Green Jobs and Skills - Environmental Audit Committee Contents


Memorandum submitted by the Association of Colleges (AoC)

INTRODUCTION

  The Association of Colleges represents and promotes the interests of Further Education Colleges and their students.

  Colleges provide a rich mix of academic and vocational education. As autonomous institutions they have the freedom to innovate and respond flexibly to the needs of individuals, business and communities.

  The following key facts illustrate Colleges' contribution to education and training in England:

    — Colleges have three million students.

    — 737,000 of these students are aged 16 to 18 which compares to 471,000 in schools.

    — Half of all entrants to higher education come from Colleges.

    — Colleges teach over 60,000 students from outside the UK.

    — Colleges provide half of all vocational qualifications.

  Colleges are acutely aware that many of these students will be faced with the impact of climate change and will be in the forefront of dealing with it when they become the managers of tomorrow in 20 or 30 years time.

  The sector is therefore responding positively to the green agenda and they are well placed to do this because they are centres of excellence and quality—84% of employers training through a College are satisfied with the service provided and 97% of colleges inspected in 2007-08 were judged satisfactory or better by Ofsted for the quality of their provision.

  AoC also has a number of relevant strategic skills groups made up of skills champions from FE Colleges including;

    — Construction and the Built Environment.

    — Engineering, Manufacturing and Product Design.

    — Land-based and Environmental.

  For more information on Colleges please see www.aoc.co.uk

THE ROLE OF COLLEGES

  1.0  Colleges have roles in two aspects of encouraging green jobs and skills; supporting those starting up new companies in order to take advantage of increased demand for actively-green products, and supporting existing organisations intending to reduce their environmental footprint for any of a number of reasons.

  1.1  For the start-up companies, Colleges can provide:

    — Technical training in environmental technologies such as renewable energies, recycling and waste treatment, low-carbon transport, energy efficient buildings, etc.

    — Business and management skills in establishing new businesses in rapidly-changing business environment, including "environmental" accounting, marketing etc.

  1.2  For the existing organisations and new organisations alike Colleges can provide:

    — environmental management tools and systems;

    — environmental auditing;

    — life cycle analysis and similar assessment tools; and

    — Awareness training and motivation-building for employees.

RESPONDING TO THE GOVERNMENT AGENDA

  2.0  Many of the new green and sustainable technologies are in sectors where Government controls are evolving alongside or even slightly behind the technology (eg bio fuels, genetic manipulation and even nuclear). It is important that Government consults and works with Colleges and stakeholders involved in the development of these technologies and skills required to utilise them at all levels. We recommend consultation with sector skills councils on the sustainability aspects of their curriculum advice to awarding bodies and Government particularly in relation to apprenticeships.

  2.1  There are a number of degree level qualifications in renewable energy at both undergraduate and graduate level, for example at the University of Exeter.[87] Currently there are not many equivalent "green" qualifications at level 2 and level 3. Anecdotal evidence within Colleges suggests that there is a demand for qualifications at levels 2 and 3 and also at foundation degree level, however without support and flexibility Colleges find it difficult to offer these.

  If the nation needs skilled people in these areas to fulfil the green collar jobs then the curriculum needs to have the necessary tools to provide the skilled workers needed. The current set of qualifications on offer only reflects the professions available now rather than what might be available in 5 or 10 years.

  2.2  We ask for flexibility in funding to allow Colleges to develop innovative programmes that will not only respond to emerging sustainable practices and technologies, but allow Colleges to develop courses that will anticipate and encourage new trends. We also ask for Government support for both Colleges and industry to ensure that such innovation is seen as a worthwhile investment.

  There are already many examples of the positive response being made by Colleges to the development of green jobs as can be seen by their entries to national competitions such as the Green Gown Competition in which Colleges are currently winning many of the prizes in competition with the Universities sector.

28 May 2009

CASE STUDY: AOC STRATEGIC SKILLS GROUP FOR CONSTRUCTION

  The AoC Strategic Skills Group for Construction recognises the importance of the Sustainable Construction Agenda to the environment, the economy and ultimately skills development and has begun the process of informing its membership of the issues involved whilst engaging in a wider dissemination. It has been agreed that the Group will use seminars—at each alternate meeting—to raise priority issues—and to establish a way forward for colleges.

  The first seminar was held in the College of North West London and focused specifically on housing and the implications for existing housing stock and new housing. Gavin Killip, Oxford University, presented and raised issues around the eco-refurbishment of the housing stock. He suggested that this was the priority, rather than concentrating on new housing that would simply reduce the addition to emissions rather than reducing emissions as whole.

  Key issues identified by Gavin Killip and members were:

    — As stated above, concentrating on new build issues will not reduce emissions—it will simply reduce the rate of increase.

    — There are few incentives for existing home owners to invest in green technologies and therefore the demand for such technologies and services is minimal—at this point in time home owners do not see it as a worthwhile investment and are seeking support.

    — Construction service providers and manufacturers do not see the urgency to "create the market" for whilst consumers acknowledge the "green agenda" they do not believe the investment worthwhile when finance is difficult to obtain and there is no government support.

    — Training providers (colleges) are enthusiastic about taking the lead in terms of creating the demand for skills but are floundering in terms of what should be the priorities and equally they are concerned that they may not have the correct focus for investment and any future employment opportunities for their trainees.

    — Government steer is seen to be critical—particularly through building regulation mechanisms in relation to the existing housing stock.

  At the last meeting of the group attended by Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary under Secretary for Communities and Local Government (with responsibilities for housing and sustainable development) he acknowledged the importance of "retro-fit" of the existing housing stock to the agenda.

  The next meeting of the AoC SSG for Construction will focus upon developing qualifications for the sustainable construction agenda and will use information drawn from a recent survey of colleges on supply and demand.







87   http://www.exeter.ac.uk/cornwall/academic_departments/csm/undergraduate-study/renewable-energy/index.shtml Back


 
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Prepared 16 December 2009