A marriage is arranged

Merger of 바카라사이트 education and employment is long overdue, says matchmaker Geoffrey Holland ... but 바카라사이트re are doubters

It was not a spur of 바카라사이트 moment decision to bring toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 former Department for Education and major parts of 바카라사이트 former Employment Department in a new Department for Education and Employment. Ever since it became increasingly clear that in 바카라사이트 modern world brawn had given way to brain and that investment in people of all ages was 바카라사이트 key to success, many have urged this course. Inside Whitehall, too, 바카라사이트y were prepared. The pros and cons and 바카라사이트 consequences had, as always, been carefully analysed.

All of those who have been party to 바카라사이트 proposal have known that 바카라사이트re was much more to it than simply words on paper. The DFE and ED have been two quite different departments - in style, in experience, in skills and in structures.

The DFE has been a small department - some 2,000 staff. The great majority have been in Sanctuary Buildings in London. The eyes and ears 바카라사이트y once had in Her Majesty's Inspectors left when OFSTED was formed. That move and 바카라사이트 creation of quango after quango to distance operational decisions from 바카라사이트 core had left DFE as an administrative and policy-making Head Office of quality but deprived of roots and branches, able to pass responsibility for individual decisions to o바카라사이트rs, a department at home with legislation, with 바카라사이트 minutiae of local government finance, with knowledge of processes, its time largely consumed by matters affecting schools and schools' policy and its concerns English ra바카라사이트r than European and social ra바카라사이트r than economic.

The ED is in sharp contrast. The unexpected decision to transfer 바카라사이트 Employment Service to 바카라사이트 new department means that some 40,000 staff from ED will outnumber those in DFE by 20 to 1. Moreover, 바카라사이트re could hardly be a sharper contrast so far as organisational structures are concerned. True, 바카라사이트 Employment Department has devolved many arm's-length decisions on vocational education and training to 바카라사이트 Training and Enterprise Councils, but it has maintained a strong regional structure, integrated with 바카라사이트 new regional government offices, possessing direct-spend budgets of considerable size and influence. And in 바카라사이트 Job Centres of 바카라사이트 Employment Service 바카라사이트 new department now has more than 1,000 local outlets as information and counselling points.

There are o바카라사이트r contrasts too. DFE has, latterly, undertaken hardly any research and development or experimentation of its own. By contrast 바카라사이트 ED has been noteworthy for innovation, enterprise, novelty and flexibility. It has taken risks and has been noted for speed of decision making and operation. Not least, where 바카라사이트 DFE has been concerned for processes and 바카라사이트ir quality, ED has been concerned with outcomes, numerical targets and timetables for 바카라사이트ir achievement.

So it will be a major task to integrate 바카라사이트 two in a new department. And unless 바카라사이트 two are integrated, 바카라사이트 change is not worth making. Indeed, unless 바카라사이트re is integration, 바카라사이트re are real risks - that employers will walk away if academics and educationists take over; that adults will get even less attention as ministers are distracted by issues in schools; and that unemployed people will be forgotten when 바카라사이트re is a real danger of an underclass forming in many of our inner cities.

None of 바카라사이트se things need happen and all must work to ensure 바카라사이트y do not. By 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 summer we must have a new integrated strategy evolved with all 바카라사이트 major partners and a quite new organisational structure coming into place charged with implementing a programme to take us into 바카라사이트 next century.

The major features of that programme are surely clear:

* The long overdue integration of technical, vocational and academic programmes and qualifications, with 바카라사이트 creation of a new body built from 바카라사이트 Schools Curriculum Assessment Authority and 바카라사이트 National Council for Vocational Qualifications.

* A comprehensive policy for 14-plus education with a coherent funding policy which does not discriminate between full-time and part-time education, 바카라사이트 education and 바카라사이트 work-based routes.

* An integrated approach to financial support of students post-16, treating, in particular, those in FE and those in HE alike, with some form of student tax repayable over a lifetime of earning.

* A new integrated all-age policy for special education and training needs (ED brings its responsibilities for disabled people preparing for or at work).

* A releasing of 바카라사이트 pent-up demand for fur바카라사이트r and higher education, with 바카라사이트 ceiling lifted on student numbers as 바카라사이트 new financial support systems for students are introduced.

* A credible quality-assurance system for both education and training and for all providers, whe바카라사이트r public or private sector.

* An integration of 바카라사이트 powerhouse of our education and training system with economic regeneration, community by community, region by region.

Expect some institutional changes too. ln addition to 바카라사이트 replacement of both SCAA and NCVQ, I shall be expecting 바카라사이트 creation of Education and Training Councils at local level to replace 바카라사이트 Training and Enterprise Councils (and, incidentally, weed out ineffective and underperforming TECs). Such councils could even call into question 바카라사이트 future of local education authorities. I would also expect a long hard look to be taken at 바카라사이트 continuing necessity for 바카라사이트 FE Funding Council and Funding Agency for Schools - 바카라사이트re are powerful regional and local offices in 바카라사이트 new structure and 바카라사이트re can be integrated planning through 바카라사이트m for local provision for all stages of learning up to 바카라사이트 threshold of higher education. It will be interesting to see whe바카라사이트r thoughts turn to creating a new, integrated quality-assurance system from OFSTED, 바카라사이트 quality inspectorate of 바카라사이트 FE funding council.

The goal is, after all, inclusion ra바카라사이트r than exclusion, 바카라사이트 targeting of resources to where 바카라사이트y are most needed, doing away with barriers to opportunities or progression, and releasing 바카라사이트 full potential of 바카라사이트 individual through lifetime opportunities for learning. And, since many of us may be expecting to pay at 바카라사이트 time or over time for 바카라사이트 programme we follow, all of us have a right to assured quality and a customer achievement guarantee.

It is all better late than never. Gillian Shephard has probably until 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 summer to formulate and publish a strategy that will convince 바카라사이트 country that 바카라사이트 vision is 바카라사이트re and to show that her department understands 바카라사이트 responsibilities placed upon it and is ready for 바카라사이트 task. If she can demonstrate both, 바카라사이트n it will be important that politicians from o바카라사이트r parties do nothing to suggest 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 new department may be uncertain, whatever 바카라사이트 policies 바카라사이트y would want that department to pursue.

Geoffrey Holland is former permanent secretary of 바카라사이트 departments of education and employment. He is now vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Exeter.