This Summer saw the Basic Skills Post 16 Quality Mark being awarded to Nantgarw based TALK training. This was the company’s reward for its new and exciting Basic Skills Training programmes, which are being run with great success in both of the company’s Skillbuild centres in Blackwood and Cwmbran.

Jessica, seventeen, one of TALK training’s learners, who recently achieved three of her Basic Skills qualifications, said:

“I never thought I could do English or maths and now I know I can. My school teacher said I was slow and wouldn’t amount to anything, well, they were wrong I am doing really well and everyone helps you here”.

The Basic Skills Wales’ Quality Mark is central to the Welsh Assembly Government’s strategy for improving the quality of literacy and numeracy skills among adults and young people. It provides an important framework for the development and continuous improvement of schools’ and training providers’ learning programmes.

The quality of the Basic Skills programmes delivered by TALK training is evidenced by impressive pass rates. Since TALK training introduced their Basic Skills courses accredited by City and Guilds in March 2008, 72 learners have successfully passed, achieving, between them, 50 Literacy and 50 Numeracy qualifications. The feedback from students has been gratifying, Martin, eighteen, commented:

 “The tutors here are helping me learn more than I ever did in school. I didn’t learn much in school, but here I learn a lot of new stuff everyday, especially fractions, sums and words. It is different here, the tutors make it interesting and help me learn”.

TALK training’s drive to improve learners’ Basic Skills arose from its tutors recognising that a number of learners had poor literacy and numeracy skills and that this was impacting upon their overall performance. The decision was taken to assess all learners on entry to training, enabling the tutors to identify those in need of additional support.  Classrooms provide a stimulating learning environment (see pictured classroom at the Cwmbran centre) and tutors skills have been augmented by enhanced training.

  (The Basic Skills Post 16 Quality Mark)