Widening Participation through Employer Engagement: The role and

contribution of higher education to workforce development

Iain Nixon

Consultant

Focus

• What is driving the employer engagement and workforce development agenda in HE?

• What is happening in practice?

• What are the key issues and challenges in delivering on this agenda?

• What needs to be considered in moving forward?

Workforce development

• Learning which accredits or extends the workplace skills and abilities of employees – Provision delivered by HE (incl. HE in FE) • Level 4 and above – Fds – UG and PG programmes – Short courses (accredited/non-accredited) – Provision part of the HE sector’s initial/continuing professional development offer

Typology of workforce development

Individual driven Informal relationship (not employed)

Investing in learning to improve personal performance in securing new work Investing in learning to bring knowledge and skills into the organisation Investing in learning to improve personal and professional performance in existing work/ organisation

Formal relationship (employed)

Investing in learning to improve the organisation’s performance and competitiveness

Organisation driven

Provider identifies needs Develops generic knowledge and skills

Creates new knowledge Work focused

Fixed schedule of delivery

Learning in the work place

Support is programme centred Learner support provided by provider Wholly recognised by professional body Assessment focuses on knowledge Provider undertakes assessment Wholly accredited by provider Evaluate quality of learning experience

Employers and learners identify needs

Develops technical knowledge and skills Transfers existing knowledge Work relevant

Flexible schedule of delivery

Learning away from the work place

Support is learner centred Learner support is provided by the employer

No element recognised by professional body Assessment focuses on skills Employer and/or learner undertakes assessment No element accredited

Evaluate impact on learner development and organisation

What is driving the workforce development agenda in HE?

Our Futures

Raising UK productivity and competitiveness to create a sustainable economy by 2020

The 2020 test

• Rapid demographic change – There will be a ‘greying’ workforce who are least likely to train – The number of 17-18 year olds will have decreased significantly • Global economic integration – China and India will be much more important than the UK • Pressure on resources and global climate – US and EU (10% of world population, 38% of CO2 emissions) • Global uncertainty – “Poverty, environmental degradation & despair are destroyers of people, societies, nations…” (Powell)

The 2020 test

• Increasing the number of employees attaining higher level skills – 40% of the working age population qualified to Level 4 – 66% growth over period • Encouraging higher value added activity in businesses – Create and apply new knowledge in the workplace • Enabling innovation, enterprise and creativity – Technological changes, market responses

The 2020 test

• The HE system will be much larger and diversity in providers and their missions will prevail • Provision in HE and how it is funded will have changed dramatically – Reduced reliance on public funding – Greater levels of employer contributions • There will be a broader social mix of people studying HE, many of whom are (already) in work

Strategic drivers

• Leitch Review of Skills – Rapid demographic change, global economic integration – High skills workforce, demand-led provision • HEFCE Employer Engagement Strategy – Funded initiatives • LLNs, HLS pathfinders, employer engagement pilots, FL pathfinders • Focus on work-based learning, enterprise and employability • Grant letter to HEFCE (2007) – Employer engagement • Growth strategy, at least 5,000 additional entrants year on year • Employer demand-led funding • Close working with LSC

What is happening in practice?

National dimension

• £285m from non-credit bearing CPD activity • 2% of employer market • Extensive part-time provision (UG and PG) • Short bespoke courses: • On campus (88% of HEIs) • At company premises (80% of HEIs) • Distance learning for business (66% of HEIs) HE-BCIS Survey 2003-04 (July 2006)

Regional and sectoral dimension

• Regional dimension • RSPs and RSAPs emphasise higher level skills • Increased involvement of RDAs in agreeing funding priorities, e.g. HEIF • LLNs focusing on vocational pathways and progression • HLSPs operating in three regions (NE, NW and SW) • Sectoral dimension • SSCs are establishing Skills Agreements – Skills Academies

What are the key issues and challenges?

Our survey said…

In true Family Fortunes style we asked the DfES, HEFCE, SSDA, employers, academics and learners what the ‘critical issues of today’ were for HEIs in supporting workforce development.

OUR SURVEY SAID…

•Overcoming the language barrier •Raising demand or expanding provision •Encouraging good pedagogic practice •Engaging effectively with employers •Transforming accreditation and quality assurance •Meeting the costs of design and delivery X X

What needs to be considered?

Institutional trajectories

Societal Widening participation/access Sector skills Graduate employability Higher Education targets Professional Qualifications Lifelong learning Workforce development Foundation degrees Economic growth Business competitiveness Knowledge transfer IP exploitation/spinout companies Regional development and regeneration Teaching Graduates Postgraduates Higher Education targets Learning programmes Intellectual capital Academic research International research base Discipline advancement New knowledge World class knowledge base Research Academic

Dr M. Wedgwood, Manchester Metropolitan University

Work of the Academy

• Policy development – Working with DfES, HEFCE, QAA etc.

• Shaping institutional strategic intent – Facilitating a PVCs and pedagogic special interest group – Supporting the HLSPs • Supporting Subject Centres – Funding six development projects involving SSCs and HEIs • Engaging in more research – Facilitating a researchers community of practice – Co-ordinate and fund a programme of research

References

Workplace learning in the North East Higher Education Funding Council for England www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2006/rd12_06/ Work-based learning: illuminating the higher education landscape Higher Education Academy www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/WBL.pdf