Feeder Routes into Foundation Degrees

Frances CambrookSouth West Regional Director

Foundation Degree Forward

• Key statistics• Feeder routes• Development

potential• Diplomas and Fds• fdf development

activity

• 60,925 Fd students in 2006-07

(up from 46,780 in 2005-06)

• 27,000 part-time Fd students in 2006-07

(up from just under 20,000 in 2005-06)

• 46% of Fd students are taught at HEIs and 54% of are taught at FECs

• 56% of part-time students are taught in HEIsData source: Foundation degrees: key statistics 2001-02 to 2006-07 (HEFCE, 2007)

Key statistics

• Total of 2896 Fd courses

• 2193 (76%) of these are currently running

• 703 new courses in development

Foundation degrees

January 2007

• 77% of part-time students supported by employer (financially or otherwise)

• employer support is rare amongst full-time students

• 64% of students aged 21 or over when they start their Fd

• 57% of students are female

• proportion of entrants from low participation neighbourhoods is higher than generally found in the undergraduate population

Data source: Foundation degrees: key statistics 2001-02 to 2006-07 (HEFCE, 2007)

Key statistics

Foundation degree courses by subject area (2006-07)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Educa

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Busine

ss

Compu

ting

Art an

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Health

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Land

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Trans

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Nu

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Courses running Courses planned

Foundation degree courses by region (2006-07)

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100

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500

600

NW SW SE YH EE LO WM NE EM

Region

Nu

mb

er

of

Fd

co

urs

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Courses running Courses planned

Foundation degree student numbers by region

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

NE NW EM EE LO SE SW YH WM OU

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ents

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

Foundation degrees by subject

Foundation degrees in the South West

0

10

20

30

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Nu

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Courses running Courses planned

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200

400

600

800

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1200

1400

1600

2001-2002

2002-2003

2003-2004

2004-2005

2005-2006

Total

FT

PT

South West Region Foundation Degree Numbers

2001-06

Foundation degree

Work

Level 3 vocationalqualifications

Advanced apprenticeship

A-levels

Access to HE

Voluntary/community activity

Professional qualifications

Honours degree

Higher level NVQs(e.g. level 5)

Work

Professional qualifications

Voluntary/community activity

Articulation and Progression

Higher vocationalQualifications (e.g. CPD)

Non-vocational HE

Routes fromRoutes to

Data source: Foundation degrees: key statistics 2001-02 to 2006-07 (HEFCE, 2007)

Foundation degree entrants (2004/05) – prior qualifications

Qualification at entryFull-time

Number %Part-time

Number %Total

Number %

HE 1,465 11% 1,855 24% 3,315 16%

A-levels 1,955 15% 155 2% 2,110 10%

A-level or equivalent 2,980 23% 1,680 22% 4,660 23%

VCE only 290 2% 10 0% 305 1%

BTEC Level 3 1,320 10% 525 7% 1,850 9%

Access to HE course 265 2% 105 1% 365 2%

GCSE 605 5% 590 8% 1,195 6%

Other qualifications 1,020 8% 535 7% 1,555 8%

APEL 620 5% 865 11% 1,485 7%

No formal qualification 105 1% 115 1% 220 1%

Unknown 2,120 17% 1,380 18% 3,500 17%

Total 12,750 100% 7,815 100%20,570 100%

Drivers for development• Leitch

“The UK must become a world leader in Skills.”

“Skills is the most important lever within our control to create wealth and to reduce social deprivation.”

• Proportion of jobs requiring high skills will continue to increase substantially

• Developing our present and future workforce

“new higher education should not be ‘more of the same’… rather provision should be based on new types of programmes offering specific, job-related skills such as Foundation Degrees”.

• 100,000 ‘target’ by 2010

Potential for development

• Increase take-up of existing provision

• Increase direct progression from Level 3

• Increase/develop entry via work-based learning

• Progression route for Diplomas?

Progression from Level 3

Issues:

• Is there need/demand for Level 4+ ?

• From employers?

• From learners?

• Regionally?

SWRDA and LSC priorities

RDA priority LSC priority area

Advanced engineering (aerospace and defence)

Engineering

Creative Industries (digital media) Health & Social Care

Marine Retail

Food & Drink Construction

Environmental technologies (renewable energy & waste)

Biomedical

ICT (semi conductors and defence related)

Tourism

Development of work based provision

• Re-define higher level work-based learning

“On the job training in the workplace is a vital source of skills development and career progression” (Leitch)

• Focus on the learner in work

• accrediting existing in-house training

• developing Fd ‘wrap-around’

• offering ‘bite-size’ learning

• flexible and responsive delivery

Progression from Diplomas?

• SW Gateways

• 21 approved for 2008 (10 with conditions)

• 5168 learners across three levels

• 1423 at Level 3

From Diplomas to Foundation degrees

Why?

• Address low progression from “non-A-level” level 3

• Local, flexible, lower cost HE

• Skills agenda / route into work

Diplomas• Innovative • Employer involvement

in development

• Knowledge and skills in a “real world” environment

• Preparation for progression

Foundation degrees• Innovative• Employer

engagement in design and delivery

• Work based and work place delivery

• Progress to Hons degree / career

From Diplomas to Foundation degrees

How?

• 14-19 Partnerships / Lifelong Learning Networks

• Curriculum solutions

• Local employers

• Knowledge and awareness of staff – IAG

• Local prospectuses

• LLN Progression agreements

fdf support for progressionfdf Strategic Aims 2006-2008

To support and develop local, regional and national strategies and partnerships to enhance both private and public sector employer engagement in Foundation degree provision.

To enhance information, advice and guidance support for Foundation degree provision as offering opportunities for widening access to higher education.

To undertake a leading advisory role in generating and supporting a national marketing strategy for Foundation degrees.

Employer engagement

• Sector Skills Councils

• National Fd development e.g. Tesco, RAF

• Sector based employer consortia

• Professional bodies

• British Chambers of Commerce

• Launched 15 May 2007

• Free

• Web-based, can be customised

http://www.fdf.ac.uk/home/information_for_universities_and_colleges/iag_training_materials/

IAG training materials

• Working with DfES

• National campaigns

• Regional employer profiles

Marketing and Communications

Foundation Degree ForwardWorking for a degree of difference

Frances Cambrook

f.cambrook@fdf.ac.uk www.fdf.ac.uk

Working for a degree of difference

Questions and discussion• In the SW, (how) can the impact of the

difference between RDA and LSC priority sectors be overcome in terms of Level 4+ in HE in FE?

• Will HEIs embrace Diplomas?• How can employer links be built that span

diplomas and Fds?• Does liaison between 14-19 partnerships and

Lifelong Learning Networks need to be encouraged? How?

• How can the right IAG be put in place?