People From Industry Teaching Their Work

It is not a new idea. Professionals involved in vocational education and training know that the more closely employer staff work with teachers and trainers on developing the curriculum, on programme design, and on sharing the delivery of learning and assessment, the clearer the line of sight to work.

Students and professionals see why they are learning what they are learning, and understand what the development of occupational expertise is all about.

The Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning highlighted Teach Too as one way of securing excellent vocational teaching and learning. It enables occupational and pedagogical expertise to be combined to develop and deliver vocational programmes.

Teach Too is also a key example of ”˜two-way street’ collaboration between employers, colleges and training providers. Teach Too works when there is a shared understanding between employers and providers of problems to be solved, potential solutions and the business benefits of”¨working together.

Overall, the ambition is that Teach Too becomes an integral part of a first-class vocational education and training system in the UK, which ”˜develops the ability to perform in a job, and provides a platform for occupational, personal and educational progression’.

University College London, Institute of Education (UCL, IOE), working together with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), has been commissioned and funded by the Foundation to deliver the Teach Too programme.

Teach Too has significant benefits for employers, providers and learners. The first phase of the project has brought to light some of the benefits that the approach can offer.

The value of Teach Too for employers

One thing that has been made really clear from activity in the first phase of the programme is that a strong business case for employer involvement needs to be made. Real commitment to the Teach Too model by employers requires them to make investments of resource and time: for teaching; in some cases for being trained in teaching skills; for developing live briefs; and for contributing to curriculum design. It is therefore important to demonstrate the business benefits to employers in return for this investment, if Teach Too approaches are to be adopted more extensively.

Key benefits of the programme evidenced so far include:

• Sustainable partnerships between employers and education and training providers working together to meet future skills needs.
• Access to a pool of potential employees trained in relevant skills who already have knowledge and experience of the workplace.
• The mutual benefits of enhancing skills and knowledge for both employer and provider staff and employees.
• Access to accreditation enabling employer staff to gain recognition for new management, leadership, learning and teaching skills.
• Access to state of the art technology often found in larger colleges and providers but often not available to small businesses.
• Providers are gaining enhanced reputation with employers around the delivery of their vocational education and training offer.
• Teachers and trainers are supported to update their understanding of industry standards, technological change and the latest innovative developments.
• By building partnerships with employers, providers are able to access new and strategic intelligence on local and regional economic development and trends enabling them to inform the planning of their VET programmes. ”¨One of the providers involved in the first phase of the programme very frankly admitted that,”¨as they built their Teach Too employer relationship, ”˜it became evident that the business knowledge of staff was out-dated and required development’. Staff refreshing and updating their industry skills is a common theme across Teach Too activity so far. In some cases this has had a real transformational effect.

 

The value of Teach Too for education and training providers

Teach Too involvement with industry experts has had considerable benefits for the development of education and training provider teaching staff, to the ultimate benefit of both learners and employers.

Activity so far has demonstrated that:

• Providers are gaining enhanced reputation with employers around the delivery of their vocational education and training offer.
• Teachers and trainers are supported to update their understanding of industry standards, technological change and the latest innovative developments.
• By building partnerships with employers, providers are able to access new and strategic intelligence on local and regional economic development and trends enabling them to inform the planning of their VET programmes. ”¨One of the providers involved in the first phase of the programme very frankly admitted that,”¨as they built their Teach Too employer relationship, ”˜it became evident that the business knowledge of staff was out-dated and required development’. Staff refreshing and updating their industry skills is a common theme across Teach Too activity so far. In some cases this has had a real transformational effect. 

 

Fashion-Enter is a prime example of a company that works in unison with Teach Too. The training provider based in North London, has partnered with a major fashion retailer, ASOS.com, to set up a Stitching Academy in which apprentices participate ”¨in the manufacture, design and production runs to gain technical skills such as garment construction, garment manufacturing and fabrication. Employers, including ASOS.com, feed into an industry-led curriculum by identifying skill requirements and sharing new techniques and the latest technology. The industry led curriculum is based on ”˜a continuous learning cycle: identifying new skill requirements, learning through manufacturing, production runs and on-site stitching.’

More information about the Teach Too programme, including project activity can be found on the dedicated Teach Too website at http://teachtoo.org/models