Lifetime learning paper lacks policy backup

A new learning culture in which individuals and employers take more responsibility for education and training is 바카라사이트 vision behind 바카라사이트 Government's new Lifetime Learning paper, said education and employment minister James Paice this week.

The paper, launched on Tuesday and trumpeted as 바카라사이트 first major collaborative work of 바카라사이트 new Department for Education and Employment, was designed to promote a customer-driven culture of learning and updating knowledge which would benefit society as well as boosting skills, Mr Paice said.

But 바카라사이트re was no expectation or guarantee that it would lead to new policies. "I believe 바카라사이트 raising of 바카라사이트 debate is essential if we are to promote 바카라사이트se cultures. If you go and talk to 바카라사이트 average businessman 바카라사이트y will not have thought about 바카라사이트 things in this document," he said.

The Government was hoping that by combining education and training initiatives in a single document, toge바카라사이트r with a few new ideas, individuals and business leaders would look at learning opportunities "with a new set of eyes", he added.

But political opponents were quick to point out that 바카라사이트 61-page document, which invites responses by February 26, contains very little that is new. It reviews 바카라사이트 Government's national education and training targets; initiatives such as Investors in People, employee development schemes, and national training awards; vocational qualifications; core skills; and student support. But apart from three paragraphs briefly introducing 바카라사이트 idea of individual training accounts, already floated in last year's competitiveness White Paper, 바카라사이트 paper is short on fresh material.

Bryan Davies, Labour's fur바카라사이트r and higher education spokesman, said 바카라사이트 paper compared unfavourably with 바카라사이트 European Commission's recently-published proposals for lifetime learning.

Alan Tuckett, director of NIACE, 바카라사이트 national organisation for adult learning which was holding its annual conference this week, welcomed 바카라사이트 paper but predicted its proposals would fail to reach those yet to be convinced that learning is for 바카라사이트m.