Delivering Success For Your College Through International Skills Partnerships 27 and 28 June 2013

Delivering Success For Your College Through International Skills Partnerships

27 and 28 June 2013

Overview of the Day

1025–1125 Session 1: Introduction to International Skills Partnerships

1140–1300 Session 2: Getting Started

1345–1425 Session 3: Making a Success of Your International Skills Partnership

1425–1520 Session 4: International Skills Partnership Opportunities

1520–1600 Questions and Discussion

Objectives

By the end of the workshop you will have gained an understanding of:

• what benefits can be delivered by international skills partnerships

• the different kind of partnerships and the processes involved

• how to write a strong application for a travel grant

• how to write a strong project proposal

• what makes a good partnership

• specific partnership opportunities

• what your organisation’s next steps might be

• the support and guidance available to take your partnership work forward

Introductions

Session 1Introduction to International Skills Partnerships

What are international skills partnerships?

• Pre-commercial output-focussed partnerships between consortia of institutions in the UK and counterparts overseas that pilot new approaches to furthering skills development and employability

• Typically funded for 12 months, typically funded to around £15000

• Emphasis on sharing knowledge and experience

• Project plan with clear deliverables

• Priority sectors and themes

• Managed, supported and evaluated by British Council

• Integrated partnership approach

• Key aims: innovation, mutuality, impact, sustainability

• Since 2008, British Council has facilitated some 70 partnerships with over 30 countries

What are international skills partnerships not?

• Generally a one-to-one, college-to-college partnership

• Short-term

• Generally a quick win

• A low maintenance, marginal activity

• About student recruitment

• Primarily about cultural relations

• Primarily about mobility

• Inward-looking, impacting on only those directly involved

• About gaining advantage over other colleges in a limited international market

Exercise: Benefits Working in groups please share your colleges motivations in considering

engaging in international skills partnerships

Benefits

• Motivate and capacity-build students and staff

• Enrich your college’s culture

• Enhance your college’s profile and reputation, in the UK and internationally

• Enhance your college’s approach to skills development, including in the area of curriculum development, quality assurance and employer engagement, across different thematic areas and sectors

• Build relationships with other organisations including employers in the UK and internationally

• Build a strong presence and rewarding presence in the partner country

• Identify new business opportunities

• Contribute to the development of skills and employability in the UK and the partner country

“International skills partnerships are the most effective kind of staff

development in the world.”

Joanne Wallace,

Head of International Collaboration and Partnerships,

Bradford College

“International partnerships are the future of education. Careers will be

global, so gaining cultural appreciation is hugely beneficial to

my students.”

Marion Plant

Principal

North Warwickshire and Hinkley College

“British Council has truly helped us to develop on a global basis.”

Sanjeev Ohri,

Director of Worldwide Operations,

Dudley College

What is British Council’s role?

• Liaises with governments to identify priorities and design appropriate specifications for partnerships

• Initiates, facilitates, monitors and evaluates partnership projects

• Provides expert feedback and guidance on partnership performance

• Provides partners with information about country contexts and introductions to key stakeholders

• Facilitates mutually beneficial links between different partnerships

• Facilitates linkages between partnership work and policy development

• Promotes the work of partnerships and helps disseminate results

• Recognises and rewards excellence in partnership work

What is the key goal of British Council partnerships?

• Promoting higher quality skills development that meets industry needs and helps young people to prosper. This is tied up with developing closer links between education, employers and policy makers.

What outcomes is British Council looking for from its partnerships?

An active network of local and global employers, employer representative organisations and other skills stakeholders is established

Knowledge and understanding of effective approaches to skills development is improved

Young people are better prepared for the world of work and enterprise Understanding and recognition of the benefits of working internationally and

how to do this effectively is increased New approaches to skills development are implemented at institution/

organisation level Policy changes and/or new approaches to skills development are

implemented at national and/or system level

• Higher quality skills that meet industry needs are developed.

Successful partnerships: Case study 1

• A partnership that has led to ground-breaking taster courses being introduced in the partner country, allowing students to experience different courses before selecting the most appropriate one for them, helping to ensure that students embark on the right training path first time


• A partnership that has led to an innovative new entrepreneurship curriculum being implemented in the UK and the partner county across a range of subjects, building on students’ natural creativity to help them develop a strong practical enterprising outlook and enhance their employability


• A partnership that has led to the partners going on to develop a successful joint enterprise company, winning contracts valued at £1m to date, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the partnership


• A partnership that has informed the national strategy on quality assurance in skills in the partner country, leading to quality assurance processes being rolled out to technical training institutions across the country, improving the quality training of hundreds of thousands of young people

Case study: Dudley College and Technical Institute of Yemen

Sanjeev Ohri,

Director of Worldwide Operations,

Dudley College

Bradford College British Council projects: IMPACT

Bradford College has undertaken 18 projects in 5 years in 11 countries

Definition of impact:

• the action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another! or

• marked effect or influence

Internal impact (organisation)

• Internationalisation: CPD/Curriculum Development e.g Film School/Student Exchange/Commercial Spin-offs/CV Building

External impact (where we ‘fit’)

• Policy change/reform: Skills/UK plc/Education Exports - short term window?

International Skills Partnerships The Process

Partnership process

• Designed in close consultation with the skills sector

• Detailed review over 18 months, including seminars focused on international skills partnerships

• Built on experience of over 5 years, 70+ partnerships, 30+ countries

• Led to a new partnership strategy

• Key features include flexibility, facilitation of networking, more effective monitoring and support

Advanced Partnership

Start-up Partnership

Foundation Partnership




Foundation partnership projects: initiation phase

Travel grant agreement

Call announced in UK

Briefing workshops

Travel grant application

Assessment panel

Travel grant funding is released

Initial visitProposal

Assessment panel

Partnership grant agreement

Partnership grant

instalment 1

Facilitatedvideo-

conference

Foundation partnership projects: delivery phase

Partnership visits

Ongoing communicatio

n

Ongoing collaboration

Ongoing M&E

Interim report

Partnership grant

instalment 2

Foundation partnership projects: delivery phase

Partnership visits


n


Ongoing M&E

Final reportPartnership

grant instalment 3

Foundation partnership projects: post-delivery

Advanced partnership application

Impact follow-up




Start-up partnership projects: initiation phase

Partnership grant

agreement

Partnership grant

instalment 1

Organisations approach prospective

partners

Partnership opportunity

is announced in both

countries

Assessment panelProposal

Start-up partnership projects: delivery phase

Partnership visits


n


Ongoing M&E

Interim report

Partnership grant

instalment 2

Start-up partnership projects: delivery phase

Partnership visits


n


Ongoing M&E


grant instalment 3

Start-up partnership projects: post-delivery

Advanced partnership application

Impact follow-up




Advanced partnership projects: initiation phase

Partnership grant agreement

ProposalAssessment

panel

Partnership grant

instalment 1

Advanced partnership projects: delivery phase

Partnership visits


n


Ongoing M&E

Interim report

Partnership grant

instalment 2

Advanced partnership projects: delivery phase

Partnership visits


n


Ongoing M&E


grant instalment 3

Advanced partnership projects: post-delivery

Impact follow-up

Miranda SwansonSkills Partnerships ManagerBritish Council+44 (0) 7901 [email protected]

www.britishcouncil.org/skillsforemployability

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.britishcouncil.org/skillsforemployability

Session 2Embarking on a Partnership

Things to consider before applying for a partnership

• Does your college have a fit-for-purpose international strategy?

• How does an international skills partnership cohere with your college’s international strategy?

• What benefits does your college aim to get out of a partnership?

• Which countries do you want to work with? And which do you not want to work with?

• Can your college spend the necessary staff time on a proposal, partnership and related work? Which staff would be involved?

• Can you source any additional external funding to support the partnership?

• What other organisations can you involve in the partnership, both as partners and supporters, and what can they add?

Developing An Effective Travel Grant Application

Travel grant application

• Form

• Guidelines

• Assessment grid

Travel Grant Application – Assessment criteria

• Evidence that the applicant organisation could involve a range of stakeholders

• Previous experience of international collaborative work or transferrable skills

• The extent to which the preparatory activity reflects a sound, well researched approach

• The extent to which the initial project ideas are realistic, imaginative and achievable; the extent to which they develop previous work and contain something new.

Travel Grant Application – Organisation details

Key point:

•Your application will be strengthened if you demonstrate an ability to involve a number of other organisations in the prospective partnership

Travel Grant Application – Experience

Key point:

•Describe your institution’s relevant experience and explain how this would help you to lead an effective skills partnership.

Travel Grant Application – Preparatory activity

Key point:

•Demonstrate that you have done the necessary groundwork.

Travel Grant Application – Overview of initial ideas

Key point:

•Demonstrate that you have a good understanding of partnership working.

Exercise: Travel Grant ApplicationsWorking in groups please compare the two

examples of a section of a travel grant application.

Please a) identify which is successful and which is unsuccessful and b) list three

specific points for comparison.

Developing An Effective Partnership Proposal

What are the key features of a successful partnership?

• Delivers planned outputs

• Creates impact that benefits significant numbers of people in key target audiences

• Outward-looking, engaging other stakeholders, including employers and policy-makers and other partnerships

• Focused on sustainability from the start

• Is ambitious and energetic, responsive to new opportunities, including business opportunities

• Communicates effectively, both between partner organisations and with British Council

• Publicises the partnership and its project effectively from the start

• Disseminates the results of the partnership project effectively

What are common reasons for a partnership proposal being rejected?

• Generic and lacking innovation

• Too inward focussed

• Lack of clarity

• Don’t meet British Council objectives

• Over-promising

• Lack of mutuality

• Lack of country context

• Lack of consideration of sustainability

• Unambitious, with limited, low level of impact

• Excessive focus on mobility and intercultural dialogue

• Lack of value for money

Start-up Partnerships – How to lay the foundations

• In-country contacts – you need a partner

• Employer contacts and broader network

• Business visits to the country including meeting with British Council

• Online research

• Media

• Partnerships already working in the country

• Conferences and seminars

• Foundation partnership calls and related briefings

• British Council skills newsletter

Partnership Proposal - Key documents

• Form

• Guidelines

• Assessment grid

Partnership Proposal - Context

• Designed to be clear and step-by-step

• Reflective of impactful, output-focussed partnerships that British Council now facilitates

• Full guidelines detailing what’s needed in each section, plus an assessment grid for reference

• Only one section requires a full page - most paragraphs or tables

• Bullet points can be used, word limits are maximums

• Designed to provide framework for discussions with partners and to be completed by partners together

• Developing a partnership requires commitment from the partners and British Council

• Solid proposal provides foundation for strong partnership and success

• Six monthly review and where required revision of documentation

Partnership Proposal - Organisation details

Key point:

• Include a number of partners, ideally including the relevant sector skills organisation in the UK and employer

Partnership Proposal - Preparatory activity

Key point:

• Demonstrate that you have thought the proposal through with your partners and done the necessary groundwork

Partnership Proposal - Funding identified

Key point:

• Your proposal will be strengthened if you have identified other funding to support the project

Partnership Proposal - Project overview

Key point:

• Sell the project idea

Partnership Proposal - Project rationale

Key point:

• Explain why the project is necessary and valuable, including focus on the country context

Partnership Proposal - Project summary

Key point:

• Set out the activities, deliverables and impact - this section is of crucial importance

Partnership Proposal - Roles and responsibilities

Key point:

• All participating organisations should be represented

Partnership Proposal - Extending other partnership work

Key point:

• Your proposal will be strengthened if you show you have considered other projects

Partnership Proposal - Employers and other stakeholders

Key point:

• Demonstrate that you have engaged stakeholders beyond the partnership

Partnership Proposal - Sustainability

Key point:

• Demonstrate that you are approaching the sustainability of the partnership in a practical and proactive way

Partnership Proposal - Maximising impact

Key point:

• Demonstrate that you have thought about the impact of the project and have strong practical ideas to maximise it

Partnership Proposal - Reach

Key point:

• Targets should be ambitious but credible in all participating countries

Partnership Proposal - Publicity

Key point:

• Demonstrate that you will publicise the partnership creatively and effectively

Partnership Proposal - Dissemination

Key point:

• Ensure sufficient effort on dissemination at the close the project

Partnership Proposal - Communication

Key point:

• Have a clear, thought-out approach to communication

Partnership Proposal - Project management

Key point:

• Demonstrate that you have considered the management of the project

Partnership Proposal - Partnership networking

Key point:

• Seek to engage with and learn from other partnerships

Partnership Proposal - Advanced partnership vision

Key point:

• How might the partnership develop after the first year?

Partnership Proposal - Work plan

Key point:

• A break down of all elements of the project - this section is of crucial importance

Partnership Proposal - Expenditure

Key point:

• Make sure all items including staff time are calculated realistically

Exercise: Benefits Working in groups please review the work plan for the two quarters. How could it be

improved?

Questions

Session 3Making A Success Of Your Skills Partnership: A College’s Perspective

• PLEASE SEE DUDLEY COLLEGE AND BRADFORD COLLEGE PRESENTATIONS

Session 4International Skills Partnership Opportunities

China and Vietnam

• PLEASE SEE CHINA AND VIETNAM OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTATION

Opportunities in Middle East and North Africa (MENA)


• Start-up partnerships

Commitment from the region to fund start-up partnership that clearly meet country priorities, are mutually beneficial and will create impact

Priority countries: Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen


• Foundation partnership

Etisalat Academy, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

An arm of the telecommunication company, the Etisalat Group

‘Etisalat Academy is the largest single-source provider of training and development solutions in the Middle East. For 30 years we have been providing consultancy and human capital development services to telecoms, government agencies, oil & gas companies, financial institutions and organizations across all industries and business sectors.’


• Foundation partnership (cont)

Two travel grants of £2000 each Timeline: • Call to be announced: w/c 8 July• Deadline for travel grant applications: 29 July• Assessment panel: 2 August• Notification of applicants: 5 August• Travel grant payment: 9 August• Travel grant visit: September (exact dates tbc)• Foundation partnership proposal deadline: End October (exact dates tbc)• Partnership project delivery begins and 1st grant instalment is paid: End November

(tbc)

International Skills Partnerships web pages

www.britishcouncil.org/learning-skills-for-employability-project-skills-partnerships-2.htm

http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-skills-for-employability-project-skills-partnerships-2.htm

http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-skills-for-employability-project-skills-partnerships-2.htm

Next steps

• Explore the partnership area of our website and read our General Guidelines

• Review international strategy with key colleagues and consider how international skills partnerships might fit

• Discuss partnerships with employers and other external contacts

• Read our e-newsletters and e-newsflashes for news of new opportunities

• Consider applying for start-up partnerships

• Consider applying for foundation partnership with China/UAE

• Visit colleges already involved in partnerships – ideally during inward visits

• Contact British Council for guidance

Questions

Please complete your evaluation forms

Neil Shaw [email protected] Swanson [email protected] Whitehead [email protected] Green [email protected]

www.britishcouncil.org/skillsforemployability





http://www.britishcouncil.org/skillsforemployability

Delivering Success For Your College Through International Skills Partnerships

27 and 28 June 2013

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Delivering Success For Your College Through International Skills Partnerships 27 and 28 June 2013