Employer- HE Engagement: Influence through Collaboration Helen Connor The Council for Industry and Higher Education 16 June 2009

2 Range of terms Employer engagement Employability Employer responsive provision

3 Employer engagement can take different forms Major new ventures involving employers (eg new foundation degrees, customised MSc) Adapting or enhancing existing provision (eg work-related modules, placements) Short bespoke courses, workshops (mainly unaccredited) Assessment or accreditation of in-company learning Access programmes, higher apprenticeships (employee progression to HE)

4 In different partnership models Direct HE – employer HE network HE – Employer consortium Sub-contracted Mediated or brokered

5 Driven by many factors Demographic changes Lambert and Leitch Reviews HEFCE employer engagement and workforce development strategies Impact of recession - Graduate Talent Pool, HECIF The new D BIS

6 What now for Leitch and HE strategy? Leitchs World Class Goals : skills vital to UK prosperity UK existing skill levels too low (benchmark international) Ambitious targets for 2020 : 40% at Level 4 and above 70% of 2020 workforce already in employment 5.5m more adults

7 Influence through collaboration

Employer/ employee needs and wants High quality provision speedy response (can do approach) meeting the business need/ tailored learning/relevance accreditation Employer/ employee needs and wants flexibility location of learning mode of study modules, full awards assessment

Employer/ employee needs and wants High quality provision speedy response (can do approach) meeting the business need/ relevance and its transfer to work accreditation APEL knowledge exchange Employer/ employee needs and wants point of contact with the HEI graduate employability skills influencing the curriculum flexibility location of learning mode of study modules, full awards assessment A healthy pipeline of talent Interesting, enjoyable learning

10 Factors impacting on employer engagement Defining and focusing engagement Developing and sustaining partnerships Supporting engagement

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12 Enhancing HE-Employer engagement Getting a strategic fit –Why are we doing this? What kind of activity would suit us? And meet a real need? Finding partners and establishing the relationship –Can we work with them? how can we collaborate rather than compete with partners? Designing and delivering an appropriate learning package – at the right level? style of learning? attractive to students? can it be accredited? etc Developing, sustaining and leading the partnership – Have we the right people in place to see it through? Is their leadership within? Will we get evidence of impact? How contribute to other HEI activities Supporting and facilitating effective engagement –Do our staff have the ability and capacity to delver this? do we value and support them? how will we fund this in long term? And embed within this institution?

13 The missions of Higher Education Teaching First mission/stream Research Second mission/stream Business and community engagement Third mission/stream

14 Recognising interconnectedness and centrality of employer engagement

15 Some conclusions Diversity and granularity – not a one size fit Universities need to play to strengths Mainstream not third-stream An investment not a quick sale – long term relationships Emphasis on - collaboration, mutual understanding and benefit, and trust

16 The Council for Industry and Higher Education