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Award for adult literacies tutor assistants
26/06/2003
A new national training award for adult literacy and numeracy trainers - approved by the Scottish Qualifications Authority - has just been launched in Scotland.
The new awards are for tutor assistants - trained volunteers who help teach literacy skills. Communities Scotland, the Scottish Executive's housing and regeneration agency award them.
At the first of a series of awareness-raising seminars across the country this month, Lillias Noble, Head of Learning Connections at Communities Scotland, announced the Scottish Qualifications Authority Professional Development Award (PDA) "Introduction to Adult Literacies Learning".
Supporting the initiative, Deputy First Minister and Minister for Lifelong Learning Jim Wallace said:
"Improving literacy and numeracy helps people lead fulfilling lives, and also contribute to their community, society and the economy.
"The Executive is investing £40 million, through Community Learning Strategy Partnerships over the next three years, to help 150,000 adults improve their literacy and numeracy skills.
"This new award will be a valuable tool in improving adult literacy and numeracy levels, helping people to get the most out of life."
Lillias Noble told representatives from the community learning and development sector, Further Education, training providers and the voluntary sector, how the award would provide a professional qualification for adult literacies tutor assistants.
She said, "I am delighted to announce this first stage of a national training framework of qualifications in Adult Literacies. This is only one of a range of initiatives which will bring tremendous benefits through learning to people in our communities who might have previously lacked access to these educational opportunities.
"Learning Connections is part of the Scottish Executive agency, Communities Scotland, and as such we work with others to help regenerate Scotland's disadvantaged communities.
"It is the people themselves within these communities who are helping create much broader opportunities in education. We're there to help in that process. And I see the accreditation of this award by the Scottish Qualifications Authority as a great boost to literacies work across the country."
The award was developed by Communities Scotland National Training Project for Adult Literacies (now Learning Connections). It has three units:
- Adult Literacies Learning in Scotland
- Working with Adult Literacies Learners
- Learning and Teaching in Adult Literacies
People who become qualified as tutor assistants will be able, with supervision from experienced Adult Literacies tutors, to teach individuals and groups in their own communities.
Learning Connections has produced a training pack, which supports the award and provides guidelines on how the training course for tutor assistants could be delivered.
Ms Noble concluded: "There are many case studies which link poor literacy to health problems, fewer job opportunities, low self esteem, understanding legal rights etc. A qualification like this gives a huge boost to the work we are trying to do to change this picture."
The publication "SQA Professional Development Award: Introduction to Adult Literacies Learning" is available from Learning Connections at www.lc.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/regeneration. Tel: 0131 313 0044.
Learning Connections is the division of Communities Scotland responsible for supporting the work of Adult Literacies and Community Learning and Development across Scotland.
The seminar at which Lillias Noble was the chair took place in Glasgow on Friday 20 June. It is one of a series of three seminars across the country aimed at promoting and raising awareness of this new qualification.