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Research Tenders

Personal Effectiveness and Employability Through the Arts (PEETA)
Specification for External Evaluation

Background

PEETA is a pan-European project funded by a Transfer of Innovation Award via the EU Lifelong Learning Programme and a donation from the Medicor Foundation in Lichtenstein.

The innovation being transferred is Supporting Employability and Personal Effectiveness (SEPE), a new BTEC qualification being offered by Edexcel and Superact. The SEPE award is designed to help those who may find accessing traditional routes to employability challenging, to build confidence and gain a meaningful qualification. It is also hoped that in taking this qualification students will develop a passion for learning through the unique holistic delivery of this course. These qualifications are designed to help learners to gain and retain a job, and then to advance in the workplace, through development of the soft skills that employers are looking for: adaptability, a ‘can do’ attitude and objectivity about strengths and weaknesses. The SEPE award is designed to help those who may find accessing traditional routes to employability challenging, to build confidence and gain a meaningful qualification. It is also hoped that in taking this qualification students will develop a passion for learning though this is not the primary objective.

The qualification is being tried in five prison settings across Europe: Netherlands and Italy (completed) and Portugal, Austria and Turkey (just getting underway). In each country there is a project partner responsible for the delivery of the Award in a prison. As the lead partner, Superact is responsible for project management and the training of the in-country artists working in each prison.

The project ends with an international conference in the Netherlands next September. Further details on the award and some initial feedback from Italy and the Netherlands can be found in the attached ‘Case Study’ note and via the project website

Full details of this evaluation can be downloaded here (doc 1.25Mb)


Government opens up contracts to small business

The Government has announced a package of measures to open up Government contracts to small companies, charities and voluntary organisations. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-opens-contracts-small-business

Key measures include:

  • The launch of a Contracts Finder website where all public sector contracting opportunities over £10,000 will be publicised.
  • Seeking to eliminate PQQs (Pre-Qualification Questionnaires) for all central government procurements under £100,000.
  • Publication of the findings of the Cabinet Office’s LEAN Review into procurement processes

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