Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
Putting the learner voice at the heart of policy

In 2006, SHM was commissioned by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS, formerly DfES) to establish and support a National Learner Panel (NLP) that would give learners a voice at the level of national policymaking. The NLP is a reference group consisting of a diverse range of learners drawn from across the Further Education sector – different ages (16–75), with different experiences and from different parts of the country. This built upon extensive work previously undertaken by SHM for the Learning and Skills Council’s Learner Engagement Programme and the Edge Learner Forum, our flagship learner voice project.

SHM works to ensure that panel members are empowered and motivated to influence policy and education initiatives by:

• creating a sense of cohesion that transcends the diversity of individual learners.
  
• implementing ways of working that are co-developed and owned by the panel.
  
• unlocking panel members’ personal motivations so that they are inspired to continue to contribute considerable time and effort on a voluntary basis.

Recent evaluation interviews with key policymaking organisations suggest that the panel is already:

• enabling learners to inform and influence the shape of policy and initiatives going forward.
  
• providing constructive challenge and directly impacting upon advice that goes through to ministers.
  
• shifting the focus and emphasis for policymakers
  
• improving understanding of impact of policy at grass roots level.

Building on the successful implementation of the National Learner Panel, DIUS recently commissioned SHM to manage the new National Student Forum, which will ensure that the learner perspective is similarly reflected within the Higher Education policy landscape.

For further information, go to www.direct.gov.uk/nationallearnerpanel

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