Topic 5: The Changing Economy of the UK
How and why is the economy changing?There have been many changes in the industrial structure of the UK economy in the past 50 years as a consequence of government policies and external forces such as globalisation. / Investigate the changes in primary and
secondary sectors to explain why:
· employment has declined in many
sectors
· changes in output are more variable, with some growth areas, e.g. vehicle manufacturing, but decline in other areas, e.g. footwear and clothing. / · To know that overall there has been a decline in both the primary and secondary sectors.
· To know 3 reasons for a decline in agriculture including mechanisation so less need for workers
· To understand that now all secondary sectors have declined.
· There has been a decline in shipbuilding and iron and steel making – learn 3 reasons – one is due to competition from abroad.
· Car manufacturing has increased – reasons include investment by TNC’s due to our skilled workforce.
Examine changes in the tertiary and quaternary sectors, including the growth of retail, finance and business services and IT-related research. / · To know there has been an increase in both the tertiary and quaternary sectors over the last 50 years.
· To be able to describe the reasons for a growth in both sectors.
· To be able to discuss a specific area which has grown and the reasons for this i.e. the financial sector.
· Be able to name specific examples of jobs in the quaternary sector.
There have been significant changes in the structure of the workforce in the past 50 years which vary from place to place within the UK. / Explore different methods of classifying employment and investigate why the balance of types of employment has changed in terms of average wages, full time/part time, temporary or permanent, male and female. / · To know there are 5 key ways by which employment can be classified: full-time/part-time, average wage, temporary/permanent, male/female, Executive/skilled/semi-skilled and unskilled.
· To understand why part-time work has increased and how this has impacted people.
· To consider why the number of female workers has increased.
· To be able to describe why the wage rates in the UK have remained ‘flat’.
· To understand why there are now more temporary jobs than permanent jobs.
Investigate two contrasting regions of the UK, e.g. the North East and the South East, to explain the differences in their industrial structure and workforce. / · To be able to describe the differences between the types of jobs available in the North-east and South-east England.
· To know how and why the employment structure has changed.
What is the impact of work on people and places?
Changing employment has environmental impacts, some of which are positive and some negative. / Assess the environmental impacts of de-industrialisation and economic diversification in one UK urban area. / · To understand what is meant by deindustrialisation.
· To understand what is meant by economic diversification.
· To understand both these process have had both positive and negative environmental impacts in Glasgow.
· To be able to describe at least 4 positive and 4 negative impacts.
· To know that de-industrialisation in Glasgow has led to redevelopment of some areas and this in itself has had both positive and negative impacts.
Examine alternative proposals for economic development by comparing the costs and benefits of a greenfield development and the regeneration of a brownfield site. / · To be able to explain the differences between brownfield and greenfield sites.
· To be able to discuss the advantages and disadvantage for developing both types of sites.
Employment is changing and will continue to change. / Examine the increasing contribution of the digital economy, education and research, the ‘green’ employment sector and foreign workforce to the growth of the UK economy. / · To be able to explain what the digital economy is.
· To know what jobs may be done in ‘education and research’
· To be able to explain what ‘green’ employment is.
· To be able to explain why all the above and foreign workers in the UK are increasing.
Consider the impact of changing working practices, including home working, teleworking, self-employment, flexible working and the impact of IT. / · To understand the way that we work is changing.
· To be able to explain the meaning of home working, teleworking, self-employment and flexible working.
· To know how advances in technology have changed the way we work.