Summary: Supporting Successful Outcomes with Literacy, Numeracy and Key
Skills in FMA and AMA
Methodology, Findings and Recommendations
1. The project, which ran from May to December 2003, was managed and
organised by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) and funded
by the DfES. It worked with eight providers. Although these centres are a small
sample, they represented a cross section of types of provider in different parts of
the country covering thirteen occupational areas.
2. The centres worked predominantly with Foundation Modern Apprenticeships
(FMAs) rather than Advanced Modern Apprenticeships (AMAs), though AMA
learners were involved in two of the centres. The project sample did not include
learners with ESOL needs.
3. The purpose of the project was to avoid a negative ”bolt-on” approach to literacy,
numeracy and key skills and to try out ways of making such skills effectively a
higher and more integral priority from the beginning of programmes.
4. There was no single imposed front-end delivery model. The varied
circumstances and organisation of the centres meant that would be impractical.
They all, though, shared the common characteristic that literacy, numeracy and
key skills were started from the beginning of the programme, with some degree
of intensity and with some continuation during the whole period. The actual
delivery models varied. One centre, for instance, began with an introduction to
basic and key skills at a four day residential and then provided follow on
basic/key skills support. Another, on the other hand, provided regular classes
throughout a 14 week pre-FMA course.
5. Researchers studying the project in the eight centres gathered data through:
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Semi-structured interviews with managers and co-ordinators and teachers,
trainers, and/or instructors;
Observations of classroom practice;
Interviews/focus groups with learners;
Wider factual data on each pilot
Quantitative data about each centre cohort including learners’ prior
achievements, retention and outcomes
6. All the programmes shared some common features:
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Development of front end provision to teach underpinning skills of basic/key
skills
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Preparing trainers for key skills development with learners
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Initial and diagnostic assessment of learners
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Building of individual training plans through plan, do and review activities
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Use of formative assessment techniques to help develop learners’ motivation
and learning
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Preparation of learners for test based assessment and for their portfolios
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Assessment using on-line methods where appropriate and possible
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Ensuring progression through the basic/key skills continuum
7. The evaluation findings suggest that the front end delivery models – used in
different ways in the eight centres - were successful in terms of supporting
outcomes with literacy, numeracy and key skills in Modern Apprenticeships. The
degree of success varied from centre to centre depending on a variety of factors,
such as staff turnover or issues relating to resources. All centres emphasised
that the front end delivery model had been a highly motivational experience for
both teachers and learners, and resulted in a number of positive outcomes, for
example, higher retention rates or increased motivation of learners.
8. Other findings include:
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The value of giving status to basic/key skills by introducing them at the
beginning of programmes
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The need for specialists, vocational teachers and assessors to plan and work
together
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Employers’ attitudes having a major impact on learners’ motivation
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There is some confusion about the terminology of basic and key skills
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The manner in which basic/key skills are introduced is critical eg by making it
clear they underpin both the vocational training and future employment and
by making it relevant to the learners’ workplace.
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Learners prefer their initial assessment materials to be related to their chosen
vocational area
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In many cases, vocational teachers who teach/assess literacy, numeracy and
key skills do not have appropriate qualification.
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Some teachers found problems with feeding the BSA online diagnostic
assessment into the ILP
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Both teachers and learners liked online assessment.
9. Recommendations include:
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Key skills should be introduced and given high status from the beginning of the
programme and resources need to reflect this. The front end delivery model can
be an effective way of conferring this status.
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The whole staff of the programme (vocational teachers and assessors as well as
specialists) needs to work as a team on basic/key skills. This calls for time to be
made available for the team to plan and work together
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Centres need to find ways of actively involving employers by increasing their
understanding of how key skills can contribute to skills acquisition and effective
working.
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Employers need to be encouraged to support learners’ attendance at key skills in
the same way they support attendance at other parts of the framework.
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Teachers should make clear the relevance of key skills to the learners’
workplaces and constantly reinforce the value of key skills to the learners’ future
employment/own businesses.
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It is important to identify the training requirements of specialist key skills teachers
and to provide appropriate staff development.
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There should be close collaboration between vocational teachers and key skills
specialists, with appropriate development being provided
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Problems with feeding the BSA online diagnostic assessment into the ILP
suggest that either more development work is needed or that further training is
needed for the teachers using it.
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