The Effectiveness of the Response and Follow Up Processes to the Learndirect ‘Gremlins’ Campaign in the Nottingham Area

Abstract

In the late 1990s the Government concluded that poor adult literacy and numeracy were having an effect on the United Kingdom’s competitiveness. Consequently, in 1999, Claus Moser was asked to undertake a review and make recommendations as to how greater numbers of disadvantaged adults might be encouraged to seek advice and start learning. Moser’s findings stimulated the Government to develop and launch the Skills for Life Strategy out of which came the Learndirect ‘Gremlins’ Campaign, a flagship awareness raising programme.
The researcher set out to develop a body of knowledge related to participation in learning, to find out more about callers to the Learndirect Helpline, and to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the publicly funded support services such as the Information, Advice & Guidance Service and providers of learning.
Out of a cohort of 360 callers, 165 agreed to take part in a telephone interview, and 52 said they had taken up a learning opportunity; however, only 27 were found to have taken up Learning & Skills Council ( LSC ) funded programmes leaving the researcher to conclude that the remaining 25 had either taken up programmes funded by Jobcentre Plus, started to learn informally, or were uncomfortable in admitting that they hadn’t started learning. Perhaps the most striking finding from the research was that the majority of respondents who chose not to take up learning were keen to stay involved. Also it was found that adults living in disadvantaged communities were significantly less likely to take up LSC funded learning opportunities; but, with additional support, learners from those



communities had the potential to perform better than those from other areas. Of those who went into learning a lower percentage than the Nottinghamshire average was employed full - time, a higher percentage was employed part - time and a higher percentage was economically inactive. More were in lower order occupations, with a bias towards personal service occupations.
The Government responded to Moser’s findings by setting challenging targets; however, although the targets have been exceeded, there is a significant difference in performance between 16 to 19 year olds re – taking GCSEs in English and Mathematics, and adults, aged 20 +, taking literacy and / or numeracy qualifications. During the 2004 academic year 46% of the former achieved their learning aim, but only 20% of the latter, suggesting that a renewed focus is needed on adults, especially the hard to reach living in disadvantaged communities.
It is recommended, therefore, that there should be a drive for greater consistency in the quality of information, advice & guidance and learning provision, and a more coherent network of high quality community based provision with enhanced levels of support provided by Information, Advice & Guidance Partnerships.