Paul White Employer Engagement Manager Belfast Metropolitan College

1. Paul WhiteEmployer Engagement ManagerBelfast Metropolitan College

2. College information • Further & Higher education provision • Recently merged • Over 53k full time & part time enrolments • Over 140 delivery centres across Belfast • Plans for new Workforce Development Centre and new Belfast HQ at Titanic Quarter

3. The Belfast Economy • Under developed private sector/ over developed public sector • SME driven private sector • Inward investment focus has included Financial Services & ICT opportunities • Focus on growth of higher value employment & Entrepreneurial activity • Growth was reliant on Construction, Retail, Contact Centres & Tourism sectors • Skills shortages & levels of economic activity

4. ‘The vision for the Further Education sector is that Colleges are playing a vital role in the delivery of the economic vision for Northern Ireland’ (Extracted from FE Means Business strategy paper – 2006)

5. ‘Building Careers, Enriching Lives’

6. Belfast Metropolitan College Employability Strategy Student Attraction & Retention Informed Choices – skill issues at source FE/HE Colleges a 1st choice Job opportunities Motivation, focus & contribution Lifelong Learning Employer Engagement Fees – value for money

7. MARKETING & RECRUITMENT Employer Events Industry information Website & Career events Casestudies YEAR ONE Employability & Entrepreneurship Academic links PDP Social Responsibility Induction Experience – Make informed decisions Information – Make informed decisions YEAR TWO Mentoring Pre-Placement re PDP Post-placement guidance/coaching PDP Project Based Learning Work placement COURSE COMPLETION Alumni Collaborate/KTP Recruitment service University Lifelong Learning

8. Employment Support Programmes Futures Programme

10. Employability Initiatives • Deloitte • Embedding Employability • Ezone • UK Career Academy • Bridging the Gap • Collaborate • Placement programmes • Job Club

11. E3 - Project Based Learning • £13.5 million investment in the new Workforce Development Centre • Aimed at Higher level programme students • Initial need to develop employability skills • ‘Learning by doing’ approach to learning and delivery • Mix of theory and practice • Employer (SME) involvement • Lecturer as a ‘coach’ and ‘mentor’

12. Related outcomes & benefits • Structured staff development approach • Differentiation of College offering in a competitive environment & ‘value for money’ proposition • Evidence of student ‘buy in’ and associated positive impact • Required organisational change and resulting actions • Balancing theory and practice • Action based learning (driven by students and linked to PDP) • Strategic vision for College priorities and activity

13. ‘The education and training sector will be highly responsive to the needs of employers providing the skills needed for innovation and enterprise, which will by then be embedded in the system’ (Extract from a speech delivered by Department for Employment and Learning minister at the NI Skills Conference in 2006)

14. Vital for Employability • Strategic ‘buy in’ and direction • Employability & PDP are also areas of expertise! • Marketing the economic & career relevance of courses • Strong emphasis on PDP and employability during student induction • Development of a supportive staff development process • Employability and PDP – a fundamental of the educational ‘journey’ for all • Willingness for new challenges and have fun!!

15. What’s Next? Career Advocates Organised employer input into curriculum/college life Bridging the Gap Enterprise/Employability inductions Launch of Employability strategy Focus on staff industry experience

16. ‘Building Careers, Enriching Lives’ “Good to Go”