BulletinNovember 2015

The

Economy Policy Research

The Bulletin is your one stop shop of research, data, trends and interesting facts that matter to Belfast Met!

It will include some of the latest data and intelligence on business, the economy, education and skills and social inclusion at local and national level.

For further information on any aspect of the Bulletin or if you have a source or a story, please contact: Dot Erskine, Research & Insights Officer,Tel: 028 9026 5113 or email: derskine@belfastmet.ac.uk

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News

New FE Strategy for Northern Ireland – DEL consultation

Policy

We’ll be working with the Department in coming months to ensure that the final strategy fulfils its potential.

The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) has just completed the formal consultation phase on its draft Further Education (FE) Strategy for Northern Ireland.

Of all the important consultations, strategies and reviews that have come from the Department in recent times, this particular consultation is without doubt the most critical. It sought views on a series of 18 policy commitments, grouped under nine key themes:

1. Economic Development

2. Social Inclusion

3. Curriculum Delivery

4. Excellence

5. International Dimension

6. Governance

7. College Partnerships

8. Funding Model and College

Sustainability

9. Promoting the Further

Education Sector

The themes and associated policy commitments are based on the FE sector’s two core purposes – economic development and social inclusion.The College worked closely with the Governing Body in discussing the implications of the document and in formulating an official response. We want to ensure that the new strategy helps shape and guide the sector in much the same way as its predecessor – FE Means Business.

DEL Higher Education ‘Big Conversation’ consultation

Policy

Belfast Met took a full and active role in DEL’s “Big Conversation” exercise that ran over September and October which was aimed at triggering public debate over how we can develop a more viable model of higher education in Northern Ireland. We support the underlying premise that the current funding model used to support Higher Education (HE) is no longer sustainable.

Did you know that FE colleges deliver almost 1/5 (18%) of the total HE in NI! FE colleges have a unique contribution to make in providing locally accessible, cost-effective, vocational and skills-based higher education. This contribution is becoming all the more important given the growing demand for higher level skills.

Belfast Met believes strongly that FE has a distinct place in HE and wants to see a reviewed HE offer that meets the specific needs for higher level skills among a broad range of individuals and employers.

We are continuing to work closely with the other colleges and with the Department to ensure that this potential is realised.

For further information about our consultation responses please contact Catherine Mulvenna, Media and Stakeholder Engagement Advisor on 028 9026 5425.

School Leaver Qualifications

42.3%Just over four out of ten pupils who live in Belfast leave school NOT having attained at least five GCSEs A*-C including English and Maths

Qualifications of School Leavers 2013/14

Area At least 5 GCSEs A*-C

At least 5 GCSEs A*-C inc. English and Maths

Not attaining at least 5 GCSEs A*-C inc. English and Maths

No formal qualifications

ALL NI school leavers

78.6% 63.5% 36.5% 0.8%

Pupil Residence in Belfast District Council area (new)

75.9% 57.7% 42.3% n/a

This is an important indicator for the College to take into account when developing its Curriculum Strategy.

Economy

There has been a 2.9% increase in the proportion of Belfast pupils attaining at least five GCSEs A*-C (including English and Maths) since 2012/13.

In comparison to the NI figure for this indicator, Belfast continues to lie significantly below this average.

Belfast Met is actively involved in making a difference to girls’ attitudes to technology and continues to develop programmes to attract females into IT and other STEM areas.

Research

Funding Opportunities

DEL funding 2015-16

Change Fund • £2M pot secured• Open to bids from all Colleges (potential for Universities too) for

Academy style programmes

Skills Focus • £1M allocation to the 6 Colleges in NI• Level 2 qualification and above (STEM/PSA focus)

INNOVATEUS • £2M allocation to the 6 Colleges• 111 FUSE projects

EU Funding programme opportunities

PEACE IV Four priority areas:1. Shared Education (ERDF €45m)2. Children & Young people (ERDF €50m - €20m of this via Local

Councils) 3. Shared Spaces and Services (€90m - €20m administered via

local councils)4. Civil Society (ERDF €30m - administered via Local Councils)

Erasmus + (2014-2020)

• €16 billion catch-all framework program for education, training, youth and sport.

Other Opportunities • College is registered to receive tender alerts from Business Opportunity Tracker (e-sourcing) and funding alerts via Grantfinder

• Quotations (College is on the select List with a number of companies to tender for contracts)

• KTP (Graduate Training programme)• Innovation Vouchers (bespoke support for product development

with companies)• FUSION projects (Cross-border Graduate Training Programme)

News

For further information on how Belfast Met is aiming to access these funds and opportunities, contact Siobhan Lyons, Head of Business Development on 028 9026 5078 or email slyons@belfastmet.ac.uk

Research

Drawing on recent research carried out by Queens University, the Equality Commission has now updated its 2007 Key Statement on Inequalities in Education in Northern Ireland.

The research focussed on the nine equality grounds (gender, disability, age, dependant status, sexual orientation, racial group, marital status, religious belief and political opinion) with particular consideration to levels of access, attainment, progression and destination.

Key findings indicate that:

• Males have persistently lower levels of attainment than females throughout primary and post primary education;

Equality Commission reports continuing inequality in NI education

• Protestants have persistently lower levels of attainment than Catholics and at GCSE and A level; this gap continues to widen;

• There are fewer male school leavers entering Higher Education than females and this has had an impact on the make-up of the graduate workforce;

• Minority ethnic school-leavers are more than twice as likely to enter unemployment as their white peers.

Specific information on the performance of the Further Education Sector will be made available shortly to staff. A copy of the full research report can be found on the Equality Commission’s website at: http://www.equalityni.org/Footer-Links/News/Delivering-Equality/Key-Inequalities-in-education-Draft-Statement

The Tech Partnership and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, have just published the latest figures on female representation in tech, with the Women in IT Scorecard 2015.

Women in IT

Latest figures from the report show that only 17% of the 1.18m IT specialists working in the UK in 2014 are women. This compares with a figure of 47% for the workforce as a whole. In addition, just one in ten IT Directors are women.

The Scorecard also reveals that female representation within IT occupations ranges from one third (33%) of employees working as Web Design & Development Professionals to less than one in ten (10%) working as IT Directors.

Amongst those employed as Programmers and Software Developers (the largest group of IT specialists), only around one in ten (13%) are women.

To access the full report go to: https://www.thetechpartnership.com/news-events/news/only-one-in-ten-it-directors-are-women-new-research-reveals/

The following tables provide an overview of funding opportunities that Belfast Met is currently aiming to access.

Staff View

Complementing the Learner Survey on the admissions and enrolment process, staff who had been involved were asked to give their feedback via a short survey.

66 members of staff gave us their feedback on what worked well this year and what areas could be improved on.

Learner View August and September are very busy months at Belfast Met in terms of attracting and welcoming new learners to the College. Each year we seek feedback from newly enrolled learners on their experience of the admissions and enrolment process.

This year, 3881 learners, who had enrolled on full time courses, were asked to respond to a short online survey to which, 477 responded. The sample was representative of all Schools with 63% on FE, 27% on HE and 10% on Training Programmes. Comparison with learner feedback on last year’s process indicate that satisfaction levels remain broadly the same with improvement required in some key areas.

Learners were given the opportunity to comment on any aspect of their enrolment experience, whether positive or negative – the main themes coming through were:

Positive Remarks• very helpful staff• positive experience• very satisfied overall• well organised• good process

The Admissions and Enrolments Experience 2015

Just over four out of five learners (81%) said that enrolment gave them a good impression of Belfast Met

Over 90% of learners felt that College staff were polite and courteous and were able to answer their questions

87% said that they had received accurate information about the choice of courses before enrolling

‘The building and the staff were excellent and willing to help me navigate. Overall it was a pleasant experience and I look forward to getting started.’

Over 80% said there were clear signs throughout the building and they were clearly directed from one stage of the enrolment process to the next

£

76% said that paying their fees was straightforward and 90% felt that getting their student card was straight forward

93% had no difficulty finding or getting into the College building and 86% had no problem getting around

What worked well? What could be improved?

Word clouds: Copyright: Tagxedo.com

Research

Improvement Needed• information was unclear/ lacking• queueing system poor• machines for student cards not

working properly • poor signage

Funding Opportunities

Economy

Economy UpdateEach month, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) publishes an economic update summarising the main trends and events arising within the local, national and global economies. Some of the key findings from the October issue indicate:

The full Monthly Economic Update can be downloaded from the DETI website: https://www.detini.gov.uk/publications/deti-monthly-economic-update

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the UK economy to expand by 2.5% in 2015 and 2.2% next year;

• The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in NI has fallen by 11,200 over the past 12 months (to Sept 2015);

• Figures from NI’s Composite Economic Index show an increase of 1.3% in local economic activity over the past year to Q2 2015;

• Construction output rose by 12% over the previous 12 months;

• The Ulster Bank’s monthly Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report shows that private sector business has increased for five consecutive months to September; and

• The NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Q3 Economic Survey indicates that there has been weakening performance reported in both the manufacturing and service sectors.

• 52% of young people and 50% of adults think that relationships between Protestants and Catholics are better now than they were five years ago.

• Nine in ten people say that they can be open about their cultural identity in their neighbourhood, and more than eight in ten say the same about their workplace.

Good Relations Indicators: 2015 Update Report

• 76% of people believe that the culture and traditions of the Catholic community adds to the richness and diversity of Northern Ireland society. A similar proportion (78%) believe this about Protestant culture and traditions, whilst a smaller proportion (59%) believe this about the culture and traditions of people from different Minority Ethnic groups.

The Good Relations Indicator report recently published, presents a range of statistics relating to community relations, including numbers of hate crimes, attitudinal data on Protestant/Catholic relations and attitudes towards mixing in schools, neighbourhoods and the workplace.

It is important for the College to work closely with its local communities and be aware of their cultural diversity to ensure the services offered are the best fit for their needs.

The report is available on the OFMDFM Research Branch website at: http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/good-relations-indicators-2015-report.pdf

Research

Research

Labour Market ReviewBelfast Met has recently commissioned Economic Modelling UK Limited (EMSI) to develop a dataset of labour market profiles and projections that will help the college better understand and respond to changes in the local labour

market through the development of new curriculum. This will help provide insight into the occupation specific demands of industries supported by the College’s new School structure.

Findings from the study will be shared with you between November 2015 and February 2016. Training in interpretation of the dataset will take place to help us develop a curriculum to meet the needs of the local economy.

The feedback will be used by the Learner Services team as part of their annual Admissions Review.

Learner Survey, October 2015Learners at Belfast Met were recently asked to give their views on their college experience so far this term.

This included satisfaction with the quality of teaching and learning, awareness of support services and college policies. We also asked students to tell us the best thing about their course and what could also be improved. Finding from the survey will be made available to all staff in November.

Research

The Learner ProfileResearch

Research

Research

Research

Research

CITB NI Construction Industry Skills StatementCITB NI recently published its Construction Industry Skills Statement. The report indicated that the NI construction industry will need to recruit an average of 1,500 new employees every year between 2015 and 2019 to deliver forecasted construction output.

It also indicated that the annual recruitment requirement would be highest for bricklayers, plant operatives, construction professionals & technical staff, plasterers and wood trades.

For a copy of the full report go to:http://www.citbni.org.uk/Documents/Research/CITB-Annual-Skills-Statement-July-2015-final.aspx

Did you know that 141,778 people were enrolled in the six FE colleges across NI in 2013-14? The infographic below paints the NI picture.

The College works closely with sector skills bodies to provide industry specific skills to both the existing and incoming workforce.

work.shop.play.ie Education & Skills

work.shop.play.ie, the online panel for the urban community across Ireland & Northern Ireland, ran a survey to gather opinions, habits and behaviours relating to education and learning new skills. Belfast Met had the opportunity to pose a number of questions around attitudes to part time study. In terms of deciding where to do a course:

• 72% listed close to home as a key factor;

• 65% listed close to the city/town centre;

• 67% indicated ‘the College that prepares you for work’ as the main influencing factor;

• 66% saw ‘the College is modern/forward thinking’ as main influencing factor; and

• 60% said they would prefer to learn a new skill at an FE College, whilst 44% would prefer to learn at home.

Findings from the survey are already being used by the Marketing and Communications team to inform the development of their marketing strategy. For further information about the survey findings please contact Victoria Clarke, Senior Marketing Officer on 028 9026 5369.

Business DatabaseBelfast Met has recently purchased The Experian Business Directory for the Belfast area. The database contains contact information on 5,147 businesses.

News

Ipsos Mori recently undertook a telephone survey of 201 stakeholders to determine how Belfast Met is currently viewed in terms of its offering and its place in developing the Northern Ireland economy. Topline findings indicate that:

On completion of the survey report, the College will be developing an action plan to ensure continued improvements in delivery of our stakeholder engagement strategy.

DEL FE Leavers Survey 2015DEL commissioned a piece of research to evaluate the ‘added value’ to an individual’s life of completing and achieving a regulated qualification course at a Further Education College in Northern Ireland during the academic year 2013/14.

The telephone survey followed up a sample of 3,861 students, six months after completing and achieving their course. Belfast Met students accounted for 889 respondents representing 23% of the overall sample.

Themes covered in the survey included: changes in participation in employment and learning, the impact of learning and likelihood of undertaking further learning and training at a higher level. Data from the survey is currently being analysed to provide findings at individual College level and will be reported on via the next issue of the Bulletin.

These findings will provide a useful insight into the role of FE and its impact on our local labour market and will act as a basis for how Belfast Met will monitor the destinations of its learners.

News

New Innovation Centre Opening

The new centre forms part of BCC’s Investment Programme pledge to support regeneration by investing in infrastructure which will make it easier for businesses to start up and grow.

The project is part funded by Belfast City Council, Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.

Belfast City Council (BCC) is building an innovation centre for new and emerging businesses at Forthriver Business Park on the Springfield Road in West Belfast. With construction underway, the centre is due to open in 2016.

• Over 80% of stakeholders continue to view the College favourably;

• Just over half of stakeholders interviewed (51%) claim their opinion of Belfast Met has improved compared with two years ago; and

Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey 2015

• At least three quarters of all stakeholders interviewed rate the quality of apprenticeships, training, vocational qualifications and higher education as fairly or very good. A significant proportion of stakeholders (73-74%) also indicated that academic qualifications, employer placements and staff training programmes are fairly or very good.

This includes named contacts for each company, address, telephone number and turnover and employee size band.

For further information contact: Dot Erskine on 028 9026 5113 derskine@belfastmet.ac.uk

For further information call Belfast City Council on 028 9027 0482.

This is an area where we will be working to bring staff and stakeholders a greater level of analysis of our learner and enrolment profile in order to understand our market and serve its needs better. An infographic profile of Belfast Met’s 2014/15 learners will be issued in December.