Keith Burnley, Executive Director, NWUA

Maximising the Opportunities and Benefits of closer collaboration

betweenBusiness and Higher Education

NWUA Members

• The University of Bolton • University of Central

Lancashire • University of Chester • Cumbria Institute of the Arts • Edge Hill University • Lancaster University • The University of Liverpool • Liverpool Hope University• Liverpool Institute of

Performing Arts

- Liverpool John Moores University

- The University of Manchester

- Manchester Metropolitan University

- The Open University in the North West

- University of Salford- St. Martin’s College- The Royal Northern College

of Music

Cumbria and St Martin’s merging to form the University of Cumbria

Context

• Lambert Review

• Leitch Review

• Regional Economic Strategy 2006-09– Vision ‘A dynamic, sustainable international

economy which competes on the basis of knowledge, advanced technology and an excellent quality of life for all…

HEI Main Activity

RESEARCH

TEACHING

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

The Offer to Employers

RESEARCH

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Collaborative Research & Development

Student Placement

Training, workforce development & continuing professional development

Consultancy

Taught Masters TEACHING

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

Access to specialist facilities

Employer involvement in course design

Regeneration and Development Funding for HEIs in the North West (2005 data)

Source of FundingAmount £

(‘000s)

1. ERDF income 18,080

2. ESF income 6,421

3. UK Government regeneration funds 1,051

4. RDA programmes (NWDA) 15,456

5. Other regeneration grants and income from local and regional bodies 503

6. Other 378

TOTAL 41,889

Source: Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey 2003-04 (HEFCE 2006)

Funding

Business Support and InnovationAreas of activity:

Developing business (SMEs / niche sectors)

Creation and Establishment of Entrepreneurial Business Starts

Developing the Regional Knowledge Economy: Supporting Business Innovation and Networking

Developing Strategic Employment Opportunities

2000-06 Programme:

147 HEI-led projects

£116.5 million (approx €172 million) ERDF investment to date

7,800 SMEs assisted

Over 2,600 new innovations (products/processes/ways of working)*

* Figures only for Objective 2 projects

European Funding

Skills / Training

Areas of activity (measures/themes):

Supporting SMEs

Developing higher-level skills

Entrepreneurship

Lifelong learning

Social inclusion

2000-06 Programme:

293 HEI-led projects (excluding research)

£39.5 million (approx €58 million) ESF investment

Over 40,000 individual project beneficiaries*

4,300 companies assisted with skills training*

13,000 people working towards a qualification*

* Figures only for completed projects

European Funding

Impacts of activity* (1): JobsCreating

5,040 jobs for the region

Safeguarding over 5,300 jobs within regional SMEs

Assisting at least 1,500 unemployed people into employment and 1,500 unemployed people in education

Support the up-skilling of 12,000 people to gain employment / protect their jobs / career development / meet localised or regional skills shortages

*Results from claims submitted to March 2007. Further results expected within 2000–06 programme

European Funding

Impacts of Activity* (2): Business and Economic growth£482 million increased

sales / turnover generated within regional SMEs

£346 million sales / turnover safeguarded within regional SMEs

256 business start-ups supported

PLUS

55 spin out companies supported

*Results from claims submitted to March 2007. Further results expected within 2000–06 programme

European Funding

European Funding

Sectorial Diversity of SMEs Assisted within the NW Objective 2 Knowledge Based Action Plan at March 2007

Bio-technology/life Sciences, 1.33%

Computer Software & Services (ICT),

10.60%

Textiles, 9.72%

Electronics, 1.96%

Other, 8.76%

Tourism, 7.29%

Food & Drink, 5.40%

Not Specified, 4.53%

Financial & Professional

Services, 9.81%

Environmental Technologies, 3.01%

Creative Industries/Multimedia, 12.21%

Packaging, 0.30%

Medical/Healthcare, 3.06%

Manuf/Mech/Eng, 22.02%

Higher Level Skill Pathfinder

Background (1)

• Regional Economic Strategy 2006-09

– Skills and education ‘…Level 4 and 5 skills are required for growth in the knowledge economy. However, the region has fewer people with level 4 skills than the England average. Although the training of new graduates and their retention is high, the proportion of the existing workforce with the higher level skills required for the knowledge economy is inadequate.’

Background (2)

• Today over 70% of the workforce for 2020 has already completed their compulsory education

• Leitch set an objective to exceed 40% of adults qualified to level 4 and above by 2020, up from 29% in 2005

• One of the aims of the Leitch Review is to increase employer investment in level 3 and 4 qualifications in the workplace

HEFCE Objectives

• Embed HE in employer workforce development and skills strategies regionally, sectorally and nationally

• Embed workforce development and skills in HE providers’ strategies

• Promote greater co-funding of HE provision by employers

North West Aims

• Increase demand from employers for higher level skills provision

• Increase employer engagement in HEIs and FECs

• Increase the capacity of HEIs and FECs to respond to employer demand for higher level skills

• Test the level of funding employers are prepared to contribute for development and delivery of this provision

North West Model

• Two main aspects to the NW model– Brokerage

• Business Support brokerage• Skills brokerage

– Development of Provision• Reactive – in response to demand identified

through the brokerage• Proactive – through partnerships with SSCs,

employers etc…

North West Model

• BrokerageThrough the LSC Train to Gain Skills Brokers

Or

Through Business Link Brokers working on wider business support activity

North West Model

NWUA support for Train to Gain Skills

Brokers and IDB Brokers:

– 4 Specialist HE Advisors

– Online searchable database of current HE provision

– Training of brokers to increase knowledge of HE

North West Model

• Development of Provision– Reactive : when needs are identified by

brokers they will work with the specialist advisors to link to HEIs / FECs interested in meeting this need

– Proactive : 4 sectors identified for initial focus

• Advanced Engineering and Materials• Creative and Digital Industries• Business and Professional Services• Construction

North West Model

• Development of Provision– Four sector panels convened involving

SSCs, NWDA, SSPAs and LSC– Panels produced guidance and issued call

for proposals, then assessed proposals and agreed funding

– Panels will also consider funding developments which emerge from the brokerage activity

– Funding available includes development money and ASNs

Employer Engagement

• Current HEI / FEC links with employers

• Through Train to Gain or NW Business Link activity

• Through SSCs– Focus on SSCs for whom higher level skills

are important to their sector e.g. Skillset, e-Skills, Skillfast-UK, Construction Skills, FSSC

– Higher level skills aspects drawn from SSAs