Anglia Ruskin University:

Delivering a Foundation Degree

to develop managers across an

East of England family business

•Jill Baldwin: Senior Lecturer Work Based Learning, Anglia Ruskin University

•Steve Sellick: Training Manager, Ridgeons Group

•Tom Taylor: Skills Development Consultant, Anglia Ruskin University

The largest privately owned timber and builders merchants in the

country

• 800+ employees across 24 locations

• Based in Cambridge with primary focus in East of England

• 4th generation of family involved in the business

• £100m+ turnover p.a.

Ridgeon Group Ltd.

Timber and builders merchants Kitchens and bathrooms design

Forest Products – timber processing and distribution

Wholesale bathroom distributor

Power tool specialist

What do we do?

Why a Foundation Degree?

• Business facing many new challenges which need to be met with a better equipped management team

• Succession planning review identified high potentials as well as significant short term gaps

• Gap exists in development offering for existing managers and post-MDP participants

• Foundation Degree in Management (Work Based) represents an excellent fit for Ridgeons, providing a logical progression from our existing management development tools

FdA Management (Work Based)• 2 years, full time

• Blend of workshops and self managed learning

• 12 days of workshops per year, on campus

• Started March 2010, cohort of 19

• Open recruitment: students from a variety of positions across Ridgeons

• Vast majority of students have no previous HE experience

University

StudentEmployer

Supporting the Employer

Before the Course

Teaching

Supporting the Student

What are the issues associated with delivering to Work Based Students?

Supporting the Employer• Employer’s Handbook• Regular progress meetings

Before the Course• pre course information • application process• course design

Supporting the Student• Student Handbook• Learning partners• resources for remote learners, VLE

Teaching• Work Based Project• Employer involved in assessment• Adapting teaching to learner

Our responses to these issues:

What would we do differently?

•Analysis of skills gaps and address these

• e.g. presentation skills

•Learning partners

•30 credit modules have an element of risk

Where next?

• New mixed cohorts

• Online FdA Management

• BA (hons) progression route

• Business’ evaluation