Lifelong Learning Networks
Posted: 21 July 2008
Lifelong Learning Networks (LLNs) are a concept introduced and funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. LLNs aim to improve the coherence, clarity and certainty of progression opportunities for vocational learners into and through higher education. LLNs focus on demand-led curriculum developments in order to meet the higher level skills needs of employers within the region.
The West Yorkshire Lifelong Learning Network (WYLLN) is one of 30 LLNs across England. The WYLLN is a partnership of higher education institutions, further education colleges and other organisations throughout West Yorkshire all committed to providing quality vocational progression for learners to progress into higher education. All of the partners are committed to providing quality vocational learning opportunities to enable learners to progress into and through higher education.
One of the key focuses for the WYLLN and other lifelong learning networks is on improving information, advice and guidance on higher level skills for employers and vocational learners.
For learners and employers to make informed choices, they need access to good quality, comprehensive and impartial information and advice about progression opportunities into and through higher education and their relevance to the labour market.
The current information, advice and guidance currently available does not fully address the needs of employees and vocational learners at level 3 and above.
The WYLLN is putting processes and people in place to enhance existing IAG services in Higher Education Institutions, Further Education Colleges and Careers Services so that learners can be guided through the progression opportunities available to them.
The WYLLN has been working with Axia Interactive Media to develop IAGnow, a secure web-based IAG Management Tool which has been set up to enable the WYLLN to manage and track the progress of learners into Higher Education. IAGnow will track the learner journey from initial IAG intervention, into and through higher education and provides the opportunity to manage the IAG activities a learner receives across the network by giving access to a learner's previous intervention history.
Other key focuses for the WYLLN are around progression and employer engagement in 7 key industry sectors. Just one of the many activities the WYLLN is facilitating is developing Progression Agreements in order to establish clear and coherent routes onto higher education courses and provide vocational learners with opportunities equal to traditional learners following academic routes.
The WYLLN has funding available to support activities around Progression and IAG. For each commissioning round project proposals are invited which answer a brief specified by the WYLLN.
To find out more about the activities of the WYLLN and how you can become involved visit www.wylln.ac.uk or email wylln@hud.ac.uk
For information on the other lifelong learning networks and the activities they are involved in visit www.lifelonglearningnetworks.org.uk