Foundation degrees (Fds)

Background

The UK Government is committed to the expansion of Foundation degrees (Fds), described in the White Paper – “The future of Higher Education” and reiterated in the Skills White Paper “Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work".

Fds will help address recent challenges presented by Lord Leitch’s report to increase HE participation across the working age population (i.e. we need more than 40% of adults to have gained a level 4 qualification by 2020). Because 70% of the projected 2020 workforce is already in work, Fds will be important in helping employers to develop higher-level skills across all sectors of the economy.

Aims and targets

A Foundation degree (Fd) is an intermediate level qualification within the Framework for HE Qualifications, first introduced to provide a pool of graduates equipped to address shortages in specific skills within the labour market. Fds also aim to contribute to widening participation and lifelong learning by encouraging participation by learners who may not have previously considered studying for a higher level qualification.

The launch of "Foundation degrees: Meeting the need for Higher Level skills" set a target to reach 50,000 full time equivalent HE places by 2005-06. This target was exceeded with nearly 61,000 students having enrolled onto Fd programmes by December 2006 since their introduction in 2001-02. Latest figures, 2007-08, show that 87,000 students have enrolled making us well placed to meet the new aspiration of 100,000 enrolments by 2010.

Strategy and actions

Foundation Degree Forward (fdf) is the national body that supports the development and validation of high quality Foundation degrees. It is funded by HEFCE, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, to support employer engagement across higher education programmes generally and in relation to Foundation degrees specifically. Foundation degrees, and fdf, are monitored by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higehr Education (QAA).

The inception of Foundation Degree Forward, in 2003, funded by HEFCE.

Monitoring and evaluation

Foundation Degree Forward has a responsibility to monitor progress on a day-to-day level and to gather evidence to inform future development in line with the remit set by HEFCE. Periodically, HEFCE commission reports to test the evidence for Fds - the most recent, published in January 2007, examined evidence and statistics from 2001-02 to 2006-07. The QAA undertakes a rolling programme of assessments on courses delivered.

Funding/Cost effectiveness

Employers like Fds because they help them address workforce development and to upskill their workforce.

Sustainability/Transferability

Outcomes/impacts

Achievements

The most noticeable achievements include that follows:

Access Fds have opened up HE provision to people in lower socio-economic groups and also older learners;
Graduation: many Fd graduates go on to further study, and obtain Honours
Employability Fds address many employability issues;
Mobility: increasingly, people in the workforce are able to access HE provision at a local level linked to their work - allowing them to earn while learning;
Research output: there is a growing body of research evidence about Fds;
Capacity to attract funding: increasingly, employers are contributing to the costs of delivering courses e.g. through quality work-placements and support for learners;
Cost effectiveness: employers like Fds because they help them address workforce development and to up skill their workforce;
Other achievements: academic staff are able to increase their understanding of the world of work; Fds are breaking down barriers between academia and industry.

Success factors

The Fd was an innovative 'new qualification', dependant on partnership and collaboration between HE institutions and FE providers as well as engaging employers in the design and delivery of courses. This presented major challenges. However, the main activity of Foundation Degree Forward (FDF) is to act in an advisory role for institutions, employers and students.
In this role, FDF facilitate the necessary interface between HE and FE institutions and will broker partnership arrangements to address local, regional and national contexts.

Unintended impacts

At the onset of Fds, Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) were the main intermediate level qualification. Whilst Fds were not intended to replace HNDs (indeed HNDs continue to be an important qualification within some sectors), there has been a steady decline in the numbers of HNDs overall (as evidence in the HEFCE report of January 2007). In fact, a lot of Fds have developed form former HND courses. Fds stimulated the debate around degree awarding powers.

Strengths and weaknesses

Workforce development is an essential element of the Fd. We have useful insight regarding collaboration between HE and FE institutions with evidence about how best to engage employers of all sizes and structures, in both the public and private sectors. There now exists a body of evidence with exemplars for good practice

Curricular reform

Flexible learning paths
Lifelong learning
Promoting excellence
Access and progression
Employability

Funding reform

Governance reform

Strategic partnerships
Provide incentives for structured partnerships with the business community
Innovation and knowledge transfer