Carnegie tutor among first in Scotland to gain new qualification

In June four employees became the first in Scotland to complete a brand new qualification promoting literacy and numeracy in the workplace, one of whom is Carnegie College tutor Jayne Gray, based at Dunfermline Access Centre. Jayne initially took part in a pilot programme following recommendations in the Adult Literacies and Numeracies in Scotland (ALNIS) ‘Refresh’ report of 2007. * Certificates were presented to the achievers by Keith Brown, Minister for Schools and Skills at a ceremony in the Scottish Parliament. He said “Widening participation in learning is at the heart of this Government’s commitment to reduce poverty and create a fairer Scotland. “Literacy and numeracy skills underpin many of the tasks we need to carry out in our workplaces, whether it’s about completing forms and reports, understanding health and safety notices, or calculating accounts.” The new qualification Professional Development Award: Developing Literacies Learning Programmes for the Workplace aims to equip organisations with the skills they need to engage with local employers, raise managers’ awareness of the importance of literacy and numeracy in work tasks, and to plan and deliver programmes of learning that will benefit everyone, both employers and employees. Keith Brown concluded “Many employers in Scotland work with learning providers to offer skills development opportunities to their employees. However, many more employers do not recognise the importance of supporting their workers to develop these skills and the benefits it can bring to their business. “That is why this new qualification is so important. We all most do everything that we can to promote learning in the workplace. Giving people an opportunity to move forward with their lives through developing literacy and numeracy skills will improve the life chances of Scotland’s citizens, which in turn will contribute contribute to increased sustainable economic growth and recovery from the current downturn.” Notes * A report on Adult Literacies and Numeracies in Scotland (ALNIS) in 2001 made 21 recommendations to enhance the quality and quality of literacies provision and the ‘Refresh’ report evidenced progress on issues, one of which was the infrastructure of literacies teaching and learning, which, the report concluded, ‘has been greatly supported by .. professional training and new workforce qualifications. It recommended that the way forward was to encourage public sector organisations such as colleges, local authorities and voluntary organisations to take the lead in addressing the adult literacy and numeracy needs of employers. The follow-up ALNIS ‘Refresh’ report in 2007 encouraged accredited training and professional development at various levels. Scotland Government Published: 24 June 2009