Providers in Partnership is a limited company, established and registered in 2005 and is a provider member-led body set up to represent and work in the best interests of local businesses and their employees.
The establishment of Providers in Partnership arose from the need to raise standards and improve the quality of work-based learning in York and North Yorkshire. The company was formed by a collaborative arrangement of Work-Based Learning Providers in York and North Yorkshire and with the support of the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire (LSC).
The overall concept of the consortium is to support the strategic planning process of the LSC and other key stakeholders and partnerships in York and North Yorkshire, by offering a collective body from existing local learning provider networks with a commitment to work as a partner in vocational learning and to develop the economic and social environment of the sub-region.
This can most effectively be achieved through a free and open exchange of information, collaboration and agreement at a local level. As York and North Yorkshire is a very large and diverse area, the costs of joint working outside of a local area network would be high.
Providers across York and North Yorkshire are strongly in support of a provider member-led body, which will be responsive to the National Skills Strategy, as well as recognising the attendant benefit. Until now the region has not benefited from such an organisation as have the other areas of Yorkshire. West Yorkshire is ably serviced by the West Yorkshire Learning Partnership (WYLP), the South Yorkshire region is covered by Yorkshire Training Partnerships (YTP), whilst the Humber region has the advantage of the Consortium for Learning (CFL). The missing piece is now in place, as well as covering the York and North Yorkshire sub-region, an amalgam of all the regional consortia, through co-operative networking, can more effectively improve the overall performance of training provision in the county and share best practice.
Providers in Partnership will bring together all those providers within York and North Yorkshire who wish to work collaboratively to transform provision, increase engagement and overall raise the quality of learning in York & North Yorkshire.