1C: How is success in learner achievement recognised?

Attendance is monitored effectively. Project managers monitor clients’ attendance daily and contact absent clients immediately. They often take clients to their work placement or college. Some managers telephone clients every day to make sure that they get up. A central monitoring system gives detailed information on attendance, retention and achievement rates. Employers are also involved in improving clients’ attendance and timekeeping. They inform project managers of clients’ absences and some promote punctuality. One client whose target was to get to work on time had to meet the managing director of his workplace when he was late twice. He has not been late since.

Clients' employability skills are developed very well on all the foundation programmes. During the programmes, clients develop confidence in literacy and numeracy as well as personal confidence. Great emphasis is placed on the development of literacy and numeracy, with good support being given in the development of language skills for ESOL clients. Clients attend programme centres voluntarily for up to 13 weeks, with all clients attending for the first four weeks. Attendance patterns are particularly good and give staff a good indication of clients’ commitment to jobsearch. Attendance is monitored very well and there is a clear procedure for contacting clients if they do not attend planned interviews. If clients referred by Jobcentre Plus fail to attend, [the provider] contacts them to establish their employment status.

Staff acknowledge the achievements of clients, which helps to raise their self-esteem. Major achievements such as passing an exam, becoming qualified for specific work or getting a job are announced and celebrated at staff meetings. Clients who have gained employment are invited back to share their experiences. This helps to motivate current clients.

Disaffected clients are engaged by doing a project about a hobby such as football or cycle cross. They work on the project with guidance from a personal development tutor and a basic skills tutor. Clients use the Internet and develop IT skills. A client who is doing a project about a football club reflected that he was really enjoying the session and did not realise how much his reading and writing had improved.

All the programmes have good retention rates. These range from 75 per cent on short job-focused training to 95 per cent for the programme centre. These remain reasonably consistent year on year. Clients’ achievement of personal and social skills is good, as are employment outcomes on some programmes. In 2002-03, job outcomes have increased to 44 per cent for New Deal 18–24 Gateway and to 46 per cent for the programme centre; figures remain static at 26 per cent for [short job-focused training] and there has been a slight drop in job outcomes to 13 per cent for New Deal 25 Gateway to Work clients significantly improve their personal effectiveness; they often enter their programmes with low self-esteem and lack of confidence. Those who are not attending voluntarily are resentful and have many barriers to employment. However, the good training and support ensure that clients develop the confidence and skills which they previously lacked, improve their morale and are motivated to achieve their aims.

Clients achieve well. Between 2000-01 and 2003-04 an average of 22 per cent of all clients progressed into suitable open employment. This is good for clients with this range of disabilities and disadvantages. Clients make good gains in confidence and transferable work skills through work experience. They gain employment in diverse sectors, including the civil service, hotels, cleaning, care and graphic design for a national charity. Clients achieve learndirect units as additional outcomes of their programme. Increasingly they are entered for the national literacy and numeracy tests. The company has good strategies for celebrating individual success.