Towards the Learning & Skills Council Professor Mike Campbell, Policy Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University Mike Campbell's presentation was essentially and introduction to Partnership for Success, a guide to partnership working, produced for the DfEE by Mike himself and Dr. Janie Percy-Smith, both from Leeds Metropolitan University. The guide is intended to help Partnerships to work in ways that reflect their own communities. The key issues in the establishment and maintenance of a good and enduring partnership are: gaining the commitment of the partners establishing a vision and a common purpose checking that the right partners are on board ensuring that the 'people mix' has an appropriate balance of skills and experience ensuring that the partnership structure is fit for purpose. Partnerships once built have to be sustained. This can be a facilitated though: focusing on results and celebrating success evaluating influencing others to raise learning up their aganda building capacity in the partners rewarding the partners, making sure they have acknowledged benefits. 'Many employers find it difficult to relate to the world of learning. You have to demonstrate that learning pays for them, if you are going to get them involved.' Professor Mike Campbell Leeds Metropolitan University