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

The introduction to this thesis outlines the concerns which led to the
development of the National Education and Training Targets and the
degrees of success which different sectors in Scotland are experiencing in
meeting these Targets. It documents the rise in the number of private
training providers, the controversy which has surrounded them and the
market niches which they dominate. The aim of the research is then
described as an assessment of whether the resource which the private
training providers represent could be better utilised to increase training
capacity within Scotland and thereby contribute towards achieving the
Targets related to level III SVQs which are proving particularly elusive.
In Chapter 2 the research methodology to be used is discussed, followed in
Chapter 3 by the results of the literature review which confirms the lack of
any research on private training providers.
The field research is documented in Chapters 4, 5 and 6, describing and
analysing in chronological order the data gathered through the use of a
postal survey followed by interviews with selected private training providers
and national and regional agencies. Additional information gathered from a
workshop on the research topic is included within these chapters, as
appropriate.
Chapter 7 draws together the conclusions from the literature review and the
field research focussing in particular on what they tell us about the market
for private training providers, their status, method of operation and the
quality of their services. Recommendations follow in Chapter 8 which,
whilst acknowledging the valuable contribution made by a proportion of the
private training providers, propose that the continuing expansion of the
sector should be halted until some rationalisation of it has been undertaken
and support given to those providers considered to have the potential to
sustain a commercially-viable business providing high quality training
services.