Live blog: Education and Employers Taskforce Research
Conference 2010
The point of partnership: understanding employer engagement in
education
Wrap-up
What a day. 135 delegates, from all walks of employer-education
life, 24 high-quality presentations, and two sobering but inspiring
big-picture keynote addresses. To get a blow-by-blow account,
scroll down the page. If I had a single takeaway message, it would
be the number of people who commented on how good it was to see
such a balanced mix of different stakeholder groups, and how well
the presentations managed to appeal to academics, brokers,
practitioners and policy-makers alike.
For a blow-by-blow account, scroll down this
page. You can also check
out:
Thanks to all who attended, and especially our
speakers, sponsors and hosts. We hope that this is the start of a
new community of interest: watch this space for
more...
10.45 am
Hello, this is Dave, Christian and Ashley from the Education and
Employers Taskforce. Welcome to the Taskforce Research Conference
Liveblog. The aim of this blog is to allow as many people as
possible to follow the events of the day in real(ish) time, and to
have an as-it-happens record after the day is done. We will be
bringing you highlights from presentations, links to other relevant
research, and anything else that we think will give a good flavour
of the conference.
The aim of this conference is to help foster a community of
interest around employer engagement in education, bringing together
academics, analysts, teachers, employers, brokers, policy-makers
and other stakeholders. With the esteemed organisations and
presentations today we have no doubt it will be a great day
discussing the issues and topics at hand.
11.20am
Wow. If I had to use one word about Prof. Hugh Lauder's
opening keynote, it would be 'sobering'. Hugh is one of the
foremost experts on global labour markets and skills formation, and
the picture he painted of this country's economic prospects
suggested that there is big thinking to be done at all levels if we
are to remain competitive.
The models Hugh referred to from his research around the world
suggested that there are various possible models for ensuring
successful skills formation - look out on his slides for the
fascinating section on 'inside out' approaches in India, where
great leaps forward are being made without the kind of
infrastructure long assumed to be a prerequisite.
The relevance if this context to education-employer engagement
is manifold, and something we will elaborate on throughout the day.
I was particularly interested that Graham Lane, Chair of Chairs of
the Diploma Development Partnerships, did not use the word
'sobering' as he walked past our log station - his choice was
'inspiring' (though it was said with a sober look!)
It is heartening that Hugh sees such value in this conference
today, and more importantly in the idea of increased and improved
dialogue and partnership between education and employers. For a
summary of this, see his foreword to the 2nd edition of What is to be gained.
11.30am
Hugh's slides are here.
12:00
Just finished listening to Louise Archer of Kings College speak
about 'aspiration' -- a term used to describe how youth
conceptualise their future achievement and role in the workforce-
also one that is a bit controversial in it connotation. Much of her
research focuses on the complex structural layers that inform a
child's or student's aspirations. A great point of this is that the
challenge of employers and educators even, in trying to tackle
inequality not just between students but between popularity of
professions and sectors, what is seen as 'creative' or 'successful'
or 'intellectual'.
Particularly she covered the issue of science, maths, and
technology, and what these topics 'are' and 'where they can take
you' and how these perceptions alone, built by teachers, parents,
community, even employers funnel students' aspirations. She also
spoke about the issue of cultural identity on the whole [she
references her paper 'Challenging Classes? :
Exploring the Role of Social Class within the Identities and
Achievement of British Chinese Pupils'].
It's a decently complicated area and has many empirical
challenges in isolating these influences, but Louise has done a lot
of work on this topic that you cna see in the video of her
presentation. Off to lunch and another session for now, we hope
to report back with more in a bit.
12.30pm
Chris Percy, Taskforce analyst, has just been talking
about the link between part-time working during years 9 to 11 and
time spent NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Chris's
analysis uses a very large dataset to see the link between the two,
and suggests that there is a strong correlation between a small
number of weekly hours' paid work and reduced time NEET, though
interestingly this effect does not apply to young people from the
most deprived backgrounds.
Right, we all badly need a bit of lunch. Ashley is salivating
over the fried brie wedges with chutney... See you again in half an
hour or so.
12.40pm
We're also busy rendering the video from earlier in the day, so
keep an eye out for some audivisual content this afternoon...
1.15pm
Comments from our first Keynote, Hugh Lauder, of the University
of Bath are avaialbel here
And now to the post-lunch sessions; will be hearing about new
graduates and employability skills, benefits of employer
engagement, and strategic placement of talent and skills within
organisations...
1.50pm
For anyone who would like to see the papers that today's
presentations are based on, we are putting them up on the Conference Programme page as they
come in.
2.15pm
Pat Morton of Sheffield Hallam University has just finished
talking about progammes designed to encourage more women into
STEM careers. Has the 'huge programme' of activity, much of it
engaging employers, worked? Work experience can have a real
impact on pupils - if handled right, but it is very strongly
gendered - 95 per cent of engineering WEX goes to boys, and the
segregation effect is greatest in the most disadvantaged
schools. And in sum, class reproduces through work experience
- working class children get what working class placements. Sue
also outlined how families are of real importance in determining
access to WEX placements.
Pat reported back on the impact of the highly managed WEX scheme
run in South Yorkshire - and the way Diplomas have been a means to
address inequalities and imbalances in placements and so gender
stereotyping. Arrangements work best where schools and EBPOs
work closely together to source placements; employers actively
manage placements (and SMEs can do it as well large ones). This all
raises the question of whether our national infrastructure is
equipped to challenge the effects of inequalities and to offer
young people information, encouragement and networks that help
nurture the breadth of career choices and turn them into a
reality.
3.00 pm
Ah, employability skills. I was very keen on seeing this session
as being not too far of the recent-graduate path myself. Kevin
Lowden of the Univeristy of Glasglow presented his research built
around ongoing case studies with employers, and what they look for
in graudates, and how this corresponds with education. The paper is
not published as of yet, but had points about the need for
extracurricular and how universities need to encourage students to
understand the transferability of their skills, and how to frame
them in a applicable way for employers.
I think this is tremendously important and one thing that not
only that session demonstrated but a theme in my own experience.
Its often echoed the need not just for narrowed technical skill,
but employers seeking out soft skills - leadership, communication,
time management, decision making. What has become my question is
the quickest and highest impact way to communicate these skills to
employers, and other than these old methods of cover letters and
CVs boasting diverse involvement in 'extra-curricular
activites'. It's curious to know how employers actually do
clock these in recruitment. These are all issues that The
Education and Employers Taskforce actually outline in the "What is to be Gained?" research
paper on relationships between academic institutions.
I am actually excited to read the final paper from Mr Lowden.
Employability often sparks the notion of someone who will do well
in the work place, but as he spoke about today, it is also about
what these perceptions are with employers -- what experiences bring
the right 'skills'? How do they define those skills? Hopefully this
will lead to telling information on what is and isn't working in
the recruitment process for graduates that can be incorporated into
the mission of our own organisation in bridging that gap...
3.25pm
NEW VIDEO: Julian Stanley, the new head of the CEI at University
of Warwick (our kind hosts) tells the camera about the CEI, and the role
employer engagement can increase social mobility, and the need for
further research.
Julian also has this to say on the session he chaired this
afternoon:
"Very exciting session on school-based WRL (Work-related
learning) in Canada, It revealed the strength of a local
school-based system driven by teachers with strong links to
vocational practice. Programmes include skills development,
employability development, and lots of authetic, real-world tasks.
The system is very successful at supporting the progress of
students into part-time and full-time employment. The Q&A then
explored the possible policy implications for England.
Stephanie Allais's presentation had an even more international
approach. It presented a great opportunity to find out about the
global sread of National Qualifications Frameworks, and to gain
critical insight into the extent to which they are meeting their
objectives. The evidence suggests that in most countries NQFs are
not delivering higher skills, or more valid qualifications, or
indeed better employer inputs. Only in Scotland does the NQF appear
to be working well, in large part because there is such a strong
input from the institutions involved in teachig, trainging and
qualification design."
4.45pm
Hans van der Loo, from Shell and the European Round Table of
Industrialists, warned everyone of the resource pressure in the
future and the need for long, 20 year "pipelines" all through
school and university to bring in the best talent - which, he
explained, can only succeed through education-employer
partnerships.
This final keynote speech echoed the
challenges of the first. With the challenges of
globalisation, resource and uneven job markets, it is easy to be
pessimistic. But Hans brought good news of a new European
Coordinating Body, bringing new resource and the sharing of ideas
across Europe in this important area. Too early for confidence
perhaps, but the talks throughout the day and the interest from the
highest levels of government in Europe give good reason for
optimism.
4.55 pm
It turns out that Nick Chambers, Director of the
Taskforce, once brought a group of his school students to an
eco-car competition that Shell still runs today. Needless to say,
his team didn't quite manage the 3880 km/litre record of eco-cars
at Shell. Back to the drawing board, Nick.
5.30 pm
Hans Van der Loo talked about the need to nurture and sustain
talent, especially the ingenuity and innovation needed to overcome
the worlds challenges. However, it brings up the question as to
what about all the over-qualified and underpaid graduates now going
into the workforce? There is an issue of providing more
opportunity where there is none, but recognising as well, that
ingenuity and innovation in a busted economy is hardly
rewarded.
This at least stood out to me (Ashley) as a large issue in the
current market. We all talk at length about the gaps in the
education system, those which do not allow us to reach our greatest
potential, yet the recruitment for professional careers
is stagnant, regimented, and limiting. In my experience and
often voiced among those I know who are desperate for work, well
below their pay grade, they are simply too scared to risk breaking
the hiring culture that is encouraged in school: write a cover
letter with XYZ points, have a CV that emphasies A and B but not C
or D, and in your interview answer questions accordingly.
If we're teaching an equation and using an equation to hire, and
find talent, how can we expect it to highlight the soft skills that
are being oft spoken about for the market: creativity, reasoning
skills, versatile communication, or even leadership. For me, the
start of his talk certainly spurred my question for employers as to
how they are sowing creativity and innovation; I thought I hope to
detail further in my own blog.
6.00 pm
The conference has drawn to a close with the esteemed Hans Van
der Loo, Vice President, EU Liaison for Shell International,
ending the day with a talk that harked back to Hugh
Lauder's opener, drawing the discussion on Skills formation back to
the broader context of global challenges. While Hugh
looked at Britain's economic challenges, Hans discussed the
problems of climate change, resource scarcity and growing
populations as a background it is so vital that STEM
employers manage the 'talent pipeline' proactively.
Fostering and strategically utilising skills, talent,
and ingenuity is essential to a sustainable future,
not just the green kind, but societal and cultural too.
Hans emphasised the need to build 'unusual
coalitions', between governments, schools, citizen groups,
academia and industry, in order to tackle long-term
systemic problems in a pragmatic yet progressive way.
Hans is sherpa to Shell International's CEO on the European
Roundtable of Industrialists, whose recommendation for a
Europe-wide coordinating body for STEM employer-education
links will be implemented in January 2011. This body will have
9million Euros of funding over three years, partly from the EU and
partly from major STEM employers, in order to consolidate links in
the sector, collate reserach and spread best practice. To find out
more, download Hans's powerpoint presentation.