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CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND
Introduction
1.1 Lifelong learning is an essential element in ensuring the increasing success of Scotland and enhancing the well-being of, and opportunities available, to its inhabitants. Since the introduction of the Scottish Parliament, the profile of lifelong learning has continued to rise due to a number of factors.
1.2 First, lifelong learning has been given a national profile through the efforts of the Scottish Executive and a number of organisations to ensure the current needs for lifelong learning are given the priority they deserve. Whereas the theme of "lifelong learning" was relatively unknown 15 or 20 years ago, it is now a commonly understood term. In particular, specific events such as the creation of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department ( ELLD1) which moved lifelong learning from its marriage with school and pre-school education provision to a new department, aligned with enterprise and economic development. This action itself gave higher prominence to lifelong learning within the Scottish Executive, with it being seen as vital to the levels of employment, economic performance and social inclusion 2. Indeed, the Scottish Executive's first lifelong learning strategy 'Opportunity Scotland', laid out its vision for the development of this important sector. All such political actions have raised the profile of the issue and helped to provide a means whereby people can access the learning opportunities that they need to develop in the ways they see fit.
1.3 Second, there is the recognition that the labour market is changing substantially. The drive for increased flexibility has meant that the concept of a "job for life" is increasingly perceived as antiquated. Employment experts now speak of "flexi-workers", with the changing shifts in economic needs necessitating a more flexible workforce. The competitive nature of the global economy means that Scotland needs to be able to compete with other countries and adapt quickly to any skills shortages.
1.4 Third, the potential to access lifelong learning has increased rapidly, in line with technological advances. Not only do improved transport links make accessing traditional college-based courses more straightforward, but courses can be held over the Internet as well as by post. This has provided the potential for increased usage, particularly among individuals in rural areas or without private transport.
1.5 Fourth, a key demographic change is the growing post-retirement population, widely reported in relevant literature and the media. As this continues, employers will increasingly need a workforce which includes individuals of all ages and with the skills for the 21 st century 3.
1.6 Underpinning all this is the general acceptance that individuals want to continue developing their own skills and enhancing their abilities out of their own natural interest. Clearly this is nothing that is new - individuals have always wanted to better themselves and learn. Perhaps, however, it can be hypothesised that the extent of individual's stated interests is broader now than at any stage previously and is not so linked to traditional school subjects.
Scotland's Lifelong Learning Strategy
1.7 In February 2003, the Scottish Executive published 'Life through Learning: Learning through Life', its five year strategy for lifelong learning. It built on its predecessor 'Opportunity Scotland' and clearly sets out a vision for lifelong learning in Scotland specifically to provide…
"The best possible match between the learning opportunities open to people and the skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours which will strengthen Scotland's economy and society". 4
1.8 It clearly establishes the Scottish Executive's commitment to the need for investment in lifelong learning, linking it to direct economic returns to individuals and therefore to society at large and the achievement of other social goals such as civic participation, sustainable development, improved health and wellbeing, reduced crime and greater social cohesion in general.
"Lifelong learning has an important and distinctive contribution to the make people's wellbeing, to a more inclusive society and to a vibrant and sustainable economy"' 5
1.9 It refers to a vision of a system where there are:
- No gaps or unjustifiable differences in the provision of funding for learners;
- Clear, accurate and relevant information and guidance on the funding available to individuals and businesses for learning, delivered through joined-up information services 6.
1.10 As part of its 5 year strategy, it makes a commitment to undertake a review of the funding provision for learners, with the main aim being to consider the scope and practicalities of existing entitlements to funding for learners.
The Funding for Learners Review
1.11 The 2004 Review of Funding for Learners identified a number of key gaps and anomalies in the provision of funding to post-16 individual learners. One of these was the lack of clear information, advice and guidance ( IAG), identified as a failing of the current system of learner support. It stated specifically that,
"The provision of IAG on learner support is fragmented, there are gaps in provision as well as duplicate and inconsistent information, and the key stakeholder interactions are unstructured." 7
1.12 The opportunity to improve the nature of IAG and the efficiency of its communication and dissemination to learners and potential learners was recommended as a key action 8.
At the time of the publication of the Review of Funding for Learners, the IAG Delivery Group had already been established to take forward improvements necessary in IAG provision to learners, potential learners, learning institutions and intermediaries. The IAG Project Team was established from the Delivery Group and the project had two principal objectives in that the information, advice and guidance should be:
- Clear, straightforward, accessible and user-friendly from the perspective of learners and/or potential learners;
- Delivered efficiently, effectively and coherently by delivery partners, intermediaries and IAG practitioners.
1.13 In 2005, a number of key actions were undertaken by the IAG Project to improve IAG on funding for learners. These were:
- Improved IAG services, including setting up a national service through the Scottish University for Industry (SUfI) to provide funding information to existing and potential learners and intermediary organisations; and providing funding for the proposed Child Poverty Action Group ( CPAG) Students and Benefits Information and Advice service;
- Revised publications including an Overview of Learner Funding plus additional publications for the coming academic year (including publications for specific groups such as disabled students, part-time students and for practitioners giving advice to Asylum Seekers, Refugees, Migrant Workers and EU nationals);
- Wider dissemination of existing material including provision of funding for the CPAG Handbook 'Benefits for Students in Scotland' and its dissemination on-line and by CD- ROM, and the further development of the funding for learners website.
1.14 In 2005, some initial research was commissioned by the Scottish Executive to identify whether any specific medium of IAG was preferred. The scope of this study included the evaluation of three forms of IAG - funding for learners leaflets; the funding for learners website; and the CPAG Students and Benefits Information and Advice service - and the perceptions of these among intermediary groups only. Although the qualitative results from this research provided some insights into the perceptions of this audience, there was a poor response to the quantitative component of the research. Information gaps therefore still existed in terms of robust quantitative data on the views of intermediary groups as well as the views of two other important groups which IAG relates to i.e. learners and potential learners.
1.15 In September 2006, The Scottish Executive commissioned George Street Research to conduct a further stage of research in order to evaluate the effectiveness of recent changes introduced to improve the quality and consistency of IAG on funding for learners. It was intended that the research would focus on the effectiveness of the three actions which were recommended as a result of the Funding for Learners Review:
- The CPAG Students and Benefits Information and Advice service for front-line advisors;
- The set of Funding for Learners publications which includes an overview and specific publications for disabled students, part-time students, student parents and asylum seekers;
- The funding for learners website.
Aims and Objectives of the Study
1.16 There were two key objectives to this study, namely:
- To explore the perceptions of intermediary groups to examine their views on the quality and consistency of information, advice and guidance for learners on funding;
- To explore the perceptions of learners and potential learners to examine their views on the provision, access to and quality/ consistency of information, advice and guidance on funding.
1.17 The following chapter examines the approach adopted for this research and chapters 3 to 11 examine the findings emerging.
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