Learning and Skills Council Skills for Life Quality Initiative 200506

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• Learning and Skills Council Skills for Life
  Quality Initiative 2005-06
• Leading Work Based Learning Providers to deliver
  successful Skills for Life

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Structure of the day

• Where are we now?
• issues for the sector
• Where do we want to be?
• features of outstanding practice
• How do we get there?
• learning from the best
• managing the change

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Aims of the day

• The day will enable participants to
• share experience in leading Skills for Life and
  managing a whole organisation approach
• compare these experiences with outstanding and/or
  beacon colleges
• identify achievable improvements to participants
  own systems and procedures
• action plan to improve.

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LSC funded Skills for Life
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Targets and needs

• 750k by 2004
• 1.5 million by 2007
• 2.25 million by 2010
• 5.2 million adults (16) below literacy Level 1
• 14.9 million adults (46) below numeracy Level 1

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Progress against targets 2001-2005

• 300 growth in provision
• 7.8 million learning opportunities
• delivered to 3.7 million adults
• gaining 1.1 million qualifications
• 2005 milestone exceeded by over 10

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Progress against expectations

• The Skills for Life strategy has been highly
  successful
• LSC Priorities for Success
• one of our most successful strategies
• DfES Stephen Marston, SfL Conference 2005
• a qualified success
• Ofsted Skills for Life One Year On
• much of the foundation provision is going
  nowhere fast
• ALI CIAR 04-05

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Towards 2010

• What stays the same?
• remains top priority no quick fix
• Phil Hope
• where economic and social policies best align
• Stephen Marston
• What changes?
• Skills for Life ? Functional Skills
• discrete ? embedded
• success for all ? priorities for success
• growth ? impact

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Functional skills the 1419 White Paper

• Achieving functional skills in English and maths
  must be at the heart of the 1419 phase. These
  skills are essential to support learning in other
  subjects and they are essential for employment.
• Functional skills are those core elements of
  English, mathematics and ICT that provide an
  individual with the essential knowledge, skills
  and understanding that will enable them to
  operate confidently, effectively and
  independently in life and at work.

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Functional skills the Skills White Paper

• Too many adults lack the basics in literacy,
  language and numeracy, and do not have the
  platform of wider skills and qualifications to
  support sustained productive employability.
• Individuals of whatever age who possess these
  skills will be able to participate and progress
  in education, training and employment as well as
  develop and secure the broader range of
  aptitudes, attitudes and behaviours that will
  enable them to make a positive contribution to
  the communities in which they live and work.

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Embedding

• functional skills through GCSEs, diplomas,
  apprenticeships
• workplace delivery
• NETP roll-out
• TU links
• building on success (Sainsburys, Walkers)
• flexible and responsive delivery
• extending access and reach
• different settings extended schools
• different agencies BBC RAW
• different experiences e-learning

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Priorities for success

• Progress on Skills for Life must be sustained
  in the context of
• 1419 reform, employer engagement, raising
  standards
• reduction in funded adult provision
• no growth planned in Skills for Life target
  outputs 06/07, 07/08
• increased contribution of employers and
  individuals in line with benefits received.

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Priorities for success

• Funding rate and eligibility unchanged
• Review balance and mix
• Shift funding from short programmes
• Remove funding for standalone tests
• Council to review the basis for future funding
  of ESOL
• ESOL change in 200708?

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Impact

• Focus funds where they will
• have most effect
• and contribute to target
• Priorities for Success
• Comprehensive Spending Review
• concerned with what works

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ALI CIAR 2004-05

• Foundation programmes should be the basis for
  success in other programmes of learning
• little improvementfailure to overcome critical
  weaknesses situation continues
• work-based learning is the area where most
  progress has been made

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Foundation performance 2004/05

• WBL
• 38 good or outstanding
• 19 unsatisfactory
• Two grade 1s
• Clear improvement
• ALI CIAR 2004/05

• Colleges
• 40 good or outstanding
• 9 unsatisfactory
• Six grade 1s
• Worse grade profile than 2002

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2003 Joint review continuing themes

• Poor management of LLN, especially around quality
• Management responsibility not clearly allocated
• Weak links between LLN and vocational curricula
• Underdeveloped and poorly skilled tutors
• Rigorous, learner-centred delivery
• Inadequate quality assurance

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Fundamental weaknesses

• Rates of progression LN significant barrier
• Support for learners with LN problems despite
  improved initial assessment
• Learner understanding of IA outcomes in terms of
  employability or work tasks
• Staff qualifications and expertise, including LN
• Assessment rather than learning
• Use of practical and learner-focused contexts
• ALI CIAR 2004/05

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Teaching teams need to

• treat core curricula as framework not
  straitjacket
• use cc flexibly not rigidly
• set meaningful learner targets
• use and adapt learning materials well
• use real situations and tasks to develop skills
• recognise and address specific learning
  difficulties.
• ALI CIAR 2004/05

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Managers need to

• recognise the wide-ranging impact of LLN
• evaluate foundation programmes more critically
• ensure making it better is given higher priority
• identify clear improvement measures.
• ALI CIAR 2004/05

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Recent inspection strengths

• Very good teaching and learning
• Very good progression and achievement
• Responsive and flexible provision to meet
  individual needs
• Wide range of learning activities
• Effective partnership work with external agencies
  and employers to enhance learning
• Highly innovative methods to engage learners
• Very good advice, guidance and support for
  learners
• Very good vocational and personal support for
  learners

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What do successful WBL providers share?

• 1. Recognise the Skills for Life achievement and
  progression bonus
• 2. Keep everyone informed, involved and
  interested
• 3. Start with the individual learner
• 4. Keep Skills for Life relevant and real
• 5. Find people with the right approach, build the
  skills
• 6. Fit delivery around each employer
• 7. Check quality all the time
• Use systems that everyone understands
• Share what works
• 10. Dont settle for less than best