vcs as provider of learning

The voluntary and community sector (VCS) provides a wide range of learning support to people and communities. Individuals and groups are encouraged back into learning that is based on their needs and interests.

The VCS delivers programmes of accredited learning and skills at all levels. The role of volunteers as well as professional and qualified staff is crucial to this success. These programmes range from basic skills through to levels 4 and 5.

The VCS offers a flexible framework through which people can access the kinds of learning they need at any particular time. One such example is the Community Development Work (CDW) learning and qualifications framework – from tasters to post graduate programmes; all learning is based on CDW national occupational standards.

What support does the VCS need to deliver more learning?

A key ongoing issue is accessing mainstream funding. Regionally and nationally we are working to enable the sector to engage succesfully in open competitive tendering processes.

In Yorkshire and the Humber early news from the LSC Commissioning Round still underway is that this region has been successful in winning contracts – more news will follow when available.

The Learning and Skills Council funded work to establish the VCS as a provider of quality learning. This resulted in the publication of the Agenda for Change paper which identifies the sector's position in relation to the changing Further Education system.

THIRD SECTOR PROVIDERS GO TO TOP OF THE CLASS!

For those who have been banging the drum about the quality of voluntary and community sector learning provision new and robust data for 2006/2007 from the LSC (released September 2008)confirms the case. Analysis of national data for both Third Sector and Other providers in relation to very short, short and long courses confirms that Third Sector providers are usually outperforming all other providers.

What are the figures?

For long courses the Third Sector success rate is 73% - a full 10% higher than Other providers at 63%!

For short courses the sector success rate is 85% - again a full 10% higher than Other providers.

And for very short courses the Third Sector success rate is up to 90% - just 2% short of the achievement rate for Other providers.

This is not all

Advocates of Third Sector learning provision have also made the point that the sector works more with those ‘hardest to reach’ where the engagement means dedicating greater resources in order to support those experiencing most disadvantage.

This LSC data showed clearly that a greater proportion of learners with Third Sector providers come from the 10% and 20% most deprived areas. Of the learners with Third Sector providers 19% are from the 10% most deprived areas and 36% if you take the 20% most deprived areas. This compares to 14% and 27% for Other providers.

This excellent news comes courtesy of the LSC and the work of the LSC VCS National Advisory Group. One of the first actions recommended by the Advisory Group was that better data collection in relation to the Third Sector was essential if the learning contribution of the sector was to be properly assessed and evaluated.


The Agenda for Change papers can be downloaded below: