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Helping Business Achieve the ‘Leading Edge’

University of Leicester launches new service providing education solutions for business

Issued on 15 January 2009

A new employer-led service providing tailored education solutions for business has been launched by the University of Leicester.

The Leitch review published in late 2006 set the target of every adult increasing their level of education by one level and for 40% of adults to have attained a level 4 qualification, equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate degree, by 2020. The major challenge is that 70% of the 2020 workforce are already in the workplace. The Leading Edge aims address this by working with employers to develop tailored courses which will have a real impact on organisational development and profitability.

The Leading Edge represents a new way of working for the University. A dedicated central team will act as a point of contact and facilitate discussions between employers and relevant departments within the University allowing for a much more co-ordinated and employer-led approach.

The provision will grow out of a genuine partnership between employers and the University, the University applying cutting edge research to inform programmes that are flexible, relevant and which support workforce development. Leicester was the first research intensive University to offer this level of service and sees this new service as an important way to facilitate knowledge exchange between Higher Education and the workplace.

To help illustrate the kind of solutions the University can provide, a series of case studies have been prepared. Examples of successful programmes already been developed include; the Department of Geology in collaboration with De Beers and The Diamond Trading Company, the Centre for Labour Market Studies working with Unite the Union, the Department of Mathematics with United Utilities and the Department of Engineering with TTE Systems. The methods of delivery vary depending on the needs of the employer ranging from a one week residential course through to a long term rolling programme delivered within an organisation.

The Leading Edge initiative is being supported by the HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England). A series of monthly Business Breakfast Seminars will begin in January 2009, supported by Business Link, and will offer employers the opportunity to attend an interesting and informative session which will include an input from an academic as well as from a case study company.

LE Links

For more information about the service visit www.le.ac.uk/leadingedge, call 0116 252 5783 or email leadingedge@le.ac.uk