Links

www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus

The Skills for Life Strategy Unit is responsible for driving forward implementation of the national Skills for Life strategy and ensuring efforts to improve literacy, language and numeracy skills at national and local level are consistent and well co-ordinated.

The website is a good general source of information including:

•  information about qualifications and the national tests
•  free DfES publications
•  research and development
•  teaching and learning
•  quality and training
•  workplace Skills for Life

The site also provides links to many other agencies and organisations involved with
adult Skills for Life.

www.move-on.org.uk

Move On is a national project which offers Level 1 and 2 learners the National Certificates in Adult Literacy and Numeracy with a free brush-up course. It aims to reach new learners who don't see themselves as needing help with their basic skills. The Move On approach has a positive sell. It trains recruiters, anyone in touch with this brush-up group - IAG, Jobcentre Plus advisers, teachers of any subject, union learning reps, other learners, playgroup leaders, prison officers.

The Move On approach offers learners:

•  a free skills check or test taster

•  a free brush up course that covers the literacy and numeracy skills needed to pass the National Test and wider skills for individual needs

•  entry to the National Test that results in the National Certificate in Adult Literacy or Numeracy, the national qualification in English and maths

•  advice on opportunities to build on their success and progress to other courses.

This really useful site offers the opportunity to do a mini-test on-line to check current skills. The Learner Route allows learners to prepare for the test and take practice tests to check when they are ready for the real thing. There are interactive activities with instant feedback. The site also gives information about local test centres and down-loadable resources for tutors.

www.move-on.org.uk/getonatwork.asp

This section of the Move On website addresses Skills for Life in the workplace. It gives useful information about the benefits of workplace learning both for the business and the individual learner. The Get on section includes briefings for managers and free promotional materials.

www.basic-skills.co.uk

The Basic Skills Agency is the national development agency for literacy and numeracy in England and Wales . Their remit covers children, young people and adults. Funded primarily by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Welsh Assembly Government, their role is to contribute to raising standards of basic skills in England and Wales , to develop approaches that most effectively improve standards of basic skills and to disseminate good practice. The website has a section devoted to their work with adults.

www.lsc.gov.uk/regions/EastofEngland

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for education and training for everyone after the age of 16 except those studying in universities. Work in Suffolk covers: further education colleges; training at work; school sixth forms; working with employers to develop skills; adult and community learning; and information, advice and guidance for adults and young people.

The website includes information on funding and links to key documents.

www.tull.uk.net

TULL works in Norfolk and Suffolk with trade unions, employers, learning providers, and support organisations, to build partnerships and networks, offer support and resources and help to develop sustainable workplace learning activities.

The project complements the work of existing organisations, offering additional support, resources, information and advice to trades unions and employers (through personal advice and help, funding, newsletters, briefings, meetings, conferences, seminars etc...)

The website provides information on current union learning projects, a programme of events and links to other workplace learning initiatives.

www.unionlearn.org.uk

The Union Learning website contains loads of information about TUC Union Learning, including news, courses, research, discussion forum, case studies.

Unionlearn aims to:

• help unions to become learning organisations
• help unions to broker learning opportunities for their members,
• research union priorities on learning and skills,
• identify and share good practice
• promote learning agreements,
• support union members on learning and skills bodies.

www.qca.org.uk

QCA maintains and develops the national curriculum and associated assessments, tests and examinations; and accredits and monitors qualifications in colleges and at work. They fund occupational standards, support learning at work and regularly review the suitability and availability of qualifications, to ensure that the needs of learners, employers and the economy are met.

Use the search function to get emerging information about the development of the Functional Skills curriculum and the draft ICT Curriculum for adult learners.

www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise

Skillswise is the BBC website for adults who want to improve their basic skills in reading, writing and maths and is a thriving web community of learners and tutors.

The content is based on the Adult and Literacy and Numeracy Core Curricula for England , Wales and Northern Ireland . All materials on the site are aimed at students who are studying at Level 1 of the adult curricula for literacy and numeracy. Skillswise is a resource from which learners and tutors can dip and adapt. The site aims to provide a revision resource for students and tutors and to continue building an online community where learners and tutors can share their learning and teaching experience.

There are loads of games, quizzes and worksheets. It also links to other learning opportunities such as Webwise. This website is highly regarded by learners and tutors.

www.bbc.co.uk/raw

RAW is the BBC Campaign to get the nation reading. The website contains lots of promotional material, games, quizzes, ideas for events. There is also information about the RAW range of reading books and the RAW magazine.

www.ssda.org.uk

This is the website of the Sector Skills Development Agency. The SSDA's responsibilities are to:

• fund, support and monitor the performance of Sector Skills Councils(SSCs)
• ensure consistent, high-quality standards across the Skills for Business network
• ensure skills provision is designed to meet sector needs
• provide minimum cover for sectors without a SSC
• ensure generic skills are effectively covered in the work of the SSCs
• promote best practice sharing and bench-marking between sectors
• to collate high quality labour market intelligence and to make this available via a website portal.

The website has links to the 25 individual Sector Skills Councils.

www.suffolkpdc.org.uk

This website is the main source of information about Skills for Life teacher and volunteer training happening across Suffolk . It gives clear outlines of the available levels of qualifications and details of planned courses.

//staraward.qia.org.uk

The QIA STAR Awards are a way of recognising the work of the unsung heroes who have made an outstanding contribution to the quality of learning that millions of people in England receive every day. The QIA STAR Awards highlight and reward the outstanding work of the 600,000 people who make the learning and skills sector in England so vibrant.

www.nationaltrainingawards.com/

The National Training Awards are the UK's number one accolade for businesses, organisations and individuals who have achieved lasting excellence and success through training and learning.