50 Years of Life in Britain - A new dawn, the 1990s and skills for life

UCL Minds

In this third episode, we move into the 1990s to find out how the study and its staff survived the lean years of the 80s and early 90s, and managed to get back in contact with study participants after a 10 year gap. We learn about the study’s stark findings on adults’ numeracy and literacy, which led to the Skills for Life adult learning programme. We also ask study participants what it was like to join the study again as adults and find out how they were getting on in the big wide world after the boom and bust years. Guests include: • Kate Smith, CLS survey manager for more than three decades, discusses how the BCS70 team kept the study going while on monthly contracts. • Professor Heather Joshi, former director of CLS, reflects on the successful Age 26 Survey. • Dr Sam Parsons, CLS research officer, and Professor John Bynner, former BCS70 director, whose stark findings about the poor levels of literacy and numeracy among British adults went on to influence government education policy for the next two decades. • Sue Pember, former government policymaker, who was given responsibility for rolling out the Skills for Life education initiative in the new millennium. • Study members who share their recollections of the 1990s and rejoining the study after a 10 year gap. Full show notes: cls.ucl.ac.uk/bcs7050stories/pod…f-life-in-britain/