Regionalisation and Educational Policy

David Vincent

(alternative title)

Regions and the Death of Distance Learning

David Vincent

Caution

A Rose IsARoseIs ARoseIsARoseIsARose(Gertrude Stein)

CautionA RegionIsNotARegionIsNot ARegionIsNot ARegionIsNot ARegion(Anon)

Growth of Regional Policy

Scottish Parliament National Assembly for Wales (The Northern Ireland Assembly)

Regional Development Agencies (Elected Regional Assemblies)

Growth of Regional Higher Education Policy HECFE regional consultants Regional Higher Education

Associations

AimHigher Higher Education Innovation Fund

(HEIF2) Sector Skills Councils Learning and Skills Councils Lifelong Learning Networks European Funding

Working With Regional Education Policy

The Necessity of Funding

The Value of Joined-up Government

The Value of Joined-up Educational Provision

The Value of Local Responsiveness

The Regional Structure of the Open University

The Regional Map of the Open University

The Regional Functions of The Open University

3 Nation Regions 10 English Regions

Regional Directors Support Associate Lecturers Manage Range of Services to

Students Represent the University in

Regional Fora and Partnerships

Definitions

Freesia iris family, bulb, fragrant trumpet-shaped white, yellow, purple or crimson flowers

Freezer A refrigerated cabinet or compartment in which to preserve food at a temperature below freezing point

Friesian A black and white cow

Fresion A mnemonic word designating the fifth mood of the fourth syllogistic figure, in which a universal negative major premiss, and a particular affirmative minor yield a particular negative conclusion

FRESA Framework for Regional Employment and Skills Action

The Purpose of a FRESA

Framework for RegionalEmployment and Skills Action

Provide common evidence base for policy decisions

Collaborative action sensitive to local need

Guiding the deployment of discretionary funding

Establishing a common set of targets for the region

Cutting through governance disputes

The East of England FRESA: The Mission East of England has 5.4m residents. £73bn economy. 350,000 businesses. Workforce of 2.6m. Second highest GDP per head in England.

In the East of England we believe in joined up thinking and joined up action.

As it stands the many overlapping initiatives and strategies on skills and jobs risk confusing employers and individuals alike.

The FRESA is clearly about a process designed to facilitate better partnership working over the years to come.

Skills and Employment Forum Members East of England Development Agency

(EEDA) Universities Learning and Skills CouncilsConfederation of British Industry Government Office for the East of

EnglandHertfordshire Connexions ServiceJobcentre plusLantraFE SectorSERTUC Learning ServicesSmall Business Service

The East of England FRESA: The Priorities

Analysis:

Full labour market analysis Policy review of government agencies Summary of best practices East of England Partnership

Agreement on Skills Compilation of views of partners

Top Priorities: Both urgent and important priority requiring greater action, co-ordination and funding

Increasing participation in higher education

Response to redundancies Skills for employability Workforce development and in-work

progression Young people and career choices

Top Priorities – Protocol – Action Plan – Six Month Progress Report

The East of England FRESA: Higher Education: The Task

Only by maximising the skills of

our whole labour force can we

ensure that our wealth-creating

businesses can compete successfully in

a global economy and our people have

the economic and social opportunities

for which they aspire.

Increasing participation in higher education The East of England has the lowest

proportion of students studying in their home region

The East of England has a lower than average number of students in higher education per head of the population. This means employers have increased difficulty in recruiting graduates and higher level technicians.

Partnership for Progression Initiative. Aims to get 50% of 18-30 year olds into higher education by 2010.

Against 50% target, current rate is 29%. Target for 2010 is 39%.

The East of England FRESA: Higher Education: The Actions

Association of Universities in the East of England (AUEE) has convened a Regional Strategy Group, preparing a business plan to include activity aimed at raising aspirations and achievements of students in schools and colleges; making HE more accessible in the workplace; extending access to HE provision in both HE, FE colleges and other centres

Raising aspirations, larger and socially more inclusive cohort.

More effective communication of range of options in HEIs.

Development of work-based learning

Building employers’ commitment

Widening reach of HE (into HE-less towns)

Research into retention

Enhancing Capacity The various networking

arrangements are not adequate to deal with the scale / nature of this issue

Additional resources may be required, since HEI / research staff have other commitments

Increase funding required to inject some realism into plans. A holistic approach is required.

‘The region is a net exporter of graduates’ : towns without HEIs - Ipswich, Peterborough, Southend

Hyperventilation

The Ambition:

‘EEDA has a target of the East of England being one of the wealthiest 20 regions in Europe in 2010.’

‘Our target is to make Birmingham the most attractive city in Europe in which to live and work.’ (Advantage West Midlands)

The Crisis:

Despite the amount of world-class

businesses based in the East of

England and with overall low

unemployment, there are still

pockets of severe unemployment.

eg Great Yarmouth (4.7%

claimants August 2002)

Artificiality East Midlands Low skill to high skill

economy

London Action planning as sum of other action plans. 7 flagship programmes and 5 strategic objectives. Opportunities for

skills training

North East Increase Demand for Skills, Increase Delivery of Basic Skills Increase Level 3

Completion

North West Action at sub-regional level, led by local

Learning and Skills Councils (LSEs). Link

business support with skill provision. Emphasis on Workforce

Development

South-East Promote skills, increase productivity

South-West Workforce development. Raising Standards of Basic Skills

West Midlands Up-skilling

Yorks and Humber Increase demand for learning and skills. Graduate Retention

Accountability

The possibility of regional assemblies

The reality of regional quangos

Scale

The Essence of the Open

University High Quality, Supported Distance

Learning, At Scale The Only National University in the

United Kingdom 155,000 undergraduates. Largest

University in the UK

The Dilemmas of the Open University

The impossibility of 13 Universities The growth of Scottish and Welsh

Devolution Top-up Fees and Local Pricing Quality Assurance and Local Regimes Progression and Local Alliances

Community

The Variable Geometry of Distance Learning

The Global and the Local Motionless Mobility Multiple Histories Multiple Communities

A Future Beyond the Regions

The National Alliances Learn Direct National Extension College City and Guilds Trades Union Congress Workers Education Association National Health Service University Other national companies and

organisations

The National Education Grid

Qualifications Consortium Affiliate FE Colleges Curriculum in Threatened

Disciplines Curriculum in New Disciplines Central Service for Disabled. National e-Learning Platform