Higher Education and Employment: The Changing Relationship. Recent Developments in Continuing Professional Education. Country Study: United Kingdom.

Overview & Synopsis

This report, one of a series of country studies on higher education and employment particularly in continuing professional education, looks at recent developments in Great Britain. In particular the report concentrates on developments at the interface between the country's higher education system and working adults in managerial or professional jobs. Following a preface and an introduction the first of four main sections describes the nature of continuing professional education including its development, the roles and responsibilities of various actors, access, certification and accreditation issues, and funding. The second section reviews the market for continuing professional education: the employer's perspective, the role of professional associations and the activities of other organizations such as commercial providers. The third section outlines higher education's response to changes and their central role in providing continuing professional education as well as discussing the effect of demand for continuing education on the universities and the place these services take in the universities. A concluding section argues that development of continuing professional education has been haphazard and unbalanced and argues for increased collaboration between industry and higher education. (Contains 74 references.) (JB)