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Lifelong LearningThe mission of the Ceredigion Lifelong Learning Thematic Group (LLTG) is to develop and promote opportunities within the local community in order to ensure the best education and training provision possible for all learners.1.1 With the establishment of the Ceredigion Local Service Board, the former Ceredigion 2020 Plan, which was Ceredigion County Council's main strategic community plan, is now the responsibility of the Local Service Board. The Local Service Board Development accords with the Welsh Assembly Government's National Strategy for "Making the Connection". A number of partners are involved in the formation and delivery of the Local Service Board agenda, including representatives from the health services, environmental organizations, Dyfed-Powys Police, Higher and Further Education Institutions, the Countryside Council, the National Library of Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government along with the voluntary sector. The County Council's role is to provide the necessary leadership and partnership structures, to enable the "Making the Connections" vision to become reality. 1.2 The Ceredigion Community Strategy originally had five thematic groups, reflecting the five initial priorities it set itself. These groups remain, and a further group, 'A Bilingual Future', has been added under the Local Service Board configuration. The six thematic groups are: · Economically successful Cross-cutting matters are also referred to in respect of all the groups: · Equality and Diversity 1.3 As seen from the above, one of the main themes chosen to fulfill the Strategy adopted by the Local Service Board is Lifelong Learning, aimed at ensuring that opportunities for Learning for Life are available to all in Ceredigion at all stages of an individual's life. The multi-agency Lifelong Learning Thematic Group, which includes a broad cross-section of partners and stakeholders, produced its first Three Year Plan in 2005. The present plan, the Ceredigion Lifelong for Life Plan for 2008-11, is an updated and modified one, reflecting not only changing needs and priorities but also reflecting the more mature and assured response of the Lifelong Learning Thematic Group, based on its experience of working together over a number of years, and reflecting a more strategic approach to Lifelong Learning in Ceredigion. 1.4 The mission of the Ceredigion Lifelong Learning Thematic Group is: "To work in partnership to develop and promote opportunities within the local community to ensure the best education and training provision for all learners." In agreeing this mission, the partnership is aware that the individual organizations which are its constituent members, each have their own missions and strategies for development and are, as institutions, responsible to specific funding bodies and quality monitoring organizations. Coleg Ceredigion and Aberystwyth University, for example, fall outside the remit of Local Education Authority and County Council. However, collectively, the partnership strives, in addressing learning throughout life, to bring all agencies concerned with learning, both statutory and non statutory, to this shared mission. In aiming to fulfill its mission the Lifelong Learning Thematic Group seeks :
1.5 The Mission and aims of the Lifelong Learning Thematic group are underpinned by a set of strategic objectives.
The group anticipates that the messages set out in these objectives also appear in terms of their ethos, at the heart of the objectives of its constituent organizations and that its work, through the group representatives, would be disseminated in those institutions. 1.6 In taking forward its aims, the group has established 3 sub groups to date, which focus on recent national priorities. However, in devising this plan, the group is conscious of the need to constantly keep abreast of changing priorities and will review, on a regular basis, the need to establish further specific long standing and ad hoc groups. · (a) Basic Skills (all ages) All groups hold regular meetings and produce minutes which are presented to the Thematic Group, and supported by a formal reporting back session in every meeting of the main group. 1.7 This new Three Year Plan, which is born out of the Mission, Aims and Strategic Objectives set out above, recognizes the importance of national priorities, such as those set out in a number of documents which include "Wales: The Learning Country" and, more recently, "Skills that Work for Wales". It also recognizes the importance of cross-referencing to other major plans which affect Ceredigion, together with the corporate plans of individual institutions. 1.8 The Ceredigion Corporate Plan reflects the priorities set out in the manifesto of the County Council's ruling group. Part of this plan's priorities is to realize the Council's aim and contribute to the vision of the Local Service Board in its statement that it intends to maintain and improve on the educational standards already achieved in Ceredigion. 1.9 The Improving Ceredigion Council Plan arises from the Corporate Plan. Many of its themes are associated with Learning for Life: - implement the Welsh Education Scheme 1.10 Two other major plans are in the process of being formulated in accordance with Welsh Assembly Government expectations, namely the Local Development Plan, the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Strategy 2008-11. The Children and Young People's Plan 2008-11 was launched in November 2008 after extensive consultation. 1.11 Work on the Local Development Plan began in 2007 and will be ongoing for the next four years. It is linked to the Wales Spatial Plan as it relates to Central-Wales and is associated with new land use. It states clearly that it will be interlinked to the other major plans noted above in 1.5. 1.12 The Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Strategy for Ceredigion covers the years 2008 to 2011, and seeks to improve health, social care and wellbeing through the services it commissions. The strategy identifies the needs of local people, ensures that appropriate services are in place to address those needs and also ensures that national service quality standards and objectives are met. It specifically mentions its relationship with the Children and Young People's Plan, Core Aim 3 in the latter plan being "Health, Freedom from Abuse and Exploitation". However, the strategy is obviously one that engages with people of all ages. 1.13 The Children and Young People's Plan is both directly and indirectly linked to learning. Core Aim 2 is entitled "Have access to a comprehensive range of education, training and learning opportunities, including acquisition of essential and personal skills" and Core Aim 4 is entitled "Have access to play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities". Other Core Aims refer to matters such as Childcare, the Foundation Phase, Flying Start, Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship, NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training Strategy) and the Genesis project. This is the overarching plan under which sits the Single Education Plan (a combination of the former Strategic Education Plan and the School Organization Plan which were combined into one plan in 2006 in preparation for the establishment of the Children and Young People's Plan in 2008). 1.14 The present Single Education Plan, drawn up in 2006 as a result of a thorough and comprehensive process of consultation with stakeholders, embodies the Department of Education and Community Services' vision for education. It details the actions taken to ensure that the Plan's expectations are met. Three priorities are embodied in the Plan under the following headings: · Raising standards and improving the performance of schools (providing a focus on learning, giving voice to the learner and developing leadership) 1.15 The County Council has enhanced responsibilities and greater accountability to the Welsh Assembly Government in the whole field of provision of services for children and young people. There is a Lead Member for these services and a Lead Director (the Director of Education and Community Services) who are primarily responsible for fulfilling this agenda. There is also a Partnership Support Team, led by the Assistant Director for Planning and Children and Young People's Partnerships. 1.16 The priorities set out on the following pages, shown along the age continuum of education and training delivery, are drawn from existing institutional and County Council plans which are based on robust data analysis. This specific plan focuses on highlighting partnership priorities and the links between those priorities and the Local Service Board priority of "access to services". Barriers to education and training can be both physical and psychological. It is eradication of these barriers that the group hopes to achieve in fulfilling its mission whilst at the same time continually creating and renewing the opportunities available for the people of Ceredigion. 1.17 The group comprises the following members: · Dr. Rhodri Llwyd Morgan (Assistant Director of Education and Community Services, Culture and Leisure) |
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