Professor Alison Halstead Pro Vice Chancellor for Learning and Teaching Innovation

1. The Skills Commission Inquiry into Technician and Higher Level Skills Impact on policy and implementation in the context of the HE White Paper Professor Alison Halstead Pro Vice Chancellor for Learning and Teaching Innovation Chair for this Skills Commission Inquiry UVAC Annual Conference November 17th-18th 2011 York

2. Membership of the Skills Commission Inquiry Chair Prof Alison Halstead Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Aston University Commission Co-Chairs Dame Ruth Silver, Learning and Skills Improvement Service Barry Sheerman MP for Huddersfield Commission Members Sarah Andrews Group HR Manager, Johnson Controls Lord Tim Boswell Member of the House of Lords Dinah Caine Chief Executive, Skillset Prof Joy Carter VC of Winchester University, and Chair, UVAC Ian Ferguson CBE Metaswitch Networks and Data Connection Ltd Robert Halfon MP MP for Harlow Jacqui Henderson CBE Trustee, Tec Trust Fund Photoula Kypri Head of Stakeholder Partnerships, Pearson Frank McLoughlin CBE Chair, 157 Group, Principal, City and Islington College Tony Moloney UK Learning and Development, National Grid Andy Palmer Director of Education and Skills, BT Daniel Sandford-Smith Director of Programmes, Gatsby Foundation Baroness Margaret Sharp Member of the House of Lords Sir Mike Tomlinson CBE Former Chief Inspector of Schools. Ofsted

3. The Skills Commission inquiry context • Everyone recognises the importance of high level technical skills for the growth of the economy • All share a vision of significantly increasing the numbers of young people that are motivated to work in industry and follow technician routes to success • Additional funding has been put in to • Apprenticeships • Foundation Degrees • 14-19 University Technical Colleges. but the challenge remains.

4. What has this Inquiry done? • Gathered information on provision and practice at Level 3 and above • Examined the way funding has driven providers and employers behaviours • Acquired insight into the challenges and complexities of attracting significantly more people Heard from Large and small employers Educational providers Government Departments Professional Bodies Sector Skills Councils

5. Achievements in Technician qualifications in Schools and FE in England 2009-10 FE Level 3 Achieves all ages in 1,239,000 Qualification level School Level 2 Achieves (GCSE and equivalents A*-C) School 4,723,000 FE Level 2 Achieves all ages in FE: 2,009,000 1b

6. Towards high quality technical education and work! • Skills commission agreed with Alison Wolf in the need for high standards in Maths and English, and employer input into vocational qualifications. • Heard about some excellent, creative and innovative practice. • There should be no dead ends in our system – a STEM agenda for FE, with their Schools, Employers and University partners is key

7. Inquiry into Technicians and Progression • A STEM Mission for post 14 learners. • A Skills Mission for Universities • Opening up Professional Bodies to recognise vocational and work based education and training • Technician Registration for a new technical pathway as a route into the professions • Sector Skills and Employers to support Technician Council and Registration • STEM agenda for FE – Degree Awarding Powers to be simplified and funding incentives for STEM at levels 3-5 • Professional Development for Technical and Higher level Vocational Education • Single funding agency post16 • Independent Employer led task • force to examine how large firms • can work with supply chains • facilitate technician and higher • level skills training in SMEs

8. Highlights from the White Paper • Principles • Student Experience • Social Mobility • Student Choice • Sustainable Funding • Proposals • Teaching and Employability to improve • Brightest students to choose • Key information sets - salaries • Loans – Pay as you earn!

9. How has the HE Sector responded? Universities UK • Agree • Enhancing quality student experience, choice and information. • Concern • Student Number control (85,000 places) • All can recruit AAB+ • Fee less £7500 can recruit on margin (20,000)

10. Further Education and other providers can bid for these 20,000 places Purpose • To create a more competitive environment that is responsive to customers HEI Concern • The AAB + solution may mitigate against Engineering and Science – it is more profitable to recruit arts and humanities degrees Reality • Universities may not want to expand and this is a huge opportunity for Further Education

11. Opportunities for growth and partnerships through employer led curriculum partnerships • Awarding Powers for others • Strategic Curriculum Partnerships • Level 3 upwards • STEM agenda for FE plus Maths & English GCSEs • Professional Technical from 14+ • University Technical Colleges • Apprenticeships • Foundation Degrees • High Level Apprenticeships • Professional Masters and Doctorates

12. What are University Technical Colleges (UTCs)? Aston University Engineering Academy – opening September 2012 • Providers of high end, high status technical education • 14-19 mainstream education in partnership with the University, FE and employers • Blend of academic and vocational • Excellence in chosen field – engineering and science

13. Aston University – Why are we leading a UTC? • Founded in 1895 • Student population: 9059 • Industry-focused and accredited programmes • School of Engineering • Employer led Degrees • E-ON and National Grid • Industrial placement year • National Top 5 for Graduate Employability

14. The UTC USP – adding real value

15. “Your route to work”

16. Curriculum pathways

17. AUEA – employer partnerships • Contextualised learning based on industry focused engineering projects. • National Grid, E-ON, Siemens, Aimy • Goodrich Automation, Isheda, Cundalls • Johnson Controls, RAF Coxford, Rolls Royce, Lego • Denford – Regional Formula 1 in Schools lead • Jaguar Landrover – 4x4 challenge and primary engineer • Academy Apprenticeships Programme

18. “Your route to work”

19. Opportunity to get involved with UTCs

20. We need to work together to ensure there is a technical education renaissance! By collectively fostering creativity, innovation and assisting employability. Ensuring the relevance of information and education. This will enabling the status of technicians to be firmly recognised as an attractive route to a successful career.

21. So what would success look like for the Skills Commission inquiry • All understand that there are three routes to success and University is just one option • Apprenticeships • Employer led education • Academic • Professional Technical Pathway from 14 employer led curriculum with aligned progression • Recognition of the status of technicians to UK success, registration first step – EngTech at 19 on route to CEng. • Simplification of the funding • FE incentivised to deliver a high quality STEM agenda with employers for work or progression • HE fully engaged with higher level skills and professional pathways.