the past 10 years. However, the problem lay not only with the numbers of students choosing to study science at A level, but also with the degree choices that science A level students then go on to make. [116]   For many students and their parents, the obvious route at this stage is into medicine or dentistry, rather than to continue with science.

The University of Ulster stated that skills shortages could at least partly be addressed if more students were to have a background in mathematics and physics. One way to rectify the situation would be to offer conversion courses in mathematics and the sciences [117]

A further problem with the curriculum at secondary level, which impinges on further and higher education and consequently upon the provision of trained scientists, is the widespread provision of double-award science at GCSE, rather than the provision of three single science subjects. This provides inadequate preparation for a science-based career. In addition, there are too few teachers trained to teach science, resulting in poor coverage of these subjects [118]

            Information and Communication Technology

Concern was expressed that there was, and would continue to be, a shortage of people competent and/or qualified in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Recent research suggested that the shortage of ICT professionals in the UK will double from 49,000 in the year 2000 to 97,000 by 2004 [119] It was claimed that the Skills Task Force had seriously underestimated the future demand for people in this area. [120]   Software engineering, routing and networking were identified as the areas where there will be most demand [121] It was suggested that fast-track training initiatives, such as that taught by Nortel and the initiative run in the Republic of Ireland (FIT) [122] be developed [123] The Queen's University of Belfast (QUB) reported that it was in discussion with the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment (DHFETE) [124] with regard to developing innovative ways of addressing skill shortages in the field of ICT.

While action was needed to address future demand in this area [125] it was not the only area that will be important in the future - manufacturing and electronics were also areas of growth [126] It was important to keep the growth of the ICT industry in perspective in terms of its affect on the economy and the skills demands it will incur. It was estimated that ICT will create 20,000 jobs in Northern Ireland in a ten year period [127] It was also observed that, though there was concern about skill shortages in ICT, there were people with good ICT qualifications (such as HNDs) to be found working in bars and on building sites. It was therefore necessary to closely match the real ICT needs of industry with educational provision [128]

            Agriculture

The Committee acknowledged the contribution of the agricultural sector to the economy, and acknowledged that there were many concerns regarding appropriate and relevant education and training in the sector. Evidence of skills shortages in the food processing sector was raised by Moy Park, however the Committee agreed to respect departmental boundaries and not make any specific recommendations for the agricultural sector.

2.1.5     Future skill needs

Information about future skill needs must be made accessible to training providers as quickly as possible. The central message that came from respondents regarding skill forecasting was that a co-ordinated and flexible skills strategy was needed. The education and training sector needed effective forecasting models to respond quickly to the changing labour market [129] However, one major employer considered it very difficult to predict skill needs with any accuracy. The best approach would be to ensure that the level of basic skills among the existing and prospective workforce was of a good standard: individual companies tended to train their workers in the particular skills which they needed. [130]

            Delivery of information

Up-to-date information on employment opportunities and skill demands could be delivered promptly by way of a web-accessed database, or through software packages [131]

            Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)

The needs of small and medium-sized enterprises arose repeatedly throughout the Inquiry. In the context of skill forecasting it was suggested that an advisory body on skills training for SMEs be established [132]

           New and existing initiatives

The existing initiatives in this field, such as the Skills Task Force, Executive Recruitment Watch and the Priority Skills Unit, should be developed and expanded [133]

In addition, the introduction of the Northern Ireland Credit Accumulation Transfer System (NICATS) will enable employers to respond rapidly to training needs in a focused and cost effective way [134]

            Models of good practice - the Netherlands, Belgium and the Republic of Ireland

According to one respondent, the best skill forecasting systems were in the Netherlands and Belgium where generous resources enable in-depth research to be undertaken [135]

Skill forecasting needs to be followed by appropriate action. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (of Forfás) researches and advises on issues associated with labour market needs and fluctuations in the Irish economy. In 1998, it identified a shortfall of 5,400 ICT-qualified professionals and recommended that the government invest 75 million punts to address the issue. This was accepted and action implemented by the government. The Group later identified a shortfall of 1,000 professionals in biology and chemistry, which was again addressed by both the government and the education sector.

Forfás argued that skills forecasting became more accurate each time it was undertaken, as increased knowledge is gained about the labour market. It recommended specific targets to be met by specific dates (it did not use terms such as 'encourage'), and use of the funding mechanism to influence the provision of courses.

2.2            Further Education

The main message from respondents was that Northern Ireland needed a more coherent tertiary education system, with the provision of education and training rationalised in order that the roles of the different sectors be both clear and complementary [136] Far more concern was expressed about the further education sector than about the university sector. However, one recommendation, made by a number of respondents, applied to both sectors. Namely, that student places needed to be increased in both further and higher education. [137]

2.2.1     The focus and role of further education

Each sector could only really be considered in the wider context of the whole education system. Low levels of adult literacy and numeracy skills were a result, in part at least, of past failures by the primary and secondary sectors. More specifically, as we have seen, some concerns about skills related to inadequate teaching of mathematics and science subjects (especially Physics). Another concern for further education, relating to secondary education, was that pupils were encouraged to stay on at school after the age of 16 and take academic courses that, in the opinion of some respondents, may be of little use either to them, or to the economy of Northern Ireland. Furthermore, the view was expressed that there was now a tendency for more able students to reject the further education route [138]

The role of the further education sector and the 17 further education colleges in particular was clearly of considerable concern to many respondents. Further education was referred to as the weakest section, or the 'Cinderella', of the education and training sector, due to the 'academic bias' of the whole education system [139] There was concern that further education lacks direction [140] - colleges tried to do too many things and consequently are less effective in their performance [141] The view was also expressed that there were too many colleges doing very much the same kind of thing, and too few centres of excellence. [142]

            Vocational and craft training

For many respondents, the prime role of further education was to supply good vocational and craft training [143] There was widespread concern that vocational education is seen as a second choice option after academic education. The view that parity of esteem between academic and vocational education needed to be developed was repeatedly expressed.

It was suggested that there has been a gap in the provision of good quality education and training for technicians since the merger of the Ulster Polytechnic with the New University of Ulster in 1984 [144] Arguably, there were no institutions in Northern Ireland on a par with the Institutes of Technology (formerly Regional Technology Colleges) in the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland needed at least one such institution, and possibly two or three [145] It was also essential to increase the number of training courses in vocational, technical and craft skills [146]

           Economic development

The role of the further education sector in the economic development of Northern Ireland was also a subject of concern. A dominant view was that the sector needed to be more involved in creating strategies for economic development - it had only a minor input into Strategy 2010 yet it had to respond to it [147] Specifically, it should have an input into the Northern Ireland Development Plan. [148] The role of further education in inward investment also needed to increase [149] The sector needed a three-to-five-year strategy, in order to play an effective role in these areas. [150]

           Higher education in further education colleges

While for some, the prime role of the further education colleges has been to provide good quality training at sub-degree level, others thought it desirable that further education colleges expanded to offer degree-­level courses. An opinion from an Institute of Technology in the Republic of Ireland was that a third-level institution that is not a degree-awarding body cannot establish credibility [151]

2.2.2    The management and funding of further education colleges

Concern about the further education sector was such that many respondents called for a complete review of the sector [152] A number of points about the existing management and funding of the sector were made.

           Incorporation

Incorporation has led to further education colleges being, in effect, businesses in their own right. It has been a major factor in the development of a more positive image for the sector, as the colleges have had to become more business like [153] Since incorporation, colleges had been able to devise more imaginative and innovative ways of meeting industry's needs [154] However, the change was not universally welcomed. Concern was expressed that incorporation will not develop innovation and entrepreneurship [155] though an opposing opinion was that, in Britain, incorporation had led to a leaner, more entrepreneurial system. Incorporation may have eroded the regional role of further education in Northern Ireland, in favour of a narrow specialisation on local requirements [156] and eroded accountability [157] It was also stated that incorporation had been inefficient and wasteful of resources, and the suggestion made that support services in colleges could be centralised [158]  

It was suggested that the composition of the governing bodies of the colleges needs to be reformed, so that they were accountable to the local community and reflected the interests of local employers [159]

As the role of the further education sector was crucial in providing a skilled workforce for the economy of Northern Ireland, decisions about it needed to be made at a strategic level, and not only by individual college principals [160]

            Government Training Centres (GTCs)

There were mixed responses to the recent merger of government training centres with further education colleges. For some, this was a major step forward in the rationalisation of training provision and had led to more innovative and flexible ways of meeting the needs of industry [161] However, a major complaint, regarding the takeover of government training centres by the colleges, was that the colleges cannot provide the training needed by industry quickly enough, if at all. It was no longer possible for companies to look to the GTCs for help in meeting training needs. Consequently, this had resulted in a large increase in training costs for companies [162]

            Funding

The further education sector needed greatly increased funding and the funding mechanism itself needed to be changed. [163] It was suggested that the Further Education (NI) Order 1997 should be amended, as it encouraged rivalry between colleges rather than co-operation [164]   Funding was currently allocated to further education colleges on a competitive basis. The further education sector can either compete or collaborate but cannot do both [165]

The current system of funding offered insufficient incentive for innovation, risk taking and developmental work [166] In addition, as the funding system favoured full-time courses, it did not offer what industry needs [167] Concern was expressed about low morale among lecturers in further education colleges and their poor working conditions and low salaries. Salaries in the sector needed to be raised to be comparable to those paid in industry [168]

Adequate funding was necessary for further education colleges to offer high quality facilities and equipment. This would help to promote the value of vocational training to students [169]

Funding was also needed to establish a business unit in each further education college, similar to the Institutes of Technology in the Republic of Ireland [170] In addition, out-reach campuses of further education colleges needed funding and resources to address local need [171]

2.2.3     Further education, the community and the economy

There are 17 colleges of further education in Northern Ireland (and three agricultural colleges). In the Republic of Ireland there are, for a bigger population, just 13 Institutes of Technology. Many respondents emphasised the important role that the Institutes of Technology had played in the growth of the Irish economy. It was felt that the Irish system should be carefully studied with a view to emulating the best aspects of its structure. One question which then arose was whether Northern Ireland needed 17 further education colleges. Differing views were expressed about the importance of local access to further education. One view, from the education side, stressed the importance of local access, and the placement of colleges for community growth. It was said by one respondent that a town tends to be diminished if it loses its further education college [172] However, it was also suggested that there may need to be some element of centralisation with, perhaps, centres of excellence developed in some locations for certain subjects. [173] An opposing view, put forward by the business side, was that not only were there too many colleges, but that companies did not actually need access to a local further education college [174] A company with particular training needs will seek out the college or training provider that best suited its needs, regardless of location.

The further education colleges' continuing work with community groups was recognised. It was important to continue to resource community projects, many of which had relied on short-term European funding. The Access Initiative (funded by DHFETE) was very important in this area.

Links between the planning of further education and the development of the economy should be enhanced. [175] Some further education colleges should be given support to develop innovative and knowledge-­based small business growth. [176] There was a need for innovative ways of delivering education and training. For example, the urgent need to provide skills to improve farm management and to reskill farmers, perhaps through ICT-based delivery was raised [177] The view was expressed that funding for education and training should be allocated in terms of economic priorities for skills needs [178] However, further education provision should not be unduly dominated by the skill requirements of local employers [179]

            Research and Development (R&D)

R&D within the further education sector was virtually non existent [180] It was suggested that the sector could develop R&D for local SMEs. [181] It could also provide incubator facilities in conjunction with local enterprise agencies [182] R&D should be driven by partnerships with government departments involved in economic policy planning, labour market information, and skills forecasting, and with both higher and further education [183]

            Centres of excellence

Whilst the Institutes of Technology in the Republic of Ireland offered broadly similar programmes, each has developed its own specialism in areas such as tourism or engineering [184] There was evidence that some further education colleges in Northern Ireland were developing along similar lines. Colleges were improving at running specific courses for industry, with certain colleges becoming identified with particular industries. For example, North Down and Ards Institute of Further and Higher Education has provided courses for the multimedia industry, and Newry and Kilkeel Institute of Further and Higher Education for the hospitality industry [185] Centres of excellence needed to be further developed in Northern Ireland [186] The development of centres of excellence must proceed in a co-ordinated and strategic manner, to meet the needs of Northern Ireland as a whole.

            Business, industry and further education: initiatives and partnerships

In the past three years there has been a 27% increase in the number of students taking vocational courses that have strong links with industry, such as engineering, software engineering and computing [187] Some initiatives were considered to have been particularly useful. For example, the Lecturers into Industry initiative had been very successful, and should be developed [188] Colleges should be encouraged to promote 'Managing Diversity' programmes to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and flexible labour market [189]

An opposing view to the reduction of colleges within the further education sector, is that new colleges should be established within business parks to encourage links between education and industry [190] One suggestion was that local industries and other stakeholders could together fund innovation, engineering and development centres linked to local further education colleges [191]

As the economy of Northern Ireland was so dependent on SMEs, it was important to facilitate their success and development as far as possible. Education and industry could work together in the preparation of business and training plans. Some companies, especially SMEs, needed assistance with this. Small companies were less likely to be able to afford to train their workforce. The difficulty lay not only in direct training costs but also in the indirect cost of providing cover for workers on training courses, whether on day release or for longer periods. The Job Rotation Project (refer to Section 1.4.4), which is in operation in Scotland, facilitated SMEs to release people for training. NIC-ICTU expressed a willingness to run a pilot project on job rotation to assess its usefulness to SMEs in Northern Ireland [192]

2.2.4            Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and further education

Skills in ICT will become increasingly important in all areas of work. Training in ICT at all levels needed to be available and accessible to as many people as possible. The number of courses in computing, electronics and software engineering needed to increase. HND and HNC courses in these subjects needed to expand, and their course content must meet the needs of industry. ICT needed to be taught on all courses in the further education sector. It would be desirable if all students graduating from further and higher education colleges had skills in ICT of at least ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) standard [193] Financial support was needed for further education colleges - especially those with a rural catchment area - to establish ICT infrastructure and expertise [194]

Family learning programmes in ICT could be developed to enable parents to develop skills in the context of helping their children [195] Community education in ICT was one of the fastest areas of growth of further education in out-reach centres [196] Proposals to develop further education and ICT in north and west Belfast, in the way that Ennis, in the Republic of Ireland, has been transformed by the 'e-revolution' were highlighted [197] These proposals will go some way to avert the situation, feared by some, of a 'digital divide' arising, ie a situation where the socially and economically disadvantaged in society lack access to the opportunities offered by the new technologies.

2.3           Higher Education

There was a relatively high demand in Northern Ireland for places in higher education. NIHEC acknowledged that, while there is an argument for creating another higher education institution, the existing universities could provide more student places. In addition, more higher education courses could be delivered through further education colleges [198] It was clear that there needed to be further collaboration, rather than competition, between the further and higher education sectors [199] The unique role of the Open University is considered in Section 2.4.2.

At the same time, it was unrealistic to expect the two universities of Northern Ireland to produce all the higher-level skills needed by the economy. It will always be necessary to look beyond Northern Ireland for education and training in some disciplines [200]

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