NEW BUILT ENVIRONMENT PARTNERSHIP WORKS TO BRING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND HIGHER EDUCATION PROVIDERS CLOSER TOGETHER

The event, sponsored by HotProspects, was supported by five Sector Skills Councils: Asset Skills, ConstructionSkills, EU Skills, Lantra and SummitSkills and other key organisations such as the East Midlands Centre for Constructing the Built Environment (EMBCE), the New Technology Initiative (NTI), EU Skills and Leap Ahead Lifelong Learning Network.

The event drew upon five diverse real life case studies of businesses and Higher Education providers already benefiting from successful partnerships through collaborative working. Delegates gained valuable insights into ideas and problems that were converted into bottom-line improvements for companies before being given the opportunity to discuss their own thoughts on how a closer partnership with Higher Education could bring benefits to local businesses.

Cathie Clarke of EMCBE commented “This event was organised by a cross-section of partners from the Built Environment and Higher Education and has proved that collaborative working is definitely the way forward to bring real business benefits to companies and trainers across the sector. 96% of delegates found the event very useful and a clear message was that companies want to see provision at the right level, pitched carefully so it meets the needs of the business with a real-world focus. Jargon is a continual problem – all learning should produce bottom-line improvements and not simply be an academic exercise”

Richard Beamish, chief executive of AssetSkills, who chaired the event commented: “I am looking forward to getting some meaningful actions underway to underpin the positive relationships we know are already in place.”

Drawing on the post-event evaluations, four more events will be held across the region to support businesses and providers in March, April and May. Events will focus on availability of existing higher level skills, practical actions for improved partnerships with providers – getting the right learning to meet the needs of the business and the value a graduate could bring to a businesses bottom line, particularly in these recession-hit times. They will do this by exploring funding for learners, who and how to contact the right people to access appropriate learning, processes and progression options and quantifiable returns on investment through learning. It is hoped the event will encourage employers not only to think about graduate recruitment, but also about utilising other services from within the higher education sector. It will also provide more detailed information on how employees can gain access to higher level qualifications, particularly the new and exciting developments of business focused bite size chunks of accredited learning, Foundation Degrees and Level 4 and 5 NVQs.