Two statements within the Government’s recent refresh of its skills strategy – Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills – jumped out at me: “If people are not able to achieve basic levels of English and maths, then they will struggle to find work of any kind.” “In a competitive global market, the skills needed by workers [...]
Before the Skills for Life Strategy, Basic Skills didn’t really make the news. It was largely unseen, taking place with a handful of learners in shabby classrooms, community centres or portacabins on wet Wednesdays. There were a lot of cardboard boxes, handmade worksheets and Pritt Sticks involved with little support or training. I know; I [...]
Good literacy and numeracy skills are crucial in helping Servicemen and women carry out their jobs and take advantage of the training and career opportunities on offer in the Armed Forces. This was the official line from the three-year Armed Forces Basic Skills Longitudinal Study by NIACE and NRDC, which was published back in June. [...]
