Empowering students, the future workforce

Basic skills is defined as "...the ability to read, write and speak in English (and Maltese for us here in Malta) and to use Mathematics at a level to function and progress at work and in society in general." (DfES, UK 2001)

Insufficient levels of literacy, numeracy skills and IT skills will greatly disadvantage the individual and the family economically and socially, and in turn affect society as a whole. Empirical studies have shown that adults with poor literacy and numeracy skills earn far less over their lifetime and are more likely to be unemployed.

As might be expected, basic skills receive considerable attention in most countries' economic and social reports. The Lisbon Education and Training Objectives for 2010 include provisions for "basic skills to improve literacy rates". It is for these reasons that MCAST has made sure from the very start that all our students have the opportunity to enhance these skills particularly for those students whose levels of basic skills are insufficient to progress in their chosen career.

The MCAST Basic Skills Unit started running from the very first term for students at Level 1 Foundation courses. Students without the entry qualifications at enrolment apply for these courses.

Each institute offers one or two of these Level 1 Foundation courses to offer students with no qualifications a second chance of fulfilling their potential by ensuring that progression routes are available and accessible to them too.

Literacy and numeracy skills levels are identified through initial screening assessment tests which provide an indication of the students' strength and weaknesses in Maltese, English and Mathematics. Once the needs and the levels have been identified any students that fall below the required Level 1 are placed in small groups, no larger than eight students per class and given tuition according to individual needs and levels.

Some students are given additional sessions to those they have timetabled at mainstream level but other students whose level is considered too low are actually withdrawn from the mainstream language/s and mathematics sessions put on an intense basic skills programmes in the small group.

Whichever system is used literacy and numeracy teaching is contextualised within the particular vocation area to make it relevant and interesting for the student who has often had a previously bad experience at acquiring these skills.

A considerable number of students who are given this assistance are then able to progress on to Level 2 courses and continue with the progression route of their choice. Apart from the formal assistance that is given to them at Foundation level some students come on a voluntary basis to ask for assistance in a particular area and Basic Skills Unit staff are on hand to help in any way.

The Basic Skills Unit, situated in the Learning Support Centre at the Learning and Library Resource Centre on MCAST's main campus at Corradino, has an open-door policy for all students. This policy also extends to part-time students and in particular students following courses funded by the European Social Fund (ESF).

These adult students are also given the opportunity to assess their level of basic skills through the initial assessment process and are given the chance to update their literacy, numeracy and IT skills alongside their vocational area.

This in turn will enhance their chances of employment. Once adult students experience the need for basic skills to be taught alongside their vocational skills, their need turns into a demand for basic skills.

This demand is often spurred by the boost in their self-esteem at feeling confident about their literacy and numeracy skills and by the fact that they come to understand what their children are up to on their computers at home. Some parents also feel proud that they would then be able to help their children with their homework through their newly acquired skills.

The success of the unit depends on the skills of the lecturers, the resources available for the teaching of basic skills to adult and young adults and the management of the unit. The teaching of basic skills demands a good level of pedagogical skills of the lecturer and constant updating of these skills.

It is for this reason that the BSU organises staff development for all its lecturers every year by choosing a topic to work on with local and foreign expert consultants. Last year two distinguished guests - Professor Greg Brooks from the University of Sheffield and Dr Peter Rudd from the National Foundation for Education Research - addressed the Basic Skills team.

The Learning Support Centre is very well resourced too with the latest materials on the market from such sources as the Basic Skills Agency, the Department for Education and Skills in the UK and our own resources in Malta.

Last year the BSU participated in the trailing of the initial assessment tools in literacy and numeracy organised by the Tools Library of the UK on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

Fifty MCAST students participated in the trial and permission was given to the unit to translate the numeracy test into Maltese so that our students would not be disadvantaged in Mathematics because of a language barrier.

The Basic Skills Unit also enjoys good working relationships with other entities that work in the same or similar fields, as for example the Literacy Unit (University of Malta), the Curriculum Department and the Department of Further Studies and Adult Education of the Education Division, among others, as well as NGOs working in the field.

At present the BSU, in collaboration with Paulo Freire Institute is running an Entrepreneurship Course for unemployed young people and organising sessions in basic skills, including life skills and financial skills. Such collaboration and participation in programmes enrich the unit and help widen its scope.

Globalisation and economic development mean that persons should continue updating their skills in order to remain in employment.

This process of lifelong learning (LLL) can only be achieved if the persons concerned have a good level of basic skills and feel confident enough with their skills to be able to embark on further learning and updating their vocational skills, even learning new ones as the old become obsolete to the economy.