Project Context
The Low Carbon sector
The Low Carbon sector is one of the UK’s fastest growing industries. The sector has been prioritised by the Government because it is seen as both a growth industry and essential if we are to meet targets of reducing Carbon emissions.
The move towards a Low Carbon economy is a key part of economic recovery plans for the UK following the downturn. Furthermore, it generates income through the exportation of our expertise because the UK is a world leader in several renewable energy fields (e.g. Offshore Wind - see ‘UK offshore wind industry reaches 1GW landmark’).
Spotlight on the South West
Because of its geography, the South West will play a particularly strong role in the UK’s transition to a Low Carbon economy. Last year, the South West was designated a Low Carbon Economic Area by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (see southwest.uk.eu article) and the region will receive funding to ensure its status as a world leader in Marine Energy.
The 13 Higher Education Institutions in the region have a major role to play in ensuring that the region remains at the cutting edge of technology and its employees are equipped with the higher level skills demanded by this emerging sector.
Project Brief
Overview
With total funding of around £2m the Low Carbon High Skills (LCHS) project started in January 2010 and is operational until the end of March 2011. The project focuses on Low Carbon economic improvement in the South West through addressing the emerging higher skills needs (degree level and above) of businesses and employees in the region that operate in the following sectors:
• Marine Energy (wind, wave and tidal)
• Non-marine Renewables
• Low Carbon Manufacturing
• Civil Nuclear (new build and decommissioning)
• Renewable Construction
Universities South West is leading on this project. Working in partnership with SWMAS, Regen SW, E&U Skills (Electrical and Utilities Sector Skills Council), AoC (Association of Colleges) SW, and fdf.
The project aims to:
1. Raise the awareness of employers working directly in these sectors and in their supply chains of how higher levels skills development can contribute to their bottom line business benefits
2. Determine the higher level skills gaps emerging in these sectors across the South West
3. Gain direct employer input into the design and sustainability of relevant training courses and the process for updating them in the future
4. Identify appropriate HE, FE and Private provider partners to work collaboratively to create the training programmes identified
5. Develop and adapt curriculum through collaboration in the supply network, and in conjunction with employers
6. Promote, monitor and enhance the number of Low Carbon graduate internships delivered in the region by working with GradSouthWest.com, and generate case studies on selected internships including upcoming studies on Marine Energy Engineering Support and Sustainable Housing Design interns
The project has targets to:
• Support 30 SME’s, creating new collaborations with the knowledge base, leading to higher level skills training.
• Assist 888 learners to develop their higher level skills.
Business Development Opportunities
The project partners, SWMAS, Regen SW and E&U Skills explore regional intelligence and identify the emerging skills needs within their sectors of expertise. They provide assistance and support to individual SMEs in respect of the relationship of higher level skills to competitiveness and profitability advising on specific workforce development possibilities.
Other external organisations, such as PRIMaRE, Summit Skills and Business Link also assist through collaborative activity with the project.
Knowledge Collaboration Activities
The AoC and Universities South West work with the Partners and the businesses to provide or assist with further detailed analysis of skills needs and the definition of outline training specifications. They then liaise with appropriate educational providers to effect collaboration between the business and the knowledge base in respect of delivery of high level skills training.
To assist with the objectives, particularly in instances where no suitable provision currently exists a skills solutions development fund is available through the project. This is to support the costs associated with the development of innovative provision that meets employers’ specific higher skills needs relating to the project sectors.
Work is currently underway exploring potential new higher level programmes for:
• Business Link advisor CPD (Open University)
• Architects/buildings professionals CPD (Asset Skills)
• Buildings inspectors QCF level 4 (Asset Skills)
• Skippers’ CPD for piloting around offshore wind farms
• Green project management for construction professionals
• Manufacturing employers ‘Low Carbon Business Implications’
• Individuals involved with producing “Safety Cases” for work on commissioning and decommissioning in the nuclear power industry
• Level 4/5 module in teaching and designing microgeneration training for academic lecturers in the FE college hubs (RegenSW/Summit Skills)
• Composites at level 4
• Product Design for Low Carbon around up skilling of current HNC/HND designers on the new low carbon initiative. It potentially will be around design, re-design and re-manufacturing for low carbon (SWMAS)
Funded initially for the 15 months between January 2010 and March 2011 by the South West Regional Development Agency, the project is run on a day-to-day basis by a project management team at Universities South West headed by Project Manager Deborah Winwood. Providing higher level skills solutions is an area of expertise for Universities South West – one of the organisation’s other projects is the Higher Level Skills Pathfinder Project (HLSPP) which is in its final stages and will come to an end in July 2010. LCHS Project Manager Deborah Winwood managed the HLSPP before taking on her current role.
Project Lead Partners
For further information regarding the project, please contact
Deborah Winwood (Project Manager) – 01392 454970, deborah.winwood@universitiessouthwest.ac.uk
