Frequently Asked Questions

Catalyst is a programme managed by Lifelong Learning UK in partnership with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, further education employers and providers, representative bodies and other further education organisations. The programme consists of four areas that can help you deliver various recruitment, retention and development benefits.

Make a Difference provides support to help you attract and develop high-calibre managers.

Business Interchange helps you access funding and support to provide work based vocational placements for your teachers, tutors and trainers.
Pass on Your Skills helps you find vocationally skilled candidates for your teacher, tutor and trainer/assessor vacancies in specific economic skills shortage areas.

Business Talent provides resources to support you if you are interested in recruiting senior managers with skills and experience from outside the sector.

All areas of Catalyst actively aim to attract participants from a mix of backgrounds to further improve the diversity profile of the sector.

Catalyst began in March 2007 and will run until March 2010. We hope that Catalyst will help to set up models that the sector can continue to follow after the official period has passed.

Catalyst is funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

All parts of the Catalyst programme are open to all publicly funded post-16 training and skills providers in England, including institutions covered by the 1992 Act. This includes you if you are:

• A further education college, including a sixth form college or specialist college
• A publically funded work based learning provider (including independent training providers and Job Centre Plus procured)
• A local authority or a voluntary and community sector learning provider (also known as adult and community learning providers)

Yes, participating in Catalyst comes at no cost to your organisation. Some areas offer funding to further support your participation.

There is no limit to how many areas you can participate in, from one to all four. Catalyst has been designed as a holistic programme and we would encourage you to consider it in its entirety as well as in component parts.