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Get Real Project

Sam Neech
Portsmouth Foyer
Get Real is aimed at working with young people aged 16-24 in order to help them to develop essential skills that will assist them to live independently. The programme runs on a 12-week cycle and includes practical work such as cooking, budgeting, DIY, IT skills as well as preparing for work. All programmes have embedded essential skills to support and develop the literacy and numeracy needs of the young people.

The programme is a vital part of the lives of Foyer residents, who are not employed or engaged in other learning programmes outside the organisation. All learners work towards gaining their Profile of Achievement, accredited through City and Guilds.

Currently the ESSU is involved in carrying out a 3- year evaluation of the project, which was funded by the ESF. The initial evaluation report has already been completed and Foyer staff are working hard to put into action some of the recommendations of that evaluation.

    

 

First Bus

Chris Bainbridge
First Group
The ESSU are currently working with First Group, the UK’s largest surface transportation company. First Group are the largest bus operator in the UK running more than 1 in 5 of all local bus services and carrying 2.7 million passengers every day.

Operations manager Chris Bainbridge and representatives from the union met with ESSU outreach workers and the need for building up the basic skills of the workforce was recognised.

The ESSU held three roadshows in the staff canteens of the Southampton, Portsmouth and Fareham depots (around 750 employees) in May 2004. The purpose being to gauge the level of interest in short courses to improve literacy and numeracy. As a result, Essential Skills courses have started in all 3 areas.

First Group are keen for the employees to work towards the National Tests in literacy and numeracy.

The ESSU will continue to meet with First Group to review the training and progression opportunities.

The Probation Service

Shirley Johnston
Totton College
The probation service is working with a number of colleges and providers through funding from the Learning and Skills Council. Bids were invited by the LSC for those wanting to form partnerships with the Probation Service. This would enable offenders to engage in programmes leading to qualifications, which would improve their opportunities for employment. The steering group, set up at Totton College, identified suggested ways of working with this client group through a pilot scheme and paved the way during 2004 for the LSC initiative.

 

The British Army

Carol Rose
The British Army
The ESSU was approached by the Army to support the literacy and numeracy needs of new recruits and serving soldiers. Changes in policy within the service now mean that, serving soldiers have to gain a Level 1 National Test qualification within 3 years of joining the service, and be offered the opportunity to gain a Level 2 qualification as they progress through their career within the army.

Building on the success of work already in place at the main site at Bordon/Longmoor, training has begun at three of the further five sites within Hampshire showing promise with early successes with the National Tests at Level 1.

Due to the varying nature of the work of the Army in the various locations, different approaches have been necessary at each. Individual training arrangements have been made to suit the needs of individual soldiers as well as the regiments in which they serve. Through close collaboration with the ESSU, local colleges and training providers along with the army basic skills team and with the full support of Commanding Officers it is proving to be a successful combination. Ensuring that the men and women in our serving forces are improving their chances of promotion and developing new a confidence through achieving the National Tests.

The ESSU continues its involvement with the project to ensure along with the Army basic skills team that this project is standardised, ongoing, and continues to meets the changing requirements of the service. Future progress includes looking towards working with MOD employee’s and their dependents (post 16) to build on the successes already achieved.

The Context NHS Project Maggie Donovan
Totton College
The Context NHS project run by Basingstoke College of Technology has delivered Essential Skills to almost one thousand staff at all levels of the NHS. Courses are contextualised wherever possible to address the needs of the students both in and out of work. Many students take – and gain – qualifications for the first time in their lives. The implementation of GOLA on-line testing has provided the opportunity for students to sit assessments in their workplace, so reducing the amount of time away from work and a journey into college. To date our success rate in the NHS and some private companies is - Adult Literacy 83 passes, IT Keyskills 79 passes,
Numeracy 7 passes. Others students have improved the more immediate skills required for their work, such as report writing or minute taking courses.