Teesside University HE in FE Conference Getting to those ‘hard to reach’ employers

1. Teesside University HE in FE ConferenceGetting to those ‘hard to reach’ employers Darren Hankey Hartlepool College of Further Education 2 July 2010

2. OUTLINE • Key drivers of delivering higher level skills (HLS) to employers • An evaluation of the ease of this • HCFE traditional approach of delivering HLS • HCFE North East Higher Skills Pathfinder Project • Some of the project’s outcomes • Recommendations

3. DRIVERS FOR CHANGE – THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMICAL IMPERATIVE “Up against the competition of over two billion people in China and India – with five million graduates a year – Britain, a small country, cannot compete on low skills but only on high skills. Our imperative – and our opportunity – is to compete in high-value added services and manufacturing; and because that requires the best trained workforce in the world, our challenge is to unlock all the talents of all of the people of our country. And the nation that shows it can bring out the best in all its people will be the great success story of the global age.” (Former) Prime Minister Gordon Brown to the CBI annual conference 2007

4. DRIVERS FOR CHANGE – LEITCH (2006) Current government policy owes much to the Leitch review (2006) He argued that by 2020 over 40% of adults of working age should be qualified to level 4 or above. 2005 = 29% 2008 = 31% 70% of the 2020 workforce has already left compulsory education

5. DRIVERS FOR CHANGE – LEITCH (2006) “Further improvements in the UK’s high skills base must come from workforce development and increased employer engagement. Stimulating high skills acquisition within the workforce will require closer collaboration between HE institutions and employers and employees, especially for part-time students and bespoke programmes. Much of that expansion must come from programmes initiated and supported by employers. “HEIs will increasingly need to develop high‐quality provision that is relevant to the needs of business and can be delivered in a flexible way.”

6. OK.......HOW EASY IS THIS? • Process must be informed by a more sophisticated understanding of the extent and nature of the demand for higher level skills. • Kewin, J., Casey, P. & Smith, R. (2008), Known Unknowns: The demand for higher level skills from businesses, CFE. • Farrall et al. (2008), The Market for Higher Level Skills Training in the South East 2008, Heist Research for Higher Education South East. • Thornton (2008), Highly Skilled London: The demand for higher level skills by London employers, London Higher, London First and the Learning and Skills Network. • Kewin, J., Bowes, L. & Hughes, T. (2009), Beyond Known Unknowns: A further exploration of the demand for higher level skills from businesses, CFE.

7. OK.......HOW EASY IS THIS? Not Engaged in HLS 67% ‘Hard’ No ‘Soft’ No 72% 28% Engaged in HLS 33% Other HEI HEI 69% 31%

8. HCFE APPROACH TO HIGHER LEVEL SKILLS DELIVERY • A wide range of • HNC/HND • Foundation Degrees • Professional qualification (Leadership/Management, Accounts, Health Management) • ‘Traditional’ approach • Timetabled lessons • One/twice per week • Supply-driven • Compared to some FE delivery • Apprentices, TTG and full-cost • Worked to meet customer needs • Customer-driven

9. HCFE APPROACH TO HIGHER LEVEL SKILLS DELIVERY ‘Traditional’ Approach ‘New’ Approach Fees; Support Learners; Course Design; Course Delivery; Assessment……. Commitment to learn Fees Employer Course Design Course Delivery Assessment/Accreditation Course Design Course Delivery Assessment/Accreditation Commitment to learn Fees Provider Learner Provider Learner Funding Funding HEFCE or Other HEFCE or Other

10. A DIFFERENT APPROACH – THE PROJECT • Funded by the North East Higher Skills Pathfinder • Engage with organisations to ascertain HLS needs • Translate these findings into a curriculum • Develop HLS qualification • Used exiting network of employer contacts • Targeted micro/small organisations in the logistics sector • Used existing staff and employed someone from our existing contacts • Links to Teesside University

11. A DIFFERENT APPROACH – OUTCOMES • Engage with organisations to ascertain HLS needs • Saw 12 organisations • 10 supportive of the initiative and contributed • Three months after the start of the financial crisis • Translate these findings into a curriculum • Flexible degree-level qualification – Foundation Degree? • Exclusively based in the organisation • Individual and organisational development – leadership/management • Assessment to focus on tackling organisational issues • Develop qualification • Leeds Met University • Teesside University • Edexcel – Management Studies

12. A DIFFERENT APPROACH – UNINTENDED OUTCOMES • Demand from 4 organisations (6 learners) to start delivery • Not a part of the initial project • Didn’t want to lose the momentum/impetus • Extra funds secured from Business Link • £500 per learner • Company visits focused on delivery of Edexcel Professional Award in Management Studies • Personal Development, Leadership & Change Management • Summer 2010 five learners achieved qualification • National recognition • Higher Skills Pathfinder Conference, Manchester • Nicholson’s Transport, Billingham

13. RECOMMENDATIONS • Invest in market research • No more ‘if we build it, they will come’ • Must be based on solid market research (ideally conducted at an institutional level) • Iterative process of product development and responsive delivery • Play to strengths • Use unique position of being able to design and award higher level qualifications • Ensure delivery is responsive to the needs of employers • Exploit potential to grow their market share by embracing credit accumulation and transfer, and delivering bite-sized learning

14. RECOMMENDATIONS • Build on your significant market share • Developed via FE contracts (Apprentices, Train to Gain, Full-Cost work etc) • Professional and vocational in nature • Accept that not all businesses will invest in higher level skills • Business case is convincing • Where the business case does not exist, improved marketing or increased financial support are unlikely to change the training patterns of certain employers • Understand the role of cost • Culture of co-funding amongst employers that invest in higher level skills • Most businesses are prepared to meet some of the costs of higher level skills training but believe this responsibility should be shared with the Government

15. FOOTNOTES.......... • Started in a time of relative prosperity • Govt funding • Funding for projects • Organisations’ willingness • Funding going to be harder to come by • 22 June Budget • Autumn – 25% cut in all Govt Depts except Health and Overseas Development • Organisations’ natural response • Can be done, but it’s now harder • Proactive organisations • Long-term view • See opportunities

16. Any Questions?