3A: How to achieve success in meeting the needs and interests of learners

Successful providers ensure that their programmes meet the needs and interests of customers by having:

• a good knowledge and understanding of the customer group in terms of their skills and experience
• a good knowledge and understanding of the local labour market employers’ needs and any local mismatch between skills on offer and those required
• the ability to adapt learning programmes to changes in recruitment patterns of customers. Demographic changes and the arrival of new populations mean not only changes in the skills offered by local people but also changes in the type of support and guidance they will require programmes designed to meet the needs of employers and customers
• expertise in researching funding opportunities
• links with a wide range of partners
• the ability to identify additional benefits to customers outside work benefits
• the ability to enable customers to identify the impact of the training in other areas of their lives, such as increased confidence, an improved relationship with their children, an increased use of local facilities or greater participation in society
• the skills to help employers identify the impact of the training on their trainees, for example increased motivation, ambition, progression and promotion and interest in further training
• systems for conducting regular programme reviews and evaluations involving all concerned partners.
• All customers attending a Basic Employability Training programme should have access to, and take part in, the jobsearch component of the programme, regardless of their identified level of basic skills.

 

Learning activities for all customers should reflect changes in conventions and terminology required by employers and in the community. This includes the development of a broad range of communication skills such as speaking and listening skills and the expansion of vocabulary appropriate for lifelong learning.