Adult and other education services

Tender description

This notice is intended to indicate that Wigan Council shall be seeking provider partners to support the delivery of educational, skills and apprenticeship training programmes in Wigan for the period August 2016 to July 2017 in the following areas: Personal and Community Development Learning (PCDL), Family English, Maths and Language (FEML), Wider Family Learning (WFL), Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC); and Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Adult Skills Budget Funding. In allocating funding Wigan Council's key principles are to target young people and adults currently not accessing learning, who are unemployed and/or have a low skill base, and who live in one of the more deprived wards in the borough. The contracts relating to this provision will be awarded without further publication and interested economic operators are invited to express their interest via The Chest website at https://www.the-chest.org.uk where the documents may be downloaded for completion. Personal and Community Development Learning (PCDL) is learning for personal and community development, cultural enrichment, intellectual or creative stimulation and for enjoyment. In most cases there would be no formal qualification outcome attached to such learning. Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC) is designed to support local organisations in the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) and other third-sector organisations to develop their capacity to deliver learning opportunities for the residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It makes a contribution to neighbourhood renewal through community-based (often non-formal) learning. Family English, Maths and Language (FEML) is provision designed for mothers and fathers with Basic Skills needs and describes programmes for families where English is not the primary language at home. These programmes aim to improve the English, Maths and language skills of mothers and fathers and their ability to help their children; improve children's acquisition of English, Maths and language skills; and, provide information and communication technology (ICT) courses. Wider Family Learning (WFL) provision is designed to support different generations of family members to learn together. It has the aims of developing the skills and knowledge of both the mother and/or father and child participants; enabling mothers and/or fathers to be more active in the support of their children's learning and development and to understand the impact of that support. An Apprenticeship Framework is a programme of learning aims as defined by Specification for Apprenticeships Standards in England (SASE), approved by the relevant issuing Authority. Apprenticeships are designed for people of any age starting work or starting a new job role. The apprentice must be working towards a recognised Issued Framework that relates to and meets the needs of their specific job role (or occupation). This is the basis on which government funding is allocated. Government policy is to prioritise Apprenticeships for those aged 16-24 years of age. Traineeships programmes help unemployed young people to develop the necessary skills and experience to progress to an apprenticeship or sustainable work. The Adult Skills Budget supports the delivery of flexible and responsive provision to learners and employers. The Adult Skills Budget supports 19+ apprenticeships and 19-24 traineeships.