Social Science and the Higher Skills Agenda

Pedagogy for employability

2012-03-16T18:40:00.000Z

The Higher Education Academy have just published a new report Pedagogy for employability written by Ann Pegg, Jeff Waldock, Sonia Hendy-Isaac and Ruth Lawton. It contains a lots of material and case studies that are relevant to the social sciences. Well worth reading.

Graduate employability data

2012-03-11T15:45:00.001Z

The Office of National Statistic has published recent data on graduate employability. Social Scientists perform reasonably well in the earnings rankings, earning above the average for all graduates. Watch a short video of the finding.

The full report can be read here.

Wilson Review recommends more internships

2012-02-29T15:59:00.001Z

That "every full‐time undergraduate student should have the opportunity to experience a structured, university‐approved undergraduate internship during their period of study" is one of the recommendations of the newly published Wilson Review on Business–University Collaboration. Examples of how such learning can be structured for politics students can be found on the placements page of IPED and in the book The Scholarship of Engagement for Politics edited by Steven Curtis and Alasdair Blair.

Farewell FDF

2011-07-21T09:52:00.004+01:00

FDF (Foundation Degree Forward) is set to close at the end of July. Those involved in developing and delivering Foundation Degrees will be aware of the help, support, advice and encouragement provided by FDF over the years. The achievement of the target of 100,000 learners enrolled on Foundation Degrees demonstrates the success of the qualification and its ability to provide attractive learning opportunities to a wide range of people. FDF has done a great job in spearheading this development and, like many others, I 'd like to thank all those involved in the organisation for this.

Journal articles on placements and experiential learning

2011-06-27T17:17:00.001+01:00

IPED – the International Political Education Database – is a new online bibliographic resource that lists peer-review journal articles relating to teaching, learning and assessment in politics, international relations, public administration and related fields. It includes a sub-section relating to ‘Service learning, Placement Learning and Internships’ and another to ‘experiential learning’, both of which should be of interest to readers of this blog.

Policing Conference

2011-05-03T17:12:00.001+01:00

There is a call for paper for the 2011 Higher Education Forum for Learning and Development in Policing conference on “Police Learning: Professionalisation and Partnerships” scheduled for 6-7th September 2011 at The University of Northampton. The conference may be of particular interest to those exploring the implications of the recent Neyroud Review of Police Leadership and Training review Conference themes include:
• Inter professional education and multi-disciplinary policing practice
• Comparative policing: A UK-wide perspective
• Designing and delivering a new professional police service
• Professional policing : meanings, myths and opportunities
• Equality & diversity: In the context of HEI and Force partnerships
• Lessons from the front line. Student officers experience of HE and the relevance to policing practice

For further details on the conference and call for paper contact polcon2011@northampton.ac.uk

PSA Conference - London 2011

2011-04-13T19:58:00.002+01:00

The Political Studies Association Annual Conference takes place in London next week. I will be chairing a panel on ‘Politics as a Professional Education’ which will include papers from Katherine Brown (Kings, London) on ‘A Learning Institution? The politics of Professional Military Education’ and Brid Quinn (Limerick) on ‘Reflection and research: reflection on research’. Other papers that are also of particular interest to those interested in work-based and experiential learning and the social sciences are Sarah Hale (Birkbeck, London) ‘Workplace Politics: Foundation Degrees in Local Government and the Public Sector’, David Bates (Canterbury Christchurch)‘Teaching Engagement’ and Annabel Kiernan (Manchester Met) ‘Connecting communities: Community Engagement and the Big Society at MMU’

New Journal

2011-03-04T16:40:00.000Z

Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning is a new peer-reviewed journal of UVAC. In the first issue John Hayes MP, the Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, provides a welcoming comment and there are articles from authors based in Britain, Ireland and the United States that give the issue an international feel. The second issue is also available online and has another strong set of papers. I should declare an interest as I am a member of the editorial board, but can assure you that I would be promoting it even if I was not.

Citizenship and Politics

2011-02-18T08:15:00.003Z

The latest issue of the Journal of Political Science Education (JPSE) is a special issue on Youth, citizenship and Political Science Education. Many of the articles raise issues that relate to experiential and work-based learning in the context of politics - but will also be of interest to others in the social sciences.

Higher Skills, Global Economy

2011-02-03T13:44:00.004Z

As part of the Politics after Leitch project, we undertook some research into how the agenda for higher education related to broader changes in the global economy. Andrew Gunn (University of Leeds) and I developed this into an article entitled 'Higher skills and the knowledge economy: the challenge of offshoring', which I am pleased to say has just been published in the OECD's journal Higher Education Management and Policy. The paper considers the extent to which offshoring challenges some of the assumptions of policy makers and considers a number of strategies that might be pursued by higher education institutions.

Managing work-based learning

2011-01-25T18:03:00.001Z

As noted in previous posts, successfully developing and managing work-based learning continues to be identified as a challenging area for higher education institutions. A recent publication by members of the PVC Employer Engagement Special Interest Group entitled University management of work-based learning provides a range of insights into how different institutions have addressed some of the challenges. The report is edited by Freda Tallantyre, published by the Higher Education Academy and well worth a read.

Sociology and Employability

2010-09-27T13:20:00.003+01:00

C-SAP have recently published a 60 page report looking at employability and sociology in higher education. "Getting into Work: The Benefits of a Sociology Degree" is written by Max Farrar and Anna Gruszczynska and explores a range of issues such as graduate attributes and the role of community based learning. The relatively high rates of employment for sociology graduates was noted in the 2009 UK Government's Framework for Higher Education 'Higher Ambitions ', so it is useful to see how academics of the subject see the issues.

Some recent QAA publications

2010-08-31T10:53:00.000+01:00

The QAA has published an information bulletin summarising some of the findings from the IQER process relating to Foundation Degrees. While a significant number of areas of good practice and innovation are identified, areas around assessment, work-based learning, student support and public information continue to be areas in which significant scope for improvement is identified. As highlighted in the publication of another recent report by QAA Scotland ‘Making it work – a guidebook to work-based learning’ – the challenges of developing such learning are not unique to Foundation Degrees. There is much still to learn in all these areas.

Policing and Higher Skills

2010-07-26T11:03:00.002+01:00

Much of the higher skills provision delivered by social scientists over the last few years has been in the areas of police training and development. The Higher Education Forum for Learning and Development in Policing was formed a couple of years ago by representatives from HEIs working in this field and now has over twenty institutional members. They are holding their annual conference at UCLAN in September, with speakers from both education and policing sectors. More details can be found on the conference website.

Criminology and Employability

2010-06-27T15:50:00.001+01:00

This event may be of interest.

*Support for student employability: Criminology a case study*

The University of Lincoln would like to invite you or a representative from your institution to our Social Science Careers Information Day on July 14th.

The aim of the event: To help you to better support those students who are considering pursuing a non-vocational degree in one of the ‘Social Science’ subjects, including criminology, politics, sociology and social policy.

This free event includes lunch and is supported through funding awarded for a current C-SAP mini-project.

Background: Lincoln University was awarded funding in 2009 to carry out research into the employability of criminology graduates; we think the results of this research will be helpful to any staff involved in advising students through the university application process or about employability issues.

Programme: We have put together what we hope will be an interesting and entertaining programme including contributions from academics, students, HE careers professionals and alumni. A draft programme is included with this invitation.

Location and time: The event is taking place in the new Enterprise@Lincoln centre at the University of Lincoln. Start time 10am until 3pm.

In order for us to plan the catering please could you book your place at the event by emailing Victoria Worricker at vworricker@lincoln.ac.uk by 30th June.
Please also state if you have any specific dietary requirements.

We look forward to seeing you on July 14th.

Jill Jameson – Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences

Mandy Jones – Head of Opportunities

****************

Draft Programme

Start 9.45 for 10.00

Coffee on registration

Welcome and Introduction to the research project.

What is criminology: Myth and Reality?

• Ice Breaker: What do you think criminology is?
• What employers think criminology is.
• Criminology: The academic discipline.

Coffee

Career aspirations and destinations:

• Undergraduate aspirations.
• DLHE results.
• Alumni destinations.

Employability in the undergraduate criminology curriculum:

• Criminology in the professions: a specialist employability module?
• Student experience.
• ‘Life after criminology’ DVD presentation.

World Café Lunch: Implications for practice beyond criminology…what do you think?

• Pre-entry guidance.
• Employability in the curriculum.
• Graduate careers guidance.

Round-up and departure 15.00 approx

Well Worth Reading

2010-05-27T15:56:00.003+01:00

Those looking for case examples and conceptual discussions of experiential practice orientated learning in politics should look at a recent edited collection by Steven Curtis and Alasdair Blair. Their book The Scholarship of Engagement for Politics: Placement Learning, Citizenship and Employability is published at C-SAP and is can be accessed in e-format for free. It includes sixteen papers exploring practice at a range of higher education institutions and includes some papers written by students, reflecting on their experiences of placement learning.

The third most popular FD choice

2010-04-15T08:26:00.005+01:00

HEFCE have just published the latest edition of Foundation degrees: Key Statistics. Much of the initial focus is on the overall number of students now enrolled on FDs - 99,475 - which is very close to the government's target for 2010-11.

Looking at the stats for subject areas Social Studies come in as the third most popular area for part-time students with 12% of 2008-09 entrants (behind Education and Business and Administrative Studies) and third for full-time students at 10% of entrants (behind Creative Arts and Design). No breakdown is given for the different areas of study within the Social Studies which includes economics, politics, sociology and social work.

Work-based learning survey

2010-03-12T16:45:00.003Z

fdf has commissioned the Student Assessment and Classification Working Group (SACWG) to produce a Guide to good practice in the during 2010.

The Guide will include a series of examples of effective, different or innovative assessment that have been or are being used in this aspect of assessment of Foundation degree students. We are therefore interested in specific examples of assessment practice rather than assessment strategies and policies concerning how work-based learning is or should be assessed.

If you have an example of assessment practice that you would be willing to share with colleagues please complete the brief survey at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=blMEa3qUMepm6dLrVfh8yg_3d_3d

Every example that is included in the Guide will be formally acknowledged with the name of the institution, the title of the Foundation degree concerned and the name of the contact.

If you have any questions about the Guide in particular, or about SACWG more generally, please contact Harvey Woolf at H.Woolf@wlv.ac.uk

Another relevant conference

2010-02-01T11:28:00.003Z

Here is another conference that is likely to be of interest...

Work Based Learning Futures 4 - Work Based Learning: Policy into Practice?
Wednesday 14th April – Thursday 15th April 2010
Middlesex University, Hendon Campus, The Burroughs, Hendon London NW4 4BT

The Work Based Learning Futures conference series began in 2007. Conferences have been organised and hosted alternately by University of Derby Corporate and the Institute for Work Based Learning at Middlesex University.

This conference, to be held at Middlesex University on 14 -15th April 2010, aims to illuminate the relationship between Policy (institutional, regional, national and international) and higher education level Work Based Learning (defined as learning through, at and for work). These policies could then be interrogated from a work based learning perspective and with consideration to the flexibility and capacity of work based learning in higher education to impact in the policy arenas.
Key policy areas which the conference will cover include:
- Higher education funding council policy: ‘Employer Engagement’, Enhancing Learning, Teaching and Assessment, Widening Access.
- Economic and business growth national policy: financing WBL and the position of WBL in the fees debate. Contributions relating to the potential of Work Based Learning to engage with the problems of the current economic downturn and preparing work based learners in coming out of the economic downturn would be particularly welcome.
- EU lifelong learning policy: Developing the Knowledge Economy, Widening Participation in Higher Education through Work Based Learning
- Research policy: research informed curriculum for WBL, Research Councils and WBL research, multi and trans-disciplinarity debates in research

Abstracts (300 words) of papers/workshops are invited by 22nd Feb 2010. Please email your abstract to Natasha Shukla n.shukla@mdx.ac.uk

Confirmation of acceptance of abstracts will be given by 5th March 2010
Three well received and nationally distributed collections of edited papers from the earlier conferences have been published www.uvac.ac.uk and a fourth volume resulting from this conference will be published in 2010 with highlights sent to key policy makers.

To register your interest in the Conference please email Janet Bain j.bain@mdx.ac.uk
The Conference rate is £100 including conference dinner (note that the conference is partly funded by the Centre for Excellence in Work Based Learning)
Work Based Learning Futures 4 is sponsored by the Centre for Excellence at Work Based Learning, Middlesex University and University of Derby Corporate.

ASET Conference 2010

2010-01-15T17:47:00.001Z

Details of the 2010 ASET conference 'Enhancing the Student Experience through Work Based and Placement Learning' and call for papers have now been published. I have never been to an ASET conference myself, but have heard good reports from colleagues who have attended.

Employer Engagement and Employability after the Crash

2009-12-28T22:18:00.002Z

Free to download is the latest copy of Why Social Science Matters published by C-SAP the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics. Issues 2 is focuses on employability and employer engagement issues and includes papers from Patrick Ainley, Annika Coughlin, Vincent Carpentier, Max Farrar, Yiu Tung Suen, Matt Badcock Àngels Trias i Valls and myself. The issues derives from a C-SAP workshop earlier in 2007 and is well worth a read.

Work-based learning and assessment Conference

2009-12-16T21:10:00.001Z

Here is a conference that may be of interest.

Work-based learning and assessment for the next decade

16 – 17 March 2010

Weetwood Hall, Leeds, UK

ALPS’ aim over the past five years has been to increase the confidence and competence of students graduating in health and social care. With a high proportion of many undergraduate courses being taught within practice settings, work-based learning and assessment has increasingly been at the forefront of education development.

The ALPS Conference 2010 will facilitate the dissemination of ALPS’ work and act as a springboard from which programme outputs and embedding projects may be launched. The conference will also:

* identify the trends and potential developments of work-based learning and assessment over the next 10 years
* review current and up-and-coming learning technologies
* highlight factors affecting the employability of graduating students

The Conference will be of interest to all those working in health and social care education, as well as researchers, professionals, and anyone concerned with the future of work-based learning and assessment.

Workshops, roundtable and oral presentations will be focused on one of the two conference themes:

1. Working in partnership to improve employability
* Ensuring and assuring professional competence
* How should Higher Education respond to the changing employment landscape? (e.g., the changing face of the NHS)
* ‘All together now’ – interprofessional working, learning and assessment
* Working in collaboration
* Services for students (support during fieldwork, work experience, practice placements etc.)

2. Learning and assessment in the technological age
* Learning without walls
* Student expectations of learning and assessment
* Mobile learning in a mobile world
* Technology as an enhancement to learning
* Long-arm supervision of students at work-based placements
* Sustainability and scalability of learning and assessment innovations

For details of the conference and registration: http://www.alps-cetl.ac.uk/2010registration.html

Post conference thoughts

2009-11-30T14:50:00.001Z

The last few weeks have been a busy time for conferences, with the fdf Conference in October followed by the UVAC and C-SAP conferences in November. As I mentioned in my last post, I was particularly looking forward to hearing the contrasting views of the Minister of State for Higher Education, David Lammy MP and his shadow John Hayes MP. Unfortunately due to ministerial business David Lammy was unable to attend – a great shame as it would have been an excellent opportunity for the minister to talk with the people who are trying to make the higher skill agenda a reality on a day-to-day basis. The address by John Hayes was long on criticism of current government policy, but rather short on policy proposals to overcome the problems identified. Such is the luxury of opposition.

Party Politics

2009-10-13T20:33:00.000+01:00

With the next general election approaching, the parties are getting busy outlining their policies. Whether they will have the funds available to pay for these is of course another matter, but following on from the Liberal Democrats commitment to 10,000 extra university places and 50,000 extra college places for Foundation degrees (see blog entry for 12th September), the Conservatives have also pledged 10,000 additional university places. From their press release there seems to be no mention of additional Foundation Degree places whether college or university based. However, the point that does interest me is that both parties are proposing these as a response to rising levels of youth unemployment in the current downturn. It’s easy to see the short-term political logic of getting people off the unemployment figures, but less clear how this might relate to a longer term skills strategy aimed at addressing the skills needs of the economy.

Perhaps we shall hear more at the forthcoming UVAC conference where both the Minister of State for Higher Education, David Lammy MP and the Shadow Minister John Hayes MP are scheduled to speak.

Research and Foundation Degrees

2009-09-15T17:45:00.003+01:00

A review of research literature relating to Foundation degrees has recently been published on the fdf website. I've not had a chance to read it all yet - but from what I have seen, it provides an excellent survey of publications up to the start of this year.

Lib Dems Call for Big Expansion of FDs

2009-09-12T20:13:00.000+01:00

Last week the Lib Dems called for 50,000 more Foundation Degree places to be made available to help tackle unemployment among younger adults. Given that they estimate that around 82,000 students were enrolled on these courses in 2008/09, this is substantial commitment to expand numbers. The focus of the proposal is on the FE sector and the proposal specifically refers to “college based foundation degree places”. It is true that around two-thirds of FD students are taught at Further Education Colleges, but much FD provision (particularly for part-time students) is in the university sector and it is important that this is not overlooked. The Lib Dems also propose to make it easier for FECs to gain Foundation Degree awarding powers individually or collectively. My personal view is that the positive approach of the current government towards extending of awarding should be supported. However, I would fear that the scale of what the Lib Dems propose would put quantity before quality and put at risk the reputation of the sector.

HE in FE: Which way forward?

2009-09-04T15:54:00.003+01:00

The TES is reporting that the Ascociation of Colleges have dropped their campaign for a new Bachelor of Vocational Studies degree. I think this is the right decision. Many of us who have been involved with Foundation Degrees over the years know how difficult it has been to establish a new qualification in the minds of the public, employers and colleagues. The Bachelor of Vocational Studies degree might well have faced even greater challenges. There name could easily be confused with BA/BSc courses which they were unlike, while there structure would be similar to exisitng Foundation Degrees (for which colleges can already apply for awarding powers). In addition, the validating 'National Skills University' might have proved to be costly and bureaucratic. Let me emphasise, I have seen excellent examples of higher education delivered in FECs and take the view that they can and should play a greater role in future HE provision. However, I don’t think the Vocational Studies idea was a good one and I’m glad to see that it has been dropped.

Employability - International Dimesions

2009-08-24T12:54:00.004+01:00

Here's news of a one day workshop focusing on international dimensions of graduate employability. Looks interesting.

The FDTL5 Enhancing Graduate Employability Project is delighted to invite you to attend a one-day workshop entitled:

International Dimensions of Graduate Employability: Developing the global citizen

Friday 16th October 2009

Oxford Brookes University

Confirmed Speakers include:

· Brenda Little, Principal Policy Analyst, Centre for Higher Education Research and Information

· Chris Shiel, Director of the Centre for Global Perspectives, Bournemouth University

· David Bagley, Head of Enterprise and Employability, University of Central Lancashire

This workshop will provide an opportunity to:

· Explore institutional approaches to embedding employability

· Explore some key issues surrounding graduate employability with a specific focus on international perspectives

· Consider the demand for graduate skills in a difficult economic climate

· Enable the sharing of best practice within the higher education sector to enhance graduate level employability

Attendance is free of charge but places are limited. The event will be of interest to academics with an interest in employability from across subject disciplines, careers advisors, senior institutional staff and employers.

To register your interest in this workshop please e-mail: hlst@brookes.ac.uk.

Complimentary copies of the following publications will be made available on the day:

“Delivering Graduate Employability:

Case studies in Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism”

Edited by Sarah Graves and Angela Maher

and

“Graduate Employability: Can higher education deliver?”

Angela Maher and Sarah Graves

The workshop is being run by the FDTL5 Enhancing Graduate Employability Project and is supported by the HLST and BMAF Higher Education Academy Subject Centres and the Oxford Brookes University Careers and Employment Service.

The FDTL5 ‘Enhancing Graduate Employability’ project is directed by Oxford Brookes University and funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL). Further detailed information and resources can be found on the project website at www.enhancingemployability.org.uk

Employability in the Curriculum Conference

2009-07-19T18:18:00.005+01:00

Followers of this blog may be interested in a conference just announced by the ceth CETL (Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning) which is developing work around the employability of humanities and social science students.

The announcement and call for papers is below.

Employability in the Curriculum: Beyond the Bolt-on?
First Call for Papers
A ceth conference; www.uclan.ac.uk/ceth

Key Note Speakers so far include:
- Professor Freda Tallantyre (HEA)
- Professor Lee Harvey (Copenhagen Business School)
- Professor Ronald Barnett (Institute of Education, University of London)

The University of Central Lancashire’s Centre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning (ceth) invites you to explore the processes, value, and impact of
different ways of delivering employability within subject curricula and asks
whether we have moved beyond the bolt-on and to what effect?

You are invited to register and to submit a paper.

The main themes we wish to explore include:
• Embedding employability in non-vocational disciplines
• Work-based learning
• Learning spaces and real/realistic work environments
• Employer, community and alumni engagement
• Teaching, identifying and assessing employability skills
• Evaluation and impact
• The voice of the students
Further details can be seen at
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/ahss/ceth/conference.php along with registration
forms and details for submitting a presentation, or call us on 01772 892250.

Janet Lange
Director, ceth at the University of Central Lancashire, jlange@uclan.ac.uk

Applicantion Patterns

2009-07-10T13:11:00.003+01:00

UCAS figures published yesterday for applications to higher education course for 2009-10 show some interesting patterns for applications for social science degrees and foundation degrees.

Overall, there is a rise of 8.1% in applications for BA/BSc course, with politics achieving a 16.7% rise and Sociology a 4.3% rise. Social Policy applications, by contrast, have fallen by 2.8%.

Foundation degrees applications overall show an overall rise of around 20%, but the numbers applying to most social science Foundation degrees that are included in these figures is low. One application for a politics foundation degree and thirty three for sociology. Social Policy once again is rather different with a 64.2% increase in foundation degree applications at 944 overall.

Clearly there are many stories behind these figures. Some foundation degrees may use direct applications and there are technical points about the number of choices made by students on UCAS forms. For me, the key questions are whether the social sciences are making the most of the increased interest by applicants in foundation degree courses? Does the low application rate reflect the lack of interest by applicants in more vocational pathways within our subject areas or a lack attractive provision on our part?

Of course the outcome of all these applications depends in part on the degree to which the government may or may not fund further increases in student numbers – which is of course a political question.

Some words of comfort?

2009-06-24T21:31:00.002+01:00

David Lammy’s speech to the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) is worth a read. The headline message is a defence of the liberal arts within higher education – this being justified on the dual basis that it is both good for the economy and good in itself.

Perhaps the underlying message is ‘don’t fear the swallowing of DIUS by BIS’. Of course, beyond the rhetoric, funding decisions and policy will reveal the real balance of power and priority in the merged department and we will need to wait a little longer to see how that turns out.

For my part, I was interested in the rather traditional conception of higher education that seems to inform the speech. References to “music societies, film clubs, bridge clubs, sports clubs, science clubs, political clubs, voluntary societies, foreign language societies” and the “annual play put on in the German Department” suggest to me a particular type of higher education experience. My hope is that the commitment to a liberal conceptualization of higher education is one that all learners are able to benefit from.

Breaking News

2009-06-05T18:58:00.000+01:00

Following the reports from today's reshuffle it appears that:

DIUS has now been merged into a new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Lord Mandelson is now the Secretary of State in charge of HE

Given the way that things are unfolding in government, I am tempted to think this might have more to do with expediency than strategic policy - but it does mean that HE is now clearly linked to business rather than the rest of education within government. It will be interesting to see if this has any consequences.

Who’s the customer? Who’s the employer?

2009-04-30T21:34:00.001+01:00

Within higher education these days, we often come across the idea that students should be seen as customers. This can sometimes become a rather polemic debate, with the best and worst implications of the term becoming centre stage. However, whether we recoil from the idea of our students seeing our modules as just another item on the supermarket shelf or embrace the notion of students taking a more active role in choosing what and how they want to study, in both cases it is the student who remains at the centre of attention. Contrast this with the idea expressed in the CBI report Stepping Higher (supported by UUK and HEFCE) that we should “re-think that traditional university-student relationship to give employers a central role” (p.11). The dangers of an approach that replaces a student focus with an employer focus is highlighted in a recent paper published in Education and Training by Julie Drake, Joanne Blake and Wayne Swallow. Drawing on a case study of a Foundation Degree produced in partnership by the University of Huddersfield and First Direct, they argue convincingly that the higher skills agenda “has to include engagement of employees rather than just engaging employers” (p.40).

Of course, in some cases, it can be difficult to identify who the employer is at all. In a paper that Sarah Hale and I presented to the Higher Education Academy conference in 2008 we considered the result of work that Sarah had undertaken exploring the experiences of local councillors studying higher education courses. The elected councillors are not ‘employees’ in any normal sense and might well be considered the employers themselves, as they have overall charge of the council. Yet, they are often cast in the role of employees and the object of training and development programmes. If all this shows us anything, it is that the identities of all those involved in the higher skills agenda are perhaps more complicated and fluid than simple definitions may suggest. All the more work for us social scientists to try and make some sense out of then – as both researchers and teachers.

Welcome to ‘Social Science and the Higher Skills Agenda’ (SocSciHi)

2009-03-13T23:18:00.000Z

This is new blog designed to provide an on-going commentary on employer engagement and work-based learning in higher education from the perspective of a social scientist.

The idea for the blog grew out of the C-SAP funded project ‘Politics after Leitch: What can we learn from Foundation Degrees’. The project consisted of a web-based survey of Foundation Degrees based on politics subject content and a series of follow-up interviews to identify examples of good and innovative practice (click here to see the survey results)

In the course of undertaking this project, we generated a range of materials for dissemination relating to FDs based in the area of politics. One option was simply to set-up a website, but this seemed too static an approach for a topic that continues to move forward and which gives rise to such a large amount of discussion and debate. In addition to this, during the project it became clear to me that some of the issues that were being raised would be of interest not just to colleagues teaching politics, government and public management/administration– but also to those in other areas of social science, such as sociology, criminology, social policy and anthropology.

My solution to this - set-up SocSciHi.

On it I will post:

On-going project outputs, including examples of good and innovative practice relating to the higher skills agenda (HSA) and focusing on courses within the social sciences.
Commentary on on-going policy development relating to the implementation of HSA. Since I am a politics academic – this interests me because I both work in HE and like to study how governments work.
Links to and reviews of books, articles and reports that use social science approaches to analyse and critique the HAS.

No doubt, as things unfold, this list will grow and develop.

I welcome your comments, ideas and suggestions and offer the deal that if you follow the blog and join the conversation, I will to post to it at least once a month.

John