Adapt Projects

 

 

Networks for Community Learning

Aim

This project will build the capacity of voluntary and community groups to support widening participation in learning through organising local, first steps provision, through acting as advocates into and in learning for disadvantaged groups, and working with colleges, Learndirect and other providers to ensure that disadvantaged learners receive the holistic support they require if they are to overcome barriers to access and success.

The immediate outcome will be to train people from these groups to act as advocates/mentors,The impact will be to bring new groups into learning, supporting social and economic inclusion.

Objectives

The objectives of this project are:
•  To determine local capacity-building priorities and incorporate these into a local action plan. Each local partnership has already reviewed needs, based on review of ESF work in 2001/02. The local plans will be reviewed/agreed by the project forum.
•  To agree with community/voluntary groups their trainer training (including advocacy and mentoring, plus use of ICT resources) priorities, referenced to the ultimate beneficiary group needs.
•  To develop/bring together the resources needed to deliver this programme, and to support the further work of community mentors. We will make this available via a web site, and then add resource throughout the project lifetime.
•  To deliver flexible, needs driven learning and development programmes for over 200 community mentors.
•  To work with key players (including Learndirect hubs, LSC, LLPs) to mainstream good practice. A final report/review will identify how this will be done.

Activity

This project will support the development of capacity to bring more people into lifelong learning through locally based, first steps provision including in basic skills and IT skills. The work thus directly supports, from the indicative activities shown, a 'Train the Trainers' project, and through this
•  Extending access through more innovative means, including community and family, and through helping individuals develop and manage their own learning;
•  The identification and promotion of means that can open up access to learning for those adults currently least engaged with the education system.

The impact will be to support work
•  Providing individuals with ICT skills
•  Providing training for individuals with basic and key skills needs and reducing the risk of those with inadequate skills falling behind.

Core to provision is training for people involved in community/voluntary organisations. This involves:
(i) Identifying the needs of the organisation
(ii) Identifying the staff (paid and voluntary) that will be needed to make a learning network effective and meet the needs of people otherwise excluded from learning
(iii) Providing for these teams, accrediting outcomes and using ICT to enhance the flexibility/customisation of this provision
(iv) Providing support for the organisations, staff and volunteers in acting on the widening participation agenda including through network building and through local ICT resource.

3. We also (as outlined above) will create new resource to support this work both through collaborative development and using the learning pool model to share products developed by partners. We will make this available through a portal, which will also include:
•  Web links to sites on online learning, and to information on online work with disadvantaged communities.
•  A virtual library, referencing web sites relevant to learning areas (IT, numeracy, vocational areas etc). This will include referencing web sites where learning materials/learning objects and downloads can be accessed.
•  Discussion forums, FAQs, a bulletin board and e-newsletter.

This project will develop capacity to reach communities of disadvantaged groups across Lancashire , thus bringing about the inclusion in learning, and social/economic inclusion of people with low or outdated skills. We will develop approaches particularly focused on reaching equal opportunity priority groups, including people from ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, with poor basic skills, older workers and rural residents.

Target Group

The immediate target group are people who will act as learning advocates and community (including peer group) mentors. This will contribute to the number of trainers trained in the measure level target. We will train 29 trainers.

Through this work we will build capacity to bring into lifelong learning the range of disadvantaged groups, non-learners, and people who have low skills including substantial numbers who are economically inactive.