3B: What is ‘success’ in meeting the needs and interests of learners?

One programme targeted at young people has developed a number of short courses designed to motivate and involve them. Many of these have delivered literacy, numeracy and language embedded within other subjects. These have included:

• sports workshops
• a theatre workshop
• ‘looking after yourself’
• ‘coping with housing benefit’
• healthy living and cookery
• financial literacy – dealing with income support, arrears, debt management and budgeting.

Another programme was the result of a two-year partnership project between the Chester le Street and District Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) and Volunteer Bureau and the Basic Skills Department of Education in the Community (Return to Learn), funded by the Adult and Community Learning Fund. The basic skills tutors and the coordinator were seconded from Return to Learn for the duration of the project. Support for project staff was provided by the chief officer from the Chester le Street and District CVS and Volunteer Bureau and the coordinator from Return to Learn.

Brenda Beveridge, the project coordinator provided the commentary below.

'Chester le Street and District CVS and Volunteer Bureau manages two buildings in the town, the Volunteer Centre and the recently refurbished Bullion Hall, where the project was based. Members of staff include the chief officer who is responsible for the two buildings and also manages the staff team, has day-to-day management responsibility for the organisation and develops new projects.

'The aim of the project was to deliver embedded basic skills to people with no formal training since leaving school and provide a positive learning experience to build on personal interests, and encourage at least 50 per cent of learners to progress to other education or training opportunities. The courses were aimed at adults for whom the education system had failed to provide adequate support through mainstream education and whose experience of education was relatively negative. The learners on the project were generally considered “hard to reach” by more formal educational approaches. The majority of learners came with issues around mental health, debt problems, substance misuse and general lack of confidence, self-worth and life skills.

'In the Chester le Street and surrounding area there is a network of statutory and voluntary organisations who work with vulnerable members of the local community, and with whom we have built close working relationships. They refer many learners to the project. Learners also self-refer; they may be friends of past learners or have seen advertising material in the community.

'We had the approach that we went to the learners; we didn’t wait for them to come to us. If agencies had potential learners then the coordinator would meet the learner where they were comfortable. This often involved a visit to the partner agency, or a member of the agency could bring the learner to Bullion Hall to give support in the transition back into education, and make learners more comfortable in their new environment.

'Learners had a one-to-one meeting with the coordinator, who went through the scheme of work and explained what the course involved. The learner was shown around the building and the enrolment forms were sometimes completed. If the learner was anxious or very nervous, completion of the forms could be put off until a more appropriate time. A lot of time was taken to discuss any problems or anxieties that the learner had, and specialists were often brought in to help with personal problems such as mental health, debt and employment issues.

'We endeavoured to make sure the learners were as comfortable as possible on day one and throughout the course. Learners’ attendance could be very erratic, and there was sometimes a high drop-out rate before the courses started because of personal problems. We worked very hard to minimise this.

'All guest speakers and our steering group participated in basic skills awareness training provided by Return to Learn to raise awareness of the problems faced by learners.

'Basic skills teaching was totally embedded into the vocational courses. We worked in partnership with Gateshead College, MBR Promotions, Trading Standards, Cestria Credit Union, and other vocational organisations to incorporate specialist knowledge into the basic skills courses. Gateshead College offered a free Mechanics course and we embedded basic skills into their sessions working with a tutor who taught mechanics.

'We have excellent facilities in Bullion Hall including an IT suite and the centre is very relaxed and non-threatening to the learners. Most learners were not ready to progress to more formal education in college but they often referred to “going to college” when talking about attending the project.

'We addressed many barriers to learning by, for example, providing transport, arranging and paying for childcare, providing hot lunches (for many it was the only nutritious meal they got), and all the equipment learners needed to participate in the courses was provided free of charge. All courses fit in with school times and there was always someone on hand if learners had any problems or issues that needed addressing.

'The course’s contents started with a “top-down” approach. We decided to offer “Introduction to Consumer Issues”,” Introduction to Motor Vehicle Maintenance” and “Introduction to the Music Industry”. These courses were very successful but it soon became apparent that many of the learners had issues around debt management and lacked the skills needed to run a home successfully. Many also lacked basic IT skills and needed to improve their literacy and numeracy skills, but were not ready to attend a formal basic skills course. We then wrote and ran courses to address these needs and now offer “Independent Living Skills”,” Use a Computer to Improve your English” and “Debt Management”, which is one-to-one work.

'During the first “Introduction to the Music Industry” course, learners organised a show at a local pub. They found the venue, negotiated fees, prepared publicity material and carried out all the necessary tasks to run the show, including performing. The show was a great success but learners on the next music course wanted to produce a CD, so a recording studio was booked, the CD was produced and was sent to record companies and radio stations. The basic skills element was adjusted to accommodate the changes and exercises were produced for use within the new environment.

'When the project first started, learners were not advised that they were participating in basic skills courses as we were concerned that this openness may deter learners. However, we soon decided to be more open about the basic skills element and this was not a problem. Many learners not only needed to improve their literacy and numeracy skills but suffered from low self-esteem, depression, social isolation and other problems. People liked joining a group where no one knew them and where they didn’t come with a “label”. People could be themselves and several have formed friendships that lasted long after the end of the courses.

'People joined the courses out of interest in the vocational aspect and there is clear evidence that they would not have joined a specific basic skills course. The learners are proud of their achievements, which they may not have been so open about if they participated in a specific basic skills course.'

Mary, a learner on the ‘Consumer’ and ‘Living Skills’ courses, was paying 170 per cent interest to a loan company. She is now saving with the Credit Union and is chipping away at her high interest debt and paying her loans off. She has recently learned to drive and has bought herself a small car with the money she has saved in interest.

Her friend Bethany is also saving with the Credit Union and has also paid off a lot of high interest debt. Her son is nearly seven years old and will have his first-ever birthday party with money his mother has saved. Mary and Bethany are both single parents and have paid for Christmas for the first time and are starting to save for next Christmas. This has had a huge effect on their lives and that of their families.