Project details: Employer Engagement Initiative
Research Team
1. Professor Alison Fuller (Director)
2. Dr Brenda Johnston (Co-Director)
Funding Body
HEFCE via LATEU
Duration
September 2008 - August 2010
Description
A team within the School of Education has been appointed to evaluate the Employer Engagement Initiative (EEI) at the University of Southampton. Rather than providing only summative evaluation when the Initiative has ended, a team has been engaged to provide ongoing formative evaluation throughout the period of the Initiative. The aim of the evaluators in the early stages of the evaluation is to focus on the future and development of the Initiative by acting as a ‘critical friend’. The evaluators are Professor Alison Fuller and Dr Brenda Johnston, based in the School of Education. Their remit is to evaluate the changes arising out of EEI project activity, including exploration of cultural change (e.g. factors inhibiting/facilitating cultural change as regards employer engagement, and the mixed goals for the main people involved). The aim is to identify ‘lessons learned’ and their implications for strengthening the Initiative.
The EEI, funded by HEFCE, aims to increase the University’s ability to offer flexible education in order to facilitate employee learning, address employer needs, and contribute to the long-term development of the University. It will do this via a range of inter-related initiatives which aim to develop:
The initiatives include the development of pilot flexible programmes of learning at Masters level as well as Sector Springboards which develop closer contacts with employers in areas where the University has existing expertise. In the long-term, the innovation projects should increase the University’s ability to develop work-based learning, online/distance learning and flexible programmes at Masters level.
