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Match Making and Making Sense

Match Making and Making Sense. A potential role for business school academics in industry university engagement Dr Fiona Whitehurst Dr Catherine Hodgson. Outline. Context of the research Background to UK skills policy Unpacking employer engagement in skills Findings from the project

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Match Making and Making Sense

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  1. Match Making and Making Sense A potential role for business school academics in industry university engagement Dr Fiona Whitehurst Dr Catherine Hodgson

  2. Outline • Context of the research • Background to UK skills policy • Unpacking employer engagement in skills • Findings from the project • An holistic model for employer engagement in skills • Ongoing challenges and interim conclusions

  3. Context • Subsea Industry • 40,000 UK employees • 5,000 NE employees • Subsea North East • regional cluster organisation • ESRC Business Engagement Scheme • Knowledge exchange • Focus on key sectors Photo courtesy of IHC Engineering Business Limited

  4. Skills Policy

  5. Employer Engagement: an under-theorised and problematic concept • What? • “any form of contact between any organisation and an employer, that attempts to effect a change in the knowledge, understanding or behaviour of either, or of a third party, for some purpose related to the wider public benefit” (Cooper et al 2008) • Why? • To meet the current and future needs of the economy • Who? • “We want to put employers in the driving seat – nationally, regionally and locally. We must talk their language, understand their needs and design training to meet those needs” (LSC) • Leitch – “something for something” approach

  6. But... • Different rationale for different institutions • Which employers? Whose voice? • Difficult to engage SMEs/for SMEs to engage. • Resource issues for Sector Skills Councils. • Who does what? Fuzzy areas of responsibility between different parts of the skills system. • Proliferation of initiatives. • Engaging with employees • Current • Future • Qualifications or skills? • Increased skills: increased national prosperity?

  7. Findings of the ESRC Subsea Project • Firms very keen to engage • Skills ‘system’ too complex and impersonal for firms to engage with • Regional subsea firms were constrained by skills & recruitment issues. • Firms do invest in training, but tailored provision not available • Not just shortages of graduates, but ‘local’ students not necessarily attracted to the sector Photo courtesy of Wellstream International

  8. Subsea Future Talent • Postgraduate subsea specific education to be developed at Newcastle University • Developed with industry, utilizing existing University expertise • Flexible provision • Foundation degree in subsea engineering to be developed at Newcastle College • Flexible including potential for on-site delivery • Financial support from the Regional Development Agency, One NorthEast

  9. Meet the Students/Lecturers • Reviewing existing provision • Company visits • Guest lectures • Case studies/photos • Masters and undergraduate research projects • Mock interviews • Recruitment presentations • Summer placements

  10. Energising the future workforce • 2 day interactive careers event • Newcastle University Business School key role in organising • Part funded by OPITO – The Oil and Gas Academy and Subsea NorthEast • Over 30 exhibitors from local industry • Over 1500 13/14 year old students

  11. Why is it different? • Not just the provision of one course • Not just about higher education • Not motivated by a drive for new strands of income • Very holistic approach Photograph courtesy of Wellstream International

  12. Why did it work? • Cluster of firms seen as strategically important in the region • Fitted in a timely manner with the HE institutional agenda • Committed individuals from HE & senior management of firms • Serendipity Photograph courtesy of Penspen

  13. Conclusions: Match making and making sense Individual academics in HE are well placed to: • Spot possibilities for engagement • Act as a translator • Make beneficial connections • Need time, trust and temerity • Benefits for both sides • BUT • Can it work other than on a local/regional basis? • Where do resources come from? • Impact of current economic climate? • Where does HE/industry fit with the “bigger skills picture”? • How far should a University be driven by a government agenda? • How can academics be rewarded for this role?

  14. Contact • Dr Catherine Hodgson • c.m.hodgson@ncl.ac.uk • +44 (0) 191 2430798 • Dr Fiona Whitehurst • fiona.whitehurst@ncl.ac.uk • +44 (0) 191 2430838 • www.ncl.ac.uk/kite

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