Part 1
The previous section introduced the context for debate about UK skills policy. UK policy exists within a broader framework of discussion by various international bodies in which the benchmarking of different countries often provides an incentive to debate (as in the CIPD’s comment about languishing in league tables).
In this first part of the activity, search for information on different international reports or reviews of skills development in different countries. Use this activity as an opportunity to search for issues debated that might impact HRD strategy in your organisation or an organisation known to you. The output of this part of the activity should be a list of key issues.
To get started you might like to review the following links:
- CEDEFOP: The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
- OECD Directorate for Education and Skills.
Keep a record of the sources that you have used and your notes about the issues raised as you will have an opportunity to discuss these with your fellow students in the tutor group forum (TGF) in Part 2. Remember to provide information about your sources by referencing them using the OU Harvard academic style.
Note: Sometimes the URL at the top of a web page will not return you to the same page or journal article, so make sure to supply direct and stable links to your resources. The Library activity Creating permanent links to ejournal articles provides guidance on creating stable links.
Part 2
First take time to consolidate your notes from the first part of this activity. Ensure you have recorded all the necessary information about the sources that you consulted. You will need to share the reference details including stable links for these sources when you post information on the TGF.
Share a brief summary of what you have discovered in Part 1 via the TGF thread set up by your tutor for this activity. In discussion with your fellow students, explore your response to the following questions:
- Which sources did you find most useful and why?
- What challenges do HRD professionals face in making sense of and keeping up to date on these broader issues of policy?
There is no feedback for this activity.
