An assessment of the contribution which private training providers currently make to vocational education and training provision in Scotland.

摘要

The introduction to this thesis outlines the concerns which led to theuddevelopment of the National Education and Training Targets and theuddegrees of success which different sectors in Scotland are experiencing inudmeeting these Targets. It documents the rise in the number of privateudtraining providers, the controversy which has surrounded them and theudmarket niches which they dominate. The aim of the research is thenuddescribed as an assessment of whether the resource which the privateudtraining providers represent could be better utilised to increase trainingudcapacity within Scotland and thereby contribute towards achieving theudTargets related to level III SVQs which are proving particularly elusive.udIn Chapter 2 the research methodology to be used is discussed, followed inudChapter 3 by the results of the literature review which confirms the lack ofudany research on private training providers.udThe field research is documented in Chapters 4, 5 and 6, describing andudanalysing in chronological order the data gathered through the use of audpostal survey followed by interviews with selected private training providersudand national and regional agencies. Additional information gathered from audworkshop on the research topic is included within these chapters, asudappropriate.udChapter 7 draws together the conclusions from the literature review and theudfield research focussing in particular on what they tell us about the marketudfor private training providers, their status, method of operation and theudquality of their services. Recommendations follow in Chapter 8 which,udwhilst acknowledging the valuable contribution made by a proportion of theudprivate training providers, propose that the continuing expansion of theudsector should be halted until some rationalisation of it has been undertakenudand support given to those providers considered to have the potential toudsustain a commercially-viable business providing high quality trainingudservices.