KSSP

Guides

These guidance publications are designed to help providers of work-based learning with the delivery of Key Skills. More guidance materials are available on the main KSSP website at www.keyskillssupport.net/supporting/publications.

Planning and delivery
Good practice guides that examine the most important tasks in assuring the quality of key skills delivery.

Getting started with key skills and Skills for Life: Guide to good practice (2006)

This guide focuses on introducing key skills and Skills for Life successfully to learners during the early stages of their programmes. It draws on the work of a research project that looked at providers who had addressed their apprentices Skills for Life and key skills needs from the start and contains examples from their experience.

Improving initial assessment: Good practice guide (2006)

This guide is aimed at anyone in work-based training who is responsible for learners during their first few weeks. It will help you to:

understand the value and purpose of initial assessment in key skills and Skills for Life
become familiar with a range of techniques for the initial assessment
plan an initial assessment system that is accurate, consistent and fair
check whether your organisation has all the necessary skills and resources.

Overall, the aim is to help you and your colleagues to guarantee that every one of your learners approaches their learning programme on the basis of a clear, accurate and fully rounded assessment of their skills attainments and potential.

Preparing for the level 1 and 2 tests

This is a revised 2006 edition of the former 'Preparing for the key skills tests' guide. It has been produced to:

take account of changes such as the introduction of on-line testing
extend the guide to Skills for Life as well as key skills

Using and adapting resources for key skills and Skills for Life

This is a good practice guide is for those responsible for key skills development within work-based learning programmes. It will help you to identify and adapt materials using existing resources available to key skills learners.

The guide is aimed mainly at key skills and Skills for Life teachers and/or vocational trainers including tutors with E2E learners. However, you may find that the help it contains is also relevant to you and your learners if you are teaching key skills in other settings.

Supporting skill development
Practical guides to how to help learners develop and apply key skills on work-based programmes. There is a guide to support each of the key skills units.

Supporting application of number

Many learners need help with aspects of the skills and knowledge needed for application of number. This guide explains how to support learners on developing and applying their number skills.

Supporting communication

If learners develop good communication skills, they will be able to read, write and speak effectively in their work and in other aspects of their lives. This guide provides practical advice about how to help learners to develop their communication skills.

Supporting ICT (2006)

Information technology has revolutionised the way that many of us work - but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Many of us who use IT waste valuable time by not getting the best out of the technology. This guide will help you to help your learners use IT efficiently and effectively.

Supporting improving own learning and performance

Helping learners to improve their performance should be central to your role as a trainer. Improvements don't just happen: learners need to know where they are going, how they will get there and what they need to do to make sure they get there. This guide will help you to think through how you can help others to became better learners - something that should be at the hart of every trainning programme.

Supporting problem solving (2006)

This guide will help trainers to hone their understanding of the concepts in the problem solving key skills unit. It introduces a range of problem solving techniques and shows how you can help learners to apply them effectively to practical situations in the work place.

Supporting working with others

Employers regularly state that the ability to work in teams, liase with customers and take responsibility are some of the most valuable qualities that they look for. This guide take a close look at how the key skills unit working with others provides a powerful framework for helping learners to develop and demonstrate these qualities in the workplace.

Understanding key skills
Straightforward publications that introduce the key skills to learners and employers.

Functional Skills in work-based learning

An introductory booklet about the functional skills.

The information in this booklet is accurate at the time of going to press (February 2007), but things will change and KSSP will continue to keep you informed.

Key skills - your way in to work

This is a new guide based on the 'Simple guide to key skills.' It is aimed at men in prison and young people in YOIs.

Key skills and modern apprenticeships - the employer's role (revised 2005)

This booklet is for anyone who employs a Modern Apprentice. It explains the ways in which the employer can give practical support to the learner as they develop and practise their key skills

Plan, learn and review - improving own learning and performance

This is a guide for supporting learners in planning and reviewing their learning in line with the key skill - 'improving own learning and performance.'

The simple guide to key skills

This booklet is for learners. It is provides straightforward information about the key skills in a format designed by learners themselves.

The value of the wider key skills in work-based learning

This booklet shows how the wider key skills can help young people to gain a job and move on to make progress in their career.

Managing key skills
Publications for the people responsible for managing and co-ordinating the delivery of key skills.

Case studies
Examples of using key skills to improve achievement in learning

Toolkits
This is a series of practical materials to support management and delivery of various programme components

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