Completed Projects

THE DEVELOPMENT OF BASIC SKILLS SUPPORT IN FURTHER EDUCATION COLLEGES

The project researched the development of basic skills support in further education (FE) colleges in England and Wales. The research was commissioned by the Basic Skills Agency (formerly ALBSU) and conducted by the University of Central England (UCE) and Bilston Community College (BCC). The research was conducted between May 1994 and October 1995.

The Basic Skills Agency commissioned the research in response to studies showing that the levels of non-completion and of failure in FE were unacceptably high (e.g. Audit Commission, 1993). Previous research conducted for the Basic Skills Agency showed that a significant number of FE students needed support in communication or numeracy skills. The screening for basic skills need of over 10,000 students from 12 colleges suggested that many students did not have the requisite level of these skills to enable them to achieve qualifications. For example, the Basic Skills Agency believes that students functioning at Stage 1 (Basic Skills Agency Standard) in communication skills are likely to need basic skills support to achieve Level 2 NVQs. Results showed that 42% of students screened were at this level or lower. Some vocational areas had even higher proportions at this level, such as land-based industries (46.4%), beauty/hairdressing (57.9%) and catering (56.6%).

Taking the Basic Skills Agency's definition of basic skills support, the research team looked at how effective the whole process was in enabling students to 'progress and achieve a successful outcome on a vocational or academic course'. This involved looking at identification of need, through delivery to progress review and monitoring of students. Finally, the study drew conclusions about the factors involved in basic skills support and the experiences of the players involved - management, teaching staff and students.

The research showed that many colleges were not collecting data relating to students needing basic skills support and that management information systems were not widely used. Particular areas where colleges could not provide data concerned the number of students who:

were identified as needing basic skills support
were receiving basic skills support
were identified as needing basic skills support and not receiving it
had completed their courses and needed basic skills support
had achieved qualifications and needed basic skills support

Colleges with a structural model of basic skills support based on a central resource unit or an extension of primary provision were more likely to provide the data than those with a 'mixed' model of some support provided by a central resource unit and some by individual departments or schools.

A wider picture emerged of most colleges screening all full-time but very few part-time students to identify basic skills support need. Almost a third of students screened were found to need basic skills support and of those identified almost 60% received basic skills support. Basic skills support was provided by a mixture of basic skills specialists and vocational/academic tutors with just over half the colleges employing basic skills specialists. Students identified as needing basic skills support were more likely to stay at college, complete their courses and achieve qualifications if they achieved basic skills support than if they did not.

Publications

Elkin, J,Nankivell, C, Flatten, K, Frankel, A. The Development of Basic Skills Support in Further Education Colleges. Final Report. Birmingham: University of Central England, 1996.

Nankivell, C. Building the Framework. Basic Skills Agency, 1996. ISBN 185990 0518.

Project Team at UCE
Professor Judith Elkin
Clare Nankivell
Dr. Kay Flatten
Niall Mackenzie