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The TrainingZONE LearningWIRE - Issue 56
5 July 1999
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk
The Learning Community
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Copyright (C) 1999 Sift plc. All rights reserved.
This material is distributed free to trainers, learners, managers and
coaches. It may be reproduced in any medium for non-commercial purposes as
long as attribution is give,
From the Editor
===============
This week we bring you details of one of the most important news stories of
the year - the publication by the Government of 'Learning to Succeed: A new
framework for post-16 education'. The detailed proposals received
remarkably little press attention being overshadowed by more dramatic
stories from Northern Ireland and Wimbledon. Don't let this deceive you.
The proposals are important, far reaching and - claim some commentators -
visionary. They WILL have an effect if you are involved in training,
further education, online learning, technology, business development,
youth/adult training, guidance, vocational qualifications, or skills
development. The proposals relate specifically to England, but an appendix
to the report explores the implications for Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland. The DfEE asserts that the proposals are a major plank in the
transformation of Britain into a lifelong learning society.
The proposals are covered in depth on the TrainingZONE website, complete
with links back to the original sources. We bring you a synopsis in this
digest and add our own editorial commentary on the proposals. You can add
your own views to each of the proposals online beneath each of the stories
on the TrainingZone website.
Also this week, there's the Training Solutions and IT Training Show at the
NEC, Birmingham. We've issued plenty of tickets to TrainingZone members
already. If you plan to go, please do visit us on Stand E98 and find out
why we're giving away bottles of quaffable wine! See you there!
Tim Pickles
Editor
mailto:editor@trainingzone.co.uk
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Quote of the Week
=================
Question: Is the word "learning" in Learning Organisations an adjective
or a verb?
Answer: Yes
- Dr. Michael Kelleher, 1999
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Learning to Succeed: A new framework for post-16 learning
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This report contains the government's blueprint proposals for all post-16
education and training with the single exception of Higher Education. It
was published on 30 June and the complete text is available to be both read
and downloaded at
http://www.dfee.gov.uk/post16
An accompanying press release explains David Blunkett's views on
transforming post-16 learning for everyone into the next century.
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=4830&d=1
Amongst the many proposals are the following:
* To establish a new Learning and Skills Council to assume responsibility
for all post-16 education, training and learning (except HE) from April
2001
* To establish around 50 local Learning and Skills partnership to
implement proposals locally, with majority control being given to
local business representatives.
* To transfer to the Learning and Skills Council responsibility for,
amongst other things, national learning targets, modern apprenticeships,
several TEC functions, local partnerships for adult and community
learning, advice and guidance functions, Learning Direct, etc.
* To develop a new Connexions Strategy for the education and training
of young people (to follow shortly)
* To establish Learning Gateways for 16/17 year olds including the
provision of individual personal advisors offering additional support
and guidance
* New initiatives to support adult learners including close collaboration
with the new University for Industry (UfI) and a complete integration
of Learning Direct services into the new structures
* Integration of the Further Education Funding mechanisms into the new
structures
* Additional encouragement to promote 'learning busineses' with a focus on
small and medium businesses.
* New arrangements to ensure quality standards in the provision of further
education and training
You can find summary information about all these proposals, together with
exact web addresses to the detailed sources at
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/news
Quick of the mark, NIACE - the National Institute for Adult and Continuing
Education - called the proposals 'a red letter day for adult learners'.
The Institute warmly welcomed the vision of a learning age as set out in
the proposals but called the college inspection proposals "a dog's dinner"
because of the potential bureaucracy which might be imposed on colleges.
The DfEE has established a consultation period on these proposals up to 15
October and invites responses. You can respond immediately with your
thoughts and reactions by adding your online Comment to any of these
proposals. Just go to https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/news,select the story
you want to respond to, and click on Comment. Alternatively, join in the
various debates on the subject at https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/discussion.
To start off the debate, TrainingZone has been reflecting on the proposals
and offers the following editorial commentary. We welcome the thrust and
vision of the proposals. The country needs a 'skills revolution' and is
absolutely right to push hard for learning individuals, learning companies
and learning communities. Further integration of post-16 education and
training policies is a key step in making progress. This document does set
out the framework which we can all promote and support.
However, it's inevitable that the proposals also leave open several
questions which need to be resolved in order for the full picture to become
clear. In the past ten years, we have seen numerous changes in the
arrangements for young adult training, culminating recently in the New Deal
and associated programmes. We feel it's time to stop re-arranging these
programmes and make a consistent, determined, long-term commitment to
making the present procedures work. We welcome all the moves to establish
the University for Industry but this document leaves some questions about
how UfI will be integrated into the new framework. Recognition of the
importance of adult guidance and support is now enshrined in the proposals;
there are some interesting guidance initiates elsewhere (in Scotland, for
example) which need to be closely examined so that best practice is
translated and transferred. Some of the inspection and quality assurance
proposals may turn out to be too complex in operation - and a hinderance to
the sustenance of high quality learning programmes. But of most concern to
us is the absence of any detail about the future - if any - of Training and
Enterprise Councils. Whilst they are presently under separate review,
their role is thrown into more doubt by these proposals. Some of their
functions are removed to the Learning and Skills Council, others are
potentially, and confusingly, duplicated, by the proposed local
partnerships. We need urgent clarification on the future of TECs in order
to make sense of the whole new framework.
Other News
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Here's a quick guide to some of the other news stories posted this week at:
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/news
Lifelong Learning - July 1997 issue of the articles abstact from the
Virtual University Journal, with hyperlinks back to several articles.
Active Reviewing Tips - a selection of techniques and methods for reviewing
practice with larger groups of participants from the Reviewing website.
Official statistics on the participation by young people aged 16-18 in
education and training from 1988 to 1998, including trends analyis.
All the above News stories can be found at
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/news
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The ToolKit
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An indispensable library of downloadable training resources
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/toolkit
now available to preview on screen also
Why not publish your training resources in The ToolKit?
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WebWatch
========
WebWatch brings you information about useful and relevant resources from
other Internet sites around the world. Unless otherwise linked, all the
following stories can be found at
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/webwatch
Management Library - correction
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Apologies! The gremlins crept in to last week's issue. The correct web
address for this extensive US-based catalogue of management resources which
is well indexed but requires clicking through several pages to find the
nugget of real value is at
http://www.mapnp.org/library
Great Networking Game
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An exciting online network developing game from the AusTrainer website
which can be played by any number of people from 15 to 500. Sounds like it
should be fun, and increasingly relevant given the growing importance of
networking styles in all our lives.
Institute of IT Training
------------------------
With more than 3,500 members in the UK and Internationally, this is the
professional body for anyone engaged in IT Training and related issues. It
accredits training providers and provides a range of services, many of them
online, for its members. Membership is open to IT Training managers, TBT
developers, training officers and techical support specialists. You can
log into the site as both a member or a guest.
http://www.iitt.org.uk
IT skills research programme
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A website providing information and sources for anyone engaged in IT
training including news, research briefings and some accreditation.
http://www.itskilsresearch.co.uk
Distance learning survey
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An online survey being conducted by the Linkage Inc site into the use and
value of distance learning, the results of which will be used in a
forthcoming publication about the present extent of distance learning and
the characteristics of good practice.
Training Decisions
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A new UK website which is attempting to provide some similar services to
TrainingZone! Worth a look for that reason alone. You'll find details on
various training products, a chat facility (few postings yet) and a good
search facility. No news service, resource Toolkit, or directory services.
We'd be interested in your views about the comparative value of the two
sites.
http://www.trainingdecisions.com
Creativity Unleashed
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Resources, software, links, books and abstracts on the subject of
creativity, including several free resources - as applied to leadership,
business development and management - all available at
http://www.cul.co.uk
Unless otherwise referenced, further information about all these sites, and
hundreds of others, can be found at
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/webwatch
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Getting involved
================
A new weekly series of tips for getting even more out of your community
membership.
3 Send details of your products and publications which you would like
us to review by one of our peer reviewers
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/reviews
4 Post your press releases, news and updates to the PressZone
facility and place it before thousands of readers every week
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/presszone
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Reviews
=======
Our latest section brings you reviews of new products and publications. To
submit material to be reviewed, or to read any of the following reviews,
all contributed by people working in the field, go to
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/reviews
To read any of these reviews, go to https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/reviews
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From the PressZone
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This week's press releases are all featured at
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/presszone
BT and FutureMedia launch Solstra 2000 at Training Solutions Show. No
doubt this is the first of many press releases about developing products to
emerge from this week's show.
Find out about the PressZone service at
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/presszone
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About Sift
==========
Sift plc is the award-winning UK developer of online communities bringing
you TrainingZone, AccountingWeb, BusinessZone, Travel Mole and LawZone.
http://www.sift.co.uk
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==============================================================
Editor: Tim Pickles mailto:editor@trainingzone.co.uk
Sift plc., The Mill House, Redcliff Backs, Bristol BS1 6LY
Tel:+44 (0)117 915 9600 Fax:+44 (0)117 915 9630
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk
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