Posted by admin on June 11, 2018 ·
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Once again May has been a hotbed of must-read reports on a range of learning & skills topics.
The most significant item was the final report of the Scottish Government’s 15–24 Learner Journey Review. It is aiming to achieve a more balanced, coherent approach to education and learning that offers better advice and guidance, more work-based learning, and shorter post-15 learner journeys. We’ve included details of all 17 recommendations in an Annex for ease of reference.
A cluster of reports highlight current and expected skills shortages in a range of sectors, with some similar approaches suggested for filling the gaps – including raising their profile with young people. There’s a new Skills Investment Plan for Scotland’s Life and Chemical Sciences from Skills Development Scotland; an OPITO and Robert Gordon University report on the skills of tomorrow in the oil & gas industry; A Future Strategy for Agriculture from the Scottish Government; a Skills Review for the Aquaculture Sector from Highlands & Islands Enterprise; and a National Centre for Universities & Business report calling for a national campaign on digital health & care skills.
There are thought-provoking reports on future skills needs: Skills 4.0: A skills model to drive Scotland’s future by SDS and the Centre for Work-based Learning considers the implications of the fourth industrial revolution. Two papers on Future Teaching trends by researchers at Moray House School of Education look at the likely impact of automation and global societal shifts on education and teaching. And PASCAL International Observatory makes the case for Building entrepreneurship in sustainable learning cities.
Equality, diversity and inclusivity was another hot topic. In particular the second annual Report on Widening Access by the Scottish Funding Council, the first Equality Challenge Unit report on staff equality in Scotland’s colleges, and Glasgow City Council’s research into Ethnic Diversity in the Teaching Profession shared by Tes Scotland. They all indicate that progress towards equality is slow…
It’s six years since the first edition of Informed Scotland was published in May 2012! We’re celebrating with the first of a few new covers – many thanks to Janey Boyd at Mamook Graphics for continuing her great design work for us.
This is the tip of the information iceberg: become an Informed Scotland subscriber so you can keep on top of all the developments. Email [email protected] to request a sample copy.
You can also keep up to date via Twitter @InformedScot and Instagram informedscot
Posted by admin on May 8, 2018 ·
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The Easter holidays contributed to a slightly calmer learning & skills landscape in April, although there was no shortage of important developments to share.
Interesting items to look out for include Education Scotland’s How Good is OUR School? to support pupils’ involvement in self-evaluation and improvement; analysis of responses to the Scottish Government’s consultation on its Education (Scotland) Bill proposals; and an STUC/Scottish Government report on the positive and negative potential of Technological Change and the Scottish Labour Market.
April saw the launch of the Fair Start Scotland devolved employment service, the newly merged UK Research & Innovation and Tech Nation bodies, and the Workforce Development Trust‘s rescue of People 1st sector skills body from administration.
There were new qualifications from the SQA in childminding, developed with the Scottish Childminding Association, and in boat building & repair, developed with British Marine Scotland, plus new Awards in British Sign Language (BSL) are on the way for learners in schools and colleges.
Numerous agreements were made with organisations and institutions in China, following a ministerial delegation with a focus on education & skills. Collaboration agreements included with Edinburgh Centre for Robotics at Heriot-Watt University, on healthcare with University of Edinburgh and on video gaming with Abertay University. And University of the West of Scotland was accredited as an Overseas Training & Collaborative Organisation.
Events-wise, we took copies of Informed Scotland for delegates at Newbattle Abbey College’s national adult learning conference, where the focus was on guidance for adult learners. And keep an eye on our Calendar for a learning-packed week coming up this month:
With so many themes competing for the spotlight, whether by design or coincidence, it’s to be hoped they can all achieve their desired goals… However, the winner is certain to be learning for all!
Welcome to our new subscribers from further & higher education and local authorities! Why not join them and keep yourself or your organisation better informed about what’s happening in learning & skills in Scotland? Find out how to subscribe here or contact [email protected] to receive a recent copy of the digest.
Posted by admin on April 9, 2018 ·
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The main item that cut right across the landscape in March was the Scottish Government’s new Learning and Skills Action Plan for Cyber Resilience 2018–20 – a roasting hot topic in anyone’s book. With actions for almost everyone – from early years to community learning & development, business to parents, for schools, colleges and universities, from volunteers to specialists – we’ve included all 37 in an Annex for ease of reference.
It’s not surprising that apprenticeships made the cover, due to the flurry of activity for the annual Scottish Apprenticeship Week. Highlights included Skills Development Scotland’s first report on progress in the Foundation Apprenticeship programme, and a paper from FSB Scotland challenging government to see apprenticeships from a small business perspective.
Other interesting reports to delve into this month include:
Plus there’s the usual round up of statistics, including on higher education students & qualifiers and college staffing from the Scottish Funding Council, and drop-out rates from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
There are numerous consultations seeking your views – including on early learning & childcare, on women in STEM, on the new enterprise agency for the South of Scotland, and to find out what 15–24 year-olds think of the support they receive. And of course there are plenty of new partnerships, organisations, resources, courses, appointments and funds, as well as a few departures.
We’d like to take this opportunity to wish the very best to Gillian Hamilton and #TeamSCEL as they take their collaborative Scottish College for Educational Leadership programmes to join Education Scotland. Regularly described as a breath of fresh air in Scottish education, SCEL has achieved so much in a short four years. It was a pleasure to work with them on the Informed Scotland Leadership Special and play a small part in their journey!
Welcome to our new subscribers from further & higher education and local authorities! Why not join them and keep yourself or your organisation better informed about what’s happening in learning & skills in Scotland? Find out how to subscribe here or contact [email protected] to receive a recent copy of the digest.
Posted by admin on March 9, 2018 ·
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February was a quieter month for learning & skills – in case you’re wondering, we haven’t said that since April 2017!
A couple of topics in particular seemed to permeate the landscape.
The Year of Young People
As expected, YOYP2018 is having an impact on activities, and not just at the level of ‘badging’ existing initiatives – for example:
Creativity & Creative Industries
While support for creativity has been hitting the headlines in recent weeks, there’s been plenty of new learning & skills activities focused on promoting creative industries and creativity. There are new Creative Traineeships from Creative Scotland, a new Creative Skillset trainee programme for accounting in film production, support for a Gaelic media training centre, plus a Nesta report demonstrating the importance of creative industries for local economies. Then there’s a new book showcasing creative writing by SQA candidates, a new expressive arts resource for early years from the Care Inspectorate, and makerspaces being created in Stirling Council schools.
As usual there are numerous other interesting reports to highlight. A Kineo review describes current trends in learning & development, a Sutton Trust study examines ‘inequalities in student mobility’, SCDI makes recommendations for education on ‘harness[ing] the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution’, and a Eurydice review compares teaching careers across Europe.
And that was a quieter month…!
This is the tip of the information iceberg: become an Informed Scotland subscriber so you can keep on top of all the developments. Email [email protected] to request a sample copy.
You can also keep up to date via Twitter @InformedScot and Instagram informedscot
Posted by admin on February 13, 2018 ·
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There used to be a festive-season ‘lull’ in Scottish learning & skills activity. Not any more! As a result, we’ve just published another bumper edition, packed with must-read items.
The words collaborate, collaboration and collaborative(s) crop up over 20 times in the latest issue of Informed Scotland. Organisations are working together for improvement, innovation, learning and leadership; to transform skills and productivity; and across sectors and borders. Music to our ears!
Plans were announced for a new National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland, and a new Northern Innovation Hub is to be led by Highlands & Islands Enterprise, including a focus on technology and young people.
The Economic & Social Research Council set up a new Productivity Insights Network involving Strathclyde, Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian Universities among others. And a new Teaching Innovation & Learning Enhancement (TILE) network was created at the University of Dundee, with interesting events already planned.
As well as the annual raft of school, college and university statistics, there are numerous key reports to highlight. These include Skills Development Scotland’s first Skills Investment Plan for the Early Learning & Childcare sector; Gathering views on probationer teachers’ readiness to teach from the Scottish Government; and the first progress reports from the Commissioner for Fair Access, the Making Maths Count Group, and on the Scottish Funding Council’s Gender Action Plan.
Thanks to Scotland’s Learning Partnership for drawing our attention to What Works Scotland’s thought-provoking ‘Hard to reach’ or ‘easy to ignore’? review of equality in community engagement. @SLPLearn tweeted: ‘We had to stop using the term hard to reach learners as our adult learners’ forum members told us, “we’re not hard to reach – it’s the services we need that are hard to reach”‘.
The fifth annual Informed Scotland Learning & Skills Hottest Topics list, plus a round-up of last year’s activity, are included in an Annex to the digest. You can also listen to an interview on Radio EDUtalk, when Angela and David Noble explored the stories behind the list, and looked at what’s on the horizon for 2018.
What are you waiting for? Become an Informed Scotland subscriber and keep on top of all the developments. Email [email protected] to request a sample copy.
Posted by admin on January 25, 2018 ·
by Geoff Leask, Chief Executive, Young Enterprise Scotland. Continuing our guest blog series featuring Informed Scotland subscribers writing on the theme Making connections across the learning & skills landscape.
During a rather routine business meeting, as we headed towards the Christmas break, someone asked me, “What is Young Enterprise Scotland doing for Scotland’s Year of Young People in 2018?”
Quickly I replied, “The same as we did this year, last year and previous years, in the knowledge that Scotland’s Year of Young People gives us a great opportunity to shine a light on the enterprising talent that exists within our greatest resource (young people) and to make a case for greater participation in programmes like those offered by Young Enterprise Scotland and others”.
Year of Young People 2018 (#YOYP2018) is a wonderful occasion for all organisations to celebrate the amazing young personalities, talents and achievers that make up Scotland. It’s all about inspiring our nation through its young people’s ideas, attitudes and ambitions. We do not necessarily need to be an organisation whose area of work is with young people to get involved and help celebrate young people. This very special year is one for all organisations to get involved.
The year-long programme of events, activities and ideas will give young people in Scotland the opportunity to show the world what they’re made of. #YOYP2018 is something everyone can support (young or young-at-heart) and be immensely proud of.
At Young Enterprise Scotland, we have taken the opportunity to amplify our work by holding a ‘flagship’ event at Hampden Park on 5 and 6 June – a Festival of Youth Enterprise 2018. Over the course of the two days, 1,000 young people from primary and secondary schools and colleges, along with the business community, will engage in a series of activities designed and developed to help inspire the next generation to be aware of enterprise and the skills benefits gained from engaging in practical learning by doing activity. This year we will also hold some ‘Fringe’ events in the build up to the Festival, in several locations including Stirling and Dundee and more to be announced in coming weeks.
These events will be far stronger by the inclusion of partner organisations with a similar outlook and recognition of the value that young people bring to society in Scotland. One of the strengths of Scotland is the strong network of organisations that have the skills development of young people as an underpinning principle – and with us working collectively we can make this year very special.
If you would like to join us in celebrating young people’s role in innovation, entrepreneurship and the Scottish economy as well as making Scotland a greener and more pleasant place to live please reach out and let us see what we can do in collaboration!
To find out more or enquire about working in partnership, contact Geoff at [email protected]
Website: www.yes.org.uk
Twitter: @YE_Scotland Facebook: @YoungEnterpriseScotland
Read previous guest blogs in the series, including those from Children’s University Scotland, GTC Scotland, Be Personnel, SCEL, Clyde Gateway, EDT Scotland and SCQF Partnership.
Posted by admin on January 19, 2018 ·
In an interview for Radio EDUtalk, Angela took David Noble’s listeners on a now annual whistle-stop tour of some of the items that will be shaping Scotland’s learning & skills landscape this year.
You can listen to a podcast of the show, which also reviewed the Hottest Topics in 2017. Below are links to some of the programmes, projects and events mentioned for 2018:
National programmes, reviews, strategies & funding
Current open consultations
Resources, opportunities & courses
Themed weeks & major conferences: full list on the Events Calendar
Keep yourself or your organisation better informed about what’s happening in learning & skills in Scotland. Find out how to subscribe here or contact [email protected] to receive a recent copy of the digest.
Posted by admin on January 8, 2018 ·
We’re delighted to present the fifth annual list of Learning & Skills ‘Hot Topics’ that made it onto the cover of Informed Scotland over the past year:
1. Digital skills & inclusion (1 in 2016)
=2. Teacher education, development, shortages & recruitment (=3)
=2. Widening access (=3)
4. Future skills, learning & work (-)
=5. Apprenticeships (=3)
=5. Developing the Young Workforce (-)
=5. Gender balance & equity (=3)
=5. International collaboration & comparisons (-)
=5. Leadership (-)
=5. Science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) (2)
=5. Skills shortages & gaps (=9)
=5. Students, leavers & graduates – statistics (-)
‘Digital skills & inclusion’ was the hottest topic for the second year running. It has been in the top three every year since the list was first compiled in 2013, and this is the third time it’s occupied the number one spot.
No one will be surprised to see ‘Teacher education, development, shortages & recruitment’ so high on the list, after making mainstream news headlines in 2017. It made its first appearance on the list just last year, but we expect it to be a recurring theme in 2018. By contrast, ‘Widening access’ has been on the list every year, although this year’s joint second place is its highest position.
Five topics have made every annual list. As well as ‘Digital skills’ and ‘Widening access’, the others are ‘Apprenticeships’, ‘STEM’ and ‘Skills gaps & shortages’ – and they’re all likely to remain hot issues in 2018.
There are two first-timers on the list this year – ‘Future skills, learning & work’, the highest new entry, and ‘Students, leavers & graduates – statistics’.
As we predicted, although 2017 was Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage & Archaeology, none of these three topics made it onto a single Informed Scotland cover. It was a similar story last year for the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture & Design. However, the Year of Young People 2018 has already begun to capture the imagination across the learning & skills landscape, so we are confident that it will have an influence on next year’s list.
What were your 2017 highlights? What are your predictions for 2018?
Angela will be discussing the stories behind the list in an interview for Radio EDUtalk on 16 January, in a review of 2017 and a look ahead to 2018. Tweet us @InformedScot and we’ll share your thoughts.
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.
Posted by admin on December 19, 2017 ·
Image is © D Ormiston
Time to reflect on another busy year for AJ Enterprises and to say a bunch of thank yous to clients, associates and coworkers!
With education remaining at the heart of Scottish Government priorities, we’ve had to work harder than ever to keep Informed Scotland subscribers up to date with learning & skills in 2017. In addition to the monthly digests, we published a Leadership Special commissioned by Scottish College for Educational Leadership, a UK General Election Extra, the fifth annual Organisations & People Special, and shared interesting guest blogs.
Thanks to our subscribers for the great feedback and for spreading the word about the benefits their subscription brings.
In January, Angela reviewed the hottest learning & skills topics of 2016 on Radio EDUtalk, and looked ahead to what was in store for 2017. In September, she ran an information briefing on school education for the Blake Stevenson research team. The session was so well received that this service will be offered more widely in 2018.
We continue to promote hundreds of conferences, seminars, teachmeets, exhibitions etc. via the Learning & Skills Events Calendar. Lisa at Media Bloom kept the Calendar updated until a few weeks ago – she’s now the proud mother of a beautiful baby boy – many congratulations! And thanks to Hannah for helping with the updates while Lisa is on maternity leave.
On social media, @InformedScot now has almost 3,300 Twitter followers, up 600 from this time last year! InformedScot has a long way to go to match this on Instagram, but has attracted 230 followers in its second year.
Turning to other business, in May, we were delighted to be awarded a joint three-year contract to produce a new quarterly Skills Research Digest for Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy, in partnership with London based, long-standing associate Elaine Hendry of emh connect, who publishes the learning & skills UK Digest.
We’ve also provided communications consultancy, copy-writing, editing and proofreading services, research and horizon scanning to repeat and new clients with business interests at home and abroad, including Macmillan Education, EdComs, Sunrise Setting, Beyond Green and 3rd Horizons. Whatever the task, we’re fortunate to work with such lovely people!
Personal thanks once again to associates including Janey at Mamook Graphics (look out for her new Informed Scotland cover designs in 2018), adult learning specialist Jackie Borge, copy-writer Lewis Packwood, editor Cathy Tingle and others I’ve had the pleasure of working with this year. Thanks too to supportive fellow local members of the Society for Editors & Proofreaders and Edinburgh Editors’ Network, particularly our coordinator Lesley Ellen.
Working alongside other businesses has so many benefits. After a fab year at Hanover House (thanks to the wonderful Team Tanami), in June Angela moved into Evergreen Studio coworking space. Thanks to Sigrid, James and Shaun for the warm welcome, and for the opportunity to cowork in a creative community of talented people – and in an office with such a rich literary heritage.
Finally, thanks to Derek Ormiston for providing this year’s festive photo – you can see more of his atmospheric pics via eider.22.
The annual Informed Scotland Hottest Topics in Scottish Learning & Skills will be shared here in January.
Email [email protected] for more information about any of the above, to subscribe to Informed Scotland, or to discuss how we could support your work in 2018.
Posted by admin on December 11, 2017 ·
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The latest issue is so packed with items it’s hard to believe it only covers one month!
The main publication was the Scottish Government’s consultation on the Education (Scotland) Bill, Empowering Schools, open until 30 January 2018. The proposals are far-reaching and somewhat controversial – we’ve included all 24 questions in an Annex for ease of reference.
Two other consultations opened. The Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board is gathering views on Defining an Apprenticeship until 20 December, and the Scottish Government on revised Guidance on the Presumption of Mainstreaming for pupils with additional support needs until 9 February.
Membership of the new Enterprise & Skills Strategic Board and the new Scottish Education Council were both announced last month; full lists are included in the Informed Annex.
November was also crammed with numerous important, useful and fascinating reports, including:
There’s no space to mention all of the other meaty reports, such as on poverty, social mobility, young people’s attitudes, and not forgetting the UK Industrial Strategy white paper. We also saw the launch of the Year of Young People 2018 with a raft of announcements and reports.
Among several developments, a new Cyber Skills programme was launched by SDS for S1–3 pupils, and Glasgow School of Art and Renfrewshire Council agreed to set up a new School of Creative Education at Castlehead High. Meanwhile, another sector skills body, the Tech Partnership of digital skills employers (formerly e-skills UK) is to close in September 2018 due to ‘changes in government policy for skills’.
This is the tip of the information iceberg: become an Informed Scotland subscriber so you can keep on top of all the developments. Email [email protected] to request a sample copy.
Check out our latest guest blog post, Looking beyond the classroom to tackle the achievement gap by Children’s University Scotland Chief Executive, Neil Mathers.
