Derek Longhurst Chief Executive d'longhurstfdf'ac'uk www'fdf'ac'uk

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Derek LonghurstChief Executive
d.longhurst_at_fdf.ac.ukwww.fdf.ac.uk
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Policy contexts Government policy

• Leitch Review of Skills
• World Class Skills
• HEFCE Targets for higher education expansion

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Leitch Review of Skills
3.26 A more highly-skilled labour force will
enable businesses to innovate further, taking
advantage of new technologies and ways of working
in order to improve productivity and capture new
markets. Without this, businesses will become
increasingly vulnerable to global competition,
finding it difficult to take advantage of new
markets and increasingly difficult to retain
share in their current market.
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Leitch Review of Skills

• 3.56 Concentrating too much on younger age
  groups could create further longer term problems
  for the amount and the use of high level skills
  in our workforceAs the Higher education White
  Paper stated, new higher education growth should
  not be more of the same, based on traditional
  three year honours degrees. Rather provision
  should be based on new types of programme
  offering specific, job-related skills such as
  Foundation Degrees.

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Productivity and skills

• 40 plus adult workforce
• 70 of 2020 workforce
• Global competition
• OECD analyses of UK
• Economic and social justice agendas

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Government targets

• 100,000 Foundation degree students by
• 2010-11
• 5000 co-funded students by 2008
• Replicated annually
• Mixed economy future for higher education
• ELQs issues

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HEFCE policy

• Managing the market(s)
• Stability and innovation funding models
• Programme Transforming Workforce Development
• SDF HEI concentration/ 50 ASNs/ key sectors
• Pump-priming/ scale-up post-2010

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HEFCE policy implications and issues

• HLSPs Review
• Employer Engagement Action Group
• Business models pricing and costing
• Variation on rules for open/closed courses
• Review of current rules for funding APEL

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Implications for HE a paradigm shift?

• Re-balance of focus to include the whole adult
  workforce in the HE teaching and learning mission
• Programme content designed in partnership with
  employers and employer organisations
• Flexible and responsive provision to meet
  employer and workforce needs
• Stimulate and develop the workforce market
• Flexible funding not based on qualification but
  credit demand-led funding v. block grant
  tradition

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The big issues?

• Credit-based funding
• Re-direction of definition of part-time
  students
• Accreditation of work-based learning at higher
  levels

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What is a Foundation degree?
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How do Foundation degrees fit with other
qualifications?
Level 7
Postgraduate degrees
CPD Professional qualifications
Honours degree Yr 3 Yr 2 Yr 1
Level 6
Foundation degree
Level 5
Level 4
A - level
Advanced Apprenticeship
Advanced Diploma
Level 3
NVQ3
GCSE A-C
Intermediate Diploma
Level 2
Apprenticeship
NVQ2
NVQ1
Level 1
Young Apprenticeship
Foundation Diploma
GCSE D-G
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Foundation degrees

• Designed with employers to meet their needs
• Work-based learning with higher level knowledge
  and understanding
• Flexibility

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Environment Agency

• In 2003 identified a shortage of skilled
  Technician Engineers
• Developed a Foundation degree as part of a formal
  training scheme for new recruits
• Trainees based throughout the UK Foundation
  degree delivered by e-learning and residential
  blocks
• Foundation degree addresses skills shortage and
  produces graduates that hit the ground running

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Foundation degree students challenging our
preconceptions?
I didnt know what a Foundation degree was. If
Id know about this before I would not have done
my degree. This opportunity is too good to be
missed Doing a Foundation degree is very
different to doing a degree. I spend most of my
time in a work environmentthe Foundation degree
is more intense and it is hard workbut Im much
more motivated than I was when I did my degree
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What is fdf doing?
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Employer consortia - ICT and Telecoms - Rail
Transport - Travel and Tourism - Energy -
Bio-pharmacy - Utilities
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Health and Social Care - 12 diverse
employer-led projects - Raising workforce
aspirations - Assistant Practitioner roles -
Supporting productivity targets - Development of
quality, personalised care
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EBTA - Accreditation of employer-led
training - Incorporation into an HE award -
Methodology for institutions
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- Employer and Provider
Partnerships - Communications campaign -
Endorsement Service - Research - MoU with
unionlearn and The Work Foundation - Regional
strategies
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Derek LonghurstChief Executive
d.longhurst_at_fdf.ac.ukwww.fdf.ac.uk