Changing learning spaces in tough times: knowledge, skills

and the boundaries of work

ESRC Seminar SeriesLifelong Learning & Workspaces

University of Nottingham11 February 2010

Origins of regional policy

• Fears of market interference, labour dependency and excessive public spending

• Strategic international policies

• Industrial transference – training to facilitate labour mobility

• Limited industrial relocation

Endogenous growth and regional strategy

• Constrained devolution in England to RDAs with narrow powers, responsibilities and resources

• Expansive devolution to NI, Scotland and Wales

• Innovation-led growth

• Some relocation of public sector employment

• Limited use of location incentives (contrast with Ireland)

• Strong focus on skills supply

“Scarring”

• Serious long term wage penalty

• Affects unemployed school-leavers and unemployed adults

• Some evidence of non-economic penalties

• Limited impact of ALM schemes, training initiatives weak or negative impact

Early 1990s

• Clear downward pressures on training budgets at enterprise level

• Overall training levels fell in line with rising unemployment

• “Minimum training floor” arising from law, regulation and professional requirements

Felstead & Green 1994

Apprenticeships

• LSC reports overall “recruitment of apprentices more difficult”

• Sharp decline in places for the 16-18 age group

• Growth in demand for places for 25+ group

Emerging evidence in 2010

• CIPD report small decline in organisations with dedicated training budget (down 7% in 2008 to 2009)

• One third of enterprises report reduced training spend

• Over half of enterprises report new management programmes

• Growing emphasis on coaching, mentoring and on-job learning

• Small rise in average duration of training (up from five in 2008 to six days per worker)

• Over two-fifths report increased use of e-learning

Job related training in last four weeks – all of working age

UK domiciled applicants to higher education, 2005-2008

Residence 2005 2006 2007 2008

England 368,801 358,085 380,077 401,882

Wales 20,666 21,403 21,426 22,714

Scotland 36,821 35,429 35,496 38,035

NI 18,342 17,279 17,149 17,116

Total UK 444,630 432,196 454,148 502,461

UK domiciled applicants to higher education (HESA)

HE applicantsArea Rise, 2006-2008

East Midlands 22.9%

Eastern England 21.3%

London 17.6%

North East 14.8%

North West 18.5%

Northern Ireland - 1.0%

Scotland 7.4%

South East 18.4%

South West 16.3%

Wales 6.1%

West Midlands 20.2%

God’s own county 17.9%

Total UK 16.3%

Innovation-led growth

• Promised protection for the science budget

• Real terms cuts of up to 20% in research grants over three years

• Significant cuts in the teaching grant

Overall

• Possibly a small decline in job-related training

• Areas of growth include management development and e-learning

• Increasing use of coaching, mentoring and on-job learning

• Declining youth apprenticeships, offset by rise in adult apprenticeships

• Significant growth in higher education applicants (especially adults)

• Some regional evidence of ‘saturated HE demand’

• Little or no role for regional planning as part of innovation strategy