IntroductionIntroduction

Aled Williams Centre for Education in the Built Environment

Nick NunningtonSheffield Hallam University

Mel LeesUniversity of Salford

Industry-University EngagementIndustry-University Engagement

At least 3 different viewpoints recognised:

• Academic education providers

• Industry & professional practitioners

• Academic education providers and ‘Industry’

Conversations within these groups and between them.

Partnerships with EmployersPartnerships with Employers

“In a conversation neither side loses and both are changed, because they know what reality looks like from different perspectives. That is not to say that either gives up its previous convictions”

Sachs, J. (2003) The Dignity of Difference: How to avoid the clash of civilisations. Continuum, London. p83.

AimAim

• ACBEE aims to encourage industry, higher education institutions (HEIs) and professional bodies to work together to improve dialogue and provide more relevant training and education.

Achieved by…Achieved by…

• Promoting successful case studies that demonstrate engagement between industry and HEIs, aligning to key industry themes[1].

• Developing methods of measuring the success of these

• Encouraging the development of courses that demonstrate improved industry performance

[1] Over 50 case studies are now complete and available on-line at www.acbee.org

Phase 1 (2003-2004)• Prospectus• Workshops• Debate• Case studies of excellence• Website• Phase One Report

Phase 2 (2004-2005)• Case studies of excellence• Conference• Methodology for measuring performance• Phase Two Report

Phase 3 (2005-2006)• Identify & broker

– 10 partnerships

– 5 strategic alliances

• Develop a proven set of KPIs for built environment education• Phase 3 Report

CASE STUDIESCASE STUDIES www.acbee.orgwww.acbee.org

“To seek out, evaluate, and identify Case Studies of Excellence that demonstrate good dialogue and real improvement and promote these verified case studies through industry and education networks”

Context of engagement:

– Individual Modules, Whole Courses, CPD

– Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Corporate

Building Bridges! It’s what we do…Building Bridges! It’s what we do…

GoalAligning education and training with the needs

of industry and society

Enhancing the Student ‘Learning’ Experience

A measured approach!

The Framework

Grade 1Awareness

Grade 2Ad hoc

Engagement

Grade 3Formal

Engagement

Grade 4Partnership

Grade 5StrategicAlliance

Alig

nmen

t to

str

ateg

y

Measurement

Low

Low High

High

The Framework Grade 1 - Awareness Activity is concerned with providing

information (push / pull) with no agreement and no form of evaluation beyond the recording of the activity taking place.

Grade 2 - Ad-hoc Engagement will focus on a specific operational need. There may be an informal agreement and any evaluation would also be informal.

Grade 3 - Formal Engagement is driven by operational requirements and explicit objectives are agreed and set down in a formal agreement. There will be an explicit evaluation process.

Grade 4 - Partnership is driven by business needs. Shared objectives are agreed and set down in a partnership agreement. There will be a formal evaluation procedure detailing how, when and by whom the evaluation will be conducted.

Grade 5 - Strategic Alliance is driven by business strategy and is designed to satisfy the specific strategic business needs of the partners. The strategic objectives will be agreed and set down in an over-arching alliance agreement (memorandum of understanding). There will be a clear and documented measurement process that includes targets, success criteria, measurement, feedback and forward planning.

Framework - Scorecard

Alignment to Strategy MeasurementGrade

5

4

3

2

1

Summative grade

Is there a stated purpose? Is a record kept?

Is there a specific operational need identified?

Is there any assessment of the quality of the engagement?

Are there explicit objectives set down in a formal agreement?

Is there a formal mechanism for measuring quality?

Are there explicit and shared business objectives set down in a

formal partnership agreement?

Is there a formal mechanism for measuring quality that is informed by

input from all partners?

Are there explicit strategic business objectives set down in a formal

agreement (eg MoU)?

Does the evaluation process include target setting, control, evaluation,

feedback and planning components?

Impact measure

Title

Description

The European Challenge

5

The European Challenge is a highly collaborative international project anchored on a contemporary and strategic real estate problem: relocation of a 350 person financial services organisation to a new Headquarters building in Europe.

The European Challenge

• What is it ? • What attracted Industry engagement ?• The journey to Grade 5• Outcomes and Positive Benefits• There is no “Free Lunch” – expectations

of industry.

What is the European Challenge ?

A brief overview

What attracted IndustryEngagement?

• Contemporary/ growth area subject focus.

• Development of Employability Skills – especially consultancy skills.

• Opportunity for graduate selection – especially in Europe

• Opportunity for research and consulting outputs.

The journey to Grade 5

• Year 1 – ad-hoc sponsorship by firms – e.g. CBRE in The Netherlands / Colliers in Poland.

• Year 2 – Formal Engagement – King Sturge supporting and attending using the presentations as an opportunity to select staff

• Year 4 - ? Strategic Alliance

Outcomes and Positive Benefits

• Learning Enhancement• A Students View• Research and Consulting • Recruitment• Building better understanding between

stakeholders

Final Report

There is no “Free Lunch”

The new strategic alliance brings benefits

of sustainability and partnership.

BUT

coupled with demands . . .

Evaluating the FrameworkEvaluating the Framework

Consultation• Broad support for the principles• Helpful in indicating how to improve

Issues raised• What about quality?• Is there evidence that better engagement leads to

improved performance?• Can incentives be developed for engagement?

PURPOSE OF ENGAGEMENT

– Improving image and recruitment; – Qualifying the workforce

– Graduates– The existing workforce– (The future workforce)

– Improving business performance

(these relate directly to the 3 major challenges identified in ConstructionSkills 5 year business plan)

ACBEE - KPIs

ACBEE - KPIs

Industry / Practice Universities

Recruitment Average recruitment cost as a percentage of starting salary

Average UCAS tariff points

Percentage of course places filled

Retention Turnover of staff as a percentage of all staff

Student completion rates

Better Qualified Workforce

Percentage of staff with:oFirst degreeoProfessional qualificationoPost-qualification specialism

Percentage of faculty:oAt professorial leveloWith professional qualification

Percentage of graduates employed within three months

Recruitment

Table 2: Performance targets for Industry / Practice Recruitment

Headline Indicator Strategic level of Engagement

Performance target / Impact of engagement

Average recruitment cost as a percentage of starting salary

5 Reduced by 50%

4 Reduced by 35%

3 Reduced by 20%

2 Reduced by 5%

1 Increased by 10%

RecruitmentTable 3: Performance targets for University Recruitment

Headline Indicator Strategic level of Engagement

Performance target / Impact of engagement

Average UCAS tariff points 5 Improve by 20%

4 Improve by 10%

3 No impact

2 No impact

1 No impact

Percentage of course places filled

5 Improve by 20%

4 Improve by 10%

3 No impact

2 No impact

1 No impact

ACBEE – New Case StudiesGrade 4• BSc Construction Engineering Management – (Loughborough

University/15 large construction organisations) • BSc Honours Construction Management – (University of Salford/12

large construction organisations) • Construction Cost Management - (The University of Reading /

Gardiner & Theobald / Davis & Langdon / EC Harris & Partners / RICS)

• The HNC in Contracting Management – (The Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) & various FE partners)

• MSc in the Environmental Design of Buildings (Atkins/The British University in Dubai)

• MSc Interdisciplinary Management of Projects (IDMP) – (The Bartlett, Faculty of the Built Environment and Industrial Consortium)

ACBEE – New Case StudiesGrade 5• 'APEX' Reflective Practice for Housing Practitioners (UCE

Birmingham/Chartered Institute of Housing) • Constructionarium - (Imperial College London/Expedition-

Engineering/John Doyle Construction Ltd.) • Engineering Doctorate Programme (EngD) (Loughborough University /

Industrial Consortia / EPSRC Centre for Innovative and Collaborative Engineering)

• Foundation Degree in Building Services Engineering (Northumbria University/NG Bailey)

• The Educational Supply Chain - Building Awareness (Costain Ltd) • The European Challenge – (THE HANZEHOGESCHOOL, Groningen,

The Netherlands, Partnership with 8 European Real Estate Schools) • The Styles & Wood Academy – (Manchester Business School/Styles &

Wood)

Next Steps

ACBEE now in phase 4 – main objectives:• Test the Key Performance Indicators• Evaluate the performance of:

– 5 partnerships (grade 4)– 5 strategic alliances (grade 5)– Look at representation issues– Promote activity

An opportunity…

• Get the parties to talk to each other• Make language common• Use institutions as brokers• Make it relevant• Make it measurable

SOLUTIONS