MERTHYR TYDFIL COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL INFORMATION REPORT DATE WRITTEN 21 October 2008 REPORT AUTHOR Sue Hughes COMMITTEE DIVISION Information COMMITTEE DATE 12 November 2008 Adult Community Learning PURPOSE OF REPORT: To inform Cabinet about the Area Adult Community Learning Draft Strategy and the impending Estyn Inspection. 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Adult Community Learning plays a key role in ensuring that the Council’s goals for improving skills and attainment across all levels and abilities are achieved. It impacts on all communities and all stages of life, raising the prosperity of the County Borough; and creating a modern, competitive economy, able to deliver sustainable growth. 1.2 There are many definitions for Adult community learning (ACL). Estyn (2007) defines the framework for ‘Adult and Community Learning’ as: ‘learning opportunities provided for adults in local community venues and which is particularly designed to reach out to places and people which other forms of learning do not reach.’ 1.3 Research undertaken through the Learning Campus project (now called MLQ) illustrated that whilst a lot of good work was being done in Community Learning settings there was a need for providers to come together to plan provision in a more holistic way. Building on this initial research, the Department identified that around £3.9m was spent within Community First Partnerships on Adult Community Learning within Merthyr Tydfil in one year. A large number of courses (usually short courses) were facilitated in the community by a wide range of organisations and delivered through learning providers and contracted tutors. In just two of the local authority’s provisions, 1750 individuals benefited from community learning activities last year. As a direct result of this training at least 280 gained employment. 1.4 The Learning Campus research, WAG consultations on “Delivering Skills that Work for Wales” and local developments (eg. MLQ, together with the Health Social Care and Wellbeing Strategy and Children and Young Persons Plan needs assessment) all provided the context for a debate on the need to have an Area Community Learning Plan which brings together all providers and funding groups to develop one holistic plan. Through negotiations with stakeholders, the Local Authority has facilitated the development of two groups to maximise the potential of ACL within the County Borough. The role of the first group was to concentrate on developing a holistic Area Strategy, whilst the second concentrated on quality issues. 2.0 THE ADULT LEARNING AGENDA 2.1 The Government sponsored Leitch Report undertook a review of skills and training within the UK. Important extracts from the report state: ‘Improving the skills of young people, while essential, cannot be the sole solution to achieving world class skills. Improvements in attainment of young people can only deliver a small part of what is necessary, because they comprise a small proportion of the overall workforce. Demographic change means that there will be smaller numbers of young people flowing into the workforce towards 2020. More than 70 per cent of the 2020 working age population are already over the age of 16. As the global economy changes and working lives lengthen with population ageing, adults will increasingly need to update their skills in the workforce. 2.2 Despite the recognition of the importance of the adult learning agenda, funding for post- 19 education has fallen and the funding per head of population in Wales is lower than that in England. 2.3 The funding issue appears to have emerged as a consequence of a skills strategy that prioritises recent school leavers and Level Two qualifications. Without new money to support this skills strategy, colleges have been forced to redirect resources away from areas that do not deliver upon centrally set targets. 2.4 It is vulnerable adults who suffer the most from these consequences. Homeless people, lone mothers, people on incapacity benefit, ex-offenders, disabled people and black and minority ethnic (BME) groups are often disadvantaged learners, many of whom are considered to be the the low-skilled ‘failures’ of the education system. Having low skills in a 'knowledge economy' is a contributory factor to the inequitable experiences of multiple disadvantage leaving people more susceptible to poverty, worklessness and homelessness. This has been recognised in Merthyr Tydfil’s Health Social Care and Wellbeing Strategy, which has identified the need to address worklessness to address health inequalities as a key priority. 2.5 Research shows that disadvantaged people are most likely to return to learning through short, informal courses and activities in local voluntary and community settings they know and trust. 3.0 The Draft Strategy 3.1 The draft strategy makes a significant contribution to a number of local and national strategies as previously mentioned. Adult Community Learning promotes economic regeneration by improving the knowledge and skills base of the community and supports individuals to develop holistic life skills. The draft ACL Strategy will be available for consultation on 31 st October 2008 and can be accessed on the Councils website and intranet. Within the draft strategy there are a number of potential objectives under each aim. On completion of the consultation, SMART objectives will be produced to underpin each agreed strategic aim. The summary below details the proposed vision and key aims: Vision - “Through partnership , Community Learning providers will create and sustain an environment where young people and adults have access to a wide range of learning opportunities relevant to their individual learning styles that meet their needs, which enable them to maximise their potential and achieve a greater degree of independence and quality of life” Aim 1 - Improve skills for work Description : Learning which enables people to develop the skills they need for paid or voluntary work, and which enhances their employability, or ability to progress. This aim will increase employment and tackle economic inactivity, and improve chances for promotion. Aim 2 – Develop skills for well being and social inclusion Description: Learning for personal development, cultural enrichment, intellectual or creative stimulation, enjoyment and independent living. This aim will enable residents to develop skills so that they may enjoy a healthier, stimulated and enriched life. Aim 3 - Improve communication skills and working with numbers Description: This includes learning which seeks to improve skills in communication, the written and spoken word, working with numbers and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). This aim will enable residents to develop skills to maximise their potential and achieve a greater degree of independence. Aim 4 - Encourage learning for active citizenship and community development Description: Community-based learning developed with local residents and others to build the skills, knowledge and understanding for community participation and involvement, including those required for social and community action. This aim will help to empower local residents to actively participate in the development and management of services within their own community. Aim 5 - Strengthen partnership working to ensure continuous improvement Description: Policy and procedures which underpin the strategy and quality of provision, to ensure that needs are effectively analysed and targets are set. Whilst there is a need to provide high quality provision that meets the learning style of individual learners in order for them to maximise opportunities and achieve their desired outcome, there is also a need for learners themselves to manage and develop their own learning and continuously update their skills. This aim will help ensure that learning meets the needs of the learners and communities. 3.2 The extent of the consultation exercise can be seen in Appendix 1 attached. 4.0 Estyn Inspection 4.1 During late October 2008 the local authority was notified that an Area Community Learning inspection will be undertaken in March 2009. The purpose of the inspection is to identify good features and shortcomings of adult community learning in order that the providers may improve the quality of education and training offered and raise the standards achieved by learners. 4.2 Feedback from a number of authorities who have been inspected has indicated that the process can be very fluid. Inspectors have identified developments for assessment which have not been directly identified by the local service providers as a priority. It is envisaged that the following areas will be subject to inspection: • Local Authority - Adult Education and the Neighbourhood Learning Centre • Voluntary Organisations including WEA , VAMT • Communities First • Further Education colleges - Merthyr Tydfil College (Community Learning element) • Higher Education institutions - Glamorgan Gates • Welsh for Adults - University of Glamorgan • Adult learning funded by Local Authorities or Welsh Assembly Government • Adult Basic Education - Merthyr College and ICS Family Learning Programmes • English for Speakers of Other Languages - links with Ystrad Mynach College 4.3 Preparations have already commenced for the Area Inspection through the quality group. The quality group will need to ensure that a full and detailed Self Assessment report (SAR) has to be produced, all data and management information is to hand and that a nominee is made to lead the inspection. The local authority