Background

Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) is the independent employer led Sector Skills Council for community learning and development; further education; higher education; work based learning; and libraries, archives and information services.

It is one of 25 Sector Skills Councils established over the past two years, providing the strategic perspective for workforce planning and development for the sector across the four countries of the UK.

We are responsible for defining and developing the Sector Qualifications Strategy and are licensed by the UK governments to set standards for occupational competence in the delivery and support of learning. These standards are used to inform the recruitment and professional development of our employer’s staff.

LLUK works with stakeholders in the collection and collation of labour market intelligence, workforce data and provides analysis on workforce characteristics and trends to better inform future workforce planning. We also work with partners and other key stakeholders to improve the dialogue between our employers and those who look to the lifelong learning sector to meet their own skills needs.

Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK), as the independent employer-led Sector Skills Council for lifelong learning, delivers a number of strategies and programmes on behalf of the FE sector. One of the drivers for transformation in the sector is the development and publication of the first Workforce Strategy for the FE sector in England (December 2007) and its Implementation Plan (March 2008). Electronic copies of both these publications can be accessed via the website: http://www.lluk.org/fe-workforce-strategy.htm

It is a sector-owned mechanism that hopes to deliver a ‘shared vision’ for a truly transformed FE workforce; one that can be confident when seizing new opportunities and addressing challenges. It identifies four overarching priorities for action and eight themes that set out actions taken forward by stakeholders and partners at national level.

Both publications build on LLUK’s Sector Skills Agreement (SSA). They are not static, and will be reviewed and refreshed on an annual basis to reflect new policy drivers, regulatory issues and environmental factors. As important as the review and refresh is the measurement of impact, to understand where impacts are being made to inform future strategic planning and investment.