Remote Rural Learning Service

Over the last two years and as a result of Covid, many education and employability programmes for young people have been delivered through blended or online learning approaches. This has worked for many learners, however others still have recognised and well documented barriers to participating in education and learning. These include:

• living in rural or isolated areas with poor transport links or affordability of travel meaning travelling to a learning centre is prohibitive
• Digitally excluded learners that have difficulty participating in online learning (poor/no broadband or equipment, or lacking necessary digital skills)
• lack of availability of certain courses or training in their area.

Reconnect would like to address these barriers by commissioning a mobile training and education provision that targets specific groups, areas and disadvantaged people by taking the provision to them and supporting their participation in their area.

These groups will be identified in collaboration with The Education People and other key local partners such as Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Bidders will have to have good local knowledge and relationships to enable this targeting. We would like to see innovative ideas, for example a converted vehicle or similar, to ensure that the service can reach all communities. Due to the short timescales, the bidding organisation will be required to demonstrate their ability to mobilise through a clear, realistic, and unambiguous mobilisation and delivery plan.

The focus of this provision should be offering programmes that re-engage 16-25-year-old young people with learning and training opportunities. Progression should be into further education or employment. We would like to see a range of subjects including, English, maths, employability and vocational courses linked to local employment, due to timescales, we are open to other suggestions for delivery options. We would like delivery to be in enough locations that students are able to access several sessions over the course of 4 weeks. Ideally, the bidder will work with The Education People (TEP) and other agencies, during the mobilisation period to identify a minimum of 4 locations to deliver in to allow a minimum of 1 month's delivery for each student.

Locations to be chosen in negotiation with the provider, however Suggested locations for delivery of the project include:

• Longfield
• New Ash Green
• Vigo
• Eastchurch, Warden / Leysdown
• Any rural location in West Kent

Service delivery should not be a series of taster sessions in many locations, study programmes should consist of enough sessions to gain qualifications or modules in English, maths or a vocational area linked to the local economy. Employability and other sessions may be included but should not form the majority of a learner's programme.