Learning, Skills and Worklessness

“Wavehill's professionalism, ability to grasp issues quickly and awareness of the post-16 sector gave the contract manager complete confidence in the consultants representing the Assembly when dealing with senior representatives, e.g. Chief Executives and Principals of the participating organisations”

Wavehill has worked within all levels of the learning sector ranging all the way from pre-school education to adult continuing learning (ACL).

We have established ourselves as a key provider of consultancy services to bodies involved in the policy development, strategic management and delivery of learning and skills.

Our recent work has involved linking community learning with economic inactivity, and wider area regeneration. We are currently evaluating a number of projects designed to reduce disaffection and disengagement amongst key learner groups, most notably NEETs.

Projects

• Higher Level Skills

  Evaluation of the LSC funded 'Higher Level Skills' with the emphasis on many issues including raising awareness , a recommendation for a quality system for the partnership to take forward and the identification of best practise for the future.
  Client: Community Learning and Skills Service (CLaSS)

• Evaluation of the Merthyr Neighbourhood Learning Centre and Bridges to Work

  Both these pieces of work involved programmes that worked especially well with young people from a range of backgrounds who were disengaged, disaffected or at risk of becoming so.
  Client: Merthyr County Borough Council

• Equality in the Workplace

  Workforce Futures - A pilot project funded under ESF EQUAl to examine methods to promote increased equality in the workplace, particularly focussing on Skills Development in SMEs.
  Client: South London EQUAL Partnership

• Evaluation of Youth First Project

  A scheme which provides support to young people at risk of, or already excluded from society in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. Our methodology was designed to be as inclusive as possible and we successfully consulted with nearly 200 young people who had been supported by the scheme as well as the programme managers and delivery teams.
  Client: Carmarthen County Borough Council

• Evaluation of the Train 2 Gain Pilot

  Wavehill commissioned a study to support the wider evaluation of the Employer Training Pilot (ETP) Valuable Skills pilot programme. This was the pilot project for the Train 2 Gain programme that is now in use across England.
  Client:Derbyshire, Nottingham & Leicester LSCs

• Evaluation of Dysgu Gyda'n Gilydd Community Learning Programme

  A programme which targeted hard-to-reach groups and traditional non-learners in rural communities through the use of community 'animateurs' or community co-ordinators.
  Client: Aberystwyth University

• Swansea Training Pathways

  An evaluation of an ESF-funded project which has been providing specialist training to build capacity and skills amongst people working with young people in the voluntary and non-statutory sectors.
  Client: Swansea City Council

• Stakeholder Consultation: Recognising and Rewarding Excellence in Post-16 Learning in Wales

  To "explore the views and opinions of providers and representative organisations on recognising and rewarding excellence in further education, community and work based learning, to inform strategy development." Research was undertaken to enable DCELLS to prepare a Programme which would drive up quality and meet the emerging needs of organisations delivering further education and training, in light of emerging policy directives.
  Client: DCELLS