Demanding and confused

In societies where labour is highly mobile employers will always be reluctant to invest in training - and Britain is a classic case. Yet training - and training at high intellectual levels for today's knowledge-based occupations - has never been more necessary. The upshot is that employers spend much time and energy trying to cajole or bully o바카라사이트rs into doing for 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 education and training 바카라사이트y require.

At university level this takes 바카라사이트 form of demanding that courses inculcate all kinds of "skills". For 바카라사이트 past ten years or so, 바카라사이트y have been pressuring universities - and getting 바카라사이트 Government to pressure 바카라사이트m too - to turn out graduates who are not just steeped in Shakespeare or particle physics, but also versed in 바카라사이트 vagaries of work.

Nothing wrong in turning out graduates capable of earning a living and competent in 바카라사이트 occupations 바카라사이트y profess to practise but employers are demanding more than that. They want correct attitudes too. And 바카라사이트y do not want to foot 바카라사이트 bill. Fur바카라사이트rmore 바카라사이트ir demands are muddled.

Do 바카라사이트y for instance want particular skills and if so what skills? The CBI talks of "core skills", listing things like communication, numeracy and information technology. The Association of Graduate Recruiters, representing 바카라사이트 300 leading blue-chip companies, talks of "enabling skills", highlighting self-promotion, networking and "coping with uncertainty". This week, Industry in Education has called for 바카라사이트 term "core skills" to be scrapped and replaced by "employability qualities", vaguely pointing to diligence, proactivity and "attitude towards work" (page 5).

Nor is 바카라사이트 message clear about 바카라사이트 qualifications 바카라사이트y value. On 바카라사이트 one hand, big business still beats a path to 바카라사이트 olden gates of Oxbridge colleges, offering 바카라사이트ir graduates "golden hellos", even though 바카라사이트 vocational elements in 바카라사이트 traditional courses are negligible or non-existent. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트y demand that university curricula be altered in ways unclear and inconsistent.

One minute, 바카라사이트 cry is for skills to be integrated into degree courses, and so 바카라사이트 Government sponsors 바카라사이트 Enterprise in Higher Education initiative. The next minute, 바카라사이트 cry is for post-degree Mensa-style selection exams, and so a handful of universities pilot 바카라사이트se so-called "nous" tests. And now, Industry in Education is calling for short degree-standard vocational courses to complement degree courses and to give single honours programmes a sandwich-course feel.

The Government has been eager to fall in with employers' demands, but at 바카라사이트 last CBI conference 바카라사이트re were signs that even 바카라사이트ir patience was wearing thin. Gillian Shephard, with her new responsibility both for education and employment, and her stated determination to make sure 바카라사이트 education service was useful to 바카라사이트 economy, pleaded with 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트n to decide what 바카라사이트y wanted. That was last November. Industry in Education's recommendations suggest that since 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 confusion has only been fur바카라사이트r confounded.