Changes in Training Opportunities in South Wales 1945-1998

This study is part of a regional study in industrial South Wales on the determinants of participation and non-participation in post-compulsory education and training, with special reference to processes of change in the patterns of these determinants over time and to variations between geographical areas. The study combines analysis of secondary data about education and training with a regional study of several generations of families in South Wales (a door-to-door survey of 1,104 representative householders), interviews, and taped oral histories. This study considers the types of opportunities available over the period 1945-1998 to determine whether they can help explain the pattern of changes in participation in education over time. The study found limited training opportunities available during the post-war years, with an emphasis on heavy industries. The 1950s and 1960s saw a more structured approach to training, with the setting up of Industrial Training Boards and a limited expansion of opportunities for further education. In the 1970s, further education became more important, and companies began in-house training departments, although these developments were interrupted by the oil crisis and resultant recession. In 1981, many of the training boards were dismantled and the Manpower Services Commission took over organizing training. Training schemes came and went, and large job losses in basic industries created a training industry but few jobs. By 1989, economic recovery began, and the introduction of National Vocational Qualifications and Modern Apprenticeships opened up the potential of accreditation to more people. Expansion of further education has taken place in the 1990s, but the education system faces economic constraints and the future is uncertain.