The Foundation Degree in Chemical Technology

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The Foundation Degree in Chemical Technology
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Why industry needs something different from
education?

• Increasing skill requirements
• Skills gaps in existing staff
• Developing existing employees
• Demand for new recruits
• Encouraging young people to enter the industry

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Foundation Degrees (1)(Source DfEE)

• New employment-related higher education
  qualifications
• Provide students with the specialist technical
  knowledge and skills needed for jobs at associate
  professional and higher technical level
• Developed in conjunction with employers

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Foundation Degrees (2)

• They are delivered flexibly, in a variety of ways
• They allow progression to further study - if
  required
• They have a distinctive set of core features
  which all Fds must have
• They are awarded by Universities

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Foundation Degree in Chemical Technology

• Addresses the needs of industry
• Developed and delivered in partnership with
  industry
• Supported by EPICC and NTO
• Adopts an approach to learning which is flexible,
  practical and innovative
• Provides articulation to Honours Award

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Which companies are involved?

• Course partners include
• Huntsman, BASF, DuPont, Vopak
• Teesside Chemical Initiative
• Teesside Training Enterprise
• Teesside Tertiary College
• Case studies are being provided by
• Huntsman, Vopak, Seal Sands Chemicals, Dow,
  Exwold, BASF, DuPont

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Who is it for?

• Staff entering or working at the level between
  modern apprenticeships and honours graduates
• Full-time
• A level school leavers (or equivalent)
• Part-time
• apprentices and technical trainees
• mature students from current employees

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Benefits for employers

• Training for current employees that is
  practically based, builds on existing workplace
  learning, develops key skills of communication,
  team working, numeracy, IT, problem solving,
  lifetime learning
• Students gain practical experience beyond their
  current workplace
• Potential source of future employees, able to
  contribute immediately to your business

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Benefits for students

• Sound, practically-based training for the 21st
  century chemical industry
• Contacts throughout Teesside industry
• Wide range of skills development
• Builds on existing learning
• Programme is flexible
• Recognised qualification that can also lead to
• Honours degree after further 12 months
• Incorporated Engineer professional qualification
  (pending agreement with I Chem E)

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How does this course fit in and compare with
others?

• Sits between HND and honours degree
• Adopts innovative approach to learning
• Designed in partnership with industry to meet
  industry needs
• Builds on existing workplace learning and
  experience
• Increased flexibility

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Progress to-date

• Part-time course commenced
• 52 enquiries/expressions of interest
• 36 applications/interviews
• 32 offers made
• 27 students enrolled (target 30) from 14
  companies
• Full-time course did not run

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What next?

• Evaluation and amendment
• Recruitment to next part-time cohort
• Recruitment to full-time cohort
• New developments Engineering, Construction,
  Pharmaceuticals
• Want further information?
• www.tees.ac.uk/fd
• www.foundationdegree.org.uk