Diploma In Business, Administration and Finance

1. Diploma In Business, Administration and Finance Heather Taylor Financial Services Skills Council Madeleine Swords, Consultant

2. Content • Project Timeline • Development Aims and Objectives • Our Approach • Employers’ Perspective • Employer Research - Findings • Progress To Date • Next Steps • HE Research • Project Outline • Findings • On-going Development

3. Project Time Line October 06 – draft learning content for stakeholder consultation December 06 – learning content for wider consultation April 07 – learning content handed over to awarding bodies for qualification development May 07 – Second phase of development commences September 09 – First teaching

4. Business, Administration and Finance Diploma Development Aims and Objectives • Develop appropriate attitudes, behaviours and work ethic to enable transition into the workplace • Provide an holistic, challenging and motivating learning experience that is real and contextualised • Develop learners’ understanding of business and finance that extends beyond what is assessed • Offer progression to a variety of business roles across all sectors and onto many HE specialisms

5. Development Aims and Objectives Cont. • Develop skills, values and standards in learners that can be applied consistently in a variety of learning and work experiences • Develop independent research, self-directed learning skills, critical analysis, the ability to structure an argument and solve problems • Ensure scope to develop skills that meet changing needs in business

6. Our Approach Consultation with: Employers, HEIs, colleges,schools, training providers, EBPs, Professional Bodies, Awarding Bodies, LSCs and other interested parties andusing Existing research and survey information On-line questionnaire Workshops/focus groups

7. The Employer Perspective • Support qualification that better prepares young people for employment • Value higher order skills • Not a ‘vocational’ qualification • Want broader capabilities and interests that will prepare learners for further training • How the Diploma is taught is as important as the content • Learners should understand all aspects of the business world

8. Employers – Questionnaire & Telephone Interviews • Literacy, numeracy and communication • Reasonable consensus on the importance of business skills, e.g. ERR, risk awareness, research, analysis, problem solving. • Mixed views on the importance of business knowledge – exceptions were ‘understanding business aims, objectives, structures, customer service and external influences on businesses. • Clear consensus on the importance of administration skills such as handling mail, diary systems, storing, retrieving and archiving information etc.

9. Employers - Workshops & Focus Groups • The above points were reflected in the workshops and focus groups • Attitudes, behaviours and work ethic are just as important as skills and knowledge • Students must not be able to avoid parts of the Diploma

10. Progress to Date Consultation Outputs (1st phase) • Reports on employer and HE requirements • Draft Themes and Topics and learning content Consultation Outputs (2nd phase) • Refined and agreed Themes and Topics • Level 3 draft learning outcomes • Levels 1 and 2 learning outcomes

11. Next Steps • Test ‘Themes and Topics’ and level 3 learning content among BAF stakeholders • Carry out further employer research to establish reasons for spread on some of the responses • Carry out further HE research • Produce learning outcomes for levels 1 and 2

12. Investigating the requirements of higher education for the specialised diploma in Business, Administration and FinanceMadeleine Swords, October 2006

13. OBJECTIVES First phase • to raise awareness of the proposed specialised diploma amongst higher education institutions • to explore the requirements of admissions staff and course leaders/lecturers • to provide initial feedback on the proposed structure and content for the specialised diploma

14. HE Project Outline • Desk research • 25 telephone interviews from 20 institutions • 6 Russell Group universities • 4 pre 1992 universities • 8 post 1992 universities • 2 colleges of further and higher education • 5 subject and professional bodies

15. Project briefing and abbreviated email questionnaire sent to 300 institutions. 10 returned questionnaires 15 more involved in correspondence on project

16. Findings Agree with Nuffield Review • structure balances breadth and specialism. • develop ability to read critically and to communicate ideas and argument through extended writing • develop independent research and self-directed learning skills • not be too narrow, but offer a choice and breadth within subjects whilst covering core ideas • develop a coherent understanding across subject domains • foster students’ commitment and understanding, beyond what is assessed • develop the solid base in mathematics • provide appropriate combination of subjects for progression

17. Findings • Awareness patchy • Timescale realistic • Progression determined by point score, not subjects • Only CFHE suggested progression to FDAs and HNDs • Most require GCSE C grade in maths and English, some require B in maths. • Look for evidence of motivation to study business e.g. relevant work experience • CFHEs prefer choice of applied learning routes to meet the needs of local learners and employers within broad subject area. • But more commonality easier to communicate to others • Too many options might be difficult to resource.

18. Findings • Routes suggested: business and finance routes; functional areas e.g. marketing, HR, finance, employment law, customer services; one requested business administration route. • Content: emphasis placed on aptitudes, skills and work based learning to reduce overlap with HE first year • CFHE suggested opportunities for specialised learning, whilst Universities tended to warn against too much specialism • Language options valued • Analytical skills could be developed across a diverse subjects that appeal to students. • Learning value of the extended project as a means of developing research and analytical skills, particularly if linked to a work based learning assignment. • Concerns about plagiarism and the challenges of assessing individual achievement within group work.

19. Should extend students’ standards of literacy and numeracy but not require higher levels skills to achieve diploma • Mix of assessment methods, with universities favouring a higher proportion of external assessment • Little support for more UCAS points for the combination of diploma components. • Diploma should develop students’ skills, including communication, information handling, independent learning, self management, basic employment skills, problem solving and critical thinking skills. • If it fosters independent learning and research skills and improved revision and examination skills would help prepare students progress within the less structured environment of higher education.

20. Ongoing development work Second phase • providing feedback on initial consultation outcomes, • consultation on draft diploma content • explore ongoing involvement of higher education in the development of Business, Administration and Finance specialised diploma.