The Leap Project was formed in 2007 by University Campus Suffolk (UCS), Suffolk Learning and Skills Council, Suffolk County Council and the East of England Development Agency.
The aim of Leap is to make access to education and skills as local as possible in response to the rural nature of the county and recognising the problems of transport to education provision.
Leap delivers free and impartial, high quality information, advice and guidance to everyone seeking education or training opportunities. Leap also works with businesses wanting to improve the skills of their workforce.
The Leap Project is unique to Suffolk and has Centres and Points across the county.
Leap Centres have expert advisors who can provide up-to-date information, advice and guidance on all aspects of education. They can also help with CV writing and offer tips on interview and presentation skills. The Centres have teaching rooms and state-of-the-art IT suites.
The Leap Centres can be found in the following towns in Suffolk:
Lowestoft (3 centres)
Beccles
Mildenhall
Bury St. Edmunds
Sudbury
Newmarket
Debenham
Stowmarket
Haverhill
Ipswich (2 centres)
Felixstowe
Leap Points are micro versions of the Centres and are based mainly in Libraries and Children's Centres. The Points offer information, advice and sign-posting to local learning opportunities.
The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce training division, Suffolk TAP, have developed and maintain the Leap website|. This is the central portal for information about adult learning and skills courses in Suffolk. In the longer term Leap Centres will provide Suffolk with a first class learning service matched to the needs of the local community.
The key long term goals of the Leap Project are:
To address the issues of geographical spread of providers and poor public transport links by providing local information holistically delivered to individuals in the context of their needs.
To ensure that all adults and young people, and their parents/carers, receive comprehensive impartial information, advice and guidance at any stage throughout their learning journey.
To raise aspirations, participation and achievement of those who are not currently engaged in learning or employment.
To maintain local access points which bring together the range of resources to support individuals and remove the barriers to learning or employment.
To improve individuals levels of skills in a stepped, progressive approach.
To proactively support a seamless transition for individuals progressing through the learning levels.
To raise the levels of educational attainment of the 49% of the working age population in Suffolk having no or low qualifications.
Objectives of the Leap Centres are to:
Increase capacity of skills based learning particularly in priority economic sectors including skills for life, and in rural communities for individuals of all ages with poor access to jobs and training.
Provide assistance with supporting people into work that meets local economic development needs for current employers and those seeking to locate in the area, and raise the overall qualification base with Skills for Life to Level 2.
Increase post-16 participation in education/training by providing a local centre for information, support and links with other provisions for communities remote from this key service.
Enhance local facilities for community and voluntary groups working to enhance skills for adults, those with disabilities, the long term unemployed and young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The Leap Project is part of the Suffolk County Council Economic Participation Programme, an initiative supported by the East of England Development Agency.