Strengthening Partnerships between Professional Bodies, Sector Skills Councils & HEIs

Date:Thursday 7 & Friday 8 February 2008

Time:10.30 - 16.00

Venue: The Brit Oval, Kennington, London

This two day event has been organised to encourage partnership working between professional bodies, Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and also to celebrate and disseminate good practice from the Gateways to the Professions projects, including the PARN project looking at how professional bodies and HEIs are working together in the area of continuing professional development.

The event will be opened by Bill Rammell, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education.

The Background

In response to the Leitch Review of Skills in England the Government made a commitment to strengthening partnerships between key stakeholders. A piece of research was subsequently commissioned on the roles and responsibilities of professional bodies, Sector Skills Councils and Higher Education Institutions. The findings will be presented on day one of the event.

In response to “The Gateways to the Professions” report produced by Sir Alan Langlands a number of projects were funded to tackle the full range of issues and barriers faced by people seeking to enter the professions through higher education. Day one of the event will include workshops from eight of the projects. They will share information and emerging good practice on what worked well for them and how their partnerships have been strengthened.

The debate on skills has also included issues around the development of professionals. Therefore on day two the focus will be on Continuing Professional Development and relationships between professional bodies and Higher Education Institutions. Research findings will be presented and case studies discussed.

The Objectives of the Event

• To understand the issues around strengthening partnerships through reflecting on research findings, hearing a range of perspectives and contributing your own thinking
• To share in building a commitment to strengthen partnership working by networking with colleagues and generating ideas
• To share learning from the Gateways Projects on issues around access and routes into the professions and to identify implications for your own approaches
• To strengthen links between HEIs and professional bodies and provide them with the opportunity to reflect together and comment on findings from the CPD project.

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