Bearing in mind the aims and objectives of the catalyst programmes (e-SY.info, Pathways, Cluster Skills, Widening Participation in HE), the ICT sub-group continues to regard impact on the 14-19 demographic as a primary focus.

This focus is guided by the imperative, as endorsed by the European Commission funding of e-SY.info and Pathways, to transform the impact of learning on the attitude and readiness of young people for the world of work, especially in our key economic clusters – notably AMM (Advanced Metals & Manufacturing) and CDI (Creative & Digital Industries).

The ICT sub-group wishes to endorse the potential ‘virtuous circle’ of benefits that can arise from the rapid development of vocational programmes for the AMM & CDI sectors, which deploy ICT at the heart of their operations.

These programmes will not only fulfil their primary objective of creating a compelling learning ladder to enable sector specific skills acquisition and to generate employment opportunity but they should also

Engage sector employers with the potential of skilled school leavers
Reposition and revalue the Modern Apprenticeship proposition
Encourage ICT service organisations, such as RMBC, RBT and Health Trusts to reappraise the composition of their technical workforce
Introduce technical ICT skills in to the broader workforce, especially in SMEs
Strengthen the native ICT skills available in our communities
Generate completely new opportunities for entrepreneurs and employees in areas such as home technology integration

As evidenced by research from ICT industry voices such as CompTIA and Oracle, even in the relative downturn of the UK ICT sector since 9/11 and the dotcom crash, analysts have consistently forecast continued growth with emphasis on skills shortfall and economic opportunity on critical areas such as local service management and support engineering, relating to

Networks
Desktops
Databases
Applications
Consumer technologies

There is therefore rich opportunity and considerable synergy in the context of our overarching aims and objectives for ICT skills and ICT-based learning. It is self evident that such a focus on the 14-19 grouping will make a significant contribution to a range of associated and wider issues such as employability, progression and learning culture, which underpin the whole programme.

This will address major issues that impact on key targets. For example, from the Rotherham Community Strategy:

Aspirations for continuing education and employment
Key Stage 4 Achievement
Development of the 14-19 Curriculum
College / School links through enhanced curriculum
Employability including Basic Skills
Guidance including the Connexions service
Links with industry and key clusters
Links with HE

Much progress has been made by the LEA in understanding how a sharp and effective vocational focus can be introduced in to the curriculum for 14-16 (Years 10 & 11). Particular successes have included the introduction of short courses on high technology vocational themes, most notably fibre optics & cabling, and the engagement of girls in computer aided design and manufacture (CAD & CAM).

We wish to support the LEA in extending this foundation work to cover the complete 14-21 spectrum. The engagement of employers and the role of the colleges as downstream providers will however be critical.

The sub-group therefore proposes to leverage its own partnership and those built through such as the CDI programme and CENT in order to

Create continuity of opportunity through the Rotherham Colleges
Establish attractive progression opportunities in to HE
Introduce employers to these opportunities and their business benefits

Challenge 2 - the Connected Community

Broadening the community actively connected to learning through ICT is a primary objective of our strategy.

That community should be defined as inclusive of the full range of Rotherham citizens and their learning activities, with a primary focus on:

Adult learners – especially those who engage at local centres of activity
Parents – especially of early years and school children
Businesses – especially SMEs and those involved in placements

Such a pervasive objective would typically be regarded as an underlying and indirect outcome of other activity rather than as a target to be addressed directly and head on.

However, the commitment of RMBC to the concept of a Rotherham Grid for Learning changes that perspective, opening up new opportunities to address the engagement of the wider community in the possibilities of ICT in the shape of e-learning, e-citizenship and e-commerce.

The preceding diagram encapsulates the objectives of the Rotherham Grid in a view of the ‘learning world’ that extends beyond classroom and the traditional places of learning in to the community and in to the lives of individual citizens.

This is an exciting prospect, which could generate synergies that transform the uptake of ICT in the everyday life and business of Rotherham .

The challenge for the Rotherham Grid is therefore to identify and to achieve specific instantiations of this vision beyond the purview of the local authority. For example:

This undertaking will involve extensive partnerships, innovative service models and flexible supply chains. The ICT Sub-group therefore recommends that these challenges should be addressed at the earliest opportunity in the form of pilot services that demonstrate the boundaries of this endeavour and establish the underlying issues.

Breakthrough Project 2004 - Connected Community Pilots

Our key challenges are typically addressed through highly developments, delivery programmes involving multiple initiatives integrated over long periods.

The ICT Sub-group therefore seeks opportunities to make these developments highly visible through tightly focused and ‘time boxed’ breakthrough projects. Such projects can have the added advantage of developing critical mass through concentration of energy and resources.

Breakthrough 2003 - CENT @ Magna

As proposed in its 2003-4 Action Plan, the ICT Sub-group therefore crystallised a number of linkages in the Centre of Excellence for New Technology, CENT @ Magna.

CENT @ Magna was used as a breakthrough project to exemplify many aspects of the 2003-4 Action Plan and as a magnet attracting key sub-regional partnerships (e.g. e-Leaning activity, Cluster Skills delivery and HE links).

This strategy appears to have been highly successful and therefore the ICT Sub-group is adopting the same approach to give form and focus to the key 2004-5 Connected Community challenge.

Breakthrough 2004 - Mission

The Rotherham Grid for Learning is endorsed in this Strategy for its potential as the key catalyst in joining up a number of initiatives relating to

Development of ICT skills and self-sufficiency in our communities
Spread of the culture of e-Citizenship and lifelong learning
Engagement of SMEs with the benefits of learning and of ICT
Enlivening of work based learning and placement experiences
Creating a technical platform for Rotherham ’s landmark incubation and Business Vision Centre projects

It is however essential to establish the reality of the opportunity by converting principle into practice. Experience of integrating network services gained through, for example, the Grid schools rollout, the People’s Network library service and the e-SY.info e-learning facilities for SMEs, demonstrates that there will be a range of technical, commercial and service issues that can only be addressed by running a pilot.

Our Breakthrough Project for 2004-5 aims therefore to link at least three exemplar networks (e.g. learning providers, communities, businesses) directly to the Rotherham Grid for Learning for a pilot period. For example:

A community wireless network – e.g. Dinnington
A business involved in learning – e.g. the Music Factory
An RMBC incubation centre – e.g. Moorgate Crofts
A public library
SuperJANET connected Further & Higher Education providers – such as Thomas Rotherham College & Sheffield Hallam University
A work based learning provider – e.g. Morthyng
An NHS facility such as a hospital or GP facility – e.g. the Millennium Centre where learning already takes place

Introducing our Strategy
In 2003-04 we began a three year journey and it is therefore important to stick to the task in hand to maximize these opportunities.

Download the introduction by Giles Pepler, Principal, Thomas Rotherham College Chair of the ICT Group & Dawn Rowley, RMBC Vice Chair, ICT Group. Download PDF

Download the full overview of the ICT Group Strategy for 2004-05 issued in July 2004. Download PDF

Working with Local Initiatives
The ICT sub-group has established partnerships with a number of unique local initiatives during the first year of its strategic plan.

CENT @ Magna – The Centre of Excellence for New Technologies is a specialist training centre for ICT and creative digital skills, with outstanding facilities for Apple, Cisco (including wireless) networking and Microsoft ICT certifications and for CAD/CAM.

The CDI Cluster Skills Partnership – A consortium of the Rotherham Colleges , RMBC and Sheffield Hallam University is contracted to establish the Centre of Digital Specialism under the LSC cluster skills programme.

Microsoft Local Academies & Test Centres – The e-SY.info programme has established facilities for training and testing in Microsoft Office skills in a number of schools and colleges across Rotherham .

Rotherham Learning Grid – The development through the RBT public private partnership of the Learning Grid model to include Rotherham primary and secondary schools has been the first step towards a more ubiquitous community-wide grid.

Engagement of local employers – The local partnership is developing relationships with local employers who can make a unique contribution to the growth of ICT-based learning in Rotherham , including the Music Factory and NCS Pearson

The Business Vision Centre - RMBC is working to establish a visionary business service centre for enterprises using ICT, e-commerce and digital media, as part of its business incubation and support strategy for the knowledge economy. RMBC is now seeking business partners to shape the product and service offerings of the Centre, which will include skills and 14-19 programme links.