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) →

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 →

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. →

The rise and fall of vocational education

Full-time vocational education courses developed in colleges and school sixth-forms in response to increased staying on rates from the 1980s.  They were seen as alternatives to academic learning and offered through training organisations like City & Guilds and BTEC now long since subsumed into larger examination awarding bodies.  They concentrated on particular occupational areas, particularly … Continue reading The rise and fall of vocational education →