The Regional Learning Partnership (RLP) in South West and Central Wales plans skills strategies and facilitates skills development across the region. It has three key pillars: partnership and skills brokerage, a regional skills observatory, and an e-portal. The RLP engages third sector organizations through representation on its groups and activities like profiling research and economic training. It also facilitates a regional employment and skills plan that identifies needs, coordinates responses, and supports activities across themes like engagement, employment preparation, and professional development. Moving forward, the RLP will conduct employer research, establish specialist working groups, update skills mapping, and contribute to the Welsh government's skills implementation plan.

1. Regional Learning Partnership
South West & Central Wales
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

2. What does the RLP do?
Regional Strategic Planning, Local Delivery
3 Key Pillars
• Partnership, Brokerage & Development
• Regional Learning & Skills Observatory
• Regional E-Portal
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

3. The SW&CW Region
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

4. Pillar 1
Partnership Brokerage & Development
• The partnership’s collective response to the region’s skills
challenges
• Regional Approach to the development and delivery of ACL
• HE / FE Regional Strategy
• Engagement with Sector Skills Councils
• Regional Apprenticeship Mapping
• Regional Third Sector skills collaboration
• Regional Economic Regeneration Strategies
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

5. How does the RLP engage with the Third
Sector?
Representation
• Third Sector representation on the RLP Steering, Strategy, ACL,
Third Sector and Regional Delivery Plan Groups
Activity
• RLP Third Sector group formed by regional CVC representatives
• Group meets regularly to identify and deliver key work areas
Regional Delivery Plan
• Providing the regional view of the sector for the Regional Delivery
Plan for Employment and Skills
• Providing representation to the Delivery Plan Task and Finish &
Advisory Groups
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

6. Activities completed to date
Looking Below the Surface – A Regional Profile
• Regional profiling research completed and
launched during 2012
• Included the collection of primary evidence
from over 150 survey respondents
Economics for Third Sector Leaders
• Two full day regional training events
undertaken with the support of a leading
economic development consultancy
• Very positive feedback received from
participants
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

7. Pillar 2
RLSO

8. Pillar 3
E-Portal Development
• Putting people at the centre of provision
• Assisting individuals to access the skills and work related experience
needed to join the workforce
• Linking job seekers with employers
• Ensuring that education and skills providers deliver the learning that
employers and job seekers need, when required
• Facilitating the collaboration of providers for the benefit of the
learner/economy
• Facilitating the identification of the most appropriate providers to
meet the required skills and training need
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

9. Regional Delivery Plan for Employment & Skills
• Facilitation of a Regional Delivery Plan will be aligned
strategically with the Skills Implementation Plan covering all
funding sources
• The plan will identify the region’s skills needs, articulate the
collective response and operations to be supported by
appropriate investment
• The Regional Employment & Skills Framework is comprised of
four main ‘themes’ under which priorities will sit:
1. Engagement 2. Pre-employment
3. In-work support 4. Continued professional development
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

11. Update
• 137 Expression of Interest forms received
• Initial review of EOI’s by the Advisory Group took
• Similar proposed activities identified and grouped together – 8 Brokerage Groups have
taken place
• Purpose of Brokerage Meetings
• Encourage collaboration to eliminate duplication and identify gaps
• Ensure quality provision is relevant to and appropriate for each county and delivers
the impact needed
• How we may establish a co-ordinated approach to addressing skills needs
• Transform current provision to meet the future needs of the region

12. Brokerage Groups
•Portals
•Entrepreneurship Skills
•Youth Engagement & Pre Employment 11-24
•Employee Skills Programmes
•Transition into Employment
•Employability Skills
•Welsh Language
•Skills for Specific Sectors

13. Brokerage Groups – Initial Feedback
• Clear actions emerging to drive forward development of activity ideas
• Action log produced and circulated following each meeting
• RLP facilitating progression of actions including to date:
• Portal Brokerage Group
• A discussion paper for WG DfES outlining regional initiatives that could link into the Skills
Gateway and providing a number of practical considerations in its further development including:
• A process for regional and local web links that will be available on the national portal
• Sustainability of updating and managing content
• Exploring sectoral approach
• Entrepreneurship Brokerage Group
• Mapping of entrepreneurial skills activities by geography and age to identify duplication and
gaps.
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

14. Next Steps
• Employer Voice Research
• Thematic working groups established where necessary to provide specialist advice
for further development of activity ideas including where gaps have been identified
• Updating the mapping document detailing existing activity on skills and employment
initiatives (including DfES backbone projects, mainstream domestic provision etc)
• Response to WEFO Paper on Regional Engagement
• Formal engagement with WEFO
• Presentation to SBCR Board
• Process paper for engagement with Powys & Ceredigion
• Contributing to the development of the Welsh Government’s Skills Implementation
Plan:
• Ministerial Statement published 15th July on the Skills Implementation Plan highlighting the key roles for
Partnerships in developing the plan to align with regional need and a response to the co-investment
consultation
• Ongoing development of the Employment & Skills Plan to incorporate employers voice evidence, measures
and outcomes and an outline of identified regional and local employment and skills activities
• 3rd version due to be published October 2014 in line with the next version of the DfES Footprint for ESF
Delivery 2014-2020
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery

15. Contacts
Amanda Carr
Assistant Director Volunteering & Training
SCVS
Amanda_Carr@scvs.org.uk
Kim Neyland
Senior Researcher RLP
Kneyland@cccpartners.org.uk
www.rlp.org.uk
Regional Strategic Planning ~ Local Delivery