Policy context reasons to review and enhance your provision

1
Policy context reasons to review and enhance
your provision

• Susan Hayday
• Director of Widening Participation, fdf

2
Policy context

• Leitch
• HEFCE Employer Engagement
• Further Education and Training Act
• HE in FE strategy
• New HE Centres
• Higher Education at Work

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Leitch

• Leitch review
• By 2014 ? of adults qualified to level 4
• Over ? of 2020 working age population already
  over the age of 16
• Employers, working with their SSCs, should
  articulate their priorities for high level skills
  and influence the development of HE programmes to
  meet their needs.

4
HEFCE Employer Engagement Strategy

• HE contribution to workforce development / higher
  level skills
• Doubling the capacity of the sector
• Universities and colleges delivering courses much
  more flexibly
• The state, the individual and the employer to
  share the cost of courses
• 5,000 new places part-funded by employers by
  2008-09
• At least 10,000 new entrants in 2009-10 and
  20,000 in 2010-11.
• Ring-fenced employer engagement stream
• 105 million from 2008 to 2011
• dependent on co-funding from employers

5
Further Education and Training Act

• Section 19 grants FE institutions in England the
  power to award Foundation degrees
• QAA will advise on whether applicant institutions
  have met the conditions to gain the right to
  award Foundation degrees
• Institutions must identify progression
  opportunities in advance to higher level
  qualifications
• Powers will be granted for a probationary
  period of 6 years awarding powers will be
  restricted to persons enrolled at the
  institution
• The Secretary of State will report back
• after 4 years

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HE in FE Strategy

• HEFCE view of the role of HE delivered in FECs

• A distinctive role for FECs with a focus on
• Higher level learning and skills
• Engaging employers
• The needs of local and regional communities
• A high quality learning experience
• Successful participation by all who can benefit

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Diversity of College Size Based on HE Students
Only (2004-05)
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Diversity of HE in FE

• Variation in volume of provision
• Diversity of provision mainly Fds, HNs, UG with
  some post-grad
• Differences in mode more PT than HE as a whole
• Significant regional variation
• Numbers pretty stable directly funded is
  shrinking
• The proportion of overall HE is shrinking

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HE in FE Strategy

• Outcome of 2006 policy review
• A strategic approach to the management and
  co-ordination of HE in FECs
• A strategy statement from each FEC 2008-09
• Pilot 2007-08, sample of 30 strategy documents
• Centres for Higher Education Excellence in FECs,
  focused on the themes of employability and
  widening participation

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HE in FE Strategy

• To address
• Mission and Aims
• Regional local and where appropriate national
  priorities
• Strategic management of HE
• Academic standards and quality assurance
• Effectiveness of academic staff and the HE
  student experience

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New HE centres

• Announced at Labour Spring Conference
• 150m expansion of HE provision be based or
  linked with existing providers
• a stand alone HE centre typically within a
  local town or community
• a university campus or centre, perhaps a joint
  venture project with the private sector which may
  apply in due course for degree awarding powers
  and a university title
• more HE in FE and, in certain cases, even a new
  university itself
• Places for some 10,000 students
• Economic regeneration - role of RDAs and regional
  
• communities in determining the new campuses

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Higher Education at Work

• A thinking workforce, thinking intelligently
• More, and more employable graduates
• Raised skills and capacity for innovation of
  those already in the workforce
• Requires a culture shift in providers and
  employers
• Recognition of excellence in workforce
  development
• Better match of supply with regional and local
  skills needs
• Flexible, business facing offer

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Susan Hayday Director of Widening Participation,
fdf

• susan.hayday_at_fdf.ac.uk