2 Page assignment - Answer questions - training and development paper - Essay Example

1-The article is about the discrepancies in equity created by the user-pay system in the ACE model. The discrepancies arise between mostly poorer, rural areas and more wealthy, urban regions. Though there have been attempts at reform, the author states that the measures taken have not been effective. Funding policies targeting ACE programs need to be targeted. Using a graph to illustrate the differences between income levels and ACE participation, the author believes that he makes a strong argument that funding programs need to solve the equity problem.

2-The author states that ACE has never been targeted to achieve equity, and the user-pay system merely worsens the problem. Wealthier, urban areas are able to provide the classes through ACE which people want to take because there are more people who are able to pay. Poorer, rural regions are not able to provide this primarily because there are far fewer people in rural areas in general and because a small portion of the population would actually be able to afford to pay. This creates a lack of equity.3-(1)He is writing to illustrate a problem. (2) He is writing to propose solutions for the problem. (3) He is writing because he believes that this problem can be solved.

4-“these clients are concentrated in areas of high socio-economic status” (pg 4), “there are pronounced differences between city and country in income levels, reflecting the higher costs of rural providers and a reduced capacity to raise income” (pg 3), “under user-pays, ACE users seek to maximise their incomes by targeting clienteles with the greatest needs for education and training” (pg 4).5-“The stronger arguments turn on the role of community-based organisations in achieving equity objectives by meeting the needs of less-advantaged clienteles” (pg 5), “The cruel irony is that equity is the first casualty in ‘user-pays’ in ACE” (pg 5), “It is time for public funds supporting equity programs to be made available to community providers on the ‘level playing field’” (pg 5).

6-The pictures of the counties need to be identical in order to more easily compare them. As it is, it is difficult to look at one side of the diagram and compare it to the other side of the diagram. Furthermore, the information on the diagrams would have been easier to discern if they had all been combined into one single graph. Transportation in urban areas can be easy than in rural, which often forces people to drive longer distances between locations. The increased difficulty in transportation might be one factor in lower ACE participation.

With more people in urban areas, there would be more varieties of classes to take, so people in rural areas might be less likely to utilise ACE if there are not classes which might interest them. Also, there might not be as many options for people to actually advance themselves in rural areas, so it might not seem worth it to utilise ACE because they will not get anything out of it beyond taking the actual class.Works CitedMcIntyre, J. 1997, The Economics of ACE - User pays and participation, Adult Learning Australia, no.

3, June, pp. 1, 3-5.