The following improvement services support organisations in developing capacity for cost-effective curriculum design and development.
Apprenticeships: Improving Provision
This strand will improve apprenticeship provision by provider groups working collaboratively on agreed development project topics; this can include improving delivery of Apprenticeship Frameworks in particular sector subject areas.
Business: Improving your business with employers
This strand will develop a national project that will fund a number of providers to hone their skills in offering commercial training and related business services for employers; their learning will be used to develop future support for other providers to increase income from employers.
Curriculum Design and Development
This strand of activity will further develop the capacity of curriculum managers to manage and develop their programmes of learning in the new context of less centralised government control , reductions in budgets and changes in funding.
Themes include: Managing curriculum change; Developing unit-based delivery; Designing cost effective programmes of learning ; Designing curricula to support progression; Developing an inclusive curriculum; Developing HE in FE. Support will be provided through resources, regional and in-house workshops, together with funding; for development projects and Peer Review and Development groups.
Getting people into work
This strand will help build and strengthen regional partnerships and support providers to grow their provision to meet the needs of different groups to achieve positive job outcomes. This will be done through regional and local workshops and a range of funded provider led development projects.
Learner and Learner Support
This strand will look at ways of improving learning and learner support including tutoring, career development for learners and support for learners with learning difficulties and or disabilities and mental health issues to ensure that they reach their potential. This work will be delivered through a combination of workshops, training programmes, consultancy, on-line learning resources, regional networks and resources available via the Excellence Gateway.
Offender Learning
This strand will support quality improvement within the Offender Learning part of the learning and skills sector. The focus is on helping to transform offenders into committed learners during their sentences whether these are passed in custody or working within the community. It supports the government's 'Rehabilitation Revolution' agenda. This work will be delivered through resources to share effective practice and a series of workshops.
Qualifications Credit Framework: making the most of it
This strand of support will work with providers as they look at exploiting the flexibilities of the Qualifications Credit Framework to develop new curriculum delivery models to meet the needs of learners and employers. Support will be provided through resources, regional and in-house workshops, funding for development projects and peer-led consultancy.