Post‐Experience Business Education

Abstract

Since 1974, the Business Education Council has concentrated its efforts on planning and devising a unified national system of awards intended primarily for students seeking an initial qualification. In theory, the BEC General, National and Higher National awards enable a student to come under the BEC umbrella at sixteen with minimal qualifications and emerge into the elements five years later with a BEC Higher National Certificate or Diploma. In practice, each level of award appeals to different groups of people who enter the courses by a diversity of routes. Only a handful of students on most BEC National courses will have come through from the BEC General; most BEC National students will be qualified by GCE O-levels. Most students on BEC Higher National courses are qualified to be on the course by holding GCE A-levels or an equivalent qualification; a minority will have entered by the BEC National route. This is particularly true of full-time students. Therefore, the BEC courses provide initial business qualifications mainly for the 16 to 21 age group. The BEC Higher National awards in their old form (HNC/HND Business Studies) have always provided an opportunity for the mature student in his or her twenties, thirties or forties to come back into education and obtain a worthwhile qualification. However, in its consultative document, Post-Experience Business Education, BEC suggests that: ' . . . the structure, duration and orientation of instruction associated with courses for young people is not, in many cases, appropriate for older people who already possess practical experience and, perhaps, have accepted responsibility in a business activity' (BEC, 1978). BEC is considering ways in which it may help to meet the needs of these older students. BEC points out (1978, paragraphs 7-9) that there are changes in practice and procedures with an increasing reliance on technological aids in the processing and transmission of information. People need to up-date their knowledge and skills. There are many people who were trained and employed using technical knowledge and skills and who assume responsibility for the management of resources and need appropriate post-experience education and training. In many countries in Europe, adult employees are provided with paid educational leave by their firms, and in some countries this is backed by legislation to give them a right to it. This is a trend that is likely to come