The UK policy context for lifelong learning and its implementation in Cambridgeshire

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The UK policy context for lifelong learning and
its implementation in Cambridgeshire
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Background

• 1997 Labour Government
• 1997 Higher Education in the learning society
  Dearing report emphasised the key role of higher
  education
• 1998 Learning Works Kennedy report on
  widening participation at post 16
• 1999 Government Green Paper The Learning Age
• 2001 Establishment of new Department for
  Education and Skills (DfES)

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The Learning Age

• Key principles
• Expand further and higher education
• Make it easier to learn by creating University
  for Industry (UfI)
• Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs)
• Invest in young people (post 16)
• Increase help for basic literacy and numeracy
  skills
• Widen participation in and access to learning
• Raise standards across teaching and learning
• Set and publish clear target
• Work with business, employees and trade unions
• Build a qualification system which is easily
  understood

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The Learning Age

• Learnings potential for
• Individuals - offers excitement and opportunity
• Businesses adds value and keeps up to date
• Communities contributes to social cohesion
• The Nation essential to a strong community and
  to bridge the Learning divide

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Department for Education Skills

• Report Education and Skills Delivering Results
  A strategy to 2006
• Three key principles
• Give children an excellent start
• Enable all young people to develop
• Encourage and enable adults to learn

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Actions

• Skills for Life
• Learning and Skills Council
• Learndirect
• UK Online Centres
• E-learning
• Workforce development strategy

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Why the need?

• Weakness in numbers achieving basic and
  intermediate skills
• Seven million adults have no formal qualification
• One in five have poor literacy and numeracy skills

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On the ground

• Establishment of
• Learndirect centres
• National Grid for Learning (NGfL) Community
  (CGfL)
• UK Online brand
• Funding streams to establish all of the above
  through DfES and New Opportunities Fund (NOF)
• Learning and Skills Councils (offering
  co-financing)
• Re-branding of Employment Service JobCentres Plus
• Establishment of Connexions
• Learning Partnerships

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The role of libraries

• Libraries can help change cultures and become
  increasingly important partners in both opening
  up access and diversifying delivery.
• Creating Learning Cultures Next steps to
  achieving the Learning Age. Second Report of
  The National Advisory Group for Continuing
  Education Lifelong Learning.

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The role of libraries

• Changing role more interactive,
• Wider role in the learning process than supplying
  materials
• Impartial, neutral, less threatening environment
• Learning for leisure key activity

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To make an impact

• Libraries need to
• Be more responsive to learners needs
• Recognise the barriers, particularly amongst some
  groups
• Encourage library use amongst children

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Delivery in Libraries

• Peoples Network was established with Government
  funding to provide ICT equipment and connectivity
• Aims
• Improve accessibility
• Use ICT to create learning cultures
• Stimulate demand
• Bridge the digital dvide
• Family learning
• Citizenship and building communities

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Cambridgeshire

• At County level
• Cambridgeshire Learning Partnership
• Local Strategic Partnerships
• Network of Learndirect Centres
• Cambridgeshire Community Network (CCN)

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Prospects for learning

• County strategy document published in 2001
• To contribute to the social, economic and
  cultural well being of the country, the county,
  communities and individuals in Cambridgeshire by
  securing the highest possible levels of
  achievement, understanding and participation in
  learning, and the positive use of leisure.

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Cambridgeshire Library Information Service

• Eight Learning Centres
• 32 Community Access Points

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Learning Services for Learning Communities

• Flexible, accessible learning
• Supported by qualified staff
• Is not time limited or constrained
• Offers accredited learning
• Offers learning for leisure
• Works in partnership with other providers
• Targets hard to reach groups

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Current activity

• Accredited learning and qualification
• Taster sessions
• Development of our own tailored courses
• 600 online learning courses
• One to one and group tuition
• Piloting activity with hard to reach groups

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Mission

• Cambridgeshire Library Service recognises
• The importance of investing in learning
• The role of learning at work for both our own
  staff and role we can play in up-skilling staff
  in other businesses
• The key role the service has to play in helping
  to realise the learning age

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And finally!
A few of our happy learners!