Dear Colleagues
**APOLOGIES FOR CROSS POSTING**
The programme for this event in now available – please see attached.
“The Only Way is Up: Using Credit to Build Progression Ladders from FE to HE”
10.30am -3pm on Tuesday 12th June 2012
Higher Education is going through a period of significant change, which is presenting providers with a range of important challenges as well as opportunities. FE Colleges are charged with responding to the new agenda by ensuring more people can benefit from local, flexible and affordable HE. Now, after publication of “New Challenges, New Chances Further Education and Skills System Reform Plan”, BIS has invited collaborative proposals from FE and HE institutions to increase credit accumulation and transfer opportunities across further and higher education. New approaches to collaboration and partnership between FE and HEIs and employers will need to be more market orientated to succeed.
This workshop is a practical, hands on, how to do it event which will bring people from HEIs and FE Colleges together to look at ways of maximising opportunities to support progression from lower levels to qualifications at level 4, 5 and above – within and across FE and HE institutions. There is now an opportunity to maximize the use of credit and credit transfer arrangements to make higher level vocational qualifications achievable, accessible and more attractive to learners and employers.
Understanding how to do this using credit is still not widely understood – and how to make the QCF work to respond to the market is only just beginning. HEIs award their own qualifications and have extensive experience of using credit and the HE FHEQ. However, to date very few have sought Ofqual approval to offer QCF qualifications but there are ways in which HEIs can recognise the value of QCF achievements, without going down the Ofqual approved awarding organisation route.
This workshop will:
· Show you models which illustrate the scope for RPL, APEL, CAT and Exemption arrangements across FE and HE, - focusing on planned and agreed progression pathways across FE/HE using/recognising the value of QCF credits for this purpose
· Show this increases flexibility and personalization, offers cost savings to adult learners and employers- and reaches learners for HE who would not be able to afford and or access HE, with a focus on sectors where there is a mutual FE/HE interest
· Explain how FE and HE funding works to support this approach
· Test the models and explore its practical application with FE and HE representatives attending who are either already trying to work in this way or who have identified a demand and want to know how to make it work within and across institutions. This session is about interpreting the model and implementing (and adapting it) for the mutual benefit of FE ad HE providers and employers and learners.
Opportunities and obstacles will come out in discussion of the model we put forward, and in discussion of implementation. We will address as many of these as possible on the day and write up and publish the outcomes with examples on line within two weeks of the seminar.
Please note: This is not a policy seminar.
Target groups:
Staff in FE Colleges and HEIs with responsibility for partnership working, employer engagement and study at levels 4 and above
This event is being offered in collaboration with Credit Works http://www.creditworks.org.uk/.
Credit Works was established in 2004 to work with and seek to influence the reform of learning and skills in the UK and beyond. They have an unrivalled breadth and depth of experience of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and have good relations with all the major stakeholders in the learning and skills sector and a sound understanding of the policy context in which the sector operates.
Venue details
The seminar will be held between 10.30am -3pm on Tuesday 12th June 2012 at 15Hatfields, Chadwick Court, London SE1 8DJ. The venue is purpose built and ideally located within easy walking distance of Waterloo, Southwark and London Bridge stations.
Cost
£90 SEEC Members
To book a place go to: http://www.seec.org.uk/events/only-way-using-credit-build-progression-ladders-fe-he
Regards
Alison Street
SEEC Administrator
'SEEC - Recognising Learning Through Credit!'
SEEC
PO Box 1241
Enfield
Middlesex
EN1 9UB
Telephone/Fax 020 8617 0568
Registered Charity No. 298544