Aim: Equality of opportunity and access to lifelong learning for all.

Unfortunately, a considerable number of people do not see lifelong learning opportunities as something for them. Many people, particularly those who are disadvantaged in some way, have low expectations for themselves and those around them. This is evident in North Shrewsbury (the most deprived area in the Borough), where participation in adult education is low compared with the rest of the Borough. One of the most fundamental steps will be to raise the expectations and aspirations of those people.

Important Issues to address

• Lower than average participation levels in hard-to-reach groups, particularly looked after children and those living within pockets of deprivation e.g. North Shrewsbury.
• Practical difficulties that individuals may have accessing the opportunities available e.g. lack of transport or childcare.
• Levels of truancy and school exclusions.
• Access to ICT and community education.
• Apathy about the benefits of lifelong learning.
• Integration with other services.
• Awareness about the opportunities offered by voluntary organisations and volunteering.

Key Objectives

• To raise the aspirations of parents for their children, young people for their future and adults.
• To encourage hard to reach groups to take part in learning. This may include using community, voluntary and other organisations, which have credibility within their communities, both to reach and support these people.
• To develop peer-mentoring projects.
• To improve school attendance by reducing truancy and school exclusions.
• To develop a young persons cyber café and create additional community learning facilities outside of the town centre.
• To extend ICT and community education access through on-line IT suites in local schools and mobile ICT training for communities and businesses using laptop resources.
• To meet the learning needs of all sectors of the community.
• To develop family orientated learning opportunities.
• To ensure that providers are aware of the needs of the community so that courses are designed and are provided in ways that are responsive to those needs - flexibility and informality are important for some groups.
• To look at innovative ways to improve access to learning e.g. help with childcare, develop local or neighbourhood projects, improve transport links, use ICT, etc.
• To develop innovative ways to excite and enthuse people (such as through creative activity), thereby encouraging more people to take up the opportunities available and to market lifelong learning in a way that emphasises the benefits for individuals.
• To explore the ways lifelong learning can be used as an integral part of the services offered by other agencies e.g. as part of rehabilitation or health programmes.
• To co-ordinate, market and support the opportunities offered by voluntary organisations and volunteering.

Actions

• Widen participation by focusing activity on those who currently have low aspirations and do not feel that lifelong learning is of relevance to them. Particular emphasis will be placed on reducing non-attending behaviour in schools (a 30% reduction by 2004), raising self-esteem and providing practical support (such as crèches).
• Establish mentoring services for young people in the Borough by the end of 2002.
• Develop a cyber café in North Shrewsbury by the end of 2002.
• Conduct research to find out whether there is a need for a 'Foyer' for young people within the Borough.
• Provide a community facility in North Shrewsbury to provide a focus for these issues.

Future Community Involvement

Although we have tried to involve as many people as possible in putting this strategy together, it is unlikely that we have managed to reach everybody. Monitoring

To include:

Links to other strands of the strategy

• The economy.
• Health.
• Social inclusion.
• Vibrant Communities.
• The environment.

Partners in Delivery

• Connexions Youth Support Service
• Community Development Organisations
• Community Groups and Organisations
• Employment Service
• Gateway Arts and Education Centre
• Learning and Skills Council
• Local Businesses
• Parish Councils
• Professional Institutes offering Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Schools and Colleges
• Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council
• Shrewsbury and Atcham Community Safety Partnership
• Shrewsbury Museums Service
• Shrewsbury Partnership for Education and Training
• Shropshire Community Transport Forum
• Shropshire Disability Consortium
• Shropshire Early Years Childcare and Development Partnership
• Shropshire Libraries Service
• Shropshire Local Education Authority
• Shropshire Probation Service
• Shropshire Records and Research
• Shropshire Social Services
• Shropshire Youth Service
• Through the Doorway Healthy Living Partnership
• Universities, including the Open University and the University of the Third Age
• Voluntary Action Shrewsbury
• Voluntary Groups and Organisations
• West Mercia Police
• Workers' Educational Association
• Youth Groups and Associations