Who we are

The Learning, Skills and Employment Network (LSEN) provides a single point of contact for all Third Sector learning, skills and employment training providers across Manchester. We focus on building capacity and promoting partnership work.

Our three key objectives are:

1. Connecting Third Sector learning providers with each other and with public and private sector providers.
2. Providing a voice for Third Sector learning providers locally, regionally and nationally.
3. Improving performance and building capacity of Third Sector learning providers.

We work with organisations which deliver neighbourhood and community based learning within the following contexts:

• Skills and Employability training – enhancing economic development by helping people to re engage in the labour market and once more become real stakeholders in their communities and have disposable income to enhance their lives;
• Informal Adult Learning opportunities - to enhance social capital and encourage people to use informal learning to strengthen and rebuild their communities;
• Cultural learning to enhance community cohesion – encouraging people to interact with each other, build mutual understanding and cultural awareness and move their communities forward collectively in a way that is respectful and beneficial to all.

The LSEN is not a provider of learning, skills or employability training itself, but provides the mechanism by which third sector providers active in these fields can contribute to and have a voluntary sector input to strategic planning.

The LSEN has always had a very wide membership and encourages any organisation that is involved in delivering or supporting any of the above forms of community based adult learning, be they from the public, private or third sector to become involved with the Network.

The activities of the LSEN are overseen by an Executive Group composed of elected and co-opted members which meets quarterly to discuss policy and strategic issues.

LSEN has been in existence since 2000/01, and was initially established as  the Learning and Skills Network. LSEN received funding from CN4M (Community Network for Manchester) from around 2006.  However, CN4M came to an end in July 2011 after 11 years working with and supporting many voluntary and community sector groups.