Research highlights success of Centres of Vocational Excellence

Citation

(2003), "Research highlights success of Centres of Vocational Excellence", Education + Training, Vol. 45 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2003.00445cab.005

Research highlights success of Centres of Vocational Excellence

Research highlights success of Centres of Vocational Excellence

Independent research into the Learning and Skills Council's Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) programme shows that it is good for learners, staff and local and regional employers. Some 150 colleges and extension providers have been brought into the programme, the key objectives of which are to develop and strengthen new approaches to meeting the country's skills needs, to enhance the standing of training providers with employers, to encourage collaboration and to promote the concept of excellence in economically relevant vocational specialisms.

Evaluation of the first 16 pathfinder CoVEs, established last July, reveals that they are setting the standards for the programme and helping the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to develop the levels of support necessary to establish the main CoVE programme. They are also being used to test arrangements for monitoring and evaluating as well as providing mentoring support and disseminating good practice. According to the research, learners are proud to be part of the CoVE programme, feel they are getting a high standard of education and believe that attending a CoVE improves their employment prospects.

Staff believe that they have good relationships with their students. CoVE status boosts staff confidence and allows them to think more strategically. The programme encourages them to develop innovative partnerships with employers, and encourages them to seek new ways of improving teaching and learning. Employers view CoVE lecturers as industry experts, with a pragmatic approach to learning. An overriding feature of pathfinder CoVEs is that staff have contact with, and knowledge of, local and regional employers. The relationship between employers and CoVE staff features a strong sense of mutual understanding and eagerness to develop relationships and practices to benefit both parties. Moreover, close ties with industry and co-operation between college staff and employers present huge benefits for learners. The focus on employer expectations is helpful for students who are not work-based.

John Harwood, LSC chief executive, said the research findings were encouraging and indicated that the programme was having its intended impact. "The CoVE programme is designed to strengthen the responsiveness of further-education and training providers to the skill needs of employers in their region", he said. "These findings show that employers, as well as learners and staff, appreciate its importance and the effect it can have in raising standards of vocational learning. This will, in turn, provide companies with the workforces they need to improve competitiveness and profitability. What is particularly encouraging is the clear evidence that employers and colleges are now working together to develop even closer links and are sharing resources for mutual benefit."

A total of 400 centres will be created within further-education colleges and extension providers of work-based learning by 2006.