Knowledge sharing is a good way to make progress, says DAVID HARBOURNE director of the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire.

I am a firm believer that every company and organisation in North Yorkshire - regardless of size, location or nature of business - has some room for improvement or innovation.

The difficulty can be in knowing where to start and in being bold enough to find out what has worked for other people.

Last month, council members and senior staff from the Learning and Skills Councils (LSC) for North Yorkshire and Shropshire got together to share experiences and ideas about the work they are doing and their plans for the future. The two LSCs make a good match - both operate across rural areas, but also have a significant city on their patch (York and Telford).

We spent 24 intensive hours together and gained genuine insight into each other's plans and ambitions. Both organisations gained significantly from the experience and there will definitely be further visits in the future.

Over recent years, public sector organisations like the LSC increasingly have been open to exploring and sharing best practice but, within the private sector, there is still a reluctance to do so.

This is due in part to companies worrying that they might lose their competitive edge if they talk too openly to competitors. But I do not think this has to be the case - certainly not when it comes to sharing ideas and experience about staff training and development.

The construction industry provides an example of how best practice can be shared within the private sector. The relationship between clients, contractors and sub-contractors needs to be closer than ever because of the increase in the complexity and high demands of today's building projects.

Some of the issues were discussed at a recent Construction Best Practice Club seminar, which attracted representatives from the construction industry from across North Yorkshire.

There was a wide-ranging discussion aimed at recognising and understanding the opportunities offered through partnership arrangements, as well as identifying ways of managing complex projects where multiple sub-contractors are involved.

The LSC has given its full support to the North Yorkshire Construction Best Practice Club. Groups like this can enable industries to succeed by sharing knowledge and experience.

It is important to realise that best practice is a flexible concept. What may work for one company may not work for another. The first, vital step is simply to exchange ideas and information.

The second step is to decide whether - and how - ideas tried and tested in one company or partnership could be made to work in another.

It is vital to keep abreast of new technology, new ideas and new opportunities, and keep an open mind about the many models of excellence, enterprise and innovation in our region.

We and our partners (not least, Business Link York and North Yorkshire) can help set up arrangements for sharing ideas in other sectors of industry - just say the word, and we'll see what we can do to help. Our phone number - 01904 385506. Or if you prefer you can e-mail your ideas to david.harbourne@lsc.gov.uk. I look forward to hearing from you.

Updated: 09:57 Tuesday, October 28, 2003