Methodology
We adopted a range of methodologies during this project, including:
Secondary research
The project began with a far-reaching assessment of current thinking and approaches to professional education using secondary sources. This culminated in a secondary research report, which informed the design of all subsequent research content.
International round-table series
To enable engagement with a wide range of leaders in business, education and policy and to ensure a cross-section of opinion, a series of round-table discussions was instigated in the five countries of Brazil,China, India, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Those taking part included government representatives, policy makers, business leaders from corporations and small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) and individuals working in education provision and academic study. These people were chosen for their depth of expertise, insight into the challenges faced by their own education systems and economies and their current engagement in shaping the future of education for employment. Overall, 85 people took part in the round-table series across six countries, including the UK. All participants attended voluntarily.
Primary research project
A multi-stage primary research project was commissioned to supplement the findings from the international round-table series. Qualitative indepth interviews were augmented by qualitative bulletin boards as well as quantitative online surveys among employers, employees, learners and training providers. Around 2,000 respondents took part in this phase of the research.
Results from this primary research project are integrated throughout this website, and you can learn more about our first set of findings by reading the Effective Education for Employment: A global perspective (click below).
Visioning series
Having gathered evidence on a baseline, or understanding of the key issues around the 21st Century skills race and proper development of human capital, we have specifically engaged with leading thinkers and practitioners across the world and asked them to share their vision for a desired future. In total some 54 experts from a variety of backgrounds were consulted and asked to provide a blueprint for change in the form of sustainable ideas and actions that could work towards achieving a desired and plausible future. We will regularly update this website with the finalised reports.
The scale of the research
The Effective Education for Employment began with a report based on the findings of an initial 12-month integrated research project, carried out in 25 countries. Follow-up activity allowed us to focus in more depth on the five emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, South Africa and the UAE. Contributors included government representatives, leading thinkers, educators, employers, employees and learners. A variety of research methodologies were adopted including face-to-face interviews, roundtable discussions, quantitative surveys, telephone interviews, online questionnaires and bulletin boards.
- 25 countries
- 2,000 participants
- Round-table discussions with thought leaders
- Feedback from government, industry, educators, employees and learners
Following on from our initial report As part of our efforts to develop a vision for a 21st Century Educaito system a further series of round-table discussions and one to one interviews with 54 experts were carried out in the USA, India, South Africa, and Singapore. A wide variety of stakeholders were consulted, all of whom are actively engaged in the future educational development of their countries.
