Catalyst, the future
Our Catalyst programme has been a three year undertaking in response to the 2006 White Paper 'Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances'. This called upon the further education (FE) system to support the UK in becoming a world skills leader, and charged us with making sure FE staff have the skills to deliver exceptional teaching and training and are backed by world class leadership.
In 2007 we established four programmes to deliver on this aim: Make a Difference, Pass on Your Skills, Business Interchange and Business Talent.
Together these programmes have provided tools and services to help further education employers of all sizes strengthen their workforce - from the largest city colleges to community learning centres and private training companies.
Now, nearly three years on, we're now coming to the end of the delivery phase of Catalyst and looking ahead to the closedown stage of the programme.
Working in partnership with FE system representatives including the Association of Colleges, Association of Learning Providers, HOLEX, the 157 Group, the Institute for Learning and the Learning and Skills Improvement Service, we will develop sustainable models to ensure the FE sector continues to benefit from Catalyst when central government funding ends on 31 March 2010.
This will include giving lifelong learning organisations and individuals access to best practice resources, advice and guidance developed as part of the Catalyst programme.
Visit http://www.catalystprogramme.org/ for more information and to access all available resources.
