The National Careers Service provides a place to keep your career development resources safe and to hand - it's called the Lifelong Learning Account(LLA). The LLA aims to help people: Store their Skills Check, CVs, and course searches; Keep a Learning Record - to store details of their qualifications; View their Learner Statement - which shows any funding that they may have received, as well as providing access to job profiles and market intelligence, and links to helpful resources.
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2. Lifelong Learning Account (LLA)
The LLA is a free, private and secure on-line
career planning environment allowing users to
plan and keep a record of their learning
throughout their life while supported by a variety
of free on-line tools and resources to help them
develop their skills and job/career goals
Lifelong Learning Account (LLA)
The LLA is a free, private and secure on-line
career planning environment allowing users to
plan and keep a record of their learning
throughout their life while supported by a variety
of free on-line tools and resources to help them
develop their skills and job/career goals
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3. Lifelong Learning Account (LLA)
A Lifelong Learning Account is a free, online resource open to all
adults aged 16 + in England. Its aim is to support registered users
with their career management; help them understand and plan their
learning and skills development; help them gain employment by
understanding their strengths and capabilities; and encourage them
to continue lifelong learning to improve their lives and/or meet their
needs or interests.
The LLA enables individuals to access a range of on-line tools and
information to match their personal circumstances and needs – all of
which can be saved in a private, secure and easily accessible space.
The LLA can be accessed through the National Careers Service
website at: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/account/
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4. LLAs: Background
The LLA was launched in October 2011 by the then Minister for
Skills and Lifelong Learning, John Hayes. To date there are over
700,000 registered users.
The LLA is there to encourage people to take further steps in
learning and is not designed as a funding mechanism. It is a key
source of information on learning and information of funding for
learning including Government backed loans.
The aim is to get more people into learning and understand what
motivates people on a learning journey, with a view, over time, to
change attitudes and develop a national culture for lifelong learning.
The LLA is a development resource which benefits learners,
potential learners, education sector providers, Government - and also
employers and businesses. It helps people to get improved career
development opportunities i.e. information on jobs and promotes
career advice and guidance to help them get on in work and life.
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5. Government Policy – links to LLA (2010/13)
Skills for Sustainable Growth (Nov 2010) - vision for reform of
the FE and skills system to improve workforce skills, the performance
of the economy and engagement in learning
Growth Plan (March 2011) & Autumn Statement 2011- Creating
a more educated workforce that is the most flexible in Europe
New Challenges, New Chances (Dec 2011) - range of services
and support available to young people and adults to identify
opportunities and make informed choices
Launched National Careers Service (NCS) and published “The
Right Advice at the Right Time” (5 April 2012) - strategy for career
Information, Advice and Guidance
Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills (3 April 2013) - action
plan to update skills priorities for England to make the system more
rigorous & responsive to need
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6. Rigour and Responsiveness (April 2013)
The new skills strategy, Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills,
provides an update to New Challenges, New Chances, summarising
four main areas: Raising Standards, Reforming Apprenticeships,
Creating Traineeships and Meaningful Qualifications.
Launching the strategy, Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said:
“…Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills …sets out how we are
reforming our skills system to help people reach their potential to
compete in the global race....”
The LLA feeds into several of these measures, for instance, by
matching the data captured on registered users with their learning
data, we can formulate a picture of how people move through the
system of advice and guidance, and by so doing, help improve the
quality of what is offered to meet learners’ needs.
7. Lifelong Learning Account (LLA)
Through the
National Careers
Service customers
can open a
Lifelong Learning
Account
Through the National Careers Service (NCS)
adults (from 16+) can open a
Lifelong Learning Account (LLA)
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9. The NCS offer and the LLA offer
National Careers Service (NCS)
The NCS provides quality career
information, advice and guidance.
The offer is delivered through a
website, helpline and web-chat
service for young people and adults,
and face-to-face support for adults
aged 19+ (or 18+ if seeking work).
It includes a range of FREE on-line
resources, including a CV builder, a
tool to assess an individual's skills;
a directory of vocational training and
learning opportunities; national and
local labour market intelligence;
information on jobs and work, and
access to the LLA
These resources and on-line tools
are also available to LLA users.
The LLA is a FREE resource for all
adults aged 16+, resident in
England.
It offers, account holders, an on-line
space to store all the outputs from
utilising the NCS on-line tools - in
one secure and easily accessible
place, and allows users, if they so
wish, to share their outputs with their
careers adviser, or provider.
The LLA can be accessed directly or
via the NCS site.
Through feedback, the LLA is
continually being enhanced. It is
envisaged it will become a valuable
lifelong learning resource for all
those aged 16+
Lifelong Learning Account (LLA)
10. What will your LLA do for you?
Develop your CV
Help you create a professional-looking CV using an easy-to-
understand process
Your skills needs
Identify the skills you have, using the online assessment tools
Match your skills to possible job roles
Plan/manage the information to help you make the right
choices
Share this information with learning providers and advisers
Find a course
Help you to choose the right course
Funding for learning
Find out if you can get funding
Track how much money you and the Government have spent
on your recent learning
Your achievements
Record and access your qualifications
Share your achievements with others
Create an action plan based on your skills and achievements 10
11. LLA is quick to open and easy to access
LLA – is quick to open (only takes a few minutes):
Step 1. Go to: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/account/
Step 2. Click on ‘open an account’ at the top of the page
Step 3. Complete the next 5 steps to open an account
Available:
LLAs are available to adults (aged 16+), there is no upper age limit.
Accessible:
Users can access their LLA and/or register for one via various
routes (JCPs, NCS Advisors), including though online web
access, text, email services and by letter too. The user can
choose. This means LLAs are accessible to those for whom web
access is difficult.
A new Mobile Website has been launched to provide additional
online access for new and existing customers i.e. allowing access
to the career on-line tools and resources.
The LLA will continue to develop, adapting and reaching out to as
wide a range of account holders as possible i.e. using phone
applications (where broadband access is unavailable), through
social media and other technology, adopting a flexible approach
to meet the account holders’ preferences.
12. LLA (via the NCS): Free Resources & Tools:
Skills Health Check: an assessment of strengths, skills, abilities,
development areas - results in a diagnostic report from which an Action
Plan can be produced
Course Finder: view courses available in your area, enabling users
to choose the provider, course, location and time that suits their needs
Eligibility Checker: provides an indication of Government funding
contribution and support towards an individual’s chosen learning
Personal Learning Record: verified data containing details of user’s
past achievements/qualifications, and their current participation data, and
also a space to record other skills & experience
The CV Builder: helps individuals to create their own C.V step by
step. Users can create several different CVs for different jobs or sectors
Learner Statement: shows funding Government has put towards an
individual’s learning. Can include learner contributions
Information on careers & learning: 750 Job profiles, Labour Market
intelligence, case studies, and videos
Skills Health Check: an assessment of strengths, skills, abilities,
development areas - results in a diagnostic report from which an Action
Plan can be produced
Course Finder: view courses available in your area, enabling users
to choose the provider, course, location and time that suits their needs
Eligibility Checker: provides an indication of Government funding
contribution and support towards an individual’s chosen learning
Personal Learning Record: verified data containing details of user’s
past achievements/qualifications, and their current participation data, and
also a space to record other skills & experience
The CV Builder: helps individuals to create their own C.V step by
step. Users can create several different CVs for different jobs or sectors
Learner Statement: shows funding Government has put towards an
individual’s learning. Can include learner contributions
Information on careers & learning: 750 Job profiles, Labour Market
intelligence, case studies, and videos
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13. Benefits to Government
It is envisaged that the LLA will increase the numbers going
into learning and over time
create a national culture of lifelong learning
Individuals are empowered to make better, more informed
decisions regarding their learning and career choices – resulting in a
skilled & employable labour force
The LLA by providing key data sets can help in the formulation of
policy, and/or allocating resources/funds. Datasets include:
Typical learner characteristics
Sources of awareness to learners, and/or about learners
Most popular courses
Details of how and how often the LLA is used
Most frequent customer journeys
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14. Contd/.. Benefits to Government
More informed learners who are more likely to take advantage
of the adult learning offer, driving up recruitment, retention and
demand led provision
Moving toward helping with fast-tracking of learners at
enrolment through access to eligibility checks for funding and
support with the cost of learning
Individuals who are able to support themselves at various
levels and points on their journey
A resource to support staff development and provide evidence
towards quality improvement plans and self assessment reports
required by the Common Inspection Framework
More information about learners’ needs. A demand led sector.
Enables providers to identify progression opportunities and keep
individuals engaged in learning
Increased interest in learning and improved market for
learning opportunities
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15. There has been a steady growth in the rate accounts are opened (March 2013).
We know a good deal about these registered users (some stats below), for
instance, how many people get an account, how many use an account and we
also know, through trials, the reactions of LLA holders to nudging through emails
and SMS Messaging.
LLA Story so far
Region
13%
7%
10%
5%
11%
8%
16%
7%
12%
11%
East Midlands
East of England
Greater London
North East
North West
Other
South East
South West
West Midlands
Yorkshire & the Humber
Current Level of
Qualification
9%
8%
14%
28%
19%
22%
No Qualification
Entry Level
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4 +
Age Band
2%
9%
19%
57%
13%
Unknown <0.5%
Under 18
18-19
20-24
25-49
50+
Unknown
16. LLA current and future developments
Through user feedback the LLA is, and continues to be, enhanced to
meet users’ expectations, to add value for the user and to align to, or
provide links to other on-line provisions (such as Facebook), and via
the NCS with other government policy areas such as 24+ Advanced
Learning Loans, Apprenticeships, National Citizens Service, Working
for Yourself (i.e. Business in You) and others, in order to retain
existing and attract new users.
Account user’s privacy and security is paramount. The system
adheres to the Data Protection Act and guidance from the
Information Commissioner. By registering to use the LLA, users’
data can help in policy development, as well as help tailor the LLA to
the user’s needs and/or provide a better service.
“Nudging” activity (aimed at encouraging users to take control of
their development) continues, as there has been some evidence that
targeted nudging of users to use the NCS careers tools i.e. CV
builder, Skills Health Check has some effect on behaviour and
benefit.