dr celia brigg assistant director (skills) the north west higher level skills pathfinder

Dr Celia Brigg

Assistant Director (Skills)

The North West Higher Level Skills Pathfinder

Background

• Skills White Papers (2003 and 2005)

• DfES Grant letters to HEFCE (2006 and 2007)

• Leitch Review (December 2006)

• FE White Paper (2006)

• Regional Economic Strategy 2006-09– Vision ‘A dynamic, sustainable international

economy which competes on the basis of knowledge, advanced technology and an excellent quality of life for all…’

Background

• Regional Economic Strategy 2006-09

– Skills and education ‘…Level 4 and 5 skills are required for growth in the knowledge economy. However, the region has fewer people with level 4 skills than the England average. Although the training of new graduates and their retention is high, the proportion of the existing workforce with the higher level skills required for the knowledge economy is inadequate.’

Background

• Today over 70% of the workforce for 2020 has already completed their compulsory education

• Leitch set an objective to exceed 40% of adults qualified to level 4 and above by 2020, up from 29% in 2005

• One of the aims of the Leitch Review is to increase employer investment in level 3 and 4 qualifications in the workplace

Background

• NWUA Involvement with the Regional Skills Partnership– Regional Statement of Learning and Skills

Priorities– Audit of HEI provision– Developing partnerships with LSC, JC+,

SSC, NWDA etc…

• Individual Institution employer engagement activity

HEFCE Objectives

• Embed HE in employer workforce development and skills strategies regionally, sectorally and nationally

• Embed workforce development and skills in HE providers’ strategies

• Promote greater co-funding of HE provision by employers

North West Aims

• Increase demand from employers for higher level skills provision

• Increase employer engagement in HEIs and FECs

• Increase the capacity of HEIs and FECs to respond to employer demand for higher level skills

• Test the level of funding employers are prepared to contribute for development and delivery of this provision

North West Model

• Two main aspects to the NW model– Brokerage

• Business Support brokerage• Skills brokerage

– Development of Provision• Reactive – in response to demand identified

through the brokerage• Proactive – through partnerships with SSCs,

employers etc…

North West Model

• BrokerageThrough the LSC Train to Gain Skills Brokers

Or

Through Business Link Brokers working on wider business support activity

North West Model

NWUA support for Train to Gain Skills

Brokers and IDB Brokers:

– 4 Specialist HE Advisors

– Online searchable database of current HE provision

– Training of brokers to increase knowledge of HE

North West Model

• Development of Provision– Reactive : when needs are identified by

brokers they will work with the specialist advisors to link to HEIs / FECs interested in meeting this need

– Proactive : 4 sectors identified for initial focus

• Advanced Engineering and Materials• Creative and Digital Industries• Business and Professional Services• Construction

North West Model

• Development of Provision– Four sector panels convened involving

SSCs, NWDA, SSPAs and LSC– Panels produced guidance and issued call

for proposals, then assessed proposals and agreed funding

– Panels will also consider funding developments which emerge from the brokerage activity

– Funding available includes development money and ASNs

Employer Engagement

• Current HEI / FEC links with employers

• Through Train to Gain or NW Business Link activity

• Through SSCs– Focus on SSCs for whom higher level skills

are important to their sector e.g. Skillset, e-Skills, Skillfast-UK, Construction Skills, FSSC

– Higher level skills aspects drawn from SSAs

Further InformationDr Celia Brigg, Assistant Director (Skills)

cbrigg@nwua.ac.uk 0161 2348891

Fiona McGregor, Specialist Advisor (Construction)

fmcgregor@nwua.ac.uk 07769 883447

Peter Davies, Specialist Advisor (Digital & Creative Industries)

pdavies@nwua.ac.uk 07769 882 487

Eddie Keating, Specialist Advisor (Business and Professional Services) ekeating@nwua.ac.uk 07769 883 460

Karen Lang, Senior Officer

klang@nwua.ac.uk 0161 2340438

Virginia Mitchell, Administration Assistant

vmitchell@nwua.ac.uk 0161 2340431