A study of 500 British employers operating Modern Apprenticeships found the following: (1) 58% were small businesses; (2) 63% recruited only 1 apprentice; (3) they were highly satisfied with participation; and (4) the current good economy may help entrench Modern Apprenticeships in the training infrastructure. (SK)

Changes in the trade union education system in the United Kingdom include a hardening of the attitudes of employers and the state, a reemergence of political education, and increased demand for paid educational leave. (SK)

A survey of 6,000 British small businesses, 600 interviews, and 120 case studies found that 70-80% were family owned; most favored informal management styles. In family-owned businesses, training of nonfamily employees was considered less crucial; investments in the latter were related to long-term business strategies and potential succession.…

Analysis of the United Kingdom's Modern Apprenticeship program, designed to increase intermediate job skills, shows that in many sectors, apprentices leave without completing qualifications, especially in sectors with no history of apprenticeship. A key problem is lack of employer demand conflicting with the government's focus on improving social…

Reports findings from research that compared personal qualities demanded by employers with actual attributes of information and library studies (ILS) students in the United Kingdom. Discusses personality and ILS students and concludes that there is a gap between educators', students', and employers' views on whether students have the qualities…

This article presents the results of a qualitative study that examined the views and experiences of 12 large city employers of modern apprenticeships (MAs). Given the governments target that by 2004 at least 28 per cent of young people should enter an apprenticeship before the age of 22, it is imperative that large employers are fully involved in…

Against a background of concern about staff recruitment and retention in social services in the UK, the authors examine one model of employer support for staff undergoing professional training alongside their employment. It is argued that support for these mature students needs to be broader than that normally offered within educational…

In Fall 1992, 400 telephone interviews established levels of basic skills difficulties among the work force as encountered or perceived by employers in the United Kingdom. Costs to employers of poor basic skills and the effect of these on their operation were quantified and described. Respondents were mainly personnel/training managers or…

A representative sample of 800 employers in the United Kingdom were surveyed by telephone to determine their attitudes toward, recruitment of, and rejection of unemployed job seekers. The employer sample was selected to be representative from the standpoints of sector, firm size, and firm location. Twenty employers participated in face-to-face…

Describes research conducted at the Manchester Institute of Science and Technology about the changing nature of personnel management. The authors found that training has become an easy target for economies at times of economic stringency and is not being vigorously defended by the senior personnel managers within whose functions it is located. (CT)

Changes in the educational qualifications and skills expected of senior managers in the United Kingdom were examined through interviews with senior managers and human resource professionals in 17 large companies from a range of sectors. The following were identified as common objectives or responsibilities of senior managers: determining the…

A survey conducted in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom analyzed employment practices and viewpoints of the social partners regarding comparability of qualifications and geographical mobility. Carried out in late 1991 with a limited sampling of respondents (firms, employers' organizations, and unions), the survey focused…

The findings reported in this article are based on qualitative research that explored the views and experiences of key stakeholders, including employer-bodies, training providers, employers and apprentices of Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) in retail. The study identifies fundamental barriers to the successful implementation of MAs in this sector.…

Case studies of 15 leading employers in the United Kingdom were conducted to examine their career development practices. Employees, line managers, executives, and human resources professionals in the finance, energy, high technology, manufacturing, service, and public service sectors were interviewed regarding the career development practices and…

A study examined changing skill requirements for the occupation of sales assistant in the United Kingdom. Data were collected from four sources: a review of the existing literature; exploratory interviews with key contacts concerned with sales assistants' skills/training; in-depth interviews of 19 employers; and a seminar at which the study…