Over the course of the previous two decades, successive governments have attempted to attract students from diverse backgrounds as part of an overarching ambition to widen participation in Higher Education (HE). As part of those efforts, there has been a proliferation of Further Education Colleges (FECs) utilised to meet those ends. In 2021,…

The United Kingdom (UK) Government has committed to the creation of a National Retraining Scheme, which will aim to prepare workers for future changes to the economy, including through automation, to retrain into better jobs. This will help to address challenges to the economy, including automation and advances in technology that are changing the…

In 2017, the government launched Career Learning Pilots in order to test the design and provision of various training approaches for working adults with low to intermediate skills. As part of this initiative, the Department for Education provided approximately £11.3 million in funding to pilot projects that offered flexible and accessible ways of…

In an era of financial constraint, this article gives attention to the role of "community college global counterparts" by comparing colleges of further education in the UK with community colleges in the US. It points to similarities between the two and the ways in which budgetary constraints impact on them--and, in particular, on access…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the need for, and development of, further education and practical training for recruits into industry. Design/methodology/approach: The paper discusses how, at the time of writing, many firms were developing and operating training schemes for industrial personnel. Firms benefit themselves from…

The effects of modularizing Access Courses provided by the University of Derby were examined for 299 adult students. No significant differences appeared in retention, but the modular approach had increased recruitment/retention of unskilled and lower achieving students. Students with lower entry qualifications had higher achievement than similar…

Blacks and minority ethnic groups in Britain experience a great deal of exclusion from lifelong learning. There is a need to increase recruitment of faculty from these groups and to widen access to all types of learning opportunities. (SK)

Among current concerns in the further education sector in the United Kingdom, the attainment and retention of students has attracted much consideration and subsequent intervention. In many colleges, tutor time and resources have been allocated to providing a personal tutorial entitlement for students that includes one-to-one discussions with an…

This book examines two themes and the interplay between them: (1) the future of the university in an era of mass higher education; and (2) social inclusion or exclusion. It is informed by studies its authors made of British and Belgian higher education and by research from their colleagues elsewhere in Europe. Following an introductory chapter…

This guide is designed to help those involved with the United Kingdom's Workers' Educational Association (WEA) to recognize the learning needs of and to develop teaching methods for students with visual impairments (VIs). Introductory materials cover objectives and how to use the guide. Section 1, "What Do We Mean by VI?" compares…

The problem of underemployment in the United Kingdom was examined in two studies. The first study sample, which was selected to be representative from the standpoints of firm size, 8 business types, and the United Kingdom's 14 economic regions, included 474 recruiters. They were interviewed by telephone regarding their recruitment problems. In the…

A PILOT STUDY PREPARED FOR THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMPARES ADULT EDUCATOR STATUS, RECRUITMENT, AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN FRANCE, FLANDERS (BELGIUM), WEST GERMANY, THE NETHERLANDS, NORWAY, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. MAJOR CONCERNS INCLUDE SALARIES AND BENEFITS, QUALIFICATIONS, INSERVICE TRAINING, SPONSORING BODIES, ATTITUDES TOWARD FORMAL STAFF…

The "clinical ladder" is a grading structure that facilitates career progression and associated differentiation of pay by defining different levels of clinical and professional practice in nursing. The clinical ladder approach, which is well established in the United States, differs from the approach used in the United Kingdom's National…

The aging of the population of the United Kingdom has occurred at the same time as the greatest increase in unemployment since the 1930s. The older unemployed are likely to have longer periods without work than younger people. For many, loss of a job has meant enforced early retirement and a lower than anticipated income in later life. The U.K.…

This guide explains how outreach workers of adult, further, and higher education institutions across the United Kingdom can make their outreach activities more effective at widening participation. The following topics are discussed: (1) the need to encourage all groups to participate in learning; (2) the role of outreach in attracting new and…