Making Employer Engagement a Reality: Building Capability and Capacity in your Organisation
Alan Clarke - Catalyst Programme, LLUK

Successful employer engagement depends on identifying and meeting customers needs – really getting to the heart of what employers are looking for from your organisation. This seminar will outline how the FE workforce strategy for England can help you achieve this and will showcase LLUK’s Catalyst programme, which provides practical funded tools to ensure staff can help you achieve your goals.

Local Employment Partnerships
Ian Palmer - Jobcentre Plus

First announced in the 2007 budget, Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs) involve employers in all sectors and Government working together to help at least 250,000 people often overlooked in the labour market into jobs by the end of 2010.  LEPs involve employers and Jobcentre Plus most directly, but “partnerships” encompass the flexible provision of pre-employment training and other support needed by disadvantaged customers to enable them to compete for jobs.  The workshop will bring providers up-to-date with the progress made so far and provide details on how they can connect with existing LEPs and help create new partnerships.  Issues for discussion will include: How can providers get involved in LEPs at local and other levels; how do we ensure that the support we provide for individuals meets the needs of employers and local labour markets; how do we encourage employers to provide employment opportunities for those individuals that are most disadvantaged; how can LEPs support an agenda that seeks to integrate employment and skills?

14-19 Providers: Diploma Developments and Foundation Learning Tier
Photoula Kypri - Edexcel

This workshop from Edexcel will provide information on recent Diploma developments and Gateway 3 informationand provide an update on Foundation Learning Tier progression pathways. The session aims to support training providers in identifying the potential ways of working with consortia on Diploma developments and FLT pilots, andwill highlight the range of provision and resources available for providers.

From Welfare to Work: Provision for Learners
Photoula Kypri - Edexcel

This workshop from Edexcel will provide information on provision underpinning the Welfare to Work reforms and Flexible New Deal and provide a briefing on potential programmes and resources.

Making Sense of Self Regulation!
Paul Eeles - Association of Learning Providers

The session will bring delegates up to speed with the progress made towards self regulation by the self regulation project team over the past 14 months. The session will go on to outline the next phase of self regulation as the Single Voice undertakes its work during the Machinery of Government changes between now and September 2010. The session will be interactive and will be the first opportunity the Single Voice will have had to discuss its proposals for a prospectus for self regulation with providers before Single Voice formally launches its consultation with the sector in the autumn.

Developing E-Maturity
Sally-Anne Saul - BECTA

This Workshop will look at why e-maturity is important and its role in helping providers to fully realise the potential offered by technology investment. It will look at current work to develop a framework to drive improvement and help providers maximise the benefits of their investment, seeking contributions from providers regarding their own experiences and their feedback on the development of the framework to date.

Framework for Excellence - What's New?
Tim Smith - Learning and Skills Council National Office

The Framework for Excellence is the national performance assessment framework for colleges and other LSC-funded providers. It is being introduced in three phases with the first phase being implemented in 2008/09 following a pilot in 2007/08. As a result of findings from the pilot, a number of changes have been made to the Framework for implementation in Phase 1. These changes will be described. The second phase of the Framework will be implemented in 2009/10. This phase is being piloted in 2008/09 alongside the implementation of phase 1. The second phase of the Framework will introduce a small number of additional performance indicators as well as being extended to the majority of LSC-funded organisations. The proposed additions to the phase 2 Framework will be described.

Using Technology to Support Learning
Barbara Nance - NIACE

This workshop will look at how technology can support learning. It will look at how to engage learners and how e-learning can be used effectively through the learning journey.

Recording your Continuing Professional Development: Resources and Support
Dr Jean Kelly - Institute for Learning

Attendance at this IfL workshop will give you the opportunity to; hear about the first CPD cycle and what this will mean for you, understand what counts as CPD and how to create a CPD record, view an interactive demo of REfLECT, IfL’s online CPD recording tool, participate in an open Q&A session and to have your questions and concerns addressed and guidance given.

Development Needs of Provider Staff: A Consultative Workshop
Karl Frisby - Institute for Learning

Your attendance at this IfL workshop will give you the opportunity to; meet with IfL staff to learn about continuing professional development across the further education and skills sector, join in a forum to share information and ideas about professional development, participate in open discussion about the needs and benefits for learning providers in work based learning and develop and strengthen relationships with your colleagues

Integrating Employment and Skills - Progress on Joint Commissioning Trials
Tim Foster, Delivery Directorate - DWP

The 'Workskills' paper in June set out the Government'scommitment to trailblazer joint-commissioning trials in West Midlands and Manchester, alongside initiatives in other areas aimed to test closer working between delivery organisations.This workshop provides anopportunityfor participants to hear about progress towards implementation and to debate the pros and cons of alternative delivery mechanisms, as well as some of the legal and commercial implications.

Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) - Working in Partnership with Work Based Learning Providers
Punam Khosla - Centre for Excellence in Leadership

LSIS is the new sector directed organisation being formed through the joining of CEL and QIA. This interactive workshop is an important part ofa new and important dialogue between the WBL sector working together in partnership with LSIS to achieve a world class further education sector. We want to hear from learning providers regarding the remit and activities of our new organisation. How LSIS can support you best, and understand any specific requirements that you have.

Foundation Learning Tier: the NOCN Guide to the Essentials
Keith Mogford - National Open College Network

The workshop aims to update on developments in the FLT specification and 08-09 trials; to give a perspective on the implications for learning and training providers; and to advise on how the FLT is likely to go forward from 09-10. The qualifications offered by NOCN will be used to illustrate how learning programmes might be constructed.

Employer Contributions in Employer Responsiveness Funding
Jacqui Longley - Learning and Skills Council

The workshop deals with employer contributions in the Employer Responsive funding model. It will look at LSC policy and allow an interactive discussion about the future policy in this area.

Employer Responsiveness Funding Policy
Nick Chomyk - Learning and Skills Council

This workshop will look at recent developments in funding policy for the Employer Responsive model in 2008/09 and will look to highlight changes under discussion for 2009/10. The workshop will be interactive and participants are encouraged to ask questions and engage in discussion.

Revisions to the inspection of further education, work-based learning and nextstep
Lorna Fitzjohn,  Karen Adriaanse &  Kath Townsley - OFSTED

The current cycle of inspections ends in September 2009.  Ofsted is now working on the next version of the Common Inspection Framework and new inspection methodology.  We intend to ensure that inspection is proportionate to need, has a strong learner and employer focus and that it continues to drive further improvements to the quality of experience for learners.

This workshop aims to give providers an opportunity to hear about future plans and give their views on the proposals.