Quality Improvement in Adult Vocational Education and Training: Transforming Skills for the Global Economy

Citation

Narasimhan, K. (2009), "Quality Improvement in Adult Vocational Education and Training: Transforming Skills for the Global Economy", Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 19 No. 6, pp. 750-751. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604520911005125

In the global economy, it has become imperative to develop skills of adults by high quality training. Adult education has become a service industry and improving the quality of adult vocational education and training has become a key issue the world over. The United Kingdom has a long history in this field and the authors Perry and Sherlock have wide experience in that field.

Nicky Perry is the director of Beyond Standards Ltd., an international Quality Improvement consultancy. Prior to this she was Director of Inspection at the Training Standards Council and the Adult Learning Inspectorate. David Sherlock was the Chief Inspector of Adult Learning for England from 2000 to 2007. After retiring in 2007, he works as a director of an international consultancy and president of the national Institute for Adult Continuing Education and a board member of Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

The book comprises 11 chapters excluding the introduction. Chapter 1 deals with “Why change: the challenges of globalization”. The role of skills in improving productivity and the part played by Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) are clearly explained in this chapter. They briefly introduce a TVET model comprising providers, inspection based on standards and National Awards, the twin guarantors of educational service provided.

Chapter 2 introduces “The transformational diamond”, a new flexible and culturally adaptable framework for effecting continuous improvement in learning. The frame work comprises of four. As: Aspiration to excellence, Assessment of position on the path to excellence, Assistance for weak but aspiring organizations, Accumulation of good practice. It recommends the use of an assessment framework that should be based on the definition of quality in learning as “the level of benefit to the individual learner”. The framework comprises of six questions covering all aspects of learning and key indicators for each of the questions are listed. It is emphasized that both subjective and objective evidence gathered from learners and discussed with managers and teaching staff is needed for improving quality.

The next three chapters respectively explain how to use the framework to assess the impact of the various components in “The Learner's Journey” from recruitment to progression, how to judge learning by making observation of teaching credible, and how to use self‐assessment to improve AIR (accountability, improvement and regulation). In particular they deal with what to assess and how.

Chapters 6 and 7 concentrate respectively on collecting relevant data to determine the success rate and relevant aspects of The Learner's Journey, and how to act on the information gained to ensure improvement. It is emphasized that in addition to enforcing standards assistance has to be given to weak organizations.

Chapter 8 focuses on building a national quality movement by accumulating good practice, the third facet of The Transformational Diamond, and disseminating it efficiently to others. Chapter 9 shows how to persuade institutions to aspire for excellence by using the right kind of medium for the message (for example, free monthly newspapers), and the right language. Chapter 10 tracks the activities of the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) to prove that linking quality assessment and quality improvement in one organization has reaped benefits. The final chapter shows how to gain benefits from adopting the Transformational Diamond.

The chapters are well supported by case studies to reinforce the concepts and practices covered. However, a brief introduction to each of the chapters and a summary at the end would have improved the structure.