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Progress Through PracticeThe future of higher education

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ForewordIn 2014, the Association of Colleges published the first of three ground-breaking reports entitled Breaking the Mould. These centred on higher technical and professional education and the importance of further education colleges in providing this. Two years on and we are starting to see progress. The Government’s recently published White Paper, Success as a Knowledge Economy outlines plans for more choice, better access and higher quality when it comes to our higher education sector. This provides an opportunity to empower more people than ever before to access higher education in their local area through a college and also provide a wider choice of courses that are directly linked to employment.

However, there is still more to be done. There remains, particularly amongst parents and policymakers, the traditional and outdated understanding of higher education being centred on three-year academic provision at the age of 18, where students move from home into shared halls. For many it is too easy to overlook the other options available. Nearly 160,000 people already choose to study higher education at a college, 70% of whom live within 25 miles of their institution, this compares to less than 40% in universities.

Higher education in the future should reflect three paths – academic, technical and professional, and apprenticeships. There is a

duty for us all to realise the importance of each strand and not to position one as more important or valuable than others. Creating more opportunities and making it easier for colleges to award degrees can only be a positive step. At the same time, the Government must address the catastrophic reduction in the number of people studying for a higher education qualification on a part-time basis.

The purpose of this document is simple. It is to highlight the importance of college higher education and the opportunities available. Our students benefit not only from being able to learn the academic, theoretical basis of their chosen subject, but also have the opportunity to apply

it directly, whilst learning core employability skills. Beyond that, it demonstrates the importance colleges have in the national productivity agenda, being able to identify skills gaps and developing innovative curricula in niche areas to respond to these emerging needs.

Martin Doel CBEChief Executive

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Higher Apprenticeship in Construction and the Sustainable Built EnvironmentThis course has been running since September 2014. It was designed as a bespoke response to the needs of Costain, one the of the UK’s leading engineering solutions providers. The college tailored a programme that delivered a consolidated, intense and focused student experience with fewer gaps between learning. The programme not only provides the academic content, skills and qualifications required by the company, but also delivers it in convenient two-week intensive blocks to ensure there is less time for understanding to fade between sessions. This bespoke format provides an intensive learning environment and a more practical approach to bringing together apprentices from across the UK.

Aerospace Engineering Degree ApprenticeshipThis is one of the first degree apprenticeship programmes in the country and was implemented from September 2015. This degree apprenticeship provides a five-year academic, technical and professional development route for aerospace engineering. The apprenticeship has been developed in partnership with BAE Systems. Central to this has been the innovative development of a learning bridge, based on forward-thinking practices. This combines both academic and training functions to ensure undergraduates are high-performing employees and that the company is at the cutting edge in the world markets. The programme represents pioneering new standards, embracing both an applied and educational design.

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FdSc Biomedical StudiesThis course, running since 2008, has been successful in widening participation and promoting access to the biomedical sciences for local students who are unable to travel longer distances to universities and for entrants with non-traditional backgrounds. The course provides students with the detailed knowledge and skills on areas such as biochemistry, genetics, microbiology and understanding the body in health and diseases. Employability skills are embedded throughout the course, including assessments set by practising biomedical scientists. Students value the small group teaching, expertise of the teaching staff and being able to study locally with excellent facilities.

Truro and Penwith College

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BSc Sport Injury and TreatmentThis full degree programme has been running since September 2015, having run as a foundation degree since 2011. The move to providing the full honours degree was due to demand from students who wished to complete their studies with the college. The focus of sports therapy is from the origin of an injury through to rehabilitation, with knowledge of applied scientific aspects such as anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. The college employs teaching staff who are practising sports therapists, running their own clinics and maintaining their professional currency. They are therefore ideally placed to help students to develop their employability skills and draw upon their own experience to provide current case studies of treatment.

BSc (Hons) Applied ZoologyMoulton College has staff specialising in everything from marine biology through to primatology, and resources, including the college’s extensive animal welfare centre and facility and commercially operating farm, provide teaching opportunities in this subject. The applied nature of this course is a key feature and sets students apart from graduates from institutions where only theory is taught. Students have the opportunity to develop their practical skills and complete commercial experience within one of the college’s commercial enterprises, and with industry organisations such as Woburn Safari Park and Twycross Zoo. The biosciences lab allows students to develop key employability skills and work alongside animal welfare technicians, completing tasks such as maintaining the natural history collection and supporting preparation work for lab-based practical activities.

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ge FdA Graphic Design and AdvertisingThis specialist course was started by the college eight years ago to meet local demand, both from students and local businesses. Working in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire, the course equips students with the creative and innovative skills they need to produce successful design solutions. Throughout the course, students undertake live project briefs, which have been set by professional bodies such as the Design and Art Directors Association and companies such as BBC Three Counties Radio.

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BSc (Hons) Equine StudiesThis is one of the group’s longest-running higher education equine courses, delivered at Moreton Morrell College. This course was developed to provide a scientific and technologically enhanced workforce for the sector, which requires highly skilled individuals with a broad knowledge complemented by practical application and experience. It offers a rich and varied syllabus that explores equine science from a management, health, welfare and performance perspective. Applied science, work experience and vocational skills are embedded throughout the curriculum and students develop dynamic partnerships with national and international bodies. There are currently estimated to be more than 700 Moreton Morrell College graduates in the equine industry, auxiliary industries, general science and education sectors while many have gained meaningful graduate employment in alternative sectors.

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Civil and Coastal EngineeringThe Royal Academy of Engineering forecasts that the engineering profession needs 104,000 STEM graduates a year between now and 2020. There is a clear local and national need for engineering. This course was designed to provide opportunities for aspiring engineers to study within Devon. The programme supports the existing Sustainable Construction and the Built Environment Foundation Degree by providing additional knowledge, skills, technology and teaching and learning opportunities in this curriculum area. The programme explicitly addresses the local enterprise partnership’s Construction Skills and Workforce Development Plan. It also features the utilisation of Noss Marina and associated watercraft to gain access to the region’s coastline. Alongside this, the use of live projects enhances transferable and employability skills.

HNC/D Business ManagementUxbridge College first introduced higher education courses in the mid-1990s. This course was started in response to local needs of students and employers. An innovative feature is the Employability Skills unit, where students have a chance to exercise their employability skills and evaluate themselves. They run businesses within the college to put into practice the skills learnt. Students often join the business school at Level 1 and progress through to Level 5 as they feel supported in a nurturing environment. The course provides students with a solid vocational grounding in which they learn to apply business theory in realistic business contexts.

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Sustainable Construction and the Built Environment Foundation Degree

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ge BSc (Hons) Sportsturf Science and ManagementThe most popular team and individual sports played outside today involve the use of turf or grass surfaces. The programme was developed to meet the skills demand in this growth area and to raise the professionalism of the sportsturf management industry. The programme integrates the management and technical skills in the science and technology of sportsturf to ensure graduates are fully equipped to work at management level. There is no comparable course in Europe with options for study that includes both full time and distance learning options. The college has extensive links with high profile venues from St Andrews to Wimbledon.

BEng (Hons) Robotics and MechatronicsAutomation and robot technology are very important for engineering and manufacturing. Industrial production is ever more reliant on reliable control and automation/robotic systems. The college started the course due to the growth in this sector and the lack of skills in the UK means this is a specialism with high job prospects. Throughout the programme, students are provided with opportunities to engage with employers through projects, visits and an ambassador programme. This has included collaborating cross-discipline projects with local employers, for example BCW Engineering, which specialises in automotive, aerospace, aero-engines and off-road vehicles.

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FdSc Aquaculture and Fisheries ManagementThe fisheries courses were started 12 years ago to fill a gap in a developing and increasing market for a range of employment opportunities. There continues to be an emerging and developing aquaculture industry, not only in the UK but worldwide. The course equips students with a range of skills required for employment in the varied industry and focuses heavily on scientific aspects of aquaculture and fisheries management. A central part of the course is work placements, which have included the UK’s Environment Agency and organisations in Greece, Panama and the USA. Students who have completed the course have gained employment with organisations such as Loch Duart, a major Scottish salmon producer, the Environment Agency and research positions in major universities.

Foundation Degree Early Childhood StudiesThis degree started 14 years ago as there was a shortage of qualified early years professionals in Hackney. The course is designed to be accessible for working students and delivered over 1.5 days a week. However, not all students are in paid work; some study the course alongside a voluntary work placement. The high level understanding of relevant theory is linked to practice and work-based learning is fundamentally embedded into assessments. Socially and economically, the course has consistently succeeded in breaking down barriers to higher level jobs and education within a section of the community, which had previously not had the opportunity to access these life chances.

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ge FdSc Cyber SecurityIn 2013, academic staff at Newcastle College’s Digital Skills Academy noted an emerging skills gap relating to cyber security. Working closely with representatives from businesses including Ubisoft and Accenture, they identified the need for a distinctive cyber security course for undergraduates. The course is intended to develop students with the skills and attributes required to thrive within an ever-changing cyber threat landscape. The teaching is provided through a dedicated space called the Turing Lab, established with the support of industry partners. Organisations involved in the project include Verrimus, a leading international provider of counter surveillance technical measures.

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Social WorkSocial work education has taken place at the college for more than 40 years. This programme has been running since September 2003 when entry requirements for social work vacancies changed from diploma to degree status. There has been a high demand within the region for social work practitioners due to levels of deprivation, unemployment and social issues including drug and alcohol use. The course involves a mixture of teaching modules along with the requirement for students to undertake practical placements. The programme has a strong history of service user and carer engagement, including from admissions to the teaching process. To date the college has had 100% achievement in employment for students.

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ge BA (Hons) Applied Interior DesignThis course was started as there was no similar course being offered in the local area. Students are introduced to every aspect of interior design that they might encounter as a professional. The course itself is split between theoretical and practical work and is designed to be as creative and diverse as possible. Students are exposed to real life briefs to enable them to not only use the interior design skills they’ve learnt, but also develop the communication skills critical for success in the profession.

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e BA (Hons) ArchitectureThis design-based degree was started in 2009 and is accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and provides exemption from the RIBA Part I examination. The number in each cohort is limited to a maximum of 25 to allow for every student to be allocated a permanent studio space, which encourages staff and students to interact as a community of designers. Each of the three years of the course is designed to build individual student’s knowledge, confidence and ability. It mixes architectural theory with professional practice where students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through a series of ‘live’ briefs. Not only does this course allow students to learn in small groups, many of the tutors are practising architects who can provide first-hand experience and advice for future careers.

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Apprenticeship in HR ManagementThe Higher Apprenticeship in HR Management is a Level 5 qualification, which is designed to develop high performing professionals who understand how to use HR practices to meet organisational needs and add value. The college offered the apprenticeship for the first time in March 2013 as a result of employer demand from the NHS Trusts in Essex. The apprenticeship taps into the skills and talents of a diverse population by providing flexible entry routes into HR careers. It provides apprentices with an opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge and experience they need to progress in their work or onto further studies.

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Degree in Electrical PowerThe course was developed to meet the growing demands of today’s power engineering sector. TyneMet has worked closely with Northern Powergrid to address the extensive skills shortage, equipping students with industry specific skills and qualifications. The course combines broad-based engineering studies with specialist modules related to the power industry. It attracts students who already work in the power industry such as with Northern Powergrid and Siemens. The course has run for four years and boasts a 100% success rate.

HND Electrical Electronic Engineering As the electronics industry has continued to grow in Wolverhampton (through car, aerospace, construction and engineering), the country and worldwide, the demand for electronic engineering professionals has risen exponentially. This course was designed in consultation with industry professionals to ensure that students gain the relevant skills and knowledge to meet current and future needs. The course allows students to gain strong fundamental skills that are both theoretical and practical. The college works with a number of employers through the course. National Grid, for example, addresses the students about their particular industrial needs while a local aerospace employer deliver specialist information around its area of expertise.

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Mental Health Community StudiesMental health is a nationwide problem. It is firmly on the local commissioning group targets for improvement. Market intelligence highlighted that national priorities include the focus on the integration of services to improve outcomes. This programme is designed to echo the focus of national strategy and quality assurance frameworks to produce graduates who have a critical understanding of mental health from theoretical, practical and policy perspectives. The programme is currently in its first year as awarded by the college. There is a direct progression route to the BSc Health and Social Care top-up. As part of the studies, students also undertake placement opportunities within the community in a variety of settings. This has included voluntary placements with the area’s leading provider Navigo, which has developed a ‘home from home’ service which supports elderly people with mental health problems.

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