Engage and Enable: supporting Third Sector Learning and Skills

HTDC, as part of the Learn East Network of VCS Learning Consortia, is one of the delivery partners for Engage and Enable.

This is led by COVER and funded by ESF Technical Assistance to further develop its capacity building activities in the area of Learning and Skills in the East of England. The new project, called "Engage and Enable", will further progress the work of the previous, highly successful, "Working Together Capacity Building Project" which was funded by the LSC from 2007 - 2009.

"Engage and Enable" will support the role of the Regional Skills Strategy Manager who will be responsible for the management and delivery of the project. There are two key elements to the project which is designed to "engage" as many third sector organisations in the skills agenda via the local partnerships/consortia established under the previous project and to support their capacity building needs to "enable" them to be fit for purpose as learning providers in a sub contracting or prime contract holding role.

The project will run for two years and will also engage, at a strategic level, with all the new and emerging regional and national learning and skills structures and bodies including the Skills Funding Agency, Skills Third Sector and the Third Sector National Learning Alliance.

Engage and Enable will build on previous work to support and further develop sub regional and regional communication structures via Learn East, a partnership of the six county learning consortia/partnerships and COVER, to ensure that frontline learning organisations are kept informed and aware of the impact of the impending changes in the learning landscape

The project will provide workforce development activities including a bursary scheme for sector staff wishing to develop their learner support, mentoring or advice giving skills as well as local and regional events designed to bring organisations together to address the key learning and skills issues emerging over the next two years.

A regional advisory group of strategic stakeholders and organisations representing the sector, both geographic and thematic, will be overseeing the project and working to align its activities with the sectors "Working Together in Transition Action Plan" for which it currently has responsibility. This action plan was funded by an LSC project to support their Working Together strategy around increasing engagement and communications with the sector, more contracting opportunities, and greater understanding of the processes on both sides. You can read the action plan by clicking here.

For further information regarding the project, which will run until October 2011, or to sign up to the regular email circulation list for news, information and opportunities to be involved please contact Nikki Bennett, Strategic Skills Manager on 01799532888.