Progress West Midlands - The Story So Far

Note on Archived content: G:up managed the Progress project in the West Midlands region, a national training programme for CYP VCS staff, which ended on 31st March 2011.  This page and related pages have been archived and retained for reference for anybody who was involved in or wants to learn about the project.  G:up hopes that there may be further opportunities through extension funding and projects for the West Midlands and is looking out for any opportunities that could benefit and develop the sector.

Archived Content

How G:up Rolled Out Progress in the West Midlands

After being awarded the contract to be Progress regional development agent (RDA) in the West Midlands, G:up moved quickly to publicise the amazing opportunities for training providers and staff throughout the region's children and young people's voluntary and community sector (CYP VCS).

Progress is a national programme offering 25,000 accredited training places for CYP VCS staff and volunteers and enabled West Midlands training providers to claim a £100 subsidy per learner, per unit, for training they offered through Progress - in turn enabling them to offer hosts of free or highly subsidised courses to the region's workforce, until 31st March 2011.

In late September 2010, G:up held two briefing sessions for the sector, allowing colleagues to learn more about Progress, including the opportunity to question national contacts from Progress funders, NCVYS (National Council for Voluntary Youth Services) and CWDC (Children's Workforce Development Council), and to get involved.

With all systems go for Progress, after threats of cuts, G:up held three rounds of familiarisation training from November 2010-January 2011, which all Progress training providers were required to complete to induct them into Progress, its aims and priorities.

Progress also offered other opportunities to West Midlands CYP VCS organisations by allowing them to apply for bursaries to gain accreditation with training awarding bodies.  Five West Midlands organisations won this national award, one of many legacy features of Progress, contributing to sector development and capacity-building that will long outlast the project's end in March 2011.

The bursary recipients were: WAYC (Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs), WCVYS (Worcestershire Council for Voluntary Youth Services), Concept Connect, Fluid Space Arts and bayc.

G:up also offered an internal bursary to enable Progress training providers' staff to complete PTTLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector or 'train the trainer') training at a significantly reduced rate, which should also impact significantly on quality and training standards across the region.

The final step for training providers recruited by G:up to deliver Progress training in the West Midlands, was to complete a Local Learning Delivery Agreement (LLDA) with G:up.  16 LLDAs have been completed and signed and the full list of West Midlands training providers, including their locations and the types of training they're offering, can be seen here.

With delivery now firmly underway, a torrent of accredited training courses, many completely FREE of charge, covering a diversity of areas essential CYP VCS organisations are available right across the region. 

With new opportunities being announced daily, the best way to keep up and ensure you can book onto the courses you and your staff need, is to keep checking G:up's Training and Events Calendar.

Demand for Progress in the West Midlands has consistently outstripped all other English regions and it's no surprise courses are consistently fully booked due to the quality and range of the opportunities available.

You can read more detail about the background to Progress and its aims here.  If you want any more information, please contact G:up on progress@bayc.org or 0121 460 5870.

Progress West Midlands Training Providers

Click here for a full list of West Midlands training providers or follow the link below - find out who they are, where they're based and the types of courses they're offering:

www.gup.org.uk/WMProgressTrainers

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