A project exploring the use of a social enterprise to support Foundation learners to develop confidence and opportunities to acquire and develop personal and transferable skills to help them succeed.
The focus of the project was to create a learning environment to allow students with learning difficulties and social issues to undertake a range of real work experience tasks, to develop personal and transferable skills. The researchers identified the need to gain experience of dealing with real people, real money, and tackling real problems, within a supportive and supported environment, to develop skills useful to them in the future.
The enterprise developed citizenship skills and students and staff alike felt they were giving something back to the wider community and gained a sense of well being.
Students gained increased confidence in a range of tasks including literacy, numeracy, working with people, solving problems. Literacy and numeracy skills were developed in a realistic, contextualised setting, regularly repeated so as to consolidate students learning more effectively.
The enterprise raised awareness of equality and diversity through the choice of flowers each week according to selected themes, linked to specific weeks in the equality & diversity calendar. The enterprise helped a wider range of staff and students understand issues relating to learning need and disability. Data was gathered from observations of practice.