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Learning: National
Learn Direct
www.learndirect.co.uk
LearnDirect is a brand new form of learning that's for everyone. With
ambitious plans to bring learning and skills into people's lives, Ufi
developed the LearnDirect service to change the face of learning for hundreds
of thousands of people, enabling them to: learn for fun or work, gain
knowledge and skills to enhance their employability, take control of their
future, and for businesses to improve their competitiveness. Learndirect
offers high quality learning at a time, place and pace to suit you. You
choose what to learn, when to learn - and you can learn as quickly or
as slowly as you like. Thousands of people have already benefited.
You can also call for free information about learning and careers on
freephone 0800 100 900.
National Grid For Learning (NGfL)
www.ngfl.gov.uk
The NGfL is the national focal point for learning on the Internet. The
NDfL portal brings together a vast and growing collection of sites that
support education and longlife learning. Whether you are learning, supporting,
teaching or managing, there are resources on the Grid for you.
The Basic Skills Agency
www.basic-skills.co.uk
The Basic Skills Agency is the national agency for basic skills in England
and Wales and is supported and funded by the Government. They are an independent
organisation and a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity.
They are a not-for-profit organisation.
They define basic skills as;
"the ability to read, write, and speak in English (or Welsh), and
to use mathematics at a level necessary to function at work and in society
in general".
They're committed to working with others to make sure that effective opportunities
exist to help children, young people and adults strengthen their basic
skills. Their website includes news, programmes, research, resources,
a magazine, online community, learner zone and an online store. The site
also includes a comprehensive and well organised list of useful links.
Read.Write.Plus
www.dfee.gov.uk/readwriteplus
The DfEE Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit is responsible for driving forward
implementation of the national strategy and ensuring efforts to improve
literacy and numeracy skills at national and local level are consistent
and well co-ordinated.
Pavilion
www.pavpub.com
Pavilion is committed to promoting and developing good practice to all
those involved in health and social care. Their website includes information
on their range of training materials, training courses, conferences and
other related services.
BBC Education Website
www.bbc.co.uk/education
Links to fun ways for children to learn as well as adult learning sites.
DfEE Adult Learners' Gateway
www.dfee.gov.uk/adultlearners
Includes links for qualifications, advice and government policy.
Campaign for Learning
www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk
The Campaign for Learning is a national charity, working to create an
appetite for learning in individuals that will sustain them throughout
their lives. It was created with the sole purpose of championing, as its
name suggests, the cause for lifelong learning. The website includes news,
resources, research, information and advice, and the National Learning
Forum (NLF). The NLF is a broad grouping of over two hundred individuals
and organisations, each of which has an interest in developing a culture
of lifelong learning in the UK.
Second Chances
www.dfee.gov.uk/secondchances
A national guide to adult education and training opportunities, Second
Chances is a DfEE reference source for:
• Staff working with agencies or organisations involved in providing
information, advice and guidance to adults about education and training
opportunities,
• Adults wishing to research for themselves information about education
and training opportunities.
The information covers the whole range of learning opportunities, from
basic skills through to postgraduate-level opportunities. It covers information
relevant to adults aged 19 and over, whatever their background or employment
status, including those considering returning to learning or employment,
retired people, adults with special needs, or those who have recently
arrived from overseas.
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Disability and Information Systems in Higher Education
www.disinhe.ac.uk
This is the national clearing house for Disability and Information Systems
in Higher Education, funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee.
Contains a definitive list of information and organisations.
The National Organisation for Adult Learning (NIACE)
www.niace.org.uk
Read about news, conferences, publications, campaigns & promotions
and how to help influence public policy. The website also contains information
services such as:
• A Beginners Guide to Lifelong Learning
• A series of Briefing Sheets on a variety of Lifelong Learning issues.
• A list of Grants which NIACE is administering.
• A list of other funding sources available to Organisations.
• A number of E-mail Discussion Groups to facilitate debate and the
sharing of good practice on various Lifelong Learning topics.
Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI)
www.ali.gov.uk
The ALI began work on 1 April 2001, having been set up under the provision
of the Learning and Skills Act 2000. The Adult Learning Inspectorate will
be responsible for inspecting a wide range of learning activities. This
will include:
• work-based learning provided to people aged 16 to 18 and all adults,
•education in colleges provided to people aged over 19,
•learning activities accessed through the University for Industry:
LearnDirect,
• adult and community learning,
• learning in prisons,
• training delivered by the Employment Service under the arrangements
of the New Deal.
Association of Learning Providers (ALP)
www.learning-providers.net
The ALP is an alliance of national training associations and major UK
training providers. Includes contact details for national and local offices.
Department for Education & Employment (DfEE)
www.dfee.gov.uk
Includes news, publications, consultations, speeches, statistics and useful
links.
Lifelong Learning Partnership
www.lifelonglearning.co.uk
The DfEE website for the encouragement, promotion and development of lifelong
learning.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
www.qca.org.uk
The QCA is a guardian of standards in education and training. They work
with others to maintain and develop the school curriculum and associated
assessments, and to accredit and monitor qualifications in schools, colleges
and at work. The website includes information on national vocational qualifications
(NVQ's), curriculum and assessment, research and statistics, news and
vacancies, publications and distributions, along with help guidance and
a comprehensive list of useful links. Or, visit www.accac.org.uk for Wales
or www.ccea.org.uk for Northern Ireland.
Qualifications
www.dfee.gov.uk/qualifications
DfEE's Qualifications Website offers a range of information for parents,
teachers, pupils, lecturers, students, employers and anyone with an interest
in qualifications. This site also has subsections about work related learning
projects, about the national qualifications framework and about the proposal
for a 'graduation' certificate (this subsection also covers ways in which
qualifications can promote social inclusion).
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)
www.dfee.gov.uk/nvq
This DfEE website is designed to give a background to NVQs - why they
exist and how they can help individuals and key players in the employment,
training and qualifications world. It includes links to relevant websites.
The Learning+Skills Council
www.lsc.gov.uk
From April 2001 the Learning and Skills Council took on the functions
of the Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) network and the funding responsibilities
of the Further Education Funding Council. The website includes news, the
corporate plan, the strategic framework to 2004, vacancies and a list
of related links.
National Training Organisations (NTOs)
www.dfee.gov.uk/nto/nto
www.nto-nc.org
NTOs are employer-led bodies which are responsible for the development
of skills to meet the business needs of employment sectors throughout
the UK. They have a primary role in galvanising employer involvement in
the development and uptake of competence-based standards, education, training
and qualifications to help businesses improve competitiveness at home
and abroad. The first address is the DfEE NTO site, while the second is
the NTO National Council.
The Raising Quality and Achievement Programme (RQA)
www.rqa.org.uk
The RQA programme helps colleges improve quality standards and students'
achievements. It is run by the Learning and Skills Development Agency
(formerly FEDA) in partnership with the Association of Colleges (AOC)
and funded through the government's Standards Fund.
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This list was compiled by the East Sussex Adult Learner
Forum, June 2001.
Please send any website links that you think should
be added to this list to info@learnerforum.net.
Disclaimer: Please note that many of the above website
summaries have been taken from the websites' own descriptions and no
responsibility can be taken by the Adult Learner Forum for any information
provided on any of these sites.
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