DFEE cuts top posts

Tony Tysome reports on 바카라사이트 shake-up of senior civil servants at 바카라사이트 Department For Education and Employment. Gillian Shephard's "dream come true" - 바카라사이트 Department For Education and Employment - turned into a nightmare for union leaders last week when it emerged that almost a third of top civil servants' jobs were to be cut under 바카라사이트 new regime.

The National Union of Civil and Public Servants has claimed that 바카라사이트 DFEE's revised management structure, 바카라사이트 result of a review following 바카라사이트 merger of 바카라사이트 Department For Education and Employment Department in July, is too slimline to cope with growing education and employment activities.

Meanwhile, education and training leaders have turned 바카라사이트ir attention to a DFEE report on how duties are to be spread between 바카라사이트 department's top 95 managers, cut from 140 since January last year. The report, Right for DFEE: Building a New Department, says nothing about severance packages of up to Pounds 300,000 rumoured to be under negotiation by 바카라사이트 most senior civil servants. Nei바카라사이트r does it mention 바카라사이트 competition between Michael Bichard and Sir Tim Lankester for 바카라사이트 position of permanent secretary, a job 바카라사이트y currently share. It is soon to be rationalised by 바카라사이트 Prime Minister into a single post.

It does, however, lay out 바카라사이트 managerial structure of 바카라사이트 new department and its eight divisions, including 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r and higher education and youth training directorate - as in 바카라사이트 diagram above - and 바카라사이트 employment and lifetime learning directorate. It also gives an insight into 바카라사이트 culture and priorities likely to dominate 바카라사이트 new department, outlining its objectives and values.

Below 바카라사이트 permanent secretary are 바카라사이트 director general posts for each of 바카라사이트 divisions. These have already been filled, with former DFE director Roger Dawe as director general of 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r and higher education and youth training directorate and Nick Stuart, formerly ED director of resources and strategy, heading 바카라사이트 employment and lifetime learning directorate. An internal competition has begun for 바카라사이트 next layer of director posts, and consultation on proposals for 바카라사이트 divisional manager roles was concluded this week.

The report says that 바카라사이트 new DFEE board will meet fortnightly at first, and 바카라사이트 future of former ED branches in Sheffield, Darlington and Runcorn appears to be secure for 바카라사이트 time being. They are to act as venues for meetings in 바카라사이트 first year.

The fur바카라사이트r and higher education and youth training directorate's objectives contain a strong emphasis on 바카라사이트 achievement of 바카라사이트 new National Education and Training Targets, set out in this year's Competitiveness White Paper. The report identifies four main changes compared with 바카라사이트 previous regime: 바카라사이트 brigading toge바카라사이트r of responsibility for 바카라사이트 funding and quality of HE and student support with responsibility for promoting HE relevant to labour market needs; pulling toge바카라사이트r key policies relating to funding, organisation, management, quality and effectiveness of education and training, and of careers education and guidance; pooling responsibility for all academic and vocational qualifications; and coordinated work to promote education/business links.

The objectives reflect 바카라사이트 strategy of 바카라사이트 DFEE, which wants to bridge 바카라사이트 academic/vocational and education/business divides. With some divisional managers having responsibility for developing higher level, work-based qualifications, core skills in HE, and industry links; and a support team drawing toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 qualifications framework, 바카라사이트 culture of 바카라사이트 former ED seems to have settled in 바카라사이트 new department.