Nexus: Higher Education and Economic Development

1. Nexus: Higher Education and Economic Development Mary Mahoney Director, Higher Skills Nexus

2. An introduction to Nexus and Quays Creative Nexus • Who, What, Why, How, When? • Partnerships? • Flexible frameworks? Quays Creative • Who, What, Why, How, When? Synergies between the two

3. What? - Aims To develop sustainable, commercial, demand-led employer-facing higher skills and knowledge provision for the employment sectors in Gloucestershire that have latent and unmet demand for HE Why? - Evidence • Key findings from the Gloucestershire Higher Education Study • (Mahoney, 2008) • - County support for Gloucestershire Higher Skills Project Well trained people Higher productivity Increased business growth

4. Challenges facing the county • Low HE participation in Gloucester: Gloucester and the surrounding area has a below average participation rate in HE. This is counter to government targets for increasing participation. • The need to align demand with HE provision: the belief within the county that HE does not genuinely reflect the full breadth of employment opportunities available in the county. • The need for an assessment of specialist HE provision linked to skill development: e.g. engineering and construction are two of the County’s largest sectors by value and numbers employed yet there is no provision beyond HNC/HND within the County. The need for HE and FE to work together to fill skills gaps.

5. Aims of GHE Feasibility Study • To explore the latent and unmet demand for HE in the county, particularly in Gloucester and the surrounding area • If a case is identified for an additional demand, to assess of the feasibility of developing an alternative ‘HE Centre’ in Gloucester.

6. Components of the study • Mapping the HE supply/demand matrix by drawing together the evidence from a range of sources; • Reviewing other models of best practice such as Hastings, Suffolk, Combined Universities in Cornwall, Barnsley, Oldham, Teeside and HE in Somerset; • Document analysis of core Gloucestershire data from all relevant sources; and, • Extensive consultations with a wide range of employers, professional bodies, and potential stakeholders;

7. Key findings • The number of students leaving the county to enrol in HE has increased by 3.5% • The proportion going to the 5 nearest universities has increased by 5.4% with UWE having marked increases • Consistent trends in subjects chosen are seen and these are very similar to national trends • 30+ age group tend to stay in county to study

8. Key findings • Proportion of people with level 4/5 qualifications shows vast discrepancies across the county e.g. Cheltenham 26.5+%, Gloucester 15%. • This gap has widened over the last 10 years • Knowledge economy employment shows a 5.6% decline in Gloucester compared to 13.2% increase in Cheltenham

9. Key findings • Gloucestershire has well established HE, high take up rates, and high levels of provision BUT • Provision does not match county’s long term skills needs • Provision does not match government agendas • Take up of HE is differentially spread across the county

10. Key lessons for the county • Adopting a broader view of HE ↓ • Expanded view of HE as a focus for economic development and an important driver for it ↓ • Increased partnership working ↓ Brokering to achieve mutual outcomes

11. Traditional HE provision with no ‘one stop shop’ approach • Too supply led rather than demand led • Current provision not flexible • Low levels of responsiveness to innovation and the pace of change

12. The goal of the partnership • To achieve a new model for HE focused on what businesses need, when they need it, in the form they need it, where they need it. • To create stronger links between education providers and the needs of local communities, county and businesses such as the regeneration of Gloucester, Enterprise and Innovation, higher level skills and lifelong learning agendas.

13. Ultimate vision of partnership The development of a new Centre in the Gloucester Docks which will act as a Gateway into a range of educational Ultimate vision of partnership opportunities for businesses and employees including modules, foundation degrees, continuing professional development programmes and short courses.

14. Who - Nexus team Project Director - Mary Mahoney Manager, New Product Development – Wendy Monteith/Trish Upton Employer Engagement Co-ordinator – Ali Antonelli Partnerships Officer – Julia Ingram Project Manager – Sarah Gilbert

15. How? Key objectives ‘To offer businesses in Gloucestershire HE programmes that are aligned to their specific needs.’ Critical partner Responsive Innovative Fit for purpose Nexus Bespoke Consultative Demand -led Employer focused Work based includingEBTA (Employer–based Training Accreditation

16. What’s different ? The future………. The Present …..

17. Shift from provider to employer focus Project partners: The University of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire College The Royal Agricultural College UWE HOWEVER As the project goals are to work from the employers’ perspective and to focus on the demand they identify, we will facilitate access to alternative out of county providers who offer HE programmes and services if necessary (i.e. focus on growth first but encourage use/develop of appropriate local provision in the longer term).

18. Nexus Premises What it seeks to offer: • Professional, accessible, environment focused on vocational HE or higher skills • Alternative learning environment for learners in employment (neutrally branded) • A focus for attention on higher skills needs of businesses in Gloucester • Education and training within Gloucester Docks redevelopment • Opportunities for exposure to new ways of working within county and new funding streams

19. When? • 3 year funded development • Year 1 • Developmental pilot phase – learn key lessons from critical friends; build relationships, listen! • Year 2 • Expand provision and range of sectors • Year 3 • Focus specifically on better aligning programmes with the needs of SMEs

22. What? - Aims of Quays Creative • To support new & innovative creative businesses • To support businesses with clear growth objectives • To support a diverse group of tenants • Promote local procurement of creative services

23. Why? - UK stats show • 400,000 new business start-ups in UK each year • 20% cease trading within 1st year • 30% still trading after 5 years BUT • 87% of Incubation businesses are still trading after 5 years

24. Synergies between the two • Nexus can provide material support through the provision of space and specialist facilities and access to relevant expertise. • Together they bring business support into the Docks. • They demonstrate action, bring new young businesses into the area, provide a focus for activities, create a focus for media attention and shared marketing. • The three way working between education, the public sector and private sector through GMG make for a strong and committed team working to improve the economy of Gloucester.

25. Further specific information on Nexus • mmahoney@glos.ac.uk • ali.antonelli@glos.ac.uk