| Marchmont Observatory | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | Marchmont/SLIM |
| Formation | 1998 |
| Purpose/focus | To provide data and analysis for decision makers |
| Location | Exeter, Devon, UK |
| Region served | South West (England) |
| Director | Chris Evans (University of Exeter) |
| Assistant Director | Ben Neild |
| Affiliations | South West RDA, Government Office for the South West, Office for National Statistics (ONS), Association for Regional Observatories (ARO) |
| Website | Official website |
The Marchmont Observatory conducts academic research in support of local government policy formation in the field of skills, employment and lifelong learning through good practice capture and dissemination, networking, the development of learning programmes and action based research.
Contents |
Established by University of Exeter in 1998, following a £3m bid to the ADAPT Programme of the European Union, the Observatory was established initially as a partnership between the University of Exeter, the Open University, the BBC,[1] TUC, IBM, NETg and FT Management.[2] The early focus of the Observatory centered around the field of ICT and learning and a close collaboration with the University for Industry/learndirect.[3]
As part of its commitment to develop regional expertise, the Observatory has established the Skills and Learning Intelligence Module of the Regional Observatory, on behalf of partners in the region. Through this, intelligence and statistics on the labour and skills markets are provided to stakeholders in the South West.[4]
Because of its presence within the University the Observatory staff are able to draw upon the expertise of other parts of the University and work closely with the similar Research Centres often developing joint projects.[5]
The aim of the Marchmont Observatory is to improve evidence-based practice in the field of lifelong learning. This is achieved through:
The Skills and Learning Intelligence Module (SLIM) provides a source of robust and accessible evidence on the skills and learning needs of individuals and businesses across the South West to inform policy decisions, funding programmes, organisational and partnership strategies and individual projects.[7] The development of SLIM has been driven by the growing emphasis on the region as a focus for promoting sustainable economic and social development and a national emphasis on evidence based practice.
SLIM offers a range of services, to capture, synthesise and disseminate knowledge on skills and learning.
SLIM supports the South West Regional Employment & Skills Board (SWRESB) which is 'the way in which key regional partners led by the RDA develop and deliver agreed plans to address the skills and employment needs of employers and individuals within the region'. It does this in its role as secretariat to the South West Research Forum where it works in partnership to identify gaps in current knowledge, secure resources and commission research to fill these gaps.[8]
As of this edit, this article uses content from "About the Marchmont Observatory", which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, but not under the GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed.