Memorandum submitted by Barry Johnson,
Learning Partners
EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE TWENTY-FIRST
CENTURY
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this short paper is to contribute
to the discussion on education and training. It is short to present
the arguments succinctly and readably.
If the reader agrees, fine, we have a common
start point. If the reader disagrees, fine, he or she can now
provide an equally simple outline that is better.
THE FUNDAMENTALS
The basic question is, "What is the purpose
of education and training?"
For me the answer is simple. The purpose of
education and training is to provide the human resources to ensure
the prosperity of the nation state, in our case the United Kingdom.
Education and training has other purposes such as enabling the
realisation of individual potential.
THE ROLE
OF GOVERNMENT
If the fundamentals are accepted then the role
of Government becomes clear. Government must provide the infrastructure
and guidance that will lead to the UK excelling in those things
that will in the short term and longer term make the UK an economic
and social powerhouse and an example to the rest of the world.
Particularly important is the longer-term element, which is a
timeframe of 10-25 years. Industry and the professional institutes/institutions
will in general take care of the shorter term—five to 10
years with guidance from government.
Let me be clear, the goals and strategy of education
is an accountability of government. It does not belong to educationalists,
teachers or parents.
FOCUS
Given the Government's role, its main focus
will be on how industry and society is likely to evolve and to
give a picture of the UK in 10-20 years time. This analysis will
need regular updating. The future "picture" provides
the foundation for the education and training strategy. This strategic
approach will cause a transfer of civil service resources from
micromanaging "the now" to providing the future direction.
This focus is likely to give the politicians some difficulties
as the results of their endeavours cannot easily be seen and used
in the pursuit of short-term power.
EDUCATION
The Government's focus is likely be on education
rather than training. There are two reasons for this.
Firstly Government has much greater control
of education than of training.
It therefore can impose direction through the
levers of power more easily.
Secondly education is the precursor and underpinning
of training. Education is the learning process that leads to academic
excellence and ensures the basic intellectual proficiency and
some limited professional competences that enable training.
WORKING TOP
DOWN
Having identified the work areas that require
a degree to provide the foundation for training it is relatively
easy to identify the required degree course entry qualifications
in terms of "A" levels and GCSEs. Similarly with work
areas that do not require a degree the entry level to apprenticeships
and traineeship in terms of "A" levels and/or GCSEs
can be identified.
If the thinking to this point has been logical
the purpose of each level of academic qualification becomes clear—it
is the entry point to the next level of education or the start
point for training. Educational qualifications do not indicate
the completion of a learning process or a measure of some position
on an educational league table but the acquisition of the necessary
knowledge to enter the next learning environment. This is a shift
from the Government's and schools' present "give everybody
a ticket" thinking towards the requirements of the universities
and industry. Qualifications are a benchmark of success only if
they provide what is ultimately required by industry and society
to keep the "great" in Great Britain.
TRAINING
By training I mean the acquisition of the skills,
knowledge and attitude required to meet the accountabilities of
a particular profession, trade, craft or job. Training is likely
and more efficiently to remain in the purview of industry. This
is because while much training appears to be generic it is in
practice specific to the market situation and culture of an employing
company or organisation. Having said that, it may be necessary
to provide incentives to encourage companies to conduct the necessary
training, as there tends to be a "lag" between the recognition
that there is a skills shortage and the provision of the necessary
skills.
CONTRIBUTORS BACKGROUND
I offer my background as a basis for credibility
in this subject area.
After an early career in the Royal Navy, Fleet
Air Arm as an Avionic Engineer I trained pilots, flight engineers
and licensed aircraft engineers in British Airways and became
the Principle Learning Systems Designer. I was the Chief Examiner
Aircraft Electrical Craft for the City and Guilds Institute. I
joined the Food, Drink and Tobacco ITB in 1977 as a specialist
advisor and joined Nortel (then STC) as a training manager and
eventually left in 1994 when I was the senior manager of the Nortel
European Learning Institute having held a range of HR management
posts responsible for training, development and resourcing for
Nortel Europe.
Since the formation of LEARNING partners in
1995 I have worked as the Research and Development Director in
the area of human resource development mainly in Competency Framework
and associated HR process design and implementation, Assessment
Centre design for development and resourcing, as a facilitator
and assessor, and in Manager and Soft Skills Training design and
implementation.
I have had over 30 articles published in the
subject area of training. I have an open BA, primarily in psychology
and management, served a full five-year RN Artificer Apprenticeship
with ONC and HNC qualifications. I am a Member of the Chartered
Institute of Personnel and Development and was a Member of the
Chartered Management Institute until my semi-retirement last year.
I am a qualified further education teacher, psychometric test
practitioner to level A and B and a Master NLP practitioner.
August 2006
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