Informed Scotland Learning & Skills Hottest Topics 2015
Image is © Andrew Mackie
Here’s our annual list of Learning & Skills ‘Hot Topics’ that made it onto the cover of Informed Scotland over the past year:
1. Developing the Young Workforce (a related topic was 5 in 2014, see below)
2. Digital skills (3)
2. Enterprise & entrepreneurship (-)
4. Partnerships & agreements (2)
4. Raising attainment (6)
4. Science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) (10)
4. Skills shortages & gaps (4)
8. Widening access (6)
9. Apprenticeships (1)
9. Construction sector skills (-)
9. Gender balance, bias & gaps (7)
9. Knowledge exchange (8)
9. Leadership (-)
9. National Qualifications (-)
The list was produced by fairly unscientific methodology – the position of some items will no doubt prompt debate – but we think it captures most of the main issues last year.
It’s no real surprise to see the Scottish Government’s Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) strategy at the top, featuring on seven of the ten covers in 2015. Although DYW wasn’t on the list in 2014, ‘Work experience, internships & work-related learning’ was 5th and ‘Youth employment & employability’ was 5th in 2013.
‘Digital skills’ has appeared at or near the top for the third year running and we expect it to remain one of the hottest issues in 2016. ‘Leadership’ sneaked onto the list, as predicted. Probably the biggest surprise is that this is the first year ‘Enterprise & entrepreneurship’ has made the list.
Missing from this year’s list is ‘Innovation’ (9th last year), however we have a feeling it will be back next time as 2016 is the Scottish Government’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design. Expected to climb up the list are ‘Widening access’, with the Commission due to publish its final report this year, and ‘Raising attainment’ as the Scottish Attainment Challenge is embedded and debate continues on the newly published National Improvement Framework.
What are your predictions for 2016? Let us know what you think – tweet us @InformedScot or comment on the Informed Scotland page on LinkedIn.
Make it your New Year’s resolution to be better informed about what’s happening across learning & skills in business, schools, further & higher education, community & adult learning, and government & wider society. Contact [email protected] to receive a recent sample copy and find out how to subscribe here.