Scottish Government

• The Scottish Executive Health Department, through the Learning Together Strategy, is committed to supporting R2L activities and has so far allocated over 300,000 for the delivery of R2L in order to enable staff across NHSScotland (NHSS) to access places on the course

• The delivery of R2L in NHSS is co-ordinated by a partnership consisting of the WEA, UNISON and the Scottish Executive Health Department

• R2L is designed for workers who have few or no formal qualifications, who have had a poor experience of the education system, or who have been away from learning for a long time

• R2L is open to all staff working in NHSS, whether they be employed by NHSS or by a private contractor providing services to NHSS

"I was very apprehensive about study. It has been 20-odd years since I last sat in a class to work. R2L was an excellent stepping stone to alleviate any fear... The NHS should be encouraging people to do this kind of thing. It gave me the chance to go on to other studies to increase my knowledge, to aid my chances of promotion, and to remain in a job I have enjoyed but felt I was stagnating while doing, but now I see each day as a challenge ..."

• R2L is a communication and study skills course which helps students to develop the necessary skills and confidence to undertake further learning

• The course assists workers to participate in workplace learning programmes and to pursue their own personal development and learning goals

• The course offers Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) accreditation for the work carried out by students

• The course is delivered in the workplace and during working time. Students are expected to be given paid release to attend the course

• A recent survey was taken of R2L students who had completed the course. Students were sent a questionnaire, the results of which produced strong evidence that staff completing R2L went on to take part in a wide range of other learning

• More than four out of five had plans for future learning or training _ some of them very ambitious. The vast majority intended a form of certificated training

• Of those who had done further learning or training, nearly two-thirds reported that their first learning or training since finishing R2L had been some form of certificated training

• The majority had followed a course which related to their job or area of work in the health service