Following the success of the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) Learning Innovation Grant (LIG) programme the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) have released a further £4m capital funds to support the work-based learning sector in making the best use of technology and elearning to broaden participation and achievement, and support the growth of Apprenticeships and Train to Gain programmes.

During the period 07-08 the LSC has provided, via ALP, over £6.5m of capital investment into the sector. Feedback from providers has reported the LIG capital investment has proved to be a huge boost in encouraging innovation and new ways of thinking and working to support the learning experience, which has lead to improved learner satisfaction and business outcomes across the sector’. Chris Swingler, ALPs National Projects Development Manager said ‘Technology and elearning will play a crucial role in the delivery of demand-led provision to meet the proposed growth of training opportunities across all work-based learning. The investment will support the sector to provide a ‘next generation’ of skills and training for all’.

A new approach to LIG 4 will build on a model pioneered by the Learning and Skills Network (LSN) in the Molenet project for FE colleges last year. ALP has been asked by the LSC to develop a similar system, which will require providers to make a financial contribution to their LIG bids. The higher level of grant available - between £50k - £200K - will enable providers to fully reap the rewards technology can offer and support the drive by the Government to put technology at the heart of learning to improve education and training in the UK.

ALP will be hosting a Provider of the Future LIG Funding event, 17th June 08 at The International Conference Centre, Birmingham, to highlight LIG 4, inform interested parties of the new criteria and process of application and to raise awareness of other funding and services available for the sector. The event is free to attend but numbers are limited and only available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you would like to find out more or to make a booking please visit www.national-training.com/lig4event

association of learning providers

Electrical Apprentices using Quizdom in their learning programme.

www.elearningproviders.org

Revamped look for ALP’s e-learning websiteALP has just launched it’s newly designed e-learning website. The site will continue to offer information and updates on the Learning Innovation Grant (LIG) programme; links to support services; case study and exemplar materials and resources. New functions include an RSS link, improved search facilities and links to the Excellence Gateway. Visit www.elearningproviders.org

May 2008

A Cool £4m For Learning Innovation Grant Phase 4

For further details regarding LIG 4 please visit

www.elearningproviders.org For enquiries email:

enquiries@learningproviders.org

e

Providersof the Future

Using technology and elearning to support Apprenticeships and Train

to Gain programmes

Spring 2008

www.elearningproviders.org

CEL elearning leadership in action

The E-Guide training programme goes from strength to strength.

The E-Guides training programme, delivered by NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education), trains staff in hands-on skills for integrating technology into teaching and learning.

During 2007-8 ALP worked in partnership with NIACE in support of the work-based learning E-Guides programme. Over 100 providers benefited from a £2k grant, funded by the LSC, to help support the implementation of elearning and technology within the FE and Skills sector.

On February 26th 2008 the 2000th E-Guide completed their training at an event in London. Markos Tiris, Programme Director of QIA’s National Teaching and Learning Programme (NTLCP), who attended this event to present the E-Guides with their certificates said: “The E-Guides programme continues to go from strength to strength and has been highly successful in helping practitioners embed the use of technology in teaching and learning. We are delighted that it is now being offered as part of the NTLCP.” Over 15,000 staff have been reached by the E-Guides programme.

NIACE are accepting registrations of interest for these events please email:

e-guides@niace.org.uk and provide your name, organisation, contact address, telephone number, and your preferred location.

Further information about the E-Guides training programme including case studies and reports visit www.niace.org.uk/eguides

Web 2.0 or “Web 2”Web 2.0 or “Web 2” describes a new

generation of websites. The term itself implies that the early internet should be thought of as “Web 1.0” - a first edition, or first version. It is argued that this initial version of the web

was primarily for static information: material to be downloaded or

delivered to the internet user. Web 2.0 is different, it is a more participatory, dynamic and social place. It is more

about uploading, especially uploading for communication and collaboration.

Social NetworkingA social network service,

such as Facebook or MySpace focuses on building

online social networks for communities of people who

share interests and activities, or who are interested in

exploring the interests and activities of others.

It has been 3 years since the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) began developing its suite of leadership programmes for the work-based learning sector. The cornerstone

of these programmes has been ConnecT. Its purpose: to help leaders from the WBL sector to develop their own ILT strategies.

During 2007-8 ALP worked in partnership with CEL in support of the ConnecT programme where over 100 providers benefited from a £2k grant, funded by the Learning and Skills Council, to help support the implementation of elearning and technology within the FE and Skills sector. Chris Swingler, ALP’s National Projects Development Manager, reported ‘The ConnecT programme was fantastic in its support of WBL providers undertaking LIG projects. ConnecT helped to underpin the strategic planning to successfully implement effective elearning within the business’.

To help participants complete their ILT strategies, CEL provides interactive digital tools and, perhaps more

significantly, a bespoke follow-up service, recognising that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution in the WBL sector. This could be any combination of a personal visit, telephone and/or email support until completion.

One provider commented “Without the individual follow up support that CEL provided, we would have struggled to develop the strategy and implement this, due to the complexities within our organisation’.

CEL has also developed the WBL online toolkit to encourage the use of e-learning and technology and to assist leaders to use technology effectively to enhance and support their business operations. So far over 600 WBL leaders have subscribed to the toolkit and CEL is offering providers a free to attend phase 2 launch workshops which will be held in April, May and June this year.

If you would like more information or to book a free place on the ConnecT workshops or a free demo of the WBL toolkit please visit the CEL website www.centreforexcellence.org.uk or you can email at toolkit@centreforexcellence.org.uk

Centre forExcellencein Leadership

www.elearningproviders.org

Next Generation LearningIn January Becta, the government’s education technology agency, launched the ‘Next Generation Learning’ campaign to promote the benefits technology can bring to learning and training.

Evidence shows that when providers use technology effectively, the benefits are inspiring – improved results and retention rates, greater participation by learners and increased effectiveness by trainers.

A number of providers already use technology well across all aspects of teaching and learning, from literacy and numeracy to advanced simulations of new working environments. About a fifth of work-based providers consider that they have embedded technology, a figure which compares well with schools and colleges. In one survey, where the use of technology improved, there was a corresponding rise

in student satisfaction from 55 per cent to an enviable 99 per cent. But technology doesn’t just bring benefits to learners. When used effectively technology can drive real efficiency gains for providers. Becta’s ‘technology premium’ reveals, for example, that at least 1,880 hours per year could be saved in a single college simply by using technology effectively to record and analyse student achievement. Just think what the impact this could have across the FE and skills sector.In an increasingly competitive global market for skills and talent, we need to ensure that today’s learners are equipped with the technology skills that they need to reach their full potential.

For further information visit www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk

Learning Innovation Grants – the ongoing success……… LIG Phase 1 & 2 has enabled over 200+ providers to engage in projects in a wide range of occupational & geographical areas to successfully support the application of technology and the ongoing process of embedding ICT & e-learning within the WBL/skills sector.

Simon Hurd, ALPs LIG Contract Manager said ‘The funding made available for LIG Phase 1 & 2 by the LSC has proved the catalyst for many providers in adopting and embedding the use of technology and e-learning., which is leading to

the continued development of greater capacity and capability in

using technology in the sector’.

Feedback from providers across the whole

sector has shown a real appetite by the work-based

learning community to

adopt technology and explore new ways of applying ICT to improve the quality and volume of their delivery to support the learning experience.

ALP is delighted the LSC has recognised the success of LIG Phases 1 and 2 by providing further funding for LIG Phase 3 to the value of £2.8 million.

The continued funding will enable many providers in the sector to make progress along their e-maturity journey and will support the key objectives highlighted in the delivery of the Government’s Harnessing Technology e-learning strategy.

The JISC Regional Support Centres (RSCs), funded by the Learning and Skills Council, have been working closely with ALP to establish a co-ordinated e-learning support programme for the work-based Learning sector. Providers and consortia that have been successful in receiving a Learning Innovation Grant (LIG) are offered on-going support by the RSC Work Based E-Learning advisors to progress their projects and ILT strategic development. Many providers have taken up this offer and are now benefiting from the RSC support. Bid writing workshops have been running in various regions, with further workshops planned, which although not specific to the Learning Innovation Grants, have helped providers in preparing their bids.

JISC Regional Support Centres

The LIG Phase 2 project has been extremely beneficial to us as it has allowed us to make significant improvements to our systems and also acted as a catalyst for making radical changes to our training and assessment processes. LiG 2 Provider

The LIG Phase 2 funding has been fundamental in further developing the e-learning capabilities of us as a provider. We are now much more equipped to meet the needs of our learners through the innovation adopted as a result of the LIG funding. LIG 2 Provider

The JISC RSCs role is to ensure that the opportunities created by the development of new learning technologies can be realised with Work Based e-Learning advisors, based in the nine regional offices, they have been working with providers to identify their Information Learning Technology (ILT) support requirements and then meeting these requirements through visits, events, forums, the RSCs’ websites and the newly launched Innovate resource site, www.rscwbl.jiscinvolve.org.

You can find out more about how your Regional Support Centre can support the Learning Innovation Grant programme by visiting www.jisc.ac.uk/RSC

association of learning providers

Association of Learning Providers, Colenso House, 46 Bath Hill, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1HG

www.learningproviders.org.uk

www.elearningproviders.org

The Excellence Gateway programmeALP is very pleased to be working in partnership with the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) to deliver a programme of work to raise the level of provider engagement with the Excellence Gateway. The Gateway aims to create a single point of access for providers to access a wide-range of high quality products to support the improvement of learning and leadership.

Chris Swingler, ALP’s National Projects Development Manager, said ‘We are working with NIACE to raise awareness of the Gateway and to develop online communities of practice specifically aimed at supporting the work-based learning sector.

The communities of practice will enable providers to interact with other providers to offer peer to peer support, networking and identifying and sharing good practice’.

Over the coming year the aim is to provide 12 themed forums, which will enable providers to virtually communicate with other providers on current topical issues.

For more information visit www.excellence.qia.org.uk

Becta has published its three-year implementation plan for technology in further education, skills and regeneration.

The plan was launched at the AOC NILTA Technology Conference in April by the Lifelong Learning Minister, Bill Rammell, he said: “Since 1999 we have invested some £300 million in technology in further education and skills. But this figure has been quadrupled by providers’ own investment. That means colleges and providers are well on the way. Becta’s strategy will help them complete the journey.”

The Minister announced that the government was to give Becta an extra £4.25m between 2008 and 2011 to support the plan.

The plan focuses on what really matters to learners and the people who work in the sector. It addresses learner needs, content and resources, digital infrastructure, workforce development and much more.

Chris Swingler of ALP said: “As an organisation we welcome the opportunity to work with Becta, and we sign up to the central thrust of their overarching themes, which chimes well with the work we are already undertaking to build effective technology capacity and capability within the sector.

Providers are already making real progress - for example, 22% of work-based learning providers have embedded technology and 60% describe themselves as ‘developing’. But there is more work to do.

Becta Receives Extra Funding

Visit www.elearningproviders.org e

Providersof the Future

Using technology and elearning to support Apprenticeships and Train

to Gain programmes

Technology Exemplar Network

Jointly led by Becta and the Learning and Skills Council, the Technology Exemplar Network is a new approach to support

learning providers in further developing their e-maturity, via peer support and sharing of effective practice with other

providers across the country.

To find out more about the Technology Exemplar Network and who the ten

exemplar supporting providers are visit the Becta website

www.feandskills.becta.org.uk

supported by

Leading learning and skills