Working with employers to develop HE provision that supports the higher level skills needs

1. Working with employers to develop HE provision that supports the higher level skills needs 19 October 2007 Penny BlackieFdf Director of Regional Strategy

2. My role with fdf Bringing the regional and national closer together • Fdf remit for employer engagement in higher education: • Target of 100,000 Fd students by 2010 • Exemption from ELQs (Equal and Lower Qualifications) • HEFCE strategy for co-funding • Leitch and the adult skills target • 70% of the 2020 workforce have left compulsory education • Essential to work with employers and employee ‘Occupational Skills turn my business over; intellectual skills move my business on.’ David Johnson, CEO, Laser Rail

3. Strategy for working with LLNs includes: • fdf mapping LLN sectors to regional priorities • Identifying Fd development across all LLNs • Brokering cross LLN / region partnerships to develop frameworks / core modules to meet identified priorities • Working with LLNs to ensure that Fd ASNs meet skills priorities • Look at existing provision • Early Fds converted from HNs have little employer engagement

4. Strategy for working with LLNs includes: • Fdf can offer support by • Funding work based learning elements • Funding employer engagement elements • Advising on Fd frameworks • Employer/provider partnership project • Endorsement scheme with Sector Skills Councils

5. In the North West: • In 2006-07 increase in Fds of 41% • 9125 Fd students • 525 Fd programmes running and planned • Fdf has made information available about regional intelligence on skills priorities • Collaborative Fds

6. In the North West: • Fdf has funded 18 projects for growth by offering incentives to employers • Fdf is working closely with the Higher Level Skills Pathfinder to complement the work in four sectors • The business plan for 2007-08 highlights Fds in Food & Drink and Process Manufacturing through Proskills

7. Fdf is working closely with Unionlearn and trade unions to offer information, advice and guidance to employees • Fdf is working with NW Chambers of Commerce in partnership with LLNs • Fdf has piloted a methodology for employer based training accreditation (EBTA)

8. What is EBTA? • Seeks to align employer training at HE levels and make links with an HEI to accredit the provision • Six HEIs, three FE colleges, two LLNs involved • Core element of roll-out of BCC project to NW Chambers – eight involved • Review of links with Chambers is leading to paired approaches by fdf and LLNs.

9. What is EBTA? • Targeting sectors that are regional priorities including those that support the two regional collaborative Fd developments: Media and Creative Business and Financial Services • Both are available for providers to use as a basis for a Foundation degree

10. Real progress being made with: • Michael John Hairdressing • North West Vision and Media and the Digital Pass • NW Chemicals • Tesco Rolling out in the other two Pathfinder regions, NE and SW

11. Key actions or issues • Collaboration and development of a complex new system for the region takes time • Train all academic facilitators to achieve consistency – pay for training. • Develop a methodology that can be used and measured nationally as soon as possible • Higher education levels are not well understood which can lead to lost time (if the training is below level 3 or 4 fdf now looking at a high profile national development

12. Foundation Degree Forward Fdf NW Regional Director: Tony Donajgrodzki Email: A.P.Donajgrodzki@fdf.ac.uk Penny Blackie Director of Regional Strategy Foundation Degree Forward Lichfield Centre The Friary Lichfield WS13 6QG Email: p.blackie@fdf.ac.uk Head office: 01543 301150 Mobile: 07917 052332