Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the times. Many feel powerless to reverse the damage to the planet. The complexities involved in achieving this are without historical precedent. To shift from a global economy that extracts and degrades to one that is reciprocal and sustainable, it must start with education. Pearson asked 5,000…

A new 'Work & Skills' initiative is needed for people who are long-term unemployed. Next year there could be between 1 to 1.6 million people who have been out of work for 12 months or more. This could be the highest since the 1980s and will have drastic implications for families and whole communities across the United Kingdom (UK). There needs…

Streamlining the vocational qualification development process in Australia is a current priority of the skills ministers of both the Australian Government and state and territory governments. This research summary explores the development processes associated with vocational qualifications in selected countries and compares them with the current…

This article explores the efficacy and cost effectiveness of New Labour's skills-based policies to help low paid workers adjust to the pressures generated by globalisation, of which the leading example was Train to Gain (T2G). It also analyses the more general issue of how, why and under what circumstances education, training and skills can help…

In an increasingly turbulent and uncertain global world, it is vital that as a society we work together to maximise opportunities and mitigate threats. This report examines some of these emerging threats and opportunities from a skills perspective, looks at the role those stakeholder groups play and how we should all come together to prepare our…

A university degree is regarded as the "gold standard" to set young people up for their future careers, but it may not be the best path for potential graduates and others. With the ever increasing debt burden faced by graduates, and a glut of graduates in the labour market, might there be another option? This report looks at the…

Intermediaries--also referred to as bridge builders, boundary spanners, conveners, and other names--fill the critical role of connecting all the parties in the system to empower people with the skills required in the labor force. Those parties generally include employers, educators, workers, and prospective workers. Within these categories may…

In April 2008, one sees the start of the consultation on the second phase of the government's e-strategy for education, published in 2005 as "Harnessing technology: transforming learning and children's services." This follows hard on the heels of the progress report and implementation plan for the technology strategy for further…

In Australia, as in the UK, much of the skills debate in research education has reflected a deficit model, whereby candidates are deemed to be in need of supplementary training. In response to the demands of employers and governments, most universities have added employability skills to postgraduate curricula, while simultaneously boosting their…

Employee-development programs can be a cost-effective way of increasing organizational learning overall. They are effective at delivering core skills. By reducing barriers to learning for lower-paid, lower-skilled workers, they enable people with less education to assume the role and identity of learners. (SK)

Includes "Commentary" (Alan Tuckett); "Lifelong Learning" (Malcolm Wicks); "An Opposition View" (Tim Boswell); "Opening up the Learning Market" (Jacqui Henderson); "Ringing in the Changes" (Chris Hughes); and "More Reasons to Be Cheerful, More Causes for Concern" (Alastair Thomson). (SK)

Reactions to proposed British legislation include "A Warm Welcome"; "Learning to Succeed" (Taubman); "Counting down to 1 April 2001" (Silver, Gravatt); "Two Cheers (at Least) for the Learning and Skills Bill" (Taylor); "Reflecting Our Priorities" (Gibson); "The Beginning of a Golden Age?"…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study some of the business and legal problems experienced by the licensed trade and to explore the need for greater control for entry to the industry. Design/methodology/approach: The approach taken has been to use an overview of the function of professional and trade bodies together with a detailed…

Homelessness in the United Kingdom has very wide ramifications. Young homeless people face a difficult transition into adult life as poverty, low self-esteem, lack of family support, and lack of qualifications reinforce each others' effects. Homeless young people start behind their peers in educational achievement. Government policies put up…

This article discusses the research approach adopted by one higher education institution in the United Kingdom (UK) to explore employers' and employees' responses to local skills, recruitment and training issues and how these responses were used to develop a curriculum for Foundation degrees. The article discusses skills issues, the varying…