The Regional Learning Partnership project - a cross sector partnership will bring together a range of organisations to improve collaboration and deliver more efficient services to drive forward skills, learning and regeneration in Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and Ceredigion.

The project will play a key role in bringing together partners from Higher Education, Further Education, the Third Sector, the Private Sector, Local Authorities, Job Centre Plus and Careers Wales West, to work collaboratively. It will also develop a Regional Learning and Skills Observatory to collect local and regional information related to the skills and economic needs of South West Wales.

A new e-portal will provide online information gathered by the Observatory to assist learners to access services, enable employers to identify skills and partners to share resources for the benefit of the region.

Supported with £1m from the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Welsh Assembly Government, it is the first project to receive ESF support and respond to the 'Making the Connections' strategy, aimed at improving the quality of public services. Further funding will be provided by the partners involved.

Contact emails:

ELID MORRIS: EMorris@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

IWAN THOMAS: iwan.thomas@wlga.gov.uk

DANIELLE HURLEY: danielle.hurley@wlga.gov.uk

SION RHYS ROBERTS: sion.roberts@cwwest.co.uk

Launch of The Regional Learning Partnership for South West Wales Website

The Regional Learning Partnership for South West Wales (RLPSWW) launched its own website on Monday 4th July 2011.

The RLPSWW is aiming to transform the way employers and education providers work across the south west Wales region to benefit all learners. The partnership covers the counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, and Swansea.

This dynamic-looking site is an easy to use tool to find out about the RLP’s history, aims, projects, achievements, partners and much more – all at the touch of a button. It will be regularly updated with applicable news items about RLP-facilitated activities and events, as well as providing access to the latest regional news affecting education, skills and the economy within south west Wales.

To visit the new website, log on to: http://www.rlpsww.org.uk/

Welsh Assembly Government Adult Community Learning policy statement launched - Delivering Community Learning for Wales

Ministerial Foreword:

One Wales: A progressive agenda for the government of Wales (2007) set out our vision for a society in which learning throughout life is the norm, where the people of Wales are actively engaged in acquiring new knowledge and skills from childhood to old age. Adult Learning is central to that vision and to achieving the Welsh Assembly Government’s ambition for a self-confident, prosperous, healthy nation and society.

Adult Community Learning has a role to play in supporting skills development for use in the workplace, in wider community development activities or in enabling progression to further and higher education. It also provides equally valuable benefits for individuals, families, and their communities, opening up new learning pathways and promoting social justice, health and well‑being. The value of Adult Community Learning lies in its potential to reach individuals ‘close to home’, particularly those who might not otherwise engage in learning. We want to focus public resources on helping those who have benefited least

from education in the past or who are most at risk of not benefiting in the future, either through lack of access, resources or other barriers. We believe that this is an important and worthwhile investment in individuals and communities.

This policy statement is made at a time of significant change as we transform education and training provision in Wales, in response to the Skills that Work for Wales strategy and action plan. We are also reviewing education spending across Wales to identify opportunities for redirecting funding to front line services. We recognise that throughout this change process, structures and systems will continue to develop but within this dynamic environment our Adult Community Learning priorities will remain fixed.

This policy statement sets our agenda for action for Adult Community Learning and acknowledges its importance in the post-16 education sector, and the contribution it makes to a range of Welsh Assembly Government priorities. It describes our strategic aims and defines the key actions for the Welsh Assembly Government and providers.

The full document in Welsh and English, is available to download opposite.