The ESSU June 2008 Newsletter

ESSU Training

Introduction to New Online Learning Resources for use in the Workplace - Monday 23rd June 9.30 – 12.00 or 1.30 – 3.00

This course aims to introduce the new resources developed by the ESSU.  By the end of the session you will be able to:

• understand functions of a moodle
• log in to the ESSU moodle
• identify useful activities within resources for own use
• navigate the site with confidence
• have an understanding of the practical applications of the resource in your own teaching and learning

This course is aimed at tutors delivering learning in the workplace or vocational courses which embed Skills for Life. Partners of our new, up and coming £9 million Basic Skills in the Workplace project will be given priority.

Getting to Grips with Level 2 Literacy and Numeracy - 24th June 2008

Are you an assessor, trainer or teacher who has not gained a L2 qualification in literacy or numeracy?

We are pleased to be offering support sessions for training professionals who need to gain a L2 qualification in literacy or numeracy in order to undertake qualifications to gain full teacher status, or the full Adult Learner Support Certificate.  At the end of the days training, you will have the opportunity to take a test.

Receive a £50 voucher to cover attendance

For more information or to book a place on any of the above courses, please go to http://www.essu.org/essutraining

CONFERENCES:

LSC Single Equality Scheme Support Programme – Regional Seminars for Learning Providers - Thursday 12th June, Hilton Gatwick Hotel, Crawley

The programme is designed to support your organisation embed the values and principles or equality and diversity and in turn the LSC’s Single Equality Scheme.  Materials and tools developed throughout the programme will be presented and you will have the opportunity to test them.

By attending a regional seminar your organisation will gain a good understanding of:

• learning providers’ achievements and the lessons they have learnt through participating in action working
• how to self assess and review your existing equality schemes
• how to develop a single equality scheme and action plan
• how to involve learners, staff and other stakeholders from diverse backgrounds

LSC supported learning providers can attend the regional seminars including colleges, secure environments, voluntary and community sector organisations, local authority providers and providers of work based learning.  For further information, please contact Gurjit Kaur tel: 0116 204 2833 or gurit.kaur@niace.org.uk

South East Regional Achievement Dialogue - Wednesday 2 July 2008, Baylis House, Stoke Poges Lane, Slough SL1 3PB

This is the seventh in a series of Regional Achievement Dialogues (RADs) supported by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and organised by NIACE.  Each event focuses on a key issue identified by stakeholders within the region. 

This event will provide the opportunity to:

• find out about the National Numeracy for Employability Plan
• make recommendations as to how the Plan might best be implemented in the South East of England
• share effective practice that meets learners’ needs
• consider exciting and innovative ways to promote maths and numeracy, particularly to those hardest to engage.

For more information, please contact catherine.levett@niace.org.uk

'Values and Vision' University of Warwick 11-13 July 2008. South Birmingham College, Birmingham, B28 8ES

The NATECLA conference will focus on the changes which the ESOL sector has been facing and question the implications for our learners, ourselves as practitioners and for NATECLA as a key national voice.

The keynote address will be given by Ron Carter, Professor of Modern English Language at the University of Nottingham. Over the weekend there will be a varied and exciting choice of workshops, a resources exhibition, an invitation to attend a performance of the Asylum Monologues and the opportunity to network and discuss the latest sector developments in formal and informal settings.

Link to the booking form http://www.natecla.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=257

NEWS & INFORMATION:       

ESSU News

Lisa Rhodes (Assistant Director Contracts) is on maternity leave from 23rd May until the 1st December.   If you have a question about training, please contact suemoss@essu.org  For all other enquiries, please contact debbymiller@essu.org or 08700 849488

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Hilary Fellows to the team.  Hilary has joined the ESSU as Projects Manager.

Summer School 14 - 18th July 2008
Linking Learning to Literacies: A Social Practice View, Lancaster University

Following the success of the 2004 & 2007 Summer School Linking Learning to Literacies, there will be a repeat in July 2008 (14-18). The Summer School will be of interest to any staff involved with Skills for Life programmes, especially those who are designing or developing Level 4 and 5 training to match the subject specifications introduced last September.

No pre-requisites in adult learning or literacies are required for this course.  For further information, please contact Kathryn James who will be happy to help and provide further information E-mail: kathryn.james@lancaster.ac.uk  Tel: 01524 510 828 

QIA STAR Awards

The Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) holds the annual STAR Awards to recognise and reward individuals and teams who have made outstanding contributions to the quality of learning that millions of people across England receive every day. The awards are designed to recognise the unsung heroes who work in the further education and skills sector, celebrate their achievements and encourage the sharing of best practice.

Short-listed nominees attend a glittering awards ceremony at Old Billingsgate, London where the winners are announced in ten different categories. Each winner not only wins a STAR trophy and cash prize but also the opportunity to apply for personal and/or professional development funding from the STARlight fund.

2007 winner of the award for outstanding leadership, Linda Ham leads the Estates Team at Alton College in Hampshire, where she has transformed the way in which caretakers and cleaning staff serve the organisation. Under Linda's direction the Estates Team has managed to maintain the quality and attractiveness of Alton College's campus, despite several major building projects. Linda is extremely committed to achieving high standards and works tirelessly to provide clear and positive leadership.

Everyone who makes a nomination will be entered into a prize draw for a £250 cash prize and be invited to the glittering national awards ceremony in London if their nominee is short-listed.

But hurry… the deadline for nominations is 6 June 2008 so visit http://staraward.qia.org.uk/ to make your nomination today and make sure the STAR you know gets the recognition they deserve.

Consultation deadline extended to 12 June

All forms of good adult learning are valuable. Whether vocational, or simply for personal enlightenment and fulfillment, adult learning contributes immeasurably to the well-being and health of our society. LSN continue to value informal adult learning are. As this consultation sets out, informal learning is supported by DIUS and many other Government departments. LSN would like to hear your views.

For more information go to www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/surveys  

Creative writing project awards new authors

Adult learners throughout the country have put pen to paper to express themselves for this year’s Voices on a Page national writing competition. Aimed at adult literacy, language and numeracy learners in Skills for Life classes in England, Voices on a Page is a celebration of writing and of adult education. The seven winning authors were presented with their awards by former Government Minister, Tony Benn, at The Globe Theatre in London on Wednesday 21st May 2008.

Learners were asked to write about anything that expresses what it is to be alive at the moment. The competition received over 900 pieces of writing from adult learners covering fact and fiction, prose and poetry, short stories and autobiography.

As well as a national awards ceremony, an online story bank has been launched  www.nrdc.org.uk/voices and a book will be published by New Leaf publishers in Autumn 2008. This is a really useful resource to be used with learners so check it out!

Functional Skills

 The Department's official Functional Skills Support Programme is up and running now, with the first batch of events penciled in for June and July. The first regional meeting for the South East is on Friday 25th July in London. The session is aimed at centres who will be supporting adult learners and whilst everyone is welcome, will be of most use for centres not yet involved fully with the pilot process.

For further details, please contact Nik Walker at the FSSP - nwalker@lsneducation.org.uk or 0207 492 5258

RESOURCES:

Some quick messages from The Vital Link libraries and adult literacy programme. 

Library membership campaign

The National Year of Reading is running a national library membership campaign which launches on Friday 25 April.  Please use this as an opportunity to encourage adult learners and their families to join their local library.   Your local library should have the new Quick Reads on display or may be running the Six Book Challenge in association with the Costa Book Awards for emergent readers.  You can use the downloadable library membership form at http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/index.php?id=librarycampaign to make it easy for new members to sign up.

Vital Link advocacy leaflet

The Vital Link has recently created a new advocacy leaflet to support the library offer for adults who are improving their skills.  They will be distributing sample copies to all library authorities in England but please let them know if you would like to order multiple copies.  Email your order to resources@readingagency.org.uk giving your full name, job title, organisation, postal address, telephone number and email address.

New Quick Reads – The Vital Link Guides

The Vital Link libraries and adult literacy programme has created resources to support use of the new Quick Reads titles. These provide a ‘way in’ to using the books in a range of settings through ideas for discussion and extension activities.  The ten individual files, along with resources to support Quick Reads published in 2006 and 2007, are available to download from www.vitallink.org.uk  

With best wishes Genevieve Clarke, National Coordinator, The Vital Link, Tel: 0871 750 2104,

WoLLNET Project

The aim of the WoLLNET Project is to research, trial and develop a web-based, user-friendly Toolkit to enable employers, providers and unions to evaluate the impact of workplace basic skills (literacy, language and numeracy) training programmes on learning, and individual and organisational performance.

The project runs for two years from 1st December 2007 and is jointly funded by the European Commission's Leonardo da Vinci Sub-Programme, the London Development Agency and the Learning and Skills Council London Region. 

The project website is now ‘live’ and available in four partner languages: Czech, English, German and Romanian.  On the site you will find a range of information about the project, including a project summary, background information, reports, and details of the innovative features and anticipated impact of the project. Further news items, reports and details of project events will be added as the project progresses.  Please visit the website at www.WoLLNET.org

New Publicity

If you have had it with the Gremlins, why not check out the new campaign from Get On? It is far more user friendly and there is a DVD which providers can order and use as part of their promotional campaigns. To order your copy go to: http://geton.direct.gov.uk/

New Skills for Life Dissemination Booklets

A series of four booklets that aim to capture some of the experiences, learning and key messages of providers involved in the SfL Improvement Programme between 2006 and 2007 are being developed.  Over 800 providers have participated in different elements of the programme.  The four titles in the series are:

Improving Learner Success by Embedding Literacy, Language and Numeracy

Improving Quality through a Whole Organisation Approach to Skills for Life

Working in Partnership for Quality Improvement in Skills for Life

Professional Development Planning for Building Staff Teams

The booklets will be available to download from the Skills for Life Improvement Programme Website (www.sflip.org.uk/resources)

New Resource Films for SfL Trainers and Practitioners

The SfL Improvement Programme has created a series of short films that demonstrate ways in which Skills for Life is taught in 3 different contexts.  The films focus on how literacy, language and numeracy skills can be developed alongside vocational or other subject areas.

The films will be of particular interest to teacher trainers as they provide a rich resource for promoting discussion and reflection on effective teaching.  The films in the series are:

• Construction with embedded ESOL
• Literacy for Sport
• Numeracy for kitchen design

The films have subtitles and an auditory navigation option.  An accompanying booklet explains the background to the films, provides session plans, extracts from schemes of work and poses questions to consider during or after viewing.

The resources are available from the Skills for Life Improvement Programme Website (www.sflip.org.uk/resources) or by email at sflipinfo@cfbt.com

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

NEW FUTURES RECRUITMENT: 

The recruitment consultancy set up by a consortium of local Professional Development Centres and specialising in the education sector, have exciting new opportunities in Hampshire:

• Basic Skills Tutor (Hampshire) – Full time, permanent - £19,000 to £22,000 depending on experience, plus benefits
• Skills Broker (North Hampshire) – Full time, permanent - up to £29,000 plus benefits

For full details visit the Vacancies page on their website at www.newfuturesrecruitment.co.uk and click on the job title to access a full job description or contact Martine on 01329 286715.

ESSU Contact Details