LEARNING, jobs and skills are important to everyone.

Everyone wants to reach their potential, so Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has been consulting with residents and businesses to find out their concerns regarding job and training issues.

As a result, the council has developed a "Partnership for Success through Learning, Jobs and Skills" strategy, collaborating with businesses, schools, further and higher education colleges, the voluntary sector and community groups.

The council also has a dedicated Learning and Skills Unit to help put this strategy into action. Members of the unit are:

Hilary Inglis - lifelong learning officer responsible for developing the strategy, which aims to break down barriers to learning, employment and training

Christine Little - business relationships and enterprise officer, managing, creating and developing effective relationships with the borough's business community

Ann Wharton - community learning officer, who supports the development of community and family learning across the borough

Andrew Dowling - operations administrator, responsible for the council's learning, jobs and skills web page content and, in particular, the one-stop shop website

Anthony Harper - early years and childcare development officer, who supports the development of new childcare places for children aged four to 14 and provides advice and support to out-of-school childcare providers

Jamie Freeth - skills development co-ordinator, who manages Generating Enterprise projects. He also develops skills-related initiatives to widen opportunities for individuals and businesses in the borough

Sue Riley - project director of the employment initiative, responding to local businesses' and individuals' learning, jobs and skills needs. Sue has also developed the one-stop shop website.

Contact the team by e-mail at learningandskills@basingstoke.gov.uk or call 01256 845622.

You can also log on to www.basingstoke.gov.uk or www.oneshop.org.uk for further details.