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An
initiative that aims to bring older workers back into learning will continue
to benefit from Executive funding.
The Executive’s Experience Counts initiative provides
tailored learning programmes for over 50s to raise confidence and allow
learners to acquire new skills.
 An
initiative that aims to bring older workers back into learning will continue
to benefit from Executive funding until 2008, Deputy Minister for Enterprise
and Lifelong Learning Allan Wilson announced today.
The Executive’s Experience Counts initiative provides tailored learning
programmes for over 50s to raise confidence and allow learners to acquire
new skills. Through the programme, Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) collaborate
with employers and learning institutions to provide ‘bite size’ or taster
courses dependent on employer and worker needs.
The programme is running in three phases – today’s announcement represents
the second phase and sees four SSCs which operate across Scotland receive
£224,000 to deliver a range of activities from enhancing the continuous
professional development of staff in Scottish Colleges to the development of
an older colleague mentoring programme in the transport sector.
In addition, Mr Wilson announced that a further £56,000 was being made
available for further projects in the third phase of the programme with the
application process for funding to start soon.
Allan Wilson said:
“We are living longer, we are working longer and the world is moving fast.
So it’s vital that learning opportunities are available to meet those
changing needs.
“Learning shouldn’t end when we close the school or college door - it should
be a genuinely lifelong experience. That is why I am delighted to announce
this funding which will continue to benefit workers over the age of 50 as
well as the organisations they work for and the Scottish labour market as a
whole.
“Experience Counts ensures that older workers can be competitive in the
modern workplace. By combining older workers’ wealth of professional
experience with new knowledge and skills development we can further
Scotland’s commitment to a world-class professional environment.”
A total of £500,000 was made available for the Older Learners Programme over
the three financial years 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08. Around half of this
was already allocated to three SSCs in January this year as part of the
first stage of the programme. The remainder of the funding will be made
available for the four SSCs taking part in the second phase as well as Stage
3. A further £56,000 will also be available for the third stage.
NOTES:
1. Training courses will be provided by employer-led Sector Skills Councils
(SSCs) in collaboration with further education colleges. The Skills for
Business Network in Scotland is a network of SSCs which are employer-led
organisations set up to identify and tackle industry skills needs.
2. Three SSCs have taken part in the first phase of the programme: Lantra,
which represents land-based industries; Skillsmart, which covers the retail
sector and Skills for Logistics, which covers the freight logistic
industries. A further four SSCs (GoSkills; People 1st; SEMTA and Lifelong
Learning UK) have successfully secured funding from Stage 2 of the
Programme: Go Skills which covers businesses working in the UK transport
passenger sector; SEMTA which covers science, engineering and manufacturing
technologies; Lifelong Learning UK which covers Further Education, Higher
Education, Libraries and Archives and Information services; and People 1st
the SSC for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries. Of the
£500,000 there remains £34,000 still to be allocated.
3. An additional £56,000 is now being made available for cross–sector
proposals giving a total of £90,000 to be allocated. The Executive is
currently consulting with the SSCs to establish whether there is an appetite
for smaller projects or one large project to be developed. Further
information about the application process for these funds will be available
soon.
4. Skills Councils interested in applying for funding through a
collaborative bid will be invited to submit applications for this funding
soon. More information, including an application form, will soon be
available from the Scottish Executive website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Funding-Support-Grants/19379/18620
Contact: Angela-Claire Coutts 0131 244 2547
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