Colleges 'should have food-style ratings'

COLLEGES should provide students with information similar to the colour-coded data on food labels, a new report has claimed.

Information on learner success rates, job and salary prospects and customer satisfaction levels would allow learners to make more informed choices about courses they were considering, according to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

The move would empower potential students and drive up the skills Scotland needs for future growth and productivity, the report says.

Towards Ambition 2020: skills, jobs, growth for Scotland – an advisory report to the Scottish Government – says it would also help employers assess the benefits for workforce development.

Data would be presented as a diagram, similar to the food labels that say how much fat, sugar salt and energy a product contains.

Chris Humphries, chief executive of the commission, said: "We've become used to having clear choices in many aspects of our everyday lives – anyone who shops online has used sites like eBay or insurance comparison websites to make sure they get the best deal.

"Yet at the moment, vital statistics about education and training are either not available to the learner or are not easy to compare across courses and institutions.

"By giving learners more information about the courses they are considering, they will be able to make a more informed choice, with better outcomes all round."

The report says that, despite a strong skills performance relative to the rest of the UK, Scotland has not achieved the economic impact it was hoping for in terms of improvements in productivity and competitiveness.

Willy Roe, Scotland's commissioner on the UK Commission for Employment and Skills said: "This report not only pinpoints the challenges and opportunities for Scotland as it emerges from recession, it also offers constructive thinking on how it can deliver the calibre of services that will make and keep Scotland world-class."

Keith Brown, minister for skills and lifelong learning, said: "We are always open to new and independent advice and I welcome the commission's report and its recommendations, which, along with our partners, we will consider as we refresh skills for Scotland in the weeks ahead."

Linda McTavish, convener of Scotland's Colleges Principals' Convention, welcomed the report for highlighting the importance of skills development.

However, she pointed out that relevant data on colleges was already available through inspection reports.

She said: "In Scotland the comprehensive quality review process of colleges by HM Inspectorate of Education provides public assurance that the education and training they provide is of a high quality and relevant to employment and employability."

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills was established in April 2008 by the UK and Scottish governments.

Its remit is to advise government on employment and skills strategy, targets, policies and progress towards goals, including the vision of an 80 per cent employment rate by 2020.

It has been asked by the government to report on crucial issues, such as the employability skills employers need for future economic success and how UK employers can use skills to become more globally competitive.