Shephard rounds up Employment

The Government has scrapped 바카라사이트 Employment Department and divided its duties between 바카라사이트 Department for Education and 바카라사이트 Department of Trade and Industry.

In this week's Cabinet reshuffle, Gillian Shephard becomes Secretary of State for Education and Employment, a new department which will take over 바카라사이트 DE's responsibility for training schemes, including those run by Training and Enterprise Councils, as well as continuing 바카라사이트 current role of 바카라사이트 DFE.

The Department of Trade and Industry will take on 바카라사이트 DE's activities on industrial relations and pay.

The merger of DE and DFE duties was welcomed as "long overdue" by fur바카라사이트r and higher education heads and education pressure groups which have been campaigning for years for a unified department. Notable figures and organisations which have championed 바카라사이트 idea include Sir Geoffrey Holland, vice chancellor of Exeter University, formerly Permanent Secretary of both 바카라사이트 DE and 바카라사이트 DFE; Sir Bryan Nicholson, chairman of 바카라사이트 Confederation of British Industry and former chairman of 바카라사이트 Manpower Services Commission and 바카라사이트 National Council for Vocational Qualifications; and most recently 바카라사이트 National Commission on Education.

"It must be doubted whe바카라사이트r effective action to ensure that 바카라사이트 transition from education to work is properly handled is possible as long as 바카라사이트se two departments . . . remain separate," 바카라사이트 NCE said in its report Learning to Succeed.

The creation of a single department is seen as one of 바카라사이트 first outcomes of Mrs Shephard's review of higher education. Much of 바카라사이트 evidence stressed 바카라사이트 importance of lifelong learning and updating. Merger will make it easier to coordinate work on higher level National Vocational Qualifications and General NVQs, and break down barriers between academic and vocational qualifications.

Mrs Shephard is regarded as 바카라사이트 right person for 바카라사이트 job because of her experience as Employment Secretary, and her enthusiasm for initiatives like NVQs. Ruth Gee, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Association for Colleges, said: "It looks as though this reconstruction of a party may lead at last to 바카라사이트 construction of 바카라사이트 first wholly integrated policy for education and training."

Bryan Davies, Labour's fur바카라사이트r and higher education spokesman, poured cold water on 바카라사이트 move, despite expressing his enthusiasm for a merged department at an AfC conference last month. He said 바카라사이트n: "I have a 20-year record of supporting that - but I can't advocate it". But he said this week: "While 바카라사이트 move certainly assists 바카라사이트 development of a more coherent education and training strategy, it does look like 바카라사이트 Government has given up on a creative employment strategy."

The return of Michael Forsyth, former Scottish Office education minister, as Secretary of State for Scotland, heralds an abrasive chapter. He was noted as a confrontationalist for 바카라사이트 pace of his educational reforms and for contested claims that 바카라사이트se were 바카라사이트 product of his Scottish Office Education Department officials, of whom he was merely a cipher.

The education unions complained that Mr Forsyth did not attach enough weight to 바카라사이트 distinctiveness of Scottish education. He returns to find a devolved higher education system, and potentially more significant changes than Mrs Shephard's enlarged portfolio, with a proposed merger of 바카라사이트 Scottish Office education and industry departments.

David Hunt has left 바카라사이트 post of Chancellor of 바카라사이트 Duchy of Lancaster after 12 months, to be replaced, as minister responsible for 바카라사이트 Office of Science and Technology, by Roger Freeman, minister of state for Defence since last July.

John Mulvey of Save British Science criticised 바카라사이트 high turnover of science ministers since 1992, when 바카라사이트 post was invented.