Increasing learner retention through creative intervention

June 2015

A close-knit team of marketing consultants working across marketing strategy, planning, implementation and management. All with the sole focus of supporting attraction and engagement of learners.

Innovation architects with particular experience in embedding creativity, idea generation and tackling large scale projects through creative workshops.

STITCH are specialists in attraction, engagement and retention.

We work with leaning institutions and training providers to support learner attraction, engagement and retention.

We work with you to understand your real learners experience and create ideas and projects that stick and deliver tangible, bottom line results.

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Your potential learners have a choice –University, College, Apprenticeships via training

providers, a job.

You’re in a competitive market.

Can you afford NOT to retain your learners?

The reality

To improve learner retention on programme -future-proof funding, increase programme

progressions and support learner referrals and recommendations.

&

To deliver a positive, kick-ass, memorable learner experience which is consistent with the

organisation brand promise.

Our objectives

RECOGNISE THESE

CHALLENGES?

Are your ‘back to starts’ too high or are learners leaving

programme early?

Are you inviting learners to interview / workshops and they’re not showing up?

Is your learner feedback generic and process focused?

How is your learner feedback processed, implemented and

transparent?Are you reviewing your

external marketing questioning if you’re attracting the right

type of learners?

Do you just ‘accept’ that you’ll ‘lose’ learners during the year?

Is your referral / recommendation scheme not

delivering results?

How are your Assesors / Teachers sharing their learner

insight with you??

STITCH Learner Journey

Review

Research

RevolutionRate

Run with it

• Increase retention and learner duration on programme

• Increase progressions – longer learners stay higher chance of progressions

• See your real learner’s journey - watch the great bits and the cringe bits!

• Reduce risk of additional marketing, recruitment and ‘back to start costs’ spend by retaining the Apprentices and learners you’ve worked hard to attract

• Understand the relationships between Assessors/Teachers and learners

• Give your organisation an injection of creative energy and oomph to bring everything to life!

• Create your marketing attraction strategy based on your real learner offering.

The benefits

For example, take a large, regional college…16-18yr old on an Apprenticeship average funding approx. £4000.

You ‘lose’ 300 learners in the first 42 days of term/programme = £1.2m

Retain just 10% of learners for duration = £120,000 funding

Focusing on retention with STITCH means…

Ongoing funding

Increased chance of progressions

Better reputation in the community & sector

Increased chance of learner getting employment

Overall better learner experience.

The maths

The options

The First Stitch

What do you get?Using our experience we provide you with our ‘fresh pair of eyes’ perspective and an initial set of recommendations for improvement concerning your induction programme for learners/new starters.

• Deep dive into your world• Understanding of the business

& brand• Get to know some of your new

Apprentices and run a mini idea generation session with them.

Needle & Thread

What do you get?A real insight into the learners/employees experience and a series of high energy ‘reflection & innovation’ workshops to produce a high pile of original ideas. As well as a team who are motivated and empowered to take ownership and make a difference.

In addition to the First Stitch initial assessment we complete a full set of research including filming individuals in real-time, surveys, interviews and focus groups. We then bring these to life through our workshops – it’ll be excitingly different, good fun and highly productive.

The Full Knit

What do you get?A complete set of ideas and projects, bespoke to your business which achieve the objective. Plus insight into the innovation and creative workshops and a new set of skills for your business.

The Stitch Learning team will complete all of the research insight and conduct innovation & ‘make it happen’ workshops which prioritises the ideas and brings them to life.

Sit tight, because here we look at what needs to happen internally across the business or organisation to make the ideas turn into projects that will fly! We work together to create a project plan with deliverables, owners and a time frame.

1 2 3

The commitment

The First Stitch

• 6-8 weeks*• Limited internal support

required• Access to brand/business

overview documentation• Access to induction material

and processes

Needle & Thread

• 3-4 months*• As per level 1 but including

internal client contact support required (part-time basis) to co-ordinate site visits, colleague diaries, research timings and access to processes

• Access on site to visit new starters

• Access to internal data concerning learner/employee contact details

The Full Knit

• 4-6 months*• As per level 2 but including

working with project/change teams and those responsible for making things happen.

1 2 3

*depending upon scope

How it looks…

*depending upon scope

• 100’s of focused, considered ideas which turn into projects…

• Implementable ideas to improve and transform learner journey

• Reduced ‘back to start’ costs for learners on programme/qualifications

• Increase in conversion of enquiries into starts (Apprentices)

• New induction processes created with real learner and employee insight

• Revised marketing attraction strategy

• Revision of/creation of processes to work more closely with the learner in line with SFA/OfSted recommendations including Safeguarding

• Innovation behaviours embedded into the organisation and used to support / enable internal staff development

• Entire project and innovation workshops often acts as a ‘platform for difficult conversations’ with staff who are underperforming

• High energy and creative approach to problem solving which can span multiple projects

Typical outcomes – The full knit

Some of our clients include…

These clients have worked with the Stitch Team across Apprenticeship attraction marketing and/or innovating the Apprenticeship learner journey.

@StitchLearning

stitchgroup.co.uk

Kate Carney – Chief Pattern Maker07717 203763

Kate.carney@stitchgroup.co.uk

Contacts