Training And Enterprise Council Research Articles

Being a Learning Organisation: Humberside Training and Enteerprise Council, UK

This article is not written from a scientific or academic perspective, but as more of a story — of how we developed Humberside Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) into a learning organisation using the concepts of complex adaptive systems. A word of caution: no matter how many times I tell this story and no matter how many caveats I put on it, it always sounds as though we knew where we were going and that we had some grand plan for becoming a learning organisation. But we didn't, and for those of you who have experienced complexity you will know that we couldn't have, because complexity just doesn't work that way. So please read this as a journey with success and failures, great surges ahead, blind alleys and steps back, and no clear idea of where we were going.

“Ethnic matching” in enterprise support: the process in action

Should enterprise support for ethnic minority firms be configured along ethnic lines? This question has confronted many officers engaged in the “enterprise industry”, as they grapple with the task of supporting the increasingly significant phenomenon of ethnic minority entrepreneurship. The situation is complicated by the markedly different experiences of ethnic minority groups in business; the apparently low take‐up of existing services; and wider debates in the policy world encouraging the “integration” of business support activities. Policy initiatives to support ethnic minority businesses have had to engage with such issues; but rarely have they been documented. This paper assesses the experience in a Midlands city of AsCo, a Pakistani‐dominated business group that is attempting to “bridge the gap” between South Asians in the retail sector and the providers of business services. The paper is distinctive in a number of respects: The issue of practical enterprise support provision for South Asian firms has rarely been subject to academic scrutiny. Hence, the paper provides a rare case study of this process in action; The design of the initiative was a genuinely collaborative endeavour involving the researchers, policy makers (the local Training and Enterprise Council) and small businesses in AsCo. Indeed, the research was commissioned by the local Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) and AsCo; A methodologically heterogeneous approach is adopted. This involved in‐depth qualitative interviews with 25 member businesses of AsCo (out of a total membership of 80); ten interviews with non‐members; observations of a number of AsCo executive committee meetings; interviews with key TEC officers; and an insider’s view (the second author) of how the research has actually informed TEC policy.

Health authorities, GDPs and TECs: a partnership for general dental practice development.

Major changes will occur in primary dental care over the next 5 to 10 years. These changes present a series of possible opportunities and threats to dental practices. This paper reports on how the health authority, the local training and enterprise council (TEC) and five general dental practices in North Cheshire worked collaboratively to support the development of the practices. Health authorities and dentists should be aware of the possibility of working with TECs to support general dental practice development.

Unequal Provision? Ethnic minorities and employment training policy

This article addresses the impact for ethnic minorities of the employment training policy for long‐term unemployed adults in England and Wales. Drawing on evidence from detailed research in one Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) area, it reveals that although ethnic minorities join training schemes in representative proportions, they are less successful than their white counterparts in achieving positive outcomes (qualifications and jobs). Central to this underachievement are the training providers who are failing to recognise and respond to the disadvantage experienced by ethnic minorities, and whose contractual arrangements with the TEC inhibit positive action. Recent structural changes to government vocational training policy might worsen outcomes for ethnic minorities as output‐related funding introduces ‘market forces’ which may extend their disadvantage.

The effectiveness of personal development planning

ABSTRACTOver recent years, the development of strategies in schools and colleges to support individual student needs and encourage autonomous learning has influenced the work of most teachers and tutors. Personal Development Plans (PDPs) draw on good practice in careers guidance and on many of the educational initiatives introduced over the past decade, particularly, Records of Achievement (RoAs) and the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI). The focus of PDPs is a dialogue between student and tutor which clarifies choices, identifies goals and plans appropriate actions. This process aims to raise personal understanding and motivation and, ultimately, school effectiveness. This article arises from an evaluation of the Personal Development Plans (PDP) project in Wiltshire.The Wiltshire project was initiated in January 1992, and was a joint venture by the Careers Guidance Service, the local authority advisory service, TVEI and Wiltshire Training and Enterprise Council (TEC). These agencies perceived PDPs as a co‐operative project which, first, could make a highly positive contribution to the TEC's aim of promoting and sustaining a lifelong learning culture in the county; second, could provide the impetus to attain the National Targets for Education and Training (NTETs) which have been articulated for the year 2000 (DES, 1991) and hence, increase school effectiveness; and third, would ease the introduction of youth credits in the county by enabling 16‐year‐olds to make well‐informed decisions (Ruthven and Pike, 1993). Findings from the evaluation of Wiltshire PDPs are discussed. Positive strategies for supporting PDPs are suggested, the nature of the one‐to‐one dialogue is probed, and a hierarchy of concerns for practitioners is suggested.

TECS: AN APPROPRIATE MODEL FOR SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL BUSINESSES?

The emergence of the global economy between the late 1970s and the late 1980s, with its concomitant intensification of competitive pressures, has been accompanied by a search for appropriate objectives, policies and mechanisms for developing private enterprise in the UK. The current UK Government has attempted to accommodate the varied local needs of the private business sector, and the need for support by public authority, by creating the Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) network. This offers a devolved management structure for the delivery of enterprise support and training services and a means of creating public‐private partnerships in the stimulation of local economic growth. An overall view is given of this initiative, based on an appreciation of the critical interactions between central government, the TECs, private sector organizations and representative forums for local business. Drawing on current theories of governance to suit the new conditions of the 1990s, a contribution is made to discussions of the evolution of public policy and its effect on the development of a healthy and vigorous private enterprise sector.

Avon Training and Enterprise Council’s total quality journey

Explains the aims of Avon Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) in terms both of partnerships with those who employ skills and of training those who provide skills. Outlines how these aims are achieved, starting with an overview of the TEC’s TQM journey. Moves on to customer issues and strategy development. Compares the experiences of service customer in the public and private sectors.

Quality within the community

Explains how the Avon Training and Enterprise Council (TEC), based in Bristol, has established several successful multi‐organisational quality improvement teams and is currently piloting broader improvement ideas. Discusses the roots of total quality philosophy and programmes in industry, in government, and the role of total quality partnerships, as demonstrated by the TEC′s community basedyouth training, special needs and enterprise processes.

The Organization′s Role in Employment Training

The UK Government started Employment Training (ET), a programme for unemployed people, in September 1988. It quickly became established as a major programme; in February 1992 there were 146,000 ET trainees in Britain. Thousands of employers are involved in ET by offering placement opportunities to trainees. Looks at the way British employers participate in ET and considers some ideas for improving the effectiveness of and pay‐off for carrying out training under the programme. Refers to a special survey of 301 London employers in the spring of 1992. This was carried out for the Central London Training and Enterprise Council (CENTEC). Provides evidence that employers participate in ET because of the possibility of recruiting ET trainees to the permanent workforce.

How is the Sheffield TEC Setting about its Task?

The philosophy of the Sheffield Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) development group is that it is being created by the people of Sheffield for the people of Sheffield. The Sheffield TEC was amongst the first to be awarded development funding by the Secretary of State for Employment. The task currently facing the Sheffield TEC development group is to draw up a three‐year Corporate Strategy and a one‐year business plan which, if approved, will then become a fully contracted TEC with an annual budget of £20‐25 million. The introduction of TECs offers the city of Sheffield the opportunity to shape its own future.