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Learning Champions
Opening up Opportunities in the Community and at Work
| Date: | Thursday 5 October 2006 |
| Venue: | Abbey Community Centre, 34 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BU |
| Ref: | C1388/10/06 |
[Aims] [Background] [Audience] [Programme]
Aims
‘increasingly we are realising the value of citizens participating not just in choosing or designing services, but in helping to deliver them. In Children’s Centres, Extended Primary Schools that are open from 8 till 6, and Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams, we are seeing the development of neighbourhood institutions that forge a different relationship with citizens, and enhanced roles for para-professionals and volunteers drawn from the local community. ‘
The focus of this, the first national event for Learning Champions, is on their work, experiences and ideas, and how they can help to transform people’s lives through learning.
There are several aims:
 | To showcase the best work that is currently taking place across the UK; |
| To look at practical ways of improving the impact of that work; |
| To show how it can contribute to education and other public services; |
| To show how it can help to transform the lives of people and their communities; |
| To discuss how to improve the training, support and career prospects of Learning Champions. |
Conference participants will consider and vote on the key priorities for national development as well as discussing practical ways of improving their own project. Workshops led by practitioners will deal with:
- Reaching out and supporting learners;
- Working with schools;
- Training, development and careers;
- Linking learning, public service improvement and neighbourhood renewal;
- Linking community and workplace.;
The event is being held in collaboration with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and is supported by the Department for Education and Skills.
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Background
Learning Champions - aka ambassadors/reps/advocates – are volunteers or paid employees whose job is to promote the benefits of learning to family, friends, workmates as well as perfect strangers, and to signpost them to suitable courses. In dozens of locations across the UK - in communities, colleges and workplaces - Learning Champions’ schemes are showing the value of the local voices, rooted in experience that others can relate to, with a passion for learning as a means of transforming people’s lives. Learning representatives in the workplace have generated enormous interest in learning, especially amongst low paid and part-time workers, a group who have often been the last to enjoy its benefits. In the community, Learning Champions and ambassadors have proved their ability to reach out to people who are otherwise immune to the charms of colleges and other learning providers. No wonder the Champion idea is being adopted in health, housing and many other fields.
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Audience
This is the first national event for Learning Champions themselves. They, their managers, other managers of public services, education providers - including further and higher education, community learning, development and workbased learning providers - guidance organisations, trade unions, employers and policy managers, will all find this event relevant and useful.
The conference will be of interest to:
| Business Support Organisations |
| Businesses and Employers |
| CBI Offices |
| Chambers of Commerce |
| Community Groups |
| Education Business Links |
| Education Consultants |
| Employment Service |
| FE Colleges |
| Government Departments with responsibilities for education, skills and economic development |
| Higher Education Funding Council |
| Jobcentre Plus |
| Learning and Skills Councils |
| Learning Partnerships |
| Local Educational Authorities |
| nextstep |
| Organisations supporting equality of opportunity and social inclusion |
| Probation Service |
| Professional associations |
| QCA and Awarding Bodies |
| Regional Development Agencies |
| School Sixth Forms |
| Sector Skills Councils |
| Small Business Service |
| Trade Unions |
| Training Organisations |
| Training Providers |
| Ufi/Learndirect |
| Universities |
| Voluntary Groups |
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Programme
| 09:45 | Arrival and Registration (Tea/Coffee available) |
| 10:15 | Welcome and Introduction to the Day Sue Meyer, Director for Programmes and Policy, NIACE |
| 10:20 | Key Issues for Development Martin Yarnit, Educational Consultant |
| 10:35 | Video: Learning Champions in Action |
| 10:40 | Learning Champions and Mainstream Providers |
| 11:00 | Workshops: morning session Please indicate your choices on the application form 1) Reaching out and supporting learners 2) Working with schools 3) Training, development and careers 4) Linking learning, public service improvement and neighbourhood renewal 5) Linking community and workplace |
| 12:15 | Lunch |
| 13:00 | Workshops repeated followed by voting on key priorities |
| 14:15 | Learning from the Workplace Liz Smith, Director of unionlearn, TUC |
| 14:45 | Government Address Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education |
| 15:15 | Plenary: Key Priorities - How you voted |
| 15:45 | 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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