Big Interview |
College provides learning fit for the workplace Talk to just about anyone in business and the conversation will soon turn to a frustration that too many educational institutions do not produce the employees that companies need. he employers’ often-voiced concern is that the kind of courses that are delivered are not closely enough allied to the specific needs of business.
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One of the educational institutions rising to the challenge is London South East Colleges (LSEC), which has sites across South East London and works with employers to ensure the education and training they deliver are what industry needs. As well as vocational courses, providing BtEC, NvQ, City & Guilds and other specialist qualifications, they offer higher education courses linked to the University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church University. For those interested in earning a wage while they learn, LSEC has Apprenticeship vacancies with leading employers in many subjects. Principal Sam Parrett OBE said: “Historically, many educational institutions have designed the courses that they think employers want. However, they have tended to opt for courses that they themselves they want to deliver and as a result they have not delivered the courses that employers need. “We do it the other way round. We start by engaging with employers to find out what they want and set out to prepare students for life at work.”
Sam, who was appointed Principal of Bromley College in 2011, oversaw its first merger with Orpington College in 2013, which consisted of a transformation to align the college’s curriculum to meet the needs of the local community. As a result, academic and financial performance improved dramatically – leading to Bromley College being in prime position to head-up the country’s first three-way college merger in August 2016, taking in the former Bexley College and Greenwich Community College. the newly merged London South East Colleges is now the largest college in the region and has more than 10,000 students, eight campuses, 2,240 workplace learners and more than 1,000 employer partners. Sam said: “At the time of the merger, Bexley and Greenwich had been in decline for some time and we have been working hard to rebuild their reputation, to change the perception of them. “A key goal within our strategic plan is that by 2020 we will be seen by all, including employers, as a collaborative and effective strategic partner in the economic, social and cultural development of South London and beyond. “We want to be the ‘go to’ place for learners, communities and businesses and we want to achieve that by building outstanding partnerships that enable employers to influence and contribute to the curriculum.
“that means doing a lot of research on skills. We read surveys and reports and talk to employers to ask them about their current workforce and how their business is changing so that we understand where their skills gaps are.” A key part of the process has been the establishment of the London South East Employer and Skills Board, set up following the latest merger. Members include representatives from each local authority in the area, training providers, business organisations such as the South East London Chamber of Commerce, skills bodies and the board provides them with a voice in shaping the curriculum. In addition, eleven Employer Advisory boards are being set up, comprising industry partners who collaborate with staff responsible for each curriculum area in sectors including Creative and Cultural Industries, Construction (already established in Greenwich and being expanded to all campuses), Digital Skills, Sport and Leisure, StEM and Health and Care Industries. Already established is Career College, a Hospitality, Food and Enterprise Career College which is part of a national network. the advisory board consists of employers from top hospitality and catering businesses including the Hyatt, Hilton and Springboard groups. Students have visited the Shard, Pennyhill Park and the Hyatt Regency and several guest chefs have also visited the college to give workshops, demonstrations and classes including guest chef Michel Roux. the centrepiece of the Career College is a student-led restaurant. Another initiative is Employer Advantage, a programme designed to improve relationship with employers and industry partners, which gives them the opportunity to work closely with students of all age to develop their skills. Sam said: “these initiatives are part of our approach to find out what skills are needed by companies. “We are also constantly responding to changes in the workplace. For example, one thing we are seeing is an increase
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in people retraining in later life. We have had more than 300 students taking plumbing courses and some of them have switched from other careers. Several of them are teachers. “Nationally, the number of students doing part-time courses has dropped because the Government does not fund them but we are bucking the trend.” Sam acknowledges that there remain many challenges in an education sector constantly assailed by budgetary concerns which mean that recruitment of students is crucial. She said: “Our big challenge is the need to raise awareness of London South East Colleges, communicating to prospective students and businesses who we are, our values and the many benefits of working with us. “Our vision is to ensure the skills needs of local, regional and national employers are being met with high quality training. “We work with more than 1,000 employers across all sectors and intend to grow our provision in areas where there is identified demands from employers so that we are recognised as a centre of excellence in London and beyond.” One of the opportunities is the introduction in April of the Apprenticeship Levy and Sam said: “We are considering establishing an Apprenticeship training Organisation. this will allow us to work collectively with a group of employers to provide support around the administrative demands of the scheme, recruitment of apprentices and organising and managing work placements. “We will also be developing the potential for higher level apprenticeships, Level 4 and above, with our partners and have piloted a traineeship programme for students who don’t have the necessary entry requirements to enrol on an apprenticeship. We will now be extending this to include young people and older adults, who are the furthest from the job market. “We know there is work still to do. At the moment, 92 per cent of surveyed companies say they would recommend us. Our target is to make that 100 per cent!”
For more information you can visit www.lsec.ac.uk, ring 0300 303 2554 or email communications@lsec.ac.uk
April 2017