In autumn 2011, LSIS is running a series of regional policy seminars, with the aim of providing a structured forum for sector leaders in their regions to reflect upon their emerging strategic context, and in particular to:

• explore current and emerging policy narratives and their implications;
• consider emerging perspectives about the role and purpose of further education and skills and its contribution to social productivity;
• consider how the sector can take advantage of greater freedoms and devolution to shape its own vision of the future; and
• influence LSIS’s future plans and services, including identifying further development, prototyping, research and evidence needed to support the sector into 2012 and beyond.

The information and links on this page will be updated regularly throughout the seminar series. After the final event the information here will be archived for future reference.

Presentation

The keynote presentation at the seminars is delivered by Caroline Mager, Executive Director, Policy, Research and Communications. The slides used at the events will vary as announcements such as the Education Bill are made public.

The latest version of the keynote presentation (pdf, 201KB) was presented at Solihull College on 14 September 2011.

Video

The seminars included video presentations and vox pop clips drawn from the national policy seminars held in summer 2011. The videos, produced by students from Hackney Community College, used the following contributions:

• Stephen Sheedy
• Maggie Galliers
• Vox pops

Getting involved

If you would like to contribute to ongoing discussion and development of these ideas, please look out for the forthcoming online learning space.

This platform builds on the work of the 2020 Public Services Hub and their report on The further education and skills sector in 2020: a social productivity approach.

Background material

The following papers are particularly relevant to this seminar series, and have been circulated to participants in advance of the events:

• a summary of the BIS consultation document New challenges, new chances;
• a summary of the Open Public Services White Paper;
• LSIS’s brief guide to the Higher Education White Paper and its implications for the further education and skills sector;
• research carried out for LSIS by the Public Services 2020 Hub at the RSA entitled The further education and skills sector in 2020: a social productivity approach.

You may also be interested in the following background and contextual materials:

• summary report of the three national policy seminars in 2011;
• compilation of 14-19 documents; and
• a list of sector-relevant strategic documents.