‘Higher Education for the social good. Funding and policy development in Scotland.’

UALL Conference 2012

University of Cambridge

Rob Mark, Centre for Lifelong Learning,

University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Post-16 Education: wider ambitions for learners in Scotland 1. Green Paper: Building a Smarter Future (2011)

Focus on Further education and skills and community learning & development

2. White Paper: Putting Learners at the Centre: Delivering our Ambitions for Post-16 Education (2011)

• To improve people’s life chances by setting them on the road to sustainable employment

• To ensure everyone including those furthest from the labour market can contribute to and benefit from growth

Pre-legislative paper: Issues in Post 16 reform

• Competitive global economy demands new and different skills • Need to assist citizens to develop a wide range of skills for life and work• Learner focus • How do sectors interact - colleges, skills and training• Support policy ambitions in a range of areas- health and environment; cities and

economic strategy;• Prioritising need of young Scots disproportionately affected by the recession • Limitations for public spending based on UK Government's contraction of public

spending• Need to maximize return of investment• Seeking a unique Scottish solution

Widening access to HE

• Universities to extend links with schools and colleges

• Start preparing young people much earlier in their school career

‘we acknowledge that they key to widening access lies in transforming the life chances of children and their families through effective intervention from pre-birth through to adulthood.’

• ‘Targeting’ on widening access to HE to seek out those with greatest potential

• Improving retention and progression

• Maximize the contribution of community learning and development

Other issues related to adult learning

• Breaking the cycle between low-paid work and benefits

• Meeting the demands of adult learners and for workforce development

• developing new models for employer engagement in curriculum planning e.g. engagement with trade bodies

• Promoting recognised qualifications tested against national standards to meet employer/vocational needs

• Funding for trade unions to help low paid and low skills workers

• Greater use of new technologies to enhance learner choice, support larger learner numbers ( including those in work) and to extend geographical reach

Maintaining Scotland as a Global Leader in University Research

• Promote environment in which Scotland’s highest quality research is regarded as Internationally competitive

• Tackling global challenges and engagement with Research Council and EU research and innovation policy

• Development of technological innovation centres

• Consolidate research funding in smaller number of universities

• Exploitation of university research – effective, well aligned and genuinely joined up knowledge exchange

• Q- Is there an opportunity for Lifelong learning to play a role?

Recurring themes and challenges in Responses to White Paper

• Improving and enhancing the experience of the learner

• Providing for the needs of more vulnerable learner cohorts such as those with additional support needs

• How best to implement reforms amidst a challenging economic climate with funding constraints

• Continuous recognition of support for clear and accessible information, advice and guidance

• New more improved collaborative working across the post-16 landscape to better serve learners

Fair and Affordable Student Support Arrangements

• Develop proposals for the simplification of the HE student support system

• Provision of a minimum income guarantee of at least £7,000 for lowest income students

• New post-graduate student allowance scheme

• Ask SFC to consider introducing funding models for regional universities taking into account the demography and economy of the region

• Develop new part-time policy proposals considering how we can clarify the balance between the student and /or institutional support

Funding Proposals Affecting Adult Learners • Individual Learning Accounts (ILA’s) £200 annually available to eligible

applications for approved training• SG spent £12 million in 2010-11. Estimated 40,000 awards allocated. • SFC looking at allocation of funding for colleges on a regional bias is according to

the level of need amongst key target groups.• Outcome agreements to widen participation with regional groupings of colleges-

colleges to monitor and report progress in relation to the recruitment and progression of students who reside in the most deprived areas within a protected characteristic group.

• Outcome agreements to widen participation across the university sector from 2012-12 – to deliver more efficient progression for learners through further and higher education –e.g. HN completion rates and progression to align with planned articulation intake of universities within the region; joint quality assurance between colleges and universities to assist guaranteed progression;

• outcome agreements already exist with post- 1992 institutions – 8 institutions to deliver 2.4% increase in participation of students from most deprived postcodes and 6% improvement in their retention.

Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and Maximizing Impact

• Over past 3 years SFC has developed a clear evolution in policy and strategy on widening access

• Recognising differences within the sector and contextualising impact SFC wants to see – institutions are not the same and challenges are different

• Targeting funding to drive certain behaviours

• Ensuring best value and moving from short-term strategic investment to whole institution commitments to widening access, equality and diversity

• more efficient learning journeys- more coherent and planned provision between universities and other providers within a region

• Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL) Submission

Your Views?