The Role and Potential of FEC/HEI Partnerships Seminar for College Governors and Senior Managers: HE Strategy for Colleges in a Changing Environment

HE In FECs Expert Programme in partnership with University of Plymouth Colleges

Mark StoneAssociate Dean, Teaching & Learning, University of Plymouth Colleges [UPC]

21st January 2011 - City of Bristol College

Regional priorities / opportunities

For South West:• Aerospace and Advanced Engineering • Hospitality• Creative Industries – especially digital media • Marine • Bio-medical and healthcare • ICT – especially semi-conductor design and wireless

networks • Environmental technologies – especially renewable energy

and waste

• a portfolio response required across FE & HE +• with progression from wherever you start

Shared challenges - some regional

• Personal• Low aspirations post 16• Little family experience of HE• Serious worries over debt• Strong desire to remain in own communities• HE seen as irrelevant to future employability• Location of provision

• Employer-related• Business base primarily made up of SMEs• Limited SME support for HE day release

The part-time challenge [FDF 2010]

Partnerships evolution

• Number of guises• Franchised programmes >> Co-disigned and delievered• Partnerships office / unit at HEI• HE office / unit at FEC• University HE in FE Faculty / FEC HE Faculty

• What next?• Part time progression to level 6• CPD in all its forms – at least five separate product lines• International students in HE in FE and international

institutional partners

How – HE in FE 2.0

• HE in FE articulated as core business for HEIs & FECs – more than widening participation

• More clearly defined [distinctive] products, positioned in the market place including [entry, progression, follow up] - customer, not supply focus

• Supported by new business models that take into consideration tripartite relationships with commercial partners

• Cost effective and performance [metric] monitored e.g. retention

• Sharing and dissemination linked to reputation

How – HE in FE 2.0

• Brand building and brand sharing • Greater shared planning between strategic partners

e.g. procurement / shared services• Shared risk and enhanced levels of collaboration e.g.

procurement / shared services…. student records and staffing [Burnley College / UCLAN]

• Sharing expertise aligned to USP• Understanding areas of tension / competition and

areas of mutual interest / non competition• Academic communities across multiple institutions

University role in changing landscape

• Clarity of partnership offer including costs and benefits- supplier to and customer of FECs

• Critical friend and good listener [IQER]• Provision of value added / economies of scale services

e.g. Careers, Disability, Library and Students Union • Being an honest broker across a network of FEC

partners• Provide a wider view with different HE focused

connections• Build coalitions to bid and lobby - with HE in FE as

competitive advantage

More than structures…people, contacts and resources

Strategic working

• Formal – Academic Co-operation Agreement• (Unwritten) Core principles

• Shared Planning & Strategy• Transparency and security in funding• Open communication and accessibility• Quality Assurance & Enhancement [IQER ownership]• Support and dialogue around shared aims• Collaboratively developed provision• Ways to work with new partners HE, FE, international

and commercial