Editorial

Citation

Holden, R. (1999), "Editorial", Education + Training, Vol. 41 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.1999.00441aaa.001

Editorial

In the end section of this issue there is a review of a useful new book addressing vocational education and training (VET) and open/distance learning. One particularly pertinent point the authors make is that we know so very little about the penetration of open and distance learning in SMEs and indeed about VET in small businesses more generally. I read the book and subsequently wrote the review on the train returning from a TUC sponsored conference on Lifelong Learning. There were lots of good stories to be heard here about how the trade unions were in the vanguard of new developments in New Deal, the University for Industry, Individual Learning Accounts and so on and so on. One delegate presented her own story ­ let's call her Katy. Katy, now 22, had left school at 16 to work in a bank. She had minimal qualifications from school, had never dreamt of going to college and was going through the motions of routine work day after day when she saw an invitation to do a 16 week course to develop her IT skills. The course was being piloted by the Banking, Insurance and Finance Union (BIFU), Katy's employer and the University of East London and was aimed specifically at union members who were receiving little or no development. After a scary start Katy has completed the course and now has her sights set on more ambitious targets. Nice story. But, throughout the day, I had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right or that I hadn't got the full picture. Reflecting on the day, as I read and reviewed Calder and McCollum's book, it struck me that the key was the "SME factor". Laudable as the TUC and the various specific union interventions are within the learning and skills debate, they count for very little in the vast majority of SMEs who are non-unionised. Yet, increasingly, labour market findings suggest SMEs are the first destination for many school leavers and graduates. The combination of the two events, the book and the conference, brought it home to me how significant this issue is in terms of education and training in the UK and increasingly so for young people. It is fitting, therefore, that the lead article in this first issue of 1999, by Matlay, addresses VET in Britain from a small business perspective and the apparent training paradox which is evident amongst the majority of those SMEs who took part in his research study.

From the perspective of Education + Training I would welcome further contributions in this area and in particular to steer these to address young people in SMEs; their recruitment and their education, training and development. One further point flows neatly from this and that is to highlight another key theme on which I would like to see the Journal make a stronger contribution. Young people with few or no qualifications are at the most vulnerable end of the labour market. Estimates vary as to the scale of the problem. A conservative estimate suggests it is around one-fifth of 16-18 year olds; a sufficiently large number to make this a major problem in terms of social inclusion/exclusion. Potential topics of interest range from analysis of the problem through to the various initiatives, both underway and planned, to tackle the problem. I would welcome contributions to further the debate and discussion.

Elsewhere in this issue contributions are wide ranging. Two articles (one by Ellington and the other from Macfarlane) address pertinent but very different issues within the changing face of higher education provision. In contrast, in the articles by Waryszack and Burke and Macdermid, the focus is firmly on the student. The first addresses student expectations about placement activity whilst the second assesses students' views of their economic future beyond graduation. Both these articles also bring a welcome international dimension to this first issue.

Finally, it is appropriate in this first editorial of the year to welcome all readers, new and old, to the 1999 volume. This is the first issue to reflect Education + Training's new status as a fully refereed journal and hence marks the beginning of what hopefully will be a rewarding new era in the journal's history. Accordingly, I wish all readers an interesting and reflective 1999.

Richard Holden