Education and training services

Tender description

Welcome to Kirklees: ESOL: Communicate and Connect is a response to the “Controlling Migration Fund: mitigating the impacts of immigration on local communities” funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Communicate and Connect will provide neighbourhood based outreach provision. The emphasis will be on local orientation and building language skills, knowledge and confidence to engage in the local community. Proposals were invited by the Council of the Borough of Kirklees (the “Council”) from shortlisted Capable Delivery Partners currently on Category 1 — Activity to Support Engagement and Progression of the Council’s Dynamic Purchasing System for the Provision of Education, Training, Employment and Lifelong Learning (REF: KMCIRS-064). Welcome to Kirklees: ESOL: Communicate and Connect is a response to the “Controlling Migration Fund: mitigating the impacts of immigration on local communities” funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Communicate and Connect provision will link in with other ESOL provision and Lot 4 of KMCCL — 046 supporting the Third Sector in Kirklees. Communicate and Connect will provide neighbourhood based outreach provision. The emphasis will be on local orientation and building language skills, knowledge and confidence to engage in the local community. Each session will provide the following as a minimum: — safe and welcoming environment for the community, — social space to support the creation of friendships, peer support and community cohesion, — opportunities to practice conversational English and reinforce and encourage learning from more formal ESOL provision, — practical help and support to help new arrivals settle in their communities, — opportunities to enjoy and experience cultural pluralism, — opportunities to develop positive social relations between long-term settled residents and new arrivals. Alongside the “social element” of Communicate and Connect, a series of Current Affairs workshops will be made available to attendees. These will be informal learning opportunities providing an insight into cultural, political and social events of importance and interest. Throughout the lifetime of the contract, as part of this contract delivery the successful Communicate and Connect provider will map and disseminate details of the availability of other support for migrants and ESOL provision. This will facilitate effective signposting ensuring that migrants know about and are encouraged to access the most relevant support available. Communicate and Connect should be open access for all residents, regardless of age, employment status or type of benefit being claimed. However, the main focus of activity is to help migrants (especially new arrivals) settle into their communities. The successful provider will be responsible for engagement of migrants and their communities. It is envisaged that the Communicate and Connect Clubs will become a vibrant space, and that attendance will grow through word of mouth and referrals from partner organisations.