Learning and Skills workshop

This workshop, A Role for Learning and Skills, involved schools, HE/FE and non-formal learning institutions to ensure they play a key role in developing a cultural investment plan for North Northamptonshire.

North Northamptonshire's growth target is expected to be 80,000 new homes by 2031. If we acknowledge that culture will play a large part in attracting new residents similarly we must acknowledge issues that could also arise such as community displacement as a result of a social change. Culture, learning and skills would play a vital role in readdressing any imbalances.

The group were asked to identify areas of concern in regards to their institutions role in developing a cultural investment plan. This included:

- Libraries do not know what other organisations are doing as there is little communication between them
- Libraries need to improve and capture their visitors’ experiences
- There needs to be an up-to-date profile of the community
- A very strong participatory character exists amongst schools, colleges and libraries but there is little strategic planning amongst them.
- There is no University in North Northamptonshire
- Few links exist between creative development or partnerships and core skills in areas such as engineering and maths
- Cultural and social deprivation needs assessment
- Clear access to cultural facilities and opportunities are required. For example, where are the cultural places and spaces?
- Need to consider our national, local and international offer

A Provision Map
The group began to identify where culture, learning and skills meet:

- Libraries
- Schools/ FE - depends on the school and its ethos but includes: story-telling,funding, levels of collaboration, well-being/therapeutic programmes
- Supplementary schools
- Voluntary activities improve skill development and impact employment
- Non-formal, amateur learning e.g. Corby Radio Academy, and Corby Women's theater
- The Cube will offer learning and skills through its artistic programming

What is absent in North Northamptonshire?
- The community have aspirations but no where to go with it e.g. there is no University
- An open network for cultural dialogue
- There are local strategic partnerships e.g. Corby LSP but politics can often get in the way
- How do we build confidence with existing communities when partnerships are either good or fragile?
- Conflict management through schools and partnerships

Establish a considered system of partnership working:
- Learning without walls is a good example of transforming spaces with learning within LSP
- Need learning spaces that are not labeled as ‘learning places’. These are areas to contemplate and interact
- Library Plus- build a mixture of colleagues and partners without necessarily badging activities as learning
- Libraries offer freedom to choose and explore

How can we adopt the spirit of Library Plus?
- Full-service libraries are in development across North Northamptonshire. They could potentially also include health and well-being programmes
- The mobile service reaches many rural areas. Could part of its remit be reconsidered?
- Extend schools’ use as a creative hub
- Extended services provision: e.g. extend use of multimedia resources by increasing hours of use
- Involve young people in the design and creation of cultural services and offers- link to Young People's Forum

Going forward: What next steps need to be achieved to improve the role of the learning and skills sector in developing a cultural investment plan?
- Map the key players and identify strong leaders
- Create a local vision and ambition
- Make cultural spaces a part of the fabric of our society emphasising ‘learning without walls’
- Embed the cultural offer- what is North Northamptonshire's 'Cultural Footprint'
- Create a new delivery mechanism- capturing local identity and the people's experiences of culture
- Establish new partnerships
- Making sure information targets the right groups -using the language they understand
- The learning and skills offer needs to be more creative
- Establish best practice by capturing and sharing knowledge

If you feel you would like to have your input in the discussion please comment here.

We will be carrying out a wider consultation in the future. You can find out more information about this on this blog soon.