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One step forward, two steps missed?
An initial response to the Further Education White Paper from NIACE
NIACE welcomes the publication of the White Paper Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances (Cm 6768) as a recognition by the Government of the sector’s potential to contribute to both economic and social policy. There are a number of positive reforms in the paper but the paper is also a significant missed opportunity to address the balance of investment between full and part-time students as well as people preparing to enter the labour market, returners to it, those seeking mobility in it and those who have left paid employment.
The Government invites formal responses to the White Paper by June 19th 2006. In order to secure an informed public debate about the proposals, NIACE will run a Big Conversation to celebrate those adults who succeed in learning and debate how policies could be improved. This will include a rolling lobby of Parliament around Adult Learners’ Week (May 20 – 27). The question we urge NIACE members, supporters, providers and learners to consider is “If courses for adults are funded from the public purse, from learners’ own pockets and from employers in different mixtures depending on subject, level and place, are we investing enough? Is the balance right? And are the priorities right?”
For more information about this response, contact Alastair Thomson (Senior Policy Officer) 0116 204 4241. (Out of hours press contact mobile: 07787 534413).
The full initial response can be read here
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Adult Learning and Budget 2006
NIACE finds several things to welcome in the Budget – but little evidence that government is yet ready to tackle the complex educational challenges of an ageing population.
NIACE welcomes the Budget announcement of £25 million to give, from 2007, young adults up to the age of 25 free funding to study up to level 3, with support available from Adult Learning Grants. The aspiration behind this is to be applauded but we hope that it is just a first-step towards an age-blind level 3 entitlement. At the moment age is still used to ration access to learning at a time when population trends mean that the emphasis needs to be on learning throughout life.
We fear that available funding will be so tight that rules to implement the entitlement will shaped so that it is accessible only to the few adults who can afford to study full-time rather than the majority who fit learning into the corners of their lives. The size of the Adult Learning Grant budget (increased by £11 million) is unlikely to make them attractive to young adults with family or housing commitments.
NIACE also gives a warm welcome to the £40 million package, in response to the Women and Work Commission’s report, that aims to help lower-skilled women with training and career advice. Specialist initiatives tailored to people’s particular learning needs – and particular sectoral labour markets - often prove to be better value than “one size fits all” approaches. We look forward to similar initiatives in future budgets for other groups (for example adults over the age of 50) for whom the current skills strategy is too blunt an instrument.
In the area of higher education, the announcement that the current over-bureaucratic Research Assessment Exercise is to be replaced is welcome - although the new, metrics-based mechanism will need to be sensitive to excellent research in the social sciences and humanities, where unlike science and technology, close links and partnership with local communities and regions are important and there is less need to concentrate resources into a few ‘world class’ institutions. We also welcome the £4 million for higher education partnerships with Russia, India and South Africa.
Overall the spending increases are welcome but the UK continues to invest less in post-school education than many other developed countries. NIACE believes that the Government should be spending a significantly larger proportion of GDP on adult learning but the public purse will never be deep enough - employers and individuals who are able to afford must invest more too.
NIACE looks forward to the further education white paper due on March 27th and the final report of Lord Leitch’s review of skills as further opportunities for the Government to demonstrate a renewed commitment to lifelong learning.
NIACE will be holding three briefing events to coincide with the publication of the FE White Paper and the 2006 Budget. These events will analyse and inform delegates of the implications and impact of the policy and the budget on the future of adult learning.
The White Paper will form the Government’s response to the Foster Report - Realising the Potential - which is the DfES/LSC commissioned review of the future role of further education colleges conducted by Sir Andrew Foster and published last year.
More details about the briefing events
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Calling all big mouths!
Are you aiming high in your career? Do you aspire to lead? Would you like to help transform the sector?
Channel 4 is hosting a one-day symposium for tomorrow’s leaders, in association with The Times Educational Supplement (TES), Centre for Excellence in Leadership and Policy Unplugged.
If you have something to say about FE and the wider sector - or know someone who does - then this is your chance to be heard. Places are free but strictly limited. For an invitation, send your details, or those of the person you wish to nominate to: fefocus@tes.co.uk
Venue: Channel 4 - May 15
Source: Times Educational Supplement
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Sir Andrew Foster to address NIACE conference on the future of adult learning
Despite record levels of investment in further education it is estimated that there will be one million fewer adult learners over the next three years. The Government’s current priorities focus around ambitious programmes aimed at Skills for Life and Level 2 qualifications (equivalent to GCSEs), and Train to Gain, the national roll-out of the Employer Training Pilots. A conference from NIACE - to be held in London on Wednesday - will discuss the implications of how these priorities will impact on the future for lifelong learning.
The Human Capital, Adult Skills and Lifelong Learning Conference will include a keynote address from Sir Andrew Foster, author of Realising the Potential, the recent review of the future role of further education colleges.
Colin Flint, Director of FE at NIACE, said:
“The importance of skills and qualifications in the UK workforce has rarely received such attention. Lord Leitch’s report on skills needs for 2020, Sir Andrew Foster’s review into the future role of further education colleges and the NIACE report Eight in Ten on the state of adult learning in FE have resulted in a period of consideration for all those concerned about any future strategy for lifelong learning and whether the Government has got this right.”
He continued, “This conference is a great opportunity for you to make your voice heard at this crucial time for adult learning. Our recent conferences on what the future holds for adult learning have been oversubscribed. The lively debates have illustrated the growing concern within the sector.“
Speakers at the Human Capital, Adult Skills and Lifelong Learning Conference alongside Sir Andrew Foster include Chris Hughes, Former Chief Executive of LSDA; Nick Isles, The Work Foundation; Susan Pember, DfES; Liz Smith, National Officer, The Union Academy; and Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE.
More details on the conference can be found here
Source: NIACE Press Release: "Sir Andrew Foster to address NIACE conference on the future of adult learning" Released On 14/03/2006
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Raising aspirations, skills and achievements - Learning enhances communities
Taking laptops and broadband into pubs in rural Shropshire, a ‘blooming marvellous’ garden festival in Easington, and a ‘food fortnight’ in King’s Lynn have been just some of the ideas used in 28 disadvantaged areas1 across the country to raise aspirations, skills and expectations through learning.
Testbed Learning Communities2 have helped people gain confidence and the skills needed to secure rewarding and sustainable jobs and help their children succeed at school.
Each of the Testbed Learning Communities were given the opportunity to decide how best to collaborate to raise skills levels and link learning across their community. These included: -
In Easington the creation of a family learning group which put on activities for parents including Share, a numeracy course. There was a dramatic fall to zero in the number of anti-social behaviour incidents involving parents and children - whose parents took part in the Share course - achieved a grade higher than predicted in SATs.
In Haringey the number of learners taking part in ICT and employability courses at the Selby Centre - a base for community organisations, social enterprises and businesses, many of them catering for refugees and asylum seekers – has tripled to 1,500 a day. It also provides work for over 450 people.
In Tower Hamlets significant numbers of people of all ages and backgrounds are visiting the Ideas Store in Crisp Street, taking part in courses, using computers and borrowing books and CDs. On average there are 1,200 users a day with 1,800 on Saturdays – double the number visiting the old library.
Phil Hope MP, Minister for Skills, said:
“Learning Communities have a vital role to play in tackling low adult aspirations and skills in areas which may have suffered decades of intergenerational deprivation. Complementing the work of their mainstream services they can help develop a community's skills base and contribute to meeting their region’s skills needs.”
He continued,
"The Testbeds are carving out for themselves a vital role offering new models of local delivery, linking learning and skills activity with the wider cross government agenda on regeneration including health, housing and crime. The Barnsley testbed, for example, shows how all providers can be encouraged to come together to make better use of existing resources and improve progression pathways for adult learners."
 | Phil Hope’s speech |
Sue Meyer, NIACE Director for Policy and Programmes, said:
“We believe that it will be impossible for policymakers to ignore the messages from the Testbed Learning Communities about how to deliver sustainable partnerships that can really attract the hard to reach. We do need to learn from this set of initiatives and their success at involving and invigorating their communities.”
Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, reflecting on the many achievements of the 28 Testbeds, said:
“There's great value in trusting communities to develop their own priorities and NIACE thinks that a really effective skills strategy will back that trust with modest development funding."
The 28 Testbed Learning Communities are based in the following areas: Gateshead, Tynedale, Easington, Middlesbrough, Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn with Darwen, Rochdale, Calderdale, Barnsley, Wirral, Winsford, Birchwood (Lincoln), Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Staffordshire, Sandwell, Shropshire, Warwickshire, West Norfolk, Waveney, Houghton Regis, Harold Hill, Tower Hamlets, Haringey, Dursley and Cam (Gloucestershire), Exeter, Rother (East Sussex) and Gosport.
| More details available at: www.renewal.net/lc |
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2006 survey of staffing in literacy, numeracy and language provision
NIACE, in partnership with the Times Educational Supplement, is conducting a survey of staffing in literacy, numeracy and language provision for this years Adult Learners’ Week. The survey, which builds on similar pieces of work undertaken in previous years, aims to review the extent of skills shortages in literacy, numeracy and language provision, and the measures in place to increase future supply.
NIACE is concerned about staffing levels, capacity building, teacher training and CPD within this area of work. We know that shortages exist and we would like to seek your assistance in quantifying this. An idea of the trends will help us to be more effective in our advocacy on your behalf in relation to policy and funding.
This survey does not intend to comprehensively cover the full range of issues associated with literacy, numeracy and language provision, but instead aims to provide an indication of capacity within the field and a feel for how far the Strategy is reaching people and where additional demand lies for teaching staff.
While we acknowledge the huge variety of complementary qualifications that staff possess, this survey is focussed upon the qualifications required to meet the new standards. The questions, therefore, have been formulated to show us where the strengths lie in terms of meeting the supply side, as well as to provide us with an impression of where qualifications are working most effectively and where they need to work next.
The survey is intended to cover all staff within your organisation involved in teaching literacy, language or numeracy – teachers, subject support workers and volunteers – whatever the context and in both discrete and embedded approaches. You should include all staff who are delivering literacy, language and numeracy provision using the pre-entry curriculum framework. Staff delivering key skills, communication and application of number at levels 1 and 2 should also be included.
We would be grateful if you could arrange for the survey to be completed and returned to Fiona Aldridge at NIACE by Friday 10 March 2006. If you have any queries about the research, or completing the questionnaire, please contact Fiona Aldridge at NIACE on 0116 2044246 or by email fiona.aldridge@niace.org.uk
All the information we receive will be aggregated. No organisation will be identifiable from the data used. If, however, you would be happy to comment on these issues and how they affect your organisation, please include your telephone number at the end of the survey.
| Download the Survey here - [Word file] |
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Millions more to get the reading habit
Reading will become more of a habit for millions of adults after World Book Day was launched at a ceremony in London by the Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Around five million £1 book tokens have been distributed by NIACE to workplaces, colleges, adult education centres, hospitals and GPs’ surgeries as part of a major new initiative to encourage more people to take up reading. These free tokens – more are also available to download - can be used towards the purchase of a series of new fiction and non-fiction books - Quick Reads – priced at just £2.99 and written by a range of best-selling authors including, Ruth Rendell, Maeve Binchy, Richard Branson, Joanne Trollope and Conn Iggulden.
Speaking at the launch the Prime Minister said:
"The Quick Reads initiative provides a great opportunity to get people across the country excited about reading and the benefits that it can bring."
It is also a good time to remind people about the many free courses available to help them improve their reading and writing skills."
Quick Reads - published on World Book Day, Thursday 2nd March 2006 - are short books – a maximum of only 128 pages – which have been specifically produced for people who think that reading is not for them or who often struggle to finish a book. The quality and depth of these books will also appeal to avid readers, too, and those who would like to read more but simply feel they don't have the time.
Richard Branson said:
“I have a love for reading, which I developed as an adult. I believe everyone should live life to the full and have an open mind. Books can help you do that. It is incredibly exciting to be part of this project, to make reading a habit for people who don’t normally read. I think it will open new doors for a lot of people.”
Patrick Augustus said:
“It’s a honour to be asked to write a book for this project. Part of what inspires me to write is the need to get people reading, particularly young men. Too often we’ve sold this impression that reading fiction is not an arena where the disadvantaged take part. It would be great to try and change that.”
Joanna Trollope said:
“I was flattered to be asked, and although I shall, literally, be choosing my words with care, I shall otherwise be writing exactly as I always do. I always feel I write for everyone and not just an target audience – and this commission is, in my view, no different.”
Rowan Coleman said:
“As a writer who is also a dyslexic I am especially pleased to be part of the next World Book Day initiative that is aimed at emerging readers – a feeling that was reinforced when I met two classes of adult Skills For Life students recently. I met a variety of bright and interesting people from all walks of life who had plenty of opinions about the kinds of book they wanted to read and the limited suitable material presently available. All of them were looking forward to having a wider range of books to choose from that were written especially for adults and that they could feel happy to read on the bus or tube without worrying what the person sitting next to them might think.”
Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, said:
“Quick Reads will appeal to people who would like to sit and read a book but feel it is daunting, too long and too complicated. We have used our extensive networks at NIACE to reach a range of potential readers in a variety of different settings, as diverse as family learning centres, citizens advice bureaux, colleges and the Ministry of Defence. Quick Reads will be a valuable tool in helping adult learners get to grips with literacy. The enthusiasm and the orders for millions of tokens illustrate that perfectly.”
The 12 Quick Reads to be published on March 2nd are:
| Don’t Make Me Laugh by Patrick Augustus (The X Press) |
| Star Sullivan by Maeve Binchy (Orion) |
| How to change your life in 7 steps by John Bird (Ebury) |
| Screw it, Let’s Do It by Richard Branson (Virgin) |
| Woman Walks in a Bar by Rowan Coleman (Arrow) |
| The Team by Mick Dennis with the Premier League (Corgi) |
| Someone Like Me by Tom Holt (Orbit) |
| Blackwater by Conn Iggulden (Harper Collins) |
| Hell Island by Matthew Reilly (Pan) |
| The Thief by Ruth Rendell (published by Arrow) |
| The Book Boy by Joanna Trollope (Bloomsbury) |
| Chickenfeed by Minette Walters (Macmillan) |
People who want to find out more about opportunities to become involved in improving their reading skills can call 0800 100 900 to find out about free courses across the country. A free Video/DVD is available which shows the benefits of improving personal reading and writing skills.
Quick Reads are priced at £2.99, however £1-off Quick Reads book tokens are available to download at www.quickreads.org.uk or www.bbc.co.uk/raw
These £1 tokens can be used wherever the Quick Reads are on sale - bookshops, supermarkets and other outlets.
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Widening learning opportunities for adults with disabilities and learning difficulties
Following over two years of research and development work with teachers, practitioners, carers, support workers and employers, the Learning for Living Consortium – led by NIACE – is to launch a comprehensive suite of guidance documents - at a series of national events - for anyone working with adults who have learning difficulties or disabilities who are learning literacy, language and numeracy.
In producing these guidance documents – which include a set of eight accompanying DVDs - the Learning for Living Consortium has consulted and worked collaboratively with a variety of providers and practitioners in colleges, care settings, day centres, prisons and offender institutions, work-based learning and voluntary and community organisations. Listening to the learner has been one of the key principles underpinning the guidance because people are more likely to engage in learning if they can see what the benefits are and how it relates to their lives.
Susan, one of the learners who took part in the filming for the DVDs, said:
“You will always achieve better if you are doing something that interests you. It’s why this has been a success, because we all chose something that we were interested in because it was centred around the courses we were doing.”
Joyce Black, NIACE Project Manager for the Learning for Living Consortium, said:
“This suite of guidance documents is an absolutely essential resource. The Consortium has sought input from a wide range of voluntary, statutory, campaigning and specialist advocacy organisations. We have consulted with practitioners, managers and with learners at a range of curriculum levels and with a variety of learning needs. From this dynamic approach we have been able to listen to and see first hand, remarkable energy, vision and creativity.”
She continued: “Building on those experiences has been fundamental to the development of all of the guidance documents. We see them as a way of highlighting effective and creative practices in literacy, language and numeracy learning. We hope that colleagues will use them to share and encourage, more widely, the necessary development and change needed in this complex field.”
The complete Learning for Living suite of guidance will be launched at three events during March 2006 and will be available free from Department for Education and Skills Publications.
Source: NIACE Press Release: "Widening learning opportunities for adults with disabilities and learning difficulties" Released On 02/03/2006
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A glimpse into the future and potential of learning
The continual advances in technology are having a profound effect on not just children’s learning but how adults learn as well. Hundreds of practitioners from across the country will come together in Birmingham next week at an event - funded by the Learning and Skills Council and organised by NIACE - to celebrate the progress, ideas and innovation currently being used in the delivery of adult education.
The E-Guides National Event 2006 – to be held in Birmingham at the Hilton Metropole Hotel on Wednesday 1st March and Thursday 2nd March - will include projects illustrating the latest technology and methods used to teach adults. Delegates have the choice of over 50 different workshops covering such issues as developments in working with learners with disabilities and impairments, blogging and podcasting, Internet radio and mobile learning. The E-Guides programme has trained over 1,200 tutors and managers as E-Guides, who in turn have trained nearly 9,000 other staff to date in how to embed e-learning.
Mary Moss, Project Officer, ICT and Learning Team at NIACE, said:
“This two-day event offers a flexible programme for delegates to pursue their specific interests in e-learning. There will be the opportunity to update knowledge on e-learning developments in adult and community learning and listen to a variety of dynamic speakers on topics relevant to adult educators. There will also be the opportunity - through workshops and plenary sessions - to discuss the best way forward, to consider how to consolidate the skills and knowledge gained to date and sustain the enthusiasm and momentum generated by the E-Guide training programme.”
She continued, “E-Guide trainers and adult and community learning advisors from the Joint Information Systems Committee Regional Support Centres will be on hand to provide advice and support. We are also inviting E-Guides to present their own Hot Tips. This is an opportunity for practitioners to share their own experiences of encouraging colleagues to use e-learning in the classroom and beyond.”
Speakers at the E-Guides National Event will include Jon Gamble, Director of Adult Learning at the Learning and Skills Council, and John Brown, Group Development Director at the University for Industry (Ufi). Other contributions will come from the BBC, Channel 4, Teachers’ TV, Learning and Skills Development Agency, Adult Learning Inspectorate, Becta’s Community Learning Resource, www.aclearn.net and the Joint Information Systems Committee, as well as from exemplar projects in the field, such as How to Be a History Detective.
There will be a live webcast of the sessions taking place in the main room.
Source: NIACE Press Release: "A glimpse into the future and potential of learning" Released On 24/02/2006
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