‘High quality skills and apprenticeships lie at the heart of the government’s drive to create the skilled workforce British industry needs to thrive, to boost productivity and build an economy that works for all’ (DfE press release 06/10/16) As the DfE attempts to talk up apprenticeships, its own data* paints a rather different story. It’s … Continue reading Apprenticeships. New figures, old failures
Author: Martin Allen
Restating the case for a basic minimum income
The surrender of Sports Direct is a significant victory, but it should not undermine the case for a basic minimum income for everybody, in addition to anything earned as a 'wage'. I've updated a previous contribution on this. It examines the difficulties with securing the National Living Wage for all workers, but also in … Continue reading Restating the case for a basic minimum income
Latest NEET figures published
The latest figures for NEETs (‘Young people not in education, employment or training’) are now available. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/neet-statistics-quarterly-brief-january-to-march-2016 It’s doubtful they’ll produce any headlines, as like the figures for youth unemployment they show a further (if slight) fall. 11.7% of all 16-24 year olds in England are NEET compared with 12.3% a year previously – this … Continue reading Latest NEET figures published
A living wage or a citizens income (full version)
May 23rd 2016 Presentation to Lambeth Momentum and Common Knowledge The introduction of a statutory Living Wage – at £7.20 an hour a 50p increase on the old minimum wage – should be a cause for celebration, particularly if it is due to be increased to £9 an hour by 2020. Instead it’s received a … Continue reading A living wage or a citizens income (full version)
Two more contributions about a basic (citizens) income
The Guardian’s John Harris (April 14th 2016) http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/13/should-we-scrap-benefits-and-pay-everyone-100-a-week-whether-they-work-or-not The RSA’s Anthony Painter (March 31st 2016) https://www.thersa.org/action-and-research/arc-news/why-we-should-pay-everyone-a-basic-income/
Debate about the Highers continues
Apprenticeship figures don’t match the optimism
The government’s ParliamentToday website (23/03/16) has attempted the usual ‘spin’ with the latest apprenticeship figures, pointing to 84 000 starts by under 19 year olds between August 2015 and January 2016 and to 366,000 across all levels and age groups during the current parliament. Skills Minister Nick Boles also told the site there has been a … Continue reading Apprenticeship figures don’t match the optimism
The EBacc and Progress 8
There will be a new headline performance measure for secondary schools from September 2016. Schools will no longer be ranked according to the number of students passing achieving 5 A* to C GCSEs. Instead, Attainment 8 data will record the average score for their year 11 students across 8 subjects. More significantly they will … Continue reading The EBacc and Progress 8
Social mobility’s ups and downs
Sociologist John Goldthorpe’s argument that decades of investment in education have not improved social mobility, deserves to be taken seriously, given his position as one of the leading authorities (if not the leading authority) in this area. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/13/decades-of-educational-reform-no-social-mobility Goldthorpe argues that improvement in ‘relative’ social mobility –an increase in the improvement in educational chances of … Continue reading Social mobility’s ups and downs
Higher Level Apprenticeships: A slow start.
David Cameron qualified his pledge to create three million more apprenticeships with ‘That’s three million more engineers, accountants, project managers’ http://press.conservatives.com/post/109906886845/david-cameron-a-britain-that-gives-every-child. Expanding the Higher Level apprenticeship will be considered fundamental to this, with the then Business Secretary, Vince Cable arguing at its 2012 launch that: ‘Investing in skills is central to our drive to boost … Continue reading Higher Level Apprenticeships: A slow start.
Education, Economy and Society 