Impact

learndirect scotland seeks to promote lifelong learning, skills, employability and competitiveness across Scotland. We particularly support those elements of our society and economy who are traditionally hard to reach - socially excluded individuals and SMEs and who are often disengaged or unable to participate in the types of learning opportunities we seek to deliver.

We identified that individuals and businesses needed easy access to accurate and comprehensive information about national learning opportunities. Through our National Learning Opportunities Database, our web sites and the helpline we have created a substantial national resource recognised and used by individuals and businesses throughout the country. The database contains details of 1278 learning providers delivering through 4040 venues in addition to online provision. Since 1 September 2000 we have had over 600,000 calls to our helpline. We receive 4 enquiries about learning every minute. Every day the National Learning Opportunities Database is searched on average 850 times. This same database holds over 90,000 learning opportunities on everything from archery to yoga.

These are not just impressive figures. They represent citizens able to obtain information about the learning opportunities open to them. They can identify information about the opportunities that will enable them to select the opportunity most appropriate to their specific needs. Without this information and without the smooth and easy access we have created many of these learners would be unable to proceed beyond the first vital stage in embarking on lifelong learning. More than 5000 people have contacted the helpline regarding literacy and numeracy since January 2004.

Our marketing campaigns at local and national levels have highlighted our existence and the value of our services. Market research has shown that 92% of Scots have seen or heard about learndirect scotland through advertising. As a result of awareness raising efforts over 7000 enquiries have been made to learndirect scotland from businesses, almost a quarter from businesses with less than 10 staff.

The Skillnet Learning Management System enables our clients to access learning. We currently have over 40,000 registered users on the Skillnet accessing learning that would previously have been unavailable to them in this way. Our learners are active. The Learning Bytes site on Skillnet saw over 4000 learning episodes in April alone. Skillnet is actively used not just by individuals or SMEs. The National Health Service in Scotland use Skillnet to deliver online staff training. Skillnet provides citizens with access to a range of online content from IT through to Gaelic, customer care, literacy and numeracy. In addition to providing access to online learning Skillnet allows learners, tutors and employers to track progress and achievement. This way we can better identify ongoing learning needs and provide additional or new support to learners.

Lessons learnt

European economies and societies face similar challenges in today's global, competitive environment. Public funds are scarce and their allocation is made in the face of many competing demands. A key element for all European economies regardless of their character and maturity is the need to compete effectively on a global scale. One of the key drivers towards economic and social success is a national workforce which has the appropriate skills able to compete and thrive in a modern environment. To achieve this, our citizens need appropriate lifelong learning.

It is unlikely in the current economic climate that many public sector organisations in Europe could develop the comprehensive national, technological and human infrastructure necessary to deliver the type of innovative and high quality service that learndirect scotland needed. Like Scotland other countries will need to develop a model that utilises the best and most appropriate elements of existing learning infrastructure and supplement this with cost-effective, sustainable technological solutions.

As a new player in lifelong learning and skills development, learndirect scotland needed to rollout a national service that would meet the needs of a diverse client group of individuals and businesses at a local and national level. The evolution of such a service needed to be done on a modest budget. In effect what we had to provide was a 'Learning Multiplier' that could take a small budget and generate a much more significant increase in skills development at both individual and national level.

Achieving this effect elsewhere in Europe within the constraints learndirect scotland faced and which are likely to prevail with our European partners is certainly feasible. It is essential to develop a model which adopts appropriate technology use and takes advantage of other public and private sector organisations' resources and expertise in a manner which complements the agendas of all concerned. This involves careful consideration of the economic and learning landscapes to identify those potential partners with whom authorities can work.

A clear and comprehensive analysis of the demand and supply components of the learning landscape is essential to ensure that an appropriate model is designed and deployed. This analysis will identify the strengths and weakness which need to be addressed and will assist in developing the appropriate technological solution. Where there are budgetary constraints this exercise will also assist in prioritising conflicting demands to ensure that vital elements of the model receive adequate and proportionate support but no more.

It is worth remembering that although our initiative is national the ultimate measure of our success is whether it works for the individual citizen or business. The prominence of genuinely usable technology and the Pledge to Learners in our model helps us ensure that what we deliver provides a real solution to meeting our objectives.