These pages contain the original text of the Tertiary Education Strategy documents. Only edit content if you notice the text is inconsistent with the final published document. Feel free to develop your own cross references and index structure.
Raise foundation skills so that all people can participate in our knowledge society
Refer to Tertiary Education Strategy text for
Strategy3
This strategy is outlined on pages 36–42 of the TES. While it will be less of a priority for some participants in the tertiary education system in 2003–04, this strategy will be a key priority for those providers that deliver, and for ITOs that arrange, foundation education.
Furthermore, improvements across the tertiary system are critical to the development of the inclusive knowledge society described in the TES. They are also critical to the achievement of the government’s Youth Transitions goal to have all 15–19 year olds by 2007 engaged in appropriate education, training, work or other options which will lead to long-term economic independence and well-being.
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Strategy Three: Objectives
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14. Significantly improved adult foundation skill levels, achieved through increased access to foundation education in a range of learning contexts
15. Clearer accountability for quality and outcomes within foundation education, including a greater focus on assessment
16. A common understanding of the definition of foundation skills and of best practice teaching in this area
17. Improved linkages between secondary and tertiary education, and improved staircasing for learners within tertiary education
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Priorities for Tertiary Education Organisations
During this period TEOs will need to analyse and determine their distinctive contributions
to foundation skills development within the tertiary education system and reflect this in
their strategic and business plans, as outlined in Objective14. The role of universities,
for example, may relate to the development of improved educational research capability
in foundation learning at all ages and levels of literacy and numeracy. For polytechnics, it
may relate to the development of improved pre-entry, transition or bridging courses to
polytechnic study.
ITOs, Training Opportunities and Youth Training providers and the adult and community
education sector will have clear roles to play with regard to Objective14 and will express
additional priorities in their charters and profiles, including interim profiles. For Training
Opportunities and Youth Training providers, the strong focus on ensuring learners
achieve foundation skills that results from the review of Training Opportunities and Youth
Training will require a priority on building capability in this area. TEOs will continue to
implement the government’s decisions on the recommendations of the Report of the
Adult and Community Education Working Group. TEOs involved in providing adult English
for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) will begin to implement the government’s Adult
ESOL Strategy, which was released in May 2003.
Priorities for Agencies
Agencies will be primarily concerned with Objective15, Objective16 and Objective17, particularly with
regard to the development of a common understanding of foundation skills and
associated learning outcomes. Funding arrangements for foundation learning and for
adult and community provision are to be developed for 2005. Agencies will work
together to plan professional development and teaching and learning resource
development, along with appropriate quality assurance arrangements such as the Adult
Literacy Quality Mark.
There are also a number of critical ongoing priorities that relate to this strategy, including
the continuing implementation of the Adult Literacy Strategy (released by government in
April 2001 and referred to on page 42 of the TES), the government’s Youth Transitions
goal, the implementation of the Training Opportunities/Youth Training Review, the Adult
ESOL Strategy and the government’s decisions following the Report of the Adult and
Community Education Working Group.
In relation to Objective17, the government will support a consultative process aimed at
exploring the future directions for secondary education out to 2020.
Agencies will support the development of further Adult and Community Education (ACE)
networks in order to enhance the ACE sector’s responsiveness to community needs.
Agencies will continue to build capability in relation to foundation learning, with a
particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy, including trialling the Adult Literacy
Achievement Framework.
This work will also complement the government’s increased investments in industry
training, Modern Apprenticeships and Gateway initiatives under Strategy Four.
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Outcomes and successes: Strategy Three – improving literacy in the workplace
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A number of successful workplace literacy pilots are running through the
Workplace Basic Skills Development Fund to support the provision of quality
workplace literacy programmes. Twenty-five separate programmes are operating,
involving over 400 learners. In addition, Workbase has given active support for
providers wishing to access the fund, including the provision of training
programmes. Seventy-six percent of learners supported by the fund were Pacific
peoples. In all Workbase programmes, 25 percent of learners are Maori and 53
percent Pacific peoples learners.
Results from these workplace projects have been positive, with both employers
and employees alike reporting improvement in overall workplace literacy skills.
More specifically, employers have reported improved workplace communication
and work quality.
The Workplace Literacy Fund is a related initiative. Operated by the Tertiary
Education Commission, it has supported over 30 Workplace Literacy Projects with
600 employees benefiting from participating in these projects.
The projects have all focused on providing solutions in the workplace to overcome
identified workplace literacy issues. They have provided foundation-learning
opportunities to many people who had previously missed out on these essential
skills. Many participants have achieved unit standards and credits linked to the
National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
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Outcomes and successes: Strategy Three – Manukau family literacy programmes
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Learning across generations can reap dividends. A good example is the Manukau
Family Literacy programmes which pilot a full-time (20 hours) wrap-around service
for families. The programmes’ four components (adult education, parent education,
child literacy, and Parent and Child Time Together) are delivered jointly on one site
by partners from the tertiary, school and early childhood sectors. The wide-ranging
outcomes of the first pilots (at Bairds Otara and Rowandale Manurewa) include
Maori and Pacific peoples with low or no qualifications experiencing their first
positive educational outcomes.
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Outcomes and successes: Strategy Three – driving and literacy
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Good foundation skills can bring multiple pay-offs, such as raising an individual’s
quality of life, reducing social exclusion and improving employment prospects.
A good example is the Wairoa driving licence advancement programme, which was
established in response to the high percentage of Wairoa residents driving without
a licence and/or driving vehicles without a current warrant of fitness and
registration. The benefits have far exceeded the original aims, extending into
behavioural improvements in road safety, child restraints, drink driving, speeding,
cycle helmets, literacy needs and attitudinal changes.
The driving licence advancement programme is co-ordinated by Wairoa REAP
(Rural Education Activities Programme) with funding from Roadsafe Hawke’s Bay,
the Land Transport Safety Authority and ACC injury prevention.
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Outcomes and successes: Strategy Three – Gateway
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Younger learners often face tough choices in making career decisions. They
frequently don’t have sufficient life experiences to be able to make informed
choices. What better place to try out those tentative first steps than at school?
Kaitaia College’s Gateway programme is giving students in Years 11–14 workplace
opportunities. The programme delivers two valuable outcomes. First, students test
their career choices in another learning environment – actual workplaces. Second,
they are assessed for their learning and so can make a start towards the
completion of national qualifications.
Ailsa Tini is the College’s Gateway Co-ordinator. She emphasises that the career
counselling every senior student receives is the starting point. Selection of
possible workplaces only occurs near the end of the counselling process. Ailsa
says one of the best features of Gateway is that if students—usually the younger
ones – make choices that unexpectedly turn out to be wrong, then they haven’t
burned any bridges. They’re still enrolled at school and can use the experience
gained to make better choices the next time. As Ailsa says, “It’s all about choices –
informed choices.”
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