Current work

Skilled to go – a toolkit for teachers that develops consumer skills knowledge and confidence alongside literacy and numeracy skills

Learning everyday consumer skills – a teachers toolkit

The OFT and LLU+ at London South Bank University have developed a free web-based consumer skills toolkit uses everyday consumer situations, such as choosing a mobile phone, as contexts for learning literacy and numeracy.

See the Skilled to go toolkit.

Developed for use in further education settings, the toolkit develops consumer skills, knowledge and confidence and has been successfully piloted in two colleges. The results of the pilot show that students made gains in consumer skills and knowledge and felt more confident in consumer situations.

Skilled to go is designed for learners at Entry 3 - Level 2 (Access 3 and Intermediate 1 and 2 in Scotland), and includes content for ESOL learners. It has tailored versions for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We have an ongoing programme to keep toolkit content current and intend to develop the toolkit's future potential by creating new modules, and adapting content for new audiences. 

Why further education?

This project is underpinned a firm research base:

• research commissioned by OFT which identified UK national consumer education activity
• extensive mapping of consumer education activity via different delivery channels, audiences opportunities and usage
• research into further education tutors' format and teaching preferences.

Further information on each piece of research is available and can all be downloaded from the Research page.

Getting involved

To help develop the module we have established a panel of experts across the UK. The role of the panel is to provide support and guidance to the materials developers. Many of our panel members have come from the Consumer education Alliance.

If you would like to get involved or find out more about this project please feel free to contact us.

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