Weekly Customer Insight Update June 17, 2011
Posted by bean1 in : Market Research, Marketing, Thinking ahead, Update , add a commentThis weeks updates include….
Smith, J. & Longlands, s. (2011) Exploring the opportunities and challenges of an ageing population, in CLES Rapid Research, No 20 2011, pp1-12
Looks at the issue of the ageing population, and examines how practitioners are responding at the local level, particularly to the opportunities. Outlines current population trends, highlighting the increase in the number of people aged over 65. Discusses the impact of ageing on the labour market, and skills levels of older workers. Describes health issues associated with older workers and the impact of public sector cuts on vulnerable workers.
Aldridge, F. & Tuckett, A. (2011) Tough Times for adult learners: the NIACE survey on adult participation in learning 2011, National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE)
Presents the findings of the annual NIACE survey of adult participation in learning in the UK. Analyses the survey data on: participation in learning in relation to gender, socio-economic class, employment status, age, terminal age of education, ethnicity and internet access; participation in learning and future intentions to learn broken down by nation and English region; future intentions to learn in relation to learning status, gender, socio-economic class, employment status, age ethnicity and internet access; motivation for learning and the benefits of taking part; and location of, and sources of information about, learning in relation to age and gender respectively.
CBI (2011) Building for growth: business priorities for education and skills – education and skills survey 2011
Presents the results of the Education and Skill Survey 2011, which surveyed 566 businesses of a range of sizes and sectors across the UK. Provides an overview of results relating to: employers’ investment in skills, including apprenticeships; the development of employability skills in young people; employees’ core skills, such as literacy and numeracy; current and future skill levels; employers’ support for education; the demand and supply of science, technology and engineering (STEM) skills; partnership working with universities; support for the development of business-relevant skills; and language skills.
CBI (2011) Working towards your future: making the most of your time in higher education
Advises higher education students on how to develop their employability skills, so they are more attractive to prospective employers. Explains why employability skills are important to graduates. Sets out the generic skills that employers would like every graduate to possess. Provides advice on how students can develop these skills both through their course and through extra-curricular activities, such as involvement in a students’ union. Suggests that students record and reflect on their skills development.
Universities Scotland (2011) Scotland’s creative economy: the role of universities
Draws on findings, recommendations and research from ‘Creating prosperity: the role of higher education in driving the UK’s creative economy’ to focus on the part that universities play in Scotland’s creative economy. Provides background information on the creative industries in Scotland and discusses Scottish policy in this area. Examines skills, entrepreneurship and continuing professional development (CPD), suggesting that: universities are the main source of talent for the creative economy; employability and entrepreneurship are expanding areas for higher education; and universities can be a significant provider of CPD for the creative industries.
And some interesting online articles:
Freaking out the neighbours: How universities pull strings online
Back in the old days, a name would do. ‘Harvard’, ‘Oxford’ and ‘La Sorbonne’ would attract thousands of bright – and rich – students, with just academic reputations. But as the higher education sector grew more competitive over the last three decades, world university rankings made their appearance in order to help students make up their mind when choosing an academic institution. It seems, however, that a new beast has entered the game, and it is literally uncontrollable.
http://www.obhe.ac.uk/newsletters/he_and_online_marketing
Student mobility unlocked: What makes some countries more attractive places to study
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently unveiled their new Better Life Index, which attempts to rate its 34 member countries based on key indicators that are linked with overall life satisfaction. In addition to shedding light on which countries contain the perfect cocktail of circumstances conducive to a high quality of life, the index gives an interesting look into some of the factors that may drive student mobility.
http://www.obhe.ac.uk/newsletters/unlocking_student_mobility
Full copies of each of the articles may be obtained from Helenor.Fisher@gcu.ac.uk
Weekly Customer Insight Library Update June 17, 2011
Posted by bean1 in : Uncategorized , 2 commentsThis weeks articles include:
New guide for universities to manage intellectual property (press release)
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=419572&SubjectId=2
Jenkins, S. et al. (2011) What do employers want from an aligned employment and skills system? (Research report no 743)
Investigates what employers want from a joined up employment and skills system, and how seamless employers and other stakeholders perceive the current system to be. Draws on a review of existing literature on employer perceptions and 41 interviews with stakeholders in government, public sector agencies, employer representative bodies and employers of varying sizes and sectors across England.
Gee, J. et al (2011) The road to work and opportunity in the 21st century: empowered, employed, enriched – opening doors to work and benefitting the nation
Makes recommendations for tackling unemployment through the coalition government’s Work Programme. Outlines the recent development of welfare to work provision, from the New Deal’s introduction in 1997, to the Freud report in 2007, the introduction of the Flexible New Deal in 2009 and the Work Programme in 2010. Discusses the nature and impact of unemployment and the relevance of assistance to change employment. Looks at the effectiveness of social networks and outplacement arrangements (alongside welfare to work provision) in mitigating the impact of unemployment.
CBI (2011) Building for growth: business priorities for education and skills – education and skills survey 2011
Presents the results of the Education and Skill Survey 2011, which surveyed 566 businesses of a range of sizes and sectors across the UK. Provides an overview of results relating to: employers investment in skills, including apprenticeships; the development of employability skills in young people; employees’ core skills, such as literacy and numeracy; current and future skill levels; employers’ support for education; the demand and supply of science, technology and engineering (STEM) skills; partnership working with universities; support for the development of business-relevant skills; and language skills. Highlights the concerns of employers in relation to the low level of literacy, numeracy and employability skills of many school and college leavers.
Davis, C. & Corfe, S. (2011) Degrees of doubt: is university worth the investment? Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
Examines recent trends in the graduate labour market, assessing changes in the employment destination of recent university leavers. Looks at graduate underemployment and graduate unemployment, and compares the destinations of university leavers with those who choose vocational qualifications rather than higher education. Concludes that university education is presently failing many graduates and that a renewed focus on high-quality vocational qualifications may be a more desirable form of education for many. Makes recommendations for policy makers.
Copies of any of the featured articles may be accessed from Helenor.Fisher@gcu.ac.uk
