Sunday, 05 September 2010

PEP Toolkit

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5.0 Delivering PEP courses

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5.1 What are the quality considerations?

Normal considerations for cross-organisational quality apply to the delivery of PEP courses. This means the standards expected of quality delivery as driven internally by your organisational ethos, and those externally such as inspection and awarding bodies. High success rates should be paramount aligning to Minimum Levels of Performance (MLP) and it is expected that staff delivering PEP courses will be appropriately skilled and qualified (as expected of any FE teacher) or working towards these standards. For PEP, progression is vital, see section 6.

To view the September 2009 'Handbook for the inspection of further education and skills', follow the link http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Forms-and-guidance/Browse-all-by/Other/General/Handbook-for-the-inspection-of-further-education-and-skills-from-September-2009

The handbook has two parts:

  • Part 1: Guidance for inspectors and providers on the preparation for, and conduct of, inspections
  • Part 2: The full Common Inspection Framework and guidance on how it will be used by inspectors to award the main and contributory grades.


This toolkit makes suggestions throughout which link to quality aspects for PEP. Additionally, there are numerous existing initiatives/support programmes available for the FE sector related to quality, many specifically at curriculum level. Therefore it is not thought appropriate to elaborate further on this issue in isolation here.

5.2 Where can we find sector-specific resources for teaching and learning?

A few ideas:

  • Sector Routeways Programmes are sector specific programmes designed by the different Sector Skills Councils ready for use by providers. For example, the Retail SSC programme is called ‘Retail Works’ and its purpose is to give work-ready learners the specific knowledge and understanding they need for gaining interviews and employment in the retail sector. For further information about Retail Works please contact Gemma.Behan@skillsmartretail.com

A number of other SSCs have/are developing Sector Routeways Programmes such as:

To find information and links to all SSCs visit the Sector Skills Alliance website: http://www.sscalliance.org/
These programmes/resources may map to a qualification that you wish to use from the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF), or it may actually be registered on the QCF itself already and can be delivered as a valid qualification for ALR funding. See the Working Links case study - they designed courses in partnership with Sainsbury's as part of a Local employment Partnership (LEP) and used the Sector Skills Council's programme 'Retail Works' to deliver courses.

  • Sector Skills Council websites (see above for links) can be a great source for sector-specific teaching and learning resources. The websites vary but can include information about the sector generally, news, case studies, and specific teacher resources, i.e. http://www.skillsactive.com/resources/teacher-resources
  • Skills for Life (SfL) Embedded Learning Materials provide materials from Entry to Level 2 based around a variety of sector-specific themes. They are designed primarily for SfL development, but have many sector-specific examples which could be used generally for teaching and learning. They are available to order or download online at http://rwp.qia.oxi.net/embeddedlearning/cfbtgeneralinfo.cfm
  • Offender Learning Materials If you are considering delivering PEP programmes to offenders in the community, follow the link to the NIACE Offender Learning Site. This offers relevant resources, ideas and strategies for all providers and also important contextual information for teachers working with offenders.
  • Distance Learning Materials due to the very nature of delivery, these materials are often written with self-study in mind and therefore could be utilised for some PEP learners. These materials could be combined with facilitated guided learning hours as appropriate for each learner’s level of confidence and skill in independent study
  • Excellence Gateway Employability Resources can be found at http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=131305 . The Excellence Gateway is a portal offering support, advice and resources generally for the post 16 learning and skills sector. These employability resources form just one part of this extensive site.
5.3 How can we retain learners?

Retention is a key issue for any course. Delivery of quality provision where learners feel valued and success rates are high is the obvious goal.

Pathfinder providers have shared some key messages for retaining learners specifically on PEP programmes in the quotes below:
Make sure the expectations of the client group and their support agencies are fully understood to prevent there being a mismatch between the programme and the needs of the target client group. For this Fareham consulted with those who make the referrals to the programme: JCP
(Nigel Duncan, Vice Principal, Fareham College)
Keep learners informed of what they are going to be doing – dates, times and the content of the training they will be receiving. Also, following on from their course, continuous support in regular job search activity, support in speaking to employers and after-care calling to ensure you are giving them support along their journey. 
(Beverley Foard – Centre Manager, Working Links)
Learners must feel they are being invested in. Ensure you understand their needs and convey to them exactly how the training and education being offered either enhances their current skills, or gives them something new to offer to potential employers. Most importantly, recognise the genuine difficulties in the current job market and help them to remain positive.
(Tracy Baldwin, PEP Project Co-ordinator, Fareham College)
Our most successful courses have been those which have been short & sharp – i.e. 2 or 3 days,  have fit in with school hours for parents or have childcare facilities nearby e.g. local family centres;  covering travel costs is essential so if it takes a while to get the learner support funds in place, help from JCP for travel was vital;  knowing that they are going to get a qualification that has a strong likelihood of getting them a job or a having a progression pathway to other qualifications to get work was very motivating in retaining learners also.
(Ingrid Widdows, Get That Job Project Manager, OCVC).
Retention and Offender Learning Some providers may have concerns that offenders will not commit to learning, however with good partnership arrangements and clearly agreed goals, this is not the case.
  • Probation Service Education Training and Employment (ETE) Officers and Offender Managers will often mentor and support an offender to stay in learning. ‘Compliance’ is a key part of their work, so Probation staff will often work with you, to ensure offenders are motivated to attend and achieve in learning.
  • Employment aims- many offenders in receipt of Probation Services will have agreed an employment aim with their ETE Officer. PEP providers should link delivery to this aim- research has proven that the majority of offenders in the community  want to enter paid employment, and will work hard in learning which helps them achieve that goal.
  • Referral processes – it is crucial to agree structured referral processes with Probation Officers. Ensure that ETE Officers know exactly the content of your course and invest time in discussing your target groups of learners with Probation staff. Some Probation offices will carry out an initial ‘selection’ interview for you. Partnership processes like these will support retention and achievement in your PEP programmes.