LLS News - Policy Focus - Members and Partners News and Events

Learning Link Scotland News

Learning Link Scotland and Education Scotland are running an
 

Adult Numeracy Network Meeting – Tuesday 20th June, 2017

11.00 – 13.00, Robertson House, 152 Bath St, Glasgow G2 4TB
The Network Meeting will include the usual practice sharing opportunity and this meeting will feature a workshop – Using Digital Technology to Teach Numeracy - which will include an introduction to the DigiMaths Guidance and Traffic Light Evaluation Method. During this workshop participants will have the opportunity to share their own experience of using digital technology in their teaching practice, the DigiMaths guidance document will be introduced along with the concept of the Traffic Light method to evaluate the impact the technology is having on the teaching and learning experience. 
To register interest in the network please contact Jackie Howie at jhowie@learninglinkscotland.org.uk or on 0141 353 5649

Policy Focus

Statement of Ambition for Adult Learning and Family Learning

Learning Link Scotland sit on the Strategic Forum for the Statement of Ambition for Adult Learning and Jackie Howie co-chairs the Professional Learning Working Group. Jackie also sits on the Learner Voice Working Group. Both working groups will launch information from their work over the past two years, watch this space for more news.
The Family Learning Working Group features a regular blog, please have a look at two new posts on the Family Learning in Scotland Blog by following these links: 
Focus on Families
How well do inclusive family learning approaches impact on attainment?

Members and Partners News and Events

Age Scotland launches Men’s Shed report

Age Scotland has launched a report that outlines the positive impact that the growing men’s shed movement is having on later life. Men from sheds across Scotland have told their story for The Shed Effect.The report demonstrates how men’s health and well-being has been lifted by getting involved in their local shed. 
 

Participatory Budgeting - Community Choices 

Community Choices budgeting, better known worldwide as participatory budgeting is now flowering in Scotland as a method which can be used alongside other models of community engagement as part of a wider strategic approach to advancing participatory democracy and community empowerment.
Since June 2014 the Scottish Government has invested over £2.7 million in Community Choices budgeting which includes a £2 million Community Choices fund launched in 2016/17 and dispersed through Community Choices methods. 
For more information visit PB Scotland which provides accessible information on events, policy and resources in Scotland, and profiles examples, pictures and videos of Community Choices in action. To join the network click here or email info@pbscotland.scot with any enquiries.
 

Volunteer Scotland

Thousands of charities and voluntary organisations are gearing up to celebrate the vital contribution made by volunteers across the length and breadth of Scotland.
Volunteer Scotland have provided some important ways for you to get involved. 
Volunteers’ Week takes place between 1-7 June. 
Spread the word about Volunteers' Week Scot
Use this hashtag #volunteersweekscot
Apply NCVO guidance around ways to say thank you
Download Volunteer Scotland’s Volunteers' Week Scot press release template
 

Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) - Workshops

AVP workshops are for everybody who has conflict in their lives whether in personal relationships, at work, or in their community.
The workshops are experiential, about real life and help in practical ways to develop the skills and tools to handle conflict better....they are also fun!
All of the facilitators started out by attending workshops because of conflict in their own lives and a desire to improve their own relationships. All are volunteers and keep volunteering to keep their skills up to scratch and to learn more. Everybody in the workshop is an educator and well as a learner!
The workshops are 16 hours long start on Friday 6-9pm, Saturday 9.30-5.00pm and Sunday 10.00-4.00pm. They are certificated.
AVP are happy to arrange a short presentation to help you find out how AVP workshops might work with your team or in your area of work. 
They can also deliver 2 hour taster workshops which help people get a feel for how the 16 hour workshops might make a real and lasting difference for them.
Currently they are running community workshops in North Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh and prison workshops in HMP Addiewell.
For more information contact Mary Kennedy by calling, text or email on 0141-353-5620, 07729 318 467 or operations@avpscotland.org.uk.
 

Refugee Survival Trust

Our Destitute Asylum Seeker Service (DASS) provides support for people in Scotland whose asylum appeals have been refused and whose Home Office support is cut off, leaving them with no income whatsoever on which to live.
To help DASS provide for their service users, they have started a Veg Pledge appeal.  All donations received will be used to buy essential food items for service users staying in DASS accommodation while they prepare fresh asylum claims.
If you would like to pledge some veg, please click the link below.  All donations are most welcome - even a small amount can provide a destitute asylum seeker with fruit & veg for a week. 
https://localgiving.org/appeal/vegpledge/
For more information contact Andrew McAinsh, DASS Project Administrator, Refugee Survival Trust, Tel: 0141 353 5603
Registered Scottish Charity SCO24328, www.rst.org.uk
 

Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe

EPALE are currently in the process of looking for EPALE UK Ambassadors to join the growing network. This is a light touch role (voluntary), and involvement can be large or small, depending on how much time someone can give. We are looking for adult learning professionals across the UK and from a range of sectors to:
Please see the attached Information Sheet if you are interested.
Follow the links below to find out more about our current EPALE UK ambassadors:
https://ec.europa.eu/epale/en/blog/introducing-epale-uk-ambassadors

Training

Band of Scotland and Google Digital Workshop

Band of Scotland and Google Digital Workshop have committed to helping charities and businesses improve their digital skills as part of the Helping Britain Prosper Plan. They are offering a free workshop on Tuesday 20 June in Edinburgh to help you improve the digital presence of your charity and the digital skills of your colleagues.
 

Civicos Training

Civicos Training is a not-for-profit organisation set up to provide affordable, quality training for third sector organisations. We accept bookings from all sectors, in order to keep our prices low for our core third sector audience. Please do feel free to pass our emails to your own contacts.
Certificated training from Civicos 
Emergency First Aid at Work
Thursday, 6 July 2017 from 09:30 to 16:30, Robertson House, 152 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4TB, Cost £118
This training is suitable for everyone who has an interest in learning the basic first-intervention skills that can prevent an accident or medical emergency from escalating into something much worse. The course first looks at how best to assess the situation. What is the issue? Is the person responsive? Can they breathe? Are you the best person available to help? We then look at the skills to make basic interventions in different accidents and emergencies, whether it is bleeding, choking, chest pains or burns.
This training is certificated by SafeCert. Certification is awarded upon successful completion of a short examination on course content, which forms part of the day.
Booking Places
You can either book by card on our Eventbrite page or, if you would prefer to be invoiced, send an email. 
 

Funding

UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning

Call for Applications: Shape the future of lifelong learning - CONFINTEA Scholarships and Fellowships 2017. The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) is inviting applications to its CONFINTEA (International Conference on Adult Education) Research Scholarship and CONFINTEA Fellowship programmes. Successful candidates will have the chance either to develop research which will inform policy and practice in Member States or to develop national strategies to shape adult learning and education in their home countries.
 

EU Upskilling Pathways

Would you like to prepare the ground for an EU initiative to support low-skilled individuals to improve their literacy, numeracy or digital skills, or to assist in their progress towards higher qualifications? Then apply for the call for proposals to organise awareness-raising activities on the Council Recommendation “Upskilling Pathways: new opportunities for adults”. More info here.

 

Reports

Education Scotland - Community Learning and Development

Remember to look the the report, Community Learning and Development (CLD) Planning: An aspect review of progress made in implementing the CLD Regulations. This sits alongside and complements the previously published Community Learning and Development Plans 2015-18: Planning for change in Scotland's communities. This review of CLD planning focuses on strategic level planning and arrangements within local authorities and community planning partnerships to implement the CLD Regulations.
 

News

Making Maths Count – Save the date

Maths Week Scotland will take place from 11–17 September 2017. The aim is to promote activity and raise awareness of key messages in early years and school settings, higher and further education, community education and in public places. More information about the week will be available soon.
 

CLD and the Scottish Attainment Challenge - Education Scotland  

The recent announcement of the Pupil Equity Fund for schools is an opportunity for the CLD sector to engage directly with head teachers and schools around developing interventions. The Interventions for Equity is a developing piece of work with examples from across Scotland of interventions that are also addressing the attainment gap.
 

ESOL News

Guide to education for refugee parents

Guide to education for refugee parents document on Education Scotland’s Parentzone website (bottom of the page):Useful documents
This document has been translated into Arabic by Scottish Borders Council.
 

National Association for Teaching English and other Community Languages to Adults (NATECLA)

NATECLA are looking to recruit some dynamic and passionate Committee Members to continue the work of the newly-revived Scottish Branch. Committee positions are to start as soon as possible, Please get in touch if with Pauline Blake-Johnston, NATECLA Scotland Branch Chair if you are intersted
Telephone: 01334 658939
Email: Pauline.Blake-Johnston@sruc.ac.uk
 

ESOL Conference

City of Glasgow College are delighted to confirm our line up for their annual ESOL Conference.  Please find attached link to our booking form.
Note that the deadline for booking is Friday 2nd June at 5pm.  We look forward to welcoming you to an interesting and challenging day.
Please follow the link below to book your place(s):
Booking Form
David Cullen
Curriculum Head - ESOL 2
david.cullen@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk
0141 375 8427
 

European News

Erasmus+

The Erasmus+ Annual Conference 2017 will be in London on Wednesday 11 October at Central Hall Westminster. Add it to your Google Calendar and keep an eye on future newsletters for updates on registration and more. Read last year’s conference summary on Storify to gain an insight into why you should attend.
 

Life Long Learning Platform

The LLLPlatform will hold its 7th Lifelong Learning Week (LLLWeek) on 20-24 November 2017 in Brussels. This year, the LLLWeek will be in cooperation with the 2nd edition of the Vocational Skills Week. The main topic will be Education in a Digital world, envisaging the subject under 3 sub-topics which also govern the LLLAwards2017: Education and Democracy, Education and Social Inclusion and Education and Innovative Pedagogy. Click here for more info
 
The Lifelong Learning Interest Group has come to its first meeting of 2017, and the LLLP has published its report; given the current European agenda, the focus lies on how educational systems are tackling the need of being more open and inclusive. Read the full report