Workshops Preparing for the Learning and Skills Council Norman Atkin, Wiltshire and Swindon Learning Partnership Key Issues: On engaging with LSC agenda: Partnerships can meet, decide on suitable plans, present those plans to the local LSC and ask them which they would like to buy into. This is easier when a relationship between the Partnership and the LSC has already been established. Alternatively, Partnershipscan do their own thing, build up their confidence, and then wait and see what happens. On the TEC resource for data collection and analysis: This function can become a core role of Learning Partnerships. Partnerships can take advantage if their partners, in the Connexions Service for example, to feed them with appropriate information, but it it important to know in advance specifically what information is required. On Learning Partnerships challenging quality: Partnerships can co-ordinate, share information between themselves about partner organisations quality audits. This requires mutual respect and a stance of 'critical friend' and can work on a small scale. It is an advantage if the Partnership board includes an LSC representative who can then take information back to the LSC. Learning Partnerships need to use subgroups as combined engine-room and delivery arm to fufil their delivery and strategic role.