Posted by admin on June 8, 2015 ·
With Scottish Apprenticeship Week taking place during May it isn’t surprising that one of the hot topics last month was apprenticeships. The particularly high level of activity in construction was more unusual, however it highlights some examples of how a sector can act to tackle its skills shortages.
Look out for an interesting report from UKCES on skills in the health and social care sector, draft Career Education and Work Placement Standards documents from Education Scotland, and the launch of new national Adult Achievement Awards by Newbattle Abbey College.
There is also an Annex this month listing members of the new Scotland CAN DO Innovation Forum.
This issue marks Informed Scotland’s third birthday – how time flies…! One encouraging statistic to note: when the first issue was published in May 2012, youth unemployment in Scotland was 23.1% – it’s now 13.8%.
When it comes to birthdays we can’t compete with the General Teaching Council for Scotland – it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this month – many congratulations!
Become an Informed Scotland subscriber so you can keep on top of all the developments. Email [email protected] to request a sample copy. Download our recent Special issues on Technologies at Work and Innovation here.
Posted by admin on June 1, 2015 ·
We’re excited to publish an Informed Scotland Innovation Special. It was commissioned by College Development Network to support their Emporium of Dangerous Ideas 2015.
The Emporium is ‘a future-orientated education festival that aims to re-establish the importance of dangerous ideas as agents of change in education – to shift the axis of what is possible!’
Karen Lawson, Curator of Dangerous Ideas, calls for everyone who is passionate about education to get involved and ‘innovate and create what really matters’.
CDN commissioned the Special to showcase the Emporium and place it at the heart of the broader innovation agenda across the learning and skills landscape. It pulls together relevant highlights from recent months, making connections between education, business, government and the wider community. It aims to encourage everyone to look beyond the usual places for their inspiration – and dangerous ideas!
The Emporium of Dangerous Ideas takes place across Scotland from 9–19 June 2015. Book to attend an event, or get involved in the discussion – tweet using #dangeroused
Other Specials can be downloaded here.
Posted by admin on May 28, 2015 ·
We’re delighted to publish an Informed Scotland Technologies at Work Special.
It was commissioned by Education Scotland to support the publication of their report, Building Society: Young people’s experiences and outcomes in the technologies, launched on 9 March 2015.
At the launch in March, Bill Maxwell, Chief Executive of Education Scotland said, ‘We want our young people to be fully equipped for a world which is changing, educationally, economically and socially, at an unprecedented rate.’
Technologies at Work highlights ideas, issues, projects and resources from across the learning and skills landscape. It makes connections between subject areas, between education and business sectors, and between the economy and learning. It aims to help business and schools identify and make the most of the common objectives and synergies of the technologies and Developing Young Workforce initiatives.
Sandra Cairncross, Edinburgh Napier University’s Dean of Engineering, Computing & Creative Industries, says, ‘Creative problem solvers who understand technology are key to Scotland’s future economic success. We must grow and develop an interest from early years onwards’.
Education Scotland encourages those across education, business and the wider community to use this Informed Scotland Special, ‘recognising the important bridge the technologies provides between the communities of school and work’.
An Education Scotland blog post has been published. Get involved in the discussion – tweet using #TechEdScot
Other Special issues can be downloaded here.
Posted by admin on May 6, 2015 ·
Deciding where to place items in each monthly issue is always a challenge. But that’s what Informed Scotland is all about – encouraging people to take off their blinkers and look beyond the obvious places.
See how another education or business sector is tackling similar or related problems. Discover how others have successfully piloted an initiative that would transfer to your own circumstances. Uncover research evidence analysed for one part of the country that has implications for yours.
In April there was one dominating topic – literacy – for learners of all ages and stages. The main reports were the Survey of Literacy and Numeracy 2014, the Standing Literacy Commission’s final report, and Education Scotland’s 3–18 Literacy and English Review plus an updated ESOL strategy.
The other main talking points were the SFC’s Outcome Agreements for colleges and universities, and Audit Scotland’s Colleges 2015 report.
And look out for Nesta’s fascinating insight into the growth of ‘makerspaces’ which have mushroomed since 2010 and now offer great opportunities for learning in the community. Places like MAKLab, Edinburgh Hacklab, 57North and T-Exchange.
We’re currently working on two Informed Scotland Specials – one on Technologies commissioned by Education Scotland, and one focused on innovation to support College Development Network’s Emporium of Dangerous Ideas 2015. They will be made available on a new Specials area of the website where you can download past issues – except for the Organisations & People Special which is only available for subscribers.
Feedback that makes it all worthwhile: ‘Informed Scotland goes from strength to strength – excellent work!’ Become an Informed Scotland subscriber so you can keep on top of all the developments. Email [email protected] to request a sample copy.
Posted by admin on April 20, 2015 ·
Have you checked the Learning & Skills Events Calendar lately?
Almost every day we add new events – conferences, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, awards ceremonies, lectures… Most are targeted at specific sectors and professions, but many are open to broader groups and some to the wider public – and many are free to attend.
At the time of writing, there are almost 120 events on the Calendar. They are happening in every city and right across Scotland, from Fort William to Earlston, Ayr, Orkney, North Berwick, Livingston and Clydebank.
Topics are wide-ranging, from apprenticeships to early years, parent engagement to leadership, reading to cyber security, youth work to biotechnology.
Each entry includes the organiser, location, cost where available and a link for more information. More details are provided about events run by Informed Scotland subscribers – just one of the extra benefits of signing up to our monthly digest.
All events, apart from Radio EDUtalk live broadcasts, are face-to-face. We couldn’t attempt to keep track of webinars and other online events… it would be a full-time task!
Browse the Calendar to find an event to attend, or to find out the dates to avoid for the one you’re organising. There’s no charge for listing. We look out for events to add, but make sure we don’t miss yours – email or tweet us the details. And watch out for our ‘#FollowFriday’ #ff tweets for the following week’s organisers.
People are finding it a useful service. Here are some recent favourite tweets:
@CEOScel ‘Thanks – much appreciated!’
@Dangerous_Ed ‘That’s brilliant! Thanks you for spreading the word!’
@EDAS_scotland ‘Thanks very much! Hope to see you there’
@IDEAScotland ‘Thank you so much for doing that, there will be more CLPL for teachers to follow’
Do you have an event you’d like included? Send the details to [email protected] or tweet @InformedScot
Posted by admin on April 9, 2015 ·
A few ‘big’ items made the headlines last month, with The Education (Scotland) Bill 2015 leading the way. Two Skills Investment Plans were published by SDS, on the construction and energy sectors. And Education Scotland launched a significant report on the technologies curriculum in schools. We’ve been commissioned to produce an Informed Scotland Technologies Special to support its recommendations – so watch this space!
There was also a fascinating report on gender equality from the OECD, a strident report on school education from the CBI, and some revealing research on outdoor learning from Scottish Natural Heritage and University of Stirling.
Amongst the usual annual sets of statistics, including on higher education students and finance from SFC, on global entrepreneurship from Strathclyde and Aston Universities, and poverty & social exclusion from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the first UCAS Teacher Training report was published on its new admissions service.
We also highlight a new Office Surfing pilot – part of this year’s Emporium of Dangerous Ideas from College Development Network – find out how you can get involved as a host or a Surfer!
Feedback to thrive on from a new subscriber: ‘We are very impressed with the range, amount and type of information which can be accessed via the digest…’. Become an Informed Scotland subscriber so you can keep on top of all the developments. Email [email protected] to request a sample copy.
Posted by admin on March 7, 2015 ·
The word of the month was ‘challenge’. The Scottish Government’s new Scottish Attainment Challenge, based on the successful London Challenge, and the UKCES report Catch 16–24: Youth Employment Challenge, setting out how many employers value work experience but most don’t offer it.
Some significant developments to look out for this month include the new master’s for headship being developed by SCEL, and the first Invest in Young People Groups in the north east and Glasgow.
There are some detailed reports to delve into, including three on digital skills and employment from The House of Lords, BeIT Resourcing and Tech City, and the FSB’s fascinating report on home-based businesses.
A new guest blog is now online in our series featuring Informed Scotland subscribers. Many thanks to SCQF Partnership Chief Executive, Aileen Ponton, for The SCQF journey continues… following their recent major international conference.
Feedback that made us smile this month: ‘Informed Scotland is a fantastic idea – so much relevant information in one place – in a clear, handy format!’ Become an Informed Scotland subscriber to keep on top of all the developments. Email [email protected] to request a sample copy.
Posted by admin on March 4, 2015 ·
by Aileen Ponton, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework Partnership. Continuing our guest blog series featuring Informed Scotland subscribers writing on the theme Making connections across the learning & skills landscape.
As some of you may know, we at the SCQF Partnership are now heaving a collective sigh of relief after a very hectic six months in the organisation of our conference, SCQF: An Unexpected Journey, which took place on 19 February 2015. The event, attended by over 200 delegates from 115 organisations in 19 countries, set out to explore the past, present and future of the SCQF and to celebrate the journey the Framework has taken since its inception in 2001.
The conference was opened by Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages, who highlighted the varied and important role that the SCQF plays within Scottish education.
Delegates were then able to see a video clip developed by current and former students from Glasgow Clyde College which plotted the development of the SCQF since 2001.
This was followed by a wide range of prominent speakers on issues relating to lifelong learning in Scotland including Louise Macdonald, Chief Executive of Young Scot, who challenged the audience on whether we have collectively inspired young people to succeed.
Prof Pamela Gillies, Principal & Vice-Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, spoke about innovative approaches in recognising prior learning and the new school for work-based education at GCU which supports this.
There was a chance to attend a variety of engaging workshops showcasing the many ways in which the SCQF is supporting learners, and demonstrating its breadth and flexibility as a tool to facilitate lifelong learning in Scotland.
I am extremely happy to report that the event was a great success. Our thanks go to the many stakeholders who supported us in our efforts and participated in what was a really lively, inspiring and engaging event.
However, the work does not stop there. We are in the process of pulling together a legacy plan to ensure that we capitalise on the momentum generated by the conference, so that as we move into the future, the SCQF continues to fly the flag for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), to work with schools and Scottish Government for the recognition of wider achievement for pupils whose experience is so much more than exams, and to demonstrate what an attractive proposition we have for employers of all shapes and sizes.
As one of our conference speakers put it so well, ‘The SCQF is not a cost, it is absolutely an investment‘. Do you feel the same way? If you’re not sure, challenge us – we will do our best to convince you.
For further information contact [email protected]
Read our 2014 guest blogs: UCAS maps student movement across the UK, Prof Laurie O’Donnell’s Digital creativity and computing in the classroom, SQA’s So what is open education? and UKCES makes connections between disparate ideas.
Posted by admin on February 8, 2015 ·
There was no real lull in activity over the festive period, with major announcements and reports being published throughout the last two months. It’s been quite a task to make sure all of the items were squeezed in to our bumper double issue.
The annual round of statistics was released, including Summary Statistics for Schools from the Scottish Government, School Leaver Destinations from Skills Development Scotland, 2015 higher education applicant figures from UCAS, an overview of college sector statistics from the Scottish Funding Council, and Enrolments & Qualifications from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
The main item was the publication of Developing the Young Workforce, Scotland’s new Youth Employment Strategy, which is expected to drive much of the activity during the year ahead.
It’s not all hefty content, however, with plenty of people news and some delightful snippets, such as the Highland primary school planning to teach British Sign Language and Makaton as one of its languages; and the new University of the Highlands & Islands Honours degree where golf handicap is an entry criterion!
Some lighter reading is also included with our second annual top 10 Learning & Skills Hot Topics list, along with a look back over a busy year for Informed Scotland.
Become an Informed Scotland subscriber to keep on top of all the developments. Email [email protected] to request a sample copy.
Posted by admin on January 9, 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:
- Apprenticeships (9 in 2013)
- Partnerships & collaboration (3)
- Digital literacy, inclusion & skills (1)
- Skills gaps & shortages (6)
- Work experience, internships & work-related learning (-)
- Raising attainment & widening access (10)
- Gender gaps, balance & roles (-)
- Knowledge exchange & business engagement (2)
- Innovation (-)
- Science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) (8)
Missing but not forgotten from this year’s list were Youth employment & employability (5) and Creativity & creative skills (7). However, International collaboration & comparisons (4) didn’t get a mention on any cover in 2014.
The list was produced by pretty unscientific methodology – the ranking of some items will no doubt prompt debate – but we think it captures a flavour of the main issues last year. Well done @gradengshow for predicting that ‘Internships’ would make it into the chart!
What are your predictions for 2015? We predict more of the same, with a re-entry for youth employment following the new Scottish Government Young Workforce Strategy. Leadership is a strong new contender and perhaps STEAM (STEM + Arts) will finally break through! 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.
