Aled Williams Senior Lecturer, School of the Built Environment Deputy Director (Construction, Property & Surveying) Centre for Education in the Built Environment Tim Lees CEBE Research Fellow Developing Demand - Led Education MSc Construction Management Higher Level Skills Pathfinder Developing Demand - Led Education MSc Construction Management

Building Bridges! It’s what we do… CEBE’s Goal Aligning education and training with the needs of industry and society Enhancing the Student ‘Learning’ Experience Relationships with: –Policy Makers –Sector Skills Councils –Professional Bodies –Lifelong Learning Networks CEBE was well positioned to begin engaging with employers.

Developing a network…. CEBE brought together:- Employers Bovis Lend Lease Balfour Beatty Alfred McAlpine Bramhall Stakeholders Construction Industry Council ConstuctionSkills NSA for Construction NWUA GMSA University School of the Built Environment CEBE Centre for Construction Innovation Construction Knowledge Exchange This created a dialogue with the normal problems!... This created a dialogue with the normal problems! - Common Language. - Some lack of understanding – CSCS cards.

Articulation….  Dialogue led to:- - An increase in understanding of each others goals. - A better understanding of each others language. - ….leading to the articulation of a problem. What was the problem? …The employer need? - What was the problem? …The employer need? - Industry uses the ConstructionSkills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card as a “measure of competence”. - CSCS card based on NVQ attainment / professional membership. Highest level of CSCS card (black) in Construction Management based on the NVQ 5. - No provision for the “knowledge & understanding” in the NVQ. No provision = No CSCS card!

Solution…. What was the solution? NW Higher Level Skills Pathfinder What was the solution? Resources enabled through the NW Higher Level Skills Pathfinder (HLSP). Programme developed directly in response to employer need - articulated through a robust dialogue. Development of a new masters level programme mapped to knowledge and understanding in the NVQ.

Solution…. What was the solution? What was the solution? Completion of the programme would support attainment of the relevant NVQ and appropriate CSCS card. Employers involved throughout the project to ensure it remained industrially relevant. No corners cut! Remain responsive, flexible and agile.

Benefits…. … for the Employer solving a real problem’ New workforce development: ‘solving a real problem’. responsive to their needs New programme delivered in a way ‘responsive to their needs’. cost effective (?)’. Knowledge should already exist in the university – ‘cost effective (?)’. … for the University cutting edge Opportunity to develop a new ‘cutting edge’ programme. self- advertising New product is ‘self- advertising’ – expansion of portfolio of programmes. deepens relationships Increased dialogue with industry ‘deepens relationships’. … for CEBE academic and vocational qualification Opportunity to address the gulf between ‘academic and vocational qualification’. responsive Platform to test ourselves, the School and the University - to be ‘responsive’. evidence base Develop ‘evidence base’ for employer engagement.... evolution of a more industrially aligned, vocationally relevant academic qualification

What did we do? Establish a steering group of employers, stakeholders and representatives to oversee the process. Take the ideas to the employers using existing structures (NSAfC, RSO). Develop a way to map the required knowledge and understanding from an NVQ to academic learning outcomes.

What did we do? Arrange these learning outcomes so that they made sense in an academic award. Develop a way to deliver the academic award in a way that suited the employers. At each stage of the project employers were consulted to ensure industrial relevance.

Programme different awards – 120 credit PgDip in Construction Management 180 credit MSc in Construction Management 4 taught modules - 30 credits each - mapped to the NVQ (project management, finance and risk management, procurement and people management). 2 workplace focused research / problem solving projects – 30 credits each. Programme delivered by 3 modes – Full-time, part-time and distance learning. Contact in part-time mode is through 2 workshops per module. 2 student intakes per year.

Employer involvement Employer involvement Employer involvement Steering group ‘Piggy-backed’ events Informal – telephone / s Unexpected for the School:- Unexpected for the School:- New NVQ mapping process Deeper understanding A lot more work! Closer working relationship Empathy Opportunity Unexpected for Employer:- Unexpected for Employer:- Skills survey Reassurance Flexible delivery / mode

Why has this worked? Relationships developed through communities of practice - ‘National Skills Academy’ and ‘ConstructionSkills’. Clear articulation of need from an employer. Wider support from in the region. Timing of the ‘Higher Level Skills Pathfinder’. Willingness to try something new.Summary

A proposition