Programme details

The Pan-London Programme will support projects that address regionally significant skills needs and particularly those that can be implemented more effectively and efficiently on a pan-London basis. To maximise the potential for achieving strategic impact this LSC Pan-London Programme will focus support on:

• pan-London programmes to develop vocational skills demanded by employers in priority sectors of the London regional economy;
• pan-London programmes that address skills issues that act as a barrier to labour market entry and progression for key target groups identified in the RDP;
• strategic projects that address skills deficiencies of regional significance (such as the deficiency in basic skills); and
• strategic projects that pursue innovative approaches to co-ordinating and delivering learning and training provision tailored to the needs of specific target groups and priority sectors, including those that achieve the LSC’s aim of widening participation.

Supported projects must be consistent with the activities outlined in the RDP. They must also help to deliver the objectives of local LSC strategic plans in the parts of London that they cover and in doing so meet the needs of employers, their employees, those out of work and those at a particular disadvantage in the labour market.

All supported projects will meet the aspirations of co-financing, which are to:

• promote greater co-ordination and targeting of provision;
• reduce bureaucracy and the administrative burden on providers;
• allow for innovation and creativity at regional and local levels;
• place more emphasis on the quality of provision;
• ensure more systematic monitoring of provision; and
• ensure that ESF money adds more value to the delivery of Government programmes.

In order to achieve the strategic ambition of this plan, supported projects will normally be expected to cover at least two LSC areas. All projects will be required to demonstrate the strategic rationale for their proposed activities in terms of their contribution to pan-London priorities. Projects will need to demonstrate that their proposed activities are not primarily local in nature and, as a result, not better suited to delivery through local LSC co-financing plans.

Central to the rationale for a pan-London programme is that it provides a means to link learning and training of target beneficiaries to the employment opportunities in key sectors of the London regional economy. The Pan-London Programme therefore prioritises provision, particularly under Policy Field 4, which supports the development of skills required by employers in the target sectors identified in the FRESA, as listed in Section One.

Key components of projects to be supported

The LSC Pan-London Programme intends to focus support on proposals that:

• fully and accurately reflect the activity specifications contained within the Prospectus;
• have clear objectives and realistic expectations;
• clearly demonstrate that the activities proposed have been properly planned;
• demonstrate that robust project management mechanisms are in place to achieve objectives, and deliver outputs/outcomes and spend to profile;
• provide robust evidence showing a track record of successfully delivering to high quality standards either the activity proposed or activity of a similar nature and level of complexity;
• incorporate or encourage partnership and collaborative working, where appropriate;
• can demonstrate a strong commitment to equal opportunities and other crosscutting themes;
• represent value for money;
• have robust quality assurance and monitoring and evaluation procedures; and
• are sustainable or can demonstrate an effective exit strategy.

One of the key national objectives of the Department for Education and Skills and the LSC Pan-London team is to drive up the standard of learning provision. Within this context, it is absolutely crucial that providers meet the highest quality standards. As a minimum all providers will be required to have in place:

• equal opportunities policy;
• health and safety policy;
• quality standards that meet the Common Inspection Framework;
• evidence of financial viability; and
• public and employers liability insurance.