Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 68

JADE | 68 ARTICLE #5 Title Keele University Higher Level Skills Needs Research Authors Kathrine Jackson, Barbara Dale, & Lou Taylor-Murison DOI http://doi.org/10.21252/ KEELE-0000033 Contact [email protected] Introduction Between January and March 2018, research was carried out by a team from the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Engagement at Keele University into Higher Level Skills needs both nationally and in Staffordshire and the surrounding area. It was planned that this research would be used to inform the development of future higher-level apprentice provision, standard degrees and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities by the university. This research paper gives an overview of the research process and an insight into some of its findings. It will provide a methodology for the research, discussion of the local and national higher skills needs picture and an overview of skills needs relating to government National Strategy areas of focus. This insight into the research process may be useful to other Further Education and Higher Education providers that are looking to expand their course provision in response to local and national skills needs. The paper will also be relevant to HE and FE careers advice and support professionals and lecturers that help students to make decisions about their future careers. Research Project Methodology The first stage of the research was to complete a literature review. This included reading through the government's recently published 'Industrial Strategy' (2017), sector specific reports and relevant local policy documents and reports. These gave a picture of recruitment trends, existing businesses and future opportunities as well as skills needs. The literature review also involved reading through information on degree level apprenticeships from HEFCE 1 and looking at examples of the new apprenticeship standards from level four upwards. This gave the research team an up-to-date knowledge of issues surrounding higher level apprenticeships, skills needs, the government's 'Industrial Strategy' and the economic growth plans of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). After the literature review, it was decided that the final report would focus upon the four 'Grand Challenges' that were identified by the 'Industrial Strategy' (2017): 'AI and the Data Economy', 'Clean Growth', 'The Future of Mobility' and 'An Ageing Society'. The four Grand Challenges were selected as a framing device because these presented significant areas of economic growth for the 1. Higher Education Funding Council for England (closed at the end of March 2018 with many functions continued by the Office for Students, the new regulator of higher education in England, and Research England, the new council within UK Research and Innovation). ARTICLE #5 | 69 KEELE UNIVERSITY HIGHER LEVEL SKILLS NEEDS RESEARCH UK. They are forward looking and encompass a range of existing and upcoming sectors. It was also important that the research focused upon the national picture and then related other sources to this. Keele serves a national market, so its potential higher-level apprenticeship and CPD provision needs to respond to both national and local skills needs. This provision would need to be demand-led and procured through employer partners. This would necessitate different and flexible models of delivery that would have the capacity to resolve any issues of distance. Each of the four Grand Challenges were considered in their own section of the final report. The sections included: 1) A brief introduction to the 'Grand Challenge' to give an idea of its scope, 2) An overview of the sectors which would be/are able to respond to the 'Grand Challenge', 3) An overview of the skills that will be needed to respond to the 'Grand Challenge'. The next section then considered what the local skills needs are, including an indication of how local priority growth sectors link to the 'Grand Challenges’. The local areas considered were: Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, Cheshire and Warrington and The Marches (including Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Herefordshire). Finally, the report made some recommendations upon how to develop future provision that would respond to existing skills gaps as well as some opportunity areas relating to current Keele University provision. Because the research focused upon sector needs relating to the four 'Grand Challenges', it is possible that other more niche skills needs were missed. In the same vein, not all professions that see opportunities and growth moving forward were considered. Further research would therefore need to look specifically at local and national employment trends and growth in niche sectors. There is also variation in the extent to which sectors understand future skills needs and thus, the depth to which they are able to conceptualise them. Due to this and other dependencies in the predictions, the skills needs should be periodically reviewed in line with technological development and market sectoral change. Research Context Skills Needs: National Context The Industrial Strategy (2017) asserts that modern society needs to be built on the firm foundations of ‘the skills of its workers, the quality of the infrastructure, and a fair and predictable business environment’ (p.4). It sets four ‘Grand Challenges’ for government and the wider economy as: 1) artificial intelligence and data revolution, 2) clean growth, 3) the future of mobility, and 4) an ageing society (Ibid.,