What happened in 2005-2006?

Adult Literacy and Numeracy - Scottish Borders Progress Report 2006

Awareness Raising

• We produced two new leaflets to help learners and partners find out about learning
  
• We worked with agencies, businesses and organisations to raise staff awareness of literacies issues through training
  
• We sponsored a Literacies Award at the Borders Adult Learners Awards
  
• We developed a presence on www.onlineborders.org.uk - the local community grid for learning and trained key staff to continue to update and develop this web presence
  

Tuition and guidance

• CL&D and Borders College provided 629 places in 44 locations for literacy and numeracy learners.
  
• We supported and mainstreamed an online learning project : Help Yourself to Learning
  
• We funded the development of new partnership opportunities and approaches through our Development Fund
  
• We established a central resource base at the CPD Unit, Langlee
  
• We provided literacies resources for the Help Yourself and Big Plus collections in libraries , and software and mobile internet connection for partner providers
  
• We appointed a workplace development worker, explored the development of workplace literacies through a case study approach and provided a report to the Scottish Executive
  
• We achieved ESF funding for a Rural Adult Learning Project
  
• We asked learners what they thought of their tuition and guidance and identified areas for improvement

Staff development

• We hosted a Literacies practice sharing conference: Good Practice; New Practice
  
• We trained partnership delivery staff and volunteers in the following:
  
  • ICT and Literacies learning
    
  • ALN Curriculum Framework
    
  • Accrediting literacies learning
    
  • SQA and new ESOL units
    
  • Dyslexia awareness raising
    
  • ITALL
    
• We identified training priorities for 2006-2008
  
• We self-evaluated the quality of our learning and organisation and identified priorities for improvement
  

Planning in partnership

• We supported the participation of strategic, non-strategic partners and practitioners in re-visioning the strategic plan
  
• Our plan was successfully evaluated, resulting in a local outcome agreement and future funding for 2006-2008

What difference has learning made to learners lives?

We regularly ask learners about the difference learning has made to them. 
This year BALSA ran focus groups for learners on their experience of learning and the effect on their lives.  Other learners also responded to a questionnaire.

There is evidence from these that learning is impacting on participation in home, family and work contexts as well as supporting personal development and confidence.  Most learners noted positive changes in themselves: in their skills, knowledge and understanding, in how they use their literacies, and in their general confidence and perception of themselves as lifelong learners.

Here is what some learners have said:

“I no longer have to ‘cover up’ at home.”
“I can now tackle things like banking, shops…everyday life.”
“My confidence has greatly increased and led to me looking for work.”
“I won an award - and felt proud.”
“I’m able to play darts with my son; learning numbers has made it a lot easier”

What Next?

This year we evaluated the working and impact of the partnership: the partnership is seen as working well, with cross partnership capacity building, initiatives and staff development. 

New for 2006-2008

As well as ongoing tuition for learners, our new strategic plan will support the following projects in 2006-2008:

• BALSA Awareness Raising Project: Learners supported to tell their stories to community groups
  
• Learners Microsite Project: Learners developing a microsite to create an online awareness raising resource and discussion forum for learners
  
• Youth Literacies: the development of Youth Literacies through training youth workers
  
• Workplace Literacies: continued support for the development of workplace literacies within 6-8 small and medium enterprises.