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For adult basic skills information and general education courses
available in your area call the learndirect helpline on
0800 100 900 (this covers general courses, not
just learndirect ones). You
can also visit www.learndirect.co.uk
or www.dfes.gov.uk/get-on.
Skills for Life is the national strategy for improving adult
literacy and numeracy in England. The government has invested
£1.6 billion from April 2003-March 2006 with the target
of helping 1.5 million adults improve their skills by 2007.
The Skills for Life Strategy Unit (formerly the Adult Basic
Skills Strategy Unit) within the Department for Education
and Skills is responsible for its implementation, overseen
by a Cabinet Committee across all the relevant government
departments.
The Skills for Life strategy includes new national standards
for adult literacy, numeracy and language learning, a national
curriculum within each major strand, new entry level qualifications
and national tests. The response of learners to the new curriculum
was positively reported in the Pathfinder (pilot) programmes.
Teachers have been trained in the new approach and more people
are being encouraged to think about entering the profession.
Awarding bodies and higher education institutions are developing
new teaching qualifications to meet the need for better trained
teachers so they can provide more learning opportunities for
adults to improve their skills. Tackling poor basic skills
in the workplace is seen as an important strand. The Strategy
Unit is working with a range of partners, including other
Government departments, to ensure maximum impact of the strategy.
Linked to Skills for Life are some specific
programmes designed to improve adult literacy levels among
those most at risk as well as those living in disadvantaged
areas:
- The Step in to Learning programme trains staff
in the early years and childcare workforce to help them
identify parents and carers with literacy, language and/or
numeracy skills needs and encourage them to improve these
skills to the benefit of both parent and child. More
on Step in to Learning
- The Link Up Project recruited volunteers to help
support adults with their language, literacy and numeracy
skills in 21 of the most deprived communities in England.
The project was funded by the Adult Basic Skills Strategy
Unit (now the Skills for Life Strategy Unit) and the Active
Community Unit, and delivered by the Basic Skills Agency.
More on Link Up
- The PLUS Programme for literacy and numeracy is
the Youth Justice Board's Literacy and Numeracy Strategy
for young people in the youth justice system. More
on the PLUS Programme
- Skills for Families, a joint initiative of the
Department for Education and Skills and the Learning and
Skills Council, delivered by the Basic Skills Agency, aimed
to further develop effective strategic approaches around
family literacy, language and numeracy. More
on Skills for Families
- Move On is a national project aimed at helping
adults pass the national tests in literacy and numeracy.
Move On aims to reach higher level learners, who often may
not think of themselves as needing help. It gives them an
opportunity to brush up their skills, gain a national qualification
and move on.
For a useful summary of the Skills for Life strategy up to
August 2006 visit www.lsc.gov.uk/National/Partners/SENET/Guide2/s4l.htm
Since April 2001 the LSC has been responsible for the management
of post-16 education and training provision in England, working
through 47 local LSCs that aim to join up the many education
providers and institutions at a local level to make learning
more accessible to more people. Adult literacy and numeracy
provision, including support for widening participation initiatives,
are part of its remit. It replaced the Training and Enterprise
Councils and the Further Education Funding Council. The LSC
is responsible for developing a coherent approach to funding
all types of adult learning, and all teacher training and
continuing professional development relating to the Skills
for Life strategy.
The Skills for Life strategy needs to be seen alongside the
national Skills Strategy to improve the numbers of adults
with the necessary skills and qualifications, and the LSC's
Widening Adult Participation Strategy. The latter document
sets out the LSC vision to get more adult learners engaged
in education and training to improve their qualifications
and skills, ensuring that these are from under-represented
groups in communities and have not previously been involved
in learning. Supporting learners' interests and providing
a diverse range of learning opportunities, through partnership,
are two of the cross-cutting themes of this strategy. All
basic skills classes are free to learners while learndirect
offers on-line learning opportunities for everyone free of
charge.
There are challenging targets that the local LSCs, with their
major partners such as Jobcentre Plus, are charged to deliver:
750,000 adults to achieve national certificates by 2004, and
for 1.5 million to achieve the same by 2007. The 2004 target
was met, but the next stage presents huge challenges in terms
of training up sufficient adult literacy teachers and persuading
enough adults with low-level skills of the benefits of taking
action to improve their literacy and achieve a nationally
recognised qualification.
What counts towards the targets?
The qualifications that count towards the targets are:
- the new qualifications for adult literacy and numeracy
(read more on the qualifications below);
- those learners who achieved the existing adult literacy,
adult numeracy and ESOL qualifications during the transition
period (1 April 2001 to 31 July 2002), certificated by national
awarding bodies;
- Key Skills qualifications in Communication and Application
of Number up to and including Level 2 for those over the
age of 16;
- GCSE Maths and GCSE English - adult learners who achieve
a GCSE in Maths or English for the first time, or who improve
their grade by a level, count towards the target (Level
1 for grades D-G or Level 2 for grades A*-C).
The priority groups include the unemployed, prisoners and
those supervised in the community, low-skilled employees and
other groups at risk of exclusion, such as Gypsy/Traveller
families, homeless people, refugees, asylum seekers and drug
users. Literacy help is also available to young people who
are not in education or training, or at work. Parents are
targeted through a number of family programmes: Sure
Start, Step
in to Learning and Skills
for Families. Those living in disadvantaged communities
are also recognised as important to the strategy. More
on working with disadvantaged groups.
A research project was set up in 2002 to establish, describe
and illustrate the range of theories of dyslexia. The project
was run for the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit (now the
Skills for Life Strategy Unit), and led by the Learning and
Skills Development Agency (now the Learning and Skills Network)
and NIACE (the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education).
It has resulted in a publication called A framework for
understanding dyslexia which, it is hoped, will be of
use to basic skills teachers, and a website at www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/understandingdyslexia.
More on dyslexia
A national Get On media campaign encourages adults to overcome
their fears of learning and 'get rid of their gremlins'. The
learndirect helpline provides information about how to get
help with literacy, numeracy and language difficulties. Many
local education providers and funders have, in addition, put
into place their own marketing strategies.
For adult basic skills information and general education
courses available in your area call the learndirect helpline
on 0800 100 900. You can also visit www.learndirect.co.uk
or www.dfes.gov.uk/get-on
There are free national qualifications in Adult Literacy and
Adult Numeracy.
These include:
- Certificate in Adult Literacy (Entry Level)
- Certificate in Adult Literacy (Level 1)
- Certificate in Adult Literacy (Level 2)
There is a short test to get the Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications.
Each test consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, similar
in style to the ones in the driving theory test. The test
lasts an hour. You can take the test in many local learning
centres, and you can have a go at practice tests online.
New ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
qualifications were introduced in August 2004. An explanation
of these from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
can found at
http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_5553.aspx
Click on the icon to get Acrobat Reader to view PDF files 
Since September 2002, all new teachers in the post-16 sector
who wish to specialise in teaching adult literacy and numeracy
need to gain qualifications that meet national (FENTO, now
Lifelong Learning UK) standards. By August 2003, over 15,000
teachers had been trained in the new literacy and numeracy
core curricula and a further 5,000 ESOL teachers had been
introduced to the ESOL curriculum.
There are now several higher education colleges that offer
degree level qualifications, and teaching is inspected by
Ofsted and the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI). ALI began
work in April 2001, following the recommendations of the Moser
Report and bringing together inspection of adult education
and work-based training into a single system. The Ofsted survey
in October 2003 identified that there is still a serious shortage
of trained literacy, numeracy and ESOL teachers.
The Adult Learner Support qualification is a route into teaching
through volunteering. More on
the Adult Learner Support Qualification
Adult literacy teaching qualifications
Before the development of the Further Education National Training
Organisation Subject Specifications for Teachers of Adult
Literacy and Numeracy (FENTO, 2002), there was little available
in the way of either initial teacher training or in-service
provision for teachers, apart from certificates offered by
City and Guilds. These included the Initial Certificate in
Adult Literacy, Numeracy and ESOL series, and the 9285 Certificate
for those already employed within the field. The certificates
provided a good introduction to the field, but were never
intended to be teaching qualifications.
The Subject Specifications therefore broke new ground, although
there is still a long way to go before the qualifications
route is clearly understood and there are courses widely available
at all levels. Existing teachers of adult literacy and numeracy
hold a range of qualifications such as the City and Guilds
9281 and 9285. A new professional development programme will
enable existing teachers to meet the requirements set out
in the new Level 4 subject specifications.
FENTO is now Lifelong Learning UK, the Sector Skills Council
for learning professionals. Visit www.lifelonglearninguk.org
This is an LSC programme that supports the implementation
and delivery of Skills for Life. In 2004-5 it concentrated
on sustainable improvements in the support, teaching and management
of basic skills provision in a wider range of contexts. In
2005-6, it continues to focus on professionalising the Skills
for Life workforce, and supporting organisations to move towards
a 'whole organisation approach' to Skills for Life. A significant
change for this phase is that the nine English regions are
in the driving seat for planning and delivery. For more information
visit www.lsc.gov.uk/sflqi
National organisations that support the implementation of
Skills for Life include:
- The Basic Skills Agency, the national agency for
literacy, numeracy and related skills for England and Wales.
Although funded primarily by central government, it is an
independent organisation. It provides a wide range of organisations
with advice and support to develop high quality programmes
to help children, young people and adults improve their
basic skills.
- The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
(NIACE), representing the interests of all concerned
with adult learning. It aims to take action to improve and
widen access to learning opportunities for communities under-represented
in current provision. NIACE organises Adult Learners Week,
an annual national event, and runs email discussion groups
on all aspects of adult learning including basic skills.
- learndirect
- The Workplace Basic Skills
Network
- The Union Learning Fund
Sub-regional level organisations include Learning
Partnerships, which aim to promote provider collaboration
in support of lifelong learning, and to maximise the contribution
of learning to local regeneration.
The National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy
and Numeracy has produced a series of research digests aimed
at Skills for Life practitioners. The six-page digests cover
eight topics:
Numeracy; Working with young adults; Embedded teaching and
learning; Motivation and persistence;Literacy, language, numeracy
and health; Working with young offenders; Development through
practitioner research; and Teacher education. They were commissioned
by the Learning and Skills Council to support the Skills for
Life Quality Initiative.
For more information or to download the publications visit:
www.nrdc.org.uk/sflqi_research_resources
More on...
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