Strategies Uxbridge College uses to engage Employers and the Community

- An Overview -

Murray Foulds – Employer Responsive Performance & Quality Manager

Engaging with Employers and the Community (1)

Purpose:

Uxbridge College is dedicated to providing education and training to the highest standards. We aim to meet the education and training needs of individuals and employers and the wider community, raising skill levels and maximising individual potential. Our partnerships are developed and our resources are targeted to achieve this purpose.

Engaging with Employers and the Community (2)

Strategic Aims include:

To maintain quality outcomes that place us in the top 10% of London Colleges. To deliver a curriculum portfolio that meets local regional and education training

needs. To work with our partners to promote sustainable community development.

Engaging with Employers and the Community (3)

Strategic Objectives including the following:

2.2 Further develop our skills based curriculum strategy and employer engagement activities.

4.2 Build our relationships with employers to support local and regional economic prosperity.

Engaging with Employers and the Community (4)

Strategic Objectives - how are they achieved?

Continue the College’s lead provider role in raising skill levels of individuals in Hillingdon.

Further develop our vocational offer so it reflects current and future requirements of priority sector skills areas.

Work with partners to identify training and education deficit areas locally. Expand our range of commercial contracts with employers. Secure further direct employer and also SSC participation in the design and

evaluation of courses in line with qualification strategies. Develop curriculum in line with our work-related curriculum policy, especially the

volume and quality of work placement and work experience opportunities made available to our students.

Engaging with Employers and the Community (5)

Strategies adopted:

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING RELATIONSHIP BUILDING TARGET SETTING TARGET SETTING MAXIMISING PROCESSES& RESOURCES

MAXIMISING PROCESSES& RESOURCES

QUALITY ASSURANCE QUALITY ASSURANCE

Engaging with Employers and the Community (6)

Cultural shift in College Employer journey - TQS Process Employer satisfaction / 3-month satisfaction post-delivery

Definition + research - components of “Employer Satisfaction” - developmental approach “Training impact”; “business needs are met”; “Would you recommend?”; “staff performance had improved”;

“Overall satisfaction”

Employer Services team Head of ESU; BDM/BDC roles; PQM role; administrative support Weekly team meeting - “sales funnel” - focused - capturing status of current employer relationships Curriculum responsibilities; WBL Assessors/Verifiers Initial Response versus Enrolment Response Rates - ER Quality Handbook with set KPI’s. Preferred method of communication; location for training delivery, convenient time EMPLOYER COMES FIRST!

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Engaging with Employers and the Community (7)

CRM Tracking employer journey; “active prospect”, “active customer”, dormant”; “Account Manager allocated”

CRM Reports Levels/status of engagement Employer satisfaction ratings – overall, by vocation, by size of employer, by Account Manager Participant satisfaction ratings Initial Contact v. Enrolment Response Rate - history of conversations with employer – accuracy + accountability Organisations with tasks not completed - response rate times – eg. KPI’s on Employer Journey Organisations by Account Manager - completion of ONA’s, current engagement status etc.

ONA/TNA “Live document” - designed to explore employer need through open-ended conversation . Reviewed format – 2 versions in 6 months – “user-friendly” aspect of question design - trigger to conversation

Sharing good practice Collaborative working – LSIS (London) Project - ER strand – consultancy – TQS process

MAXIMISING PROCESSES& RESOURCES

MAXIMISING PROCESSES& RESOURCES

Engaging with Employers and the Community (8)

SMART, communicated and monitored - it’s about “ownership” Increasing size, number and sectors of active employers Employer satisfaction rating – min 85% and increasing in 2011 Participant satisfaction ratings Growth in commercial portfolio WBL / TTG success rates – overall v. timely Growth in participating in employer forums, SSC’s, liaison with numerous stakeholders Growth in assessor/verifier qualifications Monitoring TTG achievement (weekly) and predicted achievement (monthly) CRAG risk rating in assessment healthchecks; employer responsive action plan; risk register etc. – regular review PRP salaried sales team Conversion rates - “Active Prospect” to “Active Customer” Monitoring employer engagement through “Mode of Attendance” – ie. WBL, TTG, Commercial Partner activity - SMART targets Learners - SMART targets - Progress Reviews

TARGET SETTING TARGET SETTING

Engaging with Employers and the Community (9)

WBL Strategy Group; Project Monitoring Group; Employer Responsive Action Group. Tutor delivery – class sessions/WBL delivery - lesson observations - Grade 1 & 2 - AP

support. Assessor observations - “competent”, “not competent”. HR recruitment policy of employing with current industry-led experience. Progress Reviews – SMART targets – employers contributing to training programmes. Refining WBL documentation – employer “buy-in” – Employer Declaration, Employer

Agreement, Apprentice Agreement, ILP, Progress Review. “Learning from the Best” - Oct 2010 - Ofsted - key messages “Good Practice in Involving Employers in Work-Related Education and Training” - Ofsted

- “...what’s in it for me?” – providers had initiated the provider/employer relationship.

QUALITY ASSURANCE QUALITY ASSURANCE

Engaging with Employers and the Community (10)

“Good Practice in Involving Employers in Work-Related Education and Training” - Ofsted – Oct 2010 - “...what’s in it for me?” – providers had initiated the provider/employer relationship.

Benefit to the business - gap analysis - ATA new initative Commitment from training provider Don’t wait for the employer to initiate! Seek to recognise and value the contribution of employer + provider Regular meetings between employer + provider Ask for employer input to developing resources/teaching materials Capitalise on employers’ presentations/materials

Assessment healthchecks – partners – ESU and WBL delivery within curriculum areas.

QUALITY ASSURANCE QUALITY ASSURANCE

Engaging with Employers and the Community (11)

ORGANISATIONAL DELIVERYASSESSMENT HEALTHCHECKASSESSMENT HEALTHCHECK

Evidencingfitness for purpose

Evidencingfitness for purpose

33 performance criteria 33 performance criteria Quality of tutor delivery

Quality of tutor delivery

Quality of learner engagement

Quality of learner engagement

LESSON OBSERVATIONS

LESSON OBSERVATIONS

QUALITY ASSURANCE QUALITY ASSURANCE

Engaging with Employers and the Community (12)

Assessment healthcheck:

Measuring organisational fitness for purpose against 33 performance criteria Potential partners delivering on behalf of the College UC Schools delivering vocational employer-responsive qualifications

Used prior to engagement with potential partner - annual R A G rating H M L risk rating

H risk - 59% or less of the performance statements/criteria are assessed as “Green” M risk - 60%-79% of the performance statements/criteria are assessed as “Green” L risk - 80% or more of the performance statements/criteria are assessed as “Green”

Follow-up action H risk - Implementation of remedial plan M risk - List of recommendations to be completed before next audit visit L risk - Fewer or shorter visits

Engaging with Employers and the Community (13)

Assessment healthcheck criteria categories:

Course Planning: criteria 1-5Learner induction: criteria 6-9Initial Assessment: criteria 10-13Course Delivery: criteria 14-25Records: criteria 26-30Course Review: criteria 31-32Premises, Policies, Procedures: criteria 33

Engaging with Employers and the Community (14)

Assessment healthcheck criteria categories:

Awarding body accreditation Delivery aligned with course specific documentation – mandatory/optional units List of delivery staff, roles, qualifications, CPD New staff induction arrangements Delivery staff have access to awarding body specification Schemes of work Assessment plans Evidence of regular/systematic sampling - IV plans

Course Planning: criteria 1-5

Engaging with Employers and the Community (15)

Assessment healthcheck criteria categories:

Evidence that learners have structured induction programme Learners aware of assessment process, tutor(s), arrangements/plans Learners aware of internal / external regulations affecting their assessment Learners aware of support availability Learners aware of assessment appeals procedure

Learner induction: criteria 6-9

Engaging with Employers and the Community (16)

Assessment healthcheck criteria categories:

Evidence that learners have initial assessment at induction Initial assessment enables matching of learner to appropriate qualification Initial assessment drives the learner’s ILP Initial assessment drives delivery adjustments – eg. SoW, lesson planning etc.

Initial Assessment: criteria 10-13

Engaging with Employers and the Community (17)

Assessment healthcheck criteria categories:

Evidence that learners are provided with full briefing for assignments at start of Unit Scope for alteration of learner qualification for “better match” Course delivery is modified in-year in response to learner achievement Prompt return of assessed learner work within 3-week time frame Constructive, meaningful, written feedback given to learner Appropriate focus on spelling, grammar, punctuation Appropriate vocational & teaching experience, qualifications of delivery staff Documented induction programme for new staff

Course Delivery: criteria 14-25

Engaging with Employers and the Community (18)

Assessment healthcheck criteria categories:

Evidence of regular assessment planning and taking place Effective learner progress tracking processes in place Records of standardisation meetings ILP records evidence SMART targets Records of monitoring, review and evaluation meetings

Records: criteria 26-30

Engaging with Employers and the Community (19)

Assessment healthcheck criteria categories:

Course review and self-assessment processes in place Analysis of factors impacting on delivery Informs future course development and delivery - annual Analysis of attendance, success rates Internal benchmarking National benchmarking (as appropriate)

Course Review: criteria 31-32

Engaging with Employers and the Community (20)

Assessment healthcheck criteria categories:

Training agreement Insurance policies Health and safety policy Risk assessment procedures Fire safety procedures Equality & diversity policy Complaints / appeals policies/procedures

Premises, Policies, Procedures: criteria 33

.Engaging with Employers and the Community (21)

UXBRIDGE COLLEGE PARTNER ASSESSMENT HEALTHCHECK ANALYSIS - NOVEMBER 2010

Course Planning: criteria 1-5Learner induction: criteria 6-9Initial Assessment: criteria 10-13Course Delivery: criteria 14-25Records: criteria 26-30Course Review: criteria 31-32Premises, Policies, Procedures: criteria 33

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 R A G LMH% % %

Organisation A n A G R G G A G G G A R A G G G G G R G A G G G n A n G G G R A A 13 27 60 M Org A recheck 1 n A R G A R A R A n A n R A A 13 24 63 MOrg A - recheck 2 n G G G G G G G n G n R A A 3 7 90 L

Organisation B n G G G G G G G G A G G A G G G G G A G G G G G n G n G G G G G A 0 13 87 LOrganisation C n G G G G G G G G G A G A G G G G G A G A G G A n G n A G G R G A 3 23.3 73 M

Org C - recheck 1 n G G A G G n n A R A 3 10 87 LOrg C - recheck 2 n A n n G R G 3 3 94 L

Organisation D n G G G G A G G G A G G A G G G G G A G G G G G n G n G G G A G A 0 20 80 LOrganisation E G G G G G G G G G G G G A G G G G G A G G G G A n G n G G G R G A 3 13 84 LOrganisation F n G G G G G G G G G G G A G G G G G A G G G G G n G n G G G A G A 0 13 87 LUC School A G G G G G G G G G G A A A G G G G G A G G G G G n G n G G G G G G 0 13 87 L

Conclusion How would partner / UC relationship be managed?

Accountability + point of contact Monitoring of delivery / achievement – regular progress updates Urgent issues – contact partner promptly Scheduled dates for year ahead – monitoring meetings, progress updates etc.

Account Manager appointed

Account Manager appointed