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…

The effectiveness of "Investors in People," which was launched in October 1991 as the United Kingdom's national standard for training and development, was evaluated through a 3-year longitudinal study that included interviews with a sample of 1,804 employers and a series of case study interviews. Of the 1,804 employers interviewed, 76.6%…

Retention of college graduates by employers across the United Kingdom was examined. Data were collected through a survey of 362 organizations and interviews with 36 employers and their graduate employees. Most employers were unworried by their levels of graduate retention; two-thirds expected to keep new recruits for the foreseeable future. Rates…

The emergence of Foundation Degree programmes in response to employer workforce development needs provides a rich environment for the study of undergraduate curriculum innovation in the context of cross-sector partnerships in post-compulsory education. This article presents the findings of a case study of foundation degree development by consortia…

A 1990 questionnaire and interview survey identified requirements for programs and courses relating to human resource development for international operation. The survey was designed to seek the views of United Kingdom (UK) and European and international companies, professional associations, and accounting firms. Of 540 organizations, 91 returned…

This document on the United Kingdom (UK) is one of a series of five monographs published by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP). The document includes seven chapters, three appendices, and a section of case studies. The first chapter describes small and medium-sized business enterprises in the UK. Vocational…

A study examined ways in which employers in the United Kingdom are meeting the challenge of training and career progression for part-time and temporary employees. First, the literature was reviewed to gather information on the following topics: the growth of "atypical" work, training and adult workers, differential access to training,…

Selected issues of concern to second-level enrolled (registered) nurses in the United Kingdom were examined through national surveys of two groups: (1) a random sample of 21,762 of the 115,459 nurses holding second-level registration in the United Kingdom, and (2) 700 employers who, included nurse executive directors in all National Health Service…

In this article, the authors examine employer perceptions of local and foreign MBA graduates along with the problems encountered and factors considered important in hiring them. Based on a sample of 91 respondents, the findings show significant differences in perceptions of local and foreign MBA graduates, as well as significant differences in…

Interaction between United Kingdom colleges of further education and employers was examined, and factors promoting and inhibiting successful interaction were identified. The study was based primarily on interviews conducted with 102 college staff, 20 student discussion groups, 75 employers, representatives of 5 training and enterprise councils…

The nine papers in this volume represent a majority of the presentations at a conference that examined in detail employee development (ED) initiatives from Europe and North America. An introduction provides a contextual background to the vocational training and education debates characterizing policy development in the European and North American…

A study investigated general and vocational skills of 32 British business undergraduates before and after their field experiences, as perceived by the students and their employers. Although the parties agree that some skill development occurred during field experience, substantial discrepancies between student and employer perceptions of actual…

The question of whether the term "intermediate skills" has a distinctive meaning across business and industry in the United Kingdom and in its major competitors was examined. The study focused on the following sectors: housing construction; broadcasting; the care sector; the exercise, health, and fitness sector; and engineering (high…

This collection of 22 essays examines the use of records of achievement (student profiles or portfolios) in higher and vocational education in the United Kingdom. They include: (1) "Records of Achievement: Background, Definitions, and Uses" (Alison Assiter and Eileen Shaw); (2) "Profiling in Higher Education" (Alison Assiter…

This document describes the training of in-company trainers of young people in the United Kingdom (UK). Part 1 describes the context, including the focus and method of the UK study, the current situation for in-company training for young people, and the national context for training the trainers. Part 2 focuses on the following: characteristics,…