The Marchmont Observatory, who led the HE STEM Project Progressing from labour market intelligence to HE level provision that is well-supported by employers, have selected some key resources on the process of employer engagement from a range of other relevant funded programmes for inclusion on our website. These are resources that are likely to be of use to FE and HE practitioners who are involved in the process of employer engagement within their own institutions.

The South West Higher Level Skills Pathfinder Project

The South West Higher Level Skills Pathfinder Project (SW HLSP) was funded by HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) and managed by HERDA South West (Higher Education Regional Development Association - South West) from 2007 to 2010. The project aimed to meet the demands of employers by providing them with higher level skills training to improve their business offering. It gave employers the opportunity to provide flexible training for their employees who could work towards university-level awards as part of their professional development.

The report, Employer engagement with HE: Defining, sustaining and supporting higher skills provision (2009),  drew on findings from research by the South West Higher Level Skills Pathfinder Project and the Council for Industry in Higher Education to explore ways in which higher education (HE) institutions can engage more effectively with employers in the development and delivery of vocationally orientated higher skills provision.