• To provide an opportunity to look outside each partner’s own area of expertise and find out what is happening in other Core Skills areas.
• To discuss the Core Skills activities supported to date including their successful impact and plans for future developments of this support.
• To illustrate how the range of supported activities contribute to the bigger picture of strategic developments within Birmingham.

Geoff Bateson, Partnership Manager, described the background context and the key themes of the Partnership’s work. The scale of the Partnership’s work was described; as were some of the impacts. The Partnership’s consistent and robust approach to evaluation at a number of levels was described and illustrated with examples. The range of work was further illustrated in a series of exhibition stands.

• Core Skills and the Voluntary Sector
• Changing the Nature of Maths Teaching and Learning in Schools
• Engaging Families in Literacy and Numeracy
• Young People Investing their own time in Core Skills Development
• ICT as a Tool in Adult Learning
• Raising the Key Skills Levels of Disadvantaged Adults and Young People
• Meeting the Key Skills Needs of Employees and Employers
• The Social and Economic Impact of Low Key Skills Levels in Adults and Young People

The feedback from participants has been very positive. We hit the right level of detail; created the right atmosphere; and presented the work in a high quality and appropriate way.