The report reveals how England’s shifting regional policy has hampered skills provision and collaboration between education institutions, businesses and government.
Mapping the Course: Education Partnerships for Continuous Skills presents and promotes innovative strategies that can enhance collaboration among education providers, businesses, and local governments. Ultimately, such collaboration can increase access to skills and training opportunities.
The report provides an in-depth overview of the policy landscape influencing partnerships among education providers and business stakeholders, examining how various policy approaches have allocated responsibilities for skills and training strategies among local governments, educational institutions, and businesses.
A recording of the online panel event for the launch of the report can be found here.
Lifelong learning and collaboration
The report builds upon the University’s commitment to lifelong learning and collaboration with further and higher education partners in the North East.
Professor Jane Robinson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Engagement at Place at Newcastle University commented on the timeliness of the report: “We are at a pivotal moment in our approach to skills. It has never been more important for us to co-ordinate activity to meet the needs of the future workforce. This timely report demonstrates that universities are well-placed to work in partnership with other providers, employers, local leaders, and learners to deliver opportunities for all and support growth across the UK.”
Professor René Koglbauer, Dean of Lifelong Learning and Professional Practice said: “The initiatives highlighted in the report demonstrate how Newcastle University ensures that its global professional and academic endeavours actively benefit the local economy.
“Our experience of working in partnership across the North East provides real insight for improved collaboration between education providers, employers, and government. The place-based collaborative initiatives we have pioneered can help position the North East and the UK as a global leader in education, innovation and regional-sectoral knowledge exchange addressing the challenges set out in the Industrial Strategy.”
Key recommendations
The report makes a number of recommendations for government, including:
- Encourage the formation of ‘Regional’ Education Partnerships (REP) to align with Mayoral Combined Authorities, to act as a ‘chamber of learning’ that can represent the tertiary sector (colleges, universities, and private training providers) with a single unified voice. The creation of a REP would foster collaborative decision-making around sub-national skills development and guarantee long-term stakeholder partnership commitments. This should:
- Act as a conduit between Skills England and MCAs to advise on holistic skills strategy.
- Work with MCAs to strengthen careers guidance and develop Lifelong Learning Pathways (LLPs) in anticipation of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement now scheduled for 2026/7.
- Map-out routes for how learners/workers can upskill by progressing within a place-based or sectoral network of education institutions.
- Develop a quality assured ‘skills passport and badging’ scheme for courses offered by North East education providers, to enable lifelong learners to have their qualifications recognised in the region.
- Progressively move away from LSIPs by supporting Skills England, in partnership with Mayoral Combined Authorities to develop place-based skills strategies in devolved areas as part of the national drive towards greater devolution.
- Give a representative voice to individuals as members of the labour force, learner pool, and residents by including trade unions, students’ and learners’ associations, and community organisations in regional skill improvement strategy.
We are at a pivotal moment in our approach to skills. It has never been more important for us to co-ordinate activity to meet the needs of the future workforce.
Professor Jane Robinson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Engagement at Place at Newcastle University