Delivering Work Based Learning
APPENDIX 1: RESEARCH METHODS
Research Methods
The study was based on six localities chosen to provide a good spread of areas both in terms of geography and by labour market type. They were:
- Glasgow - slack city labour market;
- Edinburgh - tight city labour market;
- Kirkcaldy - slack town labour market;
- Inverness - tight town labour market;
- Cumnock and Doon Valley - slack rural labour market;
- Borders - tight rural labour market.
The statistical evidence produced some evidence of variations in work based training across labour market areas, but this was typically modest and could generally be explained by differences in the industrial composition of the areas. The main purpose of drawing samples from a spread of localities was to make the analysis reasonably representative of Scotland's employing communities and labour markets.
A number of different survey methods were undertaken:
- 270 employers, principally SMEs were interviewed by telephone across the case study areas with approximately 30 in the rural labour markets, 40 in the town labour markets and 60 in the city labour markets.
- 500 employees of organisations, again principally SMEs, were interviewed face to face or by telephone across the case study areas in the same ratio as the employer survey.
- 30 in-depth interviews were carried out with employers, and 20 sets of focus group discussions were held with employees to provide richer qualitative information.
Additionally a number of face to face and telephone interviews were conducted with individuals drawn from National Training Organisations (NTOs), local Enterprise companies and other relevant organisations. These interviews sought feedback on the key constraints on the take-up of work based learning, and on what could be done to involve more employers and a wider range of their employees.
The study steering group, drawn from the Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise, CBI Scotland, STUC, SQA and Robert Gordon University, also made a substantial contribution to the study process and the report.