Established in 2005, Funded by Learning & Skills Council as part of the ‘Working Together’ programme

Established in 2005, Funded by Learning & Skills Council as part of the ‘Working Together’ programme

• Established in 2005, Funded by Learning & Skills Council as part of the ‘Working Together’ programme

• Delivered a VCS management skills programme in 2005 to 77 learners

• 2005 Carried out action research with 100 VCS staff and volunteers to identify skills needs within the sector

• 2006 - 8 Community skills programmes including youth work, community development work, IAG, training trainers and assessors, health and social care, funds for 4 VCS organisations to achieve matrix standard, back fill funding for VCS groups

• 2007-8 Coordinated partnership delivery of ‘Now What’ programme of support to young people out of work, education or training

• 2009 – Train to Gain contract

Membership of VCS learning providers

• Membership of VCS learning providers

• Established in 2005 backed by LSC

• Has run four LSC contracts worth £350k

• Recognised and funded by NSP as strategic VCS voice on learning and skills

• Provides quality assurance framework for VCS learning delivery

Barnardo’s

• Barnardo’s

• CSV

• Wansbeck CVS

• Blyth Valley CVS

• Project Northumberland

• BCTV

• Volunteering Northumberland

• Shilbottle Skills Centre

• WEA

• Northern Learning Trust

• Barnabas Safe and Sound

• Age Concern

• Bell View Project

• Gateway into the Community

• Gallery Youth Project

• Berwick Family Centre

• LINKS Tynedale

• Adapt

Tutors / assessors and learning supporters drawn from range of VCS organisations and public bodies - sustainability

• Tutors / assessors and learning supporters drawn from range of VCS organisations and public bodies - sustainability

• Working together to raise awareness and responsiveness

• Economies of scale underpinning local linkages

• Strong links with community venues and excluded communities / diversity groups

• Partners in Connexions, schools, extended services, Adult Learning, regional specialists, Volunteering Northumberland, Northumberland Sport, Northumberland College

Berwick Family Centre

• Berwick Family Centre

• Project Northumberland

• Gallery Youth Project

• LINKS Tynedale

• Adapt

• Bliss Mediation

Every learner

• Every learner

• Skills audit and tasters

• Action plan and review cycle

• Ongoing mentoring through learning process

• Supported referral

• Partnership approach

• Access to placements for maximum flexibility

• Accredited progression-based learning from Entry Level to Level 2

As employers - apprenticeships and diplomas

• As employers - apprenticeships and diplomas

• LSC / NCDN apprenticeship pilot agreed by Lifelong Learning for community development and youth work – 2006

• Structured access to volunteering placements through Volunteering Northumberland and Learning Consortium, including Personal Best

• Community-based NVQ’s, mentoring, learning modules and technical support

Certificate – sized qualifications

• Certificate – sized qualifications

• Community-based personal and social development learning

• Community-based functional skills

As partners – with schools, Connexions, College, private providers, employers

• As partners – with schools, Connexions, College, private providers, employers

• Specialist provision

• eg young women into construction, ‘personal best’ programme support

• Learning disability support

• Alternative programmes

• No threat to school rolls – plus leverage of further funds

Progression Pathway to skilled work or an Apprenticeship

• Progression Pathway to skilled work or an Apprenticeship

VCS Learning Consortium has a voice on:

• VCS Learning Consortium has a voice on:

• 14-19 Strategy Group and its task groups
• Area 14+ groups
• Personal and Community Development Learning Task Group
• NSP Business Skills and Enterprise Board
• IAG task group
• ‘Whatever it takes’ NEET task group
• Removing Barriers to Work task group
• Regional VCS hub ‘Contracts Matter’

influence the skills agenda for Northumberland and contribute to strategic decisions on the provision of quality provision by and for the sector.

• influence the skills agenda for Northumberland and contribute to strategic decisions on the provision of quality provision by and for the sector.

• identify and simplify funding opportunities, facilitating the sharing and information within the wider VCS in Northumberland.

• work together to ensure that VCS learning opportunities are widely disseminated and provided in an accessible way.

• operate in coordination with other VCS sub-regional and regional consortia to join up activities for the benefit of the VCS as a whole.

• promote equality and diversity in all activities.

Real understanding of community issues

• Real understanding of community issues

• Trust built up over a number of years

• Good non-threatening environment – informal setting

• More flexible to learners needs and requirements

• Directed training, IAG, Support, Sector knowledge, Links, Empathy

• Local delivery

• Specialist knowledge of client group

• More person centred approach (empathy)

Risks?

• Risks?

• Short term funding

• Unrealistic targets (in relation to client group)

• Competition from larger organisations

• Gov Funding restraints

• Chasing same learners

• Chasing same funding pots

• Too many hard outcomes – restrictive!

• Government contracting strategies

• Focus, Funding, Resources, Staffing

• Opportunities?

• Funding (Focused), Partnership, Lead partner, Capacity Building

• LSC listening and responding to Voluntary Sector

• Access to contracts via VCS Learning Consortium

• Sharing good practice and skills via network

• Research as a lever to attract funding (NRDC & others)

Assessor training

• Assessor training

• Becoming a training provider (viability/cost)

• Funding for training, delivery of essential skills

• Staff Training, - Bid writing – Quality Assurance – Management Setting & Maintenance Standards

Making and managing consortium bids on behalf of VCS learning providers

• Making and managing consortium bids on behalf of VCS learning providers
• Offering a brokerage role for VCS organisations with multi-sectoral partnerships
• Offering small VCS organisations access to its accredited status
• Developing capacity to deliver new qualifications within the sector
• Concentrate on community-based learners
• Concentrate on VCS workforce development needs
• Perform as sub-regional element of regional initiatives

• Also:

• identifying higher level training
• More commitment from Consortium Members to influencing work
• Assessor training
• Support for more VCS groups to become training providers

What changing relationships are needed with:

• What changing relationships are needed with:

• VCS Consortium
• Contracts Matter
• New unitary arrangements / NSP
• 14-19 strategy
• NEWS network