Higher Education and the Workplace The Challenges for HE

1. Higher Education and the Workplace The Challenges for HE David Melville Chair, Lifelong Learning UK and Universities Vocational Awards Council

2. HE and the Workplace • Leitch and higher education • Workplace learning and accreditation • Sector Skills Councils

3. Leitch recommended world class ambition and targets • UK should commit to becoming a world leader in skills by 2020, benchmarked against the upper quartile of the OECD recommended targets to deliver this ambition: • 95% of adults to achieve functional literacy and numeracy • Over 90% of adults qualified to at least Level 2 • Shift balance of intermediate skills from Level 2 to Level 3 • Over 40% of adults qualified to Level 4 and above, up from 29% in 2005. Total 5.5 million attainments to 2020. HE targets broadened to cover whole workforce

4. Implications for HE • 40% of adults qualified to level 4 or above (up from 29%) • Much of this in the workplace • Individuals and employers to ‘bear the bulk of the additional cost’ • Delivery through a demand-led funding route like Train to Gain • Sector Skills Councils engaging more strongly with HE • ‘a rebalancing of the priorities of HEIs to make available relevant, flexible and responsive provision that meets the high skills needs of employers and their staff’

5. The Challenges for work based learning • Employer perception • HE inflexibility • Validation and accreditation

6. HE-employer engagement • Day release and work placement • Selling or adapting existing HE modules • Designing new HE modules to provide tailored courses • HE accreditation of courses businesses already run internally • Enabling businesses to manage the whole process by validating or accrediting their workforce development process

7. Accreditation of graduate training in GSK UK Chemistry functions:A case study in postgraduatework-based learning Harry Kelly GSK Chemistry Lyn Brennan Academic Consultant

8. Objectives of the accreditation of graduate training in GSK UK Chemistry functions • To have in-house … scientific training program validated, accredited and, if desired by the graduate, for the training to be used towards a higher education qualification. business-driven research/development projects credited towards the award of a higher education qualification, probably an M.Phil.

9. GSK want a mechanism for advancing key graduate talent • ‘tough environment’: large numbers of graduates recruited across GSK UK Chemistry each year • Extensive training in:- • Synthetic chemistry • Medicinal chemistry • Informatics • Professional & interpersonal skills • Well regarded across the industry • But not externally benchmarked or independently assessed for cost-effectiveness or quality • Not maximised as competitive advantage • (recruitment, retention, staff development)

10. Provided an opportunity to review the GSK chemistry training programmes systematically • Training programme(s) would need to be enhanced • Assessment • Theorising • Reflection • Written examination was not the default solution • Reports • Presentation to peers/management team • Review vs. national standards

11. Overview of the programme • Accreditation of Continuing Education Chemistry Programme: Pathway A Synthetic Chemistry Module 1 (10 credits) Synthetic Chemistry Module 2 (15 credits) Synthetic Chemistry Module 3 (15 credits) Drug Discovery (10 credits) Techniques for Purification & Analysis (5 credits) IT Tools for Chemists (5 credits) Specialist IT Tools for Chemists (5 credits)

12. Validation of Postgraduate Certificate Programme 50 credits of Accredited Chemistry Continuing Education Programme 10 credits of Assessed PDP & Review +

13. Validation of MPhil by Work Based Learning(under development) Postgraduate Certificate Award MPhil by work- based research and Thesis

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15. What is HE@Work? • A new business consultancy company formed by a partnership between UVAC and the Edge Foundation • Its aims • to increase the recognition of workplace learning • to facilitate the award of workplace learning qualifications at undergraduate and postgraduate levels • Specialises in working with large companies • Targets senior professional or technical personnel • HE@Work is designed to find positive answers to employer needs and help them engage with HEIs

16. Employer perspective on learning Learning is key to many aspects of business – • Complying with legislation • Raising quality of services • Adopting new techniques • Creating new products • Increasing efficiency • Faster implementation of change • Foreseeing problems - but does this mean they want academic partnerships?

17. The employee dimension • Employee–Employer CPD synergy of interest • Attractive to new recruits • Encourages retention • Provides a quality endorsement • Some qualifications are valued by employees • Vocational licence to operate • Graduate ‘status’ glass ceiling • MBA ‘brand’ • Specialist qualifications linked to leading edge research

18. Different learning management approaches Typical HEI Typical Workplace Strong emphasis on formalised course based learning and formal examination with fine grading Accreditation usually neglected & assessment limited Lack of structured reflection and embedding learning Assessment and accreditation Work Appraisal Teaching & Mentoring Training & Management Experiential aspects often neglected and usually artificial and outdated and generally unmeasurable, that is do not count towards a grade Emphasis on career paths which develop capability through real life experience & achievement Case studies Achievement in a real life situation

19. HE@Work support for employers • Health check - diagnostic advice based on HE benchmarks • Advice to enhance in-company programmes • Credit Recognition - establish the general credit value of a programme • Accreditation – enable credit award to individuals successfully completing the programme • Validation - enable learners to achieve an HE qualification • Programme Management – assist in the interface with HE • Access to Qualifications – facilitate partnerships with HE

20. About Lifelong Learning UK • Sector Skills Council for the lifelong learning sectors, including higher education, further education, work based learning, community learning and development, libraries, archives and information services, youth work • An employer-led body with strategic responsibilities for: - labour market intelligence - workforce planning - workforce standards and qualifications structures - workforce training and development - investment in skills, recruitment and retention

21. The Sector Skills Agreement • Compact to ensure the sector gets the skills it needs • Five phases: • Assessment of current and future skills needs • Understanding current supply of skills provision • Analysis of gaps in provision and market testing • Assessment of collaborative action by employers • Development of an action plan • And for LLUK an additional phase: Assessing the impact of other sectors’ agreements on our sector

22. Developing skills solutions for the lifelong learning sector In the following broad areas: • Developing capacity and capability • Focus on developing partnerships across the lifelong learning sector with partners and other sector employers • Addressing recruitment and retention issues • Developing a UK wide leadership and management strategy • Developing a strategy or similar to support the use of technology, particularly relating to information learning technology (ILT)

23. The role of HEIs in skills development – what will drive this? • Impact of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills • Demand for increasing employer responsiveness and relevance – reflected also through the other sector skills council’s plans and agreements • New roles and responsibilities within the HE sector • Collaboration with the FE, schools, and the voluntary and community sectors to deliver coherent skills development programmes which offer progression from a learner/employees perspective • The impact of an increasingly global economy

24. Higher Education and the Workplace The Challenges for HE David Melville Chair, Lifelong Learning UK and Universities Vocational Awards Council