The coalition government has released two major consultations on skills – one on policy and one on funding. Their overall aim is to ensure smarter investment in the development of a skilled workforce to promote economic growth. The content of the two consultation documents is of much relevance to the third sector, both as an education provider and as a growing workforce; short synopses of the consultations are below. ACEVO and the Third Sector National Learning Alliance are hosting two events to produce a joint response to these consultations – in London on the 14^th September and in Sheffield on the 17^th September, both from 1400 - 1630. NAVCA is pleased to be hosting the Sheffield event and will also be submitting a response on behalf of members. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will be at both events.

Please email Nick Carey (nickc@acevo.org.uk) if you are interested in attending either of these events, stating the event you would like to attend.

ENYAN National Campaign 2010/11

This is your opportunity to take part in an Online Campaign Day that will unite the youth arts sector all at once and will be a notable activity on the ENYAN 2010 /11 campaign calendar- drawing attention to the new ENYAN National Campaign ‘Youth Arts Transforms Lives- FACT !’.

The campaign supports the Youth Arts Sector at this crucial time when changes to investment in the Voluntary and Community Sector are afoot. We are calling upon the Youth Arts Sector to fight its corner and stand tall in the sound knowledge of its ability to transform lives.

We are offering you (organisations from the charity, not-for-profit, voluntary sector, local authorities and creative commercial industries, practitioners, middle managers, senior managers, socially responsible young creatives, youth workers from arts venues, charities, youth service, local government, health & social services as well as freelancers, volunteers and young people aged 12- 25) the opportunity to take part in a number of campaign initiatives- one of which is an Online Campaign Day.

ENYAN can provide you with a flash animated banner, text and images to add onto the homepage of your web site ready for the launch on Wednesday 24th November 2010. The concept of the Online Campaign Day was reached when our campaign partners (ENYAN’s National Steering Group and Regional Advisory Panels) came to conclude that self managed web sites are far more common across the sector and more organisations and individuals have the ability to manage their own uploads.

If you have this self-management facility, or are able to work with your web site developers to take part in the Online Campaign Day, please state your interest via: enyan@artswork.org.uk or telephone the ENYAN Team via 023 80682 535.

For full information outlining the campaign background, aims, objective and programme, please contact: enyan@artswork.org.uk

Last year LLUK developed new National Occupation Standards for Learning and Development.  However current NVQs in learning and development will not be available beyond March 2011. There is an urgent need to consult on what qualifications would be appropriate to replace these in the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).  Please go to the LLUK website to review these proposed qualifications .

http://www.lluk.org/4665.htm

Lisa Vernon will be attending a consultation meeting on the 1^st of September. This

event will look at the importance of the national skills strategy for voluntary and community sector groups. Lisa would like to represent as many of the members of DLDC as possible so please let her have comments before that date. Please send short comments, examples of good practice plus any concerns you may have about the impact of the cuts on learning and development for the VCS.  Please email responses to lisa.vernon@consortium.org.uk

You can find out more about the skills strategy consultation on the Skills Third Sector website

The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee has announced that its first inquiry of the new Parliament will be into the New Local Enterprise Partnerships.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/business-innovation-and-skills/inquiries/the-new-local-enterprise-partnerships/

https://crm.lsnlearning.org.uk/user/order.aspx?code=100133

ESF-Works is the showcase and forum for policy and practice lessons from the 2007-2013 European Social Fund (ESF) programme in England. It is aimed at all professionals working in the areas of employment and skills, regardless of their European funding experience.

http://www.niace.org.uk/lifelonglearninginquiry/docs/Expenditure-funding-models.pdf

The report recommends a number of changes to “ensure that individuals and employers are driving the system, that co-investment from individuals and employers is optimised where it is due, that Government funding is used where it is needed most and that quality Further Education provision receives the total level of investment, from all parties, that it deserves.”

http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/i/10-1025-independent-review-fees-co-funding-fe-england

Most young people leave education well prepared for their first job, according to a survey of nearly 80,000 employers published today by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

http://www.ukces.org.uk/press-release/national-employer-skills-survey-for-england-(ness)-2009-full-report-published

Nominate charities and projects which are making a big difference in your local community. All eligible nominations will be reviewed by panels made up of staff, local people and community leaders, who will decide on a shortlist of three for each local area.

You'll then be given the chance to vote for the charity or project which deserves to benefit most from the Community Fund. The results of the voting will be announced in December and the winning charity or project from each local area will receive £3,000, with the two runners up receiving £1,000 each.

Follow this link to make your nomination https://communityfund.natwest.com/Home/About

Welcome to the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership Newsletter.

                                                        20^th August 2010

Please click on the stories below that you’re interested in, or on the link at the bottom of the page to view all new items.

New items include:    

Policy and Law

Equality Minister warns budget cuts could widen inequality

Legal Aid cuts put access to justice at risk

EHRC Draft Code of Practise on equal pay

Lib Dems expected to back gay marriage

Reports and Publications

Poll reveals widespread discrimination against people with learning difficulties

NCVO guidance on coping with budget cuts

Autism in adults diagnosed by quick, new brain scan

Runnymede report suggests that black Caribbean pupils are three times more likely to be permanently excluded from school than their white counterparts

National Equality Partnership publishes equality audit and equality impact assessment guide for the voluntary and community sector

Runnymede report on the Future Aging of the Ethnic Minority Population of England and Wales

Migrants Rights Network factsheet on expulsion of homeless EEA nationals

GMC seeking views on equality scheme

To read the all of the information, please visit our website

This will be sent out fortnightly to inform you of all the latest news and stories we think will interest you. However, if you would like to be removed from the distribution list, please email us at info@redp.org.uk.

‘Youth Arts Transforms Lives- FACT !’

ENYAN National Campaign 2010/11

Do you know of an individual whose work with young people in the arts has really shone, who deserves further recognition and would relish the opportunity to act as a Regional Youth Arts Campaign Champion?

If so, please get in touch as ENYAN (English National Youth Arts Network) is looking to appoint 3 Regional Youth Arts Champions in every English region, to help advocate for this years campaign and support the Youth Arts Sector at this crucial time when changes to investment in the Voluntary and Community Sector are afoot. Perhaps you see yourself as someone who could take on the role or you know of an artist, practitioner, youth arts officer or youth worker that would be ideal.

The role will involve you acting as a representative of the network at events and projects across your region, attending up to two ENYAN Regional Advisory Panel meetings (made up of regional youth arts specialists) and working with ENYAN to creatively draw attention to campaign outputs- such as the National Online Campaign Day (24th November 2010) and new Online Regional Campaign Resources. As part of our wider commitment to ensuring young people’s active involvement in the campaign, we would also be very keen to work with Regional Campaign Champions to involve young people that you/ your nominee is working with directly. You will both be featured on the ENYAN web site and the national e-bulletin for all 5000+ members to see.

To state an interest in the ENYAN Youth Arts Regional Champion initiative, please email: enyan@artswork.org.uk before Friday 10th September.

You will be asked to complete a nomination form and all nominations will be submitted to your ENYAN Regional Advisory Panel who will select the 3 individuals to represent the region.

For full information outlining the campaign background, aims, objective and programme, please contact: enyan@artswork.org.uk

The coalition government has released two major consultations on skills – one on policy and one on funding. Their overall aim is to ensure smarter investment in the development of a skilled workforce to promote economic growth. The content of the two consultation documents is of much relevance to the third sector, both as an education provider and as a growing workforce.

Third Sector National Learning Alliance and ACEVO are hosting two joint events for our members to enable us to work together to produce responses to these consultations – in London on the 14^th September and in Sheffield on the 17^th September, both from 14:00 – 16:30. We are hoping that policy staff from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills will be able to attend these events. Please email Nick Carey (nickc@acevo.org.uk) if you are interested in attending either of these events, stating the event you would like to attend. Places are limited so please book early.

BIS have today published a consultation on the future of the ‘right to request time to train’ policy – www.bis.gov.uk/time-to-train  

Please note the consultation closes on 15^th September

If you are a voluntary or community organisation based in Derby and need some help in the current economic climate, ProHelp can make a difference.  Their professional firms can undertake free one-off projects, such as feasibility studies, structural surveys, developing PR and marketing strategies and business plans, general legal and accountancy advice and property valuations.

Call Lezli Hall on 0115 924 7404 or go to the website www.prohelp.org.uk

Links in Chesterfield are offering free training for the following subject areas:-

• Basic account (booking form)
• Full cost recovery (booking form)

Places are limited so book quickly!