Basic Skills in the Community and the Workplace
Round 1 2004-2006
Project Number ESF/0304/170
Dossier Number 04 1075 NW3
Some College Partners in a Project Meeting
Project Description
This project was designed to support people with Basic and Key skills below
Level 2 or ESOL needs, through:Working with trade union and community partners to reach ‘relevant' learners through
(a) identifying ‘hooks into learning'
(b) providing the opportunity for initial review with peer advisers
Supporting local/community learning (including via ICT) giving people the chance to develop and practice skills in a context relevant to why they want to learn
Supporting progression to further learning, with the immediate next step being progress to Level 2The project was very successful. Each of the colleges worked in a different way allowing the project to respond directly to local circumstances and build on local partnerships. The project activity could be split into two parts, work with community organisations and their members and work with employers, trade unions and employees. Interestingly whilst there were differences in approach there were also common good practice elements.
Dissemination Event
Some comments from beneficiaries
•“I would like to say a big thank you for helping me with my English and believing in me….”
• “My education stopped when I was 8 years old. I travelled throughout my teenage years”
• “This was not like school, I have been taught differently and the maths and English are different,….. I can do them!!”
• “I attended English classes about 15 years ago at another College but I only attended about 4 times because the classes were only at night time”
• “The one to one tuition has really worked for me especially when the hours I could attend were flexible”To celebrate the ending of a very successful project, Colleges who had taken part in the project “Basic and Key Skills in the Community and Workforce” met at Preston North End Football Club on Tuesday 6 th December 2005.
The project set out to offer support to people in different parts of Lancashire who needed some help in order to gain the skills necessary to get into work or who were in work and needed some support to move on towards qualifications or better jobs.
Eight Colleges were involved in the project which was sponsored by the Learning and Skills Council Lancashire as part of their European Social Fund Co-finance programme and each worked in a slightly different way. In each area the local college worked with local organisations to deliver the project.
In most cases these partnerships were developed from existing links – Lyn Fishwick, the project manager for Burnley College , stressed that these local links made it possible to give the project a local flavour which met needs and supported the development of a co-ordinated response.
Lots of good practice points were made by the presenters and a very strong view emerged that project funding was a real plus because it allowed the Colleges to do all those things that really made a difference in peoples lives and experience.
The project set out to offer support and training to about 160 people but actually exceeded this target by 15%.
Some of the Colleges who took part in the project did presentations and their powerpoint presentations are below
1
Lancashire Colleges Consortium overview by Jon Piggott
Basic Skills in the Community and Workforce
2
Presentation by Kath Gresty from Skelmersdale College
3
Presentation by Margaret Dodd and Sue Bramley from Lancaster and Morecambe College
4
Presentation by Lynne Fishwick and Stuart Hoyle from Burnley College
Further Reports
Evaluation of Basic Skills in the Community and Workplace Project
Some links to Skills for Life Websites
Useful websites courtesy of Kath Gresty and Elaine Bullock
Members of the Consortium Delivering Project
Nelson and Colne College, Accrington and Rossendale College, Skelmersdale College, Preston College, Lancaster and Morecambe College, Burnley College, Blackburn College and Blackpool and Fylde College.
