Education and training services

Tender description

The council has an adult education vision: Where learning is for life and opportunities are for all. This is supported by a mission to: Promote, provide and support high quality learning experiences for the benefit of individuals and communities. The Adult Education Budget (AEB) from the Education and Skills Funding Agency provides the council with an ability to provide investment into upskilling adults to support re-engagement into the labour market, increasing skills levels amongst working adults, maintaining community learning amongst older citizens and strengthening communities. Applications are now sought from training providers who will need to be listed on the UK Register of Learning Providers and who will be able to deliver this fund in accordance with ESFA rules and guidelines. 2.1. These services are for the sub contracted delivery of the contract between Plymouth City Council and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, specifically Adult Skills Budget and Community Learning. 2.2. Provision under this specification should be designed to promote and engage adults in systematic and sustained learning to improve their own lives, their families and the quality of life in the communities where they live through developing and enhancing: — Information, Advice and Guidance — Personal development; and Employability opportunities Services should be designed to deliver the following ambitions: — Widen participation in learning by helping adults to overcome barriers that prevent them from successfully engaging or progressing in learning. — Provide high quality training and support for employers / employees that support key sectors and vulnerable groups in the city — Ensure learning opportunities are flexible and responsive to needs so that they can participate, achieve and progress to further learning or employment options. — Ensure that learning opportunities and support packages are high quality and fit against local regional and national priorities. — Utilise and develop community and voluntary sector networks, such as community hubs. — Provide a range of access routes for learners including on-line, employer-based and community based provision. — Offer provision to attract participation from disadvantaged or minority groups, such as adults with learning disabilities, ethnic minorities, ex-offenders, adults over 50, ex-servicemen. — Integrate provision with the existing adult learning and careers advice offer (e.g. National Careers Service (NCS) delivered by alternative providers to support referral and progression routes. 3. Service description. 3.1.1 Key activity — The service will: — Plan and deliver a programme of adult learning courses and activities using the relevant funding streams and abiding by the Education and Skills Funding Agency guidance documentation. — Provide an independent Information, Advice and Guidance service, integrated with NCS offer, for adults seeking to engage in learning opportunities — Produce a balanced curriculum in response to need and incorporating an e-learning strategy, in which there are clear opportunities to develop Functional Skills (literacy, numeracy, and information technology,) foundation learning programmes; and to access a range of appropriate vocational, academic and self-development opportunities. — Ensure the qualification awarding body procedures are followed. — Provide and manage high quality learner and learning support resources in support of this programme. — Develop a fees policy with concessionary rates to support disadvantaged groups’ access courses. — Provide and administer the collection and accounting of monies in accordance with the Plymouth City Council agreed Regulations and Procedures. — Ensure a robust plan is in place for ensuring the quality of provision in line with Ofsted requirements. — Provide accurate information to Plymouth City Council in respect of delivery dates, times, venues and staff for the purposes of Observation of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and other quality improvement initiatives. — Promote equality and diversity within the adult education community. — Ensure the health, safety and well-being of learners including the production of individual risk assessments for learners undertaking work placement as part of their learning. — Investigate / research / implement innovative ways to meet local needs, using local, regional and/or national analysis, plans and strategies that relates to skills and employment activity and support curriculum and community development. 2.1. These services are for the delivery of a contract between Plymouth City Council and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, specifically Adult Skills Budget and Community Learning. Provision or activities under this specification should: — Be targeted at adults who have barriers to: —— Engagement in adult education; or improving skills to develop employability. — Focus on adults from disadvantaged groups, such as: —— Refugees and displaced people, —— Homeless people, —— Substance dependents, —— Speakers with different native languages, —— Carers, —— Victims of abuse, —— Adults from deprived communities, —— Adults with learning difficulties, —— Adults with mental health related issues, —— Ex-offenders, —— Service and Ex-service Families, —— Adults either unemployed, or in low skilled / paid employment. Services should be designed to deliver the following ambitions: — Widen participation in learning by helping adults to overcome barriers that prevent them from successfully engaging or progressing in learning. — Provide high quality training and support for employers / employees that support key sectors and vulnerable groups in the city. — Ensure learning opportunities are flexible and responsive to needs so that they can participate, achieve and progress to further learning or employment options. — Ensure that learning opportunities and support packages are high quality and fit against local regional and national priorities. — Utilise and develop community and voluntary sector networks, such as community hubs. — Provide a range of access routes for learners including on-line, employer-based and community based provision. — Integrate provision with the existing adult learning and careers advice offer (eg National Careers Service) delivered by alternative providers to support referral and progression routes. 3. Service description. 3.1.1 Key activity. The service will: — Plan and deliver a programme of adult learning courses and activities targeted at vulnerable learner groups using the relevant funding streams and abiding by the Education and Skills Funding Agency guidance documentation. — Provide an independent Information, Advice and Guidance service, integrated with the National Careers Service offer, for adults seeking to engage in learning opportunities. — Produce a curriculum in response to the needs of a range of vulnerable learner groups, in which there are clear opportunities to develop Functional Skills (literacy, numeracy, and information technology) foundation learning programmes; and to access a range of appropriate vocational, academic and self-development opportunities. — Ensure the qualification awarding body procedures are followed. — Provide and manage high quality learner and learning support resources in support of this programme. — Develop a fees policy with concessionary rates to support disadvantaged groups’ access courses. — Provide and administer the collection and accounting of monies in accordance with the Plymouth City Council agreed Regulations and Procedures. — Ensure a robust plan is in place for ensuring the quality of provision in line with Ofsted requirements — Provide accurate information to Plymouth City Council in respect of delivery dates, times, venues and staff for the purposes of Observation of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and other quality improvement initiatives. — Promote equality and diversity within the adult education community. — Ensure the health, safety and well-being of learners including the production of individual risk assessments for learners undertaking work placement as part of their learning. — Investigate / research / implement innovative ways to meet local needs, using local, regional and/or national analysis, plans and strategies that relates to skills and employment activity and support curriculum and community development. 2.1. These services are for the delivery of a contract between Plymouth City Council and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, specifically Adult Skills Budget and Community Learning. 2.2. Provision or activities under this specification should: Deliver opportunities for adult learners in or out of work that develop skills and attitudes that improve employability and enhance career progression. Services should be designed to deliver the following ambitions: — Widen participation in learning by helping adults to overcome barriers that prevent them from successfully engaging or progressing in learning, — Enhance employability skills and support unemployed residents with targeted support to enable them to improve career prospects, secure employment / apprenticeships or progress into further vocational learning, — Move individuals, particularly those in low skilled or low waged employment towards higher paid, higher skilled and more secure employment, — Develop transferable work skills, eg literacy and numeracy / skills to support access work or learning. — Provide high quality training and support for employers / employees that support key sectors eg, — Health and Social Care, — Manufacturing / Marine, — Business Admin, — Construction and Built Environment, — Hospitality and visitor economy, — Offer provision at the following levels: —— Introductory, —— Entry Level / Level 1, —— Upskilling within current employment settings, including L1 / L2 and gaining skills and knowledge required for roles demanding L2 qualifications. — Ensure learning opportunities are flexible and responsive to needs so that they can participate, achieve and progress to further learning or employment options. — Ensure that learning opportunities and support packages are high quality and fit against local regional and national priorities. — Provide a range of access routes for learners including, employer-based provision and on-line learning delivered at a learning centre, employer premises or other location (eg at home). — Offer provision to attract participation from disadvantaged or minority groups, such as adults with learning disabilities, ethnic minorities, ex-offenders, adults over 50, ex-servicemen, — Integrate provision with the existing adult learning and careers advice offer (eg National Careers Service (NCS)) delivered by alternative providers to support referral and progression routes 3. Service description. 3.1.1 Key activity The service will: — Plan and deliver a programme of adult learning courses and activities using the relevant funding streams and abiding by the Education and Skills Funding Agency guidance documentation. — Provide an independent Information, Advice and Guidance service, integrated with NCS offer, for adults seeking to engage in learning opportunities — Produce a balanced curriculum in response to need and incorporating an e-learning strategy, in which there are clear opportunities to develop Functional Skills (literacy, numeracy, and information technology,) foundation learning programmes; and to access a range of appropriate vocational, academic and self-development opportunities. — Ensure the qualification awarding body procedures are followed. — Provide and manage high quality learner and learning support resources in support of this programme. — Develop a fees policy with concessionary rates to support disadvantaged groups’ access courses. — Provide and administer the collection and accounting of monies in accordance with the Plymouth City Council agreed Regulations and Procedures. — Ensure a robust plan is in place for ensuring the quality of provision in line with Ofsted requirements — Provide accurate information to Plymouth City Council in respect of delivery dates, times, venues and staff for the purposes of Observation of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and other quality improvement initiatives. — Promote equality and diversity within the adult education community.