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

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Working with employers to develop HE provision
that supports the higher level skills needs
19 October 2007

• Penny BlackieFdf Director of Regional Strategy

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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
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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

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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

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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

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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

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• 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)

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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.

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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

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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
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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
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• Foundation Degree Forward
• Fdf NW Regional Director
• Tony Donajgrodzki
• Email A.P.Donajgrodzki_at_fdf.ac.uk
• Penny Blackie
• Director of Regional Strategy
• Foundation Degree Forward
• Lichfield Centre
• The Friary
• Lichfield WS13 6QG
• Email p.blackie_at_fdf.ac.uk
• Head office 01543 301150
• Mobile [phone]