What do employers want? The clear articulation of needs

1. What do employers want? The clear articulation of needs Case Study: Learning Pathways for Housing Practitioners Martin McNally

2. Overview • What is Learning Pathways for Housing Practitioners? • How did it come about? • How does it work? • How does it facilitate the articulation of employer need? • Where we are up to? • Who are the stakeholders? • Group work!

3. How did it come about? • North West Housing Management Best Practice vision to accredit work based practice to recognised qualifications • Championed by core group of employers • The changing policy context and multidisciplinary role of the social housing sector • Employer need for a flexible / blended approach (not day release) that links directly to work based practice • The need for a ‘different’ kind of provision • where learner are sensitised to their own learning preferences • critical reflection is central to action planning for improving individual and organisational performance • The recommendations of the Leach Review of Skills (2006)

4. What is Learning Pathways for Housing Practitioners? • A highly flexible programme of learning for housing practitioners • Uses the University of Chester tried and tested Work Based and Integrative Studies (WBIS) framework • It harnesses work based practice to contribute to accredited higher education awards • Content shaped and delivered in partnership with senior housing sector professionals • Developed in line with Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) expectations for corporate membership

5. Work Based and Integrative Studies (WBIS) • University of Chester recognised specialist in the delivery of WBIS • Used to help mature work based learners since early 90’s • Provides a framework for delivery of genuinely negotiated learning, tailored to individual and organisational need • Uses critical reflection to development knowledge and improve performance

6. Work Based and Integrative Studies (WBIS) • Blended learning – using a virtual learning environment (VLE), one / two day workshops, tutorial support, work based mentoring … • Flexible routes for progression from Foundation level through Professional Doctorate • Strong emphasis on formative assessment • Develops reflective practitioners

7. Facilitating employer needs • Highly flexible • Content is shaped and delivered by employers – Learning Pathways Curriculum Development Group • WBIS enables employer training and development programmes to be accredited to recognised awards • Expert practitioners delivery modules as Associate Tutors of the University of Chester • Individual learning pathways are possible through negotiated experiential learning modules (NELMs)

8. Facilitating employer needs • APEL and APCL can contribute up to 50% of an award • Uses approaches which are designed to empower individuals who are returning to learning • Flexible and self paced

9. Where are we up to?

10. Housing Management Law • Professional Certificate • (60 Credits) • Other Ways of Obtaining • 60 Credits • Leadership and Management Professional Certificate • (60 Credits) • Supported Housing • (60 Credits) Homelessness L4 20c Financial Inclusion (L5 20c) Allocations & Lettings (L4 20c) Learning Pathways for Housing Practitioners Foundation Degree Improving Service Through Effective Performance Management L5 20c • Strategies for Effective Workplace Leadership • (L4 20c) • Aids & Adaptations • (l4 20c) • Existing WBIS Modules • Accredited Prior Learning • (APL / APEL) • Negotiated Experiential Learning Module • (NELM) • Managing Performance • (L4 20c) • Introduction to Housing Law • (L4 20c) • Partnership Working • (L4 20c) • Working with Vulnerable tenants • (L4 20c) • Principles, Processes and Skills of Coaching • (L4 20c) • Older Persons Housing • (l4 20c) • Tenancy Management • (l5 20c)` • Community Safety • (L5 20c) • Asset & Estate Management • (lL5 20c) Intelligent Sustainability in a Low Carbon Environment L4 20c

11. The Stakeholders

12. Successes, challenges and lessons learnt • Successes • the level of employer engagement and commitment • opening up of a genuine dialogue with employers and their networks • the speed of development • the shared vision for the Foundation Degree • CIH dialogue and working toward accredited centre validation • two professional certificates up and running • the ‘widening access to learning’ attributes of WBIS • use of different elements to assess learners

13. Successes, challenges and lessons learnt • Challenges and lessons learnt • dealing with learner confidence and self esteem and developing their academic / study skills • learners getting to grips with being critically reflective • achieving (unrealistic?) targets! • institutional commitment to sustaining and mainstreaming Learning Pathways • securing resources • managing institutional norms and ways of doing things

14. Group Work!How to facilitate the articulation of employers’ needs • Individually (5 minutes) • What do you consider are the likely • successes • good practices • barriers and • challenges in identifying and delivering what employers want? • Groups of 7/8 discuss and select what you think are the top 3 key issues from each of the above ( 15 minutes) • Each group presents their top three (5 minutes each)