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This paper provides an account of the everyday workplace learning of cycle technicians. Derived from an ethnography of working cultures and practices at a bike shop in the North of England, this paper rests on a critical reading of Communities of Practice theory in order to explore the complex and heterogeneous learning of cycle technicians. Drawing on a series of vignettes constructed from the ethnographic data, the paper demonstrates the variety of experiences of both formal and informal learning that characterise the trajectories of new cycle technicians as they enter the industry. In addition to providing an account of a qualified and specialist workforce that is under-represented in extant research literature, the paper also provides an exemplar for ethnographic research as a vehicle for exploring working practices through a Communities of Practice lens, using the paradigmatic theoretical elements of the theory. The paper concludes by arguing that for cycle technicians, and perhaps other occupations as well, Communities of Practice theory can generate rich and complex accounts that do justice to the richness and complexity of the craft and practice being observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses attempts to renew apprenticeship over the last three decades in three liberal market economies – US, England and Australia. We conceptualise institutional renewal as entailing both revival, or growth in apprentice starts, and extension, or widening its occupational base. The paper contributes to the literature by considering reasons for the attempted renewal and offering an assessment of the outcomes of renewal. It also contributes to research at the intersection of institutional and comparative training literature by developing the concept of institutional renewal and applying it to apprenticeship. It is concluded that in quantitative terms renewal had some success in England and Australia, but the effect of intervention is more uncertain in the US. The paper also identifies a paradox that policies to promote apprenticeships have undermined the quality of training in England and Australia, leading to questions about the sustainability of renewal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is meant by ‘knowledge’ in vocational education qualifications and who decides? These are significant questions in a context where ‘skill’ is the prevailing discourse. This paper reports on a research project, undertaken in 2010–2011, which investigated the role of national stakeholders in defining knowledge in vocational education qualifications at levels 2 and 3 in the English qualifications framework. The paper explores who the key constituencies were at this point in time, and how they conceptualised the purpose and content of vocational education qualifications. The study found a complex mix of stakeholders involved in design and regulation of qualifications, but it was difficult to discern who took responsibility for knowledge beyond qualification awarding bodies. While concern was expressed about the dominant role of employers, other constituencies such as higher education subject specialists and teachers were missing. There was a lack of consensus amongst stakeholders about the purposes of vocational education qualifications, and uncertainty about their role as preparation for both work and further study. The study indicates the complicated and unstable state of knowledge in vocational education qualifications. It is argued that knowledge needs to be considered in greater depth as part of qualification design, so that vocational qualifications genuinely enable progression, whether to employment or to higher levels of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first part of the paper outlines and discusses the nature of work-based learning (WBL) and WBL programmes, and the overall direction of government strategy towards WBL programmes in Higher Education (HE) in England, with particular reference to postgraduate programmes, policy documents, and the WBL literature. Drawing upon case study research, the paper then presents an overview of the postgraduate WBL programmes offered by three English universities. There follows a presentation and analysis of the views of teaching staff and managers with respect to the operation of these programmes. A number of benefits were identified, including flexibility, student career development, and student's enhanced influence over the learning process and content. A number of problems were also identified, including a lack of awareness of, interest in, and resistance to the programmes on the behalf of the wider university academic community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the role of trust and shared goals in relation to participation in inter-organisational and multi-agency partnerships. It draws on a study of partnership working in England and focuses in particular on the perspectives of senior managers of post-16 education and training providers with substantial experience of working in local and regional partnerships. The research explored the concept and practice of partnership through a qualitative case study of a sub-regional partnership and the main methods used for data collection were observations of partnership meetings, documentary evidence of partnership working and semi-structured interviews with members of the partnership. The findings presented in this paper emanate principally from the interview data and reveal the importance and differentiated nature of trust in partnership working and the place of both trust and shared goals in effective and sustained partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 to be a solution to current problems, they often give rise to other issues. The publication of the most recent White Paper 14-19 Education and Skills marks no more than another episode in the development of this crucial phase and the failure to address wholesale reform simply adds to the complexities of the inherent incrementalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The political importance of mathematics in post-16 education is clear. Far less clear is how mathematics does and should relate to vocational education. Successive mathematics curricula (e.g. core skills, key skills) have been developed in England with vocational learners in mind. Meanwhile, general mathematics qualifications remain largely disconnected from vocational learning. Following a brief historical survey of mathematics within vocational education, the paper presents findings from a nested case study of student groups in three large Further Education colleges in England. The primary unit of analysis herein is student groups learning Functional Mathematics in two vocational areas: construction and hairdressing. We show how approaches to organising teaching, developing connected curricula and classroom pedagogy tend toisolateorintegratemathematics from/with the vocational experience.Integratedapproaches are shown to impact positively on student engagement and attitudes to learning mathematics. The paper concludes by discussing the potential impact of academic qualifications displacing vocationally relevant mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines recent development in Apprenticeship training in England. Since the introduction of Modern Apprenticeships in the mid-1990s this form of training has been subject to much analysis and reform. This paper summarises the current situation and highlights some of the challenges and opportunities which face Apprenticeship over the short to medium term as it seeks to establish itself as a main alternative to the academic pathway through further education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a pilot project which provided writing support for registered nurses undertaking Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and for pre-registration nursing students. Both groups of students have English as a second language (ESL). The aims of the project were to extend the scope of the available writing support within the faculty for ESL students through the provision of one-to-one sessions and workshops. In addition, workshops were provided for lecturers to improve their understanding of the barriers faced by ESL students. Literature indicates that communication with tutors and the need for clear feedback are important factors for ESL students. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from questionnaires completed by participants after teaching sessions and were analysed against pre-agreed success criteria. Findings indicate that students were very positive about the effectiveness of the sessions in helping them improve their academic writing. Additionally, three themes emerged from the student data: reasons for using the ELS support service; what they liked most about the ELS service and suggestions for improvements to the service. Data from staff show that the sessions have given staff a greater insight into the problems faced by ESL students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an account of the general political strategy behind the new 14-19 diplomas in England. It considers the rationale and the design process associated with one particular diploma - the Diploma for Humanities and Social Sciences - a qualification that is intended to combine vocational and academic content and purposes. The article reviews the research and consultation activity that supported the design and examines what it contributed and how this bears upon the future success of the diploma. By way of conclusion, it is argued that the increased role for research and consultation in diploma design suggests the way forward for more democratic models of qualification making which, if done well, could lead to more valid qualifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on findings from a three-year longitudinal study in England called the Teacher Study which aimed to provide an analytical description of who Skills for Life (SfL) teachers are and what they do in their working lives. The main focus of the paper is teachers' career pathways and the possibilities of making a career in basic-skills education in the post-16 learning and skills sector between 2004 and 2007, and it highlights the connection between career progression and the lack of availability of full-time posts. The research found that the ability to make a career is contingent on the organisation or sector the teacher works in. Although many teachers enjoy working part-time on shorter term contracts, over a quarter of teachers were dissatisfied with their career prospects, and a sizeable proportion of them, particularly younger teachers, felt constrained in their future career plans by the lack of full-time posts, a scarcity of permanent contracts, low numbers of available teaching hours and a lack of managerial opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitions of young people from school to employment, further education or training have been a focus of government policy in the UK for at least the last three decades. Since the late 1990s, numerous policy initiatives have been introduced by New Labour in an attempt to reduce social exclusion through the increased participation of young people in work-related training. This paper reports on a mixed-methods research project exploring Entry to Employment (E2E) provision in the north of England. It outlines the experiences of Connexions practitioners working with learners and staff at four E2E providers and illustrates the complexities involved with young people's transitions to and from E2E programmes. The paper shows that a marketised system driven by targets and funding constraints can compromise the ability of practitioners to best meet the needs of young people struggling with often difficult circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper arises from my PhD thesis on the learner biographies of retail and motor vehicle maintenance apprentices in Germany and England which explores the interrelationship of social structures and individual agency in identity formation over time and in particular learning environments. The paper reports initial findings, focusing largely on the English case study of motor vehicle apprentices. It challenges common assumptions of young people in vocational education in England as second-chance learners being socialised into pursuing low-status occupations and invites reflection on the particular model of apprenticeship in England and its role in shaping young people's identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the beginnings of courses of teacher training for teachers in technical and further education in England. First the development of the technical education sector and its distinctive part-time nature is traced, alongside the activities of the three associations representing the colleges and their staffs. The views of these on the proposals of the Board of Education to introduce an experiment in technical teacher training in the late 1930s are considered. The wartime planning of technical teacher training as part of the emergency teacher training scheme is discussed, and the setting-up of three centres for teacher training in technical colleges and their work up to 1950 are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the stated aims of government policy in England is to put teaching, training and learning at the heart of the learning and skills system. This paper provides a critical review of policies on teaching, learning and assessment in the learning and skills sector over the past five years. It draws upon data collected and analysed in the early stages of an ESRC-funded Teaching and Learning Research Programme project.1 Using evidence from policy sources, we argue that despite policy rhetoric about devolution of responsibility to the 'front line', the dominant 'images' that government has of putting teaching, learning and assessment at the heart of the learning and skills sector involves a narrow concept of learning and skills; an idealization of learner agency lacking an appreciation of the pivotal role of the learner-tutor relationship and a top-down view of change in which central government agencies are relied on to secure education standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the issue of the under-representation of young people from minority ethnic/migrant backgrounds in apprenticeships in England and Germany. Whilst there are many studies on apprenticeships in England and Germany, few focus on under-representation or discrimination, even fewer on ethnic under-representation, and there are no comparative studies of the topic. We review the existing literature and drawing on Critical Race Theory, we argue that most studies on apprenticeships and ethnicity tend to confirm rather than challenge stereotypes of these minority groups, and to view young people as autonomous agents able to make (relatively) free choices. We argue that connections should be made between ethnic under-representation and studies of the racial segmentation of the labour market. Drawing on these studies of the labour market, we suggest, innovatively but perhaps somewhat controversially, that it is likely that racialised norms shape expectations of the worker and migrant worker, and of who fits where in the labour markets and vocational training systems. Further, we argue that this challenges popular notions of what constitutes career ‘choices’ on the part of young people. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Traditionally, the status of workers in early childhood services in England has been low. Foundation degrees and the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS, from September 2013 Early Years Teacher Status) were established with a view to improving the skills and standing of early years practitioners. There appears however to be an ongoing discrepancy between practitioners’ positive commitment to their professional development and the continued focus on the fact that they are somehow lacking and in need of transformation. This paper explores practical and academic self-concepts of early years practitioners, and its association with academic achievement and wider societal perspectives. Individual interviews (n = 10) and three focus group discussions with early years foundation degree students were analysed using a form of discursive psychology. In their arguing and thinking, the practitioners within their self-conceptualisations showed evidence of a transition between two overall identities, one related to their ‘practical identity’ and one related to their ‘educated early years practitioner identity’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Dearing Report advocated that the traditionally separate post-compulsory education sectors of English higher education (HE) and further education (FE) should bring together the academic and vocational in a working partnership. This has led to significant changes in the working practices of colleges, lecturers and support staff. Drawing on the experiences of a sample of HE lecturers in colleges in south west England and a synthesis of relevant literature, this paper begins to examine the practice styles of HE lecturers working in FE institutions and the opportunities they are presented to engage with scholarship. The research acknowledges the issues involved in positioning HE in FE by considering the traditional roles of FE and HE lecturers, the competing demands of HE and FE and the necessary re-conceptualisation of the HE in FE lecturer as a teacher, a researcher and a scholar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the experiences of teaching assistants studying for a Foundation degree programme and the perceived impacts such a programme has on their job role and self-esteem. A review of the related literature gave rise to three research questions that were addressed via focus groups with teaching assistants employed across four different local authorities in the Midlands. Key findings were that whilst many teaching assistants are given additional responsibilities in their workplace, these are rarely acknowledged through financial recompense or enhanced status. Consequently, teaching assistants feel significantly discouraged about the lack of recognition their Foundation degree study brings them. Further, despite Foundation degrees being promoted as having employer relevance and having been formulated with employer engagement, many teaching assistants felt unsupported by their employer. One implication of the findings is that although some benefits to the individual and their workplace are evident, their experiences of Foundation degrees are contributing towards the creation of divisions within and frustration levels among teaching assistants. To address this, the study recommends that the medium to long term impacts on teaching assistants and the form and function of the Foundation degree provision need to be examined and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses learner progression within further education (FE) colleges in England and the role that both internal college practices and wider system factors play in the transition of 16-19 year olds from school to further study and the workplace. Focusing on a sample of 118 learners from 19 lower level courses in a large general FE college and using a series of interviews with learners and 23 of their tutors, this paper raises issues about how far current policy levers promote the concept of progression and how inclusive practices are in FE colleges. The article concludes by suggesting that changes need to be made at both institutional and national policy levels in order to ensure effective learner progression from school, through further education to employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the features of foundation degrees (FDs) is the incorporation of work-based learning (WBL) into the curriculum. WBL is seen as an important part of vocational programmes and is described by Foundation Degrees Forward (FDF) as a potentially radical approach to connecting work with learning. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), in its benchmark for FDs, stated that WBL is an integral part of FDs that enables learners to take appropriate roles in the workplace in order to learn and apply skills they have learned on the programme. This paper presents findings of a large evaluation study of the development and delivery of FDs at Kingston University in south-west London, UK. As part of this evaluation data were sought from FD course directors and from students about WBL in their particular programmes. Findings from the evaluation showed variation in course directors' and students' understanding of WBL with emphasis on 'work-based' and little emphasis on 'learning'. As a result, a variety of diverse models of WBL are being used. The findings from this evaluative study are compared with the literature on models and definitions of WBL, as well as the literature on how students on vocational programmes learn. Conclusions are drawn about the use of WBL in vocationally-orientated programmes, the consequences of mixed understandings and interpretations of WBL, and a pedagogy of WBL is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws from the Literacies for Learning in Further Education research project, funded through the Teaching and Learning Research Programme. Drawing on the empirical study of literacy practices in eight childcare courses in Scotland and England, we seek to demonstrate that, integral to the learning careers of students are literacy careers through which their learning is mediated. In the process, by drawing upon the lens of literacy, we also challenge some of the common-sense understandings of learning in childcare. In particular, we suggest that the literacy practices of lower level courses can be more diverse than those of higher level courses, producing potentially confusing literacy careers for the students involved. We also highlight the complexity of the range of literacy practices in childcare, which can go unrecognised as requiring explicit tuition, and unacknowledged even when students use them appropriately. Courses in childcare are textually mediated in many different ways, which vary depending on the level of study. A greater acknowledgement of this multiplicity and diversity could lead to more appropriate forms of assessment, and more relevant ways of interpreting the curriculum. We argue that students on vocational courses have more complex literacy careers than is often assumed and that a literacies approach to learning helps to reveal this complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article surveys three strands of development in the further education of young people in England since the Second World War: its institutional evolution, some aspects of the experience of its students and staff, and the political and economic imperatives that have given it shape and direction. The account draws upon a wide range of primary secondary sources, from the literatures of professional and social research, economics, political science and political history. Toward the end of the paper, a broader comparative perspective is adopted in order to pin down the distinctiveness of the English experience, before overall conclusions are drawn. These discuss the extent to which further education in England remains a local enterprise and the areas of continuity that, as whole, account both for its identity and its place in English culture and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on data from secondary sources and in-depth interviews to explore the question: What is the impact of policy on teaching, learning, assessment and inclusion in Adult and Community Learning (ACL) Skills for Life (SfL) provision? In particular, it focuses on the government's use of five policy-steering mechanisms - funding, inspection, planning, targets and policy initiatives (in this case SfL). The design of the study allows us to use evidence from four sets of interviews with teachers, learners and managers of ACL in eight sites of learning (four in London and four in the North East) over a period of 26 months of considerable policy turbulence. We argue, first, that there is a symbiotic relationship between ACL and SfL provision; and second, that while the combined effects of targets and funding have the most powerful effects on tutor and manager actions, inspection, planning and tutors' and managers' own professional values also have an important role in shaping the teaching of literacy and numeracy in ACL sites. We conclude by suggesting that professionals at the local level should be allowed to play a greater role in SfL policy-making to ensure effective policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School- and college-based vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) in England are required to award successful candidates a grade rather than simple pass or fail. Ensuring the reliability and validity of these grades is considered vital, particularly in light of the high-stakes purposes for which school assessment results in England are used. Whilst previous research has shown how mark scheme design can support examiner judgement, school- and college-based VTQs are assessed to a large extent by non-exam assessment, which is marked or graded by an assessor within the candidate's school or college. This article addresses the question of how mark scheme design can most effectively support reliable and valid assessment, by considering the distinctive characteristics of assessors' marking or grading task in this particular context. The article synthesises research on the nature of internal VTQ assessment, empirically validated studies in mark scheme design, and theoretical arguments, to produce a framework for mark scheme review. The framework constitutes a tool for evaluating design decisions, intended to help assessment designers in the process of mark scheme improvement, and hence to support school- and college-based VTQ assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on research into the further education (FE) Area-Based Review (ABR) process in London, England over the period 2016–2018 to suggest that the significance of ABRs can be judged as to the extent they reinforce or challenge the historical marketised model of FE. The implications of ABR are viewed historically through the conceptual lens of two governance continua – market/public (economic) and centralised/devolved (political). The research, involving repeated interviews with a range of FE social partners over a three-year period, developed the concept of two inter-related logics – a dominant 'Logic A' focused on FE college viability and merger and a subordinate 'Logic B' focused on regional skills strategies and greater collaboration between social partners. The significance of ABRs is assessed in relation to the wider English policy contexts that point to a need for greater skills coordination. At the same time, a comparison of ABRs in England with the 'regionalisation' of FE colleges in the other three countries of the UK highlights its relatively unplanned character. The article concludes with a discussion around the evolving relationship between the two Logics and argues that, albeit hesitantly, FE colleges in England may be moving towards a 'Post-Incorporation' phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-Related Learning (WRL) has been enthusiastically embraced by UK governments since the 1990s as a means of reengaging learners in the final years of compulsory schooling. However, recent years have seen a policy shift away from WRL towards a more academic curriculum for all young people. Drawing on a qualitative study commissioned by the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, this article explores good practice in using WRL to motivate 14- to 16-year-old learners. The article aimed to refocus discussion on the beneficial effects of WRL for disengaged young people. It argues that WRL can be a powerful engagement tool as part of a holistic approach to support learners to engage or reengage in learning. It also highlights that any appraisal of the merits of WRL for disaffected learners should also consider the indirect benefits such as increased confidence and motivation to participate, which can potentially lead to hard outcomes of success. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Unacceptable levels of adverse healthcare events, combined with changes to training, have put the spotlight on junior doctor decision-making. This study aimed to describe the decisions made by junior doctors and the contextual factors influencing how decisions were made and justified. Stimulated recall interviews with 20 junior doctors across five hospitals in SW England were undertaken to co-construct accounts of observers (researchers) and performers (junior doctors), enabling deep insights into individual capability and support needs. Decisions identified included prioritisation of patients and of tasks, and whether and when to intervene clinically. There were a surprising number of ‘inherited decisions’, made by somebody else but enacted by the junior doctor. Through their decisions, participants sought various outcomes, including impressing senior staff. Two contrasting theoretical lenses that focused on the individual decision-maker and the healthcare system enabled creative ideas about supporting education and training to emerge as recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The German and Swiss economies value skilled work highly and initial vocational education and training (IVET) has been the predominant traditional pathway into such work. However, concerns about a more ‘knowledge-based society’ and the ‘academic shift in the labour market’ are starting to undermine the status associated with those who complete IVET pathways and these former trainees also face competition from graduates from the relatively new Bachelor programmes in Switzerland and Germany. An international project investigated whether these developments pose a threat to developed IVET systems and whether companies are changing their recruitment strategies and how they rate the status of IVET. The findings from Germany and Switzerland were compared with the situation in England, the home of two-phase HE structures along with a very different tradition of vocational training. The findings from individual case studies in England, Germany and Switzerland are presented here, with the focus on the expectations of companies towards applicants with experience of IVET or Bachelor’s degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Foundation Degree (FD) is a work-related, intermediate-level higher education qualification. Issues around its recognition can affect success in attracting students where the literature suggests that uptake should be adequate. This research represented a case study which explored for the first time, whether the above applied to the FD for pharmacy technicians. One-to-one and group interviews with stakeholders involved with the FD in Medicines Management (University of Portsmouth) were used for this purpose. Key findings were that the qualification was considered fit for purpose, although of limited value due to basic skills being provided by other training courses. This had a negative effect on the recognition of the FD. As a consequence, dissemination of information about the programme was impaired and a lack of awareness about it existed. Further research is needed to fully describe this situation, particularly around the benefits of this form of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on research data from students and tutors associated with the Early Years Sector-Endorsed Foundation Degree at six UK Higher Education Institutions. A main finding is that pedagogical practitioners in early years regard the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for learning and teaching activities with children aged up to 8 years old as a continuing professional development (CPD) priority. Although this suggests that this is a key area of professional work, the research participants in this study seem to associate ICTs with computers and software as opposed to focusing on the wider pedagogical learning associated with technology. This reveals that there is a need for CPD training to consider the rationale behind using ICTs for pedagogy with young children aged up to 8 years old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policymakers in England have recently, in common with other Anglophone countries, encouraged the provision of higher education within vocational Further Education Colleges. Policy documents have emphasised the potential contribution of college-based students to widening participation: yet the same students contribute in turn to the difficulties of this provision. This article draws on a study of part-time higher education students in a college, a group whose perspectives, identities and voices have been particularly neglected by educational research. Respondents’ narratives of non-participation at 18 indicated the range of social and geographical constraints shaping their decisions and their aspirations beyond higher education; whilst they drew on vocational and adult traditions to legitimate college participation, their construction of identity was also shaped by the boundaries between further education and the university. These distinctive processes illustrate both possibilities and constraints for future higher education provision within colleges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares and contrasts the policy context of Vocational Education Teacher Training (VETT) in Scotland and England by setting this within its wider socio-economic context, one emphasising lifelong learning and competitiveness. This facilitates a comparison of the two nations and enables an analysis of VETT responses to globalisation and lifelong learning. It allows an exploration of policy continuities and breaks across Scotland and England, leading to a consideration of the limits and possibilities of the different 'solutions' adopted. In these nations VETT is somewhat marginal having only recently become mandatory, unlike many other European responses. The article's policy analysis is complemented by a small scale illuminative case study of VETT educators in Scotland and England, which explores the way policy is lived and mediated at the site of practice. The research suggests that whilst both systems are compromised, VETT educators seek to work on the 'good' side of the system in which they are placed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the development of teacher training for teachers in technical and further education in England through the memories of the staff of Bolton Technical Teachers College, one of the first national centres set up for this purpose. After a brief account of the origins and the development of the college up to its merger with the Bolton Institute in 1982, the article summarises data obtained through interviews with former staff. These sections consider the staff's perceptions of their work; the organisation and content of teacher training; and the culture of the institution. The article then considers these data in the light of the changing context of teacher training and of the work of further education colleges in England during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the growth of practitioner research in England through the creation of the Learning and Skills Research Network (LSRN) and identifies its effect on subsequent developments in what is generally known as the Lifelong Learning Sector (LLS). It offers an analysis of this development as a case study in developing practitioner research. Staff in further education (FE) and adult and community learning (ACL) are normally expected to focus on teaching and training rather than undertake research, in contrast with their counterparts in higher education (HE) where, particularly in the more traditional universities, staff are expected to undertake research as primary focus. The increasing focus on evidence-based policy making by government provides a growing impetus to foster research capability within the LLS. The large organisational structures that comprise the LLS today demand strong management of resources, human, capital and financial. For any government targets to be met, the sector needs to be galvanised into appropriate and effective action. To best achieve this requires research and development and the practitioners could benefit from this need to develop their own research skills in the creation of, and use of, research findings. The author argues that research in the LLS needs to be designed appropriately but also needs to be undertaken where the intervention and origination of targets and goals is not a political but a sector-led endeavour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article originates from the collaborative efforts of a group of teachers working in a range of PCE establishments across the West Midlands and Black Country, and in the 'field' of Literacy education. Drawing on the reflective journals kept by in-service students as part of an Integrated Certificate in Education course, the project sought to provide an overview of the Literacy provision they were involved in. The aim was to identify whether distinctions exist between the Literacy education offered by different providers (in this case FE colleges as opposed to training providers) and if so to begin to account for these. A key finding was that there are important factors that impact on the quality of the provision offered by some training providers. Following this analysis, participants aimed to produce a set of questions that practitioners can ask of the provision they are involved in order to identify whether it facilitates effective Literacy education to best address students' interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research on post-compulsory teacher educators in England suggests that there is a high degree of feminisation of this workforce, particularly where further and higher education partnerships are concerned. This process of feminisation has taken place against a background in which English post-compulsory education has increasingly been brought under state control and direction, with profound consequences for those engaged in the professional development of teachers in the sector. Although teacher education is also highly feminised in other sectors and in many countries, the recent history of post-compulsory education in England has a number of characteristics that have strongly influenced the gender distribution of its teacher educators. This article examines the locus of power driving the gendered division of labour in post-compulsory teacher education and attempts to account for it by means of the intersection of structuralist and poststructuralist perspectives. It is argued that the trends taking place in the teacher educator workforce can only be understood through situating the subjective identities of teacher educators within the discourse of government policies on further education from the 1980s onwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering theory assumes that companies gravitate towards each other on the basis of locally and regionally specific resources and supply chain characteristics, which lead in turn to innovation and high-value economic development. In line with such thinking, UK government policy has devolved certain functions to regional development agencies such as the encouragement of linkages and systems to facilitate knowledge transfer and address skills needs within regional clusters. Within this broad context, the research reported here focused on the analysis and development of an action plan for the development of marine and maritime sector skills within the South West region, which led to the establishment of a new institutional framework of three sub-regional centres of excellence based on industry and training collaboration to provide demand-led vocational training. The overall issue here is how sector skills shortages can be tackled by strategic intervention at a regional level and collaboration between stakeholders at a sub-regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article questions the concept of ‘education for employment’, which constructs a discourse of individual and societal benefit in a knowledge‐driven economy. Recent policy emphasis in the European Union promotes the expansion of higher education and short‐cycle vocational awards such as the intermediate two‐year Foundation Degree recently introduced into England and Wales. Studies of vocational education and training (VET) and the knowledge economy have focused largely on the governance of education and on the development and drift of policy. Many VET programmes have also been considered for their classed, raced and gendered take‐up and subsequent effect on employment. This article builds on both fields of study to engage with the finer cross‐analyses of gender, social class, poverty, race and citizenship. In its analysis of policy texts the article argues that in spite of a discourse of inclusivity, an expanded higher education system has generated new inequalities, deepening social stratification. Drawing on early analyses of national quantitative data sets, it identifies emerging gendered, classed and raced patterns and considers these in relation to occupationally and hierarchically stratified labour markets, both within and without the knowledge economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant policy change in the field of teacher training and development in England has affected teachers in all phases of education over the last decade. Increased government requirements for accountability and scrutiny have resulted in, for example, the introduction of professional standards for teachers in schools, colleges and universities. However, the content of these changes has varied and there are clear differences in their impact on each group of teachers. This article critically reviews the main changes affecting the teaching profession in each sector and clarifies the agencies involved, their roles and origins. The authors conclude that the government's piecemeal approach to teacher training and development has created some serious anomalies. These are illustrated by the current position of the further education teacher, in particular, whose work may overlap with the work of teachers in both of the other sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]