The Regional Achievement Programme for Literacy, Language and Numeracy

Raise achievement in Literacy, Language and Numeracy.

The Programme operated through regional events, advocacy, and support to promote good practice, identify issues for managers and practitioners, and feedback regional issues to central government.  A number of publications have resulted out of the programme to support the development of Literacy, Language, and Numeracy.

• The Department for Business Innovation and Skills
• Learning and Skills Councils
• Regional stakeholders in literacy, language and numeracy
• Managers and practitioners in literacy, language and numeracy
• Learners

The Regional Achievement Programme (RAP) ran between 2004 and 2010.

NIACE will continue to promote best practice in Literacy, Language and Numeracy.

Despite the exceptional achievements of the Skills for Life strategy, there is widespread concern about the continuing lack of LLN skills among a large proportion of the UK workforce in comparison to other EU countries. There remains a significant number of adults with the need to develop their LLN skills, especially from the most disadvantaged groups. The challenge ahead is to improve the LLN skills of even more adults, especially those with the least developed skills and the fewest opportunities in learning, employment and life. NIACE will continue to advocate for enhanced learning opportunities to meet these needs.

The scope and impact of the programme has been phenomenal - Regional Achievement Dialogue events have successfully engaged the post-16 sector in dialogue, linking emergent policies, practices and research likely to influence ongoing work in each region which in turn has been shared with BIS.

The Regional Achievement Programme has allowed BIS to be aware of how policies are having an impact on the ground - to identify the good and effective practice of the field enhanced by other NIACE LLN work from a range of sources; to hear when the implementation presents challenges for practitioners as professionals but, more importantly, for the learners with whom they work; and where appropriate to indicate solutions to these issues.

The summary report considers what has been achieved, the impact of the programme at a regional and national level, and looks to the future - what still needs to be done. It provides a snapshot of some of the main activities and the networks that NIACE has organised and promoted to support the development of achievement in adult literacy, language and numeracy.

Documents
	Regional Achievement Programme Summary Report [PDF]

The Regional Achievement Programme has:

• Promoted collaborative delivery, including learning through the voluntary and community sector.
• Addressed barriers in recruiting, supporting a diverse range of learners and their needs, especially related to English for Speakers of Other Languages.
• Addressed barriers to supporting progression
• Provided staff training, including around numeracy and financial literacy
• Supported embedded LLN
• Raised awareness of Learner Voice

Jane Ward
jane.ward@niace.org.uk
NIACE
21 De Montfort Street
LE1 7GE.