Draft Strategic Plan 2018/19 by Reaseheath College

Supporting Industry and Our Sectors

•• Every apprenticeship should be targeted at a skilled job, involving substantial new learning that will provide the foundations for a career and a springboard for progression.

•• functional skills in English and Maths, if they have not already got this

Higher Education

•• Funding changes for apprenticeships are being introduced with these involving the employer

•• Training and accreditation of existing workers who are already fully competent in their jobs should be delivered separately

•• Apprenticeships at level 4 and 5 have already been developed and delivered at Reaseheath particularly in the Food and Drink Sector.

The Higher Education (HE) sector is currently undergoing considerable change. The government passed the Higher Education and Research Act in 2017 and this has resulted in the creation of the Office for Students (OfS) as the new regulatory body for the HE sector. The Government believes these changes and the addition of the Teaching Excellence Framework will create greater choice, dynamism and competition in the HE sector and promote social mobility by allowing prospective students to compare institutions and programmes and enabling them to make informed decisions regarding the investment in their education.

Apprenticeships should be focused on the outcome; clearly setting out what Apprentices should know and be able to do at the end of their Apprenticeship •• Apprenticeships will move to a final holistic independent test which has the full confidence of employers

•• We will remain totally committed to shaping our offer in order to maximise the contribution Reaseheath can make to the realisation of local and national strategic objectives for Learning and Skills, NEETs and the unemployed and contribute to the delivery of the LEP Skills and Employment Strategy.

•• All Apprentices will work towards a Level 2 qualification either through GCSEs or

To respond to the new regulatory changes and a new quality framework, the college has refocused its HE provision, looking at key areas such as graduate characteristics, knowledge transfer, research, widening participation, student continuation and progression and student satisfaction.

programmes that meet the needs of employers and ensure graduate employability. The HE curriculum is mapped to the identified skills needs of the region and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) priorities. All HE programmes are developed in partnership with employers. To meet employer needs and government policy, the college intends to broaden its provision with the expansion of higher level and degree apprenticeships. The college federated with the University of Chester in September 2016 and now has University Centre status. Working in closer partnership with the university, it is anticipated that there will be increased opportunity for collaborative working. The partnership will secure progression routes for young people in the region from Level 1- Level to level 7

For Reaseheath these changes have presented new challenges: increased data reporting, and government returns and increased competition for students in a time when the local demographic is still showing a declining profile. Despite these challenges the college has bucked national trends and has continued to recruit strongly. It has also invested in the resources to support HE students, including an extension to the HE centre, HE student accommodation, and library and learning resources. Reaseheath is a specialist land based provider; the HE curriculum has stayed true to this mission, ensuring a unique offer, delivering Science Technology Engineering Maths (STEM) based higher-level skills and vocational training. A high quality HE experience, exceptional student support and continued growth in our Higher Education offer have all been achieved against the backdrop of the challenges described. The college continues to focus on delivering undergraduate and higher-level skills-based