Stimulating demand

Our greatest challenge is to find ways of attracting people from whom education has been a negative or unfulfilling experience.  Our consumer and business marketing activities include:

• national press, radio and TV advertising (reaching 95% of adults in Scotland)
• PR activities highlighting the success of people who have re-engaged in learning
• specific promotions targeting socially excluded individuals and groups and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
• joint events and promotions with community, employment and business partner support for promotion via intermediary partners, including voluntary sector organisations, trade unions and business advisors
• direct engagement with employers through a regional network of learndirect scotland for business training partners

Providing high quality information and advisory services
The national learning opportunities database plays a vital role in drawing together the many and varied learning opportunities available throughout Scotland, to offer a comprehensive information gateway for learners.  Specifically we will:

• work closely with all participating learning providers (more than 1200) to maintain quality standards
• offer impartial information and advice about 85,000 learning opportunities to individuals and businesses
• increase the range and depth of information available, including details of all funding and childcare assistance
• offer appropriate support for key initiatives such as national schemes of financial assistance
• seek to maintain the highest standards of responsivesness, client focus and impartiality through our national information and advisory services (120,000 enquiries annually)

Improving access
Working closely with our partners, we are committed to encouraging and supporting new and innovative ways to overcome barriers to learning.  To this end we will:

• support learning in the community by co-ordinating ongoing development of the national learning centre network (currently more than 500 centres)
• foster work-based flexible learning, particularly among small and medium sized businesses
• seek to ensure equality of access for people from all backgrounds and including those with disabilities
• address financial barriers, through flexible and targeted forms of assistance, for both individuals and businesses

Developing capacity
Changing economic and social pressures demand that Scotland develop a responsive, adaptable and supportive approach to education and training.  Specifically we will:

• seek to facilitate appropriate training, access to information and materials, sharing of best practice and networking and development opportunities to personnel working in the national learning centre network
• work with networks and key partners to develop its capacity to serve the needs of key initiatives and client groups, such as adult literacy and numeracy and small businesses
• identify gaps in flexible and online learning materials and support partners in developing appropriate solutions
• endeavour to support innovative joint projects that test new approcahes to learning delivery and support and which have potential for wider national roll-out and development