Why Engage?
"Actively seeking partnerships with employers and engaging them in student based activities to build a more informed understanding of the award and what the holders are able to do is a must for the future health of Higher Education".Morgan et al, 2004
Employer engagement is high on the political agenda and with good reason as it offers many benefits to employers, academics, students, graduates and the economy.
As a result there are endless articles and guides on how to engage as well as benefits for every stakeholder.
This section summarises some of the benefits to employers in order to help you engage them. The bottom line is 'what's in it for them?'
The information is structured in three parts:
Links to useful articles are provided at the bottom of this page.
Benefits to employers
- To recruit high-quality staff and fill skills gaps
- To improve the general quality of future job applicants
- To ensure that classroom learning is supplemented by practical experience
- To improve the skills level of the existing workforce e.g. through short courses
- To be involved in the development and delivery of programmes
- To raise their company profile
- To support or comply with diversity agendas
- To be able to influence education institutions
- To improve the motivation and performance of existing staff through CPD and progression in the workplace
- To increase their business' competitiveness
- To tap into knowledge that will improve their own decision decision making
- To help their existing workforce deal with new technology and upgrade their skills set
- To upskill existing employees so that these staff can cascade new skills and knowledge to others
- To develop, among students and graduates, job specific and transferable skills
"Occupational skills turn by business over, intellectual skills move my business on."David Johnson, CEO, Laser Rail
Shared higher education and employer benefits
- Development of a skilled workforce by enhancing the skills of graduates
- Ensuring that courses are relevant to the workplace and meet industry standards
- Research and development opportunities
- Knowledge and technology transfer
- Developing new approaches and ideas and encouraging innovation
- Access to research and other funding not earmarked for specific purposes
- Access to new facilities and equipment
- Opportunities to recognise and accredit higher learning
- To professionalise existing job roles
- Commercial opportunities
- Provision of high quality, structured work-based learning opportunities and workplace support for learners which enable students to gain experience and businesses to test out potential recruits
- Enhancing reputations
- Networking
Benefits to higher education institutions
- Offers an enhanced role in regional and national economic development
- Gives access to real world problems and industry expertise
- Opportunities to recruit, reward and retain academic staff through research and consultancy activities
- To meet the requirements of public funding
- Tap into a large potential market for higher education and workforce development
- Helps develop new programmes and funding streams
- For some programmes, employer input is critical to validation, quality and accreditation requirements
- Enables HE to understand better and meet the skills needs of the sector
- Keeps staff up to date and provides development opportunities
- Provides opportunities to give direct input to lessons and other opportunities e.g. mentoring, careers fairs, etc
- Informs and encourages development of related employer services
- Facilitates progression routes and helps build vocational pathways
- Encourages non-traditional applicants
- Helps meet widening participation targets
