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Report: Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology Provision within Further Education Topic: Education and Skills Date: October 2007 Source: The Engineering and Technology Board Overview: This report from the ETB highlights key points and issues relating to primary and secondary research into the state of engineering, technology and manufacturing provision within the Further Education sector. It concludes that there are many factors affecting both the declining numbers studying engineering, manufacturing and technology and the relatively low success rate of those learners. • Almost two thirds of the respondents feel that staff recruitment is more difficult in their departments than in other areas of the college. • The difficulties in forging successful links with employers was also seen by respondents as a notable issue. • A quarter of respondents felt that the interlinked problems of (perceived) slowdown in domestic manufacturing and increased competition from overseas were amongst the biggest perceived issues facing engineering, technology and manufacturing provision in FE. The ETB activity: To redress this the ETB have proposed a number of actions: • All colleges should be encouraged to review their engineering provision portfolio to make it more attractive to employers and students. • Links with 14-16 year olds should be improved, with students being identified at an earlier age and supported through progression pathways. • The biggest barrier to student progression in engineering is ability in mathematics. Action is required to increase teaching support in this area. • Urgent action is required to recruit experienced engineers into the FE sector. This is likely to require a national campaign and direct financial support e.g. recruitment subsidies/golden hellos. Further information: To find out more about this report click here . |
Briefing: Technician Supply and Demand Topic: Skills Date: November 2007 Source: The Engineering and Technology Board Overview: The ETB briefing paper highlights key points and issues that emerged from the ETB seminar Technician supply and demand: Do the numbers really add up? The ETB hosted this seminar in November 2007 bringing together experts from the different Sector Skills Councils, Professional Bodies, Institutions, Academia and Industry. The findings of this seminar have been used to commission a briefing paper. This briefing paper summarises these discussions and hopes to help crystallise the debate and provide common ground for moving forward. The ETB appointed the research consultancy FreshMinds to help frame the discussion and summarise the main topics of the debate. The ETB activity: The consensus findings suggested that there is a need: • To identify, co-ordinate, collate and analyse existing robust data on UK Technician supply and demand. • To review existing re-training and re-skilling engineering schemes for older (aged >25) individuals in order to widen the pool of available Technicians. • For an overarching engineering campaign aimed at promoting and improving the image of engineering careers and the engineering sector. • For a professional development system to help learning providers and employers map and record the links between skills and qualifications. Further information: To download the ETB Briefing Paper click here . |
Report: The Returns to Qualifications in England: Updating the Evidence Base Topic: Education Date: September 2007 Source: Centre for the Economics of Education Overview: This report from the Centre for the Economics of Education provides a detailed analysis of the current economic value of the full range of vocational level 2 and level 3 qualifications held by the English workforce, focusing particularly on the economic return to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ). The report addresses questions such as: Which level 2 and level 3 vocational qualifications give particularly high wage or employment returns? Which sectors or occupations, if any, now see positive returns to NVQ2 and NVQ3 qualifications? The report also considers how wage returns to different qualifications vary by age acquired, subject, by region and by mode of acquisition. The ETB activity: The ETB welcome the publication of this report. The analysis of which suggests that there are significant and substantial average wage returns to a wide range of level 3 qualifications, although the exact magnitude of the return varies by gender, occupation, and sector. Among men, positive average wage returns are found for NVQ3 only in skilled occupations (10%) and for process and machine operative occupations (7%). For women, NVQ3 yields a positive marginal and average return for those in process/machine jobs (marginal return, 18%). This supports the ETB argument that focus should be on supporting level 3 qualifications, especially given the demonstrably lower returns on wage seen at level 2. Further information: For more information on the Centre for the Economics of Education research click here . |
Paper: Employers' Involvement in Education Topic: Public Perception Date: September 2007 Source: The Institute for Employment Studies Overview: A paper published by the Institute for Employment Studies examines ways of making it easier for more employers to get more involved in education and more often. It summarises some of the issues as well as identifying some actions that could increase employer engagement in education and training. The conclusions of this paper highlight many of the issues that need to be redressed if the government is sincere in its desire to encourage further employer engagement in engineering. Some of the reccomendations included are: • Provide incentives? The government might consider rewarding those employers who do give their time and energy to contribute to the education and training of young people. • Reduce legal concerns. There is evidence that insurance and health and safety concerns lead some employers to avoid becoming involved who otherwise might. • Give guidance. Many employers are willing to help but have limited time and resources to give to finding out what is wanted. • Assess and publicise the benefits. Where employers are involved in activities, evaluate the impact and value of their involvement. • Make it simple. There are many ways in which employers could be involved; it does not have to be through a work placement or apprenticeship. • Help make links. What would be helpful would be an easy way by which employers can register their interest in becoming involved. • Be proactive. If schools, training providers and other relevant bodies were more proactive in approaching employers. The ETB activity: Many of the recommendations highlighted in this report are mirrored in the best practice of some of the schemes already encouraging employer engagement. • Reduce legal concerns and provide guidance. http://www.safevisits.org.uk/ operated by EEF, the manufacturer's organisation, provides guidance to the engineering community on organisaing work placements. • Help make links. The recommendation for an online register of interest is something the ETB actively lobbied for. We would encourage the government to reconsider funding of this initiative. • Assess and publicise the benefits. Most of the large schemes include evaluations, although perhaps more can be done to publicise the obvious benefits. The ETB will soon publish the evaluation of its Lecturer Placement Pilot. Further information: A copy of the Institute for Employment Studies paper can be downloaded here . |
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