Over the last 20 years, the UK Higher Education sector has experienced a significant change to its funding base with a shift away from government funding, to operating within a highly competitive marketised environment. This shift has impacted the governance and management structures within the sector, with universities encouraged to adopt a more…

The aim of the present research was to understand how office workers cope with back, neck and upper limb musculoskeletal disorders at work (and their implications for work). A small (N = 120) questionnaire survey collected information about potential participants' background and history of musculoskeletal disorders. These data were used to inform…

A joint project carried out by Leeds University and Loughborough University, funded by JISC, studied the information literacy of non academic staff in higher education. The in-depth, qualitative study deployed an information audit, interviews and focus groups with eleven staff in the Finance and Research Departments at Loughborough University. The…

The Human Rights Act 1998 is the most significant British statute to have been passed in the last decade. It has already been the catalyst for a series of high profile cases, ranging from the privacy rights of celebrities ("Douglas v Hello!" [2001] QB 967) to the Home Secretary's sentencing powers in murder cases ("R (Anderson) v…

The aim of this field study was to assess the impact of word processors on teaching business and secretarial subjects in higher education, by determining the extent to which they are already used, and investigating the availability of equipment for teaching purposes. An additional aim was to learn the extent and methods of staff training. (Author)

This report describes the background, curriculum model, implementation, problems and solutions, and the employment placement record of a pilot Youth Training Scheme. It argues that colleges must supply related training suited to the needs of the employer as well as the trainee, and that basic vocational skills must be developed. (JB)

To be effective in higher education, text messaging must be effectively integrated into both the student and staff experience. These user groups provided input into the design of StudyLink, an email to text message service. A small-scale trial was conducted over a period of two academic terms to investigate the feasibility of using this system in…

Shows that there are potential problems associated with technological change which demand both serious analytical treatment and the development of sophisticated industrial and social policies. Discusses the office sector, office technology, employment, and trade unions. (CT)

This study examines qualifications available to initial entrants to tertiary sector/clerical and commercial occupations in three CEDEFOP (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) member states--the United Kingdom, France, and West Germany. (The goal is to ascertain the feasibility of establishing equivalence of qualifications…

This package contains a paper summarizing the aims and services provided by the Business and Technician Education Council (B/TEC). Established to advance the quality and availability of a wide range of employment-related education to persons in the United Kingdom who are studying at or beyond the equivalent of the American associate-degree level,…