New Models of Workplace Learning: Unions, Universities and Employers

1. Bruce Heil, Pat McIlvogue, Ronald Macintyre New Models of Workplace Learning: Unions, Universities and Employers

2. Skills Utilisation

3. Skills Utilisation

4. Backdrop: OU in the workplace What we do What we in the workplace 70% of OU students are in employment (80% of those with FE) Employer Engagement Work with the Unions

5. Backdrop: Unions and Union Learning Union Learning Representatives Surveys of Workplace PC Passports/ ECDL/ Spanish

6. Two sites in Central Scotland Aerospace, one production and one servicing orientated Backdrop: The Workplace

7. Partnership ... The Open University in Scotland Circa 15,000 students 70% in employment The Employer Large engineering firm (global) 2 sites engaged in partnership employs 40,000 people in more than 50 countries. The Union Unite the Union 1.5 m members Largest TU in UK Students 22 OU students on the project currently Blue Collar

8. From Engineering as Practice to Engineering Study Learning in the Workplace “ a lot of the members have been away from learning 10, 20, 30, 40 years … bad experiences would never get them back into an educational establishment …. shift friendly times and in an environment in which they are comfortable” (The Union) “the OU gave us flexibility in terms of … study method and time away from work” (The Employer) Support Structures “the reps [Union] are really important in terms of collective[emphasis added] learning, and … developing peers that can support each other, [and] then we have [names OU staff member] being able to give expert advice … but also those extra support sessions ..” (The Union)

9. Engineering as Practice and Engineering as Study Study Experience “right as long as I am not the first one to drop out” “... there's three boys on the course in my cell, we talk about that [study] regularly … mainly Maths [laughs] … some of the boys been starting new courses actually approached some of the guys on my course just asking …. how do you go about doing this … so they're getting help from us ...” Retention and Progression Not about figures but … Across UK 58.14% on course retention (completion) comparing with 94% within this small cohort , Across UK progression rate from is 78% of those who passed the course comparing with 100% in this small cohort

10. Learning by Doing: New “Articulation” routes and Widening Participation “it was always a case of getting out there and making money … I never ever thought anything about higher education … I've actually got three brothers and two of them had already left [school] … I just followed their lead..” (Student) “I did all my city and guilds qualifications and I got married quite young … I always looked at the Open Uni, I remember, looked years ago, but I could never have afforded it, and I didn't have the time, …. working a lot of overtime, and just looking after my family ...” (Student) “They have effectively hit a glass ceiling and they've got skills, knowledge and experience, but they want to progress” (The Union)

11. Learning by Doing: The Pilot as Partnerships “I think there's a lot of open and honest dialogue and discussion and debate that happens which probably wouldn't have happened … if we'd sent these guys onto a standard degree... [Names institutions, where you] don't really get that detailed interaction” (The Employer with the OU) “[the union] wanted to carry out a learning survey which obviously overlapped with the information we are keen to understand as a business” (The Employer and the Union) “The partnership provides an opportunity to help to create a supportive learning environment in the workplace” (OU) OU Employer Union

12. Learning by Doing: Employability for those in Employment & Skills Utilisation “ … the course that we're doing … it really helps you, it's given me confidence and it would help the company regarding the champions roles [key in self directed teams part of the employers skills utilisation programme] … I think if you speak to any of the guys that are doing the courses their confidence is up …” (Student) “that's something we're just starting to look at …. what opportunities we can provide in the workplace to … bring those skills back … are there specific projects [secondments] that they can take responsibility for, re their different areas of the business that they can work in …” (The Employer) “for the OU there is the opportunity to facilitate discussion between students and immediate line managers about using new skills in the workplace” (OU) “[We] need to extract the skills utilisation from this programme, and it will be lengthy” (The Union)

13. Learning by Doing Widening Participation Partnerships Skills Utilisation Tick Progress Long Term

14. Workshop Themes How we account for the value/benefits of partnership What are the benefits? What ways can we account for that value - those benefits? How we ensure it remains about 'student experience'

15. Workshop Themes What does employability mean for those already in (and studying in) the workplace What is the relationship between employability for those in employment and skills utilisation

16. Workshop Themes What makes workplace learning different from work based learning?

17. Learning Development Team The Open University in Scotland10 Drumsheugh Gardens Edinburgh www.open.ac.uk\scotland\