Latest News from Learning Partnerships

After the completion of Job Stop in the Kirkgate Market and from the successful outcome of the project, Learning Partnerships is pleased to announce that the job serach and cv writing facility is available to the local public from our offices on Hudson Road. We provide free access to the internet, help and advice on job search, interview techniques and guidance and any other issues around finding suitable employment. We are open from 9.30am to 12.30pm every Wednesday.

The Rotary Club of Headingley has presented Learning Partnerships with a generous donation of £500. Learning Partnerships are extremely grateful for this contribution and will use the money to build up our bank of training resources. The Rotary Club has previously donated a range of books to support our ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) programmes, enabling us to continue supporting the valuable work which we do. Learning Partnerships hope to continue developing links with organisation like the Rotary Club.

Learning Partnerships Launches ‘Big Society’ in Leeds for 60 teenagers supported by Dame Kelly Holmes

Leeds charity Learning Partnerships is launching a Big Society project for 60 teenagers to make a difference to their communities in Leeds.

The programme will give 16 year olds a ‘Summer of a Lifetime’ by providing an active and enriching personal development programme for three weeks over the summer holidays supporting young people to become active citizens and helping Leeds Communities. And it won’t cost them a penny!

The government has provided funding for 11,000 places across the country as part of the National Citizen Service.  Leeds is one of the first cities in the country to get involved. The Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust is providing World Champion Athletes to motivate and inspire young people taking part, in partnership with v, The National Young Volunteers Service.

Learning Partnerships, a Leeds based educational charity, is working with partners and young people from across the city to come up with community action projects ranging from campaigning for charity to helping rejuvenate local parks.

“The ‘Summer of a Lifetime’ project gives young people the chance to make a real difference in their communities around the issues that matter to them, whilst improving skills such as problem solving and team-work.  By taking part they will gain new experiences and improve their employment prospects by enhancing their CVs” said Liz Sharkey, Project Manager from Learning Partnerships.

“I’ve signed up for Summer of a Lifetime because I want to help people in my local community while having fun and meeting new friends” said Hasan Ishtiaq aged 16.

Dame Kelly Holmes said: “I am delighted that my charity is partnering with v to run a pilot National Citizen programme in 2011. I believe The National Citizen Service Programme could provide young people with a unique opportunity and experience that not only engages them in physical challenges but also gets them to communicate and integrate with other young people whilst planning projects that they will deliver in their communities to benefit local people.“

Be the first to take part in this prestigious new programme. There are spaces available in August 2011.

The programme is FREE and open to anyone aged 16.  (All participants will have their 16^th birthdays by 31 August 2011). 

The next information session for young people and parents/carers is on Monday 4^th July 2011 from 5pm-7pm at The Carriageworks, Millennium Square, Leeds. To confirm your attendance or find out more information please call 0113 380 6888, email neil@learningpartnerships.org.uk or just turn up on the day.  If anyone wishing to attend needs support in getting to the venue or if you have any questions please get in touch.

The organisation responsible for providing a new initiative to improve the job prospects of young unemployed people in Leeds has been announced this week.

Learning Partnerships is joining forces with Leeds City Council, Jobcentre Plus, Leeds City College and other post 16 learning providers to deliver an innovative programme of activity to improve the employability of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET).

Learning Partnerships is an established Leeds-based education charity that works with children, young people and their families in some of the most deprived areas of the city. Through their ‘YOUth Inspire’ project they will deliver a programme of skills training and work experience tailored to meet the needs of each young person on the scheme.

The council is investing over £400k, which will be matched by funds from the Skills Funding Agency, into the project which will see 580 young people aged 16 to 24 get access to the support and skills training they need to help them secure a job, an apprenticeship or further work-related training.

The project will seek to target those who are ready to enter employment and prevent them from becoming long-term unemployed. Young people will be referred by their Connexions or Jobcentre Plus adviser and will undertake an eight week programme which will be individually tailored to address any gaps in employability skills and work experience.

Accredited training will be delivered in partnership with Leeds City College and other post-16 learning providers and will cover essential skills for work including literacy, language, numeracy, ICT, first aid, food hygiene and manual handling. Practical assistance will also be provided to help young people attend training and work experience placements.

As part of the scheme the participants will be supported by a workplace mentor and will have a caseworker to guide and support their job search for up to six months following the end of the initial programme. The young person will be given specific help with interview practice, completing a job application or writing a CV.

Councillor Peter Gruen executive member responsible for environments and neighbourhoods, said:
“This partnership will mean we can deliver tailored training and support to both maximise the young people’s potential, as well as their local employment opportunities by working directly with major employers to help fulfil their recruitment needs.

“Doing whatever we can to help young people get into employment is so important at this time of economic uncertainty - when unemployment is so high and so many young people are struggling to find work or stay in education.

“If we can equip 580 young people with the skills needed to get them a job and off benefits not only will the long term effect on the city’s economy be immense, their individual future prospects will also improve no end.”

Councillor Jane Dowson, deputy executive member responsible for learning, added:“Reducing the number of our young people classed as NEET – not in Education, employment and training - is one of the top three priorities within children’s services here in Leeds.

“This project adds to the arsenal of positive activities the city offers in partnership with our schools, colleges and employers. I am really excited to be working with Leeds City College and Learning Partnerships on this scheme which will provide a brighter future for many of our young people.”

Cath O’Grady, Business Development and Contracts Manager at Learning Partnerships, added:“Learning Partnerships and our YOUth Inspire partners are delighted to have been awarded this contract by the Council.
“Unemployment amongst young people is unacceptably high and we are in danger of losing a generation. This is a great opportunity for the YOUth Inspire partnership to improve young people’s life chances and help them into work.

“We will be holding regular open days for young people and there is already a great deal of interest from local businesses and young people. If you think you might be able to offer a young person work experience or would like further information, please get in touch.”

YOUth Inspire partner organisations include re’new, Groundwork Leeds, Health for All, Leeds Ahead and Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber.

ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact:
Emma Whittell, Leeds City Council press office, on (0113) 2474713
Email: emma.whittell@leeds.gov.uk

For YOUth Inspire enquiries, please contact:
Debbie Banks, Learning Partnerships, on (0113) 3806714
Email: Debbie@learningpartnerships.org.uk

We are pleased to announce Learning Partnerships have been awarded the Customer First Quality Mark!

This standard shows that the organisation provides a positive approach and focus to the services we provide and that we are compliant in all areas of this national standard.  This assessment has proved that the processes and services that we deliver show that we place our customers/clients at the heart of the organisation.

Local charity to meet challenges of new ways of working

Learning Partnerships in Leeds has been awarded £218,000 from the Government’s Transition Fund

Learning Partnerships has received £218,000 backing from the Government to ensure it can continue to help people in Leeds.

Learning Partnerships seeks to provide opportunities for children, young people and their families to participate in the economic wellbeing of the city.

We support:

·   Children by providing services to their schools to help them to reach their full potential and be happy,  safe, and healthy

·   Young People by releasing the untapped energy that exists in 16-25 year olds which can help build the 'Big Society' and happier communities

·   Families and lone parents by providing educational, self esteem confidence building and job seeking opportunities

·   People new to the UK by providing basic support in English

We provide Opportunities to:

·   Develop innovative solutions which allow young people to reach their full potential and lone parents to access the jobs market

·   re-engage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds & communities who are in danger of becoming a ‘lost generation’

·   Promote a positive image of young people by providing volunteering opportunities and a path to employment for those furthest from the jobs market.

This new money from the Government will enable us to make the changes necessary to take advantage of new funding opportunities expected to result from the Government’s Big Society agenda.

John Clare from Learning Partnerships, said:

“Learning Partnerships have lost over £500,000 funding from various programmes. This funding will allow us to develop the new ways of working necessary to meet the many challenges posed by new funding regimes. It will allow us to develop a Big Society model of working which will engage lone parents, people out of work and young people in danger of becoming a lost generation to support the communities in which they live.”

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, said:

“I’m pleased we are able to help support Learning Partnerships which has shown it provides vital services for the community in Learning Partnerships and has impressed us with strong plans for developing its services in the future.

Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, said:

“We know some charities face a very difficult time as we take necessary action to reduce the country’s debt which costs £120million every day in interest alone. However, our Big Society reforms will open up billions of pounds of new opportunities for charities in the future. I hope the money announced today will help Learning Partnerships be ready to grasp these opportunities.”

If you would like further information on above please email info@learningpartnerships.org.uk or telephone 0113 3806662

Notes to Editor

1. For further details on the full announcement of transition fund awards please see: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
2. Learning Partnerships is an independent registered charity no: 1003603

3. For further information contact:

John Clare

Funding and New Business Manager

Learning Partnerships

The Burton Business Park

Hudson Road

Leeds

LS9 7DN

Tel: 0113 380 5120 / 0113 3806662

Email: john@learningpartnerships.org.uk

The Jobzone – Learning Partnerships

The Jobzone team are currently delivering courses throughout Leeds to learners who have low or no qualifications that live in the top 20% Super Output Areas.

We utilise a variety of community settings including Shine and Hillside where we offer:

Pre- Entry ESOL classes to support learners with low English skills

We are always looking to establish new links and partners to engage and support individuals improve their English.

Learners must meet eligibility requirements which can be discussed via a telephone referral.

For further information, please contact the Jobzone Team on

0113 3806662 or email:

sarah@learningpartnerships.org.uk

Learning Partnerships are celebrating the news that it has been awarded Investors in People Bronze status at our review in November 2010.

There are only 676 Bronze recognitions in England, which places Learning partnerships in the top 3% of companies who have received this IIP award and shows that we are at the leading edge of best people management practice in the UK in our chosen area.

Lisa Metcalf, Senior Manager – HR, said that “gaining the Bronze award for the organisation is a great achievement and shows that the organisation is working well beyond the main IIP standard.  We have demonstrated many examples of excellent practice and that we strive to improve and develop the organisation further”.

Achieving the status shows that Learning Partnerships has demonstrated that its vision, aims and values are shared by all and that our employees are at the forefront of what we do.