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2003-2006 Aimhigher Regional Strand 9

 

Investing in Communities

Aimhigher Southwest logoMain Contact

Richard Harrison, Western Region Open College Network
(WROCN), 53 Oxford Street, Weston Super Mare, BS23 1TR
Telephone 01934 612727
Email Richard.harrison@wrocn.ac.uk

Partners

All HEIs and FEIs in the SW region plus a range of other partners including schools, EAZ/EICs and the Connexions services.

Download the Investing in Communities Report (Word)

 

Outline

• Record the impact of access to and progression through learning up to and including HE level on learners, on communities and community organisations.

• To produce an accessible information resource (eg paper-based and/or electronic) for use by Aimhigher practitioners and voluntary and community organisations which indicates learning opportunities, qualifications and progression routes into HE that support the development of the skills and knowledge of community activists, voluntary and community sector workers and workers from other agencies engaged in working in and with communities.

• Within the information resource, to include 15 case studies of HE progression by community activists and voluntary and community sector workers, which have enabled both personal and career development and associated investment in communities and community organisations.

• Present case studies and assess impact of access and progression

• Within the information resource, to present information on barriers to progression for community activists and voluntary and community sector workers (including funding barriers) and examples of ways in which these have been / can be overcome. To include clear statements on legal requirements in relation to disability discrimination.

• To list transferable skills and knowledge for working in and with communities

• To pilot the use of the information resource and evaluate it with 12 practitioners and 20 voluntary and community organisations, making recommendations for further development.

• Pilot links (eg via HE Awareness Days) between voluntary and community sector organisations and their workers and HEI’s (One Awareness Day per Aimhigher Area)

• To identify means by which the updating requirements of the information resource can be embedded.

Target Groups

Learners, communities and community organisations.

 

Project Update MAY 2006

Project Update by Steve Furness

Investing in Communities

The responsible body for the project is the Open College Network of the SW. The work on researching and producing the information database and report (see below) has been sub-contracted to the Learning Curve, one of the voluntary and community sector consortia responsible for training, capacity building and infrastructure development in the Sector.

 

1. Project aims

To produce an information resource on vocational training, qualifications and progression routes for working in and with communities which will:

• Map vocational training, qualifications and progression routes to Higher Education, relevant to working in and with communities.
• Promote access to learning opportunities, relevant to working in and with communities.
• Identify possible gaps in relevant provision and progression routes.
• Support the development of skills for working in communities
• Support the development of skills for regeneration and investment in social capital.

And support piloting links between voluntary and community organisations and HEI’s.

 

2. Project progress

2.1 Information resources

(a) Database of learning opportunities relevant to the voluntary and community sector (VCS) in the SW.

(b) Report – to Promote access to learning opportunities, relevant to working in the VCS, identify possible gaps in relevant provision and progression routes, support the development of skills for working in communities, regeneration and investment in social capital.

Both resources will display the Aimhigher SW, SW Forum, OCNSWR and Learning Curve logos.

The Database

It has been agreed by the SW Forum of VCS organisations Workforce Development Advisory Group that the database and report will be an on-line resource to be held on the SW Forum website at www.southwestforum.org.uk, including links to/from other relevant websites, including Aimhigher sites and OCNSWR website.

The primary focus for the database is on accredited learning, though both the database and report will include indicative information on unaccredited learning opportunities, often provided by the VCS itself.

Search categories – By Course Category, County, Level (Level Descriptor provided), Provider Location, and All Criteria.

Instruction Guide and introduction to be added. Introduction will include a ‘health warning’ that this database represents the information which was supplied by providers and is not guaranteed to be comprehensive. The researchers found that obtaining information on relevant provision was difficult in the case of FE and, in particular, HEIs. Given that lack of easy access to information is a key barrier, this finding will be reflected in the associated report.

Content – Early Years, Community Development, Community Arts, Sports and Leisure, Management, and Youth Work.

Approximate number of course entries as of 18/5/06 – 540.

OCNSWR accredited opportunities – Many VCS organisations engaged in delivering training make use of OCN accreditation. OCNSWR to add a section on its services to the VCS in the report by 31/5/06. There will be a link to the NOCN Qualifications List and website on the database.

Foundation Degrees – These are included in the database. There will be a link to the Foundation Degree Forward Website on the database.

It is anticipated that the database will be completed by the end of May, with the intention that it should be onto the SW Forum website by 20/6.

The Report

The report, written by Jacqui Quemades of Learning Curve, is now into its final draft. It includes learner profiles and organisational case studies to demonstrate the value of investing in training by individuals in the VCS as well as within organisations themselves. There are also provider case studies included (eg Open University). The transferable skills gained through working in and with communities in the VCS (from paid and volunteer roles) will be a key focus of the report. The report speaks to three key audiences – (1) Providers (2) VCS organisations / managers (3) Advisers of VCS workers and complements the recent University of Plymouth report into skills gaps and shortages in the VCS (commissioned by SW Forum) and the SW Forum Workforce Development Strategy (published April 2006).. The report’s key findings and recommendations will serve as one focus for the planned Aimhigher area-based conferences / meetings in June and July (see below). It is envisaged that the report will have national applicability.

2.2 Dissemination of Information Resources

(a) Electronic fliers

These will target (1) Providers (2) VCS organisations / managers (3) Advisers of VCS workers and will now be produced (by OCNSWR) in pdf format and distributed by email rather than as hard copy leaflets, this enabling wide dissemination and much lower costs. The fliers will alert people to the value and location of the database and of the report.

(b) The Report

It is intended, via OCNSWR, to produce 200 hard copies of the report, as well as it being available on-line.

(c) Area-based Conferences / meetings (Support piloting links between voluntary and community organisations and HEI’s).

These three events are not intended as ‘whole area’ events but will primarily have a sub-area focus in terms of VCS involvement. It is envisaged that all events would have the potential to promote the developing LLNs.

The Aimhigher funded report and database will be promoted as one key focus of these events.
In the LIFE Aimhigher area a conference, ‘Catching Confidence’, involving NIACE, is being organised for June 21st in Sherborne by Vista (VCS consortium organisation in S.Somerset) and the LIFE Community Strand.

In the West Aimhigher area a meeting is being arranged for June 28th in Kingswood, Bristol, to bring together the Task Group (VCS organisations) which is developing the West of England VCS consortium ‘Engage West, and FECs/HEIs (invited participants).

In the Peninsula Aimhigher area, Penwith College is organising a conference in West Cornwall on July 10th, targeting VCS organisations and providers, including F/HE.

OCNSWR has agreed to alert its providers to these events.

All events will be promoted under the auspices of Aimhigher SW as well as the organisers and project partners.

Part of the budget (£3,000) for the events will buy in Learning Curve input. The Aimhigher Investing in Communities project is a minor funder of the LIFE and Peninsula conferences, whereas it is meeting the full costs of the West area event.

(d) Regional and National Dissemination

An indicative list to whom the report would be circulated, together with alerting colleagues to the existence of the database, would include:

 

 

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