More Than A Vision?HE-Based Workforce

Development

Hugh Tollyfield – HEFCESpecial Adviser on

Employer Engagement

South London LLN Conference

The strategic challenge hasn’t changed:

“How do we create an economy ofexplicit business driven demandsfor high skills from employers?Demands which are met byresponsive, flexible, results-focused provision delivered by highlyadaptive HE providers?”

According to many, it couldn’tbe done by the HE sector..

“There’s nodemand fromemployers”

“Employerswon’t pay

for HE provision”

“Employers don’t know what they

want”

“This isn’t higher

education”

“You’ll never persuade

universitiesto take the risk of this

untried market”

Stepping higherStepping higher

• Results from CBI education andskills survey 2008• Case studies of partnership – looking at employer and HE experience• 12 key issues for employers,universities and governmenthighlighted

“We looked for a business schoolthat would most closely meet our

development needs”

“To maintain training

standards at a pinnacle for the

industry, we needed to push the bar higher..”

“Although we have a substantial budget for the project…our partnership with the

university is providing very good

VFM”

“Cost, quality and business benefit

are the key considerationswhen selecting

learning and development”

“As an HE provider, we have …

increased the uptake by

employees and employers because

the programmes have been designed to meet the specific

needs of the industry”

“Learning should be an integral part

of what people are

doing in their jobs and not just a one-off

training intervention”

Including 26 projects totransform

services toemployers

37 leadUniversities and

FE Collegessigned-Upfor 08/09

UK Govt“HE At Work” ConsultationApr-July 2008

CBI/UUK/HEFCE

“Stepping Higher”Document launch

30 Oct 2008

9000 newco-funded places

contractedfor 08/09

Average rate of employerco-funding

in 08/09>30%

HEFCE’s Employer Programme 2008-11

£150m programme of actionResearch over 3 years:• Test employer market for high level skills• Stimulate new employer investment• Develop new HE responses to meetingemployer demand Together with:• Building new and lasting capacity and capability in the HE sector.

Stepping higher –Stepping higher –12 key issues12 key issues

(1) Developingdemand for skills(2) Infrastructureto respond(3) Right peoplefor delivery(4) Streamlining accreditation(5) Building mutualunderstanding(6) Agreed objectives & measures

(7) Recognising the employer as client(8) Building support(9) Adapting teaching(10) Flexibility in delivery(11) Follow throughat the end of aprogramme(12) Funding mix

Stepping higherStepping higherKey Issue - DemandKey Issue - Demand

Only 28% of employers useUniversities to any extent for staffdevelopmentButOver 55% of employers lackconfidence that there will be sufficient highly skilled peopleto meet their future needs

Businesses which had undertaken higher level skills development*

Base 438

*Survey of East Midlands businesses carried out by Centre for Enterprise. Revised results

39%

Know your competitors

Base 153

*Survey of East Midlands businesses carried out by Centre for Enterprise.

56%

How important are the following when choosing your provider of higher level skills?

Average scores on 1-10 scale. (base)

(169)

(168)

(170)

(169)

(167)

*Survey of East Midlands businesses carried out by Centre for Enterprise.

Stepping higherStepping higherKey Issue - DemandKey Issue - Demand

Amongst the 72% that don’t use HE:•24% lack information about whatUniversities offer•23% don’t know who to contact•10% tried but felt university didn’trespond positively•42% haven’t seen a need for HEservices

Why business should look toHE for workforce development?

World class businesses succeed when their people:• Possess high level skills and know howto use them• Can communicate, collaborate and showLeadership• Apply their intelligence to businessgrowth and success• Are able to solve problems and canapply their judgement effectively• Thrive on change and develop to meetnew challenges

Business-HE collaboration will deliver these results and more

•Bringing together business expertise, product and market knowledge….•With HE’s expert abilitiesin learning, development and knowledge exchange..•Will deliver profitable businessgrowth and institution-wideknowledge and learning benefits.

But we have to makeBut we have to makethe HE sector and the HE sector and

its offer to businessits offer to businessmore transparentmore transparent

so that business canso that business canconnect with the visionconnect with the vision

LLNs Can Add Clarity

• Enabling progression by promotingopportunities into and from HE• Flexible learning pathways which take intoaccount previous workplace and informalLearning and professional body requirements• Support to brokers in setting up employerdemand-led provision• Tackling blockages in the system, e.g. creditrating and accumulation• Helping providers address QA issues• Collaborative approaches which draw in allHE providers in delivering flexible solutions

• CPD programme for the Pensions, Disability and Carers’ Service – DWP• “Professionalism in Decision Making and Appeals”• Organisational development and performanceimprovement through developing professional skills• Work-based learning with modules directly related to individual roles and current/future work practices• Existing training in law and benefit rules accreditedas part of the programme

AdvancedLevel

HigherLevel

FoundationLevel

60 credit – Grad CertificateSpecialist DM and Manager

60 credit – Prof CertificateDecision Maker

30 credit – Cert Achievem’tEntry level for new staff

APEL at each level plus evidence-baseddecision making modules

Collaboration with pharmaceutical industry

Application of Process Analytical Technologyin Biopharmaceutical processing

Industrial need, driven by:• Demanding new standards from regulatory bodies• Limited existing industry capabilities

• Need for innovation and investment in newdevelopment and manufacturing processes• Need to upskill the workforce with new technical and management knowledge and skills

Opportunities for research collaboration and new CPDprogrammes in existing and new process technologies.

Integrated knowledge transfer programme:Longer term outputs:

• New undergraduate and post-graduate curriculaShorter term outputs:

• Collaborative research in process analyticaltechnologies• Knowledge transfer partnership• Academic/industrial ‘club’ activities• Continuing Professional Development Programmes

Collaboration with pharmaceutical industry

E.mail your thoughts andquestions to me:

h.tollyfield@hefce.ac.uk