Collaboration and partnership increasingly underpin approaches to taking forward policy to broaden and cohere the provision of education and training (as well as other public services such as health and social care). With respect to the current 14-19 reforms, the collaborative underpinning can be seen clearly in the 14-19 Pathfinders initiative which was introduced in the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) Green Paper 14-19: extending opportunities, raising standards (DfES, 2002) and then developed by the government in its response to the consultation: 14-19: opportunity and excellence (DfES, 2003).

The over-riding purpose of 14-19 Pathfinders is to develop and test a variety of models of area-wide collaborative working which will help to achieve the vision and principles for 14-19 education and training by broadening provision in ways which:

- meet the entitlement of 14-16 year-olds
- widen 14-19 provision and increase choice
- smooth the transition to post-16 learning
- enable area-wide curriculum planning
- increase participation and achievement
- improve progression to employment/higher education.

This policy agenda whereby collaboration between institutions across an area is central to 14-19 education and training is supported by the recent report to government by the Tomlinson Working Group on 14-19 Reform which states:

Collaboration is not a new idea and we want to build on existing good practice, such as that developed in the 14-19 Pathfinders and the Increased Flexibility Programme. However, collaboration would need to happen more systematically if all learners are to have access to a range of options, delivered in institutions with appropriate facilities and expertise. (DfES, 2004a, p.106)

Our vision for the 14-19 phase sets out a range of opportunities that should be available to young people in every area of the country. Schools, colleges and training providers will need to collaborate, because no single institution will be able to provide them all on its own. (DfES, 2005, p.78)

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