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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