A second wave of national pilots for the government's Skilled for Health initiative is now about to start. The second wave includes a project led by MLA London targeting five London boroughs - Barking & Dagenham, Ealing, Islington, Newham, and Tower Hamlets.

A key aim of MLA London''s project is to pilot a set of Skills for Health materials within a library and museum context. This project is part of MLA London''s broader Skills for Life programme encouraging libraries, museums and archives to develop their Skills for Life work.

The Link In project is funded by the European Social Fund and is running from 01/07/06 until 31/08/07.

The overall aim of the Link In project is to promote Skills for Life learning in libraries. The project runs in libraries in six boroughs in London: Camden, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Westminster and Wandsworth.

Library staff from the participating boroughs are encouraged to enrol on the City and Guilds course for Level 2 Adult Learner Support which is provided by Westminster Kingsway College. As part of this qualification they should build up their skills in identifying and referring people that come into the libraries who have Skills for Life needs towards further learning opportunities.

Libraries for Learning is an 18-month project co-funded by the London Development Agency (LDA) and ESF to take ideas forward from the Londoners Need to Read project by improving the skills base of Londoners.

Staff who will work across the 5 London LSC regions have been recruited to the project which aims to ensure a consistent approach to the delivery of Skills for Life activities in libraries (and also museums and archives) across London, as part of MLA London's Skills for Life Compact, to which the library services of all 33 boroughs have 'signed up'. The project also includes training 120 library staff across London in Skills for Life awareness.

In 2004 there was a Londoners Need to Read project which highlighted the role of libraries, museums & archives in supporting learning for adults with Skills for Life needs.

The project report showed that libraries, museums and archives are considered as welcoming places to get information, for pleasure, family learning and much more.

As such, they are ideal ''trusted intermediaries'' to help people work out what their aspirations and goals are, and to help them take the steps towards learning, gaining confidence and getting work. In many libraries, this has already meant a clear and focused role in Skills for Life.