An Exploration of a Higher Education Institution\u27s Response to the Need for Enhanced Engagement with Enterprise

In Irish higher education, there is strong awareness of the potential for, and of, collaboration between higher education, enterprise and communities to contribute to economic renewal and social innovation but this is accompanied by a recognition that ‘higher education institutions could be more dynamic and coherent in their approach to collaboration’ (Department of Education and Skills, 2011, p. 75). This view is echoed by Healy, et al., (2014, p. 6) who assert that … ‘despite the resurgence in business-university collaboration, research reports consistently find that cooperation practices are highly fragmented and uncoordinated’. The role of an engaged, entrepreneurial university is to act as a co-creator of knowledge, informed by, and in collaboration with, external organisations, and to ensure that graduates emerge with the academic excellence, practitioner knowledge and entrepreneurial skills and capabilities which ensure that they are well-placed to identify or create employment opportunities for themselves and to maintain employability. The entrepreneurial orientation of the institution and its graduates, the application of research and innovation toward challenges in society and the prioritisation of output measures such as patent applications, spinoffs and job creation are important elements in ensuring that universities optimise their contribution to society. Guerrero, et al., (2012) emphasise the importance of the entrepreneurial university as incubator to support the translation of ideas and knowledge into valuable and measurable economic initiatives as well as the importance of partnerships with society and industry in informing and supporting the development of knowledge-based entrepreneurship in higher education. Responding to these challenges and building on the outputs and outcomes of the Roadmap for Employment-Academic Partnership project (REAP, 2009), Cork Institute of Technology has established the CIT Extended Campus in order to join up and maximize the benefits of an already actively-engaged institution so that interactions are sought and stimulated, and business intelligence is collected to support the organisation to act entrepreneurially and to build better-informed, broader, mutually beneficial relationships

A Partnership Approach to Work Placement in Higher Education

Abstract There is a perceived gap between traditional university education and a readiness to enter the workforce which is often addressed by the inclusion of a work-based learning experience within the undergraduate education process. The intention of the curriculum designers is that the work placement experience will provide learners with an opportunity to develop their employability skills and to apply the knowledge that they have gained within a practice setting. This practice-focused paper summarises the work conducted under the REAP (Roadmap for Employment-Academic Partnerships) project, illustrating existing practice in work placement and gathering input and experiences from higher education staff and employers. The aim of the work was to explore practice in work placement in undergraduate programmes in Ireland and to develop an outline guide to support good practice. The importance of the work placement interaction in contributing to the development of a broader more sustainable relationship is considered briefly. REAP is a collaborative project funded by the HEA (Higher Education Authority), involving a number of Higher Education institutions in Ireland aimed at developing systems and structures which support good practice in engagement interactions between higher education and enterprise. The research into work placement practice was undertaken in a number of ways. Higher education staff were invited to partake in seminars and workshops. The employers participated mainly by way of a survey with some in-depth interviews providing deeper insights into work placement and other potential interactions. The research allowed a generalised view of the work placement process to be developed and a series of stages with associated practice recommendations were identified. The importance of engagement with the employer before, during and after the placement process was highlighted and the role of the employer as a partner in the learning development underlined

An Investigation of Work Placement in the Hotel Industry: Perceptions from Hoteliers and Students

The changing need of higher education to interface more effectively with industry has been widely documented, as has the rising awareness of those attributes which most benefit graduates seeking employment. A key way in which third-level institutions can build stronger partnerships with employers, and assist their students in postgraduate success, is through the provision of work placements. This paper presents research conducted in relation to work placement in the hotel industry, from the perspective of both hoteliers who facilitated the work placements and students who undertook placements. Primary research was conducted with both hoteliers and students. The findings from the paper illustrate that placement is an important component of third-level programmes and is one of the most vital experiences on which graduates base their career aspirations. There is an onus, therefore, on higher education institutions and employers to ensure that the placement experience is as rewarding as possible for students. Placement provides opportunities for higher education institutions and employers to work together to produce graduates with appropriate knowledge, skills and competence to meet existing and emerging business needs. Work placements also provide opportunities for students to develop soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and multi-tasking skills, which are essential in learning and work situations as well as part of general life skills for employees

Work-Based Learning Symposium Proceedings 2009

Prof. Michael Ward Head, Department of Food Business and Development, University College Cork I am honoured to have been invited to chair this morning’s session. My day job is here in UCC where I’m the Professor and Head of the Department of Food Business and Development and the Director of the Centre for Cooperative Studies. I’ve a particular interest in this work-based learning symposium because I, with my colleagues in both the department and the centre, have been involved in Work-Based Learning initiatives of various kinds over the years. So it is a great pleasure to be invited to chair this morning’s proceedings. This work-based learning symposium is being hosted by CIT in association with UCC. The focus of this Higher Education Authority Strategic Innovation Fund project is on work-based learning opportunities through partnership, which is a particularly important focus. Certainly for any of us who have been involved in this type of activity, we know you’re not going to go far without that focus on partnership and getting the various actors to integrate and work together. The focus is very much on education for those in employment, which might sound very strange this morning in the context of when we turn on the radio we hear all of the people who are unemployed or are losing their jobs on a continuous basis. But, in fact when you think about it, it makes very great sense indeed, because the only way we are going to, “create jobs” is to maintain the jobs that we already have. That can only be done through a focus on upskilling, on training, on preparing for a different world, competitiveness and so on. So, as I said the focus is on partnership, and no better person to welcome us all here this morning than someone who is very much involved in partnership and that is Dr Tom Mullins. Dr Tom Mullins is the Director of the Centre for Adult Continuing Education here in UCC. Prior to taking up that position a little over a year ago, Tom spent most of his academic career in the Department of Education

Making Adult Skills Visible: Implications for Practice and Policy

A number of European Union priorities focus on sustained and shared approaches to making skills visible as well as supporting mobility of workforces within Europe including the integration of migrants and refugees. Supportive, transnational processes for the recognition and validation of learning provide an opportunity to maximise human capital and to benefit labour markets and societies generally leading to improved economic performance. The Visible Skills of Adults (VISKA) is an Erasmus+ Key Action 3 Project, filed under the call priority theme of “Employment and Skills: validation of informal and non-formal learning in Education and Training.” The project partners, from Norway, Iceland, Belgium-Flanders and Ireland will address European and national policy priorities by cooperating to make knowledge, skills and competences of adults more visible through consideration of the practice of validation of informal and non-formal learning and the implementation of some field trials. An initial mapping process of the national contexts has provided a baseline set of data on the existing processes, procedural information and resources related to the validation of learning of migrants /immigrants, refugees and those with low qualifications within partner jurisdictions and subsequently reflected into an EU context prior to implementation of various interventions planned by the project team. This vital relative information provides a context for the action-based interventions and a framework for the evaluation of the outcomes.This paper details the five planned interventions drawn up by the project partners and the positions them in relation to the data collection processes and the potential for the project to contribute to policy at a local, national and European level. It addresses how well these interventions map to the European Guidelines for the Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning and inform the national responses to these guidelines, and previews the project outputs and outcomes The focus of this paper is to detail how the interventions relate to the evaluation of competence of low-skilled, migrants and refugees for the purposes of identifying further opportunities as informed by their existing knowledge, skill and competence

Workplace Learning Courses in Irish Third-Level Colleges

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to ascertain data in relation to courses that are currently on offer in seven third-level institutions in Ireland which include elements of workplace learning. It is intended that the research findings will contribute to the provision of new workplace learning programmes in Irish third-level colleges. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was designed for this research and was administered in seven higher education colleges in Ireland. In total, 433 courses were examined in relation to workplace learning. Findings – The findings illustrate that there is still an over-reliance on the provision of traditional classroom-based courses. The findings further suggest that, for the successful operation of workplace learning programmes, there is scope for developing further employer engagement with higher education colleges in the design, development and delivery of such programmes. Practical implications – As a result of the data collected for this research, recommendations for implementing workplace learning programmes for both third-level education providers and employers are included here. Originality/value – The paper provides value by identifying courses in Irish third-level colleges which include elements of workplace learning and suggests that an attitudinal and cultural shift must be engaged with to overcome the traditional reliance on classroom-based programmes in order to successfully develop new workplace learning programmes

An Exploration of Higher Education Engagement with Small and Medium Enterprise in Ireland

Higher education institutions are increasingly expected to support regional economic development through knowledge generation and exchange in collaboration with enterprise and industry. In many geographies small and medium industries form the backbone of regional economies and present best opportunities for employment and export growth. While it is understood that working with higher education learning and research expertise can contribute to competitiveness and success for small enterprises, the reality is that many enterprises experience barriers to these partnerships (Collier, Grey, & Ahn, 2011). Barriers relating to cultural differences, inaccessibility, resources and funding availabilities have been reported. Dadameah & Costello (2011) report that SMEs lack awareness of what higher education has to offer and lack clarity on who to contact to establish links. In Ireland the agri-food sector is of significant importance, employing in the region of 50,000 people directly, as well as providing the primary outlet for the produce of 128,000 family farms. While it is understood that the technology-intensive information and communications sectors tend to have educational and research links with higher education providers, the researchers sought to explore the extent of those links with the more traditional food sector. The sector accounts for just over half of exports by indigenous manufacturing industries. This study explores the perceptions of employers in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the food sector in the South of Ireland in relation to their interactions with higher education, the potential for their organisation, the barriers to these interactions and key factors which could support the development of broad long-term relationships. The research methodology employed is a semi-structured interview process and this paper reports on the findings from 26 interviews. The interviewees’ awareness of Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) as a higher education provider in the south of Ireland, as well as their expectations and aspirations in relation to interaction with the institute were considered. The research findings indicate a very limited awareness and significant barriers to engagement were reported. Engaging with small and micro enterprises, in particular, presents some challenges for higher education institutions and some recommendations are made for structures, systems and processes in higher education institutions as well as providing a basis for further exploration of university industry interactions and the opportunities for higher education to take intentional steps to enhance and encourage interaction

CIT EXTENDED CAMPUS : Case Studies on Engaged and Entrepreneurial Universities

In 2011 the Department of Education and Skills in Ireland published its forward looking document ‘National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030’. That document focused on restructuring the higher education system as a key action in ensuring Ireland’s Economic Development and the creation of an ‘Innovation Island’. The Strategy document stated that ‘Engagement with the wider community must become more firmly embedded in the mission of higher education institutions’. The same document proposes the designation of some institutes of technology as Technological Universities and emphasises that the new universities should have ‘very strong links with enterprise to create programmes informed by enterprise needs, co-taught by practitioners and academics, with constant renewal and change to ensure relevance… and …a particular focus on meeting the national research agenda of supporting local and regional small and medium-sized enterprises’. In response to this national context, and building on its leadership of two inter-institutional projects at the interface between academia and enterprise, Cork Institute of Technology established the CIT Extended Campus in November 2011. The Extended Campus model is unique in the Irish higher education system as a single point of contact for external organisations seeking to interact with academics and researchers in CIT for graduate formation, workforce development or research and innovation. It provides a stimulus for interaction through case studies and exemplars intended to generate the ‘pull’ from within the enterprise sector. By exploring existing successful interactions it supports the development of good practice pathways and shared institutional learning. The Extended Campus acts as a focal point for the sharing of information and practice on engagement and external organisations and contacts in order to support and contribute to institutional strategy and knowledge

Customised Learning Development - An Exploration of Practice

The development of a world-class base of skills has become the key driver of economic growth in the developed world. There is a recognition that future competitive advantages will only emerge through enhancement of workplace skills. Ireland, in particular, is experiencing a significant economic downturn allied to the competitive challenges posed by more open markets. International and intense competition and technological developments, which are enabling global trading are placing increased pressure for competitiveness and productivity on enterprises. In this kind of climate organisations need to identify the precise areas where they have or can build distinctive strengths that will enable them to compete effectively. In the past, Ireland benefited significantly from the international expansion of markets for trade, capital and labour. Today, with the rapid opening of markets in Eastern Europe and Asia (especially China and India), globalisation presents both opportunities and challenges. The primary source of continuing skilled labour supply is, and will continue to be, achieved through the training, development, and learning of individuals. In effect, from an employer’s perspective, the focus is on workforce (or professional) development – the upskilling and reskilling of an organisation’s employees at a higher level. Changing employment patterns in the organisation of work have impacted on the demand for higher level skills. Employees are expected to be more flexible, have a broader range of skills, and be more competent at managing their own career and development. Graduate-level skills and qualifications are seen as increasingly important in the changing workplace. Knowledge creation and the deployment of new knowledge in the workplace have given rise to the workplace itself being recognised as a site of learning and knowledge production. Brennan (2005) suggests that, if higher education is to continue to make a contribution to the knowledge economy, collaborative learning activities based in and around the workplace should be considered. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are expected to be responsive to the needs of the economy and of the labour market, while at the same time affording citizens the right to appropriate levels of education to sustain economies in stable societies. Langworthy and Turner (2003) describe the University role within a complex process requiring forecasting of emerging workplace skills needs and a trend towards lifelong learning in a model of engaged scholarship. The growing interest in the interface between the higher education sector and the world of work at European Union and national levels is evident as an increasing number of research projects, incentives and initiatives now have a distinct enterprise and labour market focus

University-Industry Collaboration: where to next?

The focus on the third mission of Universities is now some decades old. Boyer’s assertion that ‘theory simply cannot be divorced from practice’ and that any consideration of the role of faculty ‘must give new dignity and new status to the scholarship of application’ (Boyer, 1992) has been embodied in the almost ubiquitous linking of scholarship to real world issues and applications. There is a general acceptance that the knowledge and skills required in existing and emerging labour markets are often not well served by universities while at the same time there is a realisation that these skill requirements are rapidly changing (Muller, 2015). Collaboration between universities and industries is seen as essential to innovation sys-tems, with a number of researchers pointing to the impact of such collaboration on both the company’s ability to innovate and the generation of economic value within the country and the region. In Ireland a plethora of documents and a range of agencies purport to support and incentivise various forms of engage-ment interactions (Department of Education and Skills, 2017, 2016, 2015). Despite the significant apparent importance placed on university enterprise interactions, concrete measures of impact are severely lacking. Focus at a government agency level tends to be on the (relatively few) impact measures associated with technology transfer activity (Knowledge Transfer Ireland) while the myriad of more common interactions such work-placement opportunities for students, industry-based project activity, site visits, cultural and community interactions, subject matter expert seminars and customised and practice-based learning for those in the workplace tend not to attract as much attention. This full range of possible interactions has been the focus of the work of the CIT Extended Campus – a codification of interactions and an engagement mapping exercise provide a valuable perspective on the potential of collaboration across the academic-industry divide. It is recognised that the motivation and ability to collaborate changes with company size, sector and culture. Geography impacts on collaboration with many companies in collaboration with neighbouring universities, however the quality of the university is also a factor (Laursen, Reichstein, & Salter, 2011) (Fitjar & Gjelsvik, 2018). The factors that influence the scale and scope of engagement within a university differ from those which impact from the business perspective and while ‘the cultural divide between universities and industry runs deep’, effective measures can make a lasting difference (Science | Business Innovation Board, 2012). According to the Central Statistics Office over 99% of enterprises in Ireland are SMEs. While Cork Institute of Technology has worked to support interactions with all sectors and sizes of industry partners over many years it is still not clear that local industry has a knowledge of the possibilities and benefits of engaging. Using the initial results of the State of University-Business Cooperation study (Science to Business Mark-ing Research Centre, 2017) as a framework and question guide, a brief review of the motivators and barriers as experienced by small and medium enterprises is conducted and the findings provide some direction for future efforts