Principios básicos

Introduction

This section focuses on the respondents’ education, training and qualifications, including exploring people’s English language skills. Qualifications

The respondents were asked to provide information about their highest level of educational qualification, from a range of options, including both academic and vocational qualifications. The list of qualifications ranged from no formal qualifications through to postgraduate degrees (see Table 72 below).

Table 72: Highest level of educational qualification

Local Authority All York Harrogate Craven Scar-

borough Selby Ryedale

Richmond- shire Qualification

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

Postgraduate Degree 96 30 52 36 28 27 4 36 4 13 3 25 4 29 1 25 Undergraduate Degree 61 19 30 21 17 17 2 18 7 22 3 25 2 14 - - Technical High School68 88 28 37 26 33 32 3 27 8 25 3 25 2 14 2 50 Non Technical High School 56 18 19 13 23 23 1 9 8 25 2 17 3 21 - - Basic school 10 3 3 2 1 1 - - 3 9 1 8 2 14 - - No formal qualifications 7 2 2 1 - - 1 9 2 6 - - 1 7 1 25

Total 318 100 143 100 102 100 11 100 3 2 1 0 0 12 100 14 100 4 100

Note: excludes five missing case

68

Technical high school, non technical high school and basic school were included after consultation with community interviewers at the community interviewer training session. Technical high school relates to those who have taken a vocational route, ending with a high-school diploma (for example, mechanic). Basic school relates to those who are not strong enough to pass exams to high school. These individuals can finish basic school, which prepare them to go into industry (for example, assistant car mechanic). Non technical high school is aimed at preparing people for higher education.

In line with previous research carried out with migrant workers, the people who were interviewed in North Yorkshire had a range of qualifications. Nearly half of the sample (49%) indicated that they had degree level qualifications (either

undergraduate or postgraduate), with 30% having postgraduate qualifications. With regards to the postgraduate courses that people had undertaken, this included archaeology; biology; biomedical science; business studies; dental surgery; economics and marketing; engineering; geography; geology; history; international business management; international relations; language and literature; law;

mathematics; nursing and midwifery; psychology; and sociology. The undergraduate courses included accountancy; business administration; economics; English; fashion design; finance; hospitality and tourism; hotel management and tourism; information technology; marketing; nursing; social work; and speech therapy.

The technical high school courses that people referred to included administration; building surveying; catering; construction; furniture design; marketing; mechanics; pharmacy technician; and tourism.

As can be seen, just seven respondents (2%) stated that they had no formal qualifications, while 3% had basic schooling.

English language skills Level of English

We asked respondents to rate their English language skills on a scale of very good to very poor. English language skills were broken down to include:

• Ability to speak English; • Ability to write English;

• Understanding of spoken English; and • Understanding of written English.

Table 73: Ability to speak English

Local Authority All York Harrogate Craven Scar-

borough Selby Ryedale

Richmond- shire Rating

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

Very good 8 6 2 7 50 35 23 22 1 9 9 28 1 8 2 14 - - Good 125 39 45 31 46 45 7 64 13 41 7 58 5 36 2 29 Neither good nor poor 75 23 33 23 19 18 2 18 8 25 2 17 6 43 5 71 Poor 29 9 14 10 10 10 1 9 1 3 2 17 1 7 - - Very poor 8 2 2 1 5 5 - - 1 3 - - - - - -

Total 323 100 144 100 103 100 11 100 32 100 12 100 14 100 7 100

Table 74: Ability to write English

Local Authority All York Harrogate Craven Scar-

borough Selby Ryedale

Richmond- shire Rating

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

Very good 7 2 2 2 40 28 23 22 2 18 6 19 - - 1 7 - - Good 118 37 48 33 37 36 5 45 16 50 7 58 3 21 2 29 Neither good nor poor 69 21 30 21 21 20 1 9 5 16 3 25 7 50 2 29 Poor 36 11 15 10 11 11 3 27 2 6 1 8 1 7 3 42 Very poor 26 8 11 8 11 11 - - 1 3 1 8 2 14 - - Don’t know 2 1 - - - - - - 2 6 - - - - - -

Table 75: Understanding of spoken English

Local Authority All York Harrogate Craven Scar-

borough Selby Ryedale

Richmond- shire Rating

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

Very good 105 33 57 40 32 31 1 9 10 31 2 17 2 14 1 14 Good 144 45 55 38 46 45 9 82 19 59 5 42 7 50 3 43 Neither good nor poor 56 17 25 17 18 17 1 9 2 6 4 33 3 21 3 43 Poor 17 5 7 5 6 6 - - 1 3 1 8 2 14 - - Very poor 1 <1 - - 1 1 - - - - - - - - - -

Total 323 100 144 100 103 100 11 100 32 100 12 100 14 100 7 100

Table 76: Understanding of written English

Local Authority All York Harrogate Craven Scar-

borough Selby Ryedale

Richmond- shire Rating

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

Very good 105 33 57 40 30 29 4 36 9 28 2 17 2 14 1 14 Good 128 40 51 35 42 41 5 45 16 50 5 42 7 50 2 29 Neither good nor poor 58 18 26 18 18 17 1 9 3 9 4 33 4 29 2 29 Poor 22 7 6 4 10 10 1 9 2 6 - - 1 7 2 29 Very poor 9 3 3 2 3 3 - - 2 6 1 8 - - - - Don’t know 1 <1 1 1 - - - - - - - - - - - -

Total 323 100 144 100 103 100 11 100 32 100 12 100 14 100 7 100

On the whole, there were relatively small numbers of people who thought that their English language skills were poor or very poor. As can be seen, the respondents rated their ability to understand spoken and written English the highest (78% and 73% respectively

indicated that they were good or very good at this), while being able to write English was the language skill that people appeared to have most difficulty with (19% of respondents felt they were poor or very poor at this).

Completion of language courses

Finally, we asked people to indicate, from a range of options, what their current situation was in relation to studying English (see Table 77 below).

Table 77: English language courses - which of the following apply to you?

Local Authority All York Harrogate Craven Scar-

borough Selby Ryedale

Richmond- shire Statement

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

I do not need an English language course 48 15 26 18 15 15 - - 5 16 1 8 1 7 - - I have already completed an English language

course 74 23 30 21 27 26 3 27 9 28 3 25 2 14 - - I am currently doing an English language course 49 15 15 10 18 17 1 9 6 19 2 17 5 36 2 29 I am on the waiting list for an English language

course 13 4 3 2 1 1 - - 2 6 2 17 3 21 2 29 I would like to study, but am not currently enrolled 102 32 45 31 37 36 7 64 7 22 4 33 1 7 1 14 I am not interested in an English language course 21 7 11 8 4 4 - - 2 6 - - 2 14 2 29 Other 16 5 14 10 1 1 - - 1 3 - - - - - -

Total 323 100 144 100 103 100 11 100 32 100 12 100 14 100 7 100

As can be seen, over half of the sample (53%) stated that they were either currently studying, had already completed one or did not need an English language course. A small number of people (4%) were also on the waiting list for a course.

Nearly a third of the sample (32%) indicated that they would like to study on an English language course but were not currently enrolled, while 7% stated that they were not interested in a course. When asked to elaborate on why they were not currently enrolled, or why they were not interested in an English language course, the two main reasons given were having no time to undertake a course or not being able to attend because of working hours or shift patterns, both of which were often related to each other:

‘Available courses are only in my working hours.’

‘[I] don't have time, [I am] working all day.’

‘I am working for [an] agency and always waiting for [them to] call. [I] never have [the] same day or time free.’

‘I have two jobs - one in [a] hotel and other in the evenings. [I] don't have time for English courses.’

Some respondents also made reference to cost being an issue:

‘I am not currently enrolled because the price of the English course is too expensive.’

‘[I] don’t have enough time or money.’

With regards to those who indicated ‘Other’, the following comments were made:

‘[I] currently get private tuition paid by [my] employer.’ ‘I started but did not complete [the] English course.’

‘[I] had a few lessons [on a] free course, but didn't complete.’

Two people indicated that they had already completed an English course but would like to do another.