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NIACE Responds to ALI 3rd Annual Report
On Wednesday, 24 November, David Sherlock, Chief Inspector of the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) launched his third Annual Report. This shows that there has been ‘a clear and sustained improvement’ in the quality of work-based learning for young people - learning programmes offered by JobCentre Plus - and Adult and Community Learning (ACL) - mainly part-time learning provided by local education authorities.
The percentage of ACL provision judged to be less than satisfactory has dropped by 10% between the first and second years of inspection, and the proportion of ACL providers judged to be good or outstanding increased more than threefold. For the first time, a local authority is among the best providers. Stockton on Tees LEA achieved a Grade 2 for leadership and Management and Grades 1 or 2 for all areas of learning provision. Two charities and a specialist adult education college were also among the best providers.
The Chief Inspector commented that effective networking between local authority providers had helped ‘spread the word’. Providers had digested the messages from inspection quickly and adopted a proactive and collaborative approach to improving provision. The contribution of NIACE, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, and other national organisations in supporting such networking was acknowledged.
Sue Meyer, NIACE Director of Policy and Programmes, said:
“We have been delighted to support providers as they’ve come to grips with the requirements of inspection. It’s been a fantastic reward to see how our faith in the quality of adult and community learning - and its capacity to rise to the challenge - has been justified.”
 | Source: NIACE press release "NIACE responds to ALI 3rd Annual Report" (PDF file), released on 24/11/2004 |
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The National Quality Improvement Body (NQIB) - a progress report
In June this year, the Secretary of State announced his intention to establish, by April 2006, a new national strategic body to drive forward quality improvement in the learning and skills sector. Following work by the Department to assess the feasibility of the LSDA to undertake the new role, Charles Clarke announced at the Association of Colleges (AoC) Conference on 16 November, his intention that the Learning and Skills Development Agency ( LSDA) will restructure to take on the role of the new Quality Improvement Body.
The new body is the Department's response to consistent messages from the sector that current arrangements for accountability and quality improvement lack clarity and coherence. It is a key part of the work to reduce bureaucracy and release capacity to the front line.
A progress report on the new body is available at www.dfes.co.uk/consultations setting out the vision, roles and responsibilities of the NQIB, and describing how it will work with other major organisations which have responsibility for improving the quality of education and training. To begin to make a reality of the cultural shift towards provider self-improvement, the report invites views from the sector on shaping the priorities of the new body as the Department takes forward detailed development work.
The sector is invited to contribute by 8 February 2005.
NIACE welcomes any comments that members and colleagues have on this document in order that it may inform our own response. Please send any comments to Sue Meyer at email:sue.meyer@niace.org.uk
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Family Learners Wanted For National Award
Organisers of the biggest celebration of adult learning in the UK are completing their search for inspirational learners by calling for nominations for the Family Learning Awards 2005 – which highlight the important role that families play in lifelong learning, whether it’s helping children at school or adults learning new skills.
This year NIACE is looking for nominations for families to the Adult Learners’ Week 2005 Family Learning Awards – with two families winning learning resources to the value of £500 and an invitation to a prestigious ceremony in London next May.
Winners of the 2004 Adult Learners' Week Family Learning Award were the White family from Crawley. Mum, Rachel White said:
“It was wonderful for all of us to have our achievements recognised, and to be able to celebrate together as a family alongside other award winners. It was a very special day that I'm sure we will never forget.”
Francisca Martinez, Publicity Co-ordinator at NIACE, said:
“Learning together can have an incredibly positive impact on the whole family and this is exactly what this Family Learning Award celebrates. You must be able to show how learning together has helped each member of your family and why the learning has helped the family as a whole. You can nominate your own family or someone else’s – as long as you get their permission!”
She continued, “By ‘families’ we mean ‘all those you care about and those who care for you’. This includes parents, grandparents, siblings, child-minders, foster parents or other significant carers. If you think your family or someone else’s deserves recognition for what you’ve achieved together - please call NIACE’s Campaigns and Promotions team on 0116 204 4200 for a nomination form – or visit our website, www.niace.org.uk/alw - and you could be receiving a national award next May.”
| Source: NIACE press release "Family Learners Wanted For National Award" (PDF file), released on 16/11/2004 |
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New lifelong learning resource a lifeline for carers
A new partnership designed to give a fresh new outlook and renewed confidence to carers throughout England will be launched by Carers UK and NIACE at an event in London on Tuesday 16 November 2004. The two organisations expect the partnership to result in carers having greater interest in lifelong learning, providing them with wider choices and opportunities.
Their first step is a new information resource, ‘Carers and Learning’, intended to encourage carers to think about themselves, and the stimulating benefits of further learning. The booklet, which will also be web-based, helps carers choose their most suited courses. It tells them where to go for information, where they can get funding and how alternative care arrangements can be made. Carers UK and NIACE will be promoting the leaflet through professionals working in social care.
Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:
“Caring is often an isolating task and can take its toll on carers. In providing round-the-clock care, they have little time for themselves. As carers' experiences show, taking up new courses can be a lifeline, improving carers' quality of life by increasing their self-esteem. Others have been able to return to work as a result. We are delighted that this partnership between Carers UK and NIACE has arisen out of our work through a project, ‘Action for Carers and Employment’, which seeks to break down the barriers to work for carers."
Alastair Thomson, Senior Development Officer at NIACE, said:
"NIACE is delighted to be working in partnership with Carers UK. We are determined to improve access to learning opportunities for anyone who faces barriers. Carers are a group of people who face such barriers on a day-to-day basis. This partnership is all the more timely because of the success of Dr Hywel Francis' Private Member’s legislation, which will give more rights, information and support to carers across the country. Ultimately we hope all carers will be able to maximise the many benefits there are to learning and enable them to have a life beyond their caring responsibility."
The partnership is one of the first initiatives to come out of the new Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004, popularly known as Sam’s Bill, which received Royal Assent on 22 July. The Bill was introduced by Dr Hywel Francis, MP for Aberavon in memory of his son, Sam, and will come into force on 1 April 2005. The legislation will ensure that people with caring responsibilities receive equal treatment when it comes to access to lifelong learning and employment opportunities.
“Before I started learning I used to sit and watch the television all day. I didn’t go out a lot, and when I did join something I didn’t stick at it because I didn’t have any confidence. Learning has given me the freedom to think about my future instead of staying home and thinking that I can’t do this. I feel that now I am at last doing something positive and useful with my life.” (Niama, lone parent of two children with disabilities).
Copies of the booklet are available from 16 November and can be downloaded from various websites including www.carersuk.org and www.acecarers.org.uk and hard copies can be ordered free via Carers UK's publications hotline: 020 7566 7617.
| Source: NIACE press release "New lifelong learning resource a lifeline for carers" (PDF file), released on 09/11/2004 |
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Financial Literacy Appointment.
NIACE, in partnership with Prudential, have confirmed their commitment to the importance of financial literacy by appointing Howard Gannaway to the post of Prudential Research Fellow in Financial Education.
To complement NIACE in its role as a research and advocacy organisation, the priority for Howard Gannaway will be to put the adult learner at the heart for any initiatives for financial literacy. Working in partnership with many other organisations – basic skills providers, CABs and statutory bodies – Howard Gannaway will be marshalling good practice to ensure a better case is made for all adult learners.
Howard Gannaway, said:
“I have 25 years experience of seeing, at grass roots level, just how challenging it is for people from all walks of life to understand their financial position and options. How people understand and manage money is something that affects a large part of the lives of many, many people. One of the first steps of this research and development programme will be to assess the current position of adult financial awareness and the resources that are available. In doing this, we are, of course, aware of the wide range of programmes and initiatives being undertaken by many organisations and the team at NIACE will be aiming to publicise and celebrate the best of these for the benefit of all adult learners.”
Alan Clarke NIACE Associate Director ICT and Learning said:
“We are very excited to have someone of the calibre of Howard Gannaway joining us as the Prudential Research Fellow in Financial Education. Adult financial education is something that has been somewhat neglected but we take it very seriously at NIACE through projects like the Money Matters To Me website ( www.moneymatterstome.com ) which we have developed in partnership with Prudential.”
He continued:
“Financial education is vital in a modern society. People need to understand the different aspects of their personal finances. It is a universal need. Everyone needs to know how to handle their money and finances and through Howard Gannaway's appointment we hope to increase access to quality financial education for all adults, regardless of their financial situation or background.”
Liza Vizard, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Prudential, said:
“The appointment of Howard Gannaway is an important step as we move towards a greater understanding of the needs of adult learners. Tackling head on the issue of financial literacy in the UK is of key importance for all organisations involved with the financial affairs of consumers.”
| Source: NIACE press release "New Research Fellow in Financial Education." (PDF file), released on 09/11/2004 |
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Adult Learners' Week Evaluation Report
For the first time in its 13 year history, Adult Learners’ Week has been evaluated independently. Staff from the Institute of Employment Studies interviewed regional co-ordinators and a number of members of NIACE’s Campaigns & Promotions Information Exchange Group and the Steering Group.
The aims of the evaluation were to:
| review the reach and depth of the Week in different regions and among different education/training providers, policy makers and learners; |
| identify the nature and spread of events and activities in different areas; |
| review the scale and nature of national/regional media coverage; |
| identify (with specific examples where appropriate) the general impact of the Week (e.g. on partnerships, on participation [level and profile of people involved and their responses]); on providers and other organisations; on future plans. |
The research was co-funded by the European Social Fund. Click on the link below to read the full report:
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Download Evaluation Report |
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Exploring the connections between learning, health, well-being and self-esteem
A conference that explores the connections between learning, health, well-being and self-esteem is being held in Birmingham on Tuesday 9th Nov. NIACE, who are organising the event, have recognised that there is a growing recognition of the link between learning, health, well-being and self-esteem. The focus on widening participation strategies has put professionals under pressure to reach wider; more marginalised and often excluded groups. Finding successful ways to work with excluded groups is often difficult; enabling those individuals to recognise and develop their potential is often a challenge.
Practitioners who offer learning advice are also aware of the need to ensure that the advice and guidance that they offer has a positive impact on the individual, and that the process of providing this advice is sustainable and that the well-being is maintained and their own development enhanced.
Across government departments - DoH, DfES, DWP and ODPM - in current or impending policies and initiatives (Public Health White Paper, SEU Report on ‘Mental Health - Social Exclusion’, Skills Strategy, ‘Better Life Chances for Disabled People’, Pathways to Work) all focus on getting more people more active, more involved and achieving more, taking more responsibility and being better informed. The task for practitioners and policy makers is how do you make all this work.
Many of the policies and initiatives are interconnected and often impact on each other eg. public health is improved when people are better educated and have better jobs. How do we maximise the ‘joined-up’ benefits of this and how do we show what works.
Is our target culture a barrier to supporting those who need it most?
The programme for the day will give participants an opportunity to explore how learning can impact on the health and well-being of participants, leading them on to better self-esteem, more confidence and progression to other learning opportunities, volunteering and employment.
The day will attract both educators and health professionals, job centre plus advisers, voluntary organisations and a unique opportunity to network and discuss with major practitioners in this developing field.
| Click here for more
information on the conference, or contact Gurjit Kaur on tel: 0116
2042833; Email: gurjit.kaur@niace.org.uk |
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Nominate someone for a National Learning Award
Adult Learners’ Week, which takes place every year in May, is the key national campaign to highlight the successes and excellence of adult learners and the organisations that support them. This is your chance to nominate someone who you think deserves to be recognised nationally.
There are awards for Individuals, Families and Groups of learners. It’s also a great opportunity to enter your project or programme for an ‘Opening Doors to Adult Learning’ award. We’re looking for creative schemes of learning that have a track record of success for their adult clients. All award winners will receive a framed certificate of achievement and be invited to a national award ceremony in London during Adult Learners’ Week, 21-27 May 2005
Nomination Forms can be downloaded here.
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Free Publicity Material for Maths Campaign
Building on our ‘Numbers in Everything/Hands Up if You Hate Maths’ campaign of earlier this year, ‘you do the maths’ highlights the importance of estimating and detailed calculation in helping people to make sense of their everyday lives.
FREE support materials are now available for providers to help them promote their local activities for the campaign.
Posters, postcards, stress balls, scratchcards, pocket helpcards and erasers will reinforce the message that maths skills make a difference. For local providers, these pocket sized materials will contain handy hints and tips designed to raise interest and help recruit potential learners to maths courses.
Click here for more information on the maths campaign and to order you FREE support materials
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£1,000 Cash Grants to reach more and different adults
Organisations across the country have the chance to get their hands on £1,000 to run activities to engage more and different adults in learning as part of Adult Learners’ Week in 2005.
The £1,000 grants, from the European Social Fund (ESF), will be awarded by NIACE, who will recognise projects that reach out to ESF target groups. These groups include unemployed people, people at risk of not being able to find work, Black and minority ethnic communities and women returners.
Judges will be looking for projects with creative flair and the potential to be reproduced in other parts of the country. As part of their bid, projects will also need to demonstrate that learners will be signposted to further opportunities and projects will also need to provide evidence of how they will match fund their project (at least 55% of the total cost of the project). Successful applicants will be required to acknowledge the support of the European Social Fund on all materials associated with the event or on any publicity.
Sica Martinez, Publicity Co-ordinator at NIACE, said,
“One of the aims of The European Social Fund is to help people who need additional support to enter jobs, improve their skills, and develop their potential at work. Ultimately these grants, for Adult Learners’ Week, can provide some support to organisations across the country, who creatively help some of the most excluded people in society achieve those aims.”
Thorplands and Thorplands Brook Community Co-operative in Northampton, winners of the grant in 2004, partnered with a range of organisations to reach the local community. The project has subsequently attracted adult education contracts and health contracts, resulting in an increase of users by 50%. They have since enrolled fifty new learners as a result of this activity.
Jim O’Rourke from Thorplands and Thorplands Brook Community Co-operative, said,
“European Social Funding enabled us to offer free unlimited access to adult learning for everyone during this genuine ‘one week only’ event. The warmth of our community shop, the lights in the window, the welcome on the mat, brought new faces streaming through our doors and the air filled with many unfamiliar accents. We knew we had managed to capture hard to reach populations but we had to hold their attention. European Social Funding did just that; it grabbed everyone's imagination and we set off on a wonderful journey into adult education together.”
He ended, “NIACE let the catalyst out of the box, we cannot turn back now. We have secured a place around the learning table for all adults and we have all learned something new about adult education needs in Thorplands. Now the real work begins. Thank you for making that magic work.”
| Source: NIACE press release "£1,000 Cash Grants to reach more and different adults" (PDF file), released on 21/10/2004 |
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Ensuring the Gain is worth the Pain
NIACE has published an initial response to a Learning and Skills Council (LSC) consultation paper on reforming the funding and planning arrangements for First Steps and Personal and Community Development Learning for Adults.
We welcome this important LSC consultation paper and believe that, although some of the changes proposed will prove uncomfortable for learners and providers of learning, the gain could be worth the pain. Some learners will be losers under these proposals but in the longer term, more could be winners.
We have been party to discussions with the LSC which have resulted in this paper and believe, overall, that these proposals have the potential to secure, across England, a fairer and a more consistent, transparent and defensible platform from which to argue in future spending rounds for increased public spending on First Steps and Personal and Community Development Learning for Adults.
The process is not without risk however and this paper highlights six serious concerns (two of which are critical) that will need to be allayed. Section one explains the context of the consultation paper; section two gives our initial reactions whilst section three is an appendix summarising the proposals.
Download NIACE's initial response here >
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