'A Curriculum for Excellence' sets out the Scottish Executive's vision for transforming Scottish education by 2007. "Our aspiration is to enable all children to develop their capacities as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society."
As part of the education review, the Scottish Executive initiated a programme of reform that includes new Skills-for-Work courses aimed at 14-16 year olds. These are vocational courses which may involve pupils spending some of their learning time at a local college as well as a work placement.
Pye Tait was commissioned to establish if a Skills-for-Work course should be implemented for the retail sector in Scotland. In-depth telephone interviews with retail employers, colleges and training providers, as well as discussions with various Sector Skills Councils gathered opinion and information on the initiative. The report included employer expectations, benefits and difficulties of a course, progression opportunities, and made a number of recommendations regarding the course implementation and structure. The report will be used by our client as a tool in the decision process regarding the next series of Skills-for-Work courses to be introduced in Scotland’s schools.