National Skills for Life support and initiatives
Read Write Plus
The read write plus is the Government’s national strategy for Skills for Life website. It is a main source of information and advice on all aspects of implementing Skills for Life. It has Skills for Life facts as well as information on research, quality, training and funding. For more information visit: www.dcsf.gov.uk/readwriteplus
Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy
Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy (FLLN) aims to raise literacy, language and numeracy skills of parents and children and to increase parents’ support for their children’s skills development. FLLN programmes are run across England to offer parents, carers and children the chance to improve their skills in safe, welcoming environments. The Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) supports the extension, reach and quality of these programmes. The QIA runs a training and development programme called Step in to Learning for staff and managers working with children, to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to identify parents’ and carers’ Skills for Life needs and to signpost them to appropriate local learning programmes to improve their skills. For more information visit: www.qia.org.uk
Get On
The Get On campaign encourages the millions of people in England who experience difficulties with literacy, language and numeracy, or would benefit from brushing up on these skills, to enrol on a free course. You can direct individuals to the telephone number 0800 66 0800 or to the website, www.direct.gov.uk/geton, for information including where to find Skills for Life courses.
In Our Hands Campaign
The In Our Hands campaign is the Learning and Skills Council’s high profile media campaign to inspire people across England to take control of their future through learning and play an active role in achieving their full potential. If you are inspiring individuals to think about their own skills, you can direct them to the website www.inourhands.lsc.gov.uk or highlight the telephone number 0800 011 30 30 for information on courses, funding programmes and career advice.
Move On
Move On supports a positive approach to refreshing and updating skills and to enabling learners to gain confidence by taking the National Tests in literacy and numeracy. It provides a range of resources including the online mini tests. Move On also has a team of regional advisers who support local organisations and employers to support their own workforce’s Skills for Life. www.move-on.org.uk
The National Year of Reading
The 2008 National Year of Reading is a year-long celebration of reading, in all its forms. It aims to help build a greater national passion for reading in England – for children, families and adult learners alike. The year is encouraging people to read in businesses, home and communities around the country, providing new opportunities to read and helping people to access help and support through schools and libraries. For more information visit: www.yearofreading.org.uk
Get online day
Get online day is run as part of the Family Learning Festival. Organised by UK online centres, Get online day aims to get families to use computers to support the development of ICT skills. For more information visit: www.getonlineday.com
Vital Link
Vital Link is an improvement programme for building and promoting libraries’ capacity to support the Government’s Skills for Life strategy. It is run by the Reading Agency in partnership with the National Literacy Trust. The Vital Link focuses particularly on how creative reading activity through libraries can motivate students and new learners.
For more information visit: www.literacytrust.org.uk/vitallink
