A strategic organisation for learning & skills in Oxfordshire?

11 Jul 2007

Learning and skills is of great importance to Oxfordshire and is a priority in the Economic Development Strategy for Oxfordshire and the strategic priorities of the County Council.  Nationally and regionally, skills are also high up the agenda.

Currently there is no single organisation or point of contact within Oxfordshire with a strategic remit for the future development of learning and skills policy and activity across the county.  This has been identified as a key gap in Oxfordshire’s current partnership structures. 

The local Learning and Skills Council commissioned Oxfordshire Economic Partnership to conduct a feasibility study for a strategic learning and skills partnership for Oxfordshire and in particular to:

• Assess the need for an Oxfordshire Learning and Skills Partnership
• If confirmed propose the value, focus, potential activity, financial resourcing and sustainability of such a partnership.

The recommendations of the study were that an Oxfordshire Learning and Skills Partnership should be established to provide a single, independent, point of reference on learning and skills issues.  The full report and an executive summary are available to download.  

As part of the Feasibility study for a learning and skills partnership in Oxfordshire a desk survey of organisations involved with learning and skills in the County was undertaken.  The results of this survey can be found in Appendix 1.