Making Connections Voluntary and Community Sector and Higher - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Making Connections

Voluntary and Community Sector and Higher Education – working together

Linda Milbourne, David Tross, Jan Etienne Birkbeck College

l.milbourne@bbk.ac.uk

Project aims

• Strengthen work with existing VCS partners and extend links
• Rationalise individual connections with cross London VCOs
• Establish sector responsive entry level programme &

progression routes

• Strengthen Birkbeck’s goals of widening participation in HE

Create knowledge exchange: share information & learning

• Collaborate on joint projects
• Construct models for ongoing collaboration

Activities 2008-9

• Liaison work
• Knowledge exchange
• Birkbeck - VCS Advisory Board
• Developing programmes & curriculum

Liaison work & knowledge exchange

• Initial links with regional & local VCS infrastructure

agencies

• Created range of new contacts
• Hosted two events for sector – April 2008 and May

2009 – used feedback to shape next stages of project

• Established Birkbeck - VCS Advisory Board
• Included key organisations willing to contribute to

joint projects

VCS Advisory Board – key development work

• Provides ongoing information about VCS education needs
• Shapes HE support for VCS education, training and research

needs

• Mutual cross-sector understanding
• Curriculum and courses
• Accreditation of prior and experiential learning
• Research
• Shaping future events

Programme & curriculum development

• Curriculum for new entry level (Certificate in HE)

and Foundation Degree modules written

• Programmes approved - in VCS Studies
• Birkbeck’s programme development responsive to

VCS learning & progression needs

• Development of ‘all through’ progression routes to

postgraduate programmes

Outcomes and successes

Liaison and collaborative working

• Two successful Birkbeck/VCS events involving 40+ participants

VCS Advisory Board

• Growing network for ongoing knowledge exchange & joint work

Developing programmes & curriculum

• New courses & modules developed – outcomes of sector liaison
• Routes to HE study via accreditation of prior & experiential

learning

• Progression routes from level 3 to 4 agreed with VCS partners
• Direct contribution to London wide VCS workforce development

Where next ?

• Ongoing partnership work – build on joint working,

information sharing, cultural and operational understanding

• Extend collaboration between level 3 and HE providers
• Potential for offsite delivery
• APEL entry routes to other levels