Cross-sector Collaboration and Partnership Working: Skills to futureproof your career

 

Julie Hutchison, Specialist Lecturer, University of Cumbria

In looking at how to approach the ‘problems without passports’ that we now face, the knowledge and skills many of us learned a long time ago just aren’t enough to set us up for the future. Today’s working patterns and careers are far less linear than in the past.  As you navigate your own decisions about the type of work and roles which interest you, you might like to consider an additional source of support during moments of transition: the support which comes from meeting new people, and investing time in thinking about new ideas, in a supportive learning environment.

A common thread in many lines of work is the need to operate across boundaries in shared projects.  Cross-sector collaboration, partnership working, community engagement – these are all terms you might come across, but what’s involved?  How can these things be done well, and what can be learned from case studies and the experience of others?

The University of Cumbria offers a post-graduate course which looks at Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement.  It reflects on the spectrum of relationships you may encounter, and the language and practices around them.  You will explore the lifecycle of partnerships and take on a practical task of reviewing and/or writing a short partnership agreement.  Case studies of successful and failed partnerships are explored and reflected upon.  Negotiation skills are put into use.  The private, public, academic and charity sectors are all considered in the context of cross-sector collaboration and partnership working.  This all takes place on our Ambleside campus, within a UNESCO World Heritage site and this provides a great setting for exploring both the theory and practice connected to these concepts.

Even pre-COVID, the course involved an online element, with an initial welcome and induction webinar prior to the on-campus element.  In 2021, we look forward to a return to the three-day residential on site in Ambleside, from 19 to 21 July.

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in a new environment, to be part of a supportive learning environment and to build new skills in cross-sector collaboration and partnership working, this short course could be for you. 

More information about the Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement short course can be found here and you can book one of the few remaining places via this link: https://store.cumbria.ac.uk/product-catalogue/general/short-courses/strategic-partnerships-and-community-engagement-2021.