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AUTHOR Hughes, Maria; Kypri, Photoula TITLE Beyond Responsiveness: Promoting Good Practice in Economic Development. INSTITUTION Development Agency, London (). ISSN ISSN-1361-9977 PUB DATE 1998-00-00 NOTE 50p. AVAILABLE FROM Further Education Development Agency, Publications Dept., Mendip Centre, Blagdon, Bristol BS18 6RG, United Kingdom (7.50 pounds). PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141) JOURNAL CIT FE Matters; v2 n5 1998 EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *College Role; *Economic Development; Educational Innovation; Foreign Countries; Human Resources; *Labor Force Development; Postsecondary Education; Role of Education; School Community Relationship; Skill Development; *Social Development; *Technical Institutes; *Vocational Education IDENTIFIERS England; Wales

ABSTRACT This paper looks at the involvement of further education (FE) colleges in England and Wales in economic development and presents case studies of good practice in nine FE colleges. Chapter 1 addresses FE's role in economic development and measuring and planning economic growth. Chapter 2 contains the case studies: Lewisham College's Action for Better Lewisham Employees initiative, a strategic public sector employer partnership that contributes to the area's socioeconomic regeneration; 's support of transition from the armed forces to civilian life and from school to work; Doncaster College's role as a service provider to British Aerospace; College's development of logistics training; Pembrokeshire College's regeneration activities related to marine and sea-fishing industries; positive effects on the local economy of Lewisham and Dearne Valley College's new purpose-built buildings; contribution to economic development of Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form College; Darlington College's active role in developing social and economic partnerships; and Gateshead College's proactive approach to secure a role in economic development through membership on local planning forums. Chapter 3 offers messages for moving forward categorized into employment, enterprise, regeneration, regional strategic planning, and developing college capacity. Appendixes contain 10 references, 15-item bibliography, and list of acronyms. (YLB)

******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** FEDA Further Education Development Agency

Beyond responsiveness: promoting good practice in economic development

Maria Hughes and Photoula Kypri

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PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND BEST CO U EPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Outs of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL ED ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) (.9. This document has been reproducedas received from the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Furthering Points of view or opinions stated in this Local document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy Economies FEDA Further Education Development Agency

Beyond responsiveness: promoting good practice in economic development

Maria Hughes and Photoula Kypri

3 Published by the Further Education Development Agency (FEDA), Dumbarton House, 68 Oxford ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Street, London W1N ODA The case studies included in this paper have been Tel: [0171] 436 0020 Fax: [0171] 436 0349 written by: Feedback and orders should be directed to: Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form College, Publications Department, FEDA, Ed Elvish and David Kelly Coombe Lodge, Blagdon, Bristol BS18 6RG Darlington College of Technology, Tel: [01761] 462 503 Fax: [01761] 463 140 Alan Dixon Registered with the Charity Commissioners Dearne Valley College, Jan Driffill Dearne Valley Business School, Doncaster Editor: Angela Dewsbury College, David Fell and Derek Watling Designer: Mike Pope Gateshead College, David Cheetham Highbury College, Fay Deakin and Printed by: Blackmore Limited, Shaftesbury Hilary Skarratt Cover photograph by: Liam Bailey Lewisham College, Dr Chris Jude and for Lewisham College Dick Palmer , David Ansell and Inside photographs: p4 courtesy of JK Press, p11 Winsome Hutchinson courtesy of Liam Bailey for Lewisham College, p15 Pembrokeshire College, Clive Hutt courtesy of Highbury College, p24 courtesy of Brace Harvatt Associates and p29 courtesy of Dearne Valley College

ISSN: 1361-9977

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2 FE matters VO1 2 No 5 Contents

Foreword 4 1 Regional development: background and context 5 Regionalisation FE's role in economic development Measuring and planning economic growth How should colleges be involved? Current state of play 2 Responsiveness in action: the case studies 10 Employment Lewisham College: Raising skill levels of public sector employees Highbury College: Ensuring labour market responsiveness Doncaster College: Developing the knowledge economya people strategy Enterprise Milton Keynes College: Working with SMEs and supply chain brokerage Northern Colleges Network: Supporting SMEs through flexible training Regeneration Pembrokeshire College: Local action to develop new industries Lewisham and Dearne Valley Colleges: New buildings for a new erathe stakeholder role Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form College: Ensuring long-term skill enhancement Regional strategic planning Darlington College: Social and economic partnerships Gateshead College: FE's role in regional forums 3 Moving forward 40 Key messages Policy issues: looking to the future References 43 Bibliography 44 Acronyms 45

VOI2No 5 FE matters 3 Foreword

Britain, it is said, has a five-year 'window of oppor- tunity' to make the most of the recent high tech- nology inward investment. For example, the UK has become a magnet for semiconductor and advanced electronic manufacturers who are attracted by the people of these islands. Investment decisions begin with people and the skills they can bring to industry. The British are flexible and adapt quickly to change. However, we face a critical skills gap between the requirements of new manufacturing and the way in which our people have been trained for work. Employers from all industry sectors state that they are disappointed by the general levels of numeracy and literacy of the workforce, but, more importantly, they find that people lack the communication and team- working skills needed for the modern workplace. It has become only too apparent to me, as chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce taskforce into the skills crisis, that we have to act quickly to plug this gap. We need to be a nation committed to a lifetime of learning, making sure our educational institutions respond to demands for an ever-increasing variety of courses and requirements for knowledge. We must have lightning quick reactions to a technological world that often appears itself to be changing at the speed of light. In a world where seemingly the only constant is change, we must adapt to survive. I believe this paper makes a timely intervention into this debate and points towards progress on devel- oping regional and national strategies to educate and empower our people for the next millennium of work. Llew Aviss President of the North-east Chamber of Commerce

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4 FE matters Vol 2 No 5 1 Regional development: background and context

training and other labour market activities, REGIONALISATION such as `back-to work' programmes, careers The 442 colleges in England and Wales (those advice, and ensuring FE programmes reflect receivingfunding fromtheFurtherEducation the needs of the labour market Funding Council [FEFC]) are the most important tourism promotion. source of human resource development in the post- The boundaries of the regions will be based upon the compulsory education and training sector. They existing Government Offices for the regions, which provide a vast range of learning opportunities for integrate the regional offices and the delivery of pro- individuals, businesses and those in industry. They grammes from the Departments for Education and are active in a spectrum of partnership arrangements Employment (DfEE), Environment, Transport and with the public, private and voluntary sectors. the Regions (DETR), and Trade and Industry (DTI), The Labour Government's manifesto included aas well as programmes from other departments. The commitment to co-ordinate regional economic devel- exception will be that the RDA of the north-west will opment, which would underpin wider regeneration. include Merseyside. In December 1997, the Department of Environment, An important consideration will be how the co-ordi- Transport and the Regions (DETR), published the nating role of RDAs will operate in relation to other White Paper on the regions in England, Building regional bodies, including the training and enterprise PartnershipsforProsperity.Thisoutlinesthe councils (TECs), regional development organisations Government's proposals forsetting up regional (RDOs), the FEFC, local authorities and Govern- development agencies (RDAs) in England, building ment Offices. The White Paper includes mechanisms upon the establishment of the Welsh Developmentto govern the relationship between RDAs and the Agency and the Scottish Enterprise. It is presented as Government, and measures to ensure accountability. the first step towards greater devolution in England. Further education colleges contribute to economic The White Paper makes a commitment to giving development, not only as service providers of edu- London a city-wide strategic authority with a mayor cation and training, but as stakeholders or employers and an assembly. Subject to approval from a refer- and purchasers of goods and services in the region, endum in May 1998 and from Parliament, theand as a strategic partner playing a key role in Greater London Authority (GLA) will become oper- business development and economic regeneration. ational in 2000; RDAs are expected to be opera- The wider role of human resource development tional from 1 April 1999. (HRD) in regional development must be understood and colleges should be involved in the policy and The RDAs for England have five specific objectives. planning for RDAs as major providers of HRD. These are to: This paper looks at the picture which has emerged encourage economic development and social from FEDA's 1997 survey of the sector's involvement and physical regeneration in economic development, reported in Investing co-ordinate business support, investment partners: further education, economic development and competitiveness and regional policy (James and Clark, 1997). It pre- enhance skills sents case studies of good practice in nine FE col- promote employment leges, and uses these to draw out key messages for promote sustainable development. the sector on the important role it can play in eco- They are therefore responsible for co-ordinating: nomic regeneration. Because it looks at the strategic role of colleges, it should be of interest not just to regeneration, including the spending of the college chief executives and senior managers but also Single Regeneration Budget and European to their strategic partners. It is one of a series of pub- Structural Funds lications in FEDA's research on the sector's role in business support economic development.

Vol 2 No 5 FE matters 5 FE'S ROLE IN ECONOMIC Survey responses indicated that colleges accessed a range of sources of funding, other than that received DEVELOPMENT from the FEFC. The most common of these were TEC development funds, followed by the European What is economic development? SocialFund(ESF),TEC programmefunds, Competitiveness Funds and the Single Regeneration Inits'FurtheringLocalEconomies'strategic Budget (SRB). research, FEDA defines economic development as: The sector's key roles were perceived as: the range of activities pursued at the local, regional or national level with the intention of providing skill development, to help the improving the growth and distribution of eco- labour force, including the unemployed, to nomic opportunity, and the capacity to enhance acquire higher levels of skill it, for individuals, enterprises and industries helping learners to gain employment by within defined geographical areas, communities supporting the unemployed to access jobs and sectors. and human resource development working with small firms through (James and Clark, 1997) consultancy, staff and management training These activities may involve a range of regeneration enhancing leisure, tourism and cultural industries. objectivesincluding environmental enhancement, skills development, technology transfer, enterpriseThe potential offering of the further education sector development,enhancementoftransportinfra- is broad. It can: structure and town centre management. Some have sought to define economic development as processes contribute to the local, sub-regional, and which focus on employing, purchasing, developing regional economic strategies and relocating to improve productivity and prof- enhance the skills and employability of the itability. Others have focused on economic devel- potential and actual workforce opment as 'outcomes' measurable through tangible raise the capacity of small and medium- results. What is clear is that the FE sector has a sized enterprises (SMEs) to become and primary role to play in all aspects of local and remain competitive in the global marketplace regional regeneration activity. behave as an exemplar local employer. In the reality of the 'knowledge economy', where the Role of FE capacity for creativity, communication, flexibility, As a sector, FE provides education and training forinformation technology(IT)literacy and team- more than 3.5 million learners, employs more than working are the key determinants of success, FE plays a primary role. 200,000 full-time education staff, has a government budget of more than £3.2 billion and works with Colleges can contribute to economic regeneration in TECs, the public and private sectors on specific con-four ways, by: tracts (FEFC, 1997a and FEDA, 1995). In many regions, the FE college is one of the top five largest raising achievement of individuals across employers in the region this is just one of the diverse socio-economic areas findings of the FEDA survey, reported on in James providing a diverse range of vocational qualifications and Clark, 1997, on the sector's involvement in local and regional development. working with employers, local government, schools, higher education providers and the Colleges are local consumers, purchasing a wide voluntary sector to develop partnership range of local professional services and perishable programmes and consumer goods. In the survey, the majority of underpinning social regeneration by colleges judged the value of their local purchasing to supporting community development. bebetween£151,0004500,000.Thesector's primary trading activity was consultancy.

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6 FE matters VO1 2No s The new political context, within which colleges are the manufacturing industries is reported to have risen now operating, places greater emphasis on co-oper-by 3,000 in June 1997. Employment in manufac- ation and partnership within emerging new planning turing rose by 25,000 during the year, with the total structures. The sector's role in meeting public policy number of employees in June 1997 being 3,944,000. objectives can be defined under four aspects of eco- Colleges'involvement in delivering Modern nomic development: Apprenticeships (MAs), National Traineeships and higher skill development for sector-specific employees employment: has been central in raising employment levels. ensuring labour market responsiveness raising skill levels and individual Set within this context, the sector's national potential achievements tosupporteconomicgrowthlookspositive. providing the 'knowledge economy' However, there are clear differences in the economic enterprise: prosperity of the regions. As the case studies show, supporting SMEs many areas have experienced the collapse of their being involved in supply chain dominant industry. Ensuring that economic growth development and brokerage affects all localities is a major challenge for national establishing partnerships for enterprise policy-makers and partners in the regions. Funds will regeneration: need to be targeted carefully to recognise regional with FE as a stakeholder, alongside differences. The Department of Trade and Industry's employers, purchasers, developers and consultation document on Regional competitiveness landowners indicators (DTI, summer 1997) identified five main ensuring long-term skill enhancement areas for developing regional indicators: overall establishing FE centres of excellence to competition; labour market; education and training; anchor major regeneration initiatives capital; land and infrastructure. regional strategic planning: contributing to the work of RDAs playing a role in regional and sub- HOW SHOULD COLLEGES regional forums BE INVOLVED? taking a primary role in planning education and training infrastructure. The FE sector will need to play a major part in defining the education and training indicators and the shape of future RDAs. Research by FEDA has MEASURING AND PLANNING provided a useful set of categories to describe the three key roles which colleges can play in economic ECONOMIC GROWTH regeneration: A report from the Organisation for Economic Co- As a service provider, colleges develop skills operation and Development (OECD), Employment for the future: through 16-19 education and outlook (July 1997), states that GDP growth in the training, and to meet current demands by UK is likely to average 3% in 1997 and 2.7% in up-skilling the existing workforce. The FE 1998. This is seen as robust economic growth and sector is the single largest provider of skills ahead of other European economies. There is a pro- updating, so is able to prepare local people jected fall in unemployment from 7.4% in 1996 to for new economic roles and opportunities. 6.1% in 1997 and 5.6% in 1998. Figures from the This support can play a key role in helping spring 1997 Labour force survey (LFS), published by to start up new businesses and turn a small fallingby the DETR, indicateunemployment firm into a medium-sized one. 20-35,000 a month. College involvement in the Colleges may also play an important Government's New Deal initiative (which involves stakeholder role. Often, FE institutions, four main options to help the jobless back into along with the local authority, remain the employment) will be vital to develop local strategies largest single employer and a base from for dealing with long-term unemployment among which new employment or temporary work the 25plus age group and youth unemployment may grow. among the 18-24 cohort. Further education colleges can link with The LFS also confirms rising employment levels. In other sectors to create strategic partnerships the quarter to spring 1997, the seasonally-adjusted for change, inward investment and local number of those in the UK in employment rose by growth and development. 91,000 to 26,076,000. The number of employees in a Vol 2No 5 FE matters 7 All three roles are of equal importance in furtheringcontribution to HRD as a second order priority. The local economies. In practice, many activities in whichcase studies represent a raft of activities of a similar colleges are involved include features of more thannature being undertaken by colleges across the one of these categories. For example, a major collegecountry. However, the current situationisnot building programme provides employment for local perfect. There is a great deal to be done to change the people andbetterfacilitiesforstate-of-the-artimage of the college while at the same time devel- training, which may in turn attract inward investors. oping its capacity to deliver. However, involvement of the FE sector in such This paper also provides key messages which could activity may be accidental rather than planned.form an action checklist for colleges wishing to Colleges often have actively to seek involvement develop their strategic role in economic regeneration. rather than being there by right. Being excluded fromTo assist colleges further in this process, FEDA is the strategic partnership role has many repercus-developing an audit tool. sions, both on the extent to which colleges are seen to be responsive to new demands, and on the appro- priateness and viability of decisions which may later CURRENT STATE OF PLAY impinge on training provision. Research undertaken by FEDA into the impact of This lack of connection between the development ofcolleges on their local economic profile revealed the strategy and its implications has limited the effec-significant contribution that FE colleges are making tiveness of planning and decision-making. Colleges (James and Clark, 1997). This was evident across all could bring a wealth of experience and knowledge, three categories: as service provider, stakeholder and borne out of many decades of having toopera- strategic partner. Relations with local businesses are tionalise ill thought-out strategies, which could help a critical dimension of college work. However, the to ensure that economic development strategies are activities in which colleges are engaged tend to be relevant and achievable. disparate rather than contributions to a coherent local or regional development plan. In part, this The exclusionof FE representativesfromthe may planning process may be related to image rather thanbe because colleges are seen as second-order players track record. The case studies which follow demon- in strategic developments. It perhaps also reflects the strate that colleges are playing an effective part inabsence of any systematic, national or regional furthering local economies. However, the problem isplanningprocessesforeconomic development. that there is little public acknowledgement of what Initiatives may compete against each other rather they are doing. than build a synergy between them. The case studies illustrate the significant local development taking A further problem may be related to the reputationplace through key players in localised areas. They of colleges that attempt to play a leading role and do also demonstrate the diversity among differentareas. not deliver, or to those that are unwilling to be suffi- ciently flexible to meet newly-emerging needs. Other key strategic partners will not necessarily distinguish Summary of the case studies between institutions. As a result, the reputation of the sector as a whole is diminished. The case studies that follow, written by key players in their implementation, describe a range of initia- There is undoubtedly potential for colleges to put tives and examine their impact on the local economy. significant effort into becoming a leading player in economic development. However, they need to ensure that the central tenet of their mission to Lewisham College provide high quality and accessible learning oppor- tunities to meet a diverse range of needsdoes notThe work undertaken by Lewisham College demon- become subsumed by a desire to overplay their strates the immediate and longer-term benefits of a strategic or stakeholder role. This is a particularly major new building programme and the key role col- tempting trap at a time of financial stringency when leges can play in regenerating an area. The Action for efforts to utilise college resources may jeopardiseBetter Lewisham Employees (ABLE). initiative is a curriculum concerns. strategic public sector employer partnership set up by the college to contribute to the socio-economic The case studies demonstrate that the vital role of regeneration of the area through enhancing the skills humanresourcedevelopment is increasingly and capabilities of local employees. acknowledged as a key factor in economic devel- opment. Colleges should not view their significant

8 FE matters VO1 2No 5 Highbury College Darlington College Colleges play a key role in the transitional phases ofAt a time of local government reorganisation, individuals' lives. Highbury College demonstrates theDarlington College took an active role in helping to key role FE institutions can play in developing newset the agenda with other major partners to deter- skills through Modern Apprenticeships. The focus is mine key economic and social objectives for the new also on itsachievements inup-skilling workers unitary authority. moving from the defence industry to civilian life.

Gateshead College Doncaster College Many colleges are making a conscious decision to Doncaster College's business school illustrates how reposition themselves as key players in furthering FE institutions can work with major employers, such theirlocaleconomies.Thecasestudyfrom as British Aerospace, to provide high-level human Gateshead College shows what may need to be resource development. achieved to win this recognition.

Milton Keynes College The leading role that colleges can play in meeting the new training needs emerging from advances in tech- nology isillustrated in Milton Keynes College's development of logistics training.

Pembrokeshire College Pembrokeshire College useditsexpertiseasa training provider to develop new skills required by a regeneration scheme. This had a significant impact on local job opportunities and supported the devel- opment of many small enterprises. By providing rel- evant and timely skills-development programmes, the college made a significant contribution to the area's capacity to regenerate itself from within.

Dearne Valley College Dearne Valley College's new building created a high level of interest from the public and from local SMEs, resulting in an enhanced image of further education and increasing the take-up of many training opportunities.

Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form College FEDA's research (James and Clark, 1997) indicated that sixth-form colleges may engage in fewer addi- tional activities related to economic development than other FE providers. The case study provided by Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form College describes the substantial contribution that may, nevertheless, be provided by such colleges.

Vol 2 No .5 FE matters 9 2Responsiveness in action: thecase studies

EMPLOYMENT The ABLE initiative encourages employees to assume responsibility for their education and training by Lewisham College: Raising taking courses in their own time. It also helps public sector employers torealisetheirorganisational skill levels of public sector development needs through planned group or infill employees provision.This frees up theirtraining budgets enabling them to purchase customised provision. In Chris Jude of Lewisham College describes the return, the partner employers will offer the college strategic partnership initiated by the college with first option in delivering this provision. local public sector chief executives in the local council,health service and metropolitan police. Public sector employers involved in ABLE include: Through the initiative, the partners are developing a London Borough of Lewisham culture of lifelong learning in the Lewisham area by Lewisham and Guy's Mental Health encouraging the take-up of work-related and non- NHS Trust work-related education and training. This learning Optimum Health Services enhances the human resource potential of the area. Lewisham Hospital Catford and Lewisham Divisions of the Metropolitan Police Lewisham ABLE initiative The initiative is the college's response to realising the The ABLE initiativeisa strategic public sectoraims of the Lewisham Public Sector Management employer partnership set up by Lewisham College to Forum set up by Barry Quirk, Chief Executive of the contribute to the socio-economic regeneration of theLondon Borough of Lewisham. The forum aims to: area. It does this by: create an enhanced planning capability focusing on the education and training among public sector partners needs of public sector employeesthe secure a more judicious use of public public sector constitutes the main sector resources employment base in the area; many of the explore mutually beneficial personnel workforce live locally development strategies. enhancing public sector employees' current ABLE is a response to two local economic situations: and future employabilitythrough ABLE, the college offers FEFC-funded national the increasing prosperity and employment qualifications free to public sector opportunities which will be generated employees; SOLOTEC (South London through Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) Training and Enterprise Council) offers and millennium funding and the private and assistance with exam and registration fees public sector inward investment which will positioning public sector employees to result from it, and from the extension of the contribute to and benefit from the socio- Dock lands Light Railway (DLR) and the economic regeneration activities planned for Jubilee Line to the Lewisham area LewishamABLE seeks to ensure that local the anticipated, continuing reduction in employees and residents, whether continuing public sector funding, which will impact in their current employment or not, are disproportionately on the unskilled and qualified and confident to lead and partic- semi-skilled workforce, most of whom live ipate in change and are not dependent upon in Lewisham; this will add to the already any one job or form of employment locally. high socio-economic cost of unemployment in the area, particularly among young black males but increasingly among the unskilled white working class.

10 FE matters V012 No 5 Public sector employee human resource potential of the area

Theinitiativeaimstosupportpublicsector courses to meet their identified organisational needs, employees to: which typically include the Certificate in Manage- ment Studies (CMS), computing, customer care, become better qualified to take advantage business administration, housing and counselling. of employment opportunities resulting from regeneration activities The longer-term outcomes of ABLE will be ascer- meet the future skill demands of the tained through assessing management data from organisation for which they work tracking students as individuals and by organisation qualify or retrain for new employment and through evaluations by the employer partners wherever it is offered using, for example, development review summaries learn what they want to learn as well as and reports on the National Targets for Education what their employers want them to learn and Training (NTETs). become more mobile and better equipped to compete for employment be less dependent upon their current From initiative to action employment Meetings were held with the chief executives of each most importantly, be more confident to face partner organisation to introduce the initiative and an uncertain future. explain what ABLE had to offer. At these meetings The extent to which these aims are being realised iscontributions were sought from partners, such as best judged by the response to the offer, to date. Forstudy time or staff secondments and their support so example, the four Employees' Fairs which the collegethat ABLE could work 'top-down' through their has held with its employer partners, attracted moreorganisations. An ABLE briefing pack was devel- than 1,000 people. About 50% of those attending oped to assist this process. have made course applications. These are all applica- Meetings were then held with training or personnel tions from employees who will be studying in their managers to plan how ABLE would be introduced to own time. Their choice of courses includeself- employees. It was decided that each organisation employment courses, construction, catering, A-levels, would hold an Employees' Fair to be launched by the art, sound engineering, languages and motor vehicle chief executives and at which each curriculum area repair as well as more obviously employment-related offered by the college would be represented. courses such as computing, counselling, sign lan- guage and management. This contrasts with the choices made by the employers when planning

VO1 2No 5 FE matters 11 It was agreed that employees would be advised andrepresent the purpose and aims of the Lewisham counselled about their choice of course and should Public Sector Management Forum which extend be able to apply to the course of their choice. Thebeyond the ABLE partnership. As public sector college also agreed to contact applicants withina service providers, each organisation is inextricably week of application with a date for interview andlinked in terms of role and by virtue of the range of assessment. Once accepted on the course, applicants activitiesthrough whichitsresponsibilitiesare could then enrol providing they produced evidencedelivered and for which co-operation is essential. An of eligibility, the criteria being that they werea analogy would be the relationship of several large member of staff at one of the participating organisa-companies to their subsidiaries. tions, either full or part-time or on a short-time con- tract of one year or more. The purpose, aims andThe notion of mutual benefit, which informed the outcomes were then agreed for each event. Apartnership at the outset, has become more apparent `Welcome and Next Steps'letter was given toas the perceived benefits have been realised and employees together with an event evaluation form. extended beyond those anticipated. The initiative has Staff running the event were given guidance on the been used to promote innovative models of working eligibility criteria and procedures for enrolment. and of exchanging and combining resources. Quality controls have beenbuiltintoit.Documentary Posters and 1,000 leaflets were displayed in each accounts of the college's quality commitments to its organisation to promote ABLE and the Employees' partners and their employees are outlined in the Fair to employees. The Director of Lifelong Learning ABLE 'Accord' and 'Quality commitment' docu- held weekly meetings with police officers in eachments. Resourcing for the initiative has come mainly division and partners jointly arranged for external from partners' existing budgets and throughan and internal press promotion and coverage of the exchange of resources. Additional resourcing has events. The college also developed a 'Quality com- been secured through a bid to SOLOTEC, a gift from mitment' to its partners. This included a 24-hour The Post Office and from FEDA project income. ABLE contact number. The ABLE Initiative was then formally launched on 25 June 1997 by Sir Michael More than 700 people, 50% of whom are women, Heron of the Post Office and John Monks, General have now enrolled on the ABLE initiative. Retention Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). The rates are high at 91%. There is a far higher take-up aims of the launch were to promote the notion ofby black and ethnic minority employees than is employer-employee-education social partnerships and reflected by their numbers in the workforce. For to endorse the lifelong learning commitment of whichexample, 30% of the workforce of the London ABLE is a model. Borough of Lewisham is black, while take-up on ABLE is now more than 50%. The average age of As with all initiatives, ABLE has stimulated system ABLE students is 38 while for non-ABLE students it development and opportunities for reviewing both is 28. The college is also working with UNISON to systems and procedures from the perspective of new develop an entry level basic skills course for manual client groups. Many procedures have been stream- workers as part of UNISON's national 'Return to lined as a result. Although unanticipated, ABLE has learn' programme. The aim of the course is to widen produced a considerable exchange of resources, both and increase participation by manual workers. intellectual and material, between the partner organ- `Return to learn' students will receive educational isations. The model has been so successful that the leave to attend. In September 1997, the college setup college is now promoting intellectual bartering as the the Trade Union Education Centre which offers TUC theme of an employers' video. The idea is that the courses and, together with 'Return to learn', offers a college will offer education and training services inrange of access points to the ABLE programme. exchange for resources which the employer can provide and the college requires. Benefits Issues Individuals have benefited from: Ownership of ABLE has been secured through the free access to courses leading to national participative way in which the initiative has been qualifications developed and because each of the partners has an education services provided at their interest in making it work. It could be argued that workplace the college, as holder of the resource, is the most their employers, the college and SOLOTEC powerful of the partners. However, this would mis- working in partnership to improve education and employment prospects. a 12 FE matters Vol2No 5 The college has benefited from: Views of partners

initiating and contributing to a strategy If as organisations and individuals we are to which supports local public sector organ- respond to this [huge change] we need to be isations and the employment prospects of flexible. Flexibility requires a degree of confi- the current and potential workforce dence, knowledge, a desire to learn new and the opportunity to review its current different things, ie it requires organisations and `curriculum fit' for a new client group and individuals to be ABLE. to plan to meet the needs of that group Annie Brough, Chief Executive, Optimum diversifying its intake and enriching the mix Health Services of its studentsthis may result in the improved motivation and achievement of It's wonderful you can take a course, do all students something stimulating and have the backing of gaining a range of resources in return for your employerwhat could be better? the ABLE offer Sue Corrigan, Health Administrator, on NVQ entering the lifelong learning arena on a Level 3 Business Administration scale which has highlighted the need for current and future systems development and I love finding out what computers can do for service provision for employed people both you. When I used to work with them, I just locally and nationally. used them for invoicing, credit control and Employers have benefited from: letters which was very limited. I'd like to learn accounting eventually. better utilisation of their training budgets Carol Cummins, ex sales ledger clerk, now enabling them to meet their organisational school meals assistant, would-be accounts clerk needs through buying customised provision their employees' participation in education ABLE ...is a creative approach to expanding on an unprecedented scale and across a opportunities within restricted budgets. It will range of qualification courses be successful because of the belief in its success the nurturing of the learning culture of their by the college and the partners... A model organisation to meet their NTETs scheme...and innovative concept of intel- having more satisfied and fulfilled lectual bartering. employees General Secretary of the TUC, John Monks, contributing to the planning and delivery of speaking at the ABLE launch college courses having access to participation, retention and We are happy to accept the notion that no achievement statistics which enable them to employee can expect a job for life ... but we now better plan their future organisational have to accept that the employee should expect development needs. a training for life. We should accept that respon- The local economy and skills base have benefitedas sibility, not as a sop to our consciences but as a a result of the initiative because: commercial response to a commercial challenge. Sir Michael Heron, the Post Office, speaking the human resource potential of the area is at the ABLE launch being enhanced new energy and confidence is being The college has a good reputation in the community cultivated within the workforce and with its public sector management partners. key employers are working as partners and ABLE has opened up the college to employees which acting in synergy. has made them open to lifelong learning. As a result The economy has benefited because ABLE takes into of the scale of the initiative and the nature of the account the: college's contribution, ABLE and Lewisham College are known and appreciated in a very different way. local and regional economic agenda current and future requirements of public sector employers and their employees imperative of social inclusiveness which is the mainspring of sustainable local prosperity and economic growth.

VOi 2 No 5 FE matters 13 EMPLOYMENT The college has many areas of specialism which offer some of the finest facilities in the country. One of Highbury College: these is the School of Motor Vehicle, recently refur- bished and extended to offer one of the largest Ensuring labour market training workshops in the UK. Industry-standard responsiveness facilities now include body repair workshops, a spraying booth and MOT testing bay. Together they Supporting transition allow the college to provide specialist training at all levels from craft to management. FE colleges support people in transition from one phase of their life to another. In the two case studies thatfollow,HilarySkarratt and Fay DeakinWorking with the marines describe how Highbury College is supporting tran- As a maritime city, 's economy has always sition from the armed forces to civilian life and from school to work. been inextricably linked to the defence industry. Highbury College has for many years worked to develop training links with the Royal Navy and cur- The college rently operates a number of initiatives with them, including the introduction of civilian qualifications Highbury College of Further Education is one of theand accreditation of prior learning (APL). largest FE colleges in the UK. It is based in the north of Portsmouth and employs more than 700 staff. The Royal Marines use the School of Electrical and Highbury attracts nearly 1,500 full-time and part- MechanicalEngineering (SEME) in Bordon, , for all of their technical trade training. A time students locally, nationally and internationally. It is based on three sites: the main campus to theMinistry of Defence initiativeidentifiedthat a north of the city; the Unicorn Centre which houses number of service personnel approaching the end of their service career did not possess a recognised qual- most of the construction facilities, and Cosham Park House, from which many of its adult education ification that reflected the skills acquired during their courses are run. service career and that would be needed to find rel- evant employment in civilian life. Class 1 mechanics, with a cross-section of experience Industry in the area from a variety of trades within the Royal Marines, Employment in Portsmouth is concentrated withinhad all undertaken a six to seven month full-time the sectors of public administration and defence, apprenticeship at SEME and earned City and Guilds qualifications. Of those, a number had returned to business and property services, hotels and catering SEME for further training and had progressed to and manufacturing. Projected employment growth is lower than the rest of the county owing to defence become senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs). However, despite the training, experience and quali- cuts, effects of recession and contracting-out of non- core activities. fications of both of these groups of staff, it was clear that the gap was widening between these and civilian-recognised vocational qualifications. Specialist areas Besides bridging this gap for existing staff, the Royal Funding related to the Millennium Commission for Marines were also looking to establish systems to the redevelopment of Portsmouth Harbour will incorporateNationalVocationalQualifications provide a significant boost for the economy. It is(NVQs) into the training of all recruits to prepare them for their return to civilian life. They investi- anticipated that construction and related trades will be the first sector to benefit followed by jobs in gated how existing training and experience might be tourism, leisure and associated industries once therecognised and equivalent civilianqualifications incorporated into future training. They approached reconstruction is completed. The college has ensured that itis well placed to meet the related training Highbury both as aresult of recommendations requirements, having, for example, made a com- received from the industry, and because the college mitment to retain its extensive construction facilities had experience of working with the Royal Navy on a throughout the recession. number of other projects.

14 FE matters VOI 2No 5 As the officer in charge, Warrant Officer Ward,Quality assurance and maintaining standards were explained: important aspects for the Royal Marines when intro- ducing new qualifications. The assessor training Highbury College's School of Motor Vehicle proved a useful way to give key personnel at dif- has an excellent reputation among the motor ferent ranks an insight into the overall NVQ system, trade.It was very encouraging to speak to and in particular its application within their area of someone from the industry with the back- responsibility. ground knowledge to understand and help us Ongoing quality control was maintained through a achieve our training objectives. Highbury staff number of internal verifiers employed by Highbury have been welcoming, helpful and reassuring College specifically to handle this project. Warrant throughout the project. Officer Ward carried out a similar role within the Royal Marines, and is the main point of contact between Highbury and the staff. Mapping skills across qualifications Following ameeting with the Royal Marines' Educational Unit, college staff analysed the RoyalResults to date Marines' extensive training manuals to investigateResults from a pilot carried out among a cohort of the extent to which existing qualifications might be mechanical and management candidates were excel- mapped against equivalent NVQ requirements. Thislent and the project is now up and running. More mapping indicated that no additional training would than 40 candidates have gone through the process to be necessary and the college began to convertdate, with a further 50 planned. existing qualifications to NVQs through APL. A cus- tomised package was developed. Highbury staffAlthough Highbury handles the administration on worked directly with the Royal Marines to give Class behalf of the Royal Marines, the level of paperwork 1 mechanics a one-day introduction to the portfolio, is higher than originally foreseen. Yet, says Warrant two to three days' support during the ensuing period Officer Ward: of evidence-collection, and final assessment of the candidate's portfolio. A hotline was established Despite this, we are hoping that by keeping direct to Highbury's School of Motor Vehicle. additionalsystemsto aminimum,the paperwork and continual assessmentswill Highbury provided a similar service for senior NCOs become part of the training ethos within the converting existing experience and qualifications to workshops, rather than being seen as a bolt-on. NVQ Management at Level 4 and 5. NVQ qualifications will become a normal part To help the Royal Marines with their longer-term of what each member of staff strives towards aim of establishing a culture of training for both and part of the preparation for a future career service and civilian life, Highbury also trained a in the motor industry. network of Royal Marine staff to carry out in-house assessment of evidence.

Highbury College helps Royal Marines achieve qualifications for their mechanic skills

Vol2No 5 FE matters 15 Modern Apprenticeships Systems and procedures Modern Apprenticeships have the potentialto be A team of staff was recruited to handle the employer, extremely effective in developing the skills needed trainee and Hampshire TEC liaison and the consid- erable amount of extra work critical to adminis- forthe new millennium,buttheirsuccessis dependentuponclosecollaborationbetween tering the programme. This team now comprisesa employers and training providers. business services manager, Fay Deakin, two business development executives and two administrators. Fay Highbury College has a long-term commitmentto Deakin explains how the team works: working with its local TEC and has developeda close working relationship with staff there. Thiswas Part of the role of the Business Development further enhanced during 1995 when Highbury Executive is to liaise with employers, to discuss formed its own training agencyHighbury Training the ways in which Modern Apprenticeshipscan to become a designated supplier for Hampshire benefit them and to explain to them the role of TEC's New Horizons and Modern Apprenticeship Highbury Training as the training supplier. If programmes. As one of the largest colleges in the the organisation has suitable trainees, then they south, Highbury was able to introduce MAsacross a will be interviewed by the Business Develop- range of course areas, from engineering and motor ment Executive and the relevant lecturers. The vehicles, accounting and business administration, Business Development Executive then works through to hairdressing. with the lecturer and the employer to developa training plan to ensure that the needs of both the apprentice and employer are met, and that Promoting Modern Apprenticeships clear training targets and schedulesare estab- Communicating the key benefits and features of lished and agreed. Following a Health and MAs to employer sponsors and trainees is funda- Safety check, again carried out byour central mental to their success. Besides the marketing activ- team, the Business Development Executive will ities undertaken by Hampshire TEC, Highbury also visit the company to sign up the traineeson to the programme. produced promotional materials and heldevents to explain the concept of Modern Apprenticeshipsto employers, potentialtrainees and their parents. Lecturing staff, who are also trained assessors, will Further profile-raising continues through advertising, then visit the trainee back at the workplace for public relations (PR) and schools liaison activities. regular work-based assessments.

Highbury Training matching service Introducing MAs to the engineering Industry The considerable interest in the college's MApro- Highbury currently provides Modern Apprenticeship gramme came from employers keen to get involved training to 17 engineering and related companies in but who lacked suitable trainees and from potentialPortsmouth and the surrounding areas. At present, trainees who lacked a sponsoring employer. Itsoon Matra Marconi of Portsmouth has 18 modern became clear that if Modern Apprenticeshipswere to apprentices at Highbury Training, who attend the take off, a matching service was required. college on a full-time basis for the firstyear, followed by day or block release training for the second and A member of staff was designated tooperate a third years. Matra Marconi personnel staff and recruitmentservice.As enquiriesarereceived, Highbury College lecturers are together recruitinga waiting lists of potential employers and traineesare further 27 apprentices. Phil Smith, Manufacturing reviewed for suitability. If no suitable matchesareTraining Manager at Matra Marconi,says: immediately available then other relevant employers may be contacted. Alternatively, sources of potential When we heard about Modern Apprenticeships trainees might be the local careers offices or college they seemed to be just the sort of trainingwe course tutors as relevant courses come to an end. were looking for with a good combination of off-site training and work-based assessment. Initial discussions with Highbury in developing a training plan and ongoing contact via assess- ments and review meetings have meant that the needs of both our organisation and our appren- tices have been met. i6 FE matters Vol2No 5 He also welcomes the project management aspect of The extent to which thisintegration has been the Highbury service: achieved was made clear in the early part of 1997, when Hampshire TEC undertook a quality audit of The administrative workload involved with our its training suppliers and awarded Highbury a much- apprentices would almost certainlyrequire coveted Silver Award. additional resources. The fact that Highbury Fay Deakin, Business Services Manager, says: College handles the complete project has meant that the whole programme runs very smoothly. This was largely due to the extent to which the The quality systems they have in place and the collegehad managedtoembed Modern weekly reviews we hold with Highbury mean Apprenticeships within the college curriculum. that we can monitor the progress of each of our As it was early days, many new procedures had modern apprentices while they are at college, not been in place long enough to be considered and remain involved in the development of for audit purposes and we were very close to their training. achieving gold. The college definitely has an eye on a gold the next time round!

Issues faced A quote from the Hampshire TEC audit report backs Systems this up:

While systems had been setin place to handle This is an excellent result given the short time enquiries, demand from potential trainees and spon- that Highbury has had thiscontract. The soring employers in the initial stages was far higher standard achieved is an indicator of the hard thanexpected.Thismeantthatsystemsand work, dedication and competence of the staff. be monitored, resourcesneededto constantly This is backed up by the many resources of the reviewed and updated to ensure that the quality of college and in particular the obvious support service was maintained. and enthusiasm of the principal. Staff skills It also became clear that many employers, who may Future plans have been disillusioned about other training schemes in the past, were sceptical about the concept ofHighbury Training offers more than 20 Modern Modern Apprenticeships. This required a more sales- Apprenticeships and is planning to introduce new oriented role for the business development execu-programmes in sectors as diverse as Broadcasting, tives, so this had to be taken into account whenFurniture, Retailing and Travel Services, as well as recruiting staff for these positions. This is now offering companies a composite range of business bearing fruit and feedback from employers on the short courses and services. programme is becoming more positive. Integration The challengehasbeentointegrate Modern Apprenticeships into the established college systems. This has meant reviewing the work undertaken by the team, which had been steadily increasing as the number of Modern Apprenticeshipsgrew, and reallocating some of those tasks to other established areas of the college. Business development staff are working more closely withthefacultiestodevelopnew Modern Apprenticeships where demand isidentified,to extendthe range of coursesbeingofferedto employers and trainees.

Vol2No s FE matters 17 EMPLOYMENT region. The results of the research identified the level and focus of demand and informed the business Doncaster College: school's strategy. Developing the knowledge As many strategists know (but often won't admit) the third stage, the development of the strategy, was economya people strategy the easy part of the school's development. The next stage, that of implementation, is the difficult part. Flying high with British Aerospace Much care has been taken to ensure that staff David Fell and Derek Watling outline and analyse involved are equipped with the necessary skills and the successful development of management andthat the business school expands at an appropriate business education within Doncaster College's new rate in terms of financial propriety and the quality of business school in a challenging business envi- programme delivery. The final stage is to evaluate on ronment. They describe its role as a service providera continuous basis the activities of the school and to revisittheoriginalvision. to one of the UK's leading employers,British Adjustments to the Aerospace, mounting personnel training and devel- strategy are made in the light of operational expe- opment for all 12 of its business units and all per- rience and market changes. sonnel practitioners.

Getting close to the customers The business school A well-developed process for reaching its customers The Dearne Valley Business School is in the heart ofhas provided the basis for the school's continued South Yorkshire. The business school was founded success. A cornerstone has been a marketing plan in 1992 following a successful bid for £1 million of that has engaged the support of stakeholders and City Challenge funding which was used to refurbish promoted a market-oriented approach to product and equip an 18th century mansion on the college's design. This approach has ensured the relevance of 120 acre rural High Melton site. Since its inaugu- programmedesignanddelivery.Theschool's ration by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, emphasis on customer care has also helped it to the business school has exceeded all its targets and develop and retain its customer base. All of the this year will enrol more than 2,000 students on to school's staff have been encouraged to develop mar- its undergraduate, postgraduate, professional andketing and selling skills. These skills, sometimes customised training and education programmes. Its frowned upon in the academic context, have resulted in new business and the development of employer fee structure and the demand for itsprogrammes have enabled it to become self-sufficient and make links. an impressive contribution to the college's positive The school's action learning philosophy is reflected financial position. in the design of learning opportunities from NVQ 3 to Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) which reflect the real- Development of the school ities of the workplace and offer clear and accessible progression routes. This has given the school a com- Strategic process petitive advantage. Its emphasis on delivering consis- The creation of the business school from the originaltently high quality, well-resourced programmes has vision to its successful implementation was a five-added value to its reputation and market position. stage process. The vision was to provide high quality business and management education, training, and consultancy up to and including higher educationHuman resource strategy level to help in the regeneration of an area that has It is the school's human resource strategy which is suffered more than its fair share of economic decline probably the true key to its success. It has recruited from closures in the steel, coal and rail industries. only staff with an appropriate mix of academic qual- The second stage was to test the potential for ifications and relevant business experience. All tutors achieving the vision. Extensive research was required have at least 10 years' practical experience at middle into the likely demand for business and management to senior management level. This has allowed it to training within the Dearne area and the surrounding design and deliver programmes of relevance, giving it credibility with its students and client organisations. A commitment to team-working,acontinuous

18 FE matters 40 VO1 2 Nos development ethic and a flexible staff have also been specially designed accredited courses which necessary for the school to develop. A policy of pro- enable participants to achieve membership motion from within, as the school expands, has of the Institute of Personnel and aided team-working and levels of motivation. Development and postgraduate qualifications including a Master of Science This formula has led to impressive penetration of (MSc) in Personnel and Development undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and cus- customised 'core modules' that focus on the tomised training markets. The school's corporate skills personnel practitioners require to customer base has expanded significantly since its move BAe forward and add value to its formation in 1992. business; these include ones on influencing, facilitation and consultancy skills, managing change, and strategic human Working with British Aerospace resources issues. In 1996, the business school secured a five-year con- Most of these modules are delivered on a residential tract, worth more than £1 million, with one of the basis at the business school's High Melton centre. UK's leading organisations, British Aerospace (BAe), Workshops vary in length and number depending on to provide personnel training and development for the programmes being attended. From BAe's point of all 12 of its business units and all 500 of its per- view this enables individuals from different business sonnel practitioners. units to share information and best practice and is a Employing approximately 44,000 employees, BAe more manageable way of releasing people from the has embarked upon a path to achieve world-class organisation than traditional afternoon and evening status and to be the benchmark for the global or day release modes of attendance. defence and aerospace industry. As part of this ini- tiative, BAe has developed a people strategy to support the achievement of benchmark status. The Mutual benefits personnel function has a critical role to play in rea-From the business school's perspective, workshops lising this strategy, so BAe devised a development enable a more focused delivery and make good use of strategy for personnel staff called 'Developing you'. the organisation's conference unit. The programmes It then sought a partner to give its human resources also provide sound developmental opportunities for practitioners the training and development required business school staff as there is a need for tutors to to ensure that they: become familiar with the client organisation's culture understand the changing environment in and operation. These developmental opportunities which they operate and the role of the are mutually beneficial and are demonstrated by a personnel within it commitment from senior BAe personnel directors to are equipped with the personal and contribute to the programme delivery and by BAe technical skills and confidence to manage providing, on a six-month secondment basis, a dedi- and implement change effectively cated human resources project manager to work can find solutions with clients rather than alongside the Dearne Valley Business School project be expected to give answers manager and human resources team. can introduce and implement strategic change with clients, by challenging long- standing assumptions and practices within Future plans the organisation. The partnership has already led to enquiries from The business school was the partner they chose. other functions within BAe especially in respect to the appropriateness of the 'core modules'. As the current provision matures it is anticipated that BAe Developing a programme line management will be able to benefit from the arrangement. In future, BAe's major suppliers may The business school has worked with BAe to develop also become involved. a suite of programmes, from those for junior man- agers through to ones at director level, which will The partnership activity has already had 'spin offs'. assist the personnel function to realise the organi- For example, BAe has just launched a new personnel sation's people strategy. These programmes offer: initiative called 'Developing us' which is concerned with the sharing of 'best' personnel practice across

1/01 2No .5 FE mattersr 19 the 12 business units. Dearne Valley Business School Milton Keynes Economic Partnership was estab- will have an integral part to play in helpingto lished in 1994 to help sustain growth and generate identify BAe best practice. inward investment.Ithas recently published a The partnership activity has also generated interestsecond Joint Economic Development Strategy, for beyond BAe and the business school has recently the period 1997-2002. The chamber is a key player signed other substantialcontracts with leading in the partnership. organisations. There are 5,249 firms and businesses in the area, of The Dearne Valley Business School formula haswhich 95% have 50 or fewer employees. Most worked impressively during the last five years for all employees work in the service sector (76%) or in its stakeholders and particularly its staff, students,production (20%). Local knowledge of the economy clients and parent college. Further planned develop- indicates that there are important subsections to ments and the quality, flexibility and well-founded these categories which either constitute significant confidence of itsstaff will ensure its continuedconcentrations of companies or are at the leading progress to becoming one of the UK's benchmark edge in their industrial sector. Such industriesare business schools. likely to be important for the development of the local, regional or national economy in futureyears, and often have rapidly developing training needs that are not currently being met. One such example ENTERPRISE is logistics. Milton Keynes College: Expanding logistics activity Working with SMEs and Logistics is often mistakenly viewed as being syn- supply chain brokerage onymous with warehousing and transport. It does David Anse ll and Winsome Hutchinson of Milton encompass both activities but the definition adopted Keynes College describe how a centre of excellence by the Institute of Logistics perhaps best represents in logistics and distribution was developed to meet the logistics function, this being: the labour market and training needs of SMEs in the region. The area has a healthy economy with 95% of The control of materials in the total supply localbusinessesclassifiedassmallenterprises. chain, sourcing, manufacture and delivery to Working with its partners in the initiative, Milton optimise costs, efficiency and customer service. Keynes and North Chamber of Commerce,Training andEnterprise,andthe During the last decade, Milton Keynes has seena industry, they have secured Competitiveness Fund rapid increase in logistics-based activity due to its resources which have led to a state-of-the-art centre proximity to motorway networks and the avail- and training for those working in logistics. ability of large sites earmarked for storage and distri- bution centres by the planning department at Milton Keynes Council.

The area and its industry The implications of expanding logistics activityas an Since the designation of Milton Keynes as a New in-house or third-party activity have largely revolved Town in the late 1960s, its population increasedaroundanincreasingneedfor'multi-skilled' rapidly to the present total of 227,000. This figure isemployees with an in-depth understanding of total expected to rise to 250,000 by the year 2002. Tosupply chain management. Falling margins, particu- date, the town has been successful in attracting the larly in retailing, have compelled companiesto necessary economic growth to sustain the rise in rationalise their structures and re-engineer processes population: some 27 significant companies chose to to cut costs and restore profits to acceptable levels. locate their activities in Milton Keynes in 1995-96. To compete successfully, companies need to delivera The unemployment rate for the area is well below high quality service geared to the specific needs of the national figure. their customers across the supply chain. They must maximise the use of technology and the abilities of Milton Keynes College has a strong relationship with their staff. the Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise and itseducation company, Countec. The resulting

20 FE matters Vol 2 No 5 Under-developed provision The steering group's initial task was to agree a work plan and prioritise action to ensure the relevance and Despite the global scope of logistics activity, current success of the proposed centre. training and education provision in FE colleges is underdeveloped. This is despite significant needs, which are at: Building relationships operative level for specific training in new Because logisticsisa people-based industry the skills (for example, IT packages) and, project manager neededtobuildrelationships increasingly, for operatives to understand between Milton Keynes College perceived by how their actions fit into an integrated industry as being removed from commercial reality supply chain and local industryperceived by some college staff supervisor level for providing new entry as being a reluctant and limited participant in further points to the profession for increased education and lifelong learning. understanding of their role in the supply chain and improved ability to use The project manager found that firms had a limited management information systems understanding of what an FE college did, or of the middle/senior management level for training mutual benefits of a strategic education-business and education which enables them to look partnership. The process of successful relationship beyond their particular specialism to building did not require a traditional non-flexible, understand the whole supply chain and `we have all the answers' approach, bur rather a 'we their role in it. are prepared to listen to your expressed needs, assist in identifying unexpressed needs and to bring our knowledge and expertise into the equation of finding FE Competitiveness Fund relevant solutions' approach. Against this background, Milton Keynes College Collaborative working with the steering group has made a bid in 1995/1996 to the Further Education secured the commitment of its members to the Competitiveness Fund to create a national centre of Logistics Centrea crucial factor in ensuring its con- excellence in logistics and distribution to meet the tinued success. At each steering group meeting the labour market and training needs of SMEs in Milton project manager gives a progress report and seeks Keynes and North Buckinghamshire and the wideradvice and opinions, with the aim of finding out region. The bid was made in partnership with the what makes industry tick. This process has yielded industry and the new Milton Keynes and Northfar more quantitative and qualitative data than Buckinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, Training paper-based quality review processes. and Enterprise. The outcome of strategically focusing on a small Elation at the formal notification of the success of group of large employers engaged in logistics-related the bid gave way to the somewhat daunting reality of activity has resulted in a: bringing the vision into being. The process began by recruiting a project manager and establishing a change in employers' attitude to further logistics steering group with representatives from education generally and particularly to local industries, such as: Milton Keynes College commitment from local industry Argos Distributors Limited new curriculum development initiative Beiersdorf UK Limited a logistics centre that is thriving on a Tensator Limited reputation gained from delivering a high Enterprise Forwarding Limited quality service Volkswagen Group (UK) Limited growing interest from other companies Samson Transport (both local and national) that want to Unisys Limited become involved and benefit from the Team User Systems Company Limited. services provided. as well as professional and training/educational The Logistics Centre is a successful state-of-the-art bodies such as: experiential learning centre that designs and delivers Institute of Logistics acurriculumforthelogistics and distribution Chartered Institute of Transport industry a curriculum that ranges from part- Countec. time/block-release programmestoindividualised specialist training and consultancy services.

Vol 2 No 5 FE matters 21 4.e Raising the profile Logistics is at the heart of modern industry, It is difficult to define precisely what has made the driving efficiency improvements throughout the centre successful. Suffice it to say that the strategic supply chain, yet at the start of this project it was clear that there was a lack of compre- partnershipsoriginallyestablishedwithlocal hensive high quality modern training provision industry have extended well beyond the initial seven in this key discipline. companies. Increased face-to-face contact and dis- cussions with key industry players has greatly raised Phil Pavard, Head of Personnel, Volkswagen the local profile of Milton Keynes College. Group (UK) Limited The comments that follow give a flavour of local I was very impressed at the speed at which the industry's response to the initiative: college set up its education offering and was lucky to be able to send several of my staff on We have benefited from the innovation and the first Certificate in Logistics courses...their activities which have emerged from the part- progress has been extremely good. nership approach between the college and the Peter Mayo, Service Design Organisation organisations involved which has demonstrated DCSS Technology Manager, Unisys Limited what can be achieved to support and develop both the local community and local industry. John Davies, Production Control Manager, Future plans Tensator Limited The work achieved as a result of obtaining an FE Your vision in forming the centre, perseverance Competitiveness Fund has facilitated a substantial shift in: in obtaining funding and hard work in liaising with local industry, commerce and professional working practices bodies to ensure that the programmes and facil- attitudes ities on offer meet both students' learning needs entrepreneurial activities and those of current and future employers, pro- strategy and structure. vides an example to all. The centre clearly demonstrates the benefits of industry and edu- While the future may not be orange, it is certainly cation working in partnership. bright! Andrew Ablett, Distribution Personnel Manager, Argos Distributors Limited ENTERPRISE Having been a member of the steering group since the project's commencement in July 1995, Northern Colleges Network: I have gained an invaluable insight into the Supporting SMEs through working of the further education system and, in particular, the benefits. flexible training Louise Heathorn, Operations Manager, Alan Dixon describes another initiative which arose Enterprise Forwarding Limited from a Competitiveness Fund Project, the Northern Colleges Network (NCN). This equipped all the col- Before the centre of excellence was established, leges in the northern region to deliver training to training opportunities in logistics were largely SMEs by means of telematics. fragmented. It is our intention to incorporate training at the centre with that of our own. John Slope, Personnel and Training Manager, The network Samson Transport NorthernColleges Network Ltd (NCN)isa company There has long been a need to provide a com- establishedfollowing a successful prehensive facility to help develop profession- Competitiveness Fund project which linked all the alism and core competencies in those who work colleges in the north-east of England to a wide area in logistics. network. The initiative aimed to provide SMEs with Nick Mabey, Quality and Services Manager, flexible training opportunities. However, it has also Beiersdorf UK Limited resulted in significant curriculum advances across all the FE offer.

22 FE matters VOI 2 No 5 The NCN newsletter for June 1997. identifies a REGENERATION number of initiatives that the company ispro- gressing: Pembrokeshire College: The BBC has requested the assistance of NCN Local action to develop new in developing areas of digitised educational industries material, combining the production expertise of the BBC with the educational expertise of the Clive Hutt of Pembrokeshire College describes a NCN member colleges. range of regeneration activities related to the marine and sea-fishing industries in West Wales, a growing NCN will submit a regional Objective 2 bid on behalf industry in the area developed after the collapse of of and with the co-operation of the member colleges the local oil industry. The college has taken an active to develop further the services and opportunitiesrole to ensure that local people are given training available through the network for small and medium- that will enable them to support the emerging new sized enterprises in the north-east of England. marine maintenance sector. The proposed application seeks to provide: an Information Communication Technology The college Needs Analysis service for SMEs in the Pembrokeshire Collegeisageneral FE college north-east to encourage and persuade them serving a large rural area, predominantly coastal, of the benefits and opportunities available which has a population of approximately 200,000 through using new information technologies people. The college has approximately 2,500 full- a subsidised (and time limited) leasing time students and 500 plus HE students. More than service to SMEs to enable them to access 30% of its income comes from commercial activity information technology in line with their and sponsorship. identified needs analysis membership of a range of linked services with a competitive benefit to SMEs, via Industry in the area membership of NCN. The localindustrialinfrastructureisextremely If approved by the NCN board of directors, the bid, fragile. It was dependent upon oil refineries, a power estimated at just less than £3 million, will give SMEs station based around the natural harbour of Milford access to a variety of services such asvideoconfer- Haven, agriculture and tourism. The power station encing, customised training, e-mail facilities, British has closed and one of the three refineries is about to Telecommunications (BT) dial-up services, bulletin close. Agriculture is in crisis and tourism is in danger boards, Internet access, SME-to-SME assistance/net- of decline following the 'Sea Empress' oil spillage working, links to other intranet services, areas for incident. Male unemployment in the Milford Haven Web page development, and Web commerce andarea stands at around 30%. However, there is a electronic data interchange. strong tradition of self-employment and some small, The incentive offered by the Competitiveness Fund high tech industries are growing rapidly. has prompted collaboration among the northern col- Localeconomicdevelopmentissupportedby leges to develop on-line services for business. Pembrokeshire County Council, West Wales TEC and the Welsh Development Agency. The TEC and the Development Agency are now focusing their activities on supporting small initiatives away from the M4 corridor, where all major industrial develop- ments had been focused. The college works with all these partners strategically and operationally with representation at board and front-line level. It aims to support activities developed by other partners and to promote its own initiatives. Contacts are estab- lished and maintained through a range of sector steering groups and through networking events.

Vole Nos FE matters 23 Support for marine and sea-fishing industries In 1992, information from TEC sources and from the college's information on the market indicateda skills shortage in the marine maintenancesector. A number of marinas had been set up in thearea, offering berths at lower prices than the south coast of England, and specialist boat-building and refur- bishment operations were set up to support them. Working with an independent marine training con- sultant, the college developed a trainingprogramme supported by the Marine and Engineering Training Association. This programme was linked to the existing NVQ structure. Funding for the venture came partly froma suc- cessful European bid to KONVER, theprogramme for areas disadvantaged by the peace dividend (see Kypri and Clark, 1997, for further information). Matched funding was received from the TEC and the FurtherEducation Funding CouncilforWales (FEFCW). In September 1992, the first group of unemployed adult trainees began the programme. The college had no expertise among its staffto support the programme and initially relied upon locally recruited part-time staff with extensive indus- trial experience. There was immediate local interest and the numbers on the programmegrew to the stage where it was impossible to containit on campus. The Milford Haven Port Authority offered Proving the need for Pembrokeshire College's accommodation for the project on the waterside and marine training initiative, one boat-building local companies offered boats on which to undertake company's output has increased in one year from maintenancetraining.Full-timecollegestaff one boat a year to one boat a week managed the project while part-time staff delivered the programme. The first group completed the apprentice is employed by one member of the con- course after a year and most found employmentsortium but moves around the group during the locally or in the marinas of southern Europe. apprenticeship to get a broad-based programme of trainingandexperience.Thisprogramme is dependent upon employers not poaching each other's Development of the initiative apprentices. A steering group has managed to From this beginning the project then started a phased maintain this system without any major disputes. By development: providing the skilled workforce required, thispro- gramme has had a substantial impact on supporting the development of a local boat-building industry September 1993 making small vessels for the oil industry. A full-time Marine Craft programme was started for school leavers in a leased building sponsored by local June 1994 industry. Full-time instructors were recruited to teach the programme. The Craft programme andtheApprenticeship scheme thrived but resourcing was a problem. In particular it was not possible to provide training on January 1994 large marine engines in local facilities, so linkswere forged with the Nantes Marine College in France, A Marine Modern Apprenticeship Schemewas ini- which has a specialist large engine training facility. A tiated, based around a consortium of local employers programme of student exchanges was organised, the who undertake specialist marine operations. EachFrench students coming to Pembrokeshire to work

24 FE matters ti Vol 2No 5 on small engines while the Welsh students went to staff. The scheme is held together by GTA staff who Nantes to work on large engines. The Nantes Marine act as tutors to the apprentices and as advisors tothe College also had expertise in sea-fishing training. skipper, who helps collects evidence for the NVQ which would be useful later on in the project. qualification. While the programme runs effectively, Employers and students felt that to maintain boats it would benefit from enhanced tutorial support from effectively they should also know how to use them. college staff and from distance learning facilities. A The college formed a partnership with Pembroke-successful bid has been made to BT to support video- shire Water Sports so that power boating and sailing conferencing facilities based at ports along the Welsh training could be integrated into the curriculum. coast and a pilot programme is now underway.

September 1995 Benefits and impact The success of Pembrokeshire College in supportingThe benefits of this initiative are perhaps best illus- local marinas with maintenance staff and small boat- trated by comments from individuals involved: builders with engineering apprentices subsequently revealed a skills shortage at a design level. Working I feel I have the skills and confidence to get my with the University of Glamorgan and a group of own fishing boat now that I have got my NVQs. consultants from local companies, a Higher National Sea-fishing Modern Apprentice Diploma (HND) programme in small boat design was developed which was validated in the summer of Thecontinued supportof Pembrokeshire 1995. Thefirstcohortofstudentsbeganin College in developing my workforce and pro- September 1996. Working with the TEC and local ducing a continuing supply of high quality companies, the college now offers graduate trainee- apprentices is essential to the development of ships for students completing this programme. A my company. trainee is given local employment and the oppor- Milford Haven Ship-building Company tunity to study to Bachelor of Science level with a Manager complementary NVQ Level 4 skills-based qualifi- cation. The quality of the HND programme was I have received job offers from Canada and enhanced by successful bids to the FE Australia. My problem is deciding which one Competitiveness Fund for computer systems and to accept! software to support boat design training. Adult Marine Craft Trainee

The programme is exciting, well structured and January 1996 practical. The teachers have good backgrounds in industry and really know what they are The college formed links with the Sea Fish Authority talking about. when an analysis of the market revealed a lack of HND Leisure Boat Design student qualified workers in this sector. This will become crucial to the industry as European legislation makes Individuals have benefited from better job opportu- a qualification a requirement for working in the sector. nities, the availability of apprenticeships, the chance As a result of initial contacts a strong working rela- to update and learn new skills and F/HE opportu- tionship was developed with the Welsh Sea-fishing nities which improve their career choices. Industry Group Training Association (GTA) and a steering group was formed with the TEC, the Port Employers have benefited from the availability of a Authority and the Marine Safety Agency. It is from suitablyskilledworkforce,appropriate appren- this group that the Sea-fishing Modern Appren-ticeship routes, and the development of high level ticeship scheme was developed. Initially planned as a skills to meet current and future needs. local scheme, it soon became apparent there was a For the local economy, the initiative acted as a cat- national demand. With TEC support a National Sea- alyst for local development and as a support for new fishing Modern Apprenticeship Scheme commenced industries. The continuation of sea-fishing has been in September 1996 with about 20 trainees. In the ensured through equipping workers with the qualifi- summer of 1997 it was the largest scheme in the UK. cations required by recent legislation. The existence It is a 'bad weather' scheme which means trainees of skilled graduates helps added value products to be they come to the college for short sharp inputs when developed locally. are unable to go to sea. The training is deliveredby skilled part-time staff managed by full-time college

Vol 2 No 5 FE matters In 1992, there were no apprentices in the sea-fishing Future plans or marine engineering sectorin 1997 there were 50. More than 600 fishing boat skippers have shownan The Marine Steering Group is attemptingto set up a interest in gaining qualifications for themselves and MarineInnovationTechnologyandEnterprise their crew. One boat-building company's output has CentreinMilford Haven to support training, increased in the last year from one boata year to one business start-up and consultancy. A total of 50% of boat a week. The intake of marine-related students the funding comes from local businesses with the into the college has tripled in the last threeyears. balance being applied for through the European A full-timemarine-based degree programmeis Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Welsh planned in two years' time. Development Agency has recognised thisdevel- opment within its RTP. The college developed the first Tug Boat Modern Views of partners Apprenticeship scheme in the UK which had its first intake in September 1997. Working with the college has been essential to our success. Working together we have made Transnational links with centres of expertise in things happen. Europe are being developed to enable local inno- Jim Williamson, Welsh Sea-fishing Industry vation in the marine sector. Group Training Association Development is also being made into associated areas of fish processing, marketing and distribution. Training, support for innovation and enterprise ... in this sector supports the objectives of the Regional Technology Plan (RTP]. REGENERATION RTP Steering Group, Welsh Development Agency Lewisham and Dearne Valley

Astrongandeffectivepartnershiphas Colleges: New buildings fora developed between ourselves and the college, new era the stakeholder role and we are proud of our joint successes. Len Morgan, West Wales TEC Dick Palmer of Lewisham and Jan Driffill of Dearne Valley describe the positive effectson the local economy of their respective new purpose-built Strengths and weaknesses college buildings. The key strength of this initiative has been its rapid response to local needs. However, the speed of the Lewisham CollegeDeptford Campus response posed some problems: Lewisham College is a large, predominantlyvoca- initial planning was limited in its effective- tional, FE provider based in south-east London. It ness due to the speed of development has around 12,000 enrolments, of whom 52%come resourcing proved inadequate because of an from ethnic minority backgrounds, 51%are female underestimation of demand and around 80% are unemployed. managing groups of inexperienced part-time staff was difficult. It is located in an area of high unemployment, particularly among young black males, and of social These problems have now largely beenovercome. deprivation,withahighincidenceofsingle The other strengths of the initiative include: parent families. providing skilled workers to remove skills The recent withdrawal of medium to large employers shortages from the local economy (Lewisham College itself is in the top five of local giving unemployed people new horizons large employers) exacerbates the issues inherent ina and opening employment opportunities for capital city, such as disaffected youth, high crime them locally and further afield rates and housing estates-based concerns. supporting the real needs of employers.

r 4,

26 FE matters VOi 2 Nos Nevertheless, the college is also: Key issues gaining a national and international The development of the campus was the reputation for its quality of services subject of wide consultation. in the south-east quadrant of the capital Governors with specialist expertise which is now attracting major public were involved. infrastructure investmentthe Dock lands The project manager and team of Light Railway, the extension of the Jubilee contractors were appointed by tender. line, major SRB programmes and the Funding was provided from property Millennium Festival itself. disposals with a bridging loan to enable initial purchase and refurbishment. The development will result in reduced Background to the development long-term maintenance costs, economies of LewishamCollegerecognisedthatalthough scale, and operating efficiencies. Deptford City Challenge was entering its final phase, Timetables have been developed to potential developments, such as Creekside Single minimise the need for travel between sites. Regeneration Bids and the proposed Dock lands Light Railway extension, could compensate for the Development stages lack of inward investment into the area. The location of the new campus provided strategic opportunities 1993 for helping the local community to regenerate itsStrategic Planthe college's constructing capability economy. The college also wished torationalise its accommodation strategy, identifying preferred solu- building stock while relocating its centre of gravitytions to rationalise on to two sites, was accepted by to Deptford and North Lewishaman area of mul- the FEFC and a borrowing facility was approved. tiple deprivation with some of the highest youth unemployment levels in the country. Consequently, 1994 thecollegedecidedto purchasearedundant,A site was identified, evaluated, and then purchased. although purpose-built training centre, on Deptford Creekwhich is to be traversed by the Dock lands 1995-6 Light Railway. A new stationwillbe openedThree large buildings were refurbished and the site adjacent to the college's entrance by 2000. converted to Deptford Campus. Lewisham College became a two-campus college and September 1996 used property receipts to refurbish and equip its Deptford Campus. The campus has state-of-the-artThe campus was opened to students. workshop facilities for construction, fashion, art and 1997-2000 design, and motor vehicle courses, and a sports hall for leisure and recreation and fitness training. It wasThe Docklands Light Railway is to be constructed, opened in September 1996 and launched by the now and will run through the college's campus. Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in December 1996.

The aims of the new campus were to: Benefits and impact bring vocational training to the centre of a Outcomes to date include: depressed and disadvantaged area provide training that would lead directly to a threefold increase in local enrolments local employment within the local Creekside area link with and support local employers a strong demand for courses shownby strengthen TEC and City Challenge increased enquiries for the provision offered initiatives with first-class training facilities at the campus and linked to theavailability focus more sharply on the college's natural of state-of-the-art facilities community and embed the college within increased employer links illustrated by the local economy. partnership provision now being delivered through contributions from local and international firms, such as Convoys, a local logistics company, and Rank Xerox, the multi-national equipment organisation

4.0

27 VO 1 2 No 5 FE matters a recognition of the college as a key part of Difficulties the local economystrategic networking by the college is promoting the natural The administrative/management support for strengths of the area via visits of potential the campus has had to be re-evaluatedas its investors in the community to thecampus. needs have proven disproportionate to the ratio of students serviced at each site. Impact on the community and local economy Due to the technical nature of most of the The new campus has given the college the provision at the new campus, the use of opportunity to extend its policy of zero general classroom accommodation has been course fees for concessionary students. evaluated and new non-technicalareas of Where possible, the labour required for work will be introduced from 1998/9. refurbishing the site was employed from the local area, and similarly for thecampus Future plans staff, particularly for the security, premises and administration posts. The introduction of more diverse curriculumareas to Employers make use of the campus, for the campus will extend its provision and itscon- example, as a conference facility, andas a nection with local initiatives. One example of this is venue for launching new products. thedevelopmentofmoreacademically-based At half-term/Easter recesses, facilitiesare curricula which fit with the cultural and heritage industriesbeing opened to public use for leisure andsports developedwithinthelocality activities. Particular emphasis has been because of the millennium initiatives. placed on providing opportunities which The opening of the DLR willmean the college has encourage under-16s to access the facilities accessto, andisaccessibleby, employers and in the campus. employees from further afield. More importantly, it Saturday College started in 1996197,across substantiates Lewisham College's claim that it 'isnot a range of provision and with more than the destination (for students), it's the place thatgets 200 students attending each week. them there'. There has been an increase in the number of local unemployed students takingup As new industries and sectorsare generated in the education/training opportunities. area,supportedthroughtheMillenniumand Destinations are expected to show local Creekside initiatives, Lewisham College will needto employment enhancement in 1997 onwards. respond flexibly to new training requirements. These developments offer an opportunity for the collegeto become the nexus point of education and training Strengths and difficulties services within the south-east quadrant of the capital Strengths at a significant moment in both local, national and global historythe new millennium. The high profile launch by Tony Blair located the new campus strategically with potential investors who otherwise would Dearne Valley College not have been drawn to the area. Dearne The location of the campus fits intomany ValleyCollege,formerlyRockingham local (for example, Creekside SRB) and College, lies within the Rotherham district in South national (for example, DLR) initiatives Yorkshire, close to its boundaries with Barnsley and which support the regeneration of the area's Doncaster. It is in the centre of the Dearne Valley. infrastructure and the associated educa- The traditional heavy industries of coal and steel tional and training needs of all its residents. provided long-term employment formany people The delineation of curriculumareas has here. Employment in the area isnow predominantly enabled the college to focus capital invest- in the service industries, retailing and IT, witha high ment in a concentrated manner, allowing percentage of women employed on a part-time basis. the provision of state-of-the-art facilities. There are six Enterprise Zones withina three-mile radius of the college. In the college's travel-to-learn area there are approximately 1,000 SMEs. Unem- ployment in the Rotherham district is the highest in South Yorkshire. The college is one of the largest employers in the area, providing about 400 jobs.

28 FE matters Vol2No 5 Key players in economic development The college's work has always been geared to the needs of local employers. It is for this reason that it The local authorities make capital investments in the was asked to take part in the bid for fundingby the area and are involved in several landreclamation Dearne Valley Partnership, established in 1991 to co- projects. The TECs (Rotherham and Barnsley/ ordinate the regeneration of the Dearne Valley area. Doncaster) offer support to businesses through their The partnership involves three local authorities Business Link and Start Up programmes. Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham and private The college is actively involved with key partners in business interests. Dearne Valley Partnership was ini- bids for funding. It is important to have accurate and tially funded by City Challenge, but is now funded extensive knowledge of the local area to identify by the SRB. Funding for the college was contingent strategies and to enable the targeting of appropriate upon 80% of its provision being linked to sup- funding. All the key players are an important sourceporting SMEs. of information.

Recent bids have resulted in various developments: New building IT and Internet development within the Between 1992 and 1996, £7 millionofCity college is changing the ways available for Challenge and European funding became available people to learn; the college is promoting the for support for SMEs in the regeneration of the uses of the Internet to enhance the Dearne Valley. This provided new buildings for the competitiveness and efficiency of companies college on a site donated by British Coal and refur- an ERDF project which offers IT training bished buildings on a site purchased from British and the loan of a computer to local Coal. A further £2 million of government monies was companies so that they can develop the use obtained for developing HE telematics programmes. of IT within their organisations City Challenge and ERDF Capital funding was TEC funding is being used to promote skills available for the building of the new college. Dearne enhancement training at introductory levels Valley City Challenge funding ceased in March 1997. in such areas as Information Technology, However, funding for the Dearne Valley Partnership Communications and Management has been extended by the use of SRB and local European funding has been used to offer authority support and it continues to promote part- business support and training of redundant nerships with key players, including colleges, towards steel workers and miners. the regeneration of the Dearne Valley.

I

The striking new building at Dearne Valley College has become a flagship for regeneration in the area

VOi No 5 FE matters 29 2 %.) TheGovernmentOffice ofYorkshireand sonnel. The college now employs more than 400 Humberside was involved in obtaining: staff, one-third of these being support staff whoare RECHAR fundingas this is an ex-mining likely to live locally. area (RECHAR is specifically for helping The college has a staff development policy, linkedto coal-mining areas which have suffered from needs analysis, offering qualifications and profes- a decline in business) sional development. This ranges from Internet devel- ESF Objective 2which is aimed at opment, the Certificate of Supervisory Management, employed people Master of the Arts degrees, Customer Service and SRB for strategies aimed at regenerating Word Processing qualifications. the area. The student population at Dearne Valley College has The new college is seen as the flagship of thepart- increased from 9,000 in 1995/1996 to 11,500 in the nership in terms of regeneration of the area. It offersacademic year, 1996/97. Most of the studentsare fol- training opportunities to the community and to local lowing vocational programmes. industry, requiring an increase in staffing levels.

Managing the relationship Development stages Thecollege'sindustrialliaisonco-ordinators Criteria for constructing the new college building maintain links with the TECs. They discuss funding were set by City Challenge in negotiation with the issues and collaborate on training initiatives and college. There were targets for completion withina provide the links between the TECs and the different certain time, numbers of new jobs created, numbers sections within the college. of students enrolled in the firstyear, number of training weeks. All of these were met or exceeded. The college has an Industrial Liaison Team whose role is to promote the college throughout the Dearne The Dearne Valley College Curriculum Group Valley. Each section also has an industrial co-ordi- which includes other providers, suchas Barnsleynator. All college teaching staff who contact com- College, Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, panies are required to complete enquiry and visit Sheffield University, Northern College, TECs, the forms. Information from the forms is then enteredon and local school heads investi- a database. The industrial liaison system within the gated local training needs, decided where, when andcollege is monitored through its Quality Working how the provision would be offered, planned thePractice. This includes recording procedures and training which each partner could provide. Timewas target monitoring. The Industrial Liaison Team spentco-ordinatingprovisionparticularlywithreports to the Industrial Liaison Strategic Group respect to the availability of resources and access. which comprises the vice principal, the seniorcur- The new college building was designed specifically riculum manager and the section leader forman- foritspurpose.Itincorporates many features agement and business training. deemed desirable by the Curriculum Group, suchas resource areas for curriculum sectors which facilitate flexible delivery. Promoting local businesses The marketing function of Dearne Valley Partnership provides leads on companies coming into thearea. Impact on the local economy and skills base They can then contact the college whichpromotes Local architects and builders were used for thecon- the training opportunities available in the valleypro- struction of the new college. Now in its operational vided by the partners. The presence of the college is stage, the college purchases many products locally, seen as a key selling point for companies coming into for instance, stationery, food produce, construction the area. materials and equipment. The college is also involved in offering trainingto The number of staff employed by the college has micro-sized companies. It has used relationships doubled since 1993, since current areas have beendeveloped with small business advisers andowners expanded and new ones developed, for example, of the companies as a further means to promote the college's training provision. staff for the fitness centre and extra securityper-

U 30 FE matters VO1 2No 5 The Industrial Liaison Team has close links with local To others TECs and other agencies, including local business The college is used as a meeting place and as a venue clubs. These are privately run and hold monthly for conferences and seminars. meetings for local businesses. The meetings provide an opportunity to obtain local information,become involved in the business community, raise the profile Impact of their business and facilitate intertrading. The impact of the new building is being measured by College staff use the meetings as an opportunity to the number of students enrolled and the number of contact companies. They also make use ofinfor- SMEs involved with the college. On a quantitative mation printed in the clubs' monthly newsletter. This evaluation, all targets have been met or exceeded. is a useful supplement to the labour market infor- Qualitatively, feedback from the community has mation collected from various sources. Meetings and been very positive. Several hundred members of the seminars have been held at the college, giving public attended guided tours of the college before the members a chance to view the facilities available. opening in September 1996 and comments were Links with the Dearne Valley Partnerships and TECs, made such as, 'At last evidence that something is especially Business Link, have resulted in the college happening in the area'. becoming involved with focus groups which include members of business clusters and look at education and training, marketing, security and IT issues. Strengths Outcomes from these contacts include involvement Being in the middle of a regeneration area, intraining (predominantly IT), SME accessto the college is eligible for many development European funding, attendanceatseminars and funds. employment for students of the college. The new building provides a business-like and attractive environment for SMEs. Community involvement in the college has Benefits increasedlocal people see the college as a visible sign of regeneration. To the economy The college provides excellent working Locally: conditions for students and staff and a supplying training to employees purpose-built learning environment. employing local people (such as architects, builders, college staff and bus drivers) Weaknesses Regionally: collaborating with other people/colleges/ Because the building needed to be com- employers pleted before the end of the Dearne Valley offering a comprehensive pattern of Partnership and for college provision to provision start at the beginning of the academic year Nationally: there was insufficient planning lead-in time. reducing unemployment levels providing an educational resource via the Future plans Internet/e-mail. Phase 2 of the college development is due to com- To employers mence around September 1998. An applicationfor Industrial liaison co-ordinators are able to carry out lottery funding has been made. The new devel- training needs analysis and to offer advice on opment will include a: training programmes. The college provides cus- sports complex tomised training and can help to find sources of construction workshop funding from various initiatives. day nursery. To individuals The college's status in the local and wider community More students are now attending the college and par- has been raised by the opening of the new building ticipating in vocational courses covering the service and through publicity in the local press. There is a industries, construction, education, health and social raised awareness of college facilities and what it can care, business administration and management. offer the community and local businesses.

Vol2No5 FE matters33 31 REGENERATION The core business of the college is centredupon pro- viding a wide choice of A-levels and the college has Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form an established reputation for its examination success rate. Curriculum development is an important issue College: Ensuring long-term and the college has introduced General National skill enhancement VocationalQualifications(GNVQs)atboth Intermediate and Advanced level and Accessto Changing the college culture Higher Education courses for mature students. Ed Elvish and Dave Kelly, of Barrow-in-FurnessAt incorporation in April 1993, two main overall Sixth-form college, demonstrate howa rural college strategic aims were identified: may contribute to the development of itslocal to promote controlled growth and diversity economy. The college has maintained its focus on in the college's activity in such a way that 16-19 provision but has introduced a new business the core business of providing for 16 to 19- development unit and courses for the long-term year -olds was maintained and enhanced unemployed, brought about througha change in to secure the future viability of the college its culture. through sound financial planning and establishing sufficient reserves to providea basis for managing efficiency gains. The college and its area To achieve both of these aims itwas essential to Barrow-in-Furness is a small industrial town in the identify the characteristics of the college which might north-west of England off the Furness peninsula. Itdictate the approaches to increasing its contribution has relatively high unemploymentrates. Manufac- to the economic redevelopment of the Furness turing accounts for 50% of local employment, peninsula. These were felt to be: although tourism continues to be a significantsource of work. The area is renowned for its engineering the culture and ethos was largely derived and ship-building industry, particularly thecon- from the schools' sector, but with the influx structionof nuclear submarines. VickersShip- of adult students and the expansion in building and Engineering Limited stilloperates as a numbers of students and staff this changed major employer, although its workforce has declined to reflect a tertiary college atmosphere; staff from about 14,000 in 1989 to 5,500. The remainder operated under school teachers' conditions of the Furness and South Lakesarea which the of service until 1995 college serves is largely rural, much of it in the Lake with a turnover in 1993 of less than £2m District National Park. the college was relatively small without the flexibility and capacity to absorb the Barrow-in-Furness Sixth-form college opened in additional activity of a larger organisation September 1979 following the re-organisation ofsec- the geography and economic circumstances ondary education in the town. It is the only college of the area limit the potential for full cost of its type in Cumbria and it draws in full-timestu- recovery work with business and industry dents at 16 from schools in Barrow and Dalton and maintaining the public's perception of the an increasing number from independent schools and distinctiveness of the college from the comprehensive schools further afield. neighbouring FE college continues to bea Although the college is essentially a provider for 16 powerful argument against any to 19-year-olds, about 10% of the 750 full-time stu- consideration of merger dents are adults. It also offers arange of part-time 11-16 schools see the college as a major evening classes and considerable use by thecom- and prestigious provider of 16-19 munity of college facilities during the evening and at opportunities in the area and, in some weekends. The college has a total of just less than cases, progression to it is seen as an element 1,000 enrolments and an annual budget of £2.1 of their marketing in primary schools million. There are 75 staff of whom 45are full-time managers in smaller colleges tend to have a teaching staff, 15 part-time teaching staff and 15 multiplicity of roles and this is particularly full-time and part-time support staff. true as far as project management is concernedhowever, this can be a benefit where the project is relevant to a manager's other functions; in compact organisations it

32 FE matters Vol 2 No 5 is much more likely that all staff will have After the success of the first course and the subse- some knowledge of, and familiarity with, all quent enrolment of about 25% of the participants on aspects of the college's provision. to other college courses the following September, it was decided to repeat the offering for 30 students in the summer of 1997. In the event, the college like Economic regeneration initiatives many others suffered from the reduction inESF The initiatives described below indicate the college's funding and received no financial support. Despite approach to a greater contribution to economic rede-this, because of the value of the course to individual velopment in the Furness area while retaining its students and to the college and community, the major focus on 16-19 education. repeat of the course still went ahead.

Business Development Unit Market research project In 1995, the college's careers director took on the The college, along with the other six colleges in additionalroleofbusinessdevelopmentunit Cumbria (four general FE, two specialist) partici- manager. His brief was to use his knowledge of local pated in a TEC co-ordinated development project in industry and his contacts with business, the Careers 1995-96 to improve labour market information. Service and Cumbria TEC to identify markets for full The focus of the activity was two surveys, household cost recovery courses. and employer, carried out on the group's behalf by consultants BMG Research. This produced a sub- The first stage was to identify curriculum areas stantial amount of helpful data. However, the college where training could be offered with confidence and needed more specific local market information rel- where the college's reputation for high quality would evant to its mission and to the community it serves. be maintained. The intention was to tailor training to individual client needs, but only in areas whichAs a result of discussions with Cumbria TEC, in the college knew it could deliver well. Among these 1997 a two-year market research project was estab- was modern languages, an area already identified by lished, which the TEC part funded. A part-time the TEC and others as a likely area of demand. market researcher is employed 12 hours per week by Following visits to the town's major employers, thecollegetoworkthroughtheBusiness Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd (now GEC Development Unit to identify training opportunities. Marine) soon identified the potential for the college Where possible, these will be delivered either by to contribute to the company's training programme. college staff or by others in strategic partnerships developed with the college for this purpose. Initially, in the summer of 1996, training was pro- vided in two languages, French and German, at Foundation Level. By using college staff 'downtime' Management of change it was possible to offer Vickers an attractive rate for the provision. A second phase has introduced higherThese initiatives are seen not just as a means of fur- level courses in both languages, the introduction of a thering local economies and generating income but third language and NVQ language work. Much ofas contributing to the management of a change of this has been possible at apparently low cost because culture in the college. As more diverse activities are of in-built flexibility in languages staff timetables. It encompassed, staff are becoming more confident to has allowed staffing in the faculty to be retained at a deliver education and training outside their tradi- level which would not otherwise have been possible. tional areas which add values to the high quality that is characteristic of their other work. The college is moving towards a 'can do' culture. Integrated business technology However, given the key issues identified earlier, In 1996, the college sought ESF funding for a six-including maintaining quality and the credibility of weekfull-timeIntegratedBusinessTechnology the college as an institution focused on 16 to 19- course for the long-term unemployed. This wasyear -olds, it is just as important to be clear about scheduled for the downtime at the end of the year tothose things which should not be undertaken, produce meaningful income for the college. The however tempting they might be. original course was planned for 19 students and was oversubscribed.

In r- VoleNos FE matters -)3 33 Benefits While the college's standing in the community is being enhanced by the additional activity, its greatest Specific benefits have been: contribution will continue to be in developing skills to individual staff: for the future through 16-19 education and training. widening of horizons and knowledge of More than half of all 16 to 17-year-olds in full-time business and industry education are in the FE sector. stimulation through delivery to non- Institutions must take account of their geographical, traditional client groups economic and educational circumstances to judge to individual clients, improved: what proportion of their focus should be beyond motivation and/or skills base and their core business. For this sixth-form college, its qualifications proximity to a general FE college, but distance from employability any other sixth-form college or similar provision, confidence and self-esteem and its sole provider role for sixth-form education in the immediate locality dictate the approach it takes to employers and the local economy: to furthering the local economy. better motivated and more satisfied workforce (Vickers) Highly committed and competent staff are the keyto improved pool of actual and potential quality provision. All colleges need to developa cul- employees ture of change but the approach to achieving it is perception of the sixth-form college as a dependent on many factors, including history and size key player in developing the local of the organisation. economy, not just as a 16-19 provider. The nature of a college's buildings and the learning environment within them are key to its image in the Incremental change community and should not be underestimated. These initiatives represent significant developments InanareasuchasBarrowwithdeclining in the culture of a small sixth-form college. The loss employment prospects, geographical isolation anda of downtime previously used for staff andcur- traditionally low staying-on rate at 16 (at a present riculum development is perceived by someas a retro- plateau of around 55%) the progressionroute grade step but is essential if the college is to remain through the sixth-form college to higher education viable. Morale in staff is generally good but the becomes more significant than ever. Whether this isa college's greatest asset is its highly qualified, moti- contribution to the local economy or a drain on it is difficult to judge vated and professional staff. This could easily beput as with many isolated commu- at risk by failure to maintain an appropriate rate ofnities with single industry dependency there isa sur- change. The desire for evolution rather thanrevo- prisingly high tendency to return after university for lution has meant that the rate of change has beenon work. A study of employment patterns from sucha the low side and must be maintained if not increased. community, say 10 years after leaving college, would be extremely informative. As activity increases the college will need tomove to either annual case-loading or some othermore flexible mechanism for allocating staff time. The time allocation and status of those involvedmay need to be upgraded. This anticipated increase in activity could have the additional benefit of further developing local and regional links and networks which seem central to the new government's strategy for education and training.

Future plans European and UK development funding targeted at areas, such as Furness, which require economic regeneration must be tapped into further.

34 FE matters Vol2 No 5 The document 'Creating new opportunity', commis- REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLANNING sioned by the Darlington Employers Forum and realised at the launch of the initiative, was the Darlington College: Social product of several months local research. Repre- and economic partnerships sentatives of the borough council, local companies, Darlington College of Technology, young and older In 1997, the town of Darlington was granted unitaryresidents of Darlington had been interviewed and status. This case study begins more than two years asked about their aspirations for the town. From this before this. Alan Dixon of Darlington College ofa strategy paper was put togetheroutlining measures Technology records milestones in the development ofthat would deliver key economic and social objec- a Darlington Partnership andillustrates how an FE tives. Among the social objectives was the intention college can contribute to this process. to undertake a comprehensive social auditand resi- dents survey in the priority areas of Darlington. The college A Strategy Implementation Group with representa- tives from Darlington Borough Council, Darlington offerspro- DarlingtonCollegeof Technology BusinessVentureandDarlingtonCollegeof grammes inArtandDesign,Construction,Technology was established. This team was sup- Engineering, Business, Hotel and Catering, Health ported by a full-time officer, the consultant respon- andBasic and CommunityCare,Humanities sible for the original research. Education. Outreach provision, including family lit- eracy, is offered in nine centres inthe surrounding for area. FEFC-funded higher education accounts Good for business 11% of the college's work, and it has franchise agreements with six universities, including adegree Small businesses in Darlington are being given a in Journalism that has an international reputation. boost with the offer of cheap loans. About 1,500 full-time students and 10,000 part-time The loans come from the Midland Bank and are students attend the college. It employs the equivalent the first part of Darlington Employers Forum's of 370 full-time staff, and the total expenditure `Creating New Opportunities' strategy to be put into forecast for 1996/97 is £11.9 million. operation. The strategy was launched last autumn with the aim of promoting business in the town. A £300,000 fund is being created by the Midland Industry in the area Bank to offer loans of £3,000 to £io,000 for up to seven years at interest rates 2% below base rate. Darlington has a population of about 100,000, and Jack Daley, area manager of Midland, said: while the surrounding area is semi-rural, there is a 'We are looking to encourage viable Darlington- diverse economy including light and heavy engi- based businesses to realise their potential.' neering, telecommunications, manufacturing, con- Called the Falchion Fund, the scheme is named struction, retail, finance and business services. after the 13th century sword used to slay the leg- The college has a long history of working with other endary Sockburn worm near Darlington. key agencies in County Durham and the local area, (Darlington Advertiser, March 1995) so it was not surprising that it shouldplay a central role in an initiative for jobs (see article below).

A blue print for jobs and future prosperity tions in the form of the railways were crucial to the town's Victorian prosperity. It was appropriate that a satellite played a central Modern communications, in the form of micro role in yesterday's launch of Darlington's action and information technology, would represent plan to find 5,000 new jobs. The burgeoning com- Darlington's future prosperity, he said. The jobs pro- munications industry is expected to be the biggest gramme has brought together existing investment player as the town's economy enters a new century. incentives and attracted a range of new funds in a Launching the initiative in Darlington, as MP Alan bid to generate new employment opportunities. Milburn in Westminster looked on via satellite, Mayor Councillor John Williams said communica- (Northern Echo, November 1994)

Vole No 5 FE matters 35 Table i Excerpt from the 18 April 1996report to the Darlington Employers Forum

Firthmoor Branksome and Cockerton

Social audit and residents survey completed Social audit and residents survey completed June 1994. April 1995.

Action Action

Proactive Residents Association now Residents Association strengthened. co-ordinating local activity, including Firthmoor Forum. Neighbourhood Watch Scheme operating. Full-time Community Education Worker based at Darlington College of Technology offering local Community Centre. courses. Darlington College of Technology offeringa range of courses on the Estate. Job Clinic formedoriginally the service was Neighbourhood Watch Plus scheme formed and offered weekly but is now availableas and active membership recruited. when required. Co-operative business developing an Off-Road Motorcycle Centre; a bid to the Sports Council will be submitted in )une 1996. A range of social activities have been developed and more are planned. Darlington Youth Development Trust has submitted a bid to the National Lottery (Charities Section) to provide a detached youth worker.

Red Hall Skerne Park

Social audit and residents survey completed in Social audit and residents survey completed in January 1996. November 1995.

Action Action

Employers Forum is assisting with the Red Funding has been secured for a community Hall Community Centre building project. nurse to work with families involved with the Information is being gathered to forma data- misuse of substances. base for community involvement in social, A Community Cafe is being developed with educational and employment related input from Pubmasters, Morrison's Trust, activities. Darlington Business Venture, Darlington Community Education Service is helping to Borough Council and Skerne Park Action develop youth activities. Group. Local residents are actively involved in the Skerne Park Action Group is co-ordinating all initial development stages of all initiatives. local developments. Darlington College of Technology is delivering Schools Crime Awareness and Reduction a range of courses at the community centre. Programme (SCARP) is delivering programmes to local schools. Community Education Services are exploring ways of increasing youth provision. Darlington College of Technology is delivering a range of courses on the estate.

36 FE matters 0 6 VOi 2No 5 The Falchion Fund, created by Midland Bank, isTable 1 is an excerpt from the 18 April 1996 report now part of a package promoted under the titleofto the Darlington Employers Forum, highlighting its `Finance for business in Darlington'. commitment to social as well as economic objectives. The report lists developments arising from the social audit and residents survey carried out on four Venture centre aims to attract enterprise housing estates in Darlington. Many initiatives have now been put in place as a result of the Forum to Advice training and starter workshops are all on which the college is making a significant contri- offer at Darlington's newest business centre. bution. This initiative took place at a time when the The all-in-one package is available at the new new unitary authority was being established. Morrison's site on Yarm Road. A purpose-built centre houses about 12 staff from three separate A consultation document, The case for an Economic agencies. Darlington Business Venture will run and Social Partnership for Darlington', issued in July start-up courses, advice and counselling ... 1996, sought the views of the people of Darlington Darlington College will also run courses, particu- on how the work initiated by the Employers Forum larly those leading to NVQ certificates, while should be carried forward. Options ranged from William Morrison Enterprise Trust will stage work- status quo to limited company status. The result was shops in basic literacy and numeracy, and the use the Darlington Social and Economic Partnership of computers. Up to 5,000 visitors are expected to (now shortened to the Darlington Partnership). call at the joint office over the coming year. By May 1997, there were 15 representatives from the Funding has come from County Durham Training public, private and voluntary sectors on the board of and Enterprise Council, the borough council and this partnership. The board receives proposals for the Further Education Funding Council. development from two groups, the Social Working (Darlington and Stockton Times, August 1995) Group and the Economic Working Group. The college is represented on all three bodies. Key factors in the success of the original Employers Since Tony Blair opened the centre, the numbers ben- Forum concept were the: efiting from the facility have progressively increased. active participation of Darlington's MP desire of local companies to campaign against the loss of Protected Area Status i,000 new jobs, and the numbers willingness, at the time, of Darlington are still growing Borough Council to delegate a high level of A pioneering jobs initiative in Darlington this responsibility to the Forum week celebrated its i,000th success story in just willingness of organisations (such as months. Mr Simon Randolph, aged 22, found Darlington Business Venture, Darlington himself in the spotlight when he won a full-time College of Technology) to take on a role post in the garden centre of Dickens' new hyper- availability of funds to support a full-time market, which is shortly to open at the Morton officer for the project. Palms development on the edge of town. Unemployed for two years, Mr Randolph, who lives in Leyburn Road, Darlington, said getting a job was wonderful news. He attended an event on Thursday to celebrate the L000th success, at which he and Mr Alan Milburn, MP for Darlington, took delivery of i,000 crocus bulbs given to the town by Dickens. Creating New Opportunity, an initiative launched on 1 November, is a jobs pro- gramme in which businesses, training organisa- tions, and the borough council work together to create jobs in the town. The strategy aims to create 5,000 jobs for Darlington by 2001 and its tremendous start gives the backers a good platform to work from.

(Darlington and Stockton Times, October 1995)

Vol 2 No 5 FE matters 37 REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLANNING three years, the principal and senior management team have been collaborating, networking and Gateshead College: FE's role forming strategic alliances with the key players in raising regional economic competitiveness to repo- in regional forums sition the college within the region. Winning friends and influencing people Like most European Union (EU) Objective 2 regions, the Single Programming Document (SPD) represents David Cheetham, Deputy Principal at Gateshead the most powerful mechanism to influence local and College, outlines the proactive approach taken by regional development. the college to secure a strategic role in economic development. To achieve its mission, to establishTo 'break into the circle' of regional partners, the lifelong learning through regional regeneration, itprincipal took the opportunity to represent the FE sector sought membership of local planning forums. ontheSPD'sProgrammeMonitoring Committee (PMC). This group oversees the imple- mentation of the SPD and brings together senior staff The college from the Government Office, theregion'slocal authorities, Chamber of Commerce, TECs, univer- Gateshead College, a general FE college, is located in sities, economic development agencies, local area the north-east of England in an area which haspartnerships (LAPs) and the voluntary sector. At the undergone major industrial and economic transfor-same time, the deputy principal joined Gateshead's mation following the collapse of high employment local area partnership, a group of local organisations industries such as coal-mining, ship-building andinvolved in sponsoring ESF and ERDF Objective 2 steel-making. Unlike some regions, it has combatted projects. It is responsible for producing local action this decline by attracting various significant inwardplans and undertaking initial appraisal of projects investors and creating an extensive support infra- prior to being submitted for funding by the SPD. structure to assist existing and new businesses. As a result of membership of the LAP, the college also gained membership of the Project Selection Forging effective partnerships Group (PSG), the group responsible for approving ESF and ERDF projects on behalf of the PMC. A key feature of the northern region's successful eco- nomic regeneration strategy has been the devel- opment of effective partnerships involving the main Raising the profile contributors to economic development. However, unlike the universities in the region, the further edu- The involvement of these two senior college man- cation colleges have not been involved in policy for- agers in Objective 2 SPD activities has introduced the mulation and have played a mainly reactive role,FE college's perspective to the region's most influ- only providing training support to serve the eco- ential economic development activists. It has pro- nomic development process. vided the opportunity to raise the profile of further education and awareness of the contribution it can Before incorporation, the college relied upon the make to regional human resource development. It has local authority's economic development team torep- also led to invitations to join other influential support resent its interests in local regeneration projects. The groups and networks: the principal to the Regional rapid development of the TECs, with their influence Steering Group for the PMC (the main policy devel- over local and regional economic development,opment forumfortheSPD),the North East created another bureaucratic interface for the college Microelectronics Forum, and to participate in a to penetrate. It was this lack of direct influence and major Raising Regional Competitiveness Project; the distance from regional policy-making that gave the deputy principal to be an advisor for the development college the impetus to make this issue a top strategic and implementation of the region's innovation and objective, to achieve its mission. technology and business support strategies.

Repositioning the college Responsibilities The college's mission statement 'Lifelong learning: Involvement in important regional economic devel- Regional regeneration' indicates the importance itopment activity carries significant responsibility for attaches to economic development. For the pastthe individuals concerned. They must represent the

38 FE matters 40 V012 Nos best interests of the sector, act openly, and dissem- The second, the Government's New Deal, gives col- inate information freely to the various interested leges an opportunity to demonstrate both their flexi- parties. Given the numbers of colleges within ability and maturity in working together. Three region, it is not possible to involve every college indi- colleges in the north-east, Gateshead, Newcastle and vidually in this type of strategic policy formulation. A South Tyneside, have formed a company to deliver formal mechanism to secure further education repre-Welfare to Work in the Tyneside Pathfinder area. sentation equitably is only new emerging through the The third initiative is the Government's commitment regional offices of the Association of Colleges (AoC). to establishing regional development agencies as the Positions and involvement tend to depend upon per- first step to provide for effective, properly co-ordi- sonal recommendations by those already involved. nated regional economic development, to underpin Those selected are expected to have something to say wider regeneration and to enable regions to improve and contribute; involvement in these regional initia- their competitiveness. tivesiscertainly no freeticketto preferential Although RDAs are not expected to come into effect treatment. Although thereisno direct funding until April 1999, there will be significant regional benefit from this type of networking activity, therepoliticking and manoeuvring among key players as benefits from being are more long-term and indirect they seek to gain advantage and influence within the a part of this network of people. proposed new structures forregional economic development. Given that the remit of RDAs includes co-ordinatingtraining(including monitoringits Power of networking effectiveness and ensuring that training and further Having spent the past two to three years trying toeducation programmes reflectthe needs of the break into this circle of influence, it has become clearlabour market) colleges, and the FE sector in general, that the network is quite small. Regardless of the have every reason to 'win more friends and influence issue in question, it is common to see the same repre- more people'. In the north-east, the colleges sub- sentative from an organisation contributing to amitted a single response in the RDA consultation range of regional strategy and policydevelopment process and are now represented in the partnership activity. Within the north-east, this group comprises preparing for the launch of the new agency. only around 35-45 people. The college now finds the task of constructing collaborative projects much easier and is actively seeking involvement in otherChallenge for FE initiatives.FE colleges'involvementinraising The further education sector should not depend regional competitiveness and developing the training upon laissez-faire or individually-motivated infrastructuretosupporttheregion'srapidly approaches to furthering local economies. Instead, expandingmicroelectronicsindustryisentirely the sector should realise that it needs a strong and dependent upon this networking and public relations co-ordinated regional voice. To date, there is no activity. It is crucial that colleges in each region find mechanism for this to happen although the AoC is sufficient common purposetoformstrategic giving this matter urgent attention. Without imme- alliances to promote the sector as a whole. diate action, initiatives such as establishing RDAs There are three emerging and important initiatives and the University for Industry will be developed which demonstrate more persuasively why colleges without reference to the contribution of FE colleges, should be collaborating across their region. and the opportunity to maximise the potential of local colleges to furthering local economies will The first is the new Government's University foragain be lost. Industry (UfI) initiative, which will bring together Government, industry and education in partnership, opening up opportunities for people to improve their skills and reach their potential. In the north-east, this network and partnership already exists and is negoti- ating to become the first pilot region in the Ufl ini- tiative. The Ufl has the potential to transform how learnerspreparefor,andaresupportedin, employment. Colleges must seize the opportunity and ensure that FE is central to the development of this exciting initiative.

Vol 2No 5 FE matters 39 3 Moving forward

KEY MESSAGES Colleges need to be aware of the potential demand for new skills resulting fromnew The key messages which follow are grouped around sector industries moving into the area (or the following categories: expansion of existing ones). As the employment millennium initiatives described by enterprise Lewisham show, these skills may relate to regeneration cultural and heritage industries as wellas to regional strategic planning new technology. developing college capacity. FE colleges can bring together local businesses and professional associationsto forge stronger partnerships. Employment Long-term relationships with major Regeneration customers can result in a shared problem- solving approach to new business or New buildings create a high level of interest training concerns. from employers and others. This should be Colleges play a key role in the transitional exploited to maximise the use of the college stages of people's lives, for example, from as a resource for local businesses. public to private sector employment, from Bringing people into a new college building the defence industry to civilian life, from for non-educational purposes may have school to work. spin-offs resulting in the take-up of training Colleges can play a key role in mediating the in the future. administrative complexities of, for example, While a new college building can providea Modern Apprenticeships to support significant number of local jobs, all colleges employers' active involvement in training. should be aware of their role asa Occupational sectors can adopt manage- stakeholder and consider how goods and ment qualifications to define the needs of services can be sourced locally. operative, supervisory and senior manage- Local campaigns are required to promote ment training, for example, in logistics. learning to local employeessuch as Human resource development impacts on the Lewisham's Employees Fair, poster and total organisation and its working practices. leaflet campaigns and launch of the initiative with major national figuresto make employees aware of opportunitiesat Enterprise the college. Colleges can provide training for Colleges can work with a hugerange of individuals to support the development of partners in furthering local economies. micro enterprises. Many of these will have access to a range of Meeting the identified needs for one sources of funding or support. initiative may reveal further skills Partnerships which are initially formed to requirements, for example, from boat- develop joint funding bids may be extended building to boat design. to consider further joint action. Regeneration may result from developments arising from local initiatives as well as from inward investors. Colleges may need to work collaboratively with other providers or buy in specialist staff or equipment to have the expertise required to deliver new learning programmes.

40 FE matters Vol 2No 5 Using Competitiveness Funds to create Regional strategic planning centres of excellence can steer colleges Colleges should position themselves to be towards developing new skills to support seen as the focus for the local community. economic regeneration. Providing high quality education and Colleges can successfully provide high training linked to state-of-the-art facilities quality education and training for large will have a significant impact on the local companies, such as BAe. skills base. Developing a separate identity, for example Strategic approaches to regional a business school, may result in an development need to be founded on local enhanced image of the FE sector. However, partnerships and long-term plans, for if the links to the parent organisation are example, Milton Keynes Economic not clear, the general image of the FE Partnership has developed a Joint Economic college will not improve. Development Strategy. Colleges must make a concerted and, ideally, Public sector partnerships with the local collaborative effort to move to the arena council, NHS trusts and metropolitan police where key strategic decisions are taken. are a means of developing 'lifelong learning In the current climate, there is little strategies' to enhance 'employability' of opportunity for networking between local employees. colleges to share information on developing More open systems of decision-making, in policy. The responsibility for disseminating terms of strategic planning and regional information and gathering intelligence (on regeneration, should be developed. the part of those colleges involved in such Colleges need to accept a corporatethat discussions) needs to be clarified. is, across the FE sectorresponsibility for Cultural change is necessary for colleges to coming up with the goods. A more recognise their role in regional economic professional approach to interactions with development. policy-makersoperating above personal, Local labour market information can or even sector, interests for the general good support strategic planning but it needs to be needs to be promoted. very detailed and specific to the community. A college-based market researcher can provide information on local employment Developing college capacity patterns and long-term requirements. Colleges must be alert to new staff demands resulting from redevelopment. POLICY ISSUES: LOOKING TO Colleges need to be flexible to deliver training which may need to take place at THE FUTURE irregular periods, for example, during wet The final years of the decade, as we reach the mil- weather or at unsocial hours. lennium, will witness the emergence of a new Cross-college functions, such as business regionalstructureforEngland,a new Welsh development, marketing and client support Assembly and devolution in Scotland. Regionali- services, are essential for enterprise develop- sation will have a direct impact on the role of FE in ment and supporting business partners. economicdevelopment.Thefollowingpolicy A long-term vision of future employment announcements and developments are laying the needs can lead the college to maintain foundations for regionalisation: sections of its provision to secure the future employment of the local workforce, for The White Paper Building Partnerships for example, maintaining construction and Prosperity, published in December 1997, motor vehicle work despite a decline in provides greater detail on the remit of the industries. RDAs and the structure and mechanisms Providing the kit to network colleges via for establishing them. telematics could enable them to make a quantum leap in terms of the quality and appropriateness of the training they provide.

0-) Vole Nos FE matters 41 Employment Zones offering a mix of There is still a danger that this contribution will be at training and work opportunities for the best marginalised or at worst overlooked. To counter long-term unemployed have been this, efforts must continue to promote the image of established in five areas in Britain: FE colleges and support their developing role in fur- Liverpool, Plymouth, South Teeside, thering local economies. This needs to take place at a Glasgow and North-west Wales. These national and regional level, by organisations suchas zones will have a £33 million fund for the AoC and FEDA, as well as the FEFC, and ata employment partnerships between public, local level by the colleges themselves. Colleges must private and voluntary organisations. ensure that they have the capacity to meet their Activity will be based upon education and undoubtedpotentialasstakeholders,strategic training initiatives to improve partners and service providers in the regeneration of employability, support for self-employment the local and national economy. and the wider community. The New Deal Pathfinder areas were launched in January 1998 with a national roll-out in April. They will offer unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds one of four options, to: take up employment with the private or public sectors; take part in full- time education and training; join an environmental taskforce; become involved in voluntary work. The success of the schemes will depend upon strong partnerships and well-orchestrated local delivery plans. The first 26 institutions to receive Kennedy funding to establish strategic partnerships to widen participation were announced in November 1997 (FEFC, 1997b). An additional £2 million has already been made available for the 1998-99 round of these partnerships (FEFC, 1997c). The report of the House of Commons Education and Employment Select Committee inquiry into FE, led by Margaret Hodge, MP for Barking, draws on evidence from Helena Kennedy and other groups and direct visits to colleges. All of the above policy decisions are leadingto a stronger regional base and a greater role for colleges in the local economy. It will be vital that colleges take a strategic role in preparing for RDAs to build upon current partnerships with the public, private and voluntary sectors. Colleges have a long tradition of working with their local communities and,as the FEDA research shows, are major stakeholders in their regions. College involvement in Competitive- ness Fund bids, SRB activity, new ADAPT pro- grammes (designed to retrain those whose jobs are at risk from industrial change), millennium initiatives and urban and ruralregeneration programmes indicate that the sector has a central role in economic renewal and is the key to lifelong learning.

42 FE matters Vol 2No 5 References Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (1997) Building partnerships for prosperity. White Paper. HMSO. Office for National Statistics (1997) Labour force survey. HMSO Department of Trade and Industry (1997) Regional Competitiveness Indicators. Consultation document. DTI FEDA (1995) Mapping the FE sector. Summary report. FEDA FEFC (1997a) Individualised Student Record (ISR) Data. July. FEFC FEFC (1997b) Council News. No 42 November 1997. FEFC FEFC(1997c)FEFC CouncilNews. No 43 December 1997. FEFC James, Simon and Greg Clark (1997) Investing partners: further education, economic development and regional policy. FEDA Kypri, Photoula and Greg Clark (1997) Furthering local economies. FEDA OrganisationforEconomicCo-operationand Development (1997) Employment outlook. July. OECD

Cti

VOi 2 Nos FE matters 43 Bibliography Amin, A and Thrift, N (eds) (1994) Globalisation, Institutions and Regional Development in Europe. Open University Press

Caste lls, M (1991)TheInformational City. Blackwell Commission on Public Policy and British Business (1997) Promoting prosperity: a businessstrategy for Britain. Vintage European Communities (1995) Local Development and Employment Initiatives. European Communities European Communities (1997) Social and economic inclusion through regional development. European Communities Hillman, J (1997) A University for Industry. IPPR Hughes, M (1996) Competing for business: colleges and the competitiveness fund. FEDA Hughes, M (1996) Colleges working with industry. FEDA Milian, B (1997) Renewing the regions: strategies for regional economic development. Sheffield Hallam University Ohmae, K (1996) End of the nation state: the rise of regional economics. Harper Collins Peeke, G (1993) The £20,000 Impact. Management in Education. Vol 7 No 4, pp 3-5

Rawlinson, S (1996)Furthereducation:an employer'sfactfile.Institutefor Employment Studies, Report 303 Rawlinson, S and Connor, H (1996) Developing responsiveness: collegeemployer interaction. Institute for Employment Studies, Report 300 Robson, B (1994) Assessing the impact of urban policy. Stationery Office Sassen, S(1993) The globalcity. New York, London, Tokyo. Princeton University Press

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44 FE matters Vol2 No 5 Acronyms

AoCAssociation of Colleges PhDDoctor of Philosophy ABLE Action for Better Lewisham Employees PMC Programme Monitoring Committee

APLaccreditation of prior learning PRpublic relations

BAeBritish Aerospace PSGProject Selection Group

BTBritish Telecommunications RDAsregional development agencies CMSCertificate in Management Studies RDOs regional development organisations DETR Department of Environment, Transport and RTPRegional Technology Plan the Regions SCARP Schools Crime Awareness and Reduction DfEE Departments for Education and Employment Programme DLR Dock lands Light Railway SEME School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering DTIDepartment of Trade and Industry SME small and medium-sized enterprise ERDF European Regional Development Fund SOLOTEC South London Training and Enterprise European Social Fund ESF Council EU European Union SPDSingle Programming Document Further Education Funding Council FEFC SRBSingle Regeneration Budget FEFCW Further Education Funding Council for TEC training and enterprise council Wales TUC Trades Union Congress GLA Greater London Authority UfIUniversity for Industry GNVQ General National Vocational Qualification GTA Group Training Association HND Higher National Diploma HRD human resource development ITinformation technology LAPlocal area partnership

LFSLabour Force Survey MA Modern Apprenticeship MBA Master of Business Administration MSc Master of Science NCN Northern Colleges Network NCO non-commissioned officer NTET National Target for Education NVQ National Vocational Qualification OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

X012 No 5 FE matters 45 FEDA publication series

Developing FE: Volume FE Matters: Volume

Student tracking Environmental education throughout FE 1: policy 2 Case loading and strategy 3 Assessing the impact: provision for learners with 2 Environmental education throughout FE 2: a model learning difficulties and disabilities and unit of environmental learning outcomes 4Adults and GNVQs 3 Colleges working with industry 5 On course for next steps: careers education and 4 Towards self-assessing colleges guidance for students in FE 5 Evidence for action: papers prepared for FEFC's 6 Marketing planning Learning and Technology Committee 7 Managing change in FE 6Student retention: case studies of strategies 8 The effective college library that work 9 Appraisal in FEwhere are we now? 7 Getting the credit: OCN accreditation and learners io Clarity is power: learner outcomes, learner with learning difficulties and disabilities autonomy and transferable skills 8Moving on from Key Stage 4the challenge for FE FEDA Reports (formerly Developing FE): 9 Monitoring student attendance io Educational psychologists in further education Volume 2 11Assuring coherence in individual learning programmes Investing partners: further education, economic development and regional policy 12 Adult learners: pathways to progression 13 A real job with prospects: supported employment 2 Women at the top in further education 3 Moving into FE: the voice of the learner opportunities for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities 4 Additional support. retention and guidance in urban colleges 14 Transforming teaching: selecting and evaluating teaching strategies 5 Qualifications for the future: a study of tripartite and 15Information and learning technology: other divisions in post -i6 education and training a development handbook 16 Delivering Modern Apprenticeships 17Planning a merger of FE colleges 18 Tackling drugs together: addressing the issues in the FE sector 19 Security is not an optionlearning in a safe environment 20 Give us some credit: achieving a comprehensive FE framework

FE Matters: Volume 2 Youth work in colleges: building on partnership 2 The shrinking world: international links with FE 3 A sense of achievement: outcomes of adult learning 4 Learning with business: FE staff development to business and industry

46 FE matters 1/0/ 2 No 5 FEDA Bulletins: Volume Quality assurance in colleges 2 The impact of voucher schemes on the FE curriculum 3 Enhancing GCE A-level programmes 4 Developing college policies and strategies for human resource development 5 Maintaining quality during curriculum change 6 Action planning and recording achievement 7 Implementing modular A-levels 8 Comparing content in selected GCE A-levels and Advanced GNVQs 9 Engineering the future: monitoring the pilot GNVQ in engineering io Charters in FE: making them work u Access to accreditation 12 Back to the future: what are Modern Apprenticeships? 13 Competing for business: colleges and the Competitiveness Fund 14 Information systems: a strategic approach 15Strategic approaches to processes, cultures and structures

FEDA Bulletins: Volume 2 i Partners in economic developement 2 Assuring quality in collaborative provision

Vol2No 5 FE matters 47 11matters

Developing regional strategies to train the workforce of the future is a key role for colleges. The future success of economic development depends on having a workforce equipped to cope in the modern workplace. Colleges need to ensure that the training and the skills development opportunities they provide will equip learners for the work environment of the 21st century. This publication presents case studies of good practice illustrating some of the ways in which colleges can contribute to promoting economic development in their region. It then draws out key messages from these relating to the sector's role in promoting employment, enterprise, regeneration, regional strategic planning, and developing college capacity.

ISSN 1361 -9977 FE matters Vol 2 No 5 Price f7.50 Nal BEST COPY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERO Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) ERIC

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