Transcript An HE Perspective on Vocational Learning: What can

An HE Perspective on Vocational
Learning:
What can Sheffield Hallam University
Offer?
Professor Chris Booth
Executive Dean
Faculty of Organisation and Management
Sheffield Hallam University
What is Sheffield Hallam University?
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Large modern university – 28,000 students
Diverse student population
20,000 undergraduates
8,000 postgraduates
Diverse portfolio of courses
Long tradition of vocational & professional
education
Regional, national & international university
What’s Hallam’s personality?
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‘Progressive’ & ‘outward facing’
‘Innovative’- particularly in TLA
‘Supportive’ - to students
Student/client focussed
Employability focussed
Committed to widening participation
Committed to knowledge/skills transfer
Engages in applied/real world research
Who are Hallam’s students?
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Large & growing no. of non-traditional entrants,
BTEC, Access, NVQs, Apel, direct entry pg
40% entrants from local schools & colleges
Long tradition of part-time students-ug & pg
Growing no. of top-up students from partner
colleges
High proportion of 1st generation HE students
50% of our students will receive a bursary 2006
Balanced gender split
16% ethnic minority students
10% international students
What’s Hallam doing to widen participation?
Institutional support
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Permissive admissions
policy
Key partner in Building
Pathways & Aim Higher
Hallam bursaries
Excellent student
support services
Drop-in specific skills
support
Local support
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Appointment of
dedicated academic &
admin staff developing
access, partnership &
embedding transition &
on-going support
Development of
projects in key subject
areas – e.g. business &
computing
What courses does Hallam offer?
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Majority of courses are professional & vocationally
oriented
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Many courses have professional recognition or
accreditation
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Many courses have work-based learning
opportunities
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Placement opportunities are core to many courses
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Foundation degrees in partnership with colleges &
top-up degrees
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Significant & growing part-time ug/pg opportunities
What’s Hallam doing to promote the
skills agenda?
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Leading edge course development
Embedding skills through transformational TLA
strategies
Provision of work-based learning, consultancy
projects & placement opportunities
Employer engagement: curriculum development,
TLA, professional bodies, employer fora, workbased learning, consultancy projects & placements
Key University strategy to significantly grow CPD
Success indicators –graduate employment record;
CETLs; professional body recognition; sponsorship
What are Hallam’s challenges for the future?
Build on the platform of current activities to:
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tap into the region’s potential & raise aspirations
align course & TLA developments with the changing
skills agenda
further embed employability across all activities
positively engage with employers
value & embrace diversity
respond sensitively to meet the needs of a complex
& changing student/client base
challenge regional cultures & traditional
occupational stereotypes
enable & support staff to effectively tackle the
challenges of widening participation, diversity &
skills