Gaming trade body announces initiatives to boost UK game industry

The UK’s gaming trade body UKIE has announced three new initiatives designed to provide tangible benefits to the gaming industry, including the forming of a Scottish office and advice for all development studios.

Via EDGE.

Creating the Future of Education and Work

Creating the Future of Education and Work wants to help educators foster creativity and conceptual thinking in schools. The founders, Rita J. King and Joshua Fouts, created creatingthefuturetoday.com as a resource for teachers and parents with ideas that help foster imagination and teach kids to collaborate while problem solving.

“A truly collaborative approach to problem solving is a necessity, and a recognition of the importance not only of science and mathematics, but of creativity, art and music to amplify learning. Einstein credits some of his greatest breakthroughs in insight to his violin breaks, which connected different parts of his brain in new ways.”

I find the idea behind this site pretty fantastic.

MF, studio, dbda

Launch of new research project on enterprise education

With the world economy facing turbulent times and individual countries rethinking how they and their citizens can flourish in the global marketplace, many would argue that the importance of enterprise education has never been greater. But does this mean teaching people how to write a business plan or is it about gaining a broader set of skills essential to success in the 21st Century?

Government offers careers advice through Facebook

Today saw the launch of the government’s ‘7 Day Jobs Challenge’, a new Facebook campaign that offers young people advice on finding work.

Developed by the Department of Work and Pensions, the Challenge is Aimed at 18 to 24 year olds, and particularly those awaiting their GCSE and A-Level results.

Users will be able to find daily tips on finding a job, advice from celebrity experts such as The Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry and Reggae Reggae sauce creator Levi Roots on writing a CV and setting up your own business, and daily discussions – all aimed at helping young people improve their employability skills.

Visit the 7 Day Jobs Challenge

Nicki

Morrisons to fund 1,000 degrees in retail studies

Supermarket chain aims to enrol 1,000 people in its ‘Futures’ programme within next 18 months.

According to the Guardian:

‘Morrisons will fund the degree studies of 1,000 A-level students in a move to recruit its future senior managers straight from school.’

‘The Bradford-based supermarket chain said the initiative, to be announced this week, would offer young people with the “right drive and attitude” the chance to get a management education from one of the UK’s top business schools without the attendant student debt. It aims to enrol 1,000 people in its “Futures” programme within the next 18 months, with the first 100 in place by the end of the summer.’

Access the full article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/aug/13/morrisons-fund-degrees-retail-studies

Source:  Gemma/ The Guardian

The Secret Life of Buildings

On last night’s The Secret Life of Buildings, Channel 4, architecture critic Tom Dyckhoff explored the impact the design of buildings can have on us – on our identity and self-esteem, and on relationships, our chances at school, and even our weight and immune system.

“Armed with this new knowledge, Dyckhoff meets and challenges pre-eminent architects including Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid to re-evaluate their creations. He brings them face-to-face with the people who use their buildings every day. He even tries working in their buildings himself while taking part in an experiment to measure the impact on his brain.” – Channel 4

Very interesting to see that some of London’s most iconic office buildings from the outside were in fact rather uncosidered from within, a lovely example of architectural ingenuity from Holland built in the 70s, and a re-structured school in south London that saw massive improvements in both behaviour and exam results after understanding the psychology of a work space to make the students’ environment both stimulating and pleasant to be in.

I would definately recommend this, find it on 4oD here.

MF, studio, dbda

Government calls for face-to-face careers advice in schools

An independent report by Simon Hughes, the government’s advocate for access to higher education, recommends that careers advice should be guaranteed for all students, starting with teachers discussing career options with 10 and 11 year olds at primary school.

Other recommendations to help prepare young people for education, training and work, include: training in basic financial management for 14 to 16 year olds; career events that bring together careers professionals, parents and students in all secondary schools; flexibility on work placements that enables students to take them at any point from the age of 14; and development of networks of former students in schools and colleges that can be called on to advise young people and answer questions about careers, studies or life in general after school or college.

The report, looks at how best to ensure maximum access to colleges and universities for young people in light of the new system for financing higher education, and hopes to quell the “widespread concern” that fee increases at English universities would prevent young people from accessing higher education.

 Read full report

Source: DfE / Nicki at dbda

Rise in number of apprenticeships

According to a story on the BBC news site, ‘The government has delivered an extra 103,000 apprenticeships over the last year, twice as many as expected, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has said.

Sectors such as advanced manufacturing and IT took on more apprentices.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said the government was determined to “break down barriers between academic and vocational learning”.

Drop in young people applying to university

The Guardian reports today on new research conducted by City & Guilds which suggests that just under half of young people (47%) are less likely to apply to university following the increase in fees.

Of the 1,000 pupils surveyed, aged between 14 and 19, more than a quarter (29%) are considering alternative education such as vocational qualifications and apprenticeships, a quarter (24%) will go straight into employment and nearly a fifth (16%) will look for work experience or take a gap year.

The survey also highlighted that schools are still failing to highlight alternatives to university. Whilst 75% of pupils were told about their university options only 49% received information on vocational qualifications.

“University is still seen as superior, even though many are suited to – and therefore should pursue – more hands-on learning”, said Chris Jones, City & Guilds CEO. “Practical, work-based learning provides a valuable career progression route and gives learners the skills and confidence to succeed.”

Read the full story.

Nicki, Business Director

New Employability Skills programme for Nationwide Education

With the on-going debate on the future of Careers Advice in schools never off the news agenda and a recent CBI survey reporting that 70% of employers want action to improve the employability skills among young people, Nationwide Education (produced by dbda ltd) have developed a comprehensive new Employability Skills programme for ages 4 to 16.