Strategic Investment Fund - Project update meeting - 17 May 2011
Minutes
Attendees: Alex Young, SG Lindsay Galbraith, SG
Christine Hamilton-Rice, SG Bill Harvey, QAA
Carol Booth, Scotland's Colleges Lorraine Simpson, Blake Stevenson
Alasdair Stuart, Blake Stevenson Isabel Hui Liu, Universities Scotland
James Anderson, SDI George MacPherson, SG
Dominic Scott, UKCISA Julia Amour, BC Scotland
Steve Gallagher, UWS Wendy Livingstone, Forth Valley College
Sandra Gunn, City of Glasgow College Linda Murdoch, AGCAS
Jim Campbell, University of Glasgow Ed Nash, University of Edinburgh
Stuart Forsyth, University of Glasgow Helen O'Shea, NUS Scotland
Heather McKnight, NUS Scotland
Apologies: Tariq Durrani, RSE and University of Strathclyde
Mark Newlands, SDI
Mandy Callaghan, Fresh Talent, SG
Glenys Watt, Blake Stevenson
Sue McFarlane, SQA
Stuart Fancey, SFC
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Welcome and Introductions
Alex Young (AY) introduced himself as the Acting Chair for this meeting and refreshed the group on the original aims of the Strategic Investment Fund, key point of sustainability and highlighted that the submitted bids for further funding would not be discussed at this meeting.
Main Discussion
Scotland's Colleges International - ALLIES Project
Aims to create a sector approach to vocational education and training which is aligned to the Scottish Government's key sectors.
4 Working Groups have been created.
Positive outcomes include:
- The establishment of working groups which are scheduled to meet beyond the end of project
- Fitting into Skills Development Scotland approach
- The development of shared learning & marketing materials - idea is to have one brand of one quality (Scotland's Colleges branded)
- Achieving sign up from Principals
- Working with industry bodies e.g. OPITO and awarding bodies e.g. SQA
Challenges include:
- Becoming much smarter about who exactly to speak to within the universities
- Having a smaller number of representatives from colleges go out to represent college sector as a whole
- Colleges now have less staff and staff time disposable.
Creative Industries market round up:
- got market intelligence from UKTI and allowed them to make sustainable relationships
- made 2 trips to India
- Jewellery example: 250,000 employed in this industry at the moment in India. They recognise the need for a different design agenda and to become more westernised
Comments from the Strategic Investment Fund Panel:
- Dominic Scott (DS) - Impressive preparatory and foot in door work but is there any real chance of actual work/contracts in the next 12 months?
- Sandra Gunn (SG) advised there is a bit more work to do but does think there is chance. The first couple of applied training applications could be cost only then build on that.
- James Anderson (JAn) - Is there a danger of just the colleges who are members of the Working Groups owning the work?
- Julia Amour (JAm) - Organisational benefits didn't come through as much in report and these would be good to see.
- Isabel Hui Liu (IH) - How did they try to involve the university sector?
- Wendy Livingstone (WL) advised that these were developed through local partnerships for Oil & Gas. To which AY commented that local links are the right approach and what we want to encourage
- SG added that visits were made as a Scotland's Colleges united front not individual colleges
- Bill Harvey (BH) - There is a huge market for the recognition of learning, what about linking SCQF?
- AY - Highlighted that recognition of learning is a big part of UKIERI phase 2. If the Scottish Government take part then there may be funding streams available.
AGCAS- Scotland Virtual Careers Fair Project
Positive outcomes include:
- 95 employers which is a 200% increase to initial event (p2 of report).
- 1679 registering for the event.
- The improvement to information on the fairs
- Benefits from the relationship that Dora has built with employers
- A steady stream of vacancies now that didn't exist before.
- Looking towards an October 2011 event - outwith time of project but fits in with the recruitment timetables
Challenges include:
- The IT options - these have been explored since the November 2010 meeting but off the shelf is expensive. In discussions with Graduate prospects but there is a question about how to finance this.
- Also need to look at post of Dora Long - valuable input and can deliver presentations in Chinese.
Comments from the Strategic Investment Fund Panel:
- AY - Asked about idea of having a post/person in China, as per p6 of the report
- JAn - Asked about sustainability in terms of students into jobs and institutions recognising the worth of project
- Jim Campbell (JC) advised that they have had discussions with graduate prospects. If they help them then they could possibly get a license for the software for life (no annual fee)
- Linda Murdoch (LM) mentioned that now Post Study Work has been cancelled a lot of universities are thinking of what can be put in place to still attract students. This project could be used as publicity for attracting International students (help them get a job at home)
- IH & George MacPherson (GM) - Both advised that we need to find other ways to promote studying in Scotland and that the Scottish Government has not given up on their bid for 'flexibility for Scotland'
- JAm - Is there a prospect of charging employers?
- JC advised that a University down south did this and only got 1 institution. Need to get established first
- LM commented that employers could start USP to specific universities.
- JAn - Could look at Scottish employers within China (additional platform)
SUIG- International Communications Campaign (India and China)
- Currently sourcing interim funding while the further funding bid is being considered.
- They are supporting the Universities Scotland (US) guidelines that were issued last year - they have seat on team panel. Also, working with US to create material and events to counteract bad publicity from the Points Based Immigration System (PBS).
- UHI and Edinburgh Napier have been brought back into project also.
Comments from the Strategic Investment Fund Panel:
IH - Praised the media work which has been responsive to US. Asked about work within Scotland's Colleges
Stuart Fancey (SF) advised that they could share market intelligence
Ed Nash said that they are keen to open dialogue for collaboration with Scotland's Colleges
Carol Booth (CB) - Both colleges & universities affected by PBS so may be worth discussing in future
JAn - SDI's contract with Comma and Adelman is not getting renewed, will that have an impact on the SUIG project?
DS - Have new things been learnt about what students are reading - in each market and whether online/print?
EN reported that there is a definite difference in what gets through in China and India
SF - Information comes through about what publications to target. China is more fact based /stats and India is case studies
DS - PBS is hitting the private sector hugely in England (tap turned off in colleges) Scotland doesn't have as big a private sector, has it been hit the same way?
EN comented that immigration coming at the same time as the fees introduction has made a double impact of a negative impression
AY - Suggested that having information on the effects of the PBS could help shape US branding
NUS Scotland- Students Without Borders
- 1 in 5 graduates are unemployed
- Want to increase mobility - Trying to promote this but a lot can not go for a year. They had a stakeholder day last year to explore other options e.g. Short Term options. 2 things came out: Accreditation and language
- The project is running until December 2011
- Erasmus numbers have increased but there is no direct evidence that this is linked to the project
- Conducting survey with employers
- Promoting benefits of study abroad to students
- Creation of short term mobility , mobility windows and a more focused approach is key
- European Students Union Best Practice guide will have material from training packages
- Official training pack to be supported by toolkit & launched
Comments from the Strategic Investment Fund Panel:
- AY - How much commitment from institutions for mobility windows?
- Helen O'Shea (HO) commented that agreement across the sector would be good but would probably be by institution. Need to quantify student demand and need to start initiating this earlier, those from non-traditional backgrounds to consider. (Student Ambassador going into schools?) There is an employer demand for students with such experience. A mapping project of number of courses abroad in English would be good as language is seen as a huge barrier.
- DS - The level of work into induction and welcome is high, does the sector recognise this? Could this lead to buy in?
- Heather McKnight (HM) advised only at the beginning but as it rolls out hopefully this will be the case. Institutions signed up to training packages also
- JAm - Supply and demand information would be useful and interesting. IAESTE is always over subscribed. Also, have they explored co-curriculum activity and studies into this?
- HO stated that they are just starting to look into this now
- AY - Gaining credit is very important. Partnerships with institutions lead to this
- JAm - Not just institution to institution accreditation but other exchanging programmes
- IH - Asked about students from under privileged backgrounds
- HO highlighted that short term mobility would give a taster and help this.
University of the West of Scotland
Challenges include:
- Changes to PBS which have been a major challenge to this project and had a major effect on recruitment this year
- As of August, Ayr College will no longer be a part of the project - citing lack of return
- One staff member has left and one off sick - only Steve Gallagher (SG) left working on the project at the moment.
- There was a project underspend year end 2009/10, this should be fully used during 2010/11.
- Had 50 new students in August but these are now all but gone.
- Currently sitting at about 76 applications at the moment (p7 of report)
- 15 applications received this month (May)
Comments from the Strategic Investment Fund Panel:
- CB - What is actual conversion rate?
- SG replied that the College sector tells him high but it is suffering from International English language Testing System (IELTS). Conversions are about 50%
- CB - What about agents?
- SG advised that this has been mixed, however as the project has evolved it has become more open and sharing.
- AY - Would the university continue beyond life of project?
- SG commented that the university is not seeing student benefit yet, not filtered through but is still keen to promote mobility and be involved going forward.
- JAm - Need to look at how applicable the project is to different delivery models. Might be the key to taking it forward
- AY - Theme of working together (to mitigate other circumstances) emerging
- AY - Can the model be applied to home students?
- SG advised that there is possible scope - unsure about the extent.and whether there is a need
- BH - Difference is not guaranteed route but at same time have choices
- DS - What part of PBS caused the problems / what made the project more susceptible?
- SG - Overall perception and lack of PSW
Summary
Points to take away from this meeting:
- Better co-ordination
- A need to join up more
- An event/meeting for project leaders to discuss linkages - SG offered the use of AQ for this
- Possible event if there was to be a future round of projects
- Pocket stories/dissemination event
- DS - Suggested a future funding idea for a project post (person going to all of these to make linkages)