Research centre studies post-16 education and training

Research centre studies post-16 education and training

A new research centre is set to increase the volume of research in post-16 education and training in the UK. The Learning and Skills Research Centre will concentrate on providing large-scale, long-term studies which will give a strong evidence base for policy development. It will also help to forge links between research and policy so that findings are communicated clearly to policy makers. The ultimate aim is to help managers, teachers, lecturers and trainers to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The centre is funded by the Department for Education and Skills and the Learning and Skills Council. Research will be commissioned from universities and research organizations.

Ursula Howard, centre director, said:

There has been insufficient research in the post-16 sector to inform the development of policy and practice. The centre aims to provide robust and independent evidence, but also to challenge concepts, innovate and introduce new thinking to inform policy development for the future.

She continued:

We need to start by asking the right questions. What triggers participation? How do people learn? What can be achieved in non-formal settings so that learners can move on to gain qualifications? How do we build greater equality of opportunity and widen participation in post-16 education? How do we raise the level of work-based learning for higher-level skills and employability? And is the present infrastructure of education and training provision really delivering what learners and employers want and need? These are some of the issues the research centre will tackle.