REVIEW OF SCOTLAND'S COLLEGES [SLEWG - SG -P03]

WORKING GROUP: STAFFING, LEARNERS & LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

SUB GROUP: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STAFF

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Scottish Funding Council - Funded 'Professional Updating' Programme

1 This paper informs the SLALE sub-group about a programme of pilot projects, funded by SFC, designed to help colleges develop their approach to the technical/subject updating aspect of continuing professional development (CPD) for staff.

Background

2 In 2004, SFEFC (as it was then) commissioned the FE Professional Development Network to do some research to identify key priorities and issues for staff development in colleges over the next 3-5 years. The outcome was a report, published by SFEU: The identification of key priority staff development needs in Scotland's colleges. [1]

3 The report identified several priorities for development, one of which was the need for colleges to find ways to overcome the barriers to integrating subject/technical (or 'professional') updating into CPD processes for teaching and support staff.

4 SFEFC responded to this particular priority by inviting proposals from groups of colleges for project funding to create a range of models which could be mainstreamed within college processes. [2] Four projects were funded, involving 30 colleges in total. [3] These pilots began in May 2005 and will run until December 2006. SFEFC also commissioned the SCRE Centre to conduct an external evaluation of the programme. This is running in parallel with the projects themselves.

The projects

5 Three of the four projects have a geographical focus (west, south-east and east/rural) and the fourth has a subject focus: engineering. The annex to this paper includes a brief description of each project.

6 The projects are designed to help teaching and support staff find opportunities to update their specialist/technical skills (and subject knowledge, where appropriate) as part of their CPD; and to help colleges align their staff development processes to support and encourage this. There is particular emphasis on encouraging staff who have not traditionally sought this type of CPD to do so. The opportunity to develop approaches which can be used across partner colleges has been identified as a key benefit of this programme.

7 Across the projects there is a strong - but not exclusive - focus on work placement activity, largely within industry and in other colleges. The way in which the project groups have approached this varies. For example, one group is testing out a model in which a full-time co-ordinator is appointed jointly by the colleges in the region to source placements; while other groups are creating more devolved models in which the responsibility for identifying opportunities lies with colleges and individuals themselves, supported by an information infrastructure created by the partnership. A key focus for all the projects is the integration of this type of CPD into mainstream college staff development processes.

8 It is a bit early to be able to judge the success of the programme, but initial indications show that outside organisations seem to be very interested in working with colleges and are happy to put time into designing fruitful placements. And individuals who have taken part in placements as part of the pilot programme have reported positive benefits and have valued the 'hands-on' experience.

Beyond the pilot phase

9 The challenge for the coming year is for those colleges involved in the pilot projects to find ways of mainstreaming the outcomes of the programme; and for those colleges not involved to be able to benefit from what has been learned.

10 The leaders of the four projects and SFC staff meet on a six-monthly basis, and the intention is to discuss these sustainability issues more fully at the next meeting in early May.

Recommendation

11 We recommend that the sub-group should take account of these developments, particularly in the context of its deliberations about CPD requirements and training and development for support staff.

Further information

12 Please contact Bill Harvey, Deputy Director, Learning & Teaching, SFC (phone: 0131 313 6513; email: bharvey@sfc.ac.uk) or Helen Gibson, Senior Policy Officer, Learning & Teaching, SFC (phone: 0131 313 6685; email: hgibson@sfc.ac.uk).

Developing a new approach to professional updating

Lead college: Elmwood College

Partner colleges: Angus, Banff & Buchan, Borders, Dundee, Elmwood, Moray, Perth, Dumfries & Galloway colleges

Focus: Outcomes to be open to all college staff across diversity of colleges

Objectives:

· Develop a model of staff development which supports professional and curriculum updating

· Investigate and develop a systematic communications link between colleges and placement opportunities

· Pilot a variety of development opportunities which will ensure that the model is sustainable and can be replicated in other colleges

· Ensure that the system can be embedded in colleges' staff development strategies, plans and processes

Activities:

· Pool existing information on placement opportunities and maintain information on a shared database.

· Establish a system to assist staff to share and implement new skills and ideas.

· Provide opportunities which will include work shadowing, short secondments to other colleges/educational institutions, research opportunities and short term secondments to other relevant organisations.

· Develop procedures to enable staff to access suitable opportunities, to arrange placements, report back and share outcomes.

· Ensure that the technical, professional and specialist skills updating identified will be informed by self evaluation, course/team requirements and staff review.

· Promote ownership of the pilot throughout partner colleges through an appropriate communications strategy.

· Regular evaluation.

Developing the workforce - a collaborative approach to improving the relevance of staff skills

Lead college: Edinburgh's Telford College

Partner colleges: Jewel & Esk Valley, Newbattle Abbey, Oatridge, Stevenson, West Lothian colleges

Focus: Teaching and support staff in Lothian colleges

Objectives:

· To develop an infrastructure within which a collaborative model of accessing relevant industrial updating placements and other CPD opportunities can be trialled and evaluated.

· To provide opportunities for staff to update knowledge and skills through a range of activities including relevant industrial experience, job shadowing, job swapping and secondments.

· To evaluate the impact of these activities on the student experience and on the participating staff e.g. through self-evaluation, performance indicators and HMIE and other internal and external reviews as appropriate. The evaluation will also include a cost benefit analysis of this form of CPD.

· To establish a good practice model for the sector to address the relevance of the skills base of teaching and support staff

Activities:

· Development of infrastructure: short-term employment of a placement co-ordinator; analysis of need; analysis of existing provision; register of suitable activities; development of CPD model.

· Piloting: job swap/job shadow activities carried out; trial of industrial placements.

· Evaluation and development of model into a potential variant which can be mainstreamed within partner colleges at the end of the project.

The Wider Glasgow Colleges Group 'Links with Industry Programme'

Lead college: Cardonald College

Partner colleges: Anniesland, North Glasgow, Langside, GCNS, Central College of Commerce, Stow, GCBP/GCFT (Glasgow Metropolitan), Cumbernauld, Clydebank, John Wheatley and Reid Kerr colleges

Other partners: SFEU; and support from employer led organisations, HE and the Scottish Leadership Foundation

Focus: Geographical focus; all staff functions within partner colleges

Objectives:

· To establish a return to industry placement scheme for all partner colleges that has the potential to provide staff with a means to update their technical/subject knowledge. (Once established, the scheme and infrastructure will be managed by the GCG SDOs Group.)

· To provide access to appropriate staff development designed to meet the needs of individuals.

Activities:

· Second an existing SDO to carry out role of Project Development Officer

· Undertake research to identify key features of existing schemes

· Develop resource pack and guidelines for staff

· Develop one-stop electronic database-driven resource, to be accessed via college intranets

· Establish links with industry/commerce (contacts base), and raise profile of links with industry

· Develop staff development 'Managing your Placement' workshop to raise awareness and help staff with process

· Develop and undertake pilot placements (with ongoing support)

· Establish partnerships between colleges, HEIs and industry/commerce with the potential to inform curriculum development

· Evaluate and disseminate outcomes through SFEU

Enhancing professional practices in engineering

Lead college: Lauder Colleges

Partner colleges: Fife, Glenrothes, North Highland, Reid Kerr colleges

Non-college partners: SFEU, Scottish Engineering, SEMTA, Automotive Skills, Institute of Incorporated Engineers

Focus: Engineering - academic and support staff (with potential to roll out to other subject disciplines in time)

Objectives:

· To design, develop and pilot a professional updating and reflective practice model for Engineering staff working in Scotland's colleges, built on the back of existing systems and processes.

Activities:

· Design and development of supporting documentation and training materials/workshops for participants.

· Design and development of a central online support service offered by SFEU.

· Piloting of model with staff from Engineering disciplines in each partner college.

· Evaluation of impact of model in context of improvement to provision and/or services to learners.

· Sharing of practices and experiences with colleagues across partner colleges.

· Planning further rollout of model to other subject disciplines within partner colleges.

· Dissemination through SFEU channels.

Other information:

· Will build on arrangements already in place to support VQs and MAs in the partner colleges, and will integrate with colleges' arrangements for supporting CPD and SDCR/performance management.

[1] There is a link to the report from the following SFC web page: www.sfc.ac.uk/information/information_learning/supporting_staff_fe.html

[2] See SFEFC circular letter FE/47/04 at www.sfc.ac.uk (information for colleges and universities)

[3] See SFEFC circular letter FE/16/05 at www.sfc.ac.uk (information for colleges and universities)