Written Question · S2W-17797 · Session 2
Whether it will publish a list of the (a) learning providers who have enrolled in the new Individual Learning Account scheme, (b) number of…
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a list of the (a) learning providers who have enrolled in the new Individual Learning Account scheme, (b) number of learners that each provider has so far assisted and (c) organisations that have either refused to participate or withdrawn from participation (i) since the scheme started and (ii) compared with the original scheme.
The answer
There are currently 183 registeredILA Scotland learning providers, including further education colleges, highereducation institutions, private and community-based learning providers. Thisincludes a number of individual outreach learning centres formally registered underthe aegis of a single learning provider. A full list of the currentlyregistered ILA Scotland learning providers is available on the scheme websiteat:
www.ilascotland.org.uk.
Since the launch of the ILAScotland low income funding offer in December 2004 over 10,000 learners haveopened learning accounts. To date 3,500 learners have booked learning and 2,500learners have begun learning with ILA Scotland assistance. It is not intendedto publish information on the number of learners being assisted at the level ofeach individual learning provider as a matter of course, although information onthe overall number of learners assisted by ILA Scotland will be provided on aregular basis via the ILA Scotland website.
Learning providers are notindividually invited to participate in the scheme. The registration process isopen to any learning provider to apply provided they hold one or more of the specifiedquality standards. Registration is also subject to additional quality checks. Itis for each individual learning provider to decide whether to submit anapplication to participate in the scheme. There have been two applications todate from learning providers which were withdrawn before they had formallycompleted the registration process.
The eligibility criteria forlearning providers to participate differ significantly between the first ILAscheme and ILA Scotland. The registration process for learning providers is considerablymore rigorous and more restrictive for ILA Scotland than for the originalscheme, taking full account of lessons learned regarding quality assurancerequirements. This limits the number of potentially eligible learningproviders. It is thus not possible directly to compare learning providerparticipation in ILA Scotland with the original scheme.
www.ilascotland.org.uk.
Since the launch of the ILAScotland low income funding offer in December 2004 over 10,000 learners haveopened learning accounts. To date 3,500 learners have booked learning and 2,500learners have begun learning with ILA Scotland assistance. It is not intendedto publish information on the number of learners being assisted at the level ofeach individual learning provider as a matter of course, although information onthe overall number of learners assisted by ILA Scotland will be provided on aregular basis via the ILA Scotland website.
Learning providers are notindividually invited to participate in the scheme. The registration process isopen to any learning provider to apply provided they hold one or more of the specifiedquality standards. Registration is also subject to additional quality checks. Itis for each individual learning provider to decide whether to submit anapplication to participate in the scheme. There have been two applications todate from learning providers which were withdrawn before they had formallycompleted the registration process.
The eligibility criteria forlearning providers to participate differ significantly between the first ILAscheme and ILA Scotland. The registration process for learning providers is considerablymore rigorous and more restrictive for ILA Scotland than for the originalscheme, taking full account of lessons learned regarding quality assurancerequirements. This limits the number of potentially eligible learningproviders. It is thus not possible directly to compare learning providerparticipation in ILA Scotland with the original scheme.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S2W-17797 by reference.