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Strategic Plan 2026-2030
Our future direction
Learning is for life and opportunities are for all.
Looking back over the last few years, they are full of incredible success and growth for On Course South West. As Plymouth City Council’s post-16 education provider, we have capitalised on new opportunities, developed multiple areas of new provision, expanded our physical and digital learning spaces, built more and stronger partnerships and, at the heart of what we do, supported more learners to belong, thrive and achieve in learning and life.
We have also continued to reflect, review and evolve what we do to ensure we delivery quality and impact. We are now moving into a new phase of unprecedented opportunity for post-16 education and skills. With Plymouth named as one of the Government’s five key growth defence areas in 2025 and set to receive a share of £250 million investment.
This announcement builds on other recent development including Plymouth’s designation as the National Centre for Marine Autonomy and the confirmation of Plymouth and South Devon Freeport as a Defence Strategic Investment Zone. This will create unprecedented demand for education and skills, to meet the need for up to 50,000 new job role opportunities in the city. We want to ensure we are ready to deliver more value, more learning, more skills and more impact for the city and beyond.
We’ve listened carefully to the voices of our valued staff, partners, funding stakeholders and our learners in planning our next steps and we are very proud to set out here our new four-year strategy, that we hope gives clarity and focus for a bold future direction for On Course South West.
Lucinda Sanders Principal On Course South West
One of Europe’s most vibrant waterfront cities where an outstanding quality of life is enjoyed by everyone
Our Context
Through the PCC the Skills for Plymouth Strategy we work collaboratively within Post-16 and Skills to make sure:
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People have the right skills they need now and in the future to get a job and progress in work.
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Employers and individuals invest in skills and lifelong learning.
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Employers have people with the right skills they need for recovery and growth; upskilling Plymouth’s workforce and those seeking to enter the labour market.
As a key further education and skills provider for the City of Plymouth and surrounding areas, we are committed to serving our local community and aim to empower local residents with the skills, training and education they need to thrive.
Our Place
A vibrant waterfront city with a £6.97bn economy supporting 116,000 jobs, Plymouth is the largest urban area in the South West Peninsula. Home to over 268,700 people, the city aims to reach a population of 300,000 by 2034. With a history of delivering significant economic development, Plymouth boasts a £900m investment track record and a projected £6bn pipeline over the next decade, its economic strengths lie in the well-established manufacturing, marine and defence industries, and the fast-growing digital, health and creative sectors. Plymouth is made up of 39 neighbourhoods and 20 electoral wards and as one of the greenest cities in the UK, with 40 per cent of the city being green space.
Our People
Over 46,000 people in Plymouth live in the 10% most deprived areas in England, 35% of the population are economically inactive due to long term sickness and then number of people aged 65 and over is expected to rise to 32.7% by 2034. 10.7% Plymouth residents possess no formal qualifications (2022) and 26.4% Plymouth residents possess a degree or equivalent and above. Plymouth is commuter destination, with over 100,000 people coming into the city every day for education, health care and work.
Our Partners
Plymouth provides 110,300 jobs with 6,325 businesses, including the largest Naval Base in Western Europe across the city with a daily workplace for 13,000 people. The city also has over 200 social enterprises and community businesses, employing over 10,000 people. 133 schools in Plymouth deliver primary, secondary or 16-18 state-funded education to over 6,800 students. With over 20 independent training providers delivering a range of courses and apprenticeship and the city is home to three unis, the University of Plymouth, Plymouth Marjon University and Arts University Plymouth, offering higher education across a key sectors for the city, including a critical partnership with University Hospital Plymouth, with 48,000 patients per week.
Our Provision
Through our focus on our place, people and collaboration with our partners, we continually evolve our offer to meet our residents at their individual starting point and provides a pathway to existing and future skills need and job roles in the city. By optimising adult skills, 16-19, apprenticeship, skills bootcamp and many other funding streams, we maintain an education and skills offer with clear line of sight and credible delivery that has real impact where it is needed
Our Values
Our values are at the heart of what we do.
Our values at On Course South West are fundamental principles that guide how we behave and the decisions we make over time. They give us clarity, alignment and are core to us maintaining our purpose and achieving our vision.
Inclusive
We provide a welcoming place for all to thrive.
Collaborative
We build strong partnerships that have a big impact for our community.
Committed
We are focused on individual growth and success.
Ambitious
We challenge ourselves to achieve and progress.
Where will we be by 2030?
By 2030, On Course South West will have expanded the opportunities for meaningful learning for residents in Plymouth and we will have contributed to meeting the rapidly expanding skills need in the city.
We will have developed and evolved the right curriculum to take our learners to high quality destinations, including into high level job roles. We will have continued to build and shape a team of experts who provide the best quality learning and experiences and we will have accessed more of the right funding to provide access to supported pathways for the future, we will also provide the right environments, spaces and technologies that provide access to the best environments for everyone to belong, achieve and thrive. We have identified four strategic priority areas to focus our efforts and be successful in delivering our strategy.
Connected Curriculum
Working with partners to meet an evolving skills need and ensure our learners are well prepared for their next steps.
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A well-informed offer that is shaped by current and future by labour market information.
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Key education, community and civic partnerships that enhances the education and skill eco-system for the city.
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Agile provision that evolves and adapts to evolving local need. Inclusive education and training routes to high level study and careers and meet all learners at their individual starting point.
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An excellent learner journey that enables individual personal growth as well as development of the knowledge, skills and behaviours to progress to future study and careers.
Enabling Expertise
Fostering a culture of professional excellence, and an environment that encourages continuous learning.
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Professional standards and behaviours that drive a culture of excellence and accountability.
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Professional development that enhances specific knowledge, skills and expertise across all roles.
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An empowering and inclusive working environment where the staff voice influences decision-making.
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A strong health and wellbeing programme providing accessible resources to support staff to thrive.
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A culture of continuous improvement and innovation which actively encourages creative ideas and innovative solutions.
Sustainable Growth
Optimising opportunities to expand our provision and increase access to learning.
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Maximise and diversify income streams to achieve financial targets and ensure long-term stability.
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Strengthen our position as a leading provider of inclusive, place-based education and skills.
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Maintain a flexible, accessible and quality-driven offer that drives social mobility to meet the skills needs of Plymouth.
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Strengthen partnerships with employers, education and community stakeholders to realise valuable opportunities for growth.l Enhanced Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) ensures all learners receive clear, impartial support at every stage of their journey.
Accessible Environments
Providing digital and physical spaces that encourage innovation and facilitate exceptional learning.
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Professional standards and behaviours that drive a culture of excellence and accountability.
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Professional development that enhances specific knowledge, skills and expertise across all roles.
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An empowering and inclusive working environment where the staff voice influences decision-making.
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A strong health and wellbeing programme providing accessible resources to support staff to thrive.
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A culture of continuous improvement and innovation which actively encourages creative ideas and innovative solutions.
