Rotherham Learning Partnership Text Only

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In this section you will find information about the work of Rotherham Learning Partnership, one of the five driving partnerships behind the Rotherham Community Strategy 2002-07

Real progress has been made in Rotherham over the last few years to shake off the image of an area in decline and build a new one, based on success and growth. Education and training has played a pivotal role in this development, but there is much more to be done right across the lifelong learning spectrum. Too many people in Rotherham still have low levels of skill and work in low paid jobs.

Rotherham Learning Partnership (RLP) is about tackling these issues by setting clear targets for improvement and enabling learning providers to collaborate with each other and with the business, community and voluntary sectors to achieve the greatest impact.

' Stimulating a culture of learning and development to ensure maximum benefit for local people and businesses’

We will do this by:
Working in partnership to foster a culture of learning and on-going development opportunities for individuals, businesses and communities.

Improving basic skills and employability to create a workforce equipped for new employment opportunities.

We seek to promote a culture of lifelong learning within Rotherham and across South Yorkshire. Our objectives are:

To increase and widen participation
To remove barriers to access
To facilitate diversity
To raise aspirations, standards and achievements of both participants and learning providers
To support innovation in both curriculum development and delivery methods

Our structure>>

The Learning Partnership draws support from a wide range of statutory and voluntary bodies from both the public and private sectors. At Board level, the following organisations are represented:

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Rotherham Chamber of Commerce
Connexions Service / Lifetime Careers
Further Education Sector
Jobcentre Plus
Local Education Authority
Private Training Providers
Secondary Heads
South Yorkshire Learning & Skills Council
Voluntary Action Rotherham
Workers Education Association

Serving the Board is a structure of sub groups overseen by the Learning Partnership Director, including:

Our strategy is to ensure that lifelong learning maximises its contribution to the work of the overall vision and five year plan of the Rotherham Community Strategy. We will achieve this through partnership activities, working closely with those responsible for Safe and Inclusive Communities, Wealth Creation and Health in Rotherham.

We are currently working on a Rotherham Learning Plan. The Plan will be funded through agreement with the South Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council, the Connexions Service and Rotherham Local Education Authority.

Early years education
Needs of ethnic minorities
Continuity, progression and retention
Key Stage 3 results
14-19 vocational agenda
Key Stage 4
Workforce development
Adult learning

Our strategy will reflect the driving principles that underpin the Rotherham Community Strategy:

- Ensuring that all learners, whatever their culture, race, gender, sexuality, economic background, age, disability and faith are able to access and progress within education and training and benefit from increased skills and knowledge.
- Ensuring that all education and training provision within the Borough is responsive to the needs of all learners, whatever their individual circumstances.
- Ensuring anti-discriminatory practices within all learning and training environments.

Access and Opportunity
Removing barriers to education and training, and developing innovative education and training provision that engages disaffected and non-learners and facilitates progression.

Providing learners from all backgrounds with the information, advice, guidance and support required to participate in lifelong learning.

Complying with the Disability Discrimination Act and ensuring that individuals and communities have access to learning and training in appropriate facilities and environments.

Providing community -based learning opportunities throughout the school environment using the Schools PFI project to embed the linkage between schools and the wider community.

Environment and Sustainability
Promoting environmental and health awareness in all education provision.

Providing learning and training opportunities for businesses in relation to environmental issues / environmental management to raise awareness and reduce impacts on the environment.

Creating and supporting lifelong learning as a means to secure sustainable employment and progression, and improved quality of life

Quality and Excellence
Ensuring quality, diversity and accessibility of education and training provision, and that people work towards nationally recognised qualifications that assist their progression.

Promoting an understanding of quality amongst learners so that they can recognise and demand quality.

Achieving quality assurance standards in all aspects of education, training and workforce development across employers, including Investors in People.

Delivering an excellent start in life for all and sustaining this throughout school.
Enhancing the skills and training bases of Rotherham's workforce.
Maximising participation in lifelong learning

1. Delivering an excellent start in life for all and sustaining this throughout school:

Rationalising and extending early years provision to meet the needs of children or adults wishing to increase parenting skills, or return to learning or work throughout the borough

Raising educational attainment and developing increased learning opportunities for all young people

Ensuring that the young people of Rotherham optimise on the learning opportunities available and are equipped with the qualifications, skills and motivation to become successful employees in a range of good quality businesses

Providing advice, education and training to equip young people and adults with the knowledge, skills and confidence to enter the emerging growth sectors and clusters in Rotherham

Ensuring a multi-skilled, flexible and well-educationed workforce able to drive the economy forward

Providing community based advice and learning opportunities to help those seeking work into employment;

Providing secure links enabling learners to access Higher Education and other specialist training provision

Ensuring that all individuals and communities are aware of, and can take advantage of the available learning opportunities

Increasing inclusion for all by removing the barriers that restrict an individual's ability to participate fully in lifelong learning

Measurable Targets
We have set ourselves some challenging targets for improvement. We will measure the achievements of our action plan using these targets together with a range of indicators.

Our Targets
Reduce the gap between Rotherham (43% in 2001) and the national average in terms of performance in GCSE 5A* to C passes at year 11

Increase the numbers of organisations employing 10 or more achieving or committed to IIP (Investors in People) Standard

Our breakthrough project is focused on delivering an excellent start in life.We are developing centres of excellence:

To improve the numbers of those staying on post 16 to go on to further and higher education

To improve the earning potential of young people in the local economy

The centres of excellence are:

CENT at Magna
Based at the award-winning MAGNA science adventure centre, the Centre for Excellence in New Technologies (CENT) will provide a range of facilities for both teachers and learners:

Work-based teacher placement
New Technology training for teachers to deliver work-related skills
Rapid prototyping and CAD/CAM
Using MAGNA to stimulate interest in new technologies
Innovative curriculum development
ICT Technician training to address the skills gap in Rotherham

All of this will support the generation of jobs and wealth in the Advanced Engineering and Metals Cluster, a high growth business sector.

WOMACK 13-19
The Centre of Excellence for 13-19 Work Related Learning, the Womack Centre, will focus on making the link from education to the needs of employers. WOMACK will co-ordinate the implementation of a range of innovative initiatives, including:

The Key Skills Programme, enabling learners to gain qualifications in work-based skills relevant to jobs

The Enhanced Curriculum Programme for:
- development of enterprise skills
- use of work place settings for learning
- increasing the involvement of employers and Higher Education

The Re-engagement Programme, addressing the needs of young people who have opted out of mainstream education or had difficulty engaging in it

The JET Programme and related programmes, enabling delivery of learning about manufacturing technology in schools

All of this will support the generation of jobs and wealth in the Advanced Engineering and Metals Cluster, a high growth business sector.

We have clear targets to support:
19 year olds
Collaborative Partnerships
Extended use of ICT

Targets for the RLP Breakthrough Project
The Centre of Excellence for 13-19 Work Related Learning, the Womack Centre, will focus on making the link from education to the needs of employers. WOMACK will co-ordinate the implementation of a range of innovative initiatives, including:

95% of 19 year olds to have adequate or better levels of literacy and 90% adequate or better levels of numeracy within 5 years

Participation in learning among 19 year olds in Higher Education to increase by 2% year on year

Increase in the numbers of collaborative partnerships delivering high quality education and training programmes in world class buildings developed through the Grouped Schools Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project and other funding streams

Increase in usage of ICT in schools, colleges and community settings to deliver innovative learning programmes