The Governments Influence on Training and Development Case Study

The Governments Influence on Training and Development - Case Study Example Smithers (1993) and Green (1995) have outlined similar critiques based on international comparisons and, more recently, Prais (1995) has pointed to the inadequacy of reforms in the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) system arguing that external testing of the individual candidate to ensure reliability and marketability of the qualification, breadth of vocational field to promote flexibility, written components of examinations to encourage mastery of general principles--are all now less adequate in Britain following NCVQ reforms than they used to be, and are far from accepted Continental procedures. (pp. 105-106). Although the NCVQ is now defunct--having been subsumed under the new overarching Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in October 1997 (Department for Education and Employment, 1997)--its agenda established through the promotion of NVQs is still very much alive and continues to influence policy and practice. Indeed, at a time when our VET and qualifications system is undergoing radical structural reform following a number of critical reports, NVQs are, incredibly enough, being exported elsewhere (Educa, 1997a; Carvel, 1997). Just as we imported from the USA competence-based education and training (CBET) as a model for NVQs (Hyland, 1994a, b) in the 1980s and the idea of private industry councils as a blueprint for Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) in the 1990s (Evans, 1992) at a time when they were failing and being abandoned in their country of origin, so Britain is currently trying to sell a failed and discredited NVQ system to unsuspecting overseas countries. It is i mportant that such activities are challenged and criticised both in the interests of professional ethics in VET practice and, perhaps more significantly, in accordance with the spirit of the United Nations quest for harmony in international relations. At an international conference held in London in November 1997, the British Council--through its agency British Training International and with Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) approval--was openly and unashamedly seeking to sell the NVQ system to countries from all over the world. Speaking in support of this project, the Education and Employment Secretary, David Blunkett, referred to NVQs as 'one of Britain's best-kept secrets' (Carvel, 1997, p. 13). This was a rather unfortunate and ironic choice of words by Mr Blunkett since the actual position is that the 'best-kept secret' about NVQs--at least until relatively recently--has been the fact that they have failed, comprehensively and spectacularly, to achieve any of the objectives set for them. As a way of challenging the idea of NVQ exports, it is worth highlighting some of the main weaknesses and shortcomings of the system.     

Analysis of Forgetfullness, by Billy Collins Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Forgetfullness, by Billy Collins Essay This poem is really easy to identify with. The first 4 stanzas are clearly relating the reader to the poem. Everyone at some point has to learn these general, seemingly useless facts. â€Å"A state flower† â€Å"The capital of Paraguay† so arbitrary, but so true in that this brings back memories of 3rd or 5th grade for almost all of us, it is bound to strike a chord with the reader. This is also coupled with a slightly nostalgic loss of these facts in the first stanza, as slowly the individual sections of a book (that you as the reader once clearly enjoyed) are systematically removed from your memory by time. Then the tone shifts from musing about facts we don’t remember, to our inability to remember them. It begins to get darker. This is useful contrast from the imagery that the reader experiences during the first few stanzas, remembering childhood, and innocence. Juxtaposed is the now darker â€Å"mythological river† described as vague that, dauntingly, is leading to oblivion. The hopeless tone thus has that much more impact as we make our way to our own â€Å"oblivion† or death, where we will join the dead: â€Å"those who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.† Then Collins provides a justification for our wanting to remember, wanting to enrich our every moment, as soon memories will be pointless. Really, in the end this is providing a more inherent worth to memories than they ever had before, because of the fleeting nature of life that Collins describes. Not in a fun, youthful â€Å"carpe diem† way, Collins is showing how short we have to live. Only from this presentation can the reader then make the leap that we ought to cherish these good memories, and make good memories, such as the â€Å"moon (out of the) love poem† in the closing lines of the work.

Why People Cannot Ask For Help Essay examples -- Asking For Help

It can be seen all around us. It may, in fact, affect a good number of us. What is affecting so many people is something called the wall of pride. start to build this wall once they turn into adolescents. The wall of pride is nearly indestructible and many problems. Some people build their wall so high that they are no longer able to ask for help and that can be destructive. The unavoidable truth is that everybody needs help at some point in his or her life. What makes some people refrain from asking for it? . It can be seen in many TV shows, movies, or books. . My own mother has had experience with this strange stereotype. When I interviewed her she said that one notable experience stood out from the many. This event happened a couple of years ago when my family was driving back from Colorado. She said that we were on our way back and my dad wanted to stop at a nursing home to visit his grandma. Now, this nursing home was in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska. After visiting, my mom asked my dad if he needed any help getting back onto the road. My dad took offence that my mom thought that he did not know where he was going. My mom said that he would not listen to her or look at a map. He said that he grew up going to visit his grandma and knew exactly where to go. My mom said that she gave up trying to help and started to read her book. A few hours later, my mom asked if he needed any help because we were still not on the highway. My dad said that he might have taken a wrong turn Kansas. This was a time before smart phones and GPS. My mom said that we had to find a rest stop and buy a map in order to get back onto the correct highway. When I asked if he listens better now, my mom said that my dad still does not like to ge... ...rove as a society until we can learn our weaknesses and rely on others for help to broaden our overall knowledge. Only when we reach that point will the wall of pride be desolated. Works Cited â€Å"Asking For Help†. Personal Experiment. Ed. Kim Geis. 7-19 Nov. 2013. Fallows, Deborah. "The Internet and Daily Life." Pewinternet.org. Pew Internet, 11 Aug. 2004. Web.10 Dec.2013. Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Boston: Back Bay, 2002. Print. Geis, Kim. â€Å"Student Survey.† Survey. 12 Dec. 2013. Geis, Teri. Personal interview. 11 Dec. 2013. Mayerowitz, Scott. "Male Drivers Lost Longer Than Women." ABC News. ABC News Network, 26 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Seidman, Dr. Daniel. "Men and Asking for Help." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 08 Dec. 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.

Conflict Theory and Crime Essay

Time magazine reports an alarming study, where the United Stated is imprisoning more offenders (violent and nonviolent) in prisons and jails than any other country in the world. It is useful to use conflict theory and structural functionalism to explain this practice and to break down the topic with these two schools to then begin building solutions to this crisis. The report done by the Pew Center urges states to stop the practice of putting non-violent offenders behind bars. The report also points to the spending done on corrections, which outweighs spending done on education. From a conflict theory standpoint, many â€Å"law and order† type states demonize low-level offenders, such as drug and alcohol users, and alienate them from society. These people are more likely to become â€Å"caught in the system† and commit low-level crimes (such as stealing to support a drug habit) to only re-enter jail or prison. Even though addiction is viewed as a disease, it is not treated as such, therein lies the structural functionalist perspective that the system of law is black and white. The system functions to exhibit to society what actions are allowable and which actions are criminal, from this perspective there are no nonviolent and violent offenders, only offenders. Both schools of thought are helpful in pointing out many of the interesting points in the article. According to the study, 1 in 100 Americans are in jails or prisons. Add to that number the disproportionate numbers of minorities incarcerated and from a conflict standpoint, one can see inequality in this number. One in thirty men ages 20-34 are behind bars while for African-American men, the number is 1 in 9. For women ages 35 to 39, 1 for every 355 Caucasian women are imprisoned while the figures for their African-American counterparts is 1 in 100. From the article, as well, it is shown that spending on schools is less than spending on corrections. From a conflict standpoint, it can be presupposed that schools in more violent areas could serve to help children, who may be susceptible to criminal activity, but since these schools are in â€Å"bad† neighborhoods they receive little help. Therefore, looking at poverty as inequality and the ignorance of education in lieu of incarceration spending is important, the study suggests. From a structural functionalist perspective, one can gather from reading the article, that many of the programs used today to get â€Å"tough on crime†, such as the three strikes law is putting more prisoners behind bars. From this perspective, one can see that the system of justice reacts to the public outcry for punishment for certain crimes and in turn react by enforcing stricter laws. The structure of law is something that changes due to the differences in the social value system. When a value held by Americans is threatened, for example when an ex-offender is released and commits a heinous murder on re-entry to society, the laws change to reflect the feelings of discourse. The system therefore, has changed to reflect an increasingly punitive society and another interesting note in the article is that the United States remains one of the leaders in nations, in relation to capital punishment. The structure of justice reflects the American structure of punishment and incarceration while the value of treatment and mediation is almost non-existent. In closing, the article â€Å"US Incarceration Rate Hits New High† is a look into the cost of conflict and the inadequate use of punishment in the system of justice. The sociological schools of conflict and structural functionalist theory are helpful in looking at these numbers in the current research to later apply it to ameliorating the problem, as many states are in a financial crisis with this problem. The Pew Center is urging the states, so burdened by high costs and high inmate population, to curtail the practice of incarcerating non-violent offenders. Hopefully further sociological studies will help this process further. References Crary D. (February 28th, 2008). â€Å"US Incarceration Rate Hits New High†. in Time Magazine. Available online http://www. time. com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1718266,00. html. Last accessed February 28th, 2008.

Geography Synoptic Essay

With reference to examples, assess the degree to which the level of economic development of a country affects planning and management in urban areas. The economic development of a country can be defined as the growth of industry, wealth, employment and the level of urbanisation. The planning and management issues that are linked to economic development, are those associated with processes such as urbanisation, suburbanisation and counter-urbanisation of cities. These may include pollution of water, air and noise.Other issues may be the increase in transport and waste, created by people living, travelling through and working in urban areas. These problems need solutions, which often leads to planning and carrying out redevelopment of urban areas. The effects of urbanisation on a city can be seen in Sao Paolo, a newly industrialised country in Brazil where housing improvement schemes are evident. Furthermore we can see issues of planning and management in the UK, a more economically de veloped country, due to increasing re-urbanisation and suburbanisation.Using these 2 counties of different levels of development, I will be able to eventually assess to what extent the level of economic development will affect planning and management of cities. Urbanisation (the movement of people from rural to built-up areas) in Sao Paolo is increasing rapidly. Being the largest city in the southern-hemisphere, with a population density of 21,000km2, it is constantly growing in size. However the rate of increase is slowing, along with the reduced rural-urban migration and natural increase rates.The population of central areas is also decreasing; a pattern that mirrors that of cities in more affluent parts of the world. The city was initially increasing in size because it was a ‘centre of agriculture’, with exports including coffee and cotton. The city continues to develop today as an industrial centre with manufacturing and services. These industries offer reliable emp loyment to people living in rural areas where the main industry of agriculture is unreliable. Another pull factor is its temperate climate in comparison to the tropical low-lands surrounding it.The huge population means that social provisions are of a much higher quality, including education and healthcare. However this movement of people into the city brings its problems, mostly in the variation of quality of life. Although a prosperous city, it does have the highest unemployment rate in Brazil at 5. 3% in August 2012. The contrast between rich and poor is very extreme. A survey of living standards carried out in 2002 revealed that HDI indexes for Sao Paulo varied from the Portuguese national average to Sierra Leone’s (the world’s poorest country. This is reflected by the housing available in the city, from condominiums (luxury housing blocks), to corticos (inner-city dilapidated accommodation) and favelas (illegal slums. ) It was estimated that the sub-standard housi ng occupies 705? of Sao Paolo, and that 605? of population growth in recent years, has gone straight to the favelas. Not only are these areas unsightly and extremely over-populated at 100,000? , absolute poverty is present. The services and infrastructure are inadequate, with little running water, drainage or rubbish collection and many open sewers causing diseases like cholera and dysentery.Many are unemployed and try to find work in the informal section of the economy. The pollution in the city is high, with 255? of Brazil’s vehicles circulating Sao Paolo. However, improvements are being made: air quality is improving with the reduction of sulphur dioxide and lead levels, although ozone and carbon monoxide are still of concern. $1 million is spent each day on rubbish collection and with only 2 landfill sites in 2001, there isn’t enough space for all the rubbish created. However, urbanisation is decreasing and urban regeneration is taking place to improve living condi tions for those already living there.Housing improvement schemes are aiding the regeneration of the city. Favelas have been the main target since 1990, when the city- funded community groups allowed families to renovate their existing homes to include electricity. Despite great publicity only 8000 houses were built, which would on average house 40,000 people (in comparison to the 100,000 living in the favelas. ) Improvements have been attempted since, for example in 2000, when investment was put into Santo Andre. The aim was to alleviate poverty by providing work for entrepreneurs, community healthcare workers and literacy programmes.So although this is an LEDC/RIC, it still faces overpopulation problems; it does seem that the planning and management changes are aiding the over-population problem and improving the overall quality of life. In contrast Notting Hill is in the UK, an economically developed country with an average GDP (ppp) per capita of $35,494 in comparison to $11,719 in Brazil (World Bank 2011). Notting Hil is an area of London, an example of re-urbanisation; when people move into the city centre or inner city due to regeneration.Gentrification is what has happened in Notting Hill, as individuals moved into old housing that was formerly in a state of despair and refurbished and improved it. This changed the composition of the whole neighbourhood, because the affluent newcomers displaced the low-income groups that formerly lived there. Often the new comers work in professional or managerial jobs. A positive outcome of this is that more affluent people have been attracted to the area and therefore their purchasing power is much greater.This means that some house prices now rival those of upmarket Mayfair, but it has meant that the area has become more prosperous. The demand for services to meet the needs of these new-comers has meant new bars and restaurants and services of a higher status. In turn this brings employment to the area for those in d esign, building, decoration etc. Not only is this a hotspot for people such as Stella McCartney, but it is also a popular area for families. There are parks and communal gardens making the area extremely desirable to those who can afford it.The film ‘Notting Hill’ gave the area huge amounts of publicity, despite the fact that gentrification was well established by this time. There are lots of well known and expensive restaurants that line the streets to accommodate the affluent people coming to the area. These include The Westbourne Pub, the Lazy Daisy Cafe and the Goulbourne Road Area. However, there are negative impacts; unfortunately those who lived here before the gentrification are finding it increasingly difficult to either buy houses or afford the living costs of the ones they already own/ rent – the average house price is ? ,320,599. This also means that private rentals are starting to decline, as more and more properties are purchased. Furthermore the fr iction between residents and newcomers can cause crime to increase (seen during the 1976 riots. ) An article in the Daily Telegraph by Ross Clark revealed, â€Å"Parts of Notting Hill are still run-down and prone to crime. ’ However in general it is clear the Notting Hill is a very desirable area for the people who have sufficient income to live there.Transport has also been managed in Notting Hill, and this year (2012) the Metropolitan Police would like to restrict the use of roads in specified ‘safety zones’ by both vehicles and pedestrians which in turn would reduce pollution from cars and overcrowding of people. Also London has the famous congestion charge which has recently been extended to Notting Hill at ? 8 on the day or ? 10 on the day, once again reducing pollution and congestion. Equally this area has a tube station and many bus routes, facilitating travel during the ban of cars, and reducing carbon emissions per person.Waste is also heavily managed i n this area with ‘Monash Waste Transfer and Recycling’ which is managed by the City Council. Not only can people dispose of waste and stop it littering and polluting the water and streets, but it also gives residents a chance to recycle, reducing the amount put into landfill, and reducing the amount of unrenewable resources we use. Equally in the U. K. the opposite is also happening with counter-urbanisation, where people migrate to rural areas, often ‘leap-frogging’ the green belt to get away from the pollution and crime that cities are famous for.This is often families who increase the affluence of an area but unfortunately this means they work in professional or managerial jobs which requires transport links to the city, and services for the whole family within the rural area. For example Crosby in the Isle of Man. The ‘A1’ commuter route has been extended, which although facilitating travel, may also increase congestion and pollution toward s the rural area, which almost defeats the point of ‘clean and peaceful living. In addition modern facilities are in demand from the families; extentions, garages etc. A perfect example being the Eyreton Barn Conversions. However, this would provide work for the construction industry within the village, benefiting the local economy. However, the addiction of all these services, including a refurbished play park and BMX track, although necessary for recreation of young people within the village, are arguably expanding what should be a centre of agriculture.Expansion can also be seen in Ballawattleworth Estate, Peel in the Isle of Man where people are moving from the centre of the city to the outskirts (suburbanisation. ) Once again this has meant the increase in the building of schools. At the Queen Elizabeth II high school a new dining room, classrooms and KS5 learning Centre have been necessary to cater for the increased intake of pupils as more people move to the area. When comparing LEDCs and MDCs it is vital to take into account other, wider issues.For example LEDCs may have more natural disasters and less revenue to deal with them. In Brazil between 1980 and 2010 there were 146 natural disasters and over 4000 people killed; in the UK there have been 67 with only 751 killed. Therefore planning and managing an urban area which is more prone to natural disaster is going to pose far more problems socially, economically, environmentally and politically. Not only is it more difficult, but the country as a whole can’t afford the damage so has to seek aid from other countries.A lot of natural disasters are also weather related, for example the floods in Brazil, due to the tropical climate. Located right next to the equator, it is a perfect target for tropical down-pours as the rising condensation comes straight down again as precipitation. Furthermore pollution is a much larger issue in Sao Paolo due to the favelas with open sewers; in the UK clean d rinking water and plumbing mean that pollution isn’t an issue. Finally, the health issues created in the favelas mean that healthcare is needed for more people than in the U. K.This is economically counter-productive for the city as paying more health-care for residents also means less money available for improvement of the areas that need it. Whereas in the U. K. the NHS means healthcare is free, although diseases such as cholera don’t need treatment as working sewers are something we already have. In conclusion, I think it is true that the level of economic development has an impact on planning and management issues. If a country such as Brazil had more money then they would be able to combat poverty and sanitation by demolishing the favelas.As an MDC we do have the funding to lessen the issues, but in 200 years time Sao Paolo will have developed demographically and moved to stage 4 of the DTM. With a slower increase or stable population they may find regenerating mu ch easier, as there will be less people to cater for. Notting Hill expanded during the 19th and 20th Centuries due to rural to urban migration and by the 1950s slum conditions affected the area and poverty took hold – much like the current state of Sao Paolo. Gentrification and re- urbanisation may occur here too when and if the economy can support it.