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Adults Learning in Social Enterprises
Tooling Up Adult Learners for Employability
| Date: | Friday 13 October 2006 |
| Venue: | The Megacentre, Bernard Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S2 5BQ |
| Ref: | C1401/10/06 |
[Background & Aims] [Audience] [Programme]
Background & Aims
The NIACE Conference, ‘Adults Learning in Social Enterprises’ will showcase examples of best practice. In doing so, it will bring together key agents involved in managing and promoting the value of the third sector in enabling skills growth and economic sustainability. The event will take place in the context of the implementation of the Government’s Skills Strategy and will make a major contribution to the understanding of the range and quality of social firms operating in the UK today.
The role of social firms or social enterprises in enabling disadvantaged individuals and communities, such as disabled people and those from Black and Minority Ethnic Communities, to acquire the necessary employability skills required for today’s open labour market, has to date been underplayed.
As well as developing employability skills, many social firms actively develop their employees’ language, literacy and numeracy skills as well as their ICT skills, thereby making an immediate contribution to the targets of the Skills for Life Strategy. Coupled with the soft skills development in confidence building, decision-making, problem-solving and team-working, social firms do much to enhance the orientation and capability of the individual to move on into more open or at times supported employment opportunities.
The event will showcase best practice examples from around the country, some funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) Equal Programme and others receiving funding through Regional Development Agencies and other such bodies.
This conference will be of interest to managers and employees within social enterprises and social firms; teaching and learning professionals involved in promoting employability options for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and communities; and policy makers who share an interest in promoting socially cohesive communities.
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Audience
The conference will also be relevant to staff from:
 | Business Support Organisations |
| Businesses and Employers |
| CBI Offices |
| Chambers of Commerce |
| Community Groups |
| Education Business Links |
| Employment Service |
| FE Colleges |
| Government Departments with responsibilities for education, skills and economic development |
| Jobcentre Plus |
| Learning and Skills Councils |
| Learning Partnerships |
| Local Authorities |
| nextstep |
| Organisations supporting equality of opportunity and social inclusion |
| Professional associations |
| Regional Development Agencies |
| Social Enterprises |
| Sector Skills Councils |
| Small Business Service |
| Training Organisations |
| Training Providers |
| Ufi/Learndirect |
| Voluntary Organisations |
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Programme
| 09:45 | Arrival and Registration (Tea/Coffee available) |
| Chair of the day: John Lawton, Regional Development Officer – Yorkshire and The Humber Region, NIACE | |
| 10:20 | Welcome and Introduction Colin Davies, Managing Director and Louise Davies, Director, Megacentre Ltd |
| 10:30 | Keynote Address Mike Chapman, Director, MCA |
| 11:00 | The Role of Social Enterprises
in Developing the Regional Economy Laura Moynahan, Board Member, Yorkshire Forward and Chief Executive of Netherthorpe and Upperthorpe Community Alliance, Sheffield |
| 11:20 | Questions and Discussion |
| 11:30 | Tea/Coffee Break |
| 11:45 | Interactive Workshops: morning
session Please indicate your choices on the application form 1) 'The Ins and Outs' - All you need to know when setting up a Social Enterprise 2) 'Think Globally, Act Locally' - The contribution of Social Enterprises to international understanding 3) The Disabled People's Electronic Village Hall 4) 'A Smart Idea' - Empowerment of People with Learning Disabilities 5) Developing Skills in Communication and Digital Media |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 | Next Practice in the
Development of Social Enterprises and Social Firms Sally Reynolds, Chief Executive, Social Firms UK |
| 14:20 | The Contribution of Social
Enterprises to the Development of a Local Skills Base Fergus Beesley, Social Enterprise Action South Yorkshire |
| 14:40 | Workshops: afternoon session (repeated) |
| 15:45 | Plenary Session |
| 16:00 | Close of Conference (Tea/Coffee available) |
This programme is correct at the time of going to press. The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the published programme in the event of one or more of the advertised speakers being unable to attend. Delegates will have no claim against NIACE in respect of such changes.
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