What plans it has for the development of learning partnerships.

Learning partnerships were set up in England in 1999 to promote collaboration by learning providers across sectors (schools, further education, work-based learning and adult and community learning). They are non-statutory, voluntary groupings of local learning providers and others such as local government, careers service, trade unions, employers and faith groups. The core roles for learning partnerships are promoting provider collaboration in support of lifelong learning and maximising the contribution of learning to local regeneration.
In Scotland, in 2000, the then Scottish Executive asked local authorities to lead on the development of Community Learning Partnerships across Scotland. In this way, community and voluntary organisations, local authorities, police and health boards, further and higher education institutions and enterprise and careers agencies began to work together to achieve positive change in communities, through the provision of learning and social development opportunities.
With the publication of Working and Learning Together to Build Stronger Communities in January 2004, the Scottish Executive asked that (building on the work of the Community Learning Partnerships) Community Planning Partnerships take the responsibility for ensuring that a co-ordinated approach is taken to community learning and development in their area, through the formation of Community Learning and Development (CLD) Partnerships (in which schools and colleges should again be key players). There is a CLD Partnership in each of the local authority areas and each partnership has in place a CLD Strategy.
Our distinctive Scottish approach to CLD links learning with practical activity to improve community life, through which people develop skills that are essential in a work setting. CLD Partnerships make an important contribution towards promoting lifelong learning, social inclusion and active citizenship.