The Network's 5th Annual Conference

'The Stakeholder in Workplace Basic Skills'

The Network's fifth annual conference was entitled 'The Stakeholder in Workplace Basic Skills'. It was held in Birmingham and attracted about 100 delegates from all over the country. Although the majority of delegates were providers, a wide range of stake holders was represented, including public and private sector employers, funding bodies and policy makers. As in previous years, the programme mixed plenary presentations with workshop seminars to address both the theory and practice of workplace basic skills.

Dedicated time was set aside throughout the two days for the networking that forms the event's main attraction for many delegates.

Speakers included Barry Brooks (Head of Standards, Quality and Curriculum at the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit, DfES) talking about progress on the government's 'Skills for Life' strategy; Christine Mills (Learning & Development Advisor, BAA Heathrow Airport) who gave delegates an employer focus on Workplace Basic Skills; Nicola Woods, (TUC Learning Services) speaking from the union perspective, and John Burgoyne, (Professor of Management Learning, Lancaster University Management School) who proposed a “Learning Organisation” context for workplace literacy and numeracy programmes.

Case study workshops provided opportunities for practitioners to share methodologies and issues ranging from delivering basic skills by deception, to developing intercultural communicative competence in the NHS. Professional Development workshops tackled marketing, organisational needs analysis, internet training, and research.