The Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning:
Involve and influence - Disabled staff seminars

 

Thursday 7 June 2007 Metropole Hotel Temple Street Llandrindod Wells Powys LD1 5DY

Tuesday 12 June 2007 Novotel Sheffield 50 Arundel Gate Sheffield S1 2PR

Monday 25 June 2007 King’s Fund 11-13 Cavendish Square London W1G 0AN

 

Do disabled staff have equality at work in the Lifelong Learning sector, what are the challenges for employers, how do we recognise best practice?

 

Without good data and information, it is impossible to know the extent to which disabled people are trained, recruited, retained and promoted within the Lifelong Learning sector.  It is believed that many disabled people leave the sector due to their disabilities. This may be avoidable.   Without disabled teaching and learning staff strongly visible in the work force we risk,

• discriminatory practices
• lost opportunities for role models
• wasting valuable teaching and other professional talent, and
• sending the wrong messages to learners,  employers and  communities.

 

It is difficult to promote positive encouragement for disabled people to enter the sector, or adequately to encourage and support disabled staff in the existing workforce to maximise their opportunities for career progression.  Disclosure and recognition of disabled staff is important, particularly in the Lifelong Learning Sector where staff have the potential to influence the experiences and attitudes of a wide range of adults.  In order to develop good practice in employing and retaining disabled staff, it is essential to understand how the sectors are currently managing the disabled workforce.

 

These seminars will give disabled staff, human resource managers and senior managers an opportunity to review and discuss the evidence provided to the Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning so far. They are a major opportunity to provide evidence and have your say in shaping the recommendations, interim and the eventual final report and subsequent guidance from this Commission.

 

We will be exploring the major themes for the Commission, which are:

 

• What are the barriers and success factors facing disabled people who wish to access professional training, continuing professional development and leadership and management training, to work in lifelong learning?

 

• To what extent does current legislation and policy impact on the recruitment, training, career development and deployment of disabled people?

 

• What is the current practice on recruitment, retention, training, career development and deployment of disabled people into teaching and learner support roles?

 

• To what extent do disabled teaching and learner support staff impact on the quality of teaching and learning, and learner experience in the post compulsory education sector?

 

• How do employee organisations plan for and manage issues of disability within their workforce?

 

Priority places will be given to disabled staff working in lifelong learning, Human resource managers and senior employing managers, and senior staff with responsibility for providing initial teacher training, continuing professional development and other related courses for staff in lifelong learning.

 

Arrival and Registration is at 9.30am.  The conference ends at 3.30pm.

 

For further details, look up:

 

http://www.niace.org.uk/conferences/Conferences.htm

 

Enquiries to Gurjit Kaur on 0116 204 2833; mailto:[log in to unmask]