RVR2 - Glasgow

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PASCAL University Regional Engagement (PURE) Regional Visit Report 2 - GLASGOW
1.0 Introduction The PASCAL Universities’ Regional Engagement project (PURE) is an international study being carried out in 20 regions around the world, focussing on the engagement of higher education institutions with their regions.
SDS has funded the study in the Glasgow region. In this region the project has explored the engagement of higher education providers with the regional economy. The study has involved interviews with higher education institutions and colleges in the Glasgow region and a parallel review of regional institutions using a benchmarking instrument.
The review allowed stakeholders in the region and particularly those who took part in the research to find out more about the results in key areas such as human capital development, business development processes and learning and social capital development and to develop the potential for further networking between the higher education institutions and the region.
The PURE programme followed a series of reviews by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that recorded the relationships between universities and their regions. PURE takes this review process forward to explore the specific opportunities which exist to strengthen the effectiveness of these relationships with specific conclusions and recommendations drawn from this review and comparative reviews in the 20 international PURE studies.
The reviews are led by a Consultative Development Group (CDG), an international PASCAL team of expert researchers and practitioners who reflect the skills and knowledge needed to understand the unique opportunities and interests of each region. CDGs visit each region twice and carry out the studies through prior briefings, workshops, interviews and site visits. For the Glasgow region, the first review occurred in October 2009 followed by a second review between 14th and 16th September 2011. The conclusions of the first review are set out in Appendix 1. However, since the first review in 2009 there has been a very significant downturn in the world economy so whilst the conclusions and recommendations in the first report were appropriate at the time, the opportunity has been taken to sharpen the focus of the second review to concentrate on the current priorities within the region.
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Prior to the start of the second review discussions took place between PASCAL and SDS to establish a brief for the review team and SDS highlighted some particular areas where they wanted the team to concentrate. These included insights for their employer offer, workforce development and skills development from their participation in PURE, flowing from the region to region learning and international networking offered by the PURE model. SDS viewed participation in PURE as an opportunity to better understand universities as the Scottish Governments 7th economic sector and as a helpful beginning to continued engagement with this sector.
2.0 Methodology
2.1 Review Team The CDG for the second review included two members from the first review team for continuity and the group was guided in part by the first review conclusions and more particularly by the brief from SDS and documents of relevant issues and developments in the economy. The particular documents included the findings of the recent Glasgow Economic Commission’s report (GEC’s) on future economic priorities for Glasgow 1, the Post-16 Review by the Scottish Government 2 and the feedback from the two PURE benchmarking exercises designed to assess the contributions that higher education institutions are making to their regions supplemented by interviews with businesses and business representatives within the region. The core objectives of the CDG team were to identify strategic opportunities to strengthen the relationship between HE providers and the Scottish/Regional economy and to assess role of other stakeholders in their support for the development of a stable economy.
1 Glasgow Economic Commission, 2011. Final Report. Retrieved October 12, 2011 from http://www.glasgoweconomicfacts.com/Dept.aspx?dept_id=216 2 The Scottish Government, 2011. Putting Learners at the Centre: Delivering Our Ambitions for Post-16 Education. Retrieved October 12, 2011 from http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/357909/0120943.pdf
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2.2 Benchmarking Two benchmarking instruments were used to elicit information about the contributions that higher education providers are making to the economic and social development of their region. The original instrument was developed by David Charles for the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2002 3. The Higher Education benchmarking tool was adapted for some HE providers in order to allow the benchmarking to be carried out by interview and an adaptation of the regional benchmarking instrument was developed to further aid cross comparison with the results from the HE provider results.
The benchmarking tools contain approximately 60 measures across seven dimensions of engagement that undergird regional competitiveness. The following excerpt from the original benchmarking tool describes the focus of each dimension. The benchmarking was led by SDS with support from a PASCAL associate familiar with the Glasgow region.
1. Enhancing regional infrastructure – supporting the regional infrastructure, regulatory frameworks and underlying quality of environment and lifestyles. This includes the HEI helping the region to identify where improvements can be made, or providing direct input to the quality of the local environment. 2. Human capital development processes – supporting the development of human capital through education and training both within the HEI and in other organisations. The emphasis here is on how the HEI adds to the stock of human capital by facilitating the development of people in the region, and retains both local and non-local graduates. (The education of people from outside the region who then leave it does not add to the stock of human capital in the region, and therefore is not relevant for this process. However it may be important at national level and it does add to regional GDP.) 3. Business development processes – the creation and attraction of new firms, as well as support for developing new products, processes and markets for existing firms. 4. Interactive learning and social capital development processes – encouraging co-operation between firms and other institutions to generate technological, commercial and social benefits. Regional collaboration and learning between organisations are important in regional success. HEIs can
3 http://www.hefce.ac.uk/Pubs/hefce/2002/02_23.htm
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promote the application of knowledge through regional partnerships, and encourage networking and the building of trust. 5. Community development processes – ensuring that the benefits of enhanced business competitiveness are widely shared within the community, and that the health and welfare of the population are maximised. 6. Cultural development – the creation, enhancement and reproduction of regional cultures, underpinning the other processes above, and interpreting culture both as activities that enrich the quality of life and as patterns of social conventions, norms and values that constitute regional identities. 7. Promoting sustainability – long-term regional development must be underpinned by processes seeking to improve sustainability, even though some of these objectives may appear to conflict with business development objectives. 4
2.3 Business engagement Interviews with business interests were held to supplement the regional benchmarking and to enable the team to broaden its understanding of the economic issues. Four employers participated in interview: BAE Systems, representing one of the biggest private sector employers in the Glasgow region, Honeywell, and two medium-sized industries with a technology bias, Gas Measurement Instruments Ltd and Star Refrigeration. An interview was also held with the Scottish Chamber of Commerce.
3.0 Benchmarking Feedback Five regional bodies and two colleges and four universities participated in the benchmarking process. SDS led the data collection for the regional bodies and PASCAL staff coordinated the data collection from the colleges and universities.
4 Charles, D., Conway, C., & Benneworth, P. (2009). Benchmarking the Regional Contribution of Universities. Newcastle: Newcastle University. Page 10.
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Regional Bodies CBI Scotland Glasgow City Council Scottish Chambers of Commerce Skills Development Scotland Scottish Enterprise
Colleges and Universities Anniesland College Cardonald College Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow School of Arts University of Glasgow University of West of Scotland
3.1 Universities and Colleges An analysis of the HE provider responses focused on the overarching patterns that emerged from the information (institution-specific information was provided in reports provided to each participating college and university).
Generally high levels of commitment to regional engagement were evident in mission and strategic statements, management arrangements, and human capital development, especially access arrangements, student support, and course provision for employers. Other domains demonstrated more variation across HE providers, especially cultural development and community development, and business process development. The HE providers were less strong on business development, spin outs, business incubation, and mixed on working with SMEs. The lowest ratings were on sustainability.
The profile on the next page graphically presents the ratings of the six HE providers across the seven dimensions that were benchmarked. Scores ranged from 1.0 to 5.0, with 1.0 representing no activity on that dimension.
The benchmarking group from SDS and PASCAL suggested that these data offer a model of how three influences operate interplay to produce distinctive HEI engagement profiles. The three influences are:
 The regional context, or the characteristics of the region in which an HE provider is located, its students and pattern of economic development, and stakeholder expectations of HE providers;
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 The market context, or where HE providers seek to position themselves within the national and international HE market; and  The institutional context or the governance and management arrangements within the institution.
Various combinations of these influences suggest four HE provider engagement profiles:
 A specialist institution, e.g. Glasgow School of Art, that emphasizes strong engagement practices based on its specialist interests.  An explicitly regional university, exemplified by University of West of Scotland, emphasizing a commitment to regional engagement, human and social capital development, and less strong on other aspects.  A ‘short cycle’ college of further education, typified by Anniesland College, that is strong on regional commitment and human capital and community development particularly.  A research intensive university, such as the University of Glasgow, that is as interested in its international position as it is in regional engagement, strong practice on human capital development business development, and social capital through international links.
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Key: Com/man = Commitment/management arrangements to support university engagement Human Cap = Human capital development Bus Dev = Business development Soc Cap = Social capital development and regional learning Com Dev = Community development Cultural = Cultural development Sustain = Sustainability GCU – Glasgow Caledonian University GSA – Glasgow School of Art UG – University of Glasgow UWS – University of West of Scotland AC – Anniesland College CC – Cardonald College
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Although this model and associated profiles are based on a small number of HE providers, they are nonetheless useful for understanding the complex factors that shape institutional engagement and the distinctive engagement patterns that are in play. Taken together, these four profiles begin to capture the rich diversity and complementarity of the FE/HE landscape in the Glasgow region. Continued development of this model is warranted.
Five areas were offered for further consideration, each of which is summarised below.
1. The region and its international context. HE providers presented very different views on the importance they attach to international links in supporting their regional engagement. Some focused predominantly on the region, others were committed to contributing to Glasgow as ‘an international city’, others viewed bringing international experience as an essential contribution to regional development, and others were focused on international issues from which the region could benefit. 2. Reaching SMEs. This emerged as a much weaker aspect of engagement, although some institutions showed practice which led to more sustained engagement with SMEs, mainly through relationship building that often originated in student placements. A question was raised about whether all institutions should engage directly with SMEs or whether other routes through supply chain/tier 1 suppliers would suffice. 3. Innovation. Although there were strong examples of innovations in public services and in business with which HE providers were directly involved, a significant opportunity exists for improved business innovation and incubation. 4. Engagement. Institutions varied greatly in how they ‘managed’ their engagement. In some it was centrally driven and others used a much more decentralised approach. Some had clearer recognition and rewards for engagement activity than others. The costs and benefits of engagement to the institution were not always well understood. In the discussions it was clear that the funding model of the institution could help or hinder engagement. 5. ‘Co-opetition.’ Recognizing that competitors can benefit when they work together has relevance to HE provision in the Glasgow region and elsewhere. A strategic co-operative framework that allows each FHE provider to play to its strengths and competitive advantage would maximize the effectiveness of engagement from all educational providers. This is a challenge with which regions and HE providers should grapple.
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3.2 Regional Institutions A parallel report was completed to summarise the results of the regional benchmarking undertaken by the five key partner organizations in the Glasgow region. The report contains considerable detail and insight, but for the purposes of this report, key themes emerged:
 There was some clear correlation between the benchmarking results from the universities and colleges and the regional responses although it was also clear that the view of different institutions varied considerably.  While a national skills strategy is in place, there is no overarching regional skills strategy or authority. A number of effective regional partnerships are in place that could be used to inform a regional skills strategy, including but not limited to the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Planning Partnership and the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.  The proposition that there is a defined geographical area for the Region was generally accepted by partners and participants. Closer examination of the comments shows that in actual fact there is no agreement on a defined boundary for the region.  Despite increased attempts to consult more widely and a willingness to engage partners in regional planning and strategy development, not all partners are included in the various regional initiatives. Community Organisations and HE providers are not always included in Community Planning Partnerships.  There is some use of foresight, scenario planning, and shared research, but a more consultative, inclusive, and evidence-based approach is needed to identify regional priorities although the report from the GEC goes some way towards this.  Further development and co-ordination of business support, networks and signposting is needed. A strong employer base will provide the employment opportunities needed to retain graduates in the Glasgow region.
4.0 Business Input During the first review there was only a limited opportunity to meet and interview businesses in the region and the main approach was through the sector skills councils. However it was important that during the second review more detailed conversations were enabled with a cross-section of industries and employers, supplemented by interview data carried out previously with small- and medium-sized industries (SMEs) jointly by SDS and PASCAL in Midlothian as a follow up to the RVR1.
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Four employers were chosen to interview: BAE Systems, representing one of the largest private sector employers in the Glasgow region, together with Honeywell and two medium sized industries with a technology bias, Gas Measurement Instruments Ltd and Star Refrigeration. An interview was also held with the Scottish Chambers of Commerce. This enabled the team to visit employers with over 3000 staff down to smaller businesses with under 50 staff. The main findings are set out below.
4.1 Current Further and Higher Education Links All of the employers above have developed relationships with the local colleges and universities, take graduates from the universities and sponsor new employees on modern apprenticeships and CPD through the FE colleges. They also use the university sector elsewhere in the UK to support their research and development. However, whilst the companies considered that they had good relationships with the universities and colleges in Glasgow, there were areas identified – on both sides – for improvement in these relationships.
4.2 Fitness for Employment There was a general concern about fitness for employment amongst school leavers and new graduates. There was a widely expressed view that schools were not preparing students for the world of work and the system of work experience was superficial and too short. It was felt that schools demonstrated a limited understanding about the world of work, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Some employers have found that the preparation of graduates who have studied vocational degrees did not always fit their requirements. This leads to the employer having to provide additional training before the graduates can be gainfully engaged. There was also a related concern that their practical experience was often extremely limited.
Companies who were engaged in the Modern Apprenticeship schemes were very supportive of their long term relationships with the FE colleges, but it was suggested that links between schools and colleges and companies should be strengthened. It was recommended that staff from schools spend time in the companies to gain a better understanding of the world of work in the same way that college staff visit employers on a regular basis. They also identified the need for greater input by the companies into the development of the curriculum in the colleges where the skill requirements change and colleges need to adapt. But there is an apparent conflict between the mission of the colleges to develop skills and train to a qualification and the interest by some employers to train their employees only to needed skills, not to obtain their qualifications. These employers believe their newly qualified employees would be too mobile and that the company would have wasted their investment in supporting their training. But alongside this there is evidence that other companies have given support to employees studying for HND/HNC to move onto sponsored degree courses.
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Since the team completed their independent review of the Glasgow region they have been advised that the issues/concerns which the team identified have also been picked up in the recent Smith Group Report to the Scottish Government.
4.3 Employer Requirements Current Limitations A further concern was that class sizes in the colleges were sometimes too large or that the courses that companies required were not available locally. At the same time these companies acknowledge that they often are unable to provide much advance notice of their skill training needs or their needs vary considerably from year to year. Examples were given of companies having to send employees to college courses elsewhere in the UK or bring in private training providers where numbers were particularly small. These circumstances make it difficult for colleges to plan curriculum and manage class sizes just as employers are dealing with economic uncertainty.
4.4 Improving Links Companies have expressed the view that they would like to have better links between their key staff and university personnel in particular on a long-term basis. Three specific opportunities were described as arising from such long-term relationships. One is that employers are able to offer vacation employment opportunities and work experience for undergraduates that can often lead to offers of permanent employment, although experience so far has shown there is limited take-up. Secondly, universities would be encouraged to engage more with employers in determining course content. Thirdly, strong links between universities and businesses can help to identify future trends in the industry which would assist in business planning for both parties. It was suggested in discussion that that industry could assist graduate choice by giving greater publicity to employment opportunities in their sectors, improving understanding of their business and the long term career paths available.
It was clear that all of the companies visited had built links with a particular university and were far less aware of the capability of the others in the Glasgow region. Universities such as Caledonian and UWS had particularly good links with some companies in the supply of graduates with some limited support for applied research. But overall university support for CPD was mixed and support for companies engaged in applied research and development tended to be built on the basis of personal university contacts rather than for the company to approach a university business development office. Those companies that did work through a university business office generally found it difficult to get the level of support they required and where the longer term relationship they sought could be established. SMEs have found that Knowledge Transfer Partnerships have been complicated to set up and where new links have been established on research projects the consultancy from the university has been on the basis of task and finish.
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It was clear that the potential for improved relationships with the universities was complex for busy employers to negotiate and this helps to explain why connections are variable. Links with FE colleges were simpler and for the more basic skill needs the colleges and businesses performed well although there were examples of where colleges suffered from inadequate forward planning by businesses articulating future needs whilst there were also examples of where FE colleges did not respond adequately to the commercial needs of companies.
4.5 The Glasgow Chamber of Commerce The Glasgow Chambers of Commerce (GCC) reinforced many of the views expressed above and would like to see more formal arrangements between the colleges, universities, and businesses. They do, however, acknowledge that the universities are beginning to respond to the Scottish Government’s seven key areas for the economy and are more open now to closer cooperation with business. It is recognised that large employers have dedicated staff who liaise with the universities and colleges but the GCC were of the view that SMEs in particular lack the time and capacity to develop close relationships in the same way and were of the view that there was a need for a central brokerage in the form of a person or people who would help the liaison between SMEs and universities and colleges, who would negotiate a new relationship to support their business development. The Glasgow Chamber of Commerce could undertake this brokerage role with the support of SDS/SE. But the Chamber was concerned that the Glasgow region is difficult to define and varies depending on the business and their reach and employee attraction. They believe this leads to varying relationships with the universities and colleges, and the smaller chambers in the outer Glasgow regions struggle with maintaining a critical mass and would find the brokerage role difficult.
5.0 Parallel Reports As part of the background to the second review the CDG team were made aware of two other influential reports currently in circulation, a consultation paper from the Scottish Government on Post 16 Education and the report and recommendations from the Glasgow Economic Commission. Since the second review the team has also been made aware of a third report, the “Smith” report which also has a bearing on the roles and responsibilities of HE providers and their relationship with the region.
The Glasgow Economic Commission was established to offer an independent view on economic development priorities in Glasgow. The Glasgow Economic Commission (GEC) published in June 2011 its latest set of recommendations. These fell into five areas: business and industry alignment, transport and connectivity, infrastructure and investment, further and higher education, and people and skills.
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In addition to focusing on FE/HE as one of five sections in its report, a number of other recommendations in the report directly bear on HE providers. Among the most strategically important of these are:
1. Target key sectors in which to invest for economic and employment growth. These include low carbon industries; engineering, design and manufacturing; life sciences; financial and business services, and tourism and events. 2. Create a new private-public leadership body to focus economic development efforts in Glasgow that will work with HE leaders to develop key sector strategies. 3. Resource the Glasgow Chambers of Commerce to support the sharing of intelligence and best practices between the business community, HE institutions, and the key sectors. 4. Increase support for entrepreneurship with HE institutions in partnership with the private sector and key enterprise organisations. 5. Develop a “Glasgow, City of Education” marketing campaign to attract more international students, researchers, and academic investment. 6. Strengthen the linkages among the Glasgow Employer Board, the Glasgow Works Partnership Board, HE institutions, and other private, public sector, and Third Sector providers to align programs and improve skills investment in key sectors. The Post 16 consultation from the Scottish Government is for Scotland as a whole rather than the Glasgow region. It nevertheless incorporates several proposals which would benefit the Glasgow region and reinforces the views of the GEC and the PURE review.
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6.0 Themes Three strong thematic areas recurred throughout this second CDG visit. These were clearly apparent in each of the elements of the PURE review and in many passages in the parallel reports. These themes are regional identity, strategic leadership, and skills development. Each is discussed in turn.
6.1 Regional Identity Although there is not an agreed geographical boundary for the region, there is a strong belief that there is a regional identity. The region was described as an onion, with the central core being Glasgow City and the conurbation immediately surrounding it and then concentric layers stretching out across an area that is generally understood as ‘West Central Scotland’. Within that there are a number of partners whose operational boundaries differ. For example, the Chambers of Commerce exists within local authority boundaries and therefore the University of the West of Scotland in Renfrewshire is not linked to the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. Another example is the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the largest Health Board in the UK that operates across six local authority areas and includes part of a seventh, South Lanarkshire, the remainder of which is served by NHS Lanarkshire. There are also differing structural and planning frameworks. The regional transport authority covers 13 local authority areas, some of which are outside the scope of this study. Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Strategic Development Planning Authority cover the eight local authority areas served by the two Health Boards. Although the view was expressed that the recent work undertaken by the Glasgow Economic Commission supported an emerging sense of regional identity, the GEC, an independent private sector led body, was initiated by Glasgow City Council to provide advice to the City of Glasgow and its economic partners.
What emerges is a complex picture of a region with overlapping and layered boundaries that are specific to particular partners and to specific functions. Participants seemed comfortable with this and did not describe the need for a fixed geographical boundary in order to move forward. There was agreement that the region was better understood as having a vertical rather than horizontal profile. Partners can accommodate this approach as they have an understanding of the landscape, however this does not preclude the possibility of duplication, service gaps, and a lack of detailed knowledge about the remits of all bodies within the region and their plans for the future.
6.2 Strategic Leadership Participants agreed that there is no over-arching strategic authority for the region. Although a number of strategic partnerships do exist they do not all include all partners. Whilst it was reported that the approach to strategic planning is inclusive, alongside that the perception exists that regional priorities are set by a limited number of interests and that some groups, in particular the social partners, are excluded. For example, social partners are not represented on the Glasgow and the
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Clyde Valley Strategic Development Planning Authority, which produces the Regional structure plan, but are involved in Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs). Led by local authorities the CPPs bring together key public, private, community, and voluntary representatives with the aim of delivering better, more joined-up public services, however there is little representation of universities and colleges on the bodies.
The Glasgow metropolitan area represents the largest economic concentration in the Region and the Glasgow City Council has taken a lead in addressing the area’s economic needs. It established the Glasgow Economic Partnership to develop the city’s economic strategy, the economic component of Glasgow’s Community Plan. This was reviewed by the Glasgow Economic Commission, established in 2010, and which reported in mid-2011. The main focus of this strategy is Glasgow but a number of issues identified by Commission such as the lack of a high speed rail link and the need for high quality digital connectivity affect the whole region.
Again what emerges is a pattern of differing and overlapping strategies with different geographical and functional limits. Glasgow is driving the strategic leadership of the area but it does not have the statutory strategic planning remit for the entire region. Strategic planning therefore has to be developed through a partnership approach across authorities.
6.3 Skills Development There is clear evidence for greater coherence in the way employer skills needs feed into the skills and learning systems as a disconnect exists between the sector skills councils, which are regionallybased, and the skills programmes, which are national in scope. While there is some employer involvement in developing skills strategies in growth sectors (The team were advised that Skills Investment Plans are currently being developed for the GES key sectors led by SDS), there was a consistent view that the level of employer involvement in developing skills strategies needs to be enhanced. GCC proposed greater articulation between the public funding bodies who support skills development and employers. Management skills amongst larger companies and businesses were perceived to be high but there was agreement that this was generally not the case with SMEs. The view was expressed that access to management training and leadership skills for SMEs should be a priority.
There was general agreement that there were well established vocational training opportunities for young people, including several centres of excellence, but these are not uniformly available across the region. SDS reported that although there are places for every young person not in permanent education, not all places were taken up.
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Nor is the role of higher education consistent in developing skills. There is no clear connection or consistency between what is being provided to address the skills gaps or the needs of employers. There was agreement that although some good collaboration does exist, it varies considerably. The colleges were perceived as having the closest links to local employers and labour markets followed by the newer universities. There is a recognition that more needs to be done to align the decisions that higher education institutions make about the courses they run with the need to develop skills in the region and increase employability. One major gap that was identified in the benchmarking process was that partners were not asked to comment on higher education’s contribution to the key sectors so no qualitative assessment exists for this.
The region has a high level of graduates in the workforce and the retention rates for graduates from universities in the region have increased. Concerns were expressed about the outflow of graduates and the subsequent loss of skills. This observation must be tempered by the fact that the majority of domestic graduates do remain in the area, that the universities are competing in an international market and are actively recruiting students from outwith the UK and the EU, and that it is inevitable that many of these students will return home once they have graduated.
7.0 Glasgow within the International PURE Project The second PURE review of Glasgow has come towards the end of the international PURE programme and the Glasgow review can therefore benefit from some of the relevant comparisons from other regions. The section below is, therefore, a short synthesis prepared by the team leaders from other CDGs. The full reports for each region are available on the PASCAL website.
As a compact city surrounded by a wider metropolitan area located within a small country or state, Glasgow has much in common with other city regions who participated in the PURE review. There are particular similarities with Helsinki, Melbourne, Antwerp (Flanders) and possibly Bari (Puglia) where administrative boundaries seldom mirror economic or social boundaries and all cities could define their region or sub-region depending on the issue (e.g. Travel to work, distribution, education, labour and skill mobility etc). Glasgow also benefits in comparison with other similar city regions from the single HE/FE funding structure together with the devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament which brings decisions to a more local level where the institutions and private sectors have the opportunity for more effective lobbying and dialogue.
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The Glasgow report on current HE/FE links, in particular, draws attention to a number of opportunities for exchange and possible collaboration with other PURE regions where similar issues are prominent. In Melbourne, each of the three themes of regional identity, strategic leadership and skills development, was relevant, albeit presenting in a slightly different guise. Helsinki and Flanders also present shared agendas, notwithstanding the very different geopolitical and cultural circumstances which shape their systems.
With respect to regional identity, both Melbourne and Helsinki have different boundaries to their regions according to particular levels of responsibility. The issues of governance which can arise in these situations appear to have been managed more effectively in Helsinki, where formal partnerships for either strategic development or for service delivery have been negotiated amongst relevant authorities. The current proposals for mergers of Cities so that there are two authorities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Region reflect a logic which has grown from partnership, rather than a need to fix a particular problem. In Melbourne on the other hand, the considerable fragmentation in governance means that there are various overlapping regional arrangements. Nevertheless, partly through the PURE process, different universities have clarified their (sub) regional identity and have focused at least some of their activities accordingly. It can be noted that the Belgians seem to manage effectively, irrespective of formal governance arrangements.
There are very specific areas of potential exchange, even cooperation, amongst these regions in relation to the areas of strategy and coordination of relationships which might be relevant to progress on skills development and the regional interests in economic stability. In Helsinki and Melbourne, the difficulties of effective communication and partnership development amongst the universities and industry, SMEs in particular, have led to the development of intermediary agencies (brokers) that can facilitate better understanding of mutual opportunities and sponsor initiatives that lead to new partnerships.
Culminatum in Helsinki and G21 or one of the other regional innovation brokers in Melbourne, have been established with the prominent support and leadership of several local government authorities. While each is different, and has delivered variable real outputs, they have invariably been significant in building some stronger foundation for engagement, and certainly for demonstrating the potential contributions which universities can make in addressing the skills and technical problems faced by industry. In Helsinki and Melbourne, also, the question of strategic leadership emerged, as the university and regional authority leaders have less than sufficient arrangements for working together on key strategic issues. Helsinki has experience in formal meetings between City and university leaders, but this tends to occur on a bilateral basis, missing the opportunity for a broad approach which brought together the various capacities of the universities with the broad agendas of the Cities for
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development of the region. The PURE project in Melbourne led to a proposal for the establishment of Knowledge Victoria, which would bring together a comprehensive council of university and regional authority leaders. This proposition is still under consideration by a new Government.
If Glasgow was to establish a robust representative group to coordinate the relationships between stakeholders in the three sectors (business, HEI/FEI and government) there would be merit in this group communicating with similar organizations in the other city regions and to establish long term knowledge exchange and innovation.
8.0 Conclusions 8.1. In the complexity of the Glasgow economy there is a multiplicity of needs and expectations from the civil and business communities. This is reflected in the wide range of philosophies and cultures of the universities and colleges within the Glasgow city region. It is clear that there is no desire to change this rich variety offered by these institutions but that each institution should play to their strengths in supporting both the cultural life of the city and in supporting its economy.
8.2 From the benchmarking and the business reviews (in both the RVR1 and RVR2) it is clear that links between SMEs and particularly the universities are far too weak to fully support the Glasgow economy effectively and even in larger business concerns there is too much emphasis on personal contacts rather than institutional contacts. Universities need to be more open to business and to build up better links with companies in the region. Through this they can strengthen the input from companies in curriculum development and ensure a better fit between the needs of businesses and the skills of their graduates. Stronger links would also enable companies to establish longer term relationships with the research capacity of the university. The incentive for the universities to respond is not entirely evident.
8.3. Where businesses have developed good relationships with colleges and universities there still needs to be acknowledgement that SMEs have limited capacity in building links with colleges and universities. The SMEs would like to see partnerships with research departments in universities and a broker (liaison between businesses and HE/FE) to help the businesses to get the best value from further and higher education. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce have offered to help establish this role.
8.4. Raising the aspirations of all youth in the Glasgow region will require education at all levels to become familiar with the six targeted sectors and explore opportunities to align curriculum and career development activities with these growth areas. The intensity of alignment should increase
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with the education level, with further and higher education offering the most direct linkage through training, internships, Modern Apprenticeships, and other work-based learning opportunities.
8.5 The complexity of institutions, government departments and other agencies together with community and business organisations indicates the need for a clear focus and strong leadership which is critical at this time of economic contraction.
8.6 The Glasgow PURE review in parallel with other similar PURE studies around the world has addressed in some detail the particular contribution made by HE/FE to their region. More recently these reviews have focussed in greater detail on the ways in which HE/FE engagement can support the regional economy and skills agenda. However there remains a broader agenda addressing issue such as social cohesion and health which have a direct bearing on employability and skills and where the PURE review process in RVR1 spent some time examining these issues.
8.7 Within the limitations of the PURE review timeframe, attention was given to provide an independent appreciation of the regional engagement of HE/FE in the region with an emphasis on the economy. But it is apparent that the independent conclusions from the PURE review have a direct bearing on other parallel papers prepared by agencies covering the local region and Scotland as a whole. There is a clear opportunity for an independent overview of these papers, using the PURE conclusions to achieve a policy consensus. . 8.8 The Post 16 Consultation paper contains a comprehensive range of proposals for comment which, if adopted, will have a direct bearing on the role of universities and colleges. Similarly the majority of the recommendations from the Glasgow Economic Commission, if adopted, will also have a direct bearing on the work of the universities, colleges and employers. The most important have been identified in 5.0 above and represent a useful set of strategic proposals. However, in the case of both papers there is scope for further articulation of how proposals might be achieved and together with the Smith Report there is a clear need for rationalisation of these various propositions to avoid confusion and to give a clarity of direction.
8.9 The PURE review differentiates itself from other recent reviews and reports as it provides an independent appraisal of the region by an international team drawn from outside the region and where it is part of a far wider study involving reviews in four continents. Glasgow therefore has the opportunity to link its future strategies for development with other city regions with common similarities described in 7.0 where knowledge transfer links could be established to help inform future regional development for the stakeholders.
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9.0 Recommendations 9.1 The creation of a new public-private body to focus on economic development recommended by the Glasgow Economic Commission is a timely and much-needed activity. It is recommended that the remit of this new body may benefit if it was regional in scope rather than limited to the City of Glasgow in order to reflect the economic region.
9.2. Membership of this new public-private body could represent all stakeholders in the region’s economic future including business and industry, primary and secondary education, further and higher education, community learning and development, government agencies, elected officials, and Third Sector agencies.
9.3. Developing a comprehensive regional skills strategy should be an early priority of this body. The initial focus could be integrating the six GEC (as opposed to the Scottish Government) targeted key sectors (low carbon industries; engineering, design, and manufacturing; life sciences; financial and business services; and tourism/events) into further and higher education and with the supporting craft and ancillary skills. A secondary or parallel focus should be to devise a strategy to support employers who do not fall within these sectors yet play an important role in the region’s economy.
9.4. A system of performance measurement could be developed for this regional skills strategy that identifies desired outcomes, indicators, and the roles and responsibilities of each of the partners. Regular reporting on progress should be used to assess the effectiveness
9.5 In order to encourage the universities and colleges to engage more effectively with the civil and business communities there should be both an incentive and strength of leadership. This could come through the Scottish CBI, Chambers of Commerce, the Vice Chancellors and College Principals acting collectively or ministerial leadership from the Scottish Government.
9.6 Skills Development Scotland may want to review the way in which students attending Glasgow schools are supported in their future career decisions and staff in schools could be supported to work more closely with university, colleges and employers to ensure a better fitness for purpose amongst the workforce of the future.
9.7 Scottish Enterprise may wish to open discussions with other stakeholders in the business and educational communities to determine whether there was sufficient support for the concept of
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“business brokers” (see 4.5 and 8.3 above) and lead the initiative with business, HE/FE and government agencies.
9.8 Regional stakeholders could consider whether there would be some merit in working with similar organisations in other cities who have taken part in the PURE reviews (e.g. Helsinki, Melbourne, Flanders, Puglia) to share knowledge and develop initiatives collectively.
9.9 Skills Development Scotland may like to consider carrying out a comparative assessment of the various reports, papers and documents currently circulating which all have a bearing on the future economy of the Glasgow metropolitan region.
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10.0 Appendices:
Appendix 1
Conclusions from RVR 1
There is a strong sense of sense of willingness to make things work, however the size of Glasgow and it’s greater metropolitan area means that the structures at all levels are complex with a multitude of partners and interests. It is also clear that whilst organisations are keen to work together there is conflict on occasions and competition between some of the players. While the FE colleges in Scotland have formed an association to coordinate and lobby on behalf of the FE sector and which is replicated with a similar organisation at City level, there is little evidence that the universities are similarly organised other than at national level through Universities Scotland.
There are clearly issues around the delivery of the skills agenda and an evident need to tighten up the quality assurance, feedback and the measurement of out comes.
A most significant issue for all agencies and institutions concerns outreach to, connections with, feedback from and active engagement with employers. The current networks, contacts and outreach activities by the public agencies are clearly inadequate relying on voluntary membership organisations for business and personal contacts of staff the institutions and agencies. A comprehensive approach needs to be developed which will be available to all partners as a single data base with information of the company profile training received, future needs and feedback.
However necessary and useful a common data-base would be, it is not sufficient on its own. Contacts with business and industries communities are based on trust and any improvement in the relationship between the agencies and these communities will depend eventually on building trusted personal relationships. Therefore outreach to employers and particularly SMEs require a coordinated approach by the various agencies and institutions as well as amongst the staff within each organisation. The CDG is aware that this represents one of the greatest challenges facing the partners and cannot be achieved purely by Government ordinance. However public agencies can set the framework and cultivate a climate of cooperation and support between the various agencies and their staff.
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Another significant issue is the way in which universities, colleges and businesses plan for the future. It seems that future planning at present takes place in a vacuum within organisations and the Government and its agencies should be far more proactive in supporting their future planning. Equally the institutions should be clear in their marketing about what they can offer in terms of research, teaching and support. Also during a period of economic restraint the institutions need to re-examine their strengths and weaknesses to ensure that they maximise their effectiveness.
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Appendix 2
Review Team: Ann Landels, PASCAL Associate Diana Robinson, Interim Director, Centre for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University Chris Shepherd (Chair), Vice-Chair of the PASCAL Board and Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Glasgow
Participants in the September 14-16 CDG Site Visit
Simins Abrahams, Senior Policy Officer, Universities Scotland Nicola Blush, Futures Researcher, Skills Development Scotland John Burns, Senior Training Officer, BAE Martin Chisholm, Skills Policy Manager, Scottish Chambers of Commerce Dr. John Coggins, Professor of Molecular Enzymology and Honorary Research Fellow, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Glasgow University Dr. Lesley Doyle, Deputy Director PASCAL, Glasgow University Jane Duffy, Provisions Development Advisor, Skills Development Scotland Helen Gibson, Senior Policy Officer, Scottish Funding Council Andrew Glendinning, Technology Officer, Gas Measurement Instruments, Ltd Malcolm Greig, Labour Market Research Manager, Skills Development Scotland Eleanor Harris, Vice Principal, Cardonald College of Further Education Kevin Kane, Secretary, Glasgow Economic Commission Karen Kerr, Research Manager, Skills Development Scotland Colin Kirkpatrick, Knowledge Transfer Manager, Glasgow School of Art Ann Landels, PASCAL Associate, Consultative Development Group Marjory Logue, Head of Operations - West, Skills Development Scotland
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Dr. Andy McNair, Strategic Business Development, Applied Knowledge Exchange, Glasgow Caledonian University Linda McTavish, Principal, Anniesland College Alison More, Lead Head Strategy, Policy & Performance, Skills Development Scotland Charlie Murphy, Lead Training Officer, BAE Karen Murray, Provisions Manager, Skills Development Scotland Dave Pearson, Director of Innovation, Star Refrigeration Diana Robinson, Interim Director, Centre for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University, Consultative Development Group Member Chris Shepherd, Vice-Chair of the PASCAL Board and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, Consultative Development Group Member John Tibbitt, Senior Policy Analyst PASCAL and Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Glasgow University Gill Troup, Vice Principal, University of the West of Scotland Dr. Frank Turnbull, Chief Engineer and Corporate Fellow, Honeywell Martin Wight, Manager Policy Development, Scottish Enterprise