Entry to our fully funded, free training programmes are subject to learners meeting specific eligibility criteria. Learners are then taken through seven different stages to identify the needs and barriers and draw an ‘Action Plan’ to achieve personal goals and aspirations.

All individuals will be taken through the seven stages detailed below, before they attend the training:

1. IAG and Referral

Individuals are referred to an appropriate training programme following a one to one interview with an advisor who will provide more in-depth information, advice, and guidance, related service or learning provision.

2. Screening

We assess whether an individual has literacy, language or numeracy needs and then identify potential individuals who would benefit from more in-depth assessment. Screening usually takes around 10 minutes.

3. Basic Skills Initial Assessment

We identify individuals’ skills against a level or levels within National Standards. This information is used to place them in appropriate learning programmes at the required level. It is usually followed by a detailed diagnostic assessment. Learners may have different levels of reading, writing, numeracy and language skills. The process may take around 30 minutes.

4. Diagnostic Assessment

This identifies an individual’s strengths and weaknesses and highlights skills gaps, needs and barriers to learning and employment. It helps provide a detailed profile against the standards and curriculum documents, and should also be used to inform and structure learners’ individual learning plans (see Stage 5) to use as a basis for their programmes of study. This process takes around 1 to 2 hours and is carried out over a period of time as part of a learner’s learning programme.

5. Individual Learning and Development Plan (ILP)

This is an outcome of the Initial and Diagnostic Assessments (stages 3 and 4). It sets out the learners’ plan to learn, the planned date of completion, ways in which the learning will be undertaken and the resources required to bring the plan into action.

ILPs are compiled, reviewed and developed by the tutor/employment advisor in consultation with the learner.

6. Formative Assessment

This is a central part of the learning process whereby the learner and tutor work together to review progress. It will take place during a learning programme on a regular basis. It helps learners and their teachers to identify progress in relation to the learning plan created in the previous stage (ILDP). The progress will be recorded and new learning goals identified.

7. Summative Assessment

This is an assessment of a learner to demonstrate achievement at the end of a specific period of learning. It provides feedback to the learner and tutor on achievements in relation to the standards, curriculum documents and/or readiness to employment. Summative Assessment may take the form of a record of achievement, a unit of qualification, a whole qualification or a test.