Widening Participation, Regeneration and Knowledge Intensification: Contextualising Local Responses

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Widening Participation, Regeneration and
Knowledge Intensification Contextualising Local
Responses in the Global and Regional Arena
Steve Wyn Williams Peter Jones Staffordshire
University
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What is the Purpose of the University ?
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• Increased competitiveness of regions/localities
  within the global economy increasingly dependent
  on the emergence of high value knowledge based
  economies.
• Knowledge intensification and the development of
  a creative and highly skilled workforce will be
  key drivers in a region or a localitys ability
  to compete successfully in the global market
  place.
• and increasingly tied up with the skills,
  attributes and attitudes of populations and
  concomitant opportunities to access and engage in
  education, training and development.

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So what is the role of Universities?

• Increasingly, universities are expected to play a
  far more proactive and specific role in
  contributing to social and economic (and skills)
  development within their regional context.
• BUT meaningful interactions between HEIs and
  their regions/localities involve much more than
  stimulating economic development and helping
  businesses thrive.
• What we need is a framework for envisioning the
  role of the modern University in its
  multi-faceted interactions with the non-
  university world (state, economy and civil
  society).

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So what is the role of Universities?

• So what might this be (1)?
• For example, The Association of Commonwealth
  Universities (ACU) propose that community
  engagement should be adopted as a core value for
  the 21st century university
• Strenuous, thoughtful, argumentative interaction
  with the non-university world in at least four
  spheres first, setting universities aims,
  purposes and priorities secondly, relating
  teaching and learning to the wider world
  thirdly, the back and forth dialogue between
  researchers and practitioners and fourthly,
  taking on fuller responsibilities as neighbours
  and citizens.
• (ACU, 2001)

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So what is the role of Universities?

• So what might this be (2)?
• The OECD/IMHE project suggests that the
  contribution should focus on skills, the
  community and civil society
• Knowledge transfer via workplace learning,
  graduate recruitment, professional development /
  continuing education
• Students establishing the social relations on
  which knowledge exchange is built
• Student community action
• Cultural activity and campus development
  contributing to vibrant places that attract and
  retain creative people
• The universitys role in local civil society,
  joining up separate strands of national policy
  (learning and skills, research and innovation,
  culture and social inclusion)

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Recent policy research on University
City/region relationships

• In the context of the current recession/economic
  downturn recent policy research on University
  City/region relationships has become more focused
  and pragmatic

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NESTA Five ways Universities Drive Innovation
(2007)

• Notes that Universities traditionally have had 3
  missions
• Driving forward the research frontier
• Giving people the skills for innovation
• Exchanging Knowledge
• BUT the UKs need to innovate to meet social and
  economic challenges of the 21st century places
  further pressure on and adding to these roles
• Acting as a hub in an international network of
  knowledge
• Providing regional leadership
• NESTA argues that HEIs should build on strengths
  and focus on the needs of regions.
• However few institutions can excel in all five
  areas noted above and will need choose where
  concentrate it efforts

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Work Foundation Embedding Universities in
Knowledge Cities (2008)

• Universities are vital in a more knowledge
  intensive economy both as creators and consumers
  of knowledge.
• City-university relationship pivotal to helping
  places across the UK adapt to changes in the
  wider economy, increase the proportion of
  knowledge intensive jobs and workers, and deliver
  beneficial outcomes for communities.
• BUT creates new challenges and opportunities for
  both parties.
• Raises growing questions about how universities
  and cities can best work togethermost higher
  education institutions and local authorities
  remain less clear about how best to work together
  to mutual benefit.
• Suggest using the Work Foundations Ideopolis
  framework for setting priorities for cities and
  educational institutions in the changing economy
  (see Fig 1)

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NESTA The Connected University Recovery and
Growth in the UK Economy (2009)

• Looking at how HEIs can benefit their local
  communities, in particular focussing on their
  importance because of their stability.
  Universities
• are important sources of local employment and
  purchases from local suppliers
• produce skilled workforces and transfer knowledge
  through their graduates
• are leading sources of Knowledge
• are also powerful network-builders

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OECD/IMHE Project 2005-2007

• OECD/IMHE project 2005-07 Supporting the
  contribution of HEIs to Regional Development
• Looks at a range of factors but particularly the
  local global linkages as can be seen in the
  following diagram a Regionally engaged
  multi-modal, multi-scalar HEI!!!

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developing a University Quarter in Stoke in Trent
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North Staffordshire/Stoke on Trent the Challenge

• 16th (out of 354) most deprived English
  district, and 3rd out of 34 in the West Midlands
• 7th (out of 354) most deprived in terms of
  Education, Skills and Training, and 5th in terms
  of Adult Skills sub-domain
• 70 in employment (75 nationally)
• Huge fall in manufacturing employment 2001-2006
  (c10000) and low levels of inward investment
• 5 A-C (including Maths and English) 2008
  36.8 English Average 47.3 18 progression
  to HE

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North Staffordshire/Stoke on Trent the Challenge

• Working age with level 4 qualification 17
  English average 31. 2011 target for West
  Midlands 34 (currently 24)
• 23 have no qualification
• 26.7 in SOC 1-3 compared with 39.3 in W.Mids
  and 43.2 in GB
• 30.4 in SOC 8-9 compared with 24.6 in W.Mids
  and 28.6 in GB
• As a consequence of these and other factors North
  Staffordshire has been designated within the
  context of Advantage West Midlands (RDA) a
  regeneration zone and the NSRP to lead the
  regeneration agenda (established 2007)

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University Quarter (UniQ) Vision

• The University Quarter in Stoke-on-Trent will
  generate a thriving knowledge economy that is
  globally connected, leading to sustainable
  prosperity and an ambitious and dynamic
  community. It will create an integrated learning
  experience, focussed upon creativity, skills and
  employability, promoting participation and
  progression.

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The UniQ Educational Partners

• Staffordshire University
• Stoke on Trent College
• City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College

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Outcomes go beyond physical regeneration

• Educational progression through integrated
  learning approach
• Raised skill levels to improve business
  performance
• Attract higher value jobs through increased
  entrepreneurship and inward investment
• High quality environment for people to live, work
  and study
• Most significant HE/FE collaborative project in
  the UK

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UniQ Key Features

• Total Investment - 200 million
• Key Funders for educational projects Learning
  and Skills Council, Staffordshire University,
  Advantage West Midlands, HEFCE , Stoke on Trent
  FE College, Sixth Form College
• Key Projects - Science and Technology Centre,
  new Sixth Form College, Media Centre, Performance
  Centre, Sports Learning Centre, Knowledge Hub

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UniQ Joint Educational Initiatives

• Development of a coherent approach to Raising
  Aspirations, Improving Participation, Attainment
  and Progression
• Development of a joint approach to Curriculum
  Planning and Learning Development
• Joint Community Engagement Strategy
• Improving Graduate retention and employability
• Employer Engagement, Research Activity and
  Knowledge Transfer/Consultancy