Economic impact report 2009

This research seeks to quantify the direct economic impacts of Sector Skills Council GoSkills.
It highlights the economic impact of GoSkills in the passenger transport sector and covers the impact of GoSkills as an employer.
The contribution of skills, qualifications and apprenticeships promoted by GoSkills is considered together with the benefits of improving basic skills, technical and vocational skills, public funding for sector qualifications, and the value of qualifications and apprenticeships.
The authors set out GoSkills’ strategic objectives and make recommendations to improve the effectiveness of training and skills interventions in the passenger transport sector.

Full document (PDF 24pp)

Source: Futureskills Scotland

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College merger proposed in Derbyshire

South East Derbyshire College and Derby College proposed merger – documents available to read and download:
Statutory Proposal
Consultation document
Consulation response proforma
Consultation covering letter
Consultation newspaper/press notice

Source: LSC Web alerts

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Now it's personal

Also this week an ippr report (Now It’s Personal: Personal advisers and the new public service workforce) revealed that frontline services provided by Jobcentre Plus, much trumpeted by government as new tailored services to get people back to work quickly, are badly stretched. ippr found that Jobcentre Plus Personal Advisers providing one-to-one support for jobseekers are doing almost twice as many interviews with benefit claimants since the beginning of the recession and almost half of advisers surveyed do not feel they have enough time to help people.

Following the publication of the report, ippr is holding a seminar this coming Tuesday June 23rd looking at the relationships between welfare to work providers and skills and training providers. To confirm your attendance, please email events@ippr.org or telephone 020 7470 6100.

Read about the event and read the report at the ippr website.

Hazel’s comment:
I’m sorry that I shan’t be able to get to London for the event but my quick glance at the report (6pp in the Exec Summary, 91pp full) shows that Jobcentre Plus staff are experiencing very similar problems as those of us in Jobcentres in the 70s experienced – too many people chasing too few jobs.

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CILIP on Open Access (or I don't believe it)

via Tom Roper's Weblog by Tom Roper on 22 December

CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) has developed a briefing page on open access, basic but quite useful, including links to some librarianship OA titles. I'd congratulate whoever did it, if they hadn't spoilt the effect by putting it in the members only area of the site. If you're a CILIP member see it here: Open access journals

Hazel’s comment:
Since I made a concious decision some three years ago that I was not getting any benefit out of paying for my CILIP membership (no Chartered status to keep up as I never had it in the first place) I'll never know what's there. Any CILIP members reading this could post a summary in the comments (if they can be bothered, that is).

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UK Commission for Employment and skills to champion Investors in People

via NDS RSS on 18 December

Responsibility for the Investors in People (IIP) standard will be passed from Government to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) placing it at the heart of business, Skills Secretary John Denham announced.

Read the full press release

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Head of school exams watchdog resigns over SATs fiasco

via Telegraph Education on 13 December

Ken Boston the Head of school exams watchdog resigns over SATs fiasco on the eve of a government report.

Full report here

Hazel's comment:
If he was going to go then why leave it this long? In the, now proven forlorn, hope that the row would blow over? Too many of us do that in situations that to an outsider look hopeless, and I'm one of the worst.

And, in typical journalistic fashion, we have Dr Boston as head of "school exams watchdog" but as readers of this blog are well aware he is (was) in charge of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority which organisation does a great deal more than monitor SATs and other school exams.

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Review of Careers Services in Wales

The Deputy Minister for Skills has approved the Terms of Reference for the Review of Careers Services in Wales. The Review has been commissioned as part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s Skills that Work for Wales strategy and action plan. Its purpose will be to determine how well placed the Careers Services are to respond to developments in policy, demographic changes and current and possible future economic conditions.

The Review will be undertaken by the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills. This will be under the supervision of a Project Management Group which will include Careers Wales representation. An external reference group will be appointed from the Wales Employment and Skills Board to take account of the information produced and to provide recommendations.

Terms of Reference and Project Initiation details (in English)

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Launch of the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure

The creation of a legacy for The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has moved a step closer with the launch of the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure.

Please click here to view the full press release from the LSC on 20 November

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Jobcentre Plus: giving people the help and support they need

via NDS RSS on 9 October

Jobcentre Plus (JCP) is ready to support anyone who needs help in the current economic climate, with a tailored programme to get people back into work, said James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Read the full press release

Hazel's comment:

He really needed to issue a press release to tell us that JCP is doing its job? You're sure about that, are you?

I'll tell you something – there is nothing, absolutely nothing, so demoralising for staff in an employment agency whether government-run or private as being told that you will provide a tailored programme to help people back into work.

What work, pray tell me, are people to be helped back into in the present climate?

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Efficiency drive loses government £81m

via The most recent articles from Accountancy Age by Kevin Reed on 23 May


Department for Transport efficiency drive to save £57m sets it back by £81m
An efficiency drive meant to save The Department for Transport £57m actually cost it £81m, according to an NAO report.


Read the full article

Dawn's comment:
Committee chair Edward Leigh tells us that this efficiency drive would not look out of place in an episode of "Yes, Prime Minister"!

Double vision

It's a year since England's education department split in two. Is the new structure better for teachers and students asks Jessica Shepherd and Anthea Lipsett
The Guardian 27 May

Read the full article

Dawn's comment:
The general concensus presented by the authors is that, while the split may be working for the government, those at the chalk face are less enthralled.

HP buys EDS for $13.9bn

via Computing.co.uk Latest updates by Janie Davies on 13 May


The boards of HP and EDS have approved the acquisition
HP has confirmed plans to acquire EDS for $13.9bn (£7.1bn) after the boards of both companies reached a unanimous agreement.


Read the full article

Hazel's comment:
EDS is, as you may be aware, the supplier of IT services to the Department for Work and Pensions and has developed the Internet Job Bank which provides information on vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus.