The equation is simple, says DAVID HARBOURNE, director of the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire: Consultation= involvement = awareness = success...

It Is a fairly safe bet in any walk of life that the more involved people feel in what they do, the more enthusiastic and committed they are to it. That applies to the world of work as much as to the world of learning - and they're often the same thing!

At the Learning And Skills Council (LSC) North Yorkshire we try to practise what we preach. A very successful recent initiative has been the involvement of young people in the wide consultation process around the Strategic Area Review.

The Review (sometimes shortened to "StAR") is an opportunity to look at all LSC-funded learning for people over the age of 16, to see how we can adapt and develop to meet the changing needs of people, communities and employers throughout York and North Yorkshire. Sixth formers from Lady Lumleys School, in Pickering, and a group of young people from Whitby Youth Council have been adding their voices to those of our many partner organisations, all of whom have a keen interest in the future of learning and skills in York and North Yorkshire.

The techniques we have used to encourage the young people's involvement - such as making videos and producing graffiti boards - may differ from the more traditional cycle of meetings and discussion groups, but the end result is very illuminating.

By encouraging and supporting the active participation of young people in our planning processes, we have learned a lot, and we hope that their involvement has led to raising their own awareness of the issues surrounding learning and skills in our area.

We've used a variety of more conventional approaches as well. Young people in schools and colleges have given their views via a mix of questionnaires and focus groups. From April, we'll be extending our work through a link with Connexions, the partnership which provides advice and support for all young people aged 13-19. Six new groups of young people from a variety of different backgrounds will be coming on board to play their part in helping us get it right, including one in York.

There's no doubt that consultation is time-consuming and demanding - and there's a strong chance that the responses you get will not be what you expected at the outset. However, experience shows that listening to your customers pays off in the long run, because you can make sure you plan to meet their aims, ambitions and aspirations.

Updated: 11:59 Tuesday, February 24, 2004