Informed Scotland April 2020 – Learning & skills in lockdown

While March was a month of two worlds, before and during lockdown, April was all about learning & skills in lockdown and a recognition of the emerging new normal. The focus has shifted from closing down and moving as swiftly as possible to online and remote learning, to developing and sharing, discovering new ways to […]

Informed Scotland March 2020 – COVID-19 & digital inclusion

March was a month of two worlds for learning & skills: before and during lockdown. The impact of COVID-19 could have been the only Hot Topic listed on this month’s cover, however the rapid shift to online and remote learning and teaching, and the surge in the need for basic digital skills for everyone have […]

Informed Scotland February 2020 – Strategies, guidance, reviews & inquiries

For a short(ish) month there was plenty happening, with numerous reports, strategies and announcements across the landscape. Three new national strategies were published: a seminal one on career education & guidance, one on culture with much to say about learning & skills, and one on the environment with surprisingly little relevant content A new review […]

Informed Scotland Dec19/Jan20 – Comparing, consulting, careers & concerns

School education has been a political hot potato in the last two months, with aspects of attainment and international comparisons in particular creating headlines and much debate. Meanwhile Brexit is back as one of our hot topics, with concerns for skills shortages ramping up, and various organisations looking to reassure or seeking reassurances. As well […]

Informed Scotland Learning & Skills Hottest Topics 2019

We’re delighted to present the seventh annual list of Learning & Skills ‘Hot Topics’ that made it onto the cover of Informed Scotland over the past year: 1. Digital skills (=3 in 2018) =2. Widening & fair access (=3) =2. Diversity, equality & inclusion (=1) =4. Future education, skills & work (=3) =4. Partnerships, agreements […]

Taking stock & saying thanks

Time to reflect on another busy year for AJ Enterprises and to thank clients, collaborators, contacts and coworkers who’ve helped make 2019 a success! We’ve kept Informed Scotland subscribers up to date with learning & skills across the landscape throughout the year. As well as the monthly digests, we published a General Election Extra earlier […]

Informed Scotland November 2019 – Learning & skills making the headlines

Preparations for the General Election might have restricted some government business, but it didn’t stop the publication of a raft of reports worth highlighting on a range of topics. In particular: the Scottish Parliament Education & Skills Committee’s Report on STEM in early years education University of Edinburgh’s research Towards a sustainable solution for the […]

Informed Scotland General Election Extra 2019

Ahead of each major election we provide Informed Scotland subscribers with a quick scan of manifestos and resources focusing on or highlighting learning and skills issues. The UK General Election 2019 Extra includes links to manifestos from Universities Scotland, Children in Scotland & partners, Learning & Work Institute and NUS Scotland, plus YouthLink Scotland’s #InvestInYouthWork […]

Informed Scotland October 2019 – Equity, diversity & pause for thought

It’s extremely rare, but last month was a quiet one for learning & skills in Scotland. With mid-term holidays and the nation’s attention focused on… let’s just call them ‘other matters’, it wasn’t too surprising. Or perhaps the relentless pace of change and intensity of activity across the learning & skills landscape finally caught up […]

Informed Scotland September 2019 – Learning & skills for a better future

One of the main themes in September was ‘being better prepared for the future’, spearheaded by the Scottish Government’s new Future Skills Action Plan. The sense of urgency we reported last month has grown, affected no doubt by heightened public concern about the climate ‘emergency’, the Brexit ‘crisis’ and the ‘threat’ of technology – all […]