Fulcrum
fulcrum - the point against which a lever is supported
The Fulcrum Project was funded by HEFCE, for 4 years until July 2004. It supported Higher Education Business Gateway workers by providing training opportunities for staff across the South West region.
Final Report - Executive Summary
The project aimed to deliver a series of training modules specifically tailored to meet the specific needs of Business Gateway staff. There were also a series of network events on specific topics. These short events looked at specific, work-related issues. They gave staff the opportunity to meet and share good practice or look for common solutions to common problems.
The Fulcrum Programme successfully delivered all of its planned outcomes - exceeding many of the initial targets set for the project. A range of Higher Education staff from across the region were engaged with the project, as well as representatives from Business Link, South West Regional Development Agency and Further Education. The four year delivery period saw some 300 staff involved in regional networking events; and more than 100 staff attended one of six tailored training modules that were designed to meet the specific needs of knowledge transfer staff. The level of the training programme was assessed by the Open University and will form an integral part of the Professional Development Portfolio approach being developed by the Institute of Knowledge Transfer (IKT). Throughout the project, close links have been maintained with CuPiD in the North East, and these linkages will be built upon with the IKT. Twelve staff have completed job shadows with as many again in the process of initiating a job shadow. Networking, partnership activity, sharing best practice, training, job shadowing and a greater depth and breadth of knowledge transfer activity have been achieved in the region over the past four years, and Fulcrum has been supporting and encouraging this throughout the period.