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Joint Letter
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Joint Letter27 September 1999 Learning Partnerships We are writing jointly to all our local partners to acknowledge the commitment and enthusiasm with which you have tackled the task of establishing Learning Partnerships. In common with earlier correspondence, this letter is being sent to all Chief Education Officers, College Principals, TEC Chief Executives and Careers Service Chief Executives. However, this one is also going to training providers and to schools (separately via an information note) many of which are already involved in Learning Partnerships across the country. You will all have seen the Government's recent White Paper, Learning to Succeed, which proposes a new framework for post-16 learning. The White Paper both endorses the current remit of Learning Partnerships and strengthens aspects of their role in reflecting the needs of their local communities. Indeed, it stresses that Learning partnerships will need to be "at the heart of the new arrangements" and that they will have a key role in ensuring that the new system locally is responsive. One of the strengths of Learning Partnerships is that their members have come together voluntarily and are working together towards the benefit of their communities. The White Paper acknowledges this and sees Learning Partnerships as a catalyst for local collaborative action, and an opportunity to provide a voice for local business, local providers and local learners. Clearly, their membership and focus need to reflect this, as well as the role they may play in strategic planning and development. The White Paper is partially consultative in nature and there are several issues on which Learning Partnerships may wish to respond - particularly around the functions proposed for them and the best way they can work with local Learning and Skills Councils. We encourage you to contribute to the consultation process by sending your comments to the DfEE by the 15 October deadline. Each of the national partner organisations will be responding and you may also wish to alert them to your response. Clearly, the results of that consultation process may have an effect on the roles and structures of Learning Partnerships - in relation to those of the Learning and Skills Council in particular. Learning Partnerships will need to be flexible and may need to evolve in the light of the boundaries and responsibilities agreed for local Learning and Skills Councils. The changes resulting from the White Paper consultation will have significant structural impact on two of the core partners - TEC/CCTEs and Careers Service Companies. TEC/CCTEs also have no confirmation of budgets beyond March 2000. It will be important therefore that Learning Partnerships recognise and are able to accommodate these uncertainties within their local planning. However, whatever the results of the "Learning to Succeed" consultation, Learning Partnerships can provide the stability and coherence we need to continue to make better provision for all learners. There is work to be done now and Learning Partnerships have a crucial role to play in driving it forward. The immediate focus for Learning Partnerships continues to be to bring coherence and co-ordination to local post-16 learning; in particular by:
There has been some uncertainty about the long-term role of Learning Partnerships in realtion to targets. The White Paper makes clear that, in order to maintain progress towards the National Learning Targets during the transition period, local responsibility will continue to be with Learning Partnerships beyond 2001 when the Learning and Skills Council assumes responsibility for the National Learning Targets from NACETT. Beyond 2002, when the Learning and Skills Council will advise Government on future targets, the close relationship between local Learning and Skills Councils and Learning Partnerships should continue with both bodies working together to translate the new targets into effective local action. We do not underestimate the challenge you face. We are all going through a period of fundamental change and change can be very uncomfortable. But we need to modify the way we work now to create something which will be more effective in the future. Along with Government Offices, we will all continue to provide support to Partnerships as they continue to develop throughout this period of change. Government Office regional networks are already proving a useful forum for the exchange of ideas. Learning Partnerships recently received detailed guidance on setting local targets and developing frameworks for action; the DfEE is currently leading production of further guidance which will cover the full range of tasks with which Learning Partnerships are charged. That guidance is due to be issued in early November after the completion of the "Learning to Succeed" consultation exercise. In addition, the DfEE has commissioned York Consulting Ltd to undertake a national evaluation of Learning Partnerships which should help inform their further development as well as to assess their impact and effectiveness. We will also be holding a major national conference for all Learning Partnerships on 27 October in London and will be sending out details shortly. Baroness Blackstone has agreed to give a keynote address to the conference and we hope that as many as possible of those involved in the work of Learning Partnerships will attend. In the meantime, we urge you to continue playing your part in ensuring the successful development of the Lifelong Learning Partnership in your area and in helping it to actually make a real difference in better meeting the needs of learners and employers locally.
Kate Anderson
Julia Bennett
Mary Lord
Eileen Manley
Alan Davies |
