3.3 PARTNERSHIP WORKING The aim of a partnership is to support understanding in learning for young people. Partnerships are all unique and how they form will be a collaborative effort that considers the needs and realistic constraints of those involved. Despite this, they are generally flexible in the ‘give and take’ relationship that forms and schools may choose to develop multiple partnerships with a range of employers. In 2013, the School Improvement Partnership Programme was launched by Education Scotland and draws upon international educational research and practice that demonstrates that the most effective school improvements are led by teachers and school leaders working in partnership and collaboration with like-minded professionals. School-employer partnerships are a crucial part of the Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) strategy and can bring a whole range of benefits, including developing learning and teaching by bringing real-life contexts into the classroom, offering a great insight into the local labour market with localised career information and the opportunity to offer CLPL for teaching staff in enhancing skills through employer knowledge. Schools all now have a dedicated member of staff responsible for supporting the DYW agenda and helping to forge these partnerships with organisations both locally and on a larger scale where possible. Partnerships can also be created within cluster groups, enabling secondary and primary colleagues to work collaboratively – this is also commonly done with college partnerships to develop and deliver senior-phase personal learning and achievement opportunities.
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