Community Learning Champions are people who become active in their community by promoting the value of learning to others. They may be promoting learning with their friends, neighbours, relatives, or workmates, but they could also be meeting people they meet at the school gates, at the local shops or in groups or clubs. Champions speak from personal experience and act as role models for learning.
The Community Learning Champions (CLC) project is supporting schemes across England to train and support champions of learning. CLCs work to engage learners in learning opportunities of all kinds.
What are we aiming to achieve?The Community Learning Champions (CLC) project is supporting schemes across England to train and support champions of learning. CLCs work to engage learners in learning opportunities of all kinds. The CLC project is a key element of the Learning Revolution White Paper and is funded by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) in 2009 - 2011 to a total of £3 million. How will we do this work?The project aims to support the recruitment of 900 champions. The support programme consists of:
There is a national advisory group for the project to involve other stakeholders, and a CLC Voice group so that CLCs can influence the development of the project. Who is this work for?The national Community Learning Champion Support Programme (CLCSP) provides an opportunity to build on and extend good practice, so that the CLC approach can help to open up the opportunities for informal learning wherever they arise. The approach has potential in health, housing, regeneration and many other fields where service providers are keen to engage the community in service design and delivery. The support programme will benefit any organisation adopting the CLC approach to increase engagement with learning. CLC schemes are led by partnerships, usually including a learning provider, and schemes recruit their champions from local areas of disadvantage or in some cases, priority target groups of people who are least likely to take up learning opportunities. CLCs can benefit from the training programme, membership of a national movement of CLCs and opportunities for local and national networking. The website and other promotional activity will raise the profile of CLCs and increase awareness of the important work they do in improving access to learning. CLCs also play a role in improving local provision through the feedback they receive. The project is a key element of the Learning Revolution White Paper and is funded by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) in 2009 - 2011 to a total of £3m. A consortium of NIACE, the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), unionlearn and Martin Yarnit Associates (MYA) are leading the CLC programme. When will we do this work?In 2009-10, the support programme established a website (http://www.communitylearningchampions.org.uk) and funded 36 projects. A brand and badge for CLCs was developed. The training programme was piloted and toolkits for managers and CLCs were trialled. The CLC online register was set up. What is coming next?In 2010 – 2011, a further 15 projects were funded. The toolkits and training materials will be freely available to all. Regional CLC networks will hold events in Adult Learners Week 2010, and throughout the year. A celebratory event will be held in March 2010. The website contains reports and news from projects, as well as access to the register and a variety of resources. What have we accomplished to date?Please visit the CLC website for the latest updates. What is (or will be) the impact of this work?This work will enable large numbers of volunteer learning champions to make a difference in two ways: by encouraging neighbours, friends and workmates to take up learning and job opportunities; by acting as role models, showing that it is never too late to take up new skills and new career routes. The project aims to create more learning opportunities which meet the needs of adult learners. Contact InformationMary Moss |