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INTRODUCTION
'Skills
for Life' is the national strategy for improving
adult literacy and numeracy. The government has
invested £1.6 billion from April 2003 to March
2006 with the target of helping 1.5 million adults
improve their skills by 2007. The reason for this
investment is that it has been identified that 7
million adults in England cannot read and write
at the level we would expect of an 11-year old.
Even more adults have problems with numbers.
The
Skills for Life strategy includes new national standards
for adult literacy, numeracy and language learning,
new entry level qualifications and national tests.
WHO
IT AFFECTS
The
Skills for Life priority is to improve the skills
of those groups where literacy and numeracy needs
are greatest and where the most impact can be made,
particularly:
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Unemployed people and benefit claimants;
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Prisoners and those supervised in the community;
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Public sector employees;
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Low-skilled people in employment; and
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Other groups at risk of exclusion.
EMPLOYERS
As a business you need staff who can;
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Communicate effectively
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Follow instructions
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Understand signs and notices, particularly Health
& Safety information
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Record faults and analyse problems
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Perform calculations
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Take on additional responsibility yet still be
motivated and hold themselves in high esteem
The cost to industry with the shortfall in levels
of literacy and numeracy in the workforce is thought
to be as high as £4.8 billion nationally.
This equates to an £86,000 cost to an average
small business each year. Larger employers could
be losing up to £500,000 each year. Your
business could be paying the cost!
PROTECH's
ROLE & NATIONAL TESTS
Protech’s
role in the Skills for Life strategy is three-fold;
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To signpost individuals and employers to the most
suitable form of help.
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To arrange for individuals to sit the National
Tests at Level 1 or Level 2 in both Literacy and
Numeracy (each consists of a 1 hour multiple-choice
test) and, if successful gain Certification.
- Protech
has also been responsible for gaining funding
for a number of projects that are directly linked
with Skills for Life in the workplace. Ring us
directly on the number shown on the right so that
we can find the help you’re after.
USEFUL
LINKS
Click on the above link to be taken to a separate
page of useful links all related to Skills for Life
in the workplace and at home.
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