All Skills Strategy

The consultation process

In April 2011, we appointed Public Perspectives (link opens in new window) to deliver a number of stakeholder workshops and focus groups. Through the focus groups, we were able to look in more detail at some of the skills related issues facing particular groups.

For example, focus groups were held with young people in school, with unemployed individuals, and with businesses.

Read the All Age Skills Strategy Consultation Report .

Additional workshop

An additional workshop took place on 17 October 2011. All stakeholders invited or involved in the earlier workshops and interviews were invited to take part. The aim of the workshop was to identify and discuss key actions and test proposed areas of activity to help deliver the strategy, rather than produce a polished action plan.

Read the All Age Skills Strategy Follow up and action planning workshop.

We also appointed Wendy McGinty, an independent advisory consultant, to undertake a series of interviews with individuals from Gypsy and Traveller backgrounds, to uncover some of the particular skills issues facing these groups.

Read the Gypsy and Traveller Focus Group Report.

The findings from the workshops, focus groups and interviews influenced our thinking on what the priorities and areas of focus and helped to shape the Draft All Age Skills Strategy which was widely consulted on. The findings from this consultation were taken into account when producing the final version of the strategy, which was approved in March 2012.

The All Age Skills Strategy was also influenced by a number of national and local polices. These are summarised in more detail in Appendix A: National and Local Policies and Reports.