SKILLS AND TRAINING - archive august 2007
£153 MILLION EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND OPPORTUNITY
Similar to the Schools and Young People group of the Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games, the Skills and Training sectoral task group has also restructured to set up a task and finish group approach to its four priorities, which can be seen by viewing the Kent 2012 Strategy (pdf).
One of the key topics the Kent group is particularly looking at is the new round of European Social Fund monies available for the region 2007 - 2012. Although not explicitly for 2012 related projects; the two streams offer opportunities for the County's 2012 work: 'extending employment' and 'developing a skilled and adaptable workforce.'
Off the back of this, the group is interested in projects targeting the voluntary/skills aspects of the Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games, 19+ learners, older workers, supporting delivery of 'skills for life', and/or 'additionality' for existing training programmes aimed at 16 to 19 year olds. For further information, please contact Learning & Skills Council Kent & Medway
KENT SUPPORTING AND GROWING CREATIVE AND TOURISM BUSINESSES THROUGH THE CULTURAL OLYMPIAD OPPORTUNITY
Representatives of Kent County Council, Business Link Kent, Kent Association
of Further Education Colleges and Creative Partnerships met recently to explore
how the four year Cultural Olympiad can be used to grow and support the skills
development of small and medium sized creative businesses across the County.
The group concluded that there were three streams of activity needed:
To use
the Cultural Olympiad to link creative businesses more closely with Kent's
tourism offer
To use the 'hook' of the Cultural Olympiad to support creative, and tourism,
businesses' access to 'straight forward' business advice
To grow Kent's creative businesses' role in the county's knowledge economy
It was confirmed that a workshop will be held early this autumn, probably hosted by the Learning & Skills Council at a college recognised as a Centre of Excellence in either creative industry or tourism. The workshop will look to explore four agendas:
How creative industries might better work together to engage with the potential
of the Cultural Olympiad
How
creative industries might better work with local small tourism businesses to
engage with the opportunity of the London Games and the “nine year
window” of opportunity 2008 - 2016
How creative businesses might contribute to their community through the Cultural
Olympiad
What are creative businesses' skills and training needs to deliver the three
above agendas?
The workshop will simultaneously cover an identical agenda with small and medium sized tourism businesses, with the two sectors being bought together for the afternoon to:
Share
discussions
Explore
being 'fit to tender' for 2012 and longer term contracts, as well as other
skills needs of the two industries, which may include marketing, and website
management
Explore
cross local authority working
And
to establish an action plan to take the day's work forward
Further details will be posted on this website as they become available…