Adapt Projects

 

 

UfI Basic Skills

 

Aim

The project will support new, increased basic skills learning through provision, which combines local, flexible delivery with proactive and positive mentoring which builds on work with community, voluntary and trade union organisations to engage/motivate new learners. Through this we will increase the numbers taking part in literacy/numeracy programmes and the number succeeding and gaining accreditation for skills.

 

Objectives

The objectives of this project are:

To capture the best practice in literacy/numeracy provision gained through prior ESF work, make this available via the web and identify key priorities. The Lancashire Colleges Consortium will make this available via the web.

To organise a series of activities to bring people into learning, reaching those otherwise least likely to participate through taster activities, through working with learning advocates/champions and with employers. Over a period of the project:
•  Locally we will organise regular promotional/engagement activities, particularly directed at groups amongst whom participation rates are (locally) poor.
•  The Lancashire Colleges Consortium/Learndirect hubs will produce guidance/support materials for learning promotion and advocates.
•  Engage additional basic skills staff to work on a peripatetic basis through the hub

To deliver learning programmes on a rolling programme, basing flexible on assessment of learners' needs using diagnostic tools, one-to-one reviews and from this develop an action plan, identify a mentor who will support them through this, and accredited achievements. More that 140 people will take part in the programme between September 2002 and November 2003.

To provide follow-up/aftercare support, actively managing the next step on the learning/employability pathway. Through particular attention to this, building on in-programme mentoring, we are confident that 80% of learners will identify continuing learning plans.

To underpin provision/mainstreaming through capacity-building actions. The LCC will establish an online support forum for (group and individual) advocates and will organise two events for these advocates over 2003. A final report/mainstreaming plan will be produced for review with partners for November/ December 2003

Activity

The project will provide support for adults with low levels of literacy/numeracy to gain and apply skills in this area.

It will be delivered on a flexible basis, with the driver being the needs of the individual, recognising that for most adult s commitment to develop these skills is context related and thus raining must relate to the situation in which they wish to apply the skills.

Following initial guidance/participation in tasters, the start point for a beneficiary will be an initial review:
•  to identify why they want to develop their basic skills
•  to carry out diagnostic tests to assess needs (including any resulting from dyslexia)
•  to agree the commitment they will make and the support that will be provided
This will lead to an action plan, which will be achieved:
•  Through brokerage of further services provided by the colleges/other agencies, including job search/other vocational training
•  This will then be reviewed with a mentor on a regular basis, progress recorded/outcomes accredited and the next stage agreed. This will allow us to amend the action plan to respond to changing needs and goals.

Complementary work includes:

Developing and testing ways of engaging basic skills learners through learning promotion events linked to factors which can motivate people to take part in learning and one-to-one approaches.

Strengthening the capacity of organisations and individuals that can act in a learning advocacy role, including their capacity to support the design of programmes/resources allocation.

Target

The project targets people with literacy/numeracy problems, and who lack key skills; the majority of learners will be unemployed/economically inactive, but we will also involve people in insecure employment including where lack of basic skills threatened unemployment. We will provide ESOL support, special support (including via the use of adaptive technologies) for those with disabilities and will involve people aged 50+.