Welcome to the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) topic webpage; over the coming months, ALP and (LSIS) will be collaborating on communications activity to the ALP membership.  The purpose of this activity is to inform ALP members of the programmes and services LSIS offers, which may be of use to independent learning providers and to help streamline the volume of communications by using existing well established channels.  We hope it will encourage and increase communications from ALP members to LSIS – your views are vital to the development of LSIS activities and through this collaboration we will ensure LSIS hears them.  

The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) was formed in October 2008 to speed up quality improvement, increase participation and raise standards and achievement in the further education (FE) system in England.  LSIS is dedicated to developing excellent FE provision working in partnership with all parts of the sector to build and sustain self-improvement.   LSIS is responsible for developing and providing access to resources that help colleges and providers implement initiatives and improve quality – by commissioning products and services, by identifying and sharing good practice throughout the system, and by providing tailored programmes of support.

The LSIS Strategic Ambition 2009-12 is available to download below.

The LSIS home page is www.lsis.org.uk

Any subsequent related news items about LSIS services for providers will be posted here:

 

An additional £1000 for providers to spend on LSIS improvement services

Good news.  LSIS is giving every provider an additional £1000 worth of credit in their LSIS account to mark the start of the new academic year.  The total amount of credit in your LSIS account is for your organisation to spend by 31 March 2011.  Using this credit gives your organisation access to our services free of charge
All Learning and Skills sector providers can now apply for virtual credit in the form of an LSIS account. Each newly activated account will be given a minimum of £2500 to spend immediately on our services until the end of March 2011, at which point the allocations will be reviewed. For more information please go to:

LSIS accounts

http://www.lsis.org.uk/Services/LSISAccounts/Pages/default.aspx
List of upcoming LSIS events: http://www.lsis.org.uk/Services/Events/Pages/default.aspx
A comprehensive list of all LSIS services http://www.lsis.org.uk/Services/ProgrammesServices/Pages/default.aspx

 

02 August 2010 - LSIS Accounts

Every learning and skills provider funded through the Skills Funding Agency is now able to benefit from a new LSIS Account.

An LSIS Account gives providers an amount of virtual credit that can be used to buy improvement services from LSIS.  Each time you use your LSIS Account to pay for an LSIS event the cost is deducted from the virtual credit in your LSIS Account.

From August 2010, in response to feedback from the sector LSIS accounts are now available to all organisations that provide education and training in the learning and skills sector.  Initially LSIS accounts were allocated to 1800 providers who had direct contracts with the LSC in 2009-10.  Providers who do not have an LSIS account can apply for one by completing the online registration form. 

Further information about LSIS Accounts is available from the frequently asked questions page. If you this does not provide the answer to your query please phone LSIS helpline on 024 7662 7953.

 

LSIS policy seminars – Exploring the new world we’re in…
(On behalf of LSIS)

Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) is hosting a series of regional policy seminar where it will consider the emerging policy from the coalition government and the implications for sector providers – for governance, for leadership and management, professional practice and organisational culture and change.  These discussions will be critical in informing LSIS’s services and priorities over the next phase of development.

The seminar will provide an opportunity to analyse the new challenges and opportunities presented; advise LSIS on the implications; and provide material and models for attendees to lead policy discussions in their own organisations.  The results of the discussions will be fed into a new on-line LSIS policy publication, “The world we’re in – autumn 2010”.The changes taking place in the economy, in the wider public sector and specifically in our own sector are profound, and require all of us in the public sphere to reconsider the skills, approaches, priorities and relationships needed to fit us for service in this new context.

For example, significant systems changes include the following:

• A shift towards a less regulated environment where there is greater opportunity and necessity for self-determination and enterprise
• A shift in accountability away from central government towards civil society, with a reduction in national targets and control
  
• A fundamental re-appraisal of what activities should be funded at public expense and a determination to create a new synergy between paid professionals and the voluntary contributions of citizens.

The seminars aim to provide a space for developing shared understandings of the challenges ahead and to make sense of the developing context which can strengthen the influencing and policy formation role of providers both for the sector and with strategic partners in the locality. These are invitation seminars targeted at current leaders, aspiring leaders and trustees from across the learning and skills sector and sector associations.  The intention is to keep the seminars fairly small (between 30 and 45) to enable roundtable discussion. The dates and venues for these half day events which will run from 10:30 until 13:00 followed by lunch are:

• Wednesday 13th October – Southwark College, London
• Tuesday 19th October - Centre for Life, Newcastle
• Thursday 21st October - City of Bristol College
• Monday 25th October - EMFEC,  Nottingham
• Monday 1st November - Salford City College

 

New resources for learning providers

An exciting new selection of resources which are designed to support anyone with a passion for creating, supporting or delivering high quality informal adult and community learning is now available on the Excellence Gateway.  Developed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, these resources cover a wide spectrum of activities from personal development through to family learning, community development and employability. Click here to access the resources. 

 

New ‘good e-practice’ case studies

S&B Automotive Academy: Webcam technology streamlines work-based assessment and cuts costs
The development of a seamless and interactive online system for remotely assessing the Academy’s apprentices on-demand has not only reduced travelling costs for assessors but has also cut back on their carbon foot print. The system utilises state-of-the-art video technology deployed at workplaces throughout the UK, which links into the Academy's virtual learning environment (VLE). Click here to read the full case study.

 

Project Jericho opens window on the world of work

Automotive company’s webcam pilot scheme puts students in the driving seat when it comes to viewing apprenticeships.
A pioneering pilot project which enables students to view the world of work via a webcam in their classroom is to be unveiled at the LSIS Learning Fair later this month.
The Jericho project has been launched by Bristol-based S&B Automotive Academy who are a beacon provider and who have devised the Moodle Netcam as a training tool for vocational careers.  The netcams are placed in the workplace in areas such as motor vehicle workshops, hairdressing salons, building sites, kitchens and even riding stables providing live feeds back to the classroom. Click here to read the full article.

 

Zodiac Training: Innovative e-assessment system increases efficiency and improves the learning experience       

A new e-portfolio and e-assessment system has significantly reduced the average time it takes a learner to complete a training course by enabling them to study online.  The system also allows everyone to keep in touch with the development process – employers, managers, training advisors, and verifiers can quickly and easily see the progress their staff and learners are making. Click here to read the full case study

 

 

For details of the LSIS Hot Topics events click on the following links:

LSIS main website

 

ALP Events

 

  

Downloadable Files