Education and Employers
Research Digest - June 2021

Notices

Just published – short video clip summarising the Starting Early report

The author Chris Percy summarises the key findings and explores how best we can help broaden and raise children’s aspirations, improve their attainment, and challenge the stereotypes they often have of people based on gender, ethnicity and social background.

This video is just one of a very large collection in our research library and on our YouTube channel. The aim is to provide you with short video/audio clips if you don’t have time to read the full reports.

Publications

Securing the future: STEM careers provision in schools and colleges in England  

EngineeringUK

This research explores how well schools and colleges feel able and equipped to deliver that provision, and in particular what they can, or struggle to, offer in terms of insights into STEM careers. The findings of the report are based primarily on EngineeringUK’s ‘STEM careers provision survey’, designed by the EngineeringUK research team with input from our research partners, which helped reveal that, Too many schools and colleges lack the time, funding and practical support needed to engage with local employers. Only a third of respondents to our survey said that pupils at their school or college had at least one experience of a workplace every year with a STEM employer. One key recommendation, We ask that the government embeds careers into the subject content of the STEM curriculum and ensures that it highlights the diverse range of roles and people in science and engineering.

OECD Digital Education Outlook 2021: Pushing the Frontiers with Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Robots 

OECD

Might digital education, notably, smart, technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI), learning analytics, robotics and others, transform in the same way, they are transforming the rest of society? This book explores the possible answers to this question. The book focuses on how smart technologies can change education in the classroom and support the management of education organisations and systems. It first, provides an overview of opportunities and challenges of digital technologies and state-of-the-art-smart technology solutions. The book concludes that as the world of learning and work continue to become more mobile and interconnected, people require higher levels of digital trust to live, learn, and do business together. Facilitating that trust is both the value and the promise of blockchain technology. 

Action towards increased quality education for internally displaced children

Mariana Citrinovitz, Campbell James & Wagner Emma

This Save the Chid report builds a case for the relevance of education in preventing conflict and displacement. It shows that inadequately responding to internally displaced children’s education and wellbeing needs and that including internally displaced children in national education systems is a step toward achieving durable solutions to their displacement. Accessing national education systems is the most practical and sustainable way to provide displaced children with quality accredited and certified learning opportunities.

VET for secondary school students: post-school employment and further training destinations 

Josie Misko, Emerick Chew & Patrick Korbel   

This research looks at secondary school students who undertook a VET for Secondary School Students program (hereinafter referred to as VfSSS) in 2011 and investigates whether they are in work and/or further studies five years later (2016), and the extent to which their VfSSS studies are linked to these employment and study destinations. The study uses an integrated dataset, in which data from the 2011 National VET in Schools Collection are linked to data from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. It follows on from a similar exercise in 2017, whereby 2006 data from the National VET in Schools Collection were linked to the 2011 census. In doing so it enables the updating of earlier research questions with more recent information.

Supporting Vulnerable Girls and Young Women in India: Evidence from the Listening to Young Lives at Work COVID-19 Phone Survey   

Kath Ford & Renu Singh

​This Young Lives policy brief focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of vulnerable girls and young women in India, particularly in relation to the combined pressures of interrupted education, increased domestic work, and widespread stresses on household finances. The brief analyses the current and potential long-term impact on mental health and well-being of young women, increasing domestic violence and risks of early marriage and parenthood. The brief presents findings from the narratives of the Young Lives at Work COVID-19 phone survey. it concludes that the prevailing discriminatory gender stereotypes and expectations underpinning these inequalities may be further exacerbated and can cause undue harm, especially when families are required to stay in their homes  

The Early Childhood Education Report 2020 

Emis Akbari, Kerry McCuaig & Daniel Foster 

Findings in this report are based on pre-COVID-19 realities. However, lessons learned from the changes brought about by the pandemic can be layered upon the conclusions. The timing of this report also provides a baseline for understanding the impact of both the pandemic and the 2021 federal budget on early childhood services. It is evident that investment in early education and child care by provinces and territories rose by over $3 billion between 2017 and 2020. The report emphasises that as we move toward a post-pandemic recovery, quality and equity must dominate regional and national early year’s plans, ensuring every child benefits from the opportunities that early childhood education affords.

Putting Apprenticeships to Work for Young People 

Jenna Julius, Henry Faulkner-Ellis & Sharon O'Donnell 

Despite the significant benefits which apprenticeships offer young people compared to alternative routes (CSJ, 2020), there has been a pronounced decline in the apprenticeships started by young people following the introduction of apprenticeship reforms over the last decade. This research examines the impact of the recent reforms on apprenticeship starts, both before and during the pandemic, with a particular focus on SMEs and young people (particularly learners aged 16-18) in order to ensure that − as we continue to emerge from the pandemic − the apprenticeship system is working to support those hit hardest.

NHS Ambassadors: how you’ve helped 400,000 young people 

Education and Employers Charity

This report considers the impact that NHS staff have made on the Inspiring the Future, Primary Futures and Inspiring Governance programmes. It explores the ways in which they have been able to help nearly 400,000 students and includes interviews with a range of the volunteers

Comments

OECD “I am the future of work” survey

We are conducting a global survey with young people to explore perceptions about their future: jobs, skills and learning. We’re also collecting youth perspectives on what they think their governments can do for them. 

This is a unique opportunity for young people to shape the public debate. Take part here 

Foundation skills: National Skills Overview 

Australian Industry and Skills Committee​​​

 How to provide online learning and skills training to youth in low-bandwidth areas 

Namita data, Kasia jakimowicz & Sunamika Singh

Skills Bill's extra bureaucracy could hinder recovery support efforts 

  Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) 

Summary of Rethinking Employability – Preparing young people for the future of work 

Edge Foundation  

Education Business Partnerships  

Liz Polding 

Starting Early: Building the foundations for success 

Education and Employers Charity

Events

Final Reminder 

6th International Conference on Employer Engagement: Preparing Young People for the Future

Our virtual conference hosted in partnership with the Edge Foundation comes off on the 1st and 2nd of July,2021 with over 75 speakers from all over the world confirmed. The conference will focus on employer engagement in general education, technical and vocational education and training, and the extent to which such interventions adequately prepare young people for the rapidly changing world of work. The two-day conference will include contributions from keynote speakers, panel debates, research presentations, workshops, and case study presentations. There will also be opportunities for virtual networking with other delegates.

 Register and Book your ticket.