COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING

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

Report 01/01R

2.3.1     The focus and role of higher education

In comparison to the concerns expressed by respondents regarding the further education sector, there was relatively less concern with the university sector in Northern Ireland. The standard of graduates from the Queen's University Belfast and the University of Ulster was considered to be good [201] The two universities were increasingly responsive to demands from local industries. As well as incubation units and spin-off companies, successful strategic alliances had been formed with companies [202]

Apart from teaching a wide variety of courses, the universities were involved in research, much of which has a high international reputation for quality. The universities were also involved in company start-ups. In the subjects taught, the universities supported wealth-creating sectors, such as ICT, biotechnology, life and health technology, engineering, and tourism and hospitality, and looked ahead at global trends and future skill demands [203]

2.3.2     The management and funding of higher education

As with further education, the university sector also needed additional funding. There was concern expressed about the level of university salaries - which should rise in line with equivalent positions in industry [204] Ph.D. awards in Northern Ireland must be increased in line with agreed increases in the rest of the UK [205] The funding regulations needed to be more flexible in order to address the problem of low completion rates in some subjects (due to students being 'headhunted' by industry partway through their doctoral work) [206]

Universities needed to address issues of recruitment and retention of staff in key areas and there was a role for industry to assist in this [207] Businesses should consider investing in one or both of the two Northern Ireland-based universities in their own interest, for example by endowments to support professorial chairs.

The introduction of the new funding stream, HEROBC (Higher Education Reach Out to Business in the Community) was welcomed [208]

2.3.3     Higher education, the community and the economy

Students from lower socio-economic groups were better represented in higher education in Northern Ireland than in Britain. However, the number of such students could be increased further [209] The development of the relationship between the universities and the further education colleges will encourage students - including many 'non-traditional' students - to progress to university. 'The Queen's Programme' made links with schools that traditionally had rarely sent pupils to higher education; this scheme, and others like it, furthered links with the community [210] So, too, did the work of the Institute of Lifelong Learning, which widened access to higher education. The Institute is to embark upon a CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Programme that will address the needs of industry and business (including SMEs) in the local economy [211]

Taught programmes with particular relevance to wealth creation skills and competencies should be given priority for expansion [212] Student completion rates for courses, especially in key areas, should be reviewed annually, and strategies developed to improve completion rates [213]

Research and Development

Further expansion of the universities' research base was needed, together with positive action to enable the commercialisation of scientific and technological advances that result [214] The importance of all research - pure and applied - in providing top technologists for industry needed to be recognised. In order to increase the 'spin out rate' (ie commercial enterprises arising from university research) there needed to be considerable investment in the research base [215]

According to one source, Government funding of research in Northern Ireland's universities had fallen by 30%; compared with a 9% increase in Britain over the past seven years [216] Research and development in universities should be funded to meet the twin objectives of attaining international quality and regional relevance [217] There had been significant investment in the universities of the Republic of Ireland aimed at creating world class research centres. The Northern Ireland universities needed more funding if they were to compete [218] A higher level of funding was needed to support research that is relevant to the needs of industry in Northern Ireland [219] Initiatives such as SPUR (Support Programme for University Research) were welcomed and needed to be further developed [220]

As stated previously, the economy in Northern Ireland was characterised by SMEs, with a limited capacity to produce their own knowledge base. Partnerships within industry and between SMEs and higher education should be encouraged, such as a recent initiative undertaken by a number of SMEs to jointly sponsor research at a university research centre [221]

A regional research and development policy was needed [222] incorporating a research committee to identify areas for industrial development [223]

            Centres of excellence

In their written submission, the CBI identified thirteen centres of excellence linked with the universities in Northern Ireland. (Progress in this area has been ongoing. The Department for Employment and Learning was recently advised that the universities were linked to a total of 40 centres of excellence.) The work of the centres needed to be promoted, as there was a low level of awareness among industrialists and business people (though those that used them ranked them highly) [224]

            Business, industry and education: initiatives and partnerships

Existing links between industry and higher education had developed good relations, such as the Teaching Company Scheme [225] QUB already had a Centre for Enterprise, Learning and Teaching (CELT), and planned to establish a professorial Chair in innovation. Increased links between education, business and industry should be promoted [226] The establishment of the Northern Ireland Centre for Entrepreneurship (NICENT) - a joint venture by the University of Ulster and QUB was a further move in that direction.

A criticism was made that companies in Northern Ireland had been slow to recognise the potential of schemes such as the Integrated Graduate Development Scheme (IGDS) offered jointly by QUB and the University of Ulster [227] Closer links were needed between employers and the higher education sector - at the moment, employers did not fully utilise graduate skills.

2.3.4            Information and Communication Technology and higher education

Various ways of addressing potential skill shortages in this field needed to be developed. In order to attract and retain good quality teaching staff at both further and higher education level it would be necessary to offer salaries and resources comparable to those in industry [228] Initiatives such as the University of Ulster's BSc in eBusiness and Connectivity and the Northern Ireland Centre for eBusiness should be developed.

2.4        Other education and training providers

Respondents called for rationalisation of the provision of education and training. It was considered that the role of the different sectors needed to be clear and complementary. There was particular concern that there were currently too many private-sector training providers, some of whom acted as middlemen to administer training and make a profit. The point was made that private training providers could 'cherry pick', whereas education providers in the public sector had to cover all areas of education and training [229] A weakness of the Jobskills programme was the plethora of providers, especially private training sector providers, some of whose standards were open to question [230] One way to address the issue of the standard of training offered by the private sector might be to develop partnerships between the public education sector and private training providers. An example of such a partnership was that forged between Bombardier Aerospace Shorts and BIFHE [231] which required a considerable amount of planning and development by both partners.

In contrast to the criticism levied by some respondents towards private training providers, the work of both voluntary and community-based organisations in providing learning opportunities was praised, and considered to be in need of more support [232]

2.4.1            National Training Organisations and Sector Training Councils

When the statutory Industry Training Boards were disbanded in 1989/90, most industrial activity areas formed Sector Training Councils (STCs) on a voluntary basis. The only remaining statutory body is the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). Thirteen STCs represented the private sector. The public and voluntary sectors in Northern Ireland were largely represented by National Training Organisations (NTOs), which mainly operate out of England (refer to Section 1.4.1). Around 40 to 45 NTOs (of the 73 that cover the U.K.) have some link with STCs in Northern Ireland.

A complaint was made that childcare and health and social care were not represented by STCs, though these services 'free up' the workforce to meet the government's economic agenda [233] It was suggested that STCs should be placed on a statutory basis, and funded by a training levy on all employers [234] (for an opposing view refer to Section 2.4.4 Training Costs).

2.4.2            Distance learning

The strong commitment to the agenda for lifelong learning and to flexible and innovative ways of providing education and training among the higher and further education sector was emphasised. For example, the University of Ulster had established its own company - UU online - to develop e-based learning. In this Section, the systems of education and training that particularly focus on distance and on-line learning are considered.

The Open University

The Open University is often referred to as the third university of Northern Ireland. As such, it could have been discussed in Section 2.3. However, the Open University's unique experience and expertise in distance learning, placed it more appropriately here. The Open University had considerable experience in on-line learning, which could be further exploited to address future skills needs. A group within the Open University was set up to examine the needs of industry and to develop bespoke training solutions for different industries. It will also be able to tailor courses to meet the needs of individual companies. The Open University could work with further education colleges to develop programmes for companies and jointly develop foundation degrees. It is currently running four courses in particular, which could contribute to improving the skill base of Northern Ireland [235]

            University for Industry and Learndirect

The University for Industry's (UfI) learndirect, was viewed as a cost-effective way to train staff. It avoided the need for day-release; could access 'difficult-to-reach groups; and offered short bursts of learning [236] It was considered to offer great potential for expanding access to education [237] and should be promoted and monitored [238]

2.4.3     Work-based learning

Traditionally, much education and training took place in the workplace. The development of Modern Apprenticeships, work experience, student placements and other schemes meant that a considerable amount of work-based training continued. There was a need for research into the development of effective models of work-based learning [239]

            Modern Apprenticeships

The Modern Apprenticeship scheme was generally viewed favourably, and should be further developed [240] It was considered to have helped to revamp the image of some traditional industries [241] The CITB, among others, declared that 'employer-led' Modern Apprenticeships were the way forward - they increased young people's motivation - but argued that industry should be involved in their framework design. The Modern Apprenticeship scheme was addressing the skill needs of Northern Ireland by placing 70% of apprentices in a priority skills area [242]

However, some cautionary comments were also made. Although the Modern Apprenticeship system should be further promoted, it should be monitored to assess performance. [243] Modern Apprenticeships should include relevant modules of City and Guilds certification [244] There needed to be clarity regarding the introduction of technical certificates to support Modern Apprenticeships [245]

One of the problems about Modern Apprenticeships was the funding system. The first year was funded, but the company had to employ the trainee for the second and third year. This could result in a trainee not being taken on by a company at the end of the first year [246] Some respondents observed a decline in the number of people applying for Modern Apprenticeships. One reason for this was attributed to parents and teachers who encourage pupils to stay on at school to follow an academic path [247]

A further criticism of Modern Apprenticeships was that the apprentices lacked skills in mental agility and manual dexterity. They were taught how to install new parts to a machine, rather than learning how to fix the old part [248]

            Work experience and student placements

Work experience is important for young people at all levels of education and in a variety of fields. The University of Ulster, for example, had a strong involvement in work-based learning, with 3,000 students on placement at any one time. At secondary level, the experiment of 'disapplication' by the Department of Education allowed some of the curriculum, at Key Stage 4, to be replaced by work-related training in a college and/or workplace. Disapplication appeared to improve attendance and motivation at school. This scheme may be expanded in the future to include a wider range of pupils - at the moment it applied largely to 'less able' pupils [249] Both the industrial and educational sectors wanted an increase in the number of work placements [250] A suggestion was made that there could be a centralised system, run by one agency, for co-ordinating student placements [251]

2.4.4            Training costs

Concern was expressed about the costs incurred by employers in providing high-quality training for their workforce. Particular concern was expressed about the threat of poaching, where a company that has chosen to invest in staff training and development loses its well-qualified staff to other companies that offer higher salaries as they have low or negligible training costs.

Some respondents called for a system of training levies or transferable loans to enable all companies to fulfil their role in developing their workforce [252] Whilst a number of respondents agreed that incentives for training were needed, especially for SMEs [253] it was also argued that training levies did not work [254] The experience that led to the winding up of Industry Training Boards in the predominantly SME economy of Northern Ireland was that the cost of administering the levies was 20% to 25% of the income, the remainder being returned to employers in the form of grants. The outcome was awaited of a pilot scheme in England where local employers formed a consortium, measured investment in training, and ensured that, if poaching occurred, money was exchanged between employers to account for the training costs [255]

Tax deductibility of training investment was suggested as an incentive to employers [256] It was felt that the government should give financial support to companies for education and training in some circumstances, such as where there was a need for accelerated learning or a particular problem with poaching [257] There was a warning that government incentives to employers for the promotion of work-based training would need to be monitored to protect employee's rights [258]

2.4.5            International comparisons

The Institutes of Technology in the Republic of Ireland

The system of education and training most frequently mentioned, and considered to be particularly successful, was that of the Institutes of Technology in the Republic of Ireland. The Institutes were considered by many to have contributed to the growth of the Irish economy, and had a statutory responsibility for economic development, links with industry, and a role in inward investment. They had a dual mandate: to be academic centres of excellence and agents for the economic development of the regions [259]

The Institutes were very well financed and resourced, mainly from the Department of Education and Science, with some funding from capitation and INTERREG. There was a great deal of co-operation and communication between the Institutes with many policy responses coming from the Institutes as a group. There were a number of ongoing co-operative ventures. For example, in the border/midlands/west region there was a higher education regional network that included six Institutes of Technology and the National University of Ireland, Galway [260]

A number of respondents suggested that there should be closer co-operation with the Republic of Ireland in terms of educational provision [261] (refer to Section 2.9.2 Government, Education and Industry).

            Community Colleges in the USA

The community colleges of the USA are considered by some to be worth emulating [262]   (refer to Annex 3 for the Chairman's report of his visit to the USA). The colleges have developed an association between students, their parents, a specific industry, and the training provider [263]

            The dual system of Germany

The so-called dual system as applied in Germany was considered to be very successful in producing well-trained technical and crafts people. However, one criticism of the system was that it cannot adjust rapidly to the current pace of change in the labour market [264]   Nevertheless, another commentator agreed that Germany was an especially effective model in the field of vocational skills training, especially in engineering [265]

            Other international models

Australia, France and Japan had systems that addressed the costs to industry of providing training. In Australia and France, a training tax was imposed on businesses, whereas in Japan high costs were imposed on any employee leaving a company [266]

At the same time, the observation was made that, while we can learn from other societies, other models may not readily translate across different social and cultural traditions [267]

2.5            Qualifications and the curriculum

Two main issues arose concerning accreditation and qualifications. Qualifications offered in Northern Ireland should be recognised elsewhere, especially in the Republic of Ireland and the rest of Europe. There should also be parity of esteem between vocational and academic qualifications.

2.5.1            Recognition of qualifications

The main message from respondents regarding qualifications was the need to extend the understanding and compatibility of qualifications. It was said that, while university degrees were generally an acceptable currency, that was not the case for HND/Cs and NVQs [268] It was important to have reciprocal recognition of the qualifications offered in Northern Ireland and those offered elsewhere. It was seen as particularly important that qualifications be reciprocally recognised in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland [269] However, the need for recognition across the UK, within Europe and even further afield was also expressed. The quality of education and training (including work-based training) needed to be benchmarked against EU and international standards [270]

Northern Ireland Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (NICATS)

Many respondents considered that the clarity of qualifications, both vocational and academic needed to be improved. There was considerable support for the development of a national credit framework [271] NICATS will establish a common language for recording learning, and thus encourage clarity and pathways between academic and vocational education, and help to establish parity of esteem [272]

NICATS was attempting to establish credit equivalence for national qualifications. The UK equivalence project was in the process of looking at NVQs, A levels and GNVQs and their respective units. NICATS will need to articulate effectively with other credit systems. To this end, the NICATS project was carefully observing the European Credit Transfer System and credit agencies in Britain.

NICATS will make an important contribution to establishing the agenda of lifelong learning, through accrediting learning and linking it to a lattice (rather than just a ladder) of opportunity. It has worked closely with business and industry to customise programmes of education and training that are of immediate and specific value to employers. It has also worked closely with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. In addition, by accrediting learning that can be taken and added to other awards gained in different work/learning environments, it is also of great value to the employee [273]

2.5.2     Parity of esteem

Many respondents called for the promotion of parity of esteem between academic and vocational qualifications [274] The view that vocational qualifications were not accorded as much status as academic qualifications reflected the wider concern that vocational training and work tended to be less valued than academic training and professional work. Clear pathways of education were needed [275]

In September 2000, revised A levels, AS levels, vocational A levels, and a separate key skills qualification were introduced with the intention of broadening the curriculum. (The name change to 'vocational A level' - from GNVQ advanced - was intended to emphasise parity of esteem.) A monitoring programme has been implemented to look at the impact of these changes. To date, the number of pupils who mixed academic and vocational subjects was not known [276] Young Enterprise Northern Ireland (YENI) was concerned that the introduction of AS levels may conflict with YENI's input into schools, due to time restraints on the curriculum, especially in grammar schools [277]

            Foundation degrees

Respondents to the Inquiry expressed differing views regarding the new foundation degrees. The universities, along with some other institutions [278] welcomed the development of foundations degrees. The universities were working with further education colleges in their implementation. Their development should be based on extensive consultation with organisations in the community [279] A key issue was whether employers understood what a foundation degree represented and whether they would give it currency as a credible qualification. It was suggested that foundation degrees should be termed 'associate degrees' (in line with community colleges in the USA) and have the same status as the degrees of the Institutes of Technology in the Republic of Ireland [280]

On the other hand, there were respondents who considered that the HND was a very valuable qualification and expressed reservations about foundation degrees [281] It was feared that major industrialists and employers would not regard the foundation degrees as 'real degrees' and that consequently a one-year top-up would be needed [282] However, the view was expressed that the foundation degrees might help to overcome the belief that the further education sector is second class [283]

2.5.3     The Curriculum and the role of industry

A number of concerns were expressed about the curriculum for the 14-19 age group. In general, it was considered that the range, or number, of subjects studied was not wide enough. It was also felt that a greater emphasis was needed on subjects such as mathematics, science, technology, ICT and enterprise [284] It was felt that the curriculum needs to be developed to ensure its continued relevance [285] There was also a request that the provision of Irish language teaching be expanded within further and higher education [286]

There was a widespread view that education and training must be linked to the needs of industry [287] For some, this link meant that industry should be actively involved in the process of education and training, both within and outside of the workplace. Employers should be encouraged to take ownership of on-site training and assessment procedures [288] Industrialists should influence the course content and style of third level institutions [289] Industry-standard qualifications (such as MOUS, MCP, CNE [290] should be included in appropriate programmes of further and higher education vocational qualifications [291]

According to one source, district councils, LEDU and local enterprise agencies worked together, but further education, the universities and the T&EA were not currently part of this collaborative effort [292]

2.6            Removing barriers to education

Many different factors act as barriers to learning. In order to increase access to education and training such barriers have to be identified and then removed. It was argued that the education and training system needs to recognise, and ameliorate where possible, the effects of segregation within Northern Ireland. In this regard, the Community Relations Council suggested that it could assist education and training organisations to identify and address barriers that limit or prevent access to education. People needed to be prepared through education and training to handle diversity [293] Human rights and equality mechanisms needed to be entrenched within further and higher education [294]

2.6.1            Financial barriers

Financial problems were a very real barrier to accessing education and training for many people. The problem lay not only in the payment of fees, the cost of study aids, and in the inadequate provision of grants and bursaries. It also lay in the indirect costs associated with studying: taking time off work to study; transport costs; and childcare costs.

Many further education students were outside the scope of discretionary awards and many fell into the benefit trap (that is, if they studied for too many hours a week they lost their entitlement to benefit) [295]

            New Deal

Many women were neither employed nor registered as unemployed. Consequently they did not fall within the remit of the New Deal programme and had to pay for any training undertaken [296]

Individual Learning Accounts

One of the main obstacles to education was the lack of funding for part-time courses. Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) were made available to part-time higher education students in Northern Ireland and were helpful in providing financial support for students in employment [297] There were calls for ILAs to be further developed and clarified [298] One criticism was that the ILAs were launched with little publicity, and therefore there was a danger that they would be taken up mostly by those already involved in education and training [299]

2.6.2     Social and cultural barriers

The problem of trying to attract people with no interest in studying was acknowledged [300]

It was important to further develop the culture of lifelong learning, especially among sections of the population who were readily overlooked, such as female returners and the low paid. The development of community- based and user-friendly initiatives such as crèches and after-school clubs were an important part of this development [301] In addition, the underemployed needed to be targeted [302] Trade unions could play an enhanced role as advocates for learning and address this issue [303]

Some sections of the population were in particular positions of social deprivation and exclusion. According to the 1995 Report of the Government Taskforce on Travellers, 'the average Traveller will require a minimum of three years training in order to compensate adequately for his/her previous educational and social deprivation' [304]

2.7            Careers education and guidance

There was considerable concern among many respondents regarding the quality of the current careers education and guidance system [305] It was emphasised that the service must be impartial, comprehensive and up-to-date. It was widely recognised that strong and meaningful partnerships between educational establishments and all parts of industry were vital, and it was suggested that industry should take the lead in careers events [306] There was a perception that academic courses were promoted in preference to vocational courses [307] (although this was later refuted by DHFETE, which has responsibility for the careers service. It supports careers education programmes in schools, colleges and training organisations. It also provides advice and guidance to young people and adults through the T&EA JobCentre network). During the course of the Inquiry, the Committee met informally with the Committee for Education and Lifelong Learning from the National Assembly for Wales and discussed the area of careers education and guidance (refer to Section 1.7). Evidence from EGSA highlighted the importance of continuing to improve the service to those adults who did not participate in learning, to ensure that they knew how to maximise the learning opportunities available.

2.7.1            Careers advisers and teachers

Concern was expressed regarding the quality of the careers advice given at secondary school level [308] Evidence from a local company indicated that teachers were unaware of opportunities for chemistry graduates [309] It was even suggested that teachers, and T&EA employees, were the worst people to deliver the service because they had no direct knowledge of the world of industry and commerce [310] On the other hand, departmental officials stated that having the careers service within the T&EA meant that the service could access a wide range of relevant information held by the Department.

There was a view that those giving careers advice required additional training to further their knowledge of both the current and future needs of industry. It was also suggested that all careers teachers needed to be accredited [311] Much stronger links between careers teachers and industry were needed to determine current and future requirements [312] It was important to ensure that they had a comprehensive knowledge about the routes to vocational, entrepreneurial and academic work opportunities. A mechanism needed to be established to feed information about skills shortages into the education system [313]

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