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Tribal has provided consultancy services for an LSC in the North of England. We offered support in: 

• delivery plan 
• audit of teacher capacity 
• support for work-based learning providers.

Support for the delivery plan

We advised on the development of the LSC’s strategy and delivery plan. The work included: 

• devising a set of key objectives 
• defining the role of work-based, workplace, college and community providers 
• setting targets for increasing the numbers and qualifications of staff 
• breaking down the LSC’s overall Skills for Life target.

Audit of teacher capacity

Tribal was able to create a clear picture of the staffing resources available to LSC providers in the area, demonstrating that there was scope for basic skills provision to grow without intervention from the LSC. However, it was our view that without further capacity-building measures, growth was not likely to be sufficient to reach the indicative targets for both participation and achievement set by the Learning and Skills Council for 2004.

Support for work-based learning providers

With the aim of enhancing work-based learning provision in the LSC area, Tribal: 

• investigated issues and opportunities that enable work-based learning providers to meet the basic skills needs of learners 
• worked with six work-based learning providers to increase capacity and capability 
• provided training for work-based learning staff 
• produced regular briefings for all providers 
• continued to provide training in key aspects of basic and key skills delivery.

The longer-term aims of this were:

• widening participation in continuous professional development for all basic and key skill tutors
• preparing tutors to take up the new Level 2, 3 and 4 qualifications as they become available across the northern region 
• driving forward the delivery of basic skills embedded within vocational and other training 
  enabling providers to make a greater contribution to achieving the LSC’s 2004 and 2008 targets.

Support for workplace learning providers

Our support for workplace learning provision in the LSC area resulted in: 

• nine employers becoming actively engaged, exceeding the initial target of seven
• action-planning getting underway with all nine employers
• a range of providers – and different learning models, including learndirect – brokered into employers 
• strong links with ULRs and individual unions being forged in some companies 
  exemplar activity being mapped, including one employer who is now considering becoming a National Test Centre 
• employers considering becoming their own Skills for Life provider and/or delivering to other employers or local community.

The findings highlighted the need for:

• capacity-building amongst providers in developing relevant, customised programmes to meet employers’ needs
• providers to respond to requests for blended learning programmes and other creative approaches from learning providers 
• ongoing credible support to enable employers to finalise and implement their action plans.
  

Follow-on work:

Tribal and LSC Skills for Life and Workforce Development teams are now planning an implementation strategy to engage employers in Skills for Life.

Interim management - London South

Tribal has been commissioned by the London Development Agency, together with the five local Learning and Skills Councils, to undertake a feasibility study to examine the need and viability of a pan-London approach to qualifying and developing London’s Skills for Life teaching workforce. Having successfully completed the study in June 2004, Tribal has subsequently provided the business planning and interim management to put the pan-London Strategic Unit in place, and continues to support the activities of the Unit.