CATS project in Management 2012/13 What have we achieved?

1. CATS project in Management 2012/13 What have we achieved? Pam Calabro, CATS Project Manager p.calabro@linkinglondon.ac.uk

2. What the project aimed to do • To develop a flexible, credit-based management curriculum offer, to support progression from level 3 to level 4 and higher • CATS project funding - £78,000 from BIS ‘A collaborative curriculum project using a common approach to credit accumulation and transfer in management provision to increase progression.’ Project administered by AoC • Time-scale – 1 July 2012 – 30 June 2013 • Honorarium funds available to facilitate partner involvement & input

3. Key Partners FECs City & Islington College – Ian Sterling: ian.sterling@candi.ac.uk City of Westminster College – Lyndon Sly: lyndon.sly@cwc.ac.uk Hillcroft College (Jackie Beckford-Walker): JBeckford-Walker@hillcroft.ac.uk Westminster Kingsway College – Howard White: howard.white@westking.ac.uk HEIs Birkbeck, University of London – Anita Walsh a.walsh@bbk.ac.uk Middlesex University – Darryll Bravenboer: d.bravenboer@mdx.ac.uk

4. Cont. Professional bodies • Chartered Management Institute – Ann Bell: ann.bell200@talktalk.net • Institute of Administrative Management – Peter Bennett: peter.bennett@instam.org • Institute of Leadership & Management (David Pardey): David.pardey@i-l-m.com • Open College Network London Region (Jacquie Mutter): j.mutter@ocnlr.org.uk

5. Project outputs / key deliverables • Articulation Agreements between sending and receiving institutions which specify the courses available for progression at higher levels to Level 3 learners (minimum of 2 per partner) • The creation of a flexible management curriculum offer that clearly articulates credit, professional body alignment, APEL and HE progression opportunities – The work of the 5 partner projects • Information, Advice and Guidance materials which specify the management offer available to students, including opportunities for APEL and the accreditation of professional qualifications

6. Cont. • A Staff Handbook • Case studies (one case study from each partner) • The organisation of a project dissemination conference in June 2013 • Production of a final report to the Association of Colleges (AoC) & contribution to a national case study • Project peer evaluation through the University of Greenwich • External evaluation through contract

7. Development of Articulation Agreements • 4 signed between CANDI, Hillcroft College and Westminster Kingsway College and Birkbeck covering nine sending courses: progression from vocational courses and Access courses at level 3 and for progression to Honours degrees from FDs • Agreements between CANDI and Middlesex are still being worked on • A time consuming process. Led at Birkbeck by Nick Pronger - n.pronger@bbk.ac.uk

8. 5 Partner Projects • Run at CANDI, Westminster Kingsway, City of Westminster, Birkbeck and Middlesex • Opened up curriculum opportunities for APEL • The integration of higher level skills • The integration of professional qualifications • Changes that have been achieved in a relatively short time and which, as they are linked to the achievement of institutional policy objectives, will continue long after the end of the project

9. Enhancement of APEL • Focus of just one project at Birkbeck. Project has build on existing school and university work in this area, with the aim of making the process clearer and easier to use by external applicants • In addition, to the project, the Staff Handbook, ‘A Guide to Understanding and Using Credit’ includes guidance on utilising APEL processes

10. Integration of higher level skills • Focus of the project at City of Westminster College. Project stems from College perception that, currently, there is insufficient flexibility for transitioning learners from level 3 to 4. • Project focus: trialling of use of an element of the level 5 HND Business Ethics unit on the level 3 Extended Diploma in Business. • Appear to have gone well and the College plan to run a CPD session in early July which disseminates the model across other BTEC programmes at the College

11. Integration of Professional Qualifications • This part of the project has been particularly innovative • Worked with CMI and ILM – IAM involved early on only • Involvement on programmes at CANDI, Westminster Kingsway and Middlesex • Also professional recognition from the Chartered Institute of Builders and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors built into Construction Management programmes at Middlesex

12. Other achievements • Creation of student and employer leaflets to publicise new articulation agreement offer • Staff Handbook – ‘Guide to Understanding and Using Credit • Linking London Credit Directory and Register of Expertise • Peer and external evaluation • Project dissemination All key project outputs achieved to a greater or lesser degree – key now will be extent to which partners take forward this work in their own institutions Now hand over to project team who will describe in more detail the work on which they have been engaged.