NOCN, a major national qualifications awarding body, represented regionally by the Greater Manchester Open College Network (GMOCN), today announces a comprehensive strategy to support the government's target of improving the literacy and numeracy skills of three quarters of a million people in the United Kingdom by 2004.
NOCN is launching the first qualification in a new NOCN curriculum designed to help organisations reach learners who have benefited least from formal education. The launch comes at a time when basic literacy is high on many agendas.
"It is estimated that seven million adults in the U.K. today have poor basic skills in reading and writing," said Janet Barlow, Chief Officer of GMOCN. "As a member of one of the largest recognised qualifications awarding bodies in the country we are delighted to be responding to this government initiative and excited by the fact that we have the experience and capability to make a significant difference."
The qualification
The qualification, NOCN Entry Level Certificate in Adult Literacy (including spoken communication), is among the first based on the government's new national standards and national curriculum for basic skills. It incorporates different entry levels to cater for individual learner needs and rewards learning in small steps, building learners' confidence and combating a common fear of failure.
The qualification covers fundamental areas of literacy, such as spelling, punctuation and grammar, and aims to promote success in everyday life through the application of these skills. It will also allow learners to move on to other learning opportunities.
The NOCN initiative has already been
welcomed by several major organisations, including the Trades Union Congress
(TUC). "The TUC value our existing partnership with the National Open College
Network and welcome the opportunity to work together in Basic Skills to deliver
the Government's Basic Skills strategy," said Liz Smith, National Officer
for TUC Learning Services. "Union knowledge of workplace issues and needs
of members is now widely recognised. This knowledge of the workplace context
provides exciting possibilities in terms of curriculum settings and we are confident
that the NOCN National Basic Skills strategy will assist the development of
exciting programmes."
The qualification announced today will form part of a wider curriculum of basic
skills awards provided by NOCN. The curriculum will include awards in Numeracy,
Family Learning, Citizenship, Life and Learning Skills and English for Speakers
of Other Languages (ESOL). It will also support teachers of adults with basic
skills needs through qualifications in Advice and Guidance, Volunteering and
Community Development.
The government has identified key priority groups who are most in need of basic skills provision, including people who live in disadvantaged communities, unemployed people, prisoners and groups at high risk of social exclusion.
NOCN has years of experience working
in this field and in reaching these learners. For example:
§ 27% of all learners registered on Open College Network (OCN) programmes
in 2000 were unemployed and unwaged, (from a total of 661,626).
§ Of the 1,468,000 credits awarded by NOCN and OCNs in 1999-2000, over
one third were awarded at Entry Level and Level One.
NOCN's Basic Skills Strategy - NOCN will promote innovative and non-stigmatising
approaches to the improvement of basic skills and will take a leading role in
motivating a substantial proportion of adults with basic skills needs.
NOCN will work to ensure that basic skills provision across the United Kingdom is comprehensive and extensive by establishing basic skills practitioner networks in each OCN region. These networks will offer a highly developed, regional response to basic skills needs and will include OCN members from Local Education Authorities (LEAs), Further Education (FE) colleges, voluntary and community organisations, employers and trade unions.
Delivery of the qualification - NOCN's network of 29 OCNs will offer the qualification to local providers. The uniqueness of this service means that providers will receive advice, support and staff development to enable them to deliver the qualification in a way that meets local and individual needs.
Other Basic Skills Initiatives - The launch of NOCN's qualification coincides with a national advertising campaign by the government's Adult Basic Skills Unit, NIACE's Sign Up Now initiative designed to widen access to adult learning, and precedes International Literacy Day on September 8th.
The National Open College Network (NOCN) is one of the largest recognised qualifications awarding bodies in the United Kingdom and is subject to regulation by QCA (in England), ACCAC (in Wales) and CCEA (in Northern Ireland). As well as offering national qualifications and learning programmes NOCN represents and quality assures the work of its 29 licensed Open College Networks (OCNs). Last year over 650,000 learners registered on OCN programmes.
Open College Network Kent & Medway will be launching this qualification within the region during the Autumn Term
For further information please contact OCNKM on 01227 827823