"Open Learning Credits" and "Open for Learning" are two major initiatives funded by the United Kingdom's Employment Department and managed by the British Association for Open Learning. Both initiatives involve the empowerment of learners through providing access to vocational open and flexible learning. In one, unemployed learners receive a credit or vouchers to negotiate and buy their own open learning programme. In the other, local libraries make open learning packs available for learners to borrow, and set up learning resource centres. Both initiatives have been the subject of independent evaluations and judged to be highly successful.