COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING

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

Report 01/01R

Potential Development:

A community's endowment of skills and its level of investment in education and training are important factors in determining its employment growth over time. Clearly the issue of awareness raising and building the capacity to deliver should be immediate concerns for the Committee. Opportunities for undertaking basic skills learning within the workplace are scarce and often inhibited by a lack of funds and commitment by some employers to deal with the issue. The capacity of the trade unions in their role as advocates for learning needs to be enhanced. The success of Unison's Return to Learn programme and NI ICTU 'Bargaining for Skills' project have re-engaged hundreds of learners and advocates for learning back into basic skills learning.

Champions of basic skills need to be sought and providers of training need to adopt a more flexible approach to working with industry. Partnerships such as Moy Park Limited and Upper Bann Institute of Further and Higher Education provide us with models that can be developed and shared with other industry leaders and colleges. Of course further research into the effects and impact of basic skills learning needs to be addressed. Exemplars of workplace basic skills learning initiatives need to be evaluated effectively to ensure that they are making a difference.

If adults are to sustain and further enhance their literacy and numeracy skills they need to have better access and consistency of opportunity throughout their working life. It is clear that improving the basic skills levels of our adult population is not a quick-fix solution. It will require a number of agencies working together to achieve the same aim. We must take cognisance of the fact that it is not only access to provision that inhibits basic skills learning but also access to free entitlement and appropriate information and advice. Quite often a lack of information or clarity about the plethora of learning initiatives acts as a barrier to the motivated adult and/or employer. The National Skills Task Force clearly drew attention to these issues by enshrining basic skills and information, advice and guidance within its six goals. These included:

'To identify and anticipate better the evolving skills requirements of employment, and ensure that effective information, advice and guidance enables individuals and firms to make informed choices about learning which better match those needs over time;

To ensure that everyone has the opportunity to acquire a sound foundation of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, key skills and technical knowledge and skills, which equips them properly for working life and widens opportunities for further learning and economic mobility'.

Local initiatives such as EGSA's Information, Advice and Guidance Network play a crucial role in providing appropriate, localised advice. National initiatives such as Ufi / learndirect offer great potential through free entitlement to information, communication technology mediated basic skills learning as well as accessible information about learning opportunities. As information and communication technologies become ever more pervasive within our workplace, the number of jobs that can be undertaken without effective literacy and numeracy skills is likely to fall. The Committee needs to ensure that these initiatives are built on and maintained within the information age.

Conclusion:

By way of conclusion the Basic Skills Unit would like to stress some of the issues that have been raised in this response. In Northern Ireland we have invested a lot of finance, time and energy into creating a culture of lifelong learning. There are already a number of successful models and innovative approaches that have been developed over time in support of adult basic skills. The infrastructure exists but already requires development of its capacity to respond to this serious problem.

n     What is clear is that the landscape is totally insufficient in addressing the 24% of the working age adult population who are performing at the lowest level of literacy and numeracy ability.

n     Clear targets need to be set in association with industry to address the 19% of those at level one within the workplace.

n     Industry and trade union champions need to be sought.

n     Existing provision needs to be substantially improved.

n     Greater consistency, coherence and co-ordination could secure a continuum of learning opportunity from unemployment through to employment.

n     There is a need for further research into and development of effective models of workplace basic skills learning.

n     We must maximise the potential of information, communication technologies especially in engaging the micro business.

n     Access to free entitlement to learn and access to independent information and advice on learning are prerequisites in ensuring that the barriers or adults are removed.

n     Promote the culture of a literacy and numeracy rich environment for all our adults.

The 'Raising our Sights' strategic document published by the Basic Skills Unit sets out a clear framework for work in this area to develop. In addition the Workplace Basic Skills Sub- Group of the Basic Skills Committee will be submitting a strategy to Government in the near future detailing a clear framework for tackling this issue in the workplace. These two documents support the areas that have been raised in this response and the Basic Skills Unit would welcome the opportunity to meet with the Committee to discuss the issue further.

A business leader quoted recently said that some 80% of our working population today would still be in employment in 2010. If 19% of those in employment today have not even attained the basic fundamental skills of reading, writing or number we are in serious danger of undermining our economic growth and global competitiveness. the contribution that improved literacy and numeracy skills have in creating greater social cohesion and inclusion is clear. The challenge to Government is to ensure that immediate action is taken in our workplaces and with our learning providers to raise the importance of this issue and to raise our sights to a more just society where basic skills is at the forefront of Government policy.

Speaking at the Basic Skills Unit's 'Raising our Sights' launch, Dr Sean Farren MLA encapsulated this very issue when he said:

"Raising our sights is about taking us forward, about making a difference. But it will not happen on its own. We all need to work together to make it happen. That includes ensuring that basic skills is a cross-cutting issue that is firmly at the heart of the work of this Government".

November 2000

WRITTEN SUBMISSION BY:
ENTERPRISE ULSTER, COLERAINE

ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR INDUSTRY IN NORTHERN IRELAND

1.            Enterprise Ulster has been involved in working with the long-term unemployed since 1973 and more recently in the New Deal initiative since its inception in April 1998. There are a total of 8 main area offices and 4 sub offices in the region - 2 of these being Lead Partners in New Deal and the rest being involved as option providers.

2.            Throughout the province, Enterprise Ulster's training programme provides training opportunities for an average of 1000 unemployed people per year. It is largely geared towards the provision of work experience in conjunction with a relevant qualification but also provides information and guidance about interview skills and job applications.

3.         Until recently, Enterprise Ulster had been restricted to providing training in the public sector but this has now been widened to include the private sector industries - this enables Enterprise Ulster to provide training across the board and to attract a wider range of individuals (and organisations).

4.         The training opportunities vary according to each area office and the range includes childcare, administration, retail, horticulture, sports and recreation and greenkeeping. Most of the offices have either Mobile Squads of construction workers or Community Project teams who provide training in painting and decoration skills attached to them. As well as offering training these teams also provide a service which benefits the community, for example, completing painting and decorating work for disadvantaged groups or charities. In addition to these teams there are Workshops that provide training in joinery, motor vehicle maintenance and engineering production. These are based in Belfast and Londonderry.

5.            Amongst the participants on Enterprise Ulster's training programme, there is a high percentage of women returners who want to either refresh their existing skills or to gain new ones. This group of people is not specifically targeted by any other training programme but because they are a highly motivated group of individuals, Enterprise Ulster enjoys a high success rate of people passing qualifications and of numbers into employment.

6.         At present, Enterprise Ulster, Coleraine is becoming an accredited centre to offer basic skills assistance. With 1 in 3 of the adult population having difficulties with literacy and numeracy, and especially with the introduction of New Deal, it has been found to be a necessary and natural progression for the organisation. We hope that this assistance will further provide individuals with the skills that will make them more employable and therefore raise self-esteem and confidence.

WRITTEN SUBMISSION BY:
MOY PARK

These comments address the areas of enquiry where you have asked for a response.

1.         Agri-food training should be seen as both a problem and an opportunity.

a.          Agri-food is a majority industry in NI and critical to supporting rural development. The food and drink processing sector, put in the context of the whole manufacturing sector of NI, is 23% of total sales, 17% of external sales, 9% of exports, 18% of total employees. (DARD)

b.         Severe skill shortages are emerging in GB, particularly at graduate level. This problem is less acute here, but it is starting to become a problem. This should be considered when prioritising retraining and reskilling to meet the demands of industry.

c.         There is an opportunity to become a centre of excellence for food education, but there is a need to promote this at school level. Higher level education institutions have well developed facilities for their research and teaching resources but need to attract more students to maximise the potential. An emphasis at school level is recommended.

d.         We need to reinforce the message that the food industry is "not a sunset industry". It has been said, correctly, that, "there are no low technology industries, only low technology companies". The growing, competitive companies in the sector merit recognition for their success and as the basis for satisfying careers.

e.          France is an excellent model. Their agriculture university sector produces multi-skilled, competent young people, who have gained experience on 'sandwich' courses.

2.         At non-graduate level, there is a need for improvement in the following areas.

a.          Literacy and numeracy. Various surveys and reports illustrate the unsatisfactory performance of a significant number of young adults who have recently completed their full time education. We enclose a separate briefing paper with our experience in this area.

b.            Development, including self-esteem and confidence.

c.            Vocational development.

3.         We should encourage partnerships with further education colleges. Their record of working with industry is commendable and should be extended. There are funding issues here and this sector deserves more priority in the allocation of resources.

4.         Severe skills shortages are emerging in:

a.            Engineering

b.         IT staff

c.         Food 'technical' staff

d.            Production management

5.         An international model should be used, where the best is taken from each model:

a.            Anglo/American for graduate level

b.         German for vocational skills, especially engineering, building on our further education college base and industry links

c.         France agriculture university sector model, with multi-skilled, competent young people, who have gained experience on 'sandwich' courses.

6.            Incentives to training providers, business and industry. The number of students in formal training is declining while vocational training in the workplace is on the rise. NVQs are a widely accepted part of industry culture. Industry has adapted to the concepts of life-long learning and continuous professional development. Industry bears a significant cost burden in providing education and training for employees. It is important that government supports these initiatives to ensure their continuation.

BASIC SKILLS REPORT

Literacy and Numeracy

Summary

7.            Literacy, numeracy and communications are very important aspects of our industry which in the past have either been taken for granted or neglected. Moy Park has identified various employees, even those who recently completed full-time education, who have considerable literacy and numeracy problems which have effected their ability to perform various tasks. Each operative's literacy and numeracy is now tested when they join the company. Where it is necessary they are offered help to improve. When considering the high 'average' level of education in Northern Ireland, frequently the 'equity' of this distribution is overlooked where a section of the population does not have the core skills of literacy and numeracy.

Background

8.         During the initial introduction of NVQs one person came to the attention of training staff when he could not, as part of a group, answer the written questions in a Health and Safety unit. Although provision is made within the NVQ system for people with literacy and numeracy disabilities the embarrassment and stigma remained with this eighteen year old. The plight of this person drew attention to the many others within this age bracket whose literacy problems, although not chronic, were noticeable and for them, embarrassing.

9.         Some of the tasks which operatives have had difficulty with in the workplace include: counting the number of pieces put into a bag; identifying letters of the alphabet; identifying days of the week.

Problem

10.        Literacy includes the ability to use 'printed and written information to function in society'. Operatives are required to perform basic yet critical tasks which include reading labels, counting the correct number of items, weighing ingredients, understanding dates for 'best before' labels, etc. Whenever operatives are unable to perform these tasks due to numeracy and literacy disabilities they can produce results which have an adverse effect on production, or product safety. Moy Park needs to ensure that operatives are suitably skilled for their job and are employed in the areas appropriate to their skills.

Testing Initiated

11.        To counteract the problem of literacy and numeracy disabilities Moy Park sought through the Adult Learning Centre based in Tullygally Primary School the means to alleviate this problem and try to help those who had indicated their willingness to learn. Currently Upper Bann Institute is providing the tutors. To date, five Moy Park staff have completed their CGL 9281/02 basic certificate which enables them to identify where the problems are and how they can be eradicated.

Resources

12.        The introduction of the ALBSU tests at the preliminary induction has helped identify any problems and allow the operative to be placed in a job suitable to their academic ability. At present a qualified teacher is used to help our volunteer pupils. The small classes of one or two people last for one hour per week. All sessions are strictly confidential and are based on the individual's requirements.

13.            Currently two tutors are provided full time for 4-6 hours per week for day shift operatives. The initial literacy and numeracy training has now been enhanced with the addition of IT training. Night shift does not yet have this resource but it is hoped to extend the programme to include night shift in the future. The programme is developing and two dedicated, private rooms have been made available for tuition.

Goal

14.        The goal of surveying operatives is to ensure that they are suitably skilled for their job and employed in the areas appropriate to their skills. As they training programme demonstrates this is not used in the recruitment process to remove candidates of a particular skills level. The method is used to assess operatives after they commence employment.

15.        The ultimate goal is to provide a facility for everyone with a need in any communication field, ranging from literacy to IT knowledge, and further if necessary, to encompass oral expression and improve disposition and confidence.

Employee Interest

16.        Since its establishment, numbers of interested people have increased from three to 30 plus, with more interested in IT training. The programme has now been extended to the Moira factory.

17.        One of the people who has benefited from the training has progressed from having literacy difficulties to completing an NVQ. This demonstrates their determination and potential for success.

Survey

18.        Moy Park conducted a survey of all operatives under the age of twenty who have commenced employment between 1 June and the end of November 1998 to include a sample of operatives who had recently completed their secondary education. This survey measured skills in literacy and numeracy. Their basic skills competency levels were interpreted using the ALBSU testing method. This sample included 75 employees.

19.        Test scores are banded into 4 categories ranging from A (high achievers/at or above Level 1), B (above average), C (average) to D (below average/literacy disability/below Foundation Level). Grading the results A to D simplifies the scores to make them easier for managers to interpret when they consider where to use each operative.

Findings

20.        Scores were listed separately for reading and numeracy. In the Reading Test 9 operatives (12%) scored in category D. In the Numeracy Test 9 operatives scored in category D.

21.        In total, 5 operatives (6%) were in category D for both the Reading and Numeracy Tests.

22.        Ten operatives (13%) have been identified as having the greatest need for help with their literacy disability as they scored D in Reading, Numeracy or both. These operatives scored in both category C and D in the Reading and Numeracy Tests. Outside this group of 10, only 2 others scored in category D (for Numeracy), but their scores for Reading were in category B.

Conclusions

23.        The standard of recent school leavers is such that 10 of 75 tested are typically not able to perform tasks such as reading labels, counting the correct number of items, weighing ingredients, understanding dates for 'best before' labels, etc.

24.        For operative to be in the bottom category for both Reading and Numeracy, having recently left school, shows that the system has failed these people.

25.        While the 'average' within Northern Ireland compares favourably with other regions using various measurements, in terms of the 'equity' of distribution, there remains a significant section of the population without the core skills of literacy and numeracy.

26.        As highlighted in a Training and Employment Agency publication, 'What the International Adult Literacy Survey Means for Northern Ireland', the main problem is that a high proportion of adults in Northern Ireland are found in the lowest scoring group. The view of Terry Morahan, T&EA, is strongly endorsed, that 'whilst, improving average literacy scores should be an objective, even more important is a reduction in the proportion in the lower categories'. Furthermore, this report supports his opinion on the strong link between social exclusion and low scores.

Recommendations

27.        Barriers to Take-up - There is a psychological barrier to overcome for people to attend classes after they have been in the company for a while. They are less likely to become involved in training if it is not initiated until some months after they commence employment. Trainers have found it is better to start any tutoring as soon as possible after assessment.

28.            Information Technology - Arrangements must also be finalised for the introduction of basic IT as this is now essential to efficient and effective production within any working environment, and, given that a high percentage of our employees are within an age group where this technology was not part of a school curriculum, this should prove advantageous both to the person and the employer.

29.        We would encourage education policy makers, and others with influence to act on the body of research which demonstrates the higher return on investment in education in students from disadvantaged backgrounds than advantaged ones, as mentioned in the T&EA report.

30.            Students need to achieve certain basic levels before they leave school.

WRITTEN SUBMISSION BY:
MUNSTER SIMMS ENGINEERING LTD

This brief paper summarises aspects of the NI education system as viewed from a Business perspective.

The paper recommends significant changes to educational thinking as a whole and in particular with reference to so called vocational education and Further Education.

There are no clear empirical data to link national economic wellbeing directly with education levels, once a basic threshold has been exceeded. For example, the USA does not top the international education league table, but it is an economic superpower. Experience, however, would suggest that, increasingly, a combination of a supportive entrepreneurial culture and relevant knowledge and skills must be major factors for economic growth, in this century. "Learning is the key to prosperity - for each of us as individuals, as well as for the nation as a whole" (Ref 1 ).

The F.E. sector, of all the constituent parts of the total education system, possibly has the greatest need to change and possibly has the greatest potential for short and medium term impact on economic performance.

Further Education is part of an education system which has neither breadth nor balance and which is very narrow in its definition of relevance, success or achievement. Why this state of affairs has evolved (surely not designed) is for others to explain but certainly society and history have played their part, together with the "dash for a degree" culture of the past decade.

Led by successive governments, more degrees (any degree, any university) seem to have become the goal of education for all. Anything different is less and this value judgement infects the entire system. Nationally, university funding is set to rise by £1bn per annum towards the Prime Minister's target of half of all 30 year olds in higher education by 2004 (currently 43%).

The paradox has, thus, been created whereby "higher" level qualifications of questionable relevance and dubious value in personal and societal wealth creation terms, have been given more esteem throughout the education system than the relevant skills, competencies and qualifications which industry, commerce, the economy and indeed most workplaces really need, at all levels.

There is an argument to say that this value system and its associated structures and qualifications have contributed to N. Ireland's relatively poor record on economic performance, productivity and unemployment. Matched Plant studies between N Ireland and Germany ( Ref 2 ) conclude that the significant productivity disparity is largely due to Germany's technician level training.

Our educational value system has caused great tensions in society between the academic "haves" and the vocational "have-nots". It has led to significant personal underachievement and disillusionment for many young men (in particular). 58% of the employed population in N Ireland do not have a level 3 qualification - the minimum to which the Kennedy report believes people should aspire (Ref 3). As many as 200,000 people in N Ireland have no or few formal qualifications and are powerfully represented amongst the unemployed and socially excluded ( Ref 4).

However, one most surprising aspect of this skewed system is that, far from seeking to create balance and breadth and to differentiate itself from academia, the vocational sector (secondary schools, FE colleges, etc) has attempted, and has been encouraged, through funding, to occupy much of the same academic ground as the grammar/ university sector.

The entire system has, therefore, become largely undifferentiated, vocational education being the poor achievers' version of an academic education. Grammar schools, Secondary Schools and F.E. colleges actually actively compete for the same students, rather than offer real choice of very different experiences and outcomes to very different students. I suggest that, in a skills limited economy like N Ireland, there are more relevant outcomes than the Prime Minister's target, which might just be better for individuals, for society and for the economy.

In summary, N Ireland needs to develop a differentiated, clearly focused, clearly structured, high quality system of vocational education from the age of around 14 and including a strong FE sector. This is and will increasingly be valued by employers, by participants, their parents and their peers, because it will be relevant and it will be grounded in outcomes as defined by personal and economic needs. Parity of esteem will follow.

However there are blockages to change which should not be minimised:

The education system is designed by the people who work in it. Its success measures are largely internal and self-referential. "Domination by subjects and statements of input make it a tool for the producers, not the consumers, of education"( Ref 5 ).

The strategic change of balance to a well-differentiated vocational education stream will not succeed unless it is accompanied by a major attitudinal and value system change by educationalists themselves. The focus must shift to outcomes valued by the customers and stakeholders in education, not the producers, but the students, employers and wider societal stakeholders.

For example, we teach French probably because we have French teachers. Spanish, German or even Chinese would be more useful. We teach Business Studies although Business places limited value on these qualifications. Largely, we impart knowledge rather than develop personal skills and competencies because knowledge is easier for educators to deliver and assess. We favour academic depth and rigor rather than the breadth and relevance, which work demands, because educators own the value system.

For example, of the 42,483 part time NVQ enrolments in FE in 1997/98, 12,342 were in Business & Administration and 9802 were in Combined & General Studies. Only 6250 were in Maths & Computing and 1550 in all Languages (Ref 6).

There is a skills shortage in N Ireland, caused by our education system. The education budget is huge, yet, there seems little, if any, relationship between what is delivered and what is needed. For example, there is a dearth of good sub degree technician level staff in many fields of work including engineering, IT, production, operations, design and technology. Throughout Europe, employers are experiencing massive ICT skills shortages at all levels. These types of skills should be the core of F.E. and their absence is damaging many businesses and young people, yet, year on year education as a whole achieves "better" (i.e. more academic) examination results than ever. Largely, the education system ignores the question of relevance.

In the recent past, employment in the NI public sector has been a great source of stability, protecting NI from the lows of the economic cycle but also restricting it from the highs. The public sector, with its vast resources, has had the capacity to train people to meet its needs. Now, in the knowledge economy age, if our education system produces people fit more for public sector bureaucracy than for wealth creation, we will create a further drag on economic growth.

The argument for shaping education for economic success is typically countered in N. Ireland by personal freedom of choice counter-arguments. But, in truth, many students drift into or shy away from courses or careers on the flimsiest of information, what is open to them being largely determined by producer push, funding and peer or parental pressure. The status quo is, thus, assured unless the key levers of change can be grasped. Good quality vocational opportunities and radically improved careers advice lie at the heart of a change programme.

There are a number of strategic and operational constraints on change within the NI FE sector itself, which have been more than adequately discussed elsewhere, including the 2010 Strategy, Skills and Education project team ( Ref 7) and the 1992 Review Group on Further Education ( Ref 8 ). They can be addressed here only in summary.

FE colleges reflect the overall confusion in the vocational education sector by their own internal college strategies; I have previously described them as scattergun (Ref 9). They attempt to deliver A levels, GCSEs, recreational activities, adult literacy, HND, HNC and at the same time aspire to the delivery of training to businesses. Nobody can do all this and do it well and it is the economic development activity, the more difficult sell, which loses out. Some colleges have made a good living out of A level and GCSE resits. FE in N Ireland does not have a simple, clear deliverable set of economic objectives. Contrast this with the Republic of Ireland where Regional Colleges support the economic development imperative.

Within N Ireland's FE sector, as with the NVQ enrolments described earlier, Higher and Further Education within Colleges are dominated by courses in Business & Administration (51% of HE and 33% of FE in 1997/98). Much lower enrolments are recorded in Biological Sciences, Languages, Engineering & Technology, Maths & Computing. (Ref 6) Is this good, informed personal decision-making on the part of many individual students or is it producer push? Is this picture shaped by economic development imperatives or simply generating income for colleges to balance the budget?

Information Technology is changing at a fantastic rate. Where, a century ago, the volume of information was doubling every 100 years, some have calculated that by 2020, it will double every 73 days (Ref 5). Of course this has implications for what is taught, but much more importantly how, and by whom, it is taught. If state systems of education do not keep pace with these and other changes, they may simply find themselves becoming irrelevant, as the private sector, chasing lucrative education spend, simply bypasses the sleeping giants of state education. FE will not be immune from this trend.

FE has no significant track record or expertise in delivery of business related services. Those companies who have had dealings with colleges report poor capabilities in staff and a very non business-like approach. Most employers, in my experience, turn to private sector trainers or consultants for these services, rather than FE, but the overall level of provision is poor and opportunities naturally exist for competent FE provision.

In a country of 1.5 million people, N Ireland has too many colleges and no centres of excellence have been created. There needs to be more collaboration between fewer, more specialised colleges. An undifferentiated FE sector is not desirable in a small economy.

Vocational qualifications are a jungle to be successfully negotiated only by the best informed. Some qualifications are poorly developed in range and scope. Some of those, which do exist, are not highly valued or relevant; e.g. Business Studies, yet there appear to be shortages of others, e.g. technical subjects. The quality of vocational qualifications is probably more variable than academic ones. For example, it is possible to be awarded a GNVQ without ever leaving a classroom. Employers report that NVQs can be a paper chase and can fail to deliver underpinning knowledge.

There is competition and confrontation between schools and FE colleges driven by status, funding, internal targets and a lack of strategic Government leadership. In business, competition for knowledgeable customers drives up quality and cost effectiveness. In education, where the student is in a poor decision making position, competition seems to produce the opposite effect.

There are few, if any, well developed local clusters of schools, colleges and businesses working together as a cohesive group - anything which exists is on a grace and favour basis and depends on the goodwill and energy of one or two key people. This is not sustainable. The proper construction of and financial support for local, practical business/education project teams working on specific deliverables would be a key lever for change.

A simple illustration: in North Down it is almost impossible to find mould tool setters. This is a structural problem well outside the resources of any individual employer, yet, how does the situation get changed and by whom? Who even knows about this? These problems could be reduced if colleges saw it as part of their strategy to take a lead role in local business / education clusters and to collaborate between each other in developing centres of excellence.

Careers guidance should be a high level strategic planning activity as well as a much better one to one advisory service. It should be staffed by people who are knowledgeable and competent and who have the ears of employers and government. This is crucial in the context of change and creating informed choices.

Careers guidance in NI is carried out by teachers and T&EA staff who, in all honesty, probably have less actual experience of non-education careers than most members of society. The results are there to see: confusion and poor decision making, skills shortages; most young people being more influenced by peers, parents and TV, reinforced by the societal status quo and work stereotypes.

A radical overhaul of Careers Guidance, possibly including privatisation is a prerequisite for other changes. The negative impression of some areas of employment is directly reinforced by the career guidance system's inability to offer informed choice. This analysis is not new and has been both repeated and ignored many times over the past 20 years.

N Ireland's employers and economic development agencies have to shoulder their share of criticism for their role in our producer driven education system. There are a number of factors, which FE must keep in mind if it is to deliver necessary change.

90%, or so, of NI companies consist of fewer than 10 people. N Ireland has few blue chip companies and management as a whole is poorly educated. It takes two sides for a meaningful discussion, even if Education is willing. Everybody must remember that this is a SME economy.

What this means is that, like pre-Sony Walkman consumers, there is little chance of these companies clearly defining and articulating their education and training needs - they may know it when they see it in action, but don't ask them to design it beforehand.

This has implications for predicting skills shortages. It is not the government's role to micro manage the number of (say) plumbers in N. Ireland. However, I suggest that, in an SME economy, it is Government's economic development role to ensure that high level strategic planning processes broadly predict trends for more (say) ICT skills.

But that is not enough. We have known for at least 20 years that ICT skills demands would grow and will continue to grow still more. What is missing is the economic input into education planning and an education system sufficiently flexible and sufficiently interested in demand led outcomes to respond. Further Education, itself, seems to recognise the need for economic leadership (Ref 10).

By the time that individual companies are recognising a skills shortage, it is probably already too late. What we are witnessing, today, is lack of strategic thinking and planning at government (economic development) level, short term thinking by small companies and producer led disinterest by education. The change leadership must come from Government's economic development and educational strategies. Small companies may respond, but do not expect them to drive change. In the absence of change, growing companies may simply move elsewhere.

NI industry has a poor (but no worse than the rest of the UK) track record on training and development of managers and staff. The reasons are complex and some are even valid, e.g. it is well understood by researchers that training probably only addresses 20% of performance issues. This is very significant for FE in the context of the DETIs very mixed messages on in-company training support. The Company Development Programme and Management Development in NI have gone full cycle in the past 7 years and are again, in some disarray

The CDP responsibility now sits centrally in the DETI. Management Development sits in the T&EA but has been downgraded. The CDP and MD programmes have been reduced as the T&EA has focused on the Government's "New Deal". Few companies in NI get decent people development support, without which little or no training will take place. Even when there was a focus on CDP, the budget was heavily skewed towards two or three large local companies and inward investors. Most CDP funding has been poorly used by benefiting companies. It is in this context which FE has to deliver training and development for employers. It will have to choose its ground carefully and, hopefully, as part of a government joined up strategy of targeted support.

There are a number of changes within education at a national and local level, which are encouraging in the context of change.

The UK government through Dearing has encouraged a move towards curriculum breadth and recognises the value of vocational education. In addition, the great value of developing "Key Skills" as well as delivering knowledge has been recognised (Ref 11, 5).

The UK government appears to have recognised the need for change in FE but also recognises the contribution FE has made in giving many people a "second chance" in education (Ref 3 )

There has been some attempt at a national level to improve clarity in the vocational qualifications jungle. In N Ireland we have the NICATS project at the Ulster University to improve clarity and encourage pathways between academic and vocational education( Ref 12 )

The "11 plus selection" debate has started. This is important because changes in FE should, properly, be as part of a total 14-19 year old curriculum review. It is to be hoped that decisions on "selection" are educational ones and that they follow, and do not precede the design of post 14 education structures, values and objectives, including FE.

There is recognition at Dept of Education level and within CCEA that a one size fits all national school curriculum does not deliver the needs of low academic achievers. This is a positive step for disillusioned children, provided that the out of class time released is spent on high quality, relevant work related learning.

CCEA is willing to engage in the development of general vocational (GNVQ) and limited vocational qualifications (GNVQ) which would be firmly grounded in need and relevance of N Ireland's employers.

Some commentators have suggested that, with the introduction of AS examination levels in schools, more academic schools may migrate away from GCSEs towards AS and A levels, whilst more vocational schools may migrate towards GNVQs and GCSEs. If so, this could be a positive and differentiating step allowing the development of a distinctive vocational stream, throughout 14+ education.

FE will have to figure out how it will fit in with these changes. Change is never easy, but it is necessary. As we change we have to make sure that the new benchmarks are valid and the best. We certainly have to look beyond the UK for models. The whole of the UK suffers many of the same problems as N Ireland.

There will be many reasons not to change; possibly including self-interest and dogma. However, positive change can be achieved on the basis of clear end goals, a consistency of purpose and a large degree of skilful change management.

At a strategic level, change will need political consensus, but it must also have the ownership of educational stakeholders as well as the educators.

ALAN LENNON
Munster Simms Engineering Limited
Old Belfast Road
BANGOR BT19 1LT

20 November 2000

REFERENCES

1.         The Learning Age, A Renaissance for a New Britain, Cm 3790, The Stationary Office, 1998, ISBN 0101379021

2.            Training, Skills and Company Competitiveness: A Comparison of Matched Plants in Northern Ireland and Germany, (June 1993) ISBN 1871753163, Roper S.

3.            Learning Works - Widening Participation in Further Education, Helena Kennedy QC, published by the Further Education Funding Council, 1997.

4.         Lifelong Learning: A New Learning Culture for All, DENI, 1998.

5.         Opening Minds, Education for the 21st Century, Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers & Commerce, 1999 ISBN 0901469386.

6.            Department of Education Statistics e.g. Statistical Press Release, Dept. of Education Services.

7.         Strategy 2010, Report by the N Ireland Economic Development Strategy Review Steering Group, Dept of Economic Development, 1999.

8.         Review Group on Further Education: Report to the Minister of Education on the Planning and Funding of Further Education in Northern Ireland, DENI, 1992.

9.         Paper to 1999 Association of NI Colleges Conference, A. Lennon.

10.        The Role of Further Education in Economic Development, A Discussion Paper, Association of NI Colleges.

11.        Review of Qualifications for 16-19 Year Olds; Full Report: Ron Dearing; March 1996, SCAA, 1996, ISBN 1858381037.

12.        Report of the N. Ireland Credit Accumulation and Transfer System, (NICATS) Project, NICATS, 1999.

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