APRIL 2009 futures
9futures
MICK
FARLEY
UCLan's Director for Cumbria
HIGHER & FURTHER EDUCATION
The skills
system
must be
simplified
A
YEAR ago, on April Fools' Day
2008, the UK Commission for
Employment and Skills (UKCES)
was launched. From the outset UKCES
has called for simplification of the UK's
employment and skills system.
UKCES argues that the complexity and
bureaucracy of the system turns off even
those employers who are keen to
engage and help. The Department for
Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
responded by asking the Commission to
"advise Government on simplification of
post-19 training and skills in England".
Concerns fall into six major areas:
� Difficulties of access, a feeling that
the whole thing is just too darn
complicated
� Too many programmes and
initiatives creating a climate of
uncertainty
� Restrictive constraints, too many
rules and regulations for example,
eligibility rules on individual
programmes
� Excessive bureaucracy in
administrative arrangements
� Complexity of structures and the
sheer number of bodies and
organisations operating in the system
� Rapidity of change.
And ire from the Conservatives in their
latest paper on skills and training,
"Labour's Failure on Skills", is also aimed
at complex systems and constant
restructuring.
So as the recent DIUS Select
Committee Report "Re-skilling for
recovery" notes, the UKCES
Simplification Project is important and
timely but it needs to move very much
more quickly.
The Select Committee Report was
delayed to reflect the latest economic
conditions and argues that re-skilling
rather than up-skilling should now be at
the heart of skills policy to meet the
challenges of recession and
redundancies. But surely they are not
mutually exclusive? The Committee also
argues that the Government's flagship
`Train to Gain' programme must be
re-focused. The ditching of the Learning
and Skills Council and the creation of a
Skills Funding Agency will add to
confusion the Committee suggests,
going on to urge the Government to
ensure the new system can be
understood by its users, not only by `a
few civil servants and academics'.
Things will only be improved by
fundamentally simplifying the
underlying programmes and structures.
There is a lot, therefore, hanging on the
UKCES Simplification Project � but will
Government and Opposition listen ?
Good news
T
HE University of Cumbria's
journalism degree has been
recognised as one of the best
undergraduate courses for the
profession in the country.
The BA (Hons) Journalism course has
been placed second in the recently
published league tables from the
National Council for the Training of
Journalists (NCTJ), in the newspaper
reporting category.
The Carlisle-based course is accredited
by the NCTJ, meaning students will have
all the necessary skills for a career as a
journalist.
IAN'S
DRIVE
TO STAY
GREEN
Sellafield casts net wide to recruit graduates
S
ELLAFIELD Ltd has launched a
campaign to recruit around 60
graduates for 2009.
The campaign hopes to attract new
talent in science, engineering, maths and
business roles.
With vacancies mainly being advertised
online using popular sites such as Google
and Bebo, the organisation has high hopes
for a cohort of talented new recruits.
Careers fairs have also meant the
recruitment team has had a high profile at
specifically targeted universities.
Jackie McClintock, graduate recruitment
manager, said that for the first time the
services of an external organisation - The
Big Choice - were being used to help with
some of the fairs.
She said: "They generated lots of interest
by running a competition to see who could
construct a Chinese puzzle, called a
tangram, in the shortest time. This was a
big success and created a huge interest in
the company and the roles on offer."
Candidates who apply and meet the
shortlisting criteria will be invited to
undertake aptitude tests and telephone
interviews.
The final part of the selection process will
be held at Sellafield's assessment centre.
Successful graduates will then be invited
on site visits where they will meet their
new line managers and colleagues.
Around 15 of the posts will be based at
Risley, near Warrington.
When the new recruits start existing
graduates, who were taken on via the
scheme, will maintain close links with them
- organising social events and offering
advice.
The early appointment of a buddy will
also make the transition from student to
employee much easier.
Jackie added: "If anyone is currently
studying and wants to find out more about
what is available then visit the website on
www.sellafieldfusion.co.uk. The campaign
is creating lots of interest."
T
HE University of Cumbria
has appointed a transport
`guru' � to identify and drive
forward a more integrated
and
environmentally-friendly travel policy
over the next few years.
Ian Rodham, newly-appointed travel
plan manager, is a former rail campaigner
who helped to save the scenic 72-mile
Carlisle to Settle line from closure in the
1980s.
"The transport and travel issues I am
now looking at are less eye-catching and
dramatic than that particular high-profile
campaign but important nonetheless," he
said.
"My brief encompasses student and
staff welfare, economic prosperity,
educational delivery, the environment as
well as a host of transport and travel
issues."
Ian, 40, who used to be in charge of
transport planning for the United
Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, is
currently examining all aspects of travel
in and out of the university's campuses
and sites.
He said: "I am using surveys and other
data collection methods to see what the
exact picture is.
"But I am already encouraged by what I
see � despite the fact that we are a
multi-campus university in a county
where some car travel is necessary to help
pursue our outreach mission."
Ian said staff and students were already
receptive to the importance of the
environment which had often influenced
their decision to work and study at the
University of Cumbria.
They are mindful of how individual
decisions, such as a car purchase, can
make a positive difference and altering
behaviour to travel less, share car
journeys, use cycles and undertake video
conferencing instead of driving to other
sites for meetings.
"We have to recognise that we are
human and that we need to interact with
each other on a personal level. It is not
healthy to just communicate through
computer screens," Ian added.
"However, we can use technology more
creatively to reduce our environmental
impact."
Ian is already working closely with the
University of Cumbria's green `tsar'
Garry Sharples � who is aiming for a
cross-campus reduction in carbon usage
and greater sustainability � and other
organisations such as local councils,
transport providers and transport lobby
groups.
Ian will also play a key role in the
transport strategy for the redevelopment
of the Newton Rigg Campus and the new
Riverside Campus in Carlisle.
He said: "I'll be reporting to the
university board in the summer when I
have completed my analysis of the current
situation."
"It's then a case of delivering a strategic
transport and travel plan that
imaginatively addresses all the key
issues."
IAN RODHAM: "My job is to take a holistic view of travel and transport across all the University
of Cumbria's campuses and activities"

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