Tameside Economic and Learning Partnership

Skills for Life Strategy 2005-2007

What is Skills for Life?

Skills for Life is the name of the Government's strategy for improving the literacy, language and numeracy skills of the population.

Skills for Life Means...

'The ability to read, write and speak English and use mathematics at a level necessary to function and progress at work and in society in general.'

Why do we need a Skills for Life Strategy in Tameside?

"People with poor literacy, language or numeracy skills are less productive at work, earn less and are more likely to suffer from ill health and social exclusion"

From Skills for Life (The national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills.)

Tackling this skills problem is one of the Government's priorities.

The national target to improve the Skills for Life of 750,000 adults by 2004 has been achieved. The revised target is a further 1.5 million adults by 2007.

Greater Manchester has a target of 40,000 and Tameside contributes to this total.

Our Vision

To raise educational achievement through excellent Skills for Life provision, so that everyone in Tameside has the opportunity to realise their potential.

The Strategy

The Strategy identified three key areas for development

• Networks and information
• Co-ordination of provision
• Access to training

Networks and information

We will

• Establish a central point for the collection and exchange of information
• Monitor the scale of need in Tameside and use this data to inform planning and development
• Develop a web page to provide up to date information about Skills for Life in Tameside
• Establish a network of Skills for Life practitioners including those who teach and support Skills for Life teaching
• Maintain and develop links with Skills for Life networks and with the Learning and Skills Council at regional and national levels
• Maintain and develop links with regional and national agencies to make sure practitioners get up to date information about new developments

Co-ordination of Provision

We will

• Ensure that all relevant agencies work co-operatively to improve the range and scope of Skills for Life provision across Tameside
• Encourage and develop provision in community venues including libraries
• Establish clear progression routes for learners
• Identify opportunities for embedding Skills for Life into other learning programmes
• Identify opportunism to develop employer-led Skills for Life provision
• Increase the amount of Family Learning that takes place both in schools, libraries and in other venues across Tameside

Access to Training

We will:

• Raise awareness of Skills for Life issues amongst community, voluntary and statutory sectors and employers
• Build capacity to effectively deliver Skills for Life programmes across Tameside
• Increase the number of staff qualified to deliver Skills for Life programmes and promote continuous professional development
• Increase the Skills for Life awareness of tutors delivery vocational and other courses
• Increase the use of technology in the teaching of Skills for Life

Moving On

• The Skills for Life and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) strategies will be monitored and reviewed by the Skills for Life Forum and Tameside Economic and Lifelong Learning Partnership
• It is the intention that in 2007 ESOL will be included in Skills for Life Strategy
• An Action Plan showing how we aim to achieve our goals in the strategy is being developed

Acknowledgements

The representatives from the following organisations who attended the inaugural meeting of the Skills for Life Forum and helped to develop the strategy.

• Ashton Sixth Form College
• Manchester Enterprises
• Stamford Group
• Tameside College
• Tameside Council Adult Learning
• Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
• First Step
• Tameside Libraries
• Third Sector Coalition
• Tameside Racial Equality Commission
• Tameside Refugee and Asylum Seekers Support Team
• Sure Start
• Groundwork Tameside
• WEA - Worker's Education Association
• Learning and Skills Council, Greater Manchester
• Tameside Lifelong Learning Partnership