Recent Projects

Winnall Project

A 2 year ‘Skills for Life’ project (funded through Learning and Skills Council/European Social Fund of £40,000) to support people who face disadvantage and have not been involved in education or training for many years. The project is for learners for whom a qualification is not an ideal first option. The project is managed by the Essential Skills Support Unit and runs from September 2006 – June 2008.

In the Winnall area, the project aims to:

• Involve 75 learners in a programme of First Step learning through tasters and road shows
• Carry out 50 initial assessments
• Enroll 40 learners on courses of six hours or more
• Progress 18 learners into substantial learning, work or training
• Provide information, advice and guidance

Business Springboard Project

Pitman’s Centre obtained European Social Fund funding to assist a minimum of 70 companies (and a minimum of 140 of their employees) in the 2 years from March 2006 (about a 50/50 split between Winchester District and Test Valley.

The focus was to be on businesses with less than 100 employees and on micro-business (less than 10 employees). The Community Learning Forum helped identify businesses run by women, people from ethnic minorities or run by people with a disability.

European Social Fund - 2 Rivers Project (May 2003 – Dec 2006, 3 Years £300,000)

This Project focused on men in partnership with Winchester City Council, Winchester Area Community Action, Learning and Skills Council, and Perins School, and was led by Peter Symonds College. The aim of the Project was to attract 1,000 new learners.

Research funded by the Community Learning Forum showed that people living in rural areas were particularly disadvantaged because of access issues. In addition, most adult students on courses were women. The main aim of the project was to engage men living in rural areas and increase their progression into accredited learning programmes. The two rural areas chosen were Alresford and Wickham. 18% of the population have low literacy and/or numeracy skills (just over 2,000).

The success of the project has been both in terms of meeting the targets and the success of working in partnership. Further supporting partnerships have been developed with Wickham Community Association, Patient Advice and Liaison Service, the Basic Skills Support Unit, Hampshire County Council Adult Learning Unit, Homestart, Sparsholt College, Mid Hants Primary Care Trust, HCFF, Parent Line, plus local primary schools. The strength of partnership working has had spin offs into other projects and built on relationships with local schools and family based organisations.

Outomes	Target number of participants	Achieved by December 2006
Taster sessions	1,000	987
Information, advice and guidance sessions	900	900
ICT Courses	410	426
Family learning courses	260	258
Achievement of learning outcomes	225	225
Progression onto other learning	300	346

 
Taster sessions have been particularly successful in attracting men, approximately 90% of attendees being male. Since the project started, the number of men on adult courses at Peter Symonds College has increased by 3.3%. A new partnership bid has passed the first stage of the Big Lottery Fund. If the application is successful it will facilitate the transfer of this successful Project to the more deprived wards of Winchester City.