News From North East May 2007
Inside this issue...
Click on to your chosen topic from here
- The Institution of Engineering and Technology
- Scottish Qualifications Authority - Results Online
- UCAS Applications
- The Scottish Council for Development and Industry
- Open Days
- The Changing Nature of the School-to-Work Transition Process in OECD Countries
- The Cost of Exclusion: Counting the Cost of Youth Disadvantage in the UK
- Scottish Executive Website
- Froth and Bubble
- Contributions
The Institution of Engineering and Technology
The IET has launched an awards programme which provides access to £1m worth of scholarships, bursaries and awards to engineering students and professionals.The funding has been provided to encourage a greater take up of engineering and technology courses at university to address the growing skills shortages within the profession.
For further details visit The 2007 IET Awards website.
Scottish Qualifications Authority - Results Online
Results Online provides secure online access to SQA records. A text messaging service is also available. 2007 results will be available online and by text from Monday 6 August, the day before SQA Certificates are delivered by post.
Details on the SQA Results Online website.
UCAS Applications
The latest snapshot of application figures to full-time undergraduate courses at UK higher education institutions from UCAS showed that 446,765 people had applied to start courses in 2007.
This compares with 424,560 in 2006 and represents a rise of 5.2%. The snapshot of applications was taken at 24 March, the closing date for Art and Design Route B applications.
For more details read the UCAS news release.
The Scottish Council for Development and Industry
SCDI is an economic development organisation, with some 1200 members throughout Scotland. Membership is diverse including: blue chip companies, small businesses, education, local government, trade unions, professional associations, voluntary sector, and cultural organisations.
"As an entirely independent organisation, SCDI’s membership network seeks to strengthen Scotland’s economic competitiveness and sustainable prosperity by influencing Government policy at all levels (in Scotland, the UK, the European Union or globally)." Extract from website.
You can access research and policy papers on their website. Policy paper headings include: Macroeconomy, Exchange Rates & Fiscal Policy, Transport and Communication, Environment, Food Production & Safety, Education and Skills, Local Authorities and Business Support , Energy and International Trade/Europe.
Visit the Scottish Council for Development and Industry website.
Open Days
If you are looking for dates of open days visit the opendays.com website
The Changing Nature of the School-to-work Transition Process in OECD Countries
Extract from summary on Future Skills Scotland website –
The report… Notes that, despite the fact that today's young cohorts are smaller in number and better educated than their older counterparts, high youth unemployment remains a serious problem in many OECD countries. Suggests this reflects a variety of factors, including the relatively high proportion of young people leaving school without a basic education qualification, the fact that skills acquired in initial education and not always well adapted to labour market requirements, as well as general labour market conditions and problems in the functioning labour markets. Highlights contrasting trends in youth labour market performance over the past decade using a wide range of indicators. Presents evidence on the length of transitions from school to work and the degree to which temporary jobs service as either traps for young people or stepping-stones to good careers. Reviews some recent policy innovations to improve youth employment prospects.
For further information visit the Futureskills Scotland webpage containing the link to the report.
The Cost of Exclusion: Counting the Cost of Youth Disadvantage in the UK
(A report from the Princes Trust)
Extract from summary on Future Skills Scotland website
The report… Explores the costs associated with youth unemployment, youth crime and educational underachievement. Highlights some facts about youth unemployment and discusses the various costs that youth unemployment incurs. Considers the 'wage penalty' of youth unemployment. Discusses the costs of youth crime, and estimates the costs of crime by young people aged between 10 and 21 in 2004. Discusses the link between unemployment and educational underachievement. Looks at the number of convictions and the prison population. Considers the costs of educational underachievement and evidence of the health consequences of educational underachievement. Discusses the benefits of encouraging young people to stay in education.
For further information visit the Futureskills Scotland webpage containing the link to the report.
Scottish Executive Website
| Date | Section | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| 17/04/2007 | Education | Independent School Census, September 2006 [Publication] Annual census of independent schools in Scotland. The results relate to September 2006. |
| 25/04/2007 | Health and Nutrition | Support for Nursing and Midwifery Students in Scotland 2007/8 [Publication] |
| 14/05/2007 | Education | Helping you meet the cost of learning: Students with Dependent Children (including lone parents) 2007-2008 [Publication] This guide gives an overview of the funding available from August 2007 for learners, or those thinking about learning, with dependent children, and is a useful guide to practitioners giving advice to learners. |
| 16/05/2007 | Education | Students in Higher Education at Scottish Institutions 2005-06 [Publication] Statistics Publication Students in Higher Education at Scottish Institutions 2005-06 |
Froth and Bubble
Scottish Screen
The Scottish Screen Archive has film clips on a wide range of topics related to life in Scotland. Well worth a visit.
Lateral ThinkingYou are driving in a car at a constant speed. On your left side is a valley and on your right side is a fire engine travelling at the same speed as you.
In front of you is a galloping pig which is the same size as your car and you cannot overtake it. Behind you is a helicopter flying at ground level. Both the giant pig and the helicopter are also travelling at the same speed as you.
What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?
(Thanks to John for this puzzler).
Contributions
If you would like to contribute an item to the newsletter we would be delighted to hear from you. Contributions can be emailed to info.ne@careers-scotland.org.uk or faxed to 01592 623199
