After three years of development in partnership with two other HEI's, employers and related organisations the University of Wolverhampton launched its Foundation Degree in Travel Operations Management in September 2008. The course was designed to be a pilot for a national programme and the institution is now leading the Curriculum Development element of the national product, in partnership with FDF. This workshop explores the journey so far and the trials and tribulations of developing a work based Foundation Degree in association with two other HEI’s, employers and related organisations. It is delivered on-line using Pebble Pad technology and supported by a face to face induction with ongoing email and telephone tutorials. The first cohort of 60 students is nearing the end of the first year of the programme, and the process has highlighted a number of difficulties including resources in planning and developing on line learning materials (both the materials themselves, the costs of technical expertise and ongoing Technology Supported Learning (TSL) training). In addition agreeing the programme regulations (including the size of modules); agreements in financial arrangements between employers and the HEI partners (each of which have different rates of pricing for FD); preparing industry personnel for their mentoring and coaching roles and changing personnel in supporting organisations contributed to the issues. Finally ensuring compliance with sector skills organisations who have not yet written their FD frameworks; industry partners frustration in timely decision making processes through the complicated list of personnel involved in agreeing decisions at different strategic levels of the university structures contribute to periods of frustration. By sharing these experiences and the current experience of being involved in the development of a wider partnership the authors hope to prevent future problems that may arise in innovative developments and to share the good practice that the programme has so far established, and which will from September 2008, be delivered using a broader national model
