This document summarizes the information contained in the reports prepared by a number of regions to contribute to a discussion of a forum of European regions examining the place of vocational training in regional development strategies. Information on the place and role of vocational training in their economic development strategies is provided…

A study of three Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) traced development of the skills element of their RES [Regional Economic Strategy] and their progress toward an action plan for skills to implement their strategic objectives. The process involved creating a forum on skills; producing a consultation draft skills strategy; and producing a final…

England has failed to create a stratum of technical school education in the 20th century. It is increasingly being recognized that educational defects have contributed to England's relative decline and laggard economic performance compared with European competitors. Although junior technical schools were founded in the early 1900s and secondary…

A developmental study explored appropriate teaching and learning strategies for providing education about leisure activities and economic activities to the unemployed in Southampton, England. Developing a curriculum with unwaged adults was found to involve contact-outreach, negotiation, establishing an educational infrastructure, the learning…

Increased policy emphasis on lifelong learning at the European level has been reflected in a drive to increase participation in learning in the UK, especially through Adult and Community Learning initiatives that take HRD beyond the workplace. Such an approach is important for promoting social inclusion since the unemployed are usually excluded…

Society is becoming increasingly aware of the need for education to play a key role in integrating knowledge and understanding about sustainability into practical, vocational skills which can be used in the workplace. Education for sustainability is now a widely accepted concept which seeks to promote and develop sustainability skills and…

A project analyzed the impact of Youth Credits, a new system for funding youth training. The system was introduced as a pilot project by 10 English/Welsh Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs). Focus was on early school leavers' participation in training and on their achievement of vocational qualifications. Data were obtained from the Youth…

This publication contains monographs on vocational training and regional development for six regions of the European Communities. The monograph on Lorraine (France) by Gerard Calais describes basic training structures, redeployment policies, requalification of job seekers, and coordination of training efforts. Profiles of development technicians…

This information package looks at the methods of financing vocational education and training (TVET), especially in European countries. The first section examines categories of training, who should pay for training, possible fund-raising or revenue-generating mechanisms, financing mechanisms, and limitations of financing TVET. In the second part, a…

The examination of manpower planning is an important management activity rather than as a specialist technique is the purpose of this pamphlet. "The Climate of Manpower Planning" describes the present circumstances in which manpower studies are carried out and the national economic and political forces which affect organizations.…

A study compared the attainment of national vocational qualifications (NVQs) in Scotland and other U.K. regions. Data from the Labour Force Survey and case studies indicate that Scotland underperforms England in the attainment of NVQs, suggesting improved performance in the achievement of academic and traditional vocational qualifications in…

The present British government claims that its policies have transformed the economy and reversed its decline. This paper suggests that reforms have been guided chiefly by short-term political expediency and in compliance with the government's market forces ideology. A-levels need reforming to avoid serious shortages of professional skills.…

Back in November, voters in the North East of England overwhelmingly rejected the move towards an elected regional assembly. The scale of the defeat (three to one) of a Government-backed scheme was a rude awakening for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the range of regional agencies created since 1997. After all, it was felt that the…

The last 30 years have witnessed ongoing calls for the reform of post-14 education, to make it more responsive to the needs of employers and the economy, and overcome the academic-vocational divide. This article maps out recent proposals and changes in 14-19 education to remind us that they are rooted in a complex past, and while they might appear…