Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 70

70 | JADE
ARTICLE #5 | 71
KATHRINE JACKSON, BARBARA DALE, & LOU TAYLOR-MURISON
p.10), where ‘Britain can lead the global technological revolution’
supported by government and commercial investment (Ibid., p.30).
Business, academia and civil society are invited to collaborate on
the innovation and development of new technologies and industries
in ‘areas of strategic importance to our country’ (Ibid., p.23). In its
Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund 2 , funding has been allocated to 6
key areas to drive progress and innovation for creating opportunities
for businesses and sectors across the UK. The fund is part of the
government’s £4.7 billion increase in research and development over
four years and the six key areas are:
• healthcare and medicine
• robotics and artificial intelligence
• batteries for clean and flexible energy storage
• self-driving vehicles
• manufacturing and materials of the future
• satellites and space technology
To achieve this ambition and to position Britain as a world leader,
existing and emerging sectors of the economy will require new skills
and roles fit for the future. In its Strategy, the government set out
its commitment to developing vocational skills, with a high value
placed on apprenticeships for extending opportunity, diversifying
participation and increasing work-place productivity. The Strategy
explains that:
Apprenticeships are a vital UK-wide vehicle for employer investment
in their workforce, enabling employers to develop the skills and
behaviours that they need, as well as offering opportunities for those
already in work and those entering it for the first time. (‘Industrial
Strategy’, 2017, p.120)
‘Research predicts around 1.8 million new jobs will be created
between 2014 and 2024, and 70 per cent of them will be in the
occupations most likely to employ graduates’ (Ibid., p.101). Higher
education institutions therefore have an important role to play in
providing the higher-level skills required for future growth, which
can be achieved through degree apprenticeships and collaborative
working with local employers on specific skills needs.
The government aims to increase the quantity and quality of
apprenticeships and has set a target of 3 million people starting
apprenticeships by 2020. The Apprenticeship Levy (made under
Section 6 of the Finance Act 2016) came into force in April 2017 to
support productivity growth by increasing investment in employee
training. Government strategy is committed to improving the quality
2. Published 8 May 2017.
KEELE UNIVERSITY HIGHER LEVEL SKILLS NEEDS RESEARCH
and reputation of technical education, ‘establishing a technical
education system that rivals the best in the world, to stand alongside
our world-class higher education system’ (Ibid., p.94).
Skills Needs: Local Context
For the final report, research into the local skills needs focused on
Keele University’s immediate market area covered by Stoke-on-Trent
and Staffordshire, Cheshire and Warrington, and The Marches Local
Enterprise Partnerships(LEP). For this summary report, only the
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP area has been considered,
which includes the local authority areas of Newcastle-under-
Lyme, South Staffordshire, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands and
Stoke-on-Trent.
The Department for Education’s publication, 'Social Mobility - Stoke
on Trent Opportunity Area, 2017–2020', states that ‘Stoke-on-Trent is
leading the way in innovative practice in engineering, manufacturing
and digital technologies and was recently recognised as one of the
best cities in the UK to start a business’ (p.5). Science, Technology,
Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills-related opportunities exist
across Stoke-on-Trent, in partnership with Cheshire, in the rail, civil
engineering and construction industries and supported through the
Constellation Partnership 3 (p.11).
Investment in the LEP area of £100m secured ‘Growth Deal’ funding,
can facilitate the development and expansion of ‘high-value priority
industries’, resulting in more skilled jobs in the area, ‘particularly in
advanced manufacturing and technology, but also in logistics and
business & professional services’ (p.29).
In its January 2016 'Skills Action Plan - Priority Sectors Evidence
Summary', Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership
identified advanced manufacturing as having ‘the greatest growth
potential locally’ (p.3), as follows:
• Applied Materials: exploiting opportunities in applied uses for
polymers, ceramics, glasses and composites with local ceramic
and metal industries such as Steelite International, Wedgwood,
Bostik Fuchs Lubricants Michelin;
• Auto-Aero: supply-chain opportunities emerging from global
businesses such as JCB, Michelin, Jaguar Land Rover, Moog, and
Zytek;
3. Ministerial backed partnership between Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire and
Cheshire Local Enterprise Partnerships and their seven Local Authorities, for
plan-led economic development including the delivery of 100,000 new homes
and 120,000 new jobs by 2040, and related investment opportunity linked to
government investment in High Speed 2 (HS2). http://constellationpartnership.
co.uk.