Profile of learners

In this section, the development of a profile of learners is addressed. Analysing the needs of current and potential learners throughout your college is critically important. There will be whole groups of learners on vocational and other programmes who have skills gaps that will need addressing through Skills for Life support. The more information you have, the more accurately you will be able to build a profile and meet the needs of your learners.

For a whole organisation approach to Skills for Life, consistent systems for screening and initial assessment need to be in place so that reliable data is available. Analysis of that data will inform the development of an appropriate and focused learner profile and subsequent provision.

Profile of learners - things to consider

New versions of standard, workplace and contextualised Skills Check (formerly ‘screening') and Initial Assessment tools are available from the Tools Library website - Guidance documents. Guidance documents to support providers to use the tools effectively are also available from the Tools Library website.

A key issue for pathfinder colleges was embedding within the broader vocational curriculum. These case studies describe how some colleges approached embedding.

• Newcastle College case study (PDF).
• Stoke on Trent College Painting and Decorating case study (PDF)
.
• City of Bristol College embedding case study (PDF).

The following research documents contain information about literacy, language, numeracy and ICT needs of specific target groups.

• Skills for Life: The national strategy for improving adult literacy and skills (PDF).
• Breaking the language barriers (PDF).
• Freedom to learn: Basic skills for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (PDF).
• Niace: ICT Skill for Life.
• The ICT as a skill for life community website.