PeopleServe’s e-Portfolio Capability Detailed in Online Case Study

By Lucie Juneau Patrowicz

PeopleServe, a ResCare company providing education, training and employment services across the U.K.’s West Midlands region, now offers learners the opportunity to produce NVQ portfolios electronically. NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications) are awarded to U.K. students who demonstrate, based on their training and an assessment of their work, that they have mastered the skills necessary to do various jobs.

Traditionally, students going for their NVQs have prepared paper-based portfolios. To provide students with greater flexibility – and enable both remote learning and assessment – PeopleServe applied for and received a Learning Innovation Grant (LIG) to purchase an e-portfolio solution. Awarded through the U.K.’s Learning and Skills Council, LIG grants support the development and application of innovative e-learning technologies. With the help of its LIG grant, PeopleServe purchased five laptops, five wireless 3G cards and a web-based e-portfolio system developed by Citrus Lounge, a provider of an online learning solution called OneFile.  

The new e-portfolio system that resulted is receiving positive reviews from both learners and NVQ assessors. Some students – particularly those living in rural areas – report that the system has removed a geographic barrier that might otherwise have prevented them from completing their programs. For assessors on PeopleServe’s staff, on the other hand, the ability to provide feedback online means that they no longer need to book appointments and reviews with learners and employers. The web-based e-portfolios can be accessed from any PC, 24/7.

Based on the success of its initial technology upgrade, PeopleServe has invested in additional equipment that makes the e-portfolio solution more widely accessible. According to Steven Bell, PeopleServe business finance manager and a member of the management team leading the e-learning project, the organization now has 70 wireless 3G cards, and all of PeopleServe’s assessors have laptops. To learn more about PeopleServe’s e-portfolio project, you can go to the case study published on the website of the QIA Excellence Gateway, an organization that provides U.K. educators with state-of-the-art information and support. The case study is intended to serve as a tool for other organizations interested in best practices in the e-learning field.   

PeopleServe, formerly Biscom, operates offices in Birmingham, Stafford, Walsall and Wolverhampton and is a key provider of government-funded welfare-to-work services. The company joined the ResCare family of companies in December 2007, and plans to expand its services across the U.K. ResCare, with nearly 35 years of experience helping people reach their highest level of independence, is one of the largest providers of home care to the elderly and those with disabilities. It also offers residential and support services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and provides education, vocational training and job placement for people of all ages and skill levels. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, ResCare and its 44,000 dedicated employees serve daily more than 65,000 people in 38 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and in a growing number of international locations. For more information about PeopleServe, visit PeopleServe.com. For more information about ResCare, please visit the Company’s website at ResCare.com.