Community Learning Development Resource 602 – 07

‘CAN PROVIDERS AND AGENCIES BE GOOD AT DOING EVERYTHING’?

 

SUMMARY

Among the most difficult challenges facing those of us seeking to engage in widening participation, the provision of learning in the community opportunities  and capacity-building for community development, are:

• recognising that other providers and agencies may be better than us at doing the job and already may be doing so effectively

• that there is a tendency for everyone to try and deliver everything

• that opportunities to co-operate and collaborate in ways better suited to supporting learners and their learning, are being missed

• that learners in the community are often confused by the lack of  ‘joined-up’ learning provision and services, with sensible and supportive connections.

Do you think that this is an acceptable analysis of what different agencies and providers can do?

Community groups	for accessible and non-threatening non-formal learning and for participation to contribute to community action and community development, through learning activities, e.g., Women’s Institute; neighbourhood groups
The Voluntary Sector	for learning about volunteering and about collective voluntarism, community action and development – managing the voluntary sector and community work initiatives, planning and decision making. First steps learning and outreach support.
Community-based organisations	providers and facilities. Churches, mosques, village halls, community and social centres, etc. – social, cultural, and leisure provision – non-formal and formal learning opportunities; venues
Adult and community learning providers	LEA ., for first steps and outreach support, skills for life and community-based adult learning. Leisure learning, and lower level academic and vocational programmes, progression and access to FE programmes
FE Colleges	academic and vocational programmes – higher level to HE. Access programmes. Specialist vocational and updating/skilling training programmes; 16-19 full-time programmes; adult and community learning provision; business linked employee training
Training providers	vocational and employment training and preparation programmes.
Leisure providers	district council and commercial providers for a range of leisure, exercise and cultural pursuits
Libraries and museums	informal, non-formal and formal learning opportunities – increasingly flexible use of resources to support learning, e.g., IT
District Councils	for learning within Local Strategic Partnerships and  Community Strategies, regeneration and community capacity building.
Projects	for short-term targeted interventions, to pilot new  and different ways of working, to open up new opportunities for agencies and providers.

 

 MORE ISSUES – WHERE DO YOU STAND?

Agree / Disagree: In considering our roles and responsibilities within Adult and Community Learning, we should pursue, as a priority, joint thinking and shared planning, with other players and stakeholders?

Agree / Disagree: because ‘learning in the community’ workers are employed by a variety of organisations – LEA providers; voluntary sector; further education; district councils, there is little shared understanding of the needs of people or of the contributions that learning solutions can make?

Agree / Disagree: Providers are more concerned to gain numbers of learners than to ensure that individual learners are being enabled to choose their best learning options and progression routes?

Agree / Disagree: Information and advice offered by accredited agencies and providers  (Matrix / Nextstep) is focussed on education and training and is too narrow in outlook and application, when learners may be seeking to solve their immediate life problems or to engage in local community development activities?

Agree / Disagree: the funding, which supports adult and community learning, is determined more by the need and capacity of providers to recruit learners and fill programmes and courses, than by the identification and assessment of the needs of potential learners?