Government Social Research
Last Updated: 16/9/2008
Research
Evaluation
Education and life-long learning skills: research index
World Skills/Skills City and 2012
Olympic Games
Work is ongoing on the preparation of a report to the ELLS Minister
on how Wales can best use the opportunities provided by the 2011 WorldSkills
Competition and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, both of which are
being hosted in London, to take forward its skills and education agendas.
Wales’ participation in these events will bring a variety of advantages to the nation, not only in the areas where change is expected, for example health, child poverty and disability, but wider, to impact on Wales’ tourism industry and levels of cultural awareness and global responsibility.
This is a very exciting agenda, which brings government colleagues together across the United Kingdom, and which the Minister is keen to use to showcase Welsh talent. Watch this space!
National Learning and Skills Assessment
Work has now started on developing the NLSA for 2007. It is not
envisaged that the 6 priorities will not change fundamentally, however all
the evidence and analysis will be updated and a full consultation on the
priorities undertaken in the first quarter of 2007.
A major enhancement to the process will be the merging together of the NLSA
with the 4 RSNPs
Basic Skills Research
We plan to undertake a research study into current practice in
addressing capacity and Workforce development issues in Basic Skills Delivery
in the UK and the rest of the world. The research will involve a rapid evidence
assessment on existing research evidence and practice relating to the issues
impacting on the capacity of basic skills provision with particular emphasis
on attempts to address these issues.
14-19 Research
Research is required to establish a baseline of information which
will be suitable to measure progress against the Action Plan in coming years.
The aim is to understand levels of awareness of 14-19 provision under the
Action Plan, perceptions on what is available and aspirational information
regarding what they would like the Action Plan to offer them.
To summarise, the research will include focus groups of 14-19 year-olds
and their parents and depth interviews with 6 providers in charge of 14-19
provision. A Random Digit-Dialling survey of young people and their parents,
including 1,000 14-19 year-olds and 750 parents will also be carried out,
together with an online survey of providers.
Clearing House Research
This research aims to review the various Apprenticeship Clearing
House and recruitment and selection models that exist across the world and
assess their suitability for development in Wales. After consulting with
a wide range of stakeholders including training providers, employers and
policy colleagues, it is anticipated that a range of models will be presented
to the project group. The project group, who comprise of both WAG colleagues,
Careers Wales, Jobcentre Plus, NTF and college representatives, will then
take a view on these models and make recommendations for implementation
across Wales.
Sector Research
We are working with a number of SSCs to gain a better understanding
of the skill needs of their sector, including; Skills for Logistics, Lantra,
Construction Skills and Improve.
Learning Insights
Over the next couple of months two themed Learning Insights are
to be produced. These are to explore the themes of ‘Older Learners’
and Family Learning’. Each Insight will explore issues and implications
for policy, delivery, planning and funding of learning for DELLS/WAG. These
two Insights will be of use to policy managers, delivery managers, FE colleges
and training providers.
Research into Graduate Employment
in Small and Medium Sized SMEs in Wales
The aim of this project is to develop a deeper understanding of
the experiences, motivations and aspirations of Small and Medium Enterprises
in Wales (SMEs)that have employed graduates in the last four years (i.e.
from January 2003) in order to inform careers advice and guidance services
and business development activities in Wales.
Job Outlooks
Job Outlooks are research-based summaries of labour market information
aimed at assisting individuals of all ages about jobs in Wales and the learning
choices linked to pursuing those jobs. Each Job Outlook has a summary of
labour market information at an all-Wales and where available at a regional
level..
Job Outlooks are currently available on the Future Skills Wales website but will transfer to Careers Wales Online at the beginning of April 2007.
UK Third Skills Survey
The Future Skills Wales Partnership and DELLS are contributing
to a GB-wide Skills survey - to secure 250 interviews within Wales in the
first instance, and to bring the total Welsh sample up to at least 450 and
hence enable more in-depth analysis.
This survey is being undertaken during 2006 and this is the third round
of a well-recognised British Skills Survey. Funded by the Economic and Social
Research Council (ESRC) as part of its “Learning Society” programme
of research, the first round in 1997 was a nationally representative survey
of 2467 individuals in employment. The 2001 Skills Survey was a partial
repeat, except that it was funded by the Department for Education and Skills
(DfES). The findings from the Survey will be launched in May 2007.
FSW Additional Analysis 2006
The Future Skills Wales Partnership has commissioned a project
via WAG to undertake three pieces of additional analysis of the FSW Skills
Surveys.
The analysis will consider the attitudes towards skills and qualifications
of respondents living in Workless Households , the relationship between
the generic skills that respondents state that they hold and the nature
and level of the qualifications they hold, and any areas of significant
change in skill needs and issues between the three all-Wales FSW Employer
Surveys, carried out in 1998, 2003 and 2005. The project is due to report
in February 2007.
Future Skills Wales - Embedding
Generic Skills
The Future Skills Wales Partnership plans to commission a project
via WAG, to undertake a research study into current practice of engendering
generic skills via existing learning and training provision in the UK and
the rest of the world. The emphasis will be on best practice in the UK and
overseas which may be suitable to inform thinking in the skills policy area.
The findings will inform further qualitative research involving providers
and practitioners. The contract is currently out for tender and is due to
report in March 2007.
Leavers Study
A survey of WBL and FE students (both completers and non-completers)
after the end of their course, to collect information on destinations, learning
satisfaction, expectations and reasons for leaving where applicable. The
aim is to inform product development and marketing, including the WBL Improvement
Plan. Both surveys will be undertaken by telephone and will each average
10 minutes in length.
The survey will comprise approximately 800 interviews with WBL leavers and
1,200 with FE leavers. This will allow analysis by age, gender, etc but
will limit more detailed analysis, e.g. age within gender. There will also
be scope for analysis by broad programme type (e.g. in WBL modern apprenticeships,
national traineeships, skill build, other). The project will report in spring
2007.
Future Skills Wales Observatory
For some time the now the Future Skills Wales Observatory has been
under development and is now anticipated to be launched in the late spring
of 2007. An Observatory is the term used to describe a central unit or portal
that enables users to access a wide range of information and intelligence
about a particular subject or subjects. The concept of topic based Observatories
is now well established across the United Kingdom but there has been a gap
in this kind of provision for the learning and skills agenda. The Future
Skills Wales Observatory is now being developed to champion the dissemination
of learning and skills related evidence-based policy and decision making
across Wales.
The objectives of the Observatory are to:
Evaluation of Work Based
Learning
The aim of the evaluation is to develop and implement a three year
evaluation programme that will look at the impact and effectiveness of government
funded work based learning on individuals, business and the economy. The
evaluation will cover all five strands of WBL plus a number of pilot programmes
which are currently in the early development or implementation stages. The
evaluation is anticipated to commence in March 2007 at the end of the European
tendering process.
NPFS evaluation
The evaluation of the NPFS will review the effectiveness, appropriateness,
implementation and impact of the NPFS and make recommendations for the future
evaluation of the System.
The evaluation will provide a comprehensive and flexible tool to inform project delivery and ultimately assess its success in meeting its stated aims and objectives. This analysis will be used to make recommendations for the future direction of the NPFS. It will inform the policy-makers in the development and roll-out of the NPFS across Wales.
Evaluation of E-Learning
and ICT Skills Development Scheme
The evaluation will aim:
Work on the evaluation commenced in September 2006, initially focussing on the Evaluation Framework, and is due to report in early 2007.
Evaluation of the Workforce
Development Programme
The current Workforce Development Programme was launched by ELWa
in November 2005. The aim of this evaluation is to develop and implement
the three year evaluation of the Workforce Development Programme and the
Business Marketing and Communications Strategy and assess the effectiveness
of programme delivery, content and impact.
Evaluation of the
National Practitioners Training Programme and the Sabbaticals Scheme
The aim of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the
National Practitioners Training Programme (NPTP) and Sabbaticals Scheme
in increasing the number of individuals able to train or teach through the
medium of Welsh or bilingually and the effect on the planning of schools,
colleges and work-based training providers for Welsh-medium or Welsh-language
learning opportunities.
The project is scheduled to complete in May 2007 and the results of the evaluation will provide guidance as to the on-going development and improvement of the NPTP, in particular improvements to the content and future delivery.
Evaluation of Bilingual
Learning
The aim of this work is to develop an evaluation framework for
the Bilingual Learning and to undertake an evaluation of the appropriateness,
effectiveness and implementation of the Bilingual Learning Scheme to date,
identifying success and areas for improvement (Stage One of the evaluation
framework).
Evaluation of RAISE
RAISE targets the links between disadvantage and low attainment
by pupils in primary and secondary education. Schools are required to target
their funding on supporting pupils who are disadvantaged and most at risk
of leaving schools with no qualifications, including groups of pupils seen
as under achieving.
Evaluating the impact of funded activities on standards of teaching and education is important to ensure that funds are used effectively. The aim of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the programme known as RAISE.
In order to inform the evaluation of RAISE two additional projects have been commissioned. These projects are a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) and a 1st Stage Evaluation to include baseline setting, the development of performance indicators and the development of an evaluation handbook.
IiQ Evaluation
The Investing in Quality Scheme involves eleven projects, running
between 2004 and 2008. Each project has its own aims, objectives, outputs
and outcomes, which together form a programme of Quality Development in
Wales. Each project is being evaluated separately and in terms of how it
contributes to the objectives of the overall scheme.
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Education and life-long learning skills: research
index