The 'learning society' is not a new idea, although its popularity has grown in recent years with the suggestion that lifelong learning is a condition for economic competitiveness in a global economy, replacing the earlier conception of it as a condition for democratic citizenship. This reader, designed to accompany Module E827 of the MA in Education, critically examines the demographic, technological, economic and cultural challenges which have led to interest in the idea of a learning society, and explores their policy and practical implications for lifelong learning. It also explores and evaluates trends in education and training which support the development of a learning society. Overall, the book provides readers with a range of opinions on the learning society within which broad context they can place their own practice.

Until relatively recently, adult learning in the UK was largely recognised as being situated mainly within the LEA adult education centre, university extra-mural departments and the WEA. However, this picture has changed. The major change has been a shift from 'education' to 'learning' as the key organising concept. A greater range of settings are now recognised as sites producing learning, and alongside this has grown a debate about the purpose and form of study within adult learning. This has led people to question both the concept of adult learning and the boundaries of its provision. This book reviews and assesses the changes which are taking place. It explores the disputes surrounding adult learning, discussing how boundaries have blurred thereby creating new opportunities such as APL and credit transfer, and including a significantly wider range of activities within the definition of learning. It also assesses the extent to which, despite the changes in boundaries, inequalities in learning opportunities still persist.

During the 1980s and 1990s the elaboration of a reformed system of vocational qualifications was perhaps the most controversial of all the governments efforts to improve the provision of vocational education and training. Based largely on interviews with nearly 100 individuals who were closely involved with these reforms, this book provides an in-depth account of the origins, development and implementation of NVQ and GNVQ policies. In accounting for the progress of vocational qualifications policy three main areas are covered by the book. Firstly the authors look at the origins of the reformed system, then examine the initial implementation of the NVQ and GNVQ policies in the late 1980s and early 1990s and identify the considerable problems that accompanied the reform process. Thirdly, the book focuses on the ways in which the reformed policy was sustained during the 1990s.

During the 1980s and 1990s the elaboration of a reformed system of vocational qualifications was perhaps the most controversial of all the governments efforts to improve the provision of vocational education and training. Based largely on interviews with nearly 100 individuals who were closely involved with these reforms, this book provides an in-depth account of the origins, development and implementation of NVQ and GNVQ policies. In accounting for the progress of vocational qualifications policy three main areas are covered by the book. Firstly the authors look at the origins of the reformed system, then examine the initial implementation of the NVQ and GNVQ policies in the late 1980s and early 1990s and identify the considerable problems that accompanied the reform process. Thirdly, the book focuses on the ways in which the reformed policy was sustained during the 1990s.

Until relatively recently, adult learning in the UK was largely recognised as being situated mainly within the LEA adult education centre, university extra-mural departments and the WEA. However, this picture has changed. The major change has been a shift from 'education' to 'learning' as the key organising concept. A greater range of settings are now recognised as sites producing learning, and alongside this has grown a debate about the purpose and form of study within adult learning. This has led people to question both the concept of adult learning and the boundaries of its provision.
This book reviews and assesses the changes which are taking place. It explores the disputes surrounding adult learning, discussing how boundaries have blurred thereby creating new opportunities such as APL and credit transfer, and including a significantly wider range of activities within the definition of learning. It also assesses the extent to which, despite the changes in boundaries, inequalities in learning opportunities still persist.

The 'learning society' is not a new idea, although its popularity has grown in recent years with the suggestion that lifelong learning is a condition for economic competitiveness in a global economy, replacing the earlier conception of it as a condition for democratic citizenship.
This reader, designed to accompany Module E827 of the MA in Education, critically examines the demographic, technological, economic and cultural challenges which have led to interest in the idea of a learning society, and explores their policy and practical implications for lifelong learning. It also explores and evaluates trends in education and training which support the development of a learning society. Overall, the book provides readers with a range of opinions on the learning society within which broad context they can place their own practice.

The editors charged contributors to examine individual aspects of policy and practice considering, inter alia, three sub-themes. The first is the competence-based approach and its implementation; the second is an exploration of who are the winners and losers as government has placed national economic development at the heart of its policies and programmers for education and training. A third theme is the process of change and intervention itself. While apparent in all the chapters, it is most easily traced in the case studies where policies initiated at national level by government and other bodies are modified by factors in the local context and are implemented in ways which are acceptable to individual organizations. The New Training Initiative made competence-based qualifications a key component of its agenda for improving Britain's VET performance. This has now emerged as the pervasive influence on both VET policy and practice and, features with different degrees of optimism and unease in several chapters.

The editors charged contributors to examine individual aspects of policy and practice considering, inter alia, three sub-themes. The first is the competence-based approach and its implementation; the second is an exploration of who are the winners and losers as government has placed national economic development at the heart of its policies and programmers for education and training. A third theme is the process of change and intervention itself. While apparent in all the chapters, it is most easily traced in the case studies where policies initiated at national level by government and other bodies are modified by factors in the local context and are implemented in ways which are acceptable to individual organizations. The New Training Initiative made competence-based qualifications a key component of its agenda for improving Britain's VET performance. This has now emerged as the pervasive influence on both VET policy and practice and, features with different degrees of optimism and unease in several chapters.