The UK strategy for
lifelong learning
Paul Convery
Director
Unemployment Unit &
Youthaid, London
www.uuy.org.uk
Workforce Development
concurrent session, CUED Annual Conference - Chicago, July 13th
1999
Unemployment Unit &
Youthaid
- an independent non-government, UK-wide
welfare-to-work policy centre
- exists to combat labour market
disadvantage
- engaged in research, policy
development, advice and advocacy services
- national body representing 400
training & work experience providers
- research and analysis resource used by
almost 3,000 frontline advice and guidance agencies
- supplying advice to Government and
employers
Why lifelong learning?
- investment in human capital replacing
old patterns of investment in plant and machinery
- shortage of workers who can adapt to
advancing technology and to new working patterns
- people without skills are being left
behind - stuck in precarious jobs that are poorly paid
- successful firms need be learning,
innovative businesses
- access to learning is required to
improve employability throughout working life
Why lifelong learning?
Widespread dislocation from the labour
market
- 1 in 5 of working age households have
no employed earner
- a total of 4.7 million want to work (1
in 6)
- of 4.3 million disabled people only 5%
work; but 1.2 million want employment
- of 1.8 million lone parents, 44% are
employed; 30% want to work (½m+)
- 11+ million experienced unemployment
over 5 years after last recession (benefit claimants)
Why lifelong learning?
Economic case
- output per worker in the UK:
- lags the USA by almost 40%
- lags France and Germany by around
20%.
- two thirds of adults lack technician
and intermediate level skills
- 1 in 5 of all adults lack basic skills
(functional literacy and numeracy)
Why lifelong learning?
Social case
- earnings for level 3 skilled are 25%
higher
- unskilled earn 30% less than average
earnings
- employment rates for:
- those with level 3 at least - 78%
- those with no qualifications - 52%
- skills must unlock exclusion from work
by:
- tackling problems early in education
system
- boosting employability of individuals
in work
UK vocational qualification
levels: approximate equivalences
- Level 1 - basic employability,
literacy and numeracy standard
- Level 2 - school leaving qualification
aged 16
- Level 3 - school leaving qualification
aged 18 (university entrance standard)
- Level 4 - first degree
- Level 5 - postgraduate
Expecting a gear-shift
improvement
National
Learning Targets
|
| |
current
|
by 2002
|
| 19 year olds with Level 2 |
74%
|
85%
|
| 21 year olds with Level 3 |
52%
|
60%
|
| Adults with Level 3 |
45%
|
50%
|
| Adults with Level 4 |
26%
|
28%
|
Investing in learning for
young people
Encouraging 16-17 years in education or
training
- drive to improve numeracy &
literacy (40% of 11 year olds failing)
- £1bn ICT investment in schools
- 6,000 after school study centres
- o5.4bn extra infrastructure over 3
years
- Smaller class sizes, 20 million extra
books, new "beacon" and specialist schools,
schools security
- reduce school truancy and exclusions -
pre 16
Investing in learning for
young people
Encouraging 16-17 years in education or
training
- improved occupational and educational
guidance from 13+
- "Learning Gateway/New Start"
for disadvantaged
- financial help: Educational
Maintenance Allowances
- legal "entitlement to train or
study" - up to level 2
Investing in all-ages
learning
Lifelong learning for those in-work
- £5bn funding agency: national
Learning and Skills Council (from April 2001) - for
community college and work-based employer led training
- National Training Organisations
- 40-50 local Learning and Skills
Councils drawn from business, community and
municipalities
- Modern Apprenticeships & National
Traineeships
- "University for Industry"
- "Individual Learning
Accounts"
Reforms to taxation
"Making work pay", keep jobs
and improve earnings
- increased entry thresholds for income
tax and national insurance
- Children's Tax Credit, Working
Families Tax Credit, increased Child Benefit
- minimum income guarantee for families
with full-time earner of £200 (approx $300) per week
- no family with children will pay
income tax until earnings exceed £235 (approx $355) a
week
Security in the workforce
Minimum standards & safeguards
- statutory union recognition
- unfair dismissal laws strengthened
- national minimum wage: £3.60 per hour
(approx $5.40)
- maternity leave extended; new parental
leave
- 48 hour maximum working week; holiday
entitlement; stronger protection for under 18s
- equal employment rights for part-time
workers
Programmes for labour
market disadvantaged
"New Deals" for key target
groups:
- 18-24 year olds 6 months+ and 25+ LTUE
- economically inactive claimants
- Gateway: personal advisers, diagnosis,
specialist agencies helping tackle exceptional problems
- Intensive help for acutely non
job-ready
- Direct job entry: matching and
screening
- Jobsearch and work relevant training
- Job subsidies, work experience,
education
- "Follow through" case
management
Lifelong learning: measures
of success
- promote excellence and high quality of
service
- respond to needs of individuals and
employers
- equip individuals with skills
in-demand
- ensure targetted support for the
disadvantaged
- remove unnecessary bureaucracy
- effectiveness and value for money
Some thorny problems
- engaging meaningful business
participation
- reforming educational and training
provider institutions - curriculum relevance and
structure
- modifying the qualification regime to
accredit bite-size learning
- encouraging / requiring employer
investment in training
- integration, integration, integration