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In 2001, funding was provided by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to extend outreach provision in local community settings through pilot projects in order to explore innovative and effective ways to attract new basic skills and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) learners from ‘hard-to-reach’ groups and build the capacity of institutions to undertake further outreach work. This good practice guide uses case studies to identify and share best practice within and between these projects. The chapters are: The development phase - research, planning and preparation; Engaging new learners; Advice, guidance and support; Initial assessment and recording learners’ progress and achievement; Working in partnerships; Staffing and staff development; Record keeping and assessment; Using information technology; Asylum seekers and refugees. Included as an appendix: Criteria for good practice. Show less

The Train to Gain service is intended to build upon the experience of Employer Training Pilots, and is available to employers as an independent and impartial brokerage service to diagnose business needs and source appropriate training provision. Brokers are contracted by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to deliver the service, which is presently moving from its pilot phase towards full national roll out. Train to Gain is available to all employers, but brokers will primarily target new, small and 'hard to reach' businesses. This report documents the first of three waves of evaluation of the pilot phase of the service, and covers employers contacted in April and May 2006. Evaluation is intended to ascertain employer ratings of importance and satisfaction about 11 key measures related to the service.

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'Skills in England 2005', produced by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in partnership with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), summarises the key developments in England's skill base over the last 12 months by pulling together the latest evidence on the supply of, and demand for, skills. It is presented in three volumes. This volume is the main research report. Key messages highlighted in this report include: skills development has taken place in a weakening economy, although the rate of slowdown has been modest and has not adversely affected the demand for labour or skills; the skills base of the country is increasingly recognised as not only a means to increase productivity and competitiveness, but an important means of achieving social cohesion through improving the employability of those at the margins of the labour market; there is a continuing demand for higher-level skills; the supply side is undergoing a period of reform with the introduction of the National Employer Training Programme, which will provide subsidised training to employees via their employers; the supply side also faces the challenge of an ageing workforce which potentially limits supply; on the other hand, inward migration has recently boosted supply, although this brings with it new problems; evidence on the current mismatch between demand and supply shows that skill shortage vacancies have been steady at around three per cent of employment over recent years, but where they occur, they can be damaging to organisational performance; the reported level of skill shortages and skill gaps reported by employers remain a source of concern; and management skills have been highlighted as one area where there is a particular need for improvement.

The three volumes are indexed from TD/TNC 87.447 to TD/TNC 87.449. Show less

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for funding and planning post-16 education and training in England. This workforce development strategy describes how the LSC will achieve its responsibility to raise skill levels and the demand for learning, and engage employers in improving skills for employability and national competitiveness. The strategy has been developed in consultation with government and key partners at national, regional and local levels. The strategy comprises the following approach: (1) to raise informed demand for employment-related skills among individuals and employers; (2) to support improvements to the responsiveness and flexibility of the supply side of skills; and (3) to contribute to the development of an underpinning framework of better skills and labour market information, responsive vocational qualifications, and improved links to the wider educational agenda. Show less

This review of existing research evidence pulls together information from four Learning and Skills Council reports on issues surrounding migrant workers and the labour market. The review also includes some references to work on the subject by other organisations. The paper covers the key issues of labour market participation, skills and skills provision, but it also covers contextual information such as stocks and flows, drivers of migration and the provision of education and training.

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Following the broadening of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) from full-time education to include young learners on two programmes within the [Learning and Skills Council] LSC funded work-based learning family, Entry to Employment (E2E) and Programme Led Apprenticeships (PLA), from April 2006, the LSC commissioned Experian and Ipsos MORI to undertake an evaluation of the extension roll out in September 2007. The objective of this research is to understand the effectiveness of the rollout of the extension of EMA, in particular in relation to the communication of EMA into the programmes; the operational procedures; and the impact on overarching LSC policy. The research was undertaken through a combination of learner and provider surveys, and [in-depth] interviews with providers. The communication of EMA into the programmes has been effective overall, although there is room for improvement in achieving higher initial awareness amongst providers of the rollout. The initial preparation procedures, providing information regarding the administration of EMA to providers, are suitable and effective. The extension of EMA to E2E and PLA has contributed to some of the core LSC targets and policies, by helping raise participation, achievement and progression, as well as creating a more level playing field, although there is potential to further enhance these impacts in the future.

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This report presents the technical details and core methodology of the National Learner Satisfaction Survey (NLSS) 2007, which was conducted by the Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute on behalf of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The survey comprises three waves, each dealing with a distinct set of modular questions: (1) pre-entry advice and guidance (wave 12); (2) support for learners (wave 13); and (3) impact of learning (wave 14). The NLSS covers learners in FE [further education] (including general FE, sixth form college, adult learning, and other/specialist FE), work-based learning (WBL) and personal and community development learning (PCDL).

Separate reports have been produced for key findings (TD/TNC 95.170), further education (TD/TNC 95.171), work-based learning (WBL) (TD/TNC 95.172), and personal and community development learning (PCDL) (TD/TNC 95.173). Separate reports have also been produced for FE learners with learning difficulties (TD/TNC 95.168), and/or disabilities (TD/TNC 95.167) and early leavers (TD/TNC 95.169). Show less

Train to Gain is one of the most important developments in skills policy in recent years. Introduced in April 2006, and fully rolled out in August of that year, Train to Gain is a national service for businesses that provides help in identifying and sourcing such training as will improve the skills of their workforce and their business performance. It aims to encourage employers to invest in the development of the skills and qualifications of their employees. It is particularly concerned with increasing the proportion of adults in the workforce who have Level 2 qualifications and good basic skills. Among the key guiding principles of the Train to Gain service is the idea that training provision and skills development should be individually tailored to the needs of the employer. To ensure that these objectives are being met and that the service meets the needs of employers, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has initiated an ongoing employer evaluation of the Train to Gain service. This document reports the findings from Sweep 2 of this employer evaluation.

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The National Learner Satisfaction Survey (NLSS), undertaken by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), provides an overview of delivery and satisfaction with education and training among learners aged 16 or over in England. The NLSS 2004/05, carried out between February and June 2005, looked at a range of programs and interviewed learners about their perceptions of the delivery of education and training and their satisfaction levels in relation to the quality of teaching, management of learning, pre-entry advice and guidance, learner support, benefits and impacts of learning. The focus of this report is on learners with disabilities. Key messages include: 91 per cent of learners with disabilities were satisfied to some extent with their overall learning experience, the same level of satisfaction measured for learners without disabilities; older learners with disabilities tended to show higher levels of satisfaction with the learning experience than their younger counterparts; 33 per cent of learners with disabilities aged 19 or more said they were 'extremely' satisfied; type of disability had a significant impact on levels of satisfaction with the overall learning experience; and health reasons were the most common reason for leaving a course among learners with disabilities. The contents are: Introduction; Satisfaction with the quality of teaching; Information and guidance prior to entry; Support for learners; The impact of learning. Included as appendices are: Confidence limits and effective sample sizes; Ridge regression scores for individual components; The questionnaire: core and modular questions.

Reports from the 2004/05 NLSS are indexed at TD/TNC 86.393 and from TD/TNC 87.439 to TD/TNC 87.443. Show less

The UK government’s 2003 Skills Strategy (indexed at TD/IRD 88.169) set out its vision to transform the national investment in skills. It outlined the rights and responsibilities of the government, providers, employers and individuals in securing the skills needed for a high performing economy and a fairer society. This consultation paper contains proposals for bringing about the changes needed to ensure that public investment is applied where it will secure the greatest benefits and that employers and individuals also contribute in line with the benefits they receive. The contents are: The need for change and priorities for public funding; Proposed approach and levers for change; Putting the new approach into operation; Developing financial support for adult learners; Next steps. Included as appendices are: Questions for consultation; Addresses of local Learning and Skills Councils. Show less