Motivation is curriculum: promoting learning through campaigning

1. Motivation is curriculum: promoting learning through campaigning Mark Ravenhall Budapest 8 March 2011

2. Content • The proposition • The ‘demand’ problem: participation • The ‘supply’ problem: integration • Some current ‘solutions’ • Our learning….

3. NIACE • England and Wales (NIACE Dysgu Cymru) • Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) • 100 staff, 600 corporate members • Advocacy / Parliamentary work

5. NIACE • England and Wales (NIACE Dysgu Cymru) • Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) • 100 staff, 600 corporate members • Advocacy / Parliamentary work • Research and development work • Consultancy and support for teachers • Conferences and seminars • Publishing • Campaigns

7. The proposition “Provision for adults needs recruitment and retention to be recognised as key dimensions in the curriculum since unless adults can be encouraged to participate, there is no curriculum discussion to be had. For that reason ‘who participates’ is the key question for further education.”

8. Current or recent participation by socio-economic class, 1996 – 2010 compared Base: all respondents

9. Future intentions to take up learning 2010, by learning status Base: all respondents who have finished full-time education

10. Barriers to participation in learning Level 2+

11. Barriers to participation in learning Below Level 2

12. Integration: the learner journey Motivation

13. Integration: guidance

14. Change ?

15. One consistent brand 2010 2011 www.alw.org.uk

16. Adult Learners’ Week • The UK’s largest festival of learning includes: • Promotion – raising awareness of learning opportunities • Celebration – of outstanding learning achievements • Motivation – encouraging adults to take first or next steps towards learning • Engagement – with partners across the country • Key message: • “ Learning is good for health, self – esteem and employability”

17. Adult Learners’ Week

18. Sponsors

19. Adult Learners’ Week • 100,000 people engaged in 5,000 events across England • 73% intended to return to learning following the event • 1,483 nominations for Adult Learners’ Week Awards • 1,500 individual newspaper, TV and radio items • 90,000 visits to the website

20. How does the campaign reach potential learners? • Thousands of free events across the country • New Horizons – a free magazine with advice about learning opportunities • Free advice through careers helpline – 0800 100 900

21. Adult Learners’ Week 2010helpline callers’ research • Caller profile shows some variations year on year, but has remained broadly similar over past 4 years: • 61% female • 33% minority ethnic • 71% aged under 50 • 25% unemployed • 2% aged 75+

22. Main reasons for calling helpline were for further training to develop career or training to get a job Reasons for calling the helpline: Training/ skills for career/ work (NET): 77% (2009 and 2010) * 76% of those currently unemployed were calling for training/skills to get a job (base: n=71) * Q9. Thinking again about why you called the helpline, which, if any, of the following describe what you were interested in finding out about? Base: all respondents (303/300)

23. Quick Reads

24. The low skills issue is highly localised “The quantity and quality of jobs available locally is of particular importance to them: geography matters most to those with poor skills.” (The Geography of Poor Skills and Access to Work, Green & Owen, JRF, 2006)

26. One-to-one advice

27. Jobs Fairs

29. Leicester Highcross Centre Photo by Cannongod (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannongod/2835992209/)

31. 2000 trained in England

32. What are Community Learning Champions? • A CLC is someone others can trust as they are likely to be like the person they are helping; living in the same community and having similar life experiences. As many people describe them - they are ‘someone like me.’ • CLCs can be called advocates, ambassadors or even ‘angels’ the name does not matter- just what they do.

33. Community Learning Champions • signpost people to the formal and informal learning opportunities that suit their needs; • introduce them to learning providers, sometimes accompanying them to a library, learning opportunity or college; • support people through their learning; • help to set up new learning opportunities, filling gaps in provision; and • feedback suggestions for improvements to learning providers.

34. Our learning • Celebration is part of the curriculum • Educational outreach needs many approaches: advocacy, media, awards, inspirational stories, and somewhere to go • Some people will ring a telephone line • Some people will use the internet • Some people will go to their local provider • ALL need access to national materials • Motivation is curriculum!

35. Thank you • Mark Ravenhall • mark.ravenhall@niace.org.uk