Persuading the disengaged to improve their skills…

National Conference provides a forum for the Deputy Minister and experts to debate the issues.

Engaging the Disengaged – and encouraging people to improve their basic skills whatever their age – was the theme of the Basic Skills Agency’s Annual Conference held on Friday 22 June 2007 at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff.

The aim of the conference was to look at existing research recommendations and how they can be put into practice and actually engage people who are disengaged from learning and work.

John Griffiths, Deputy Minister for Education, Culture and the Welsh Language launched the conference. The Deputy Minister has specific responsibility for the skills agenda and he outlined the achievements of the Basic Skills Strategy for Wales as well as the challenges to be faced in the coming years.

Following the Deputy Minister, a range of speakers – including Wendy Young, HMI Lead Inspector at Estyn, Helen Casey from the National Research and Development Centre (NRDC), John Graystone Chief Executive of fforwm and Philip Garner, Professor of Education at the University of Northampton – provided an overview of current research and a view on what works.

Delegates were then invited to debate key issues during four ‘Ideas into Practice’ sessions focusing on: Early Years and Family Education; the Alternative Curriculum in Schools; the Alternative Curriculum for Post 16 and Adult education; and Groups at Risk.

Over 200 people attended. The delegates included experts concerned with the Welsh Assembly Government’s National Basic Skills Strategy - including LEA staff, senior staff from Schools and those working with adults. Other delegates included education professionals working in further and higher education, early years, trade unions and in the Voluntary and Community sectors.

Commenting on the conference Deputy Minister John Griffiths said: “Engaging the disengaged is a key social justice issue. Many people within Wales lack the basic skills they need, and as such, we have to look at ways of re-engaging children and young people and think imaginatively about how we can enthuse adults to improve their skills.”

For further information contact Valerie McBurney in the Basic Skills Agency Press Office. Telephone 020 7440 7788, mobile: 07979 240936, email: valeriem@basic-skills.co.uk.

Notes to Editors

The Welsh Assembly Government launched the first National Basic Skills Strategy - The Learning Country - in 2001. Since then it has been overseeing the delivery of programmes to help reduce the number of children and adults struggling with reading, writing and use of numbers.

The Assembly Government’s second Basic Skills Strategy – Words Talk – Numbers Count – takes forward the agenda set in The Learning Country and has the same fundamental aims as the first Strategy. These are that:

• all young children should be prepared for learning when they begin school;
• the number of children leaving primary school struggling over reading, writing and the use of number should be further reduced;
• fewer young people should leave compulsory education still struggling with basic skills; and
• the number of adults with poor basic skills should be diminished significantly.

To access a PDF copy of Words Talk – Numbers Count see:

http://www.learning.wales.gov.uk/pdfs/c1505-words-talk-e.pdf

The Basic Skills Agency is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the National Strategy - Words Talk – Numbers Count - on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government. The Agency is committed to finding, developing and disseminating good practice in literacy, language and numeracy.

The National Research and Development Centre (NRDC) was established by the DfES as part of Skills for Life, the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills. NRDC is dedicated to conducting research into adult literacy, numeracy, ESOL and ICT with the aim of helping to improve the quality of teaching and learning so that young people and adults can progress in life and work. For more information see: www.nrdc.org.uk/

fforwm is the national organisation representing the 23 further education (FE) colleges and two FE institutions in Wales. It was created in 1993 as an educational charity and a company limited by guarantee. fforwm provides a range of services to its members including networks, conferences, research, consultancy and the sharing of good practice. It also works closely with a wide range of partners in post-16 education and training. Through fforwm, colleges are represented on various committees, working parties and other groups influencing and shaping policy in post-16 education, training and life-long learning. For more information see: www.fforwm.ac.uk/

Estyn is the office of Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales. It is independent of, but funded by, the National Assembly for Wales under Section 104 of the Government of Wales Act 1998. Estyn is responsible for inspecting a wide range of education bodies and providing advice to the Minister for Education, Culture and the Welsh Language. To find out more about Estyn see: www.estyn.gov.uk