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Successful Employer Responsive Provision: an Academic Perspective Tracey White. t.white@mdx.ac.uk Middlesex Business School. MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON | DUBAI | MAURITIUS | INDIA. Contents. Employer Responsive Provision (ERP) Organisational Needs meets Academic Tradition Supporting ERP
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Successful Employer Responsive Provision: an Academic PerspectiveTracey White t.white@mdx.ac.uk Middlesex Business School MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON | DUBAI | MAURITIUS | INDIA
Contents • Employer Responsive Provision (ERP) • Organisational Needs meets Academic Tradition • Supporting ERP • Case studies • Tensions and difficulties • Models for ERP (WiP) • Thoughts • The Employer Perspective
Employer Responsive Provision (ERP) • Shifts away from the learner centred approach • Employer drives curriculum mapped to the organisations needs • Learner at the heart of the process • High levels of risk QAA (2010) • Equal Partnership • Diverse, complex, unique • Fundamental to ERP • Relationship • Sustained interaction
Organisational needs meets Academic Tradition • Move away from training • Functioning Knowledge • Balancing academic knowledge and skills with professional competency / capability • Pedagogical shift to andragogy (Walsh 2008) • Or something new? • Education is transformative and challenges learners to be critical and seek change • Balancing an organisations needs with the ethos of HE
Supporting Employer Responsive Provision • Three key areas; • Employer Engagement • Programme design and development • Programme Implementation and Facilitation • “Working with non-educational partners, in particular, involves a major investment of time to ensure that such organisations fully understand the importance of maintaining a high quality and consistent HE learner experience.” Ambrose and Ni Luanaigh (2009) • Greatest challenges; • The lack of understanding of the partners and their organizations • Just in time solutions • Flexibility • Managing Expectations • Nature of Support • Communication
Case Study 1 • Large corporate organisation seeking a management development programme in a short timeframe • HE a new concept • Regulations, systems, processes, curriculum design • Profile of employees and the organizational ‘way’ • Organisation had specific needs and requirements • Staff / employees used to training • Was viewed as being a pilot • Not communicated effectively
Case Study 2 • Identified need supported by organisational strategy • Full support from senior management • Internally managed to a high level of detail • Employee understanding, support, involvement • Strong partnership between commercial manager / academic which gave rise to; • Common understanding • Rules of engagement • Programme Leader / Academic Team • Importance of involvement
Greatest Challenges associated with developing ERP • Are employers prepared for Change? • Academic / Operational staff with correct skills • Engaging learners • Programmes need to be developed at the correct level and be fit for purpose • The application and selection process and criteria are developed in partnership • Strong communications strategy supported with informative events • Need for a common understanding of what HE has to offer / organisational needs
Effective ERPDraws on Brenan & Little, Stuart, Garnet Structural Capital HEIs Organisations Structural Capital
Key Components to support HEIs WFD Strategies • Institutional Mechanisms • Strategic support and direction • Staff Skills Knowledge • Related strategies / funding /frameworks / resources/systems and processes • Staff Skills Communication • Relationship building / Effective listening / questioning/ Use of language • Staff Skills Other • Drive and motivation / Problem solving / decision making / responsiveness /business and academia / work based learning practitioner Adapted from Eyres, Hooker and Pringle (2008)
Some Thoughts • Understanding ERP from an organization and employee/learner perspective • Consideration of the key components to support organizations WFD • Understanding the challenges and benefits of continued growth in ERP • Take responsibility for informing, shaping and developing employer partnerships • Marketing ERP and its benefits to grow common understanding and rules of engagement • Staff engaging in ERP – who are they/what’s in it for them? • Recognise the unique nature of ERP and its changing nature • Not lose sight of the learner and their experience
The Employer Perspective • Royal Mail • 120,000 staff • It’s own ‘Culture’ • Management Development Team • Management Development Programme • Private training provider involvement