Our work to enable stronger organisations is delivered in two ways. First, direct consultancy support for VCSE organisations seeking expert help to develop their workforce, specific skills in research, development and impact practice. Second, through our strategic workforce development and skills consultancy we can make an indirect impact at a much wider scale – for a whole sector, a region or in specific commissions, UK or Europe. Here is a flavour since 2007.
Skyblue has worked with over 50 VCSE organisations, charities, trusts and foundations in the UK since 2007 to support their survival and / or growth and development. These range from the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust to the Ramblers Association, the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) to the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. We work with smaller local VCSEs to helping with their business planning, visioning, bid-writing, and impact practice including these examples:
Since the 1990s, Skyblue’s founder, Alan, has been at the forefront of researching, authoring and consulting on workforce development (WfD) investment. Over time this has grown from the first sector workforce development plan written in the North West of England for the tourism sector to a portfolio of WfD projects spanning over 20 sectors in all English Regions. For specific sectors we have also worked at UK and European levels. From this Skyblue was renowned as a specialist in ‘all things skills and productivity’ related and we’re proud to have authored many publications, evaluations, guides and toolkits in this field for diverse sectors from engineering and manufacturing to culture and the creative industries, from construction and home building to the health and social care. There have been some highlights:
Making the case for, and then successfully supporting, the development of the UK’s first Home Building Skills Partnership bringing well known competitors together around the common challenge of workforce development for 5 years. This helped thousands of employees directly employed by home builders but also their supply chains through increased investment in training and CPD. Our work also explored fast track pilots and skills bootcamps to increase new entrants’ speed to competence.
Publishing a best practice guide for how to evaluate training in the nuclear sector that continues to be used by organisational members of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear.
Working with our associate Paul Rhodes to publish an impact report for the Assuring Autonomy International Programme based at the University of York, taking us in to the world of approaches to quality assure machine learning, AI and robotics.
Supporting the workforce planning for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games and authoring many of the regional skills, employment and education plans to maximise benefits for organisations and workforces in each area of the UK. This included our first publication (about education legacy from mega events) in English & Arabic too!
At a European Level we have evaluated many transnational sector skills and standards projects and have enjoyed a long-lasting partnership with EOSE | European Observatoire of Sport and Employment where much of our work has been used. In the UK we have devised workforce strategies seeking to improve leadership, management, technical-, digital-, collaborative skills and human factors within industries and local workforces.
Our current workforce development and skills focused projects include:
Two research studies of note for the Construction Industry Training Board that sought to impact thousands of organisations have explored related topics:
Many of our consultancy and research projects have supported education institutions. Typically we make the case for whole school CPD, collaborative learning or other interventions that can support them achieve their School Development Plan priorities. Our current work has led to investment in CPD for schools including Behaviours for Learning, Inclusive Practice, Science Technology Engineering and Maths teaching and Academic Resilience.
Here is just one in a series of Impact Reports we produced with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust since 2014
Skyblue is delighted to learn that following the delivery of its ‘understanding impact’ coaching programme, OCAY (Older Citizens Advocacy York) has won the ‘Improving Impact’ Charity Governance Awards 2020 category award for 0-3 staff charities. Our congratulations to Ruth Potter, OCAY’s inspirational Charity Manager and her team. Thanks also to the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust whose Funder Plus Programme enabled Skyblue to design and deliver the Programme to multiple charities across York as a collective.
Nidderdale Plus’ first ever published impact report. We’re proud to have supported some coaching for the team to build confidence and skills to achieve this milestone.
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board has published its first ever impact report completed by Skyblue in 2020-21 highlighting its role to support firms with their training during the pandemic.
Behaviours, Cultures and Performance in the Construction Industry” represents the most thorough investigation into behaviours and cultures in the industry to date. The research completed by Skyblue is based on a systematic review of literature and supporting primary research with nearly 600 employers, employees, behaviour change experts and other stakeholders.
STEM Learning have published our outcomes evaluation of this STEM Programme reaching nearly 200 schools since 2018. It has contributed to improved subject leadership, enhanced teacher retention, improved quality of teaching, community engagement and has boosted STEM uptake.
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