Adult Guidance

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Adult Guidance Policy Developments in England

• Presentation by
• Millar MacDonald Department for Education
  Skills, England
• Patsy Smith MBE
• Dublin - 30 April 2004

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Introduction

• Policy Aims The role of guidance in lifelong
  learning
• Policy Aims Providing an integrated IAG
  service for adults
• Access to Guidance Delivering an integrated
  IAG service for adults
• Access to Guidance - Issues for longer term
  development

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Origins

• Provision of high quality information, advice
  and guidance services is going to be one of the
  key factors in driving up adult skill levels in
  Britain

Ivan Lewis Minister for Adult Skills
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Role of Guidance in Lifelong Learning

• To
• promote understanding of the value of lifelong
  learning
• motivate adults to plan their careers and make
  informed choices about learning throughout life
  and
• help adults to identify and address barriers to
  entry, completion, attainment and progression in
  learning

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Skills Strategy and Reform of IAG

• 5 policy objectives
• A clear, coherent and consistent offer.
• Visibility and Accessibility - Clients know how
  to gain entry to services.
• Coherence in delivery - services are joined up
  from the clients perspective, with quick and
  easy access and referral.
• High quality wherever IAG is delivered to adults.
• Clear evidence of impact and achievement.

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Skills Strategy Specific IAG Objectives

• The Skills Strategy gives four objectives for the
  reform of IAG, to
• integrate the learndirect national advice service
  with the work of local IAG services
• define the range of IAG services which adults
  should be entitled to expect, and the standards
  to which those services should be delivered, and
  to support this with a clear national brand and
  national and local LSC marketing
• ensure all LSC funded IAG providers are
  accredited against the matrix Standard for
  information, advice and guidance services and
• work with the Department for Work and Pensions
  (DWP) to draw together the labour market
  information that employers and individuals
  require to make choices about learning and work
  and to improve the availability of on-line labour
  market information, and to develop training for
  IAG practitioners in using labour market
  information.

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Delivering an Integrated IAG Service

• VISIBLE - a new national brand for IAG
• ACCESSIBLE - a no wrong door approach wherever
  the service is accessed users will be directed to
  the full range of IAG provision to meet their
  needs
• INTEGRATED - an integrated national and local
  service with seamless transfer between local face
  to face services and the national helpline
• CLARITY - a service entitlement clearly
  communicated to the public through national and
  local marketing
• CONSISTENT - all LSC funded organisations will
  deliver to common standards of service and
• DIFFERENTIATED SERVICE for those below level 2
  and in other targeted groups.

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Definition of Services

• Access to a core range of services, available
  nationally through a combination of
• Freephone service available 8am-10pm 7 days a
  week
• Centres for information available minimum 5 days
  a week and
• On line services and outreach provision

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National priority groups include

• Adults NVQ 2/3
• More people under age 30 entering HE
• Basic skills, literacy, numeracy or ESOL needs
• Inactive benefit claimants and those claiming
  Jobseekers allowance

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Local priority groups include

• Lone parents
• Labour market returners
• Areas of high unemployment/social deprivation
• Remote areas
• People aged 50
• People at risk of becoming unemployed

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Impact Measures

• Targets and performance indicators focusing on
  the impact on participation in learning and
• An evaluation strategy to assess the impact on
  retention and progression in learning

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Ensuring Quality

• All LSC funded IAG providers will be accredited
  to matrix and subject to LSC performance review
• There will be a customer entitlement to services
  to be delivered to consistent standards
• Measurement of the impact of services towards the
  achievement of both local and national targets
• A national resource and development centre will
  be established to support professional
  development, develop resources and innovative
  approaches to service delivery and
• Customer satisfaction will be monitored at
  national and local level.

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• Funding Targets for 2003-04
• IAG Programme funding - 60.25m (approx 90 m
  euros)
• LSC Local IAG Provision
• 2.5 million information episodes
• 350, 000 individuals below NVQ L2 or equivalent
  receive advice
• 95 penetration against matrix National Standard
  and
• KPI of 40 below NVQ L2 or equivalent progress
  into learning or work
• learndirect IA Service
• 5 million service users of which
• 350, 000 individuals below L2 service receive
  advice and
• Accredited against the matrix Standard

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The National Standard

• the matrix quality standard
• for information, advice and guidance services

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10 Key Elements

• 5 Delivery of the Service elements with
• 24 delivery criteria
• 5 Management of the Service with
• 28 management criteria

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Applies in contexts such as

• helping employees to make informed choices about
  their learning and development
• helping students in further and higher education
  and training to identify suitable opportunities
  for learning and work
• Supporting young people in engaging with society
  and developing themselves
• Providing support to communities to help people
  who are disadvantaged overcome the barriers to
  learning and work
• Assisting jobless people to prepare for and find
  employment

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The Journey
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The Journey
matrix Assessment and Accreditation Process
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Helps organisations to

• Ensure consistency and clarity in their provision
  of IAG
• Provide a quality benchmark against which to
  check performance
• Manage processes more efficiently and
  effectively
• Gain the confidence of staff and thereby raise
  morale and motivation and
• Gain valuable recognition through a rigorous
  accreditation process.

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UK Website References

• Skills Strategy www.dfes.skillstrategy.gov.uk
• National Policy Framework - www.lifelonglearning.c
  o.uk/iag
• matrix Standard www.matrix-quality-standard.com
• learndirect helpline IA Service
  www.learndirect.co.uk
• Connexions Service www.connexions.gov.uk
• skillsformedia - www.skillsformedia.com
• Worktrain www.worktrain.gov.uk
• Department for Employment Learning, Northern
  Ireland www.delni.gov.uk
• Careers Scotland www.careers-scotland.org.uk
• Careers Wales www.careerswales.com