7.         In order to bring about the necessary 'stepped shift' in the skills base, a number of things need to happen as we move beyond 2000:

n     The need for strategic direction and co-ordination; one of the most important priorities for policy makers is to ensure that, at the highest level of Government, a clear strategic direction is set for the development of education and training policies. This requires, in the first instance, an underlying vision of the type of economy and society which NI is moving towards (for example, one such vision has been articulated recently in Strategy 2010).

     Although there were many positive developments in education and training during the 1980s and             1990s, it is clear that an overarching strategic approach to education and training for industry has             been largely absent. Examples of this include:

-       A lack of clarity amongst NI's FE colleges about the relative strategic importance of their different 'constituencies' (vocational, academic and community); and

-       A lack of co-ordination, at strategic and operational levels, between some of the economic development agencies on the one hand (e.g. IDB, LEDU), and some major education and training providers on the other hand.

Within the context of the new Administration, it is essential to ensure that strategic priorities for education and training providers are clearly articulated. Once this is done, it can be used to guide decisions about 'who provides what', i.e. what particular types of education and training are provided by which institutions.

It is worth noting that this need for a greater degree of strategic direction and co-ordination, has a number of implications for the work of the Committee, including:

-       The need to collaborate closely with other relevant committees, e.g. the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment; and

-       The need to ensure that the annual Programme for Government is agreed on the basis of longer term strategic priorities, and reflects the underlying vision for the development of NI economy and society.

n     The need for 'market facing' provision; one feature of education and training provision in NI during the 1980s and 1990s, is that it has been too 'supply driven', i.e. the type of training provided has tended to reflect the capacity of providers rather than the needs of industry. In other words, sometimes training has been provided 'because it can be', as opposed to 'because it is needed'. It is essential to ensure that NI moves away from the 'supply driven' approach, towards a 'demand driven' one, i.e. there is a need to ensure that training is provided because it is needed, and because it is in line with the overall strategic direction of policy. A number of aspects of this are worth highlighting:

-       There is a need to engage employers more effectively in mainstream training programmes such as New Deal and Jobskills;

-       There is a need to ensure that outcome-related payment arrangements offer clear incentives for providers to deliver education and training which is in line with the needs of employers, and the overall strategic direction of policy;

-       For young people at school and beyond, careers guidance needs to be based more fully on a detailed understanding of sectoral labour market trends; and

-       It has been argued by some that, as part of an overall 'market facing' approach, consideration should be given to the publication of performance information in relation to training providers (similar, for example, to the publication of school performance information).

Lifelong learning and industry needs

National and international context

8.         Lifelong learning has become a major focus for policy makers across Europe. In the context of a global market place, where innovation and technological change are fuelling intense competitive pressures, European economies are coming under major cost pressures. During the mid-1990s, both the EU and the OECD concluded that economic success and social inclusiveness both demanded a major change in emphasis towards lifelong learning. Indeed, the Treaty of Amsterdam formally laid down that lifelong learning was to be the guiding principle behind all EU policy in the field of education and training.

9.         Lifelong learning is a very broad term. In 1999, the European Commission defined it as encompassing:

"all purposeful learning activity, whether formal or informal, undertaken on an ongoing basis with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competencies" (Setting targets for lifelong learning in Europe, 1999).

10.         As such, it poses particularly difficult challenges for policy makers. Moreover, it demands action from a wide range of stakeholders - employers, providers, trade unions, voluntary organisations and, above all, individual citizens - and not just from government agencies.

Northern Ireland's positioning

11.            Northern Ireland is, at least in the short-term, rather poorly placed to meet the challenges demanded by lifelong learning. Although it is well known that attainment in Northern Ireland's schools and universities is, on the basis of some measures, well above the UK average, there is a largely unrecognised deficit in the level and range of learning among adults. There is a wide range of evidence to support this proposition:

n     Workforce qualification levels; the proportion of the workforce with any qualifications is lower than in other UK regions. NI has traditionally lagged in this respect and, although the overall numbers of those with low or no qualifications are falling, the gap with the rest of the UK shows no sign of changing. Significantly, NI performs badly at the critical craft/technician level (NVQ Level 3), where the UK as a whole is seen as weak in comparison with most other OECD nations;

n     Qualification mix; the qualifications of NI workers tend to be dated and, by comparison with other UK regions, are more likely to be academic rather than vocational. For example, the overall NVQ 'penetration rate' in 1998 was around half the level of England and Wales;

n     Job-related training; the share of the workforce involved in job-related training at any one time tends to be lower in NI than in other parts of the UK. While the relative disadvantage is smaller for women than men, the proportion of women who are economically active is lower in NI than elsewhere in the UK; and

n     Employer commitment to Human Resource Development; Investors in People (IiP) has a penetration rate in NI that is lower than in any other UK region. IiP targets within NI have consistently not been met (although there are some notable exceptions within individual sectors, e.g. Hospitality).

Issues arising

12.        NI's relatively poor outcomes with respect to lifelong learning can be explained by reference to a number of different factors:

n     Lack of policy priority; it could be argued that there has been a history of policy neglect in NI with respect to lifelong learning. Previous administrations have either ignored or denied the gap and, generally speaking, the issue has received little attention from policy makers and other stakeholders;

n     The role of small firms; nearly nine out of ten private sector businesses in NI have less than ten employees. Not only are smaller firms less likely to train in general, they are also most likely to use family and other networks as a way of solving labour shortages and skills supply problems;

n     The ready availability of new entrants to the labour market; with a steady supply of school-leavers, employers are able to recruit newly-qualified employees rather than investing in existing staff;

n     Long-term unemployment; an acute concentration of long-term unemployment, which reflects deep-rooted patterns of extreme urban segregation and high risks of mobility, and is often associated with a culture of low achievement;

n     The 'brain drain' emigration of the most highly qualified, particularly at age 18+ (with large numbers entering higher education outside NI), and age 21+ (36% of those who took a first degree in NI went to a position elsewhere, mainly in the UK); and

n     Supply-side failures; including the largely youth-oriented nature of the FE and HE sectors, and quality limitations among the plethora of training providers in the 'social economy'.

Community-based learning and industry needs

National and international context

13.        In developing policies and programmes for lifelong learning, a number of western governments are focusing increased attention upon community-based learning. Community-based learning is seen as a means of supporting and building on the informal and incidental learning that is often associated with civic engagement. It is also seen as a means of widening participation, by allowing the education and training system to engage with individuals - often adults - who are reluctant to enter formal institutions or courses. A number of recent initiatives have sought to promote community-based learning:

n     In 1996, the EU's Council of Ministers called for investment in community education as a lynch-pin of lifelong learning;

n     In England, the Adult and Community Learning Fund is one of a number of recent activities seeking to build partnerships between voluntary and community-based organisations and the education and training system; and

n     The recent Green Paper in the Irish Republic devoted a full chapter to community education. It defined community education in terms of not only a form of provision (e.g. off-campus, open access), but also as an approach that involves building local capacity and empowering communities - particularly the disadvantaged - through active participation and inclusive decision making.

Northern Ireland's positioning

14.        In some respects, Northern Ireland has achieved a great deal in respect of community-based learning in the last two decades. The concept of community development has won widespread legitimacy, both among policy makers and the voluntary and community-based sector itself, which is relatively well organised and is engaging with a wide range of policy initiatives. The nature of the European Commission's structural programmes and, in particular, the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (SSPPR), have been especially significant in this regard. Indeed a recent evaluation has confirmed that the element of SSPPR that deals with community-based learning, has met many of the programme's original expectations, despite some practical obstacles.

Issues arising

15.            Notwithstanding the positive role which community-based education and training have played in NI, there are a number of issues which need to be addressed as we move beyond 2000:

n     Relationships between the voluntary/community and public sectors; there has been a lack of preparation on the part of some government agencies for the recent developments in community-based learning. For example, the Department of Education for NI has been criticised in the interim report from the three MEPs on SSPPR, for its reluctance to engage with community-based learning initiatives. It seems sensible to consider whether training and development are needed for civil servants who are suddenly asked to work in new and unanticipated ways;

n     Lack of capacity on the part of the community and voluntary sector; the NI Audit Office has reported on failings in a number of community development and regeneration initiatives. Some of these have been at least partly due to low levels of skills and knowledge on the part of local activists. However, recent growth in community leadership training is likely to have a positive impact on this. The NI Council for Voluntary Action, the Ulster People's College and the Northern Ireland Workers' Educational Association, among others, are widely acknowledged outside NI as well as locally, as outstanding providers of training in community leadership skills;

n     Integration of formal and informal learning; hitherto there have been relatively weak links between the informal learning undertaken in the community and voluntary sectors, and the more formal programmes offered by further and higher education institutions. This is not solely a matter of poorly developed communications and 'bridges', but also reflects real uncertainties about the levels of quality and achievement in much of the community and voluntary sector. This is particularly the case in some smaller organisations, and some organisations representing Northern Ireland's most excluded communities. Here, two agencies are playing a particularly important role:

-       Education and Guidance Service for Adults (EGSA); EGSA's role in offering independent guidance and advice to adult returners has now been extended to cover areas outside Belfast; and

-       Open College Network (OCN); the accreditation activities being undertaken by the NI OCN have represented an important mechanism for quality improvement and skills development, while the OCN's qualifications framework has already done much to ease progression. There are, though, real uncertainties over the medium term future of this activity.

n     Links with business; links with the world of waged work are weaker still, to the point of invisibility. Of course, community-based learning has considerable - and often unacknowledged - value in terms of personal and social development. Its impact on the cultural vibrancy and social cohesiveness of local communities, and its role in supporting initiatives organised and implemented by and for women, should need no further justification. But in order to underpin the effective economic regeneration of the most damaged and excluded neighbourhoods, community-based learning will have to be brought into closer contact with the economic institutions that influence decisions on labour recruitment, business location and infrastructure investment;

n     'Short-termism' funding for community-based initiatives is often short-term, a pattern generally associated with isolated project-based initiatives, duplication of outcomes, rapid staff turnover, and an orientation towards 'rent-seeking activity' aimed at pleasing grant-givers rather than meeting local needs. This distorts the sector's contribution, and disrupts its links with other sectors and agencies; and

n     Relatively low 'starting point' finally, community-based learning is often starting from a very low base. There is abundant evidence of relatively low levels of adult learning in Northern Ireland. This includes low participation in general adult education, relatively high levels of literacy and numeracy problems (as shown in the recent International Adult Literacy Surveys), and low levels of usage of libraries and museums. The situation is even more alarming in the light of recent evidence of low levels of Internet access and usage, with Northern Ireland performing worse than any other UK region.

Annex 3

education and training for industry,
Chairman's Visit to the usA

Dr Esmond Birnie MLA

May 2001

Introduction

During May 2001 I was in the USA as one of the participants on the Department of State's International Visitors Programme "Trade and Economic Development". I stayed in the following centres: Washington DC, San Diego, Pittsburgh and New York City.

Whilst higher and further education was not the primary focus of the Program, I met with Mr Jim Showrank, Director of Government and Community Relations, Bidwell Training Center Pittsburgh, went to a middle school in San Diego and met with Mr Jerry Murphy, Director of the US Business-Higher Education Forum. The following comments are my observations and should not necessarily be attributed to anyone else. I am very grateful to everyone who made this visit possible and indeed, so worthwhile.

Bidwell Training Center

n     Training sometimes needs to be located precisely in the areas of social difficulties.

n     The importance of mobilising corporate sponsorship.

n     The premises used for training should be high quality and attractive in appearance. This provides a psychological lift and boosts the self-esteem of participants.

n     The Bidwell Center refused to train people to only a minimum wage level of employment.

n     They were placing some emphasis on back office jobs (e.g. inputting medical records into computers; such jobs were earning £20,000 equivalent after 3 years).

n     The end-user should be involved in the design of the curriculum.

n     Emphasised the training of those leading "social entrepreneurship" activities (I return to this theme later).

n     In Pittsburgh the Community Colleges did not work well, sometimes referred to as "comedy Colleges", though things may be different in other States.

US Business/Higher Education Forum

n     There is a uniquely American aspect to any divorce between Higher Education (HE) and big business; the lingering legacy from the anti-Vietnam War protests pitting student radicalism against the so-called "industrial military complex".

n     There is some means tested support for students from low income backgrounds in the USA:

(i) low interest loans;

(ii) student work programmes the universities themselves arrange part-time jobs, usually on campus, and generally less than 12 hours per week;

(iii) some of the big science and technology companies have, in effect, set up apprenticeship programs mixing traditional schooling with training at the workplace. In other words, and there is a similarity to the German Dual System, 16-18 year olds spend part of the week in the high school and the rest in a workplace. At 18 they then move on to spend a further two years in a community college. Why have some parts of USA big business instituted such schemes? Probably from a mixture of social responsibility and self-interest (it is perceived that shortages of technically trained young people are about to become crippling). Interestingly, American subsidiaries of the German electrical engineering multinational Siemens have taken this approach (a comparison with Siemens in the UK and Republic of Ireland would be interesting).

n     Although the overall R&D performance of the USA economy is probably relatively strong it was notable that only 1 per cent of all the R&D funded by the corporate sector is located in HE.

            Middle school in San Diego

As in the case of Bidwell, the infrastructure (buildings, decoration, library, computers, artwork) seemed superb. This was a publicly funded school with a (notionally) mixed ability intake and very high academic results. In the USA such state schools are usually funded by local property taxation. This probably implies that affluent areas tend to end up also having well funded and academically successful schools. Arguably there are some parallels to the variability between the performance of comprehensive schools in different parts of England and Scotland since the early 1970s. In both the USA and GB more wealthy parents can probably afford to get their children to a good state school by moving house to the appropriate area. In any case, in both countries they have the fall back of a private school sector.

            General observations

n     Regarding laissez faire and the market, "subsidy" is something of a dirty word in USA policy circles. The Small Business Administration and small companies promotion bodies hardly ever "give money away". There is much more reliance on providing guarantees to loans made through the private banking system.

n     That said, there are tax breaks for in-company training. Government money had been provided to retrain the redundant during periods of structural change (e.g. decline of the steel industry) or specific trade changes (introduction of free trade with Mexico and Canada; the NAFTA). I got the impression that such schemes were relatively small in scale.

n     One estimate was that 80 per cent of learning on the job was done informally. This has implications for the way that adult basic education should be done.

n     There was some awareness of the USA's relatively poor showing (though one broadly similar to the UK and the Republic of Ireland) in terms of adult reading and counting skills.

n     The American subsidiary of the German pharmaceuticals multinational Bayer had introduced a very impressive classroom and radio-based program to raise awareness of science. The USA, like the UK, faces the problem that young people are often turning away from the science subjects in school and college.

n     HE plays a prime role in industrial location decisions. Seagate (which, of course, has assembly factories here in Northern Ireland) wanted to work with a prominent academic in Carnegie Mellon University. He wanted to stay at that university and in Pittsburgh so Seagate decided to set-up a new R&D facility in that city.

n     The USA seems to have a very large "not for profit organizations" sector. (8000 in the greater Pittsburgh area, population of 2.8 m, alone.) A number of observations emerge:

(i) These are only superficially similar to our own "community and voluntary sector". Whereas the Americans rely largely on private money, the latter is much more dependent on state subsidy including the money from the EU and may not be "sustainable" in its absence. The American not for profits will survive to the extent that the US economy remains basically healthy and personal and corporate generosity continues.

(ii) As early as the 1830s Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America) noted that American society, much more than its continental European counterpart, spontaneously developed a mass of community groupings for local government, leisure, culture and religious worship.

(iii) In more recent times the tax break on corporate charitable donations may also be an explanation for the strength of the not for profits.

(iv) Private philanthropy, endowments, foundations etc. have sometimes had the beneficial effect of ensuring that the wealth which was historically generated in one region has tended to remain in that region across several generations. So for example, the steel industry in the western Pennsylvannia region has now almost gone but it helped to finance an on-going cultural and educational infrastructure.

(v) Higher education in some parts of the USA was attempting to train up the leadership of the not for profits to ensure they can exercise an adequate stewardship of the money donated to their organizations. One example was the introduction of a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) equivalent for not for profit leaders.

Annex 4

CAREERS WALES

Training Skills and Careers Policy Division
National Assembly for Wales

April 2001

Careers Wales

Careers Wales is the national all-age guidance service launched in April 2001. The service is provided by 7 companies operating under contract to the National Assembly. Details of the individuals, companies and the range of services provided can be accessed at www.careerswales.com.

Background

The report of the National Assembly's Post 16 Education and Training Committee recommended that a national all-age guidance service - Careers Wales - be established by April 2001. The recommendation flowed from the work of the Education and Training Action Group. The action plan produced by the group underlined the importance of ready access to information and advice as a key element in helping young people and adults make informed and reasoned decisions on learning and career options. The plan noted the current fragmented range of services at the local level and proposed that an all-age guidance service be established operating under a common brand across Wales with a guarantee of services delivered to national standards.

Careers Wales: Company Structure

Careers Wales was the subject of extensive consultation. The responses received were overwhelmingly in favour of the proposals set out in the Education Training Action Plan. In particular, there was strong support for the suggestion that Careers Wales build on the current staffing and structure of the 8 Careers Service companies - reduced to 7 in April 2001 with the merger of Dyfed Careers and the Careers Business Company. It was, therefore, agreed that the Careers Service companies - with over 60 local offices and 500 staff - provide the infrastructure for the new service. The companies operate under the Careers Wales brand with Directors drawn from the local authorities and the business, voluntary, education and training sectors.

Plans and Priorities for 2001-02

The National Assembly announced in December 2000 that provision for Careers Wales in 2001-02 would be £28m. In line with planning guidance issued by the Assembly in November 2000, the seven companies have developed corporate and business plans to draw together the following Assembly funded programmes:

n     The Careers Service

n     The Adult Guidance Initiative - including the four call centres in Wales providing the "learndirect" telephone helpline.

n     Education Business links - in particular support for work experience, employer mentoring and promotion of business awareness and enterprise in schools and colleges

n     The Youth Gateway

n     Progress File - being piloted in all areas of Wales.

In planning, companies have given particular attention to maximising the potential provided by the new configuration to:

n     help young people make a successful transition from education to employment. Careers Wales will work with every secondary school and college in Wales to ensure that guidance related elements of education business links are effectively meshed with careers education and guidance so that all young people have access to a coherent programme of support for work related education and career planning. Careers Wales will have at its disposal the professional expertise of its cadre of career advisers. In providing a package of support to schools and colleges it will need to draw on and make best use of the expertise, commitment and innovation of the local education business partnerships and all-Wales structures such as Young Enterprise and Business in the Community. Drawing this work together under Careers Wales will provide a unique opportunity to focus resources to help young people to prepare and plan for the world of work.

n     re-engage young people and foster a positive approach to learning throughout life. Working within the framework proposed in "Extending Entitlement", Careers Wales will be expected to make a significant contribution to the reduction of disaffection and maximisation of potential amongst young people of school age and also amongst unemployed 16 and 17 year olds through provision of the Youth Gateway. In harness with local partners, Careers Wales will be expected to draw together best practice and offer support to those identified as potentially or already disengaged

n     encourage more people at all stages of their lives, to enhance their skills and knowledge. For many people access to information will meet their needs. But others may need counselling and guidance in identifying the options open to them. Careers Wales will be charged with building up information and guidance services for adults across Wales. In particular ETAP identified as a priority, the need to offer support to the low waged as a means of levering up skill levels and moving more people out of the low pay/low skill trap. Careers Wales will provide practical help including in-depth guidance and assessment of basic skills, to help individuals target learning needs and identify appropriate learning - including on-line provision.

Inspection of Careers Wales

Since 1999 Estyn, Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales, has been charged with the inspection of the Careers Service in Wales. An annual programme of two full company inspections and one all-Wales thematic inspection was agreed. Inspections have now been completed of four Careers Service companies - Gwent Careers, Dyfed Careers, CareerPaths (Cardiff and Vale) and Powys Careers. In addition, Estyn has undertaken a thematic inspection of the work of the Careers Service in schools with young people in Years 8-10.

The reports produced by Estyn are available on the Assembly's website at www.wales.gov.uk. The Learning and Skills Act provided powers for the National Assembly to invite Estyn to inspect the full range of services to be provided by Careers Wales under contract to the Assembly. It is planned that development work on an appropriate inspection framework will be undertaken by Estyn during the course of 2001-02.

Youth Gateway

The Youth Gateway was launched in September 1999 targeted, primarily, at 16 and 17 year olds (though help may be provided up to the age of 25). Provided by Careers Wales, the Gateway offers young people intensive assessment, mentoring and support so that they can progress to good quality training, education or other options. Drawing on staff recruited from a variety of backgrounds - including the youth service and voluntary bodies - the Gateway offers individually tailored programmes with no prescribed length of stay. In some instances a week of assessment is sufficient to focus able young people and help them move on. In other cases their may be a need to devise a programme of confidence building, skill development and work tasters over several months before they are ready to move into mainstream employment or training.

Although still in the development stage, there is evidence that the Gateway is making a very positive contribution to helping to focus young people and ensure that they are able to move on to suitable employment and/or training. Provision for the Youth Gateway in 2001-02, within Careers Wales budgets, is £3.9m - an increase of 22%. The additional, funding will be used to both increase the opportunities offered to 16 and 17 year olds and work with schools to explore how elements of the Gateway can be applied to address disaffection amongst 14-16 year olds. Careers Wales has also secured Objective 1 and Objective 3 support - as a fast track project - to add to the provision made available by the Assembly.

Extending Entitlement

The Careers Companies made a very full contribution to the consultative report on youth policy, "Extending Entitlement", published by the Assembly in September 2001. Joyce McCaw Chief Executive of CareersPlus was a member of the Advisory Group. In addition, the Careers Wales Association has offered to second its national director, Jan Jones, to work with the Youth Policy Unit is taking forward the recommendations in the report.

Overall, Career Wales - as a provider of specialist careers support to all young people from age 14 onwards - will have a key role in the development and implementation of both the entitlement and local supporting strategies. In addition, innovative services such as the Youth Gateway, have the potential to provide a valuable lever in local strategies to reduce disaffection.

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