Basic Skills Employer Pledge Grant Programme 2007-08

Aims:

• Support and reward those organisations who are already showing active commitment to the Employer Pledge initiative by providing basic skills support for employees
• encourage signatories of the Pledge to move forward from commitment to active delivery
• increase the literacy, numeracy and ESOL being delivered in Employer Pledge workplaces across Wales
• promote the Employer Pledge award amongst all employers
• encourage companies to include basic skills teaching and learning in their DELLS workforce development programme plans
• offer funding fairly on merit on the basis of agreed criteria

What is the criteria for funding?

The fund is a one off payment to promote the Employer Pledge initiative and support basic skills teaching and learning in the workplace. It is intended to complement and supplement other funding and will only be available within the present financial year of 2007-08.

Any company/organisation that was granted Employer Pledge funding in 2006-07 must have completed all the activity claimed for from that application. The grant report form must also be completed and returned before a funding application for 2007-08 will be considered.

Funding will be allocated on the basis of the following criteria using a points system as set out below:

• a high level of need expected in company and/or from a priority group, e.g. care, catering, cleaning, construction/built environment, manufacturing, land-based, logistics, public sector (1-2 points)
• size of organisation: 2 points for SMEs (i.e. organisations with fewer than 250 employees) and organisations with more than 5000 employees, 1 pointfor all others.
• Companies/organisations sited in Communities First and/or areas of social deprivation (1 point)
• voluntary sector (1 point)
• companies that currently contribute funding to basic skills training for their workforce, e.g. paid time off work (50/50 or full), tuition costs or accreditation costs (1 point)
• companies that are not currently accessing another funding source for Pledge provision, e.g. not receiving FE learning units, WULF project funding or European Social Funding (1 point)
• companies including literacy, numeracy and/or ESOL provision within their DELLS workforce development programme plan (1 point)

Companies/organisations with 5-6 points can apply for up to £5000
Companies/organisations with 3-4 points can apply for up to £4000
Companies/organisations with 1-2 points can apply for up to £3000.

Applications for up to £10,000 will be considered from:

• companies/organisations employing a large number of staff (over 8000) many of whom have/would be expected to have low level basic skills
• companies/organisations with a strong, comprehensive basic skills learning programme that includes rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the business benefits of the training.

It will be the responsibility of the company/organisation making the application to convince the assessing panel that a larger amount should be awarded.

The grant can be used to fund:

• basic skills activity identified in the Employer Pledge action plan;
• delivery of basic skills at level one or below
• basic skills awareness for team leaders, managers, union representatives or works council members in the company (up to 15% of grant)
• basic skills through context (e.g. IT or financial literacy); however 70% of the content of the proposed course must be literacy, numeracy or ESOL
• taster sessions, workshops and courses of 3-10 sessions. However, a variety of delivery models should be used rather than only one.
• literacy, numeracy or ESOL pre-NVQ course, introduction to NVQ, refresher/brush up courses that lead to NVQ enrolment
• the literacy, numeracy or ESOL support needed to gain NVQ, Passport to Safety, competent driver certificate or other sector requirement:

N.B. the grant will only fund the underpinning basic skills at level one, not the full courses, certificate content or portfolio building.

• basic skills delivered by a provider holding the Post-16 Quality Mark. It is highly desirable that the teacher has completed the Employer Pledge Training Course. Sessions cannot be funded if they are delivered by for example a business unit or training provider not holding the QM.
• provision that identifies and encourages progression to further learning.

The grant cannot be used to fund:

• purchase of equipment, e.g. laptop computers;
• substantial staff time to organise, develop or co-ordinate courses (up to 5% of the grant can be used for this purpose);
• basic skills at level 2 or above or key skills;
• vocational qualifications, IT, leadership and management or other teaching and learning that’s not literacy, numeracy or ESOL;
• basic skills courses or qualifications already being funded from other sources, e.g. DELLS, ESF or WULF.
• Basic skills delivered by a provider who does not hold the Post-16 Quality Mark
• Any materials produced as part of the grant activity should have the Words Talk Numbers Count logo included. The company or organisation logo, may of course also be included. No other logos or website links should be used on the materials.

How will the grant be monitored?

• We will welcome and actively seek feedback from employers and employees on the value and impact of the Employer Pledge Grants Programme.
• The Employer Pledge Grant Programme will be monitored by Basic Skills Agency Regional Directors.
• The effectiveness of the programme will be reviewed by an external associate adviser with a view to providing recommendations for future practice and development. The report thus produced will be submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government for further consideration.
• Recipients of grants will be required to complete and return concise data collection forms and evaluation forms.