UpskillingFoundation Degree in Polymer Technology

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Upskilling/Foundation Degree in Polymer Technology

• May 9 2008

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The Challenge

• The polymer industry operates in a global market,
  in competition with low cost economies
• Added value is key, be it productivity, quality
  or innovation, all are dependent on a skilled
  workforce
• But
• The UK has an ageing workforce
• The polymer industry is not attracting enough new
  entrants
• The UK polymer industry has skills gaps at levels
  2, 3 4
• Polymer training has declined dramatically

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The Polymers Skills Issues
41 of the workforce is 45 years of age and
will retire in the next 20 years
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The Challenge

• The polymer industry operates in a global market,
  in competition with low cost economies
• Added value is key, be it productivity, quality
  or innovation, all are dependent on a skilled
  workforce
• But
• The UK has an ageing workforce
• The polymer industry is not attracting enough new
  entrants
• The UK polymer industry has skills gaps at levels
  2, 3 4
• Polymer training has declined dramatically

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The Polymers Skills Issues
The skills gap 2005 - Level 4 5 15,000
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The Polymer Industry is important

• Plastic Industry Turnover 19B per annum
• Exports 3.87B per annum
• Plastics Processed 4.8 million tonnes
• Plastics Companies 7,500
• Direct employees 181,000
• Supply Chain 286,000
• Gross Value Added 7.31B
• GVA/employee 37,102

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Addressing the Issues Upskilling

• To compete successfully in todays global market
  UK companies must have a well trained, highly
  skilled workforce
• The Cogent Gold Standard is
• an aspirational standard to raise the
  competitiveness of UK companies
• a modular Continuing Professional Development
  Programme
• based on key job roles
• the standard for training and qualifications to
  achieve world class performance

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Addressing the Issues Upskilling

• The Gold Standard covers 4 categories of skills
• Technical Competence
• Business ImprovementIncluding Quality
  Innovation
• Functional Behavioural Skills
• Compliance

It maps the training and qualifications in each
category for a world class skills set
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Addressing the Issues Upskilling

• The Gold Standard underpins the work of Cogents
  Skills Academies
• Based on modular bite sized qualifications
• Recognises and accredits employer training
• CPD will be captured on a personal passport
• Achievement is accredited
• Level 4 Gold Standard contains the Foundation
  Degree Framework

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People and Skills
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Picture of Polymers
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The Will for Skill or The Wake?

• Population at 2005
• No Quals - 40,000
• Level 1 - 55,000
• Level 2 - 45,000
• Level 3 - 65,000
• Level 4,5 - 45,000
• Other - 20,000
• New Blood requirement by 2020 115,000

• Retired at 2020
• - 15,000
• - 25,000
• - 20,000
• - 25,000
• - 20,000
• - 10,000

Upskill requirement by 2020 115,000
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People and Skills
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The Will for Graduates
Graduate Destinations by Industry - Cogent Sector
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The Will for Apprenticeships
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The Will the Leitch Heritage?
Polymers Workforce
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HEFCE Bid

• A National Science and Engineering
  Foundation-Degree Framework Piloted through the
  Chemical and Nuclear Industries
• An Industry Standard
• Consistency in National Provision
• Workforce Development in STEM
• Roll-out across the manufacturing sector

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HEFCE Bid Inputs

• capacity industry champions appointed to HEIs
• capability resources for HEIs to support an
  industry-standard curriculum
• employer reference groups
• project management and leadership
• marketing and launch
• consumables e.g. common portal web, travel

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HEFCE Bid Outputs

• national science and engineering FD framework
• named FD pathways in the fields of Manufacturing
  Science to include
• Chemical Science sector
• Pharmaceutical Science sector
• Bioscience sector
• integration, benchmarking, validation and
  enhancement of FD developments in Manufacturing
  Engineering to include
• Polymer Technology
• Petrochemical Refining
• Nuclear Process Engineering
• flexible and accessible structure
  step-on/step-off award structure
• industry standard for upskilling
• common web portal for sector delivery and
  national collaboration
• legacy for the wider manufacturing

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Foundation Degree Framework

• The Industry Standard
• Endorsed by industry
• Work-based curriculum (active learning)
• Accessible (common web portal)
• Responsive (IT-supported outreach)
• Flexible (modular sub-awards)
• Portable (learner accounts, ASET)
• Quality Assured (provider infrastructure)
• CPD (e-portfolio of achievement and skills)
• Learning Agreements (3-way)

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FD Framework
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FD Framework
Exemplar Pathway