Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 72

72 | JADE
ARTICLE #5 | 73
KATHRINE JACKSON, BARBARA DALE, & LOU TAYLOR-MURISON
• Medical Technologies: ‘in which Keele University and its
Science Park are internationally recognised leaders’. Medical
technology and healthcare companies include TRB Chemedica,
Biocomposites, Cobra Biologics and Intelligent Orthopaedics;
• Agri-Tech: increasing the existing ‘global focus on food security
and the agri-plant capacity at JCB’ and nearby Harper Adams
University;
• Energy generation: through diversification into geothermal,
anaerobic digestion, biomass and energy from-waste – Alstom,
ABB, Siemens Wind Power, GE Power Conversion.
('Strategic Economic Plan Part 1 – Strategy', March 2014, p.2)
In addition, for achieving diversity in the local economy, locally
important ‘barometer’ industries also exist and include tourism and
leisure, digital and creative, and professional and business services,
('Skills Action Plan - Priority Sectors Evidence Summary', January
2016, p.4).
With an ambition to grow the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire
economy by 50 per cent over ten years, generating 50,000 new
jobs, the LEP acknowledges the importance of developing ‘a modern
and flexible skills offer which enables all people to accessibly up-skill
and re-skill’ and ‘match the growing needs of Stoke-on-Trent and
Staffordshire’s priority sectors’ (Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire
Enterprise Partnership, 'Strategic Economic Plan Part 1 – Strategy',
March 2014, p.33).
The LEP’s aim of achieving a skilled workforce includes the
development of higher level skills through initiatives for a wider
use of higher apprenticeships; internships and placement schemes
for graduates in local businesses; progression pathways to raise
aspirations of residents to go to University; and by developing career
colleges/University Technical Colleges linked to the local priority
sectors and a leadership & management centre at Keele University
(Ibid., p.35).
In terms of skills gaps, the December 2016 Stoke-on-Trent and
Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership publication entitled 'Skills
Demand and The Labour Market', noted that ‘the Education, Human
Health & Social Work, Manufacturing, Transportation & Storage,
and Professional, Scientific & Technical services industrial sections
stood out as being of significant importance to the Staffordshire &
Stoke-on-Trent economy’ (p.4) and more than half of the skills-needs
referenced by employers are linked to STEM subjects (p.6). The effect
on the area of an ageing society is expected to further strengthen
the ‘human health and social work’ sector, with a potential increase in
demand due to ‘low healthy life expectancies and a growing elderly
population’ in the LEP area (Ibid.).
KEELE UNIVERSITY HIGHER LEVEL SKILLS NEEDS RESEARCH
Findings Overview
AI and the Data Economy
The government's 'Industrial Strategy' sees Artificial Intelligence
(AI) as being a 'fourth industrial revolution' – one of a 'scale, speed
and complexity that is unprecedented'. It is characterised by a
'fusion of technologies that [… are] blurring the lines between the
physical, digital and biological worlds' (2017, p.32). It is expected that
it will have an impact upon nearly every UK sector. However, the
government anticipates that six key business areas will be involved
in the meeting of this grand challenge: cyber security, life sciences,
construction, manufacturing, energy and agricultural technology
(p.40).
Traditionally taught subjects related to this 'grand challenge' are:
mathematics, computer science, ethics and linguists (p.37). The
government plans to invest in maths, digital and technology skills
to help with the achievement of this 'grand challenge' (p.40). To
partially meet this challenge, the government also plan to introduce
technology qualifications called 'T Levels' (p.102). The first post-16 T
levels will be introduced in 2020 and will include Digital, Construction
and Education and Childcare.
The 'Industrial Strategy' establishes three core development areas
that will help the UK to meet this 'grand challenge': 1) Artificial
Intelligence and Machine learning, 2) The Data Revolution and 3)
Digital Technologies and Investment in the Digital Infrastructure.
The area of artificial intelligence [AI] and machine learning will be
used as a brief example of application and skills needs. According
to the 'Growing the Artificial Intelligence Industry in the UK' report
(2017), AI has a range of applications which will support UK economic
growth. Examples include:
• Communicating with computers in natural language
• Deriving new insights from transport data
• Operating autonomous and adaptive robotic systems
• Managing supply chains
• Designing more life-like video games
• Applied AI is already changing business practices across financial
services, law, medicine, accounting, tax, audit, architecture,
consulting, customer service, manufacturing and transport. (p.8)
Priority skills that will be needed within this area to meet these
applications will include: Research and development in artificial
intelligence and virtual reality, Development of virtual reality gaming