Taking stock of the market for flexible postgraduate accredited CPD

Stephen Gomez, Mel Joyner, Rebekah Southern, Valeria Arzenton & Melanie

Strickland University of Plymouth

Shell framework

• Provides demand-driven learning opportunities

• Uses credit accumulation and transfer

• Promotes part-time & flexible learning

• ‘Accredits’ work-based and other experiential learning

• ‘Joins up’ diffuse & diverse CPD provision

Learners can…• relate all of some of their learning to their

current employment or future career aspirations

• study PT or without attending formal teaching sessions

• be qualified by experience rather than by academic qualifications

Benefits to employers• flexible systems to facilitate learning

tailored to employer need • opportunities to update knowledge and

skills of their workforce• opportunities for the learners they support

to relate their learning to the workplace• opportunities for learning to be delivered in

a number of different ways (eg short courses, in-house training, university provision, on-line learning or a combination)

Market Research Methodology

Telephone interviews Involving 253 employers (>50 employees)

Devon, Cornwall and Somerset

On-line survey of 600 members of the public (eligible to take part in the programme)

Key findings• Two thirds of survey groups

(employers and general public), were ‘very’ or ‘fairly interested’ in CPD degree.

• Most employers would support staff undertaking a flexible programme of study.Level of interest

Employers/general public most interest: Management, Leadership and Business units; least interest: Accountancy and marketing

Employers want employees specialise in Interpersonal Skills &Self Management; Computer/IT skills are popular amongst employers.

General public interest in Computer/IT skills, Interpersonal Skills & Self Management; least popular – Tourism/Hospitality Subjects of interest

Key findings cont’dMode of delivery of learning

Distance/e-learning tools alone, or through a combination of in class (once a

week) and distance and e-learning, are the most popular methods amongst both employers and members of the public.

Less clarity on the price people will pay for learning units.

Majority of employers said that they are ‘not certain’.

Where responses to this question were given, both employers and members of the public tended to opt for a price below £250.

Price for delivery of learning

Sector distribution of employers

Employers: Importance Attached to Accredited Training

Employers Interest in Topic Areas

Employers Interest in Areas of Specialisation

Preferred Methods of Delivery

Preferred Place of Delivery

Amount Respondents Would be Willing to Pay/module

Usefulness for Employees to Take a Flexible Programme of Study

Respondents’ Working Status

Respondents’ Highest Level of Education

Respondents Interest in a Number of Broad Areas

Percentages of Respondents Interested in Specialist subjects