Posted by admin on May 8, 2013 ·
AJ Enterprises
Each month in pulling together content for Informed Scotland some interesting trends emerge across the learning and skills landscape. In April it was all about creating maps and closing gaps.
pfeg’s new Take Charge partnership movement is to generate a living State of the Nation map of financial and enterprise education initiatives. Nesta is creating a living map of jobs innovators. Highlands & Islands Enterprise launched an interactive map of employment in the energy sector. And People 1st published an interactive travel and transport career map. Each map is, or aims to be, interactive and ‘alive’ to change, demonstrating the beauty of mapping online – enabling the viewer not only to learn from the map, but to add to it.
Gaps and divisions were reported and measured in all sectors: Between young people in deprived and better-off areas of the country – in their literacy levels and their progression to higher education. Between boys and girls, men and women – in their written work at school, their further education destinations and their jobs. Between those who have and those who don’t have access to, or the ability to use, the internet. Between jobs available and appropriately skilled employees. Between the expectations of young people and recruiting employers. We report on the concerns expressed, and the strenuous and innovative efforts to close all these gaps.
Find out how to get your copy, with all this and more. Follow Informed Scotland on Twitter @InformedScot
Posted by admin on April 30, 2013 ·
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Almost every day we add new learning and skills related conferences, seminars, workshops and exhibitions to our Calendar of events. Most are targeted at specific business or education sectors and professions, however plenty are open to broader groups and some to the wider public.
At the time of writing almost 60 events are listed in May alone, a number that’s guaranteed to grow – and many are free!
All the events, apart from Radio EDUtalk broadcasts, are face-to-face. We decided not to attempt to keep track of online events… that would be a full-time task!
It’s true that webinars and hangouts enable people from around the globe to ‘gather’ and learn from each other without leaving their desks, saving money, time and energy. But the benefits of ‘being there’ are worth the extra effort from time to time. Leave the desk behind, gain a fresh perspective and catch up with contacts old and new.
Browse the Calendar to see what’s coming up – there are currently events right through to November. You can choose to view it as a daily, weekly or monthly overview. Each listing includes the organiser, location, cost and a link for more detail. As a bonus for their support, more information is included about events involving Informed Scotland subscribers.
Some of our favourite tweets about the Calendar this month:
@CLDStandards “#FF @ajentscotland who have a great learning & skills events calendar on their site!”
@Fiona_Go “what a great events listing!”
@THEMEStweets “That’s great that you have been including our events. Thank you! Will definitely keep you updated with new dates.”
Do you have an event you’d like included? Send the details to [email protected]
Posted by admin on April 15, 2013 ·
Image is © Andrew Mackie
We’re regularly approached by contacts old and new looking for guidance, answers or pointers to further an aspect of their work. Sometimes this can lead to a new contract or work for a new client, but sometimes the contact is simply better informed and able to proceed with confidence – and we’re left with a warm and fuzzy feeling because we’ve made a difference!
Here’s just a taste of the range of requests from some very different contacts that we’ve been happy to satisfy in the last few weeks:
- The chief executive of a learning organisation based in England wanted information about developments and contacts in the use of mobile devices in Scottish schools.
- We were asked by a web developer to comment on a fantastic new resource which explains an industrial process to a young audience.
- The director of a new UK-wide company connecting engineers with industry wanted to make sure they were in touch with the right organisations in Scotland, and was looking for help with spreading the word north of the border.
- We were asked to make sure no one essential was left off a major event invitation list.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if we can help you to make connections, plug information gaps, or extend your corporate memory. Email [email protected] or see our Contact page.
Posted by admin on April 8, 2013 ·
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March was a pretty ‘serious’ month for learning and skills developments. It was populated with Commissions, Bills, Standards, statistics and consultations. There were launches, announcements, rebrandings and findings, plus more mergers, partnerships and collaborations.
Although there were funding concerns, there were also major funding announcements – for innovation, research, new products and services, advice and support, new institutions, collaboration and network development.
Major reports summarised in this issue include the UK Commission for Employment & Skills’ Scaling the Youth Employment Challenge; Skills Development Scotland’s Modern Apprenticeship 2012 Survey of Employers; The Prince’s Trust’s Digital Literacy Survey 2013; Lloyds Banking Group’s Oil & Gas: Rising Fortunes 2; and the Commission on School Reform’s By diverse means: Improving Scottish education.
Find out how to get your copy, with all this and more, here. And now Informed Scotland has its own Twitter account: @InformedScot!
Posted by admin on March 14, 2013 ·
Image is © Andrew Mackie
At last month’s ‘Progress through Professionalism’ conference, organised by the Association of Chartered Teachers Scotland (ACTS), Angela Gardner was interviewed live on Radio EDUtalk. A recording of the broadcast can now be heard on the EDUtalk website.
John Johnston, who co-founded and runs EDUtalk with ACTS Chair David Noble, asked Angela about Informed Scotland, referring to it as an ‘intelligent filter’ of the learning and skills ‘information overload’. Angela described its focus on making connections across the learning and skills landscape, encouraging cross-fertilisation of ideas, activities and policies across the sectors. “Making connections is a big part of everything I do.”
The conversation also took in aspects of the conference, including workshops on Learning Rounds with Catriona Oates, and pedagoo with Neil Winton and Kenny Pieper. Interesting that education Learning Rounds demonstrate how professions can learn from each other, as they have their roots in the medical profession. Likewise, pedagoo is all about teachers ‘collaboratively supporting, encouraging and sharing innovative and effective approaches’.
The interview ended with John remarking that even well-networked teachers need to go beyond education and look for ideas and inspiration. Informed Scotland is doing its bit to help that process for education, business and the wider community.
Posted by admin on March 8, 2013 ·
Despite being a short month, it’s been an extremely busy one for learning and skills right across the sectors.
Hot topics this month include a raft of measures and activities to drive and provide youth employment opportunities; more detail emerging and concerns being raised on the new National Qualifications; knowledge exchange, community engagement and furthering skills in science and technology; plus budget announcements and indications of deeper impact of tightening public sector finances.
This month we also report on a couple of major explorations of the digital landscape announced by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Scottish Government. Meanwhile, the school ICT in Education Excellence Group recommendations moved to implementation – read a fascinating and pretty ‘sharp’ contribution to the debate by Ollie Bray. And in the same month, Citizens Advice Bureau Scotland published a critical report outlining the impact the ‘digital divide’ is having on those without the skills or access trying to gain work in an online environment.
After last month’s comment on the ‘blending’ and blurring of sectors, and the impact on Informed Scotland, we received some helpful feedback from an Education Scotland reader: ‘The boundaries are blurred, but that just means we look wider – take the blinkers off’. Great to hear Informed Scotland is helping with that process!
Find out how to get your copy here.
Posted by admin on February 8, 2013 ·
This double issue of Informed Scotland is packed with items from the whole spectrum of learning and skills. As well as summaries of reports from UCAS, UKCES, GTCS, SFC, SDS, CITB and HEA, there are insights into MOOCs, MAs, NQs, ICT, BERD and EMAs… But don’t let the acronyms get in the way – we make sure they’re always spelt out!
One of the hot topics we observed this month is the blending of boundaries between institutions. The changes in the education and learning system, with the merging and blurring of sectors, is having an intriguing impact on the way Informed Scotland is organised.
It’s not always obvious where some items should appear, for example, online learning courses and their ilk – Further & Higher Education or Community & Adult Learning? Collaborations between universities and schools – Schools or Further & Higher Education? Knowledge exchange – sometimes better placed in Business, other times in Further & Higher Education. If it’s causing us to ponder, those working at the interfaces, and those involved in setting and managing budgets must be going through interesting times…
One of our readers from Education Scotland responds: “The boundaries are blurred but that just means we look wider – take the blinkers off“.
Find out how to get your copy here.
Tweet from @parslad: “Reading Issue 7 of the excellent Informed Scotland online publication, produced by @ajentscotland“
Posted by admin on February 1, 2013 ·
Final preparations are underway for attending the national education conference ‘Progress through Professionalism’ on Saturday 2 February at Stirling Management Centre. Organised by the Association of Chartered Teachers Scotland, the programme looks packed with interesting issues and speakers and will be a great opportunity to engage with many of the themes regularly covered by Informed Scotland. Particularly looking forward to hearing the keynote speakers Prof Sir Tim Brighouse, and Prof Christine Forde and Dr Margery McMahon, plus catching up with old friends and making new contacts.
As well as being a regular delegate, Angela will have a small stand showcasing Informed Scotland and our Learning & Skills Events Calendar. Attendees and presenters will be able to sign up to receive a complimentary copy of issue 7 of Informed Scotland due out next week. We’ll also have copies of UK Digest and Policy Primer on show, produced by our associate Elaine Hendry at emh connect. Hope to see you there!
Posted by admin on January 28, 2013 ·
Image is © Andrew Mackie
On top of the usual desk-based information gathering, it’s good to have opportunities to meet those at the sharp end of the ‘hot topics’ that feature each month, such as youth employment. Early in 2012 we organised a seminar for education and business looking at youth employability and the ‘challenges and opportunities of a changing recruitment market’.
In December, we were fortunate to attend ‘Your Voice, Your Future’, a Youth Employment Summit organised by the Scottish Youth Parliament and Young Scot in partnership with the Scottish Government.
With delegates including 120 young people, job and work experience opportunities; information, support and guidance; skills development, identification and matching – all featured high on the agenda.
In a group session looking at volunteering, it was interesting to hear the insightful reasons why young people said they had volunteered: ‘to improve confidence’, ‘to do something of value’, ‘as a stepping stone’, ‘to make better use of time while unemployed’, ‘to develop skills’, ‘for experience’ – and ‘to help get a job’. They had initiated their own voluntary experience, stumbled into volunteering by chance, heard about opportunities through relatives or friends, responded to poster campaigns or been prompted to volunteer by teachers or key workers. Whatever their route in, the experience and outcome was almost always positive for the young people involved – as it must surely have been for those who benefitted from their time and input. The power of volunteering, particularly in the current climate, shouldn’t be underestimated.
Posted by admin on December 19, 2012 ·
Image is © Andrew Mackie
…to all AJ Enterprises’ clients, associates, suppliers and collaborators, to contacts old and new – and to visitors to our website!
We’d also like to wish a very happy Christmas to Informed Scotland subscribers, a small but growing list of businesses, education organisations and individuals. The next issue will be the double December/January edition, due out in the week beginning 4 February 2013. It’s going to be another packed publication, with significant developments already mounting up – and we’re only half-way through December.
Make it your New Year’s resolution to be better informed about what’s happening across learning and skills in business, schools, further and higher education, community and adult learning, and government. Contact [email protected] to receive a recent sample copy and find out how to subscribe here.
Finally – I’m sure you’ve noticed the photos beginning to brighten up our news feed. Rather than using stock images, we’ve decided to highlight news items with photographs taken by talented and lesser known amateurs. We are delighted to introduce local photographer Andrew Mackie, who has very kindly agreed to provide us with our first batch of images. Watch this space for more of Andrew’s work!
