Annual Strategic Plan – York Learning 2023_24                                                                                       

All strategic aims are linked back to accountability statement approved at CMT for 23/24.  These aims are linked to local / National Skills priorities as set out in the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) and also continuing to support the aims of the current Council Plan.

Council Plan priorities

· Health and wellbeing: A health generating city, for children and adults

o York Learning offers a range of courses to promote health and wellbeing and build communities of interest.  Many learners who learn new skills in heritage crafts or cultural activities will often progress into private groups.  Family Learning has an offer that supports early years onwards working with parents/carers and young families. 

· Education and skills: High quality skills and learning for all

o The offer covers the age groups from 16-18 16-24 (HNS) and 19+ in a range of academic opportunities with a learning support fund of  £144,750 accessed through 22_23

· Economy and good employment: A fair, thriving, green economy for all

o Skills and employment are at the heart of what we do to help learners recognise skills gaps and opportunities to develop.  We are keen to develop more routes into green skills by being the entry point for learners and clear progression to pathways with other providers who have those resources more readily available.

· Sustainability: Cutting carbon, enhancing the environment for our future

o Sustainability has a good thread throughout wider community learning and within community events where we can.

Strategic Aim for 2023/24	Link to local / National Skills Priority	Actions and Targets	Progress to date Sept 23 -	End of Year Update to Scrutiny Committee
Increased progression from all forms of learning to most appropriate next steps	· Pathways will be developed using LSIP / national priorities as pilots with FE / HE institutions utilising adult learning funding to reduce fear of emerging technologies. · To increase the numbers of adults accessing provision to support progression in work, transition to new career opportunities, gain employability and technical skills required by employers and fulfil their potential at work in line with LSIP priorities · As above	· Collaborate with other local educational providers to develop key progression pathways from engagement into programmes that support local and national skills strategies. o To pilot at least one co-developed feeder programme for a priority sector with each FE provider within 2023/24 · Career pathways identifying progression routes for learners across community learning and accredited programmes are marketed to public to ensure transparency of offer and progression opportunities o Published career pathways documents available and promoted within 2023/24 academic year with all courses mapped to it · Individual Learning Plans to reflect service and course intent with personalised goals set for learners based on their anticipated progression steps o Clear documentation in place that links personalised goals to progression for all learners	Courses/pathways have been created and started with York College to create ‘Introduction to Cyber Security’, ‘Coding’ and ‘Technical Dressmaking Design’ for pathways to their HE provision. At least one new feeder group will be developed this year. Throughout the offer there are identified pathways however in the more generic essential skills areas these are wider and based on recognising skills.  Curriculum managers are identifying career pathways from their provision and integrating discussions into their course planning and marketing. A published document is to be created with relevant mapping. All managers are currently on with this now will be checked during quality walks in October/November.
Engagement with a wider demographic of learners	· To develop clear and supported pipeline of individuals progressing through adult learning service into specialist provision and improved employment opportunities. · To ensure that funding supports engagement with full population in scope and supports them to effectively progress.	· Develop a suite of gateway provision that matches learner communities of interest to literacy, numeracy, communication or digital learning outputs o Each Curriculum area to work with one non-common  demographic group to develop an engagement programme · Use the full range of available media to clearly position the adult learning services as the gateway to learning and future progression o Marketing campaign focusing on the role of adult / lifelong learning and career development opportunities.	A wide range of offer is currently available to engage through a variety of ‘hooks’ and creates communities of interest.  We plan to develop clear messaging that matches those communities to the essential skills offer available. This is an ongoing piece of work and the aim this year will be to have at least 3 managers connected with a new demographic through ground up based planning. A monthly learner story will be published and shared to promote routes to learning and progression onwards.
Develop the development, recognition, and celebration of transferable skills	· Respond to the demographic challenge of retaining talent in the workforce as identified in the LSIP · Support the LSIP request for all age careers guidance modules will celebrate transferability & also signpost, coach & support people to find skills solutions to meet their career goals, aspects will also be developed to focus on key sectors	· Develop a package of clearly identified mid-career transferable skills programmes. o Career-changer packages developed and marketed describing transferable skills and opportunities for progressions. · Produce a set of ‘on-demand’ modules that are accessible to learners completing Maths, English and Digital courses to see how these skills are used in the workplace. o On-demand modules produced and marketed to learners with progressions closely mapped	Tutors have had training on identifying and promoting transferable skills but not all learners can yet articulate this.  We will roll out monthly accessible sessions dedicated to career advice to existing learners using ‘kudos’ employment outcomes package. Through 22-23 a range of resources have been created for self-study in maths and English and Digital but these need further development and promotion to full fill on demand need.   Roll out of Skills Network  resources to learners to support ‘bite size’ delivery.
Widen the accessibility of provision through the piloting of blended learning, multi-hub face-face learning, Bite-size and on demand learning programmes.	· The LSIP identifies the importance of training that is accessible when individuals are able to access it, whether that be physically, on-demand or in small chunks	· Each curriculum area to pilot at least one new delivery mode in 2023/24 academic year	YL has a wide offer incorporating both blended and online learning with multi hub, face to face learning happening within all essential skills areas and some wider community areas of delivery.  Therefore, Curriculum Managers are to focus on bite size packages of learning to encourage engagement back into learning.
Develop opportunities for all staff to have at least one industry focused CPD day	· The LSIP identifies an ongoing challenge for college & training provider tutors to stay current with regard to industry-standard equipment and innovation. Businesses identify more could be done to ensure tutors know and understand up-to-date systems and technology.	· All staff to identify at least one opportunity to visit or engage in training in a priority sector within the academic year	Not all staff have yet identified a priority area due to the ongoing workload and limited capacity.  Once the current academic year has started, we will target 2 managers to engage with a new priority area
Develop the Level 3 Award in Education and Training Offer to support engagement and placement opportunities for industry specialist staff to widen the teaching pool	· The LSIP details that to train people in the technical skills required in priority sectors, there is a requirement for tutors with the relevant and industry-standard expertise to teach in these critical subject areas. The flexibility of the course offer lends itself to create an incubation hub for new, (but industry specialist) staff to access low-cost training but gain teaching expertise without leaving current role. Authorities offer a wide range of services where this could be piloted.	· Promote (initially internally within the council) the opportunity to learn to be a tutor for adult learning and to be given the opportunity to develop and run a feeder course for their industry. o Measured increased recruitment onto programmes	Promotion internally has allowed us to connect with some new tutors in specific technical and design industries.  External promotion has brought one enquiry which did not bring a specific skill set that we want.  Further development  and research is required in this area.
Develop the embedded focus of transferable skills, British values and safety to include sustainability	· The transition to a green economy will requires the skills system to become increasingly agile and responsive to employer demand for skills as the economy grows and changes to respond to the reduction of carbon emissions. The starting point for this must be greater awareness of issues and opportunities and through embedded engagement this process can be started.	· Develop a pooled set of resources that can support ‘green upskilling’ within all provision to incorporate key sustainability messaging but also green economy recruitment opportunities. o Resources built and used	A working group to be identified to support this task.