• 1. Introduction

  • 1.1. The report summarises the activity to review the College’s provision and how well it meets local needs.

• 2. Background

  • 2.1. Under a new section 52B of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 to review provision in relation to local needs, Governing Bodies must undertake regular reviews of how well the education or training provided by the college meets local needs, in particular needs relating to local employment. They should undertake a review at least every three years, or when a new Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is published, if earlier.

  • 2.2. In reviewing provision within a local area, governing bodies are expected to collaborate with other governing bodies also serving that area.

  • 2.3. Governing bodies are required to publish the outcome of their reviews on their websites. They must consider what actions they and other providers can take to better meet local needs, in particular to better ensure learners have the skills needed to secure suitable employment. These actions could include changes to the structure through which provision is delivered within a local area.

• 3. 2022-2025 Strategic plan and the review of the curriculum

  • 3.1. During 2021/22, as part of the development of its new Strategic Plan, the College undertook a review of its curriculum offer, developing separate strategies for the 2022-2025 period for education programmes for young people (EPYP), adult programmes, HE and Apprenticeships. These included a review of the local labour market information and the identification of areas of market share, areas for growth and how the offer contributes to local priorities identified by the Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

  • 3.2. The review and development of the offer and strategies for the next three years looked at how the strategies and intent behind the curriculum would address local skills needs and also how it would support the College’s Mission and Values.

  • 3.3. The College’s annual curriculum planning process involves a systematic review of the offer at course level, enrolment trends, quality data, the labour market data and intelligence for the sector, market share, staffing and other costs, capital and resource implications and a review of the viability of the provision. Assessment of these sources of information enables the College to identify areas of growth or contraction and where new or changed provision may be needed to respond to both local employment and student need and demand. This activity also supports a longer term approach to developing appropriate progression routes for students and apprentices and ensures that the College can effectively contribute to meeting the needs of and collaborating with employers and stakeholders

  Local skills report and local skills improvement plan

  • 3.4. Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership’s Local Skills Report identifies some of the main skills issues and needs locally, many of which the College already supports.

  • 3.5. This identified that there will be a need for high level technical skills, for example in STEM and digital and also skills which are relatively new in sectors such as low carbon. There will also be a need to reskill existing workers to meet areas of demand, for example health and care roles or logistics.

  • 3.6. The focus for skills to rebuild the local economy over the coming years will be on:

    • Improving digital literacy

    • Apprenticeships and training

    • Inclusive skills and employment

    • Skills transfer through innovation and collaboration

    • Young people

    • Pathways to future jobs.

  • 3.7.The recent LSIP for Leicester and Leicestershire has also reviewed the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to meet employers’ growth aspirations, focussing initially on the manufacturing, logistics and sport and health sectors.

  • 3.8. This identifies that there are some commonalities across the sectors when it comes to knowledge, skill and behaviours. Technical and vocational knowledge areas are the most important to a business’s success followed by basic literacy, numeracy and IT and health and safety. Team working is the most important skill across all sectors, followed by verbal communication, specific occupational skills, written communication and time management. Having people with the right behaviours is considered critical for business success.

  • 3.9. The recommendations of the LSIP which highlight the need for a curriculum offer that delivers what employers need and better communication of that offer present opportunities for the College to work more collaboratively and strategically with partners and stakeholders to tailor and refine our offer.

  • 3.10 While the skills needs of the large public employers are very different from those of some of the smaller companies, this shows that there remain some key similarities and opportunities for us to work closely with businesses of all sizes and sectors to identify and target training that meets the needs of the employer and the employee.

  • 3.11. Other specific opportunities for the College include:

    • New T level routes becoming available enabling us to offer new career paths for young people.

    • Development of relevant, demand led apprenticeship standards

    • New Higher Technical Qualifications to provide alternative higher level qualifications.

    • A range of new initiatives funded by Government particularly around adult learning and skills which may enable us to target new kinds of provision at specific needs or groups, for example, the Multiply programme.

    • A diverse and growing population with a large 18-24 year old population who will be needing skills to enter the workforce.

    • Local commitment to addressing the climate emergency.

    • Well-established links with employers across sectors of local strategic significance.

    • A new approach to adult skills arising from local devolution.

• 4. Other labour market intelligence / market share

  • 4.1. Other labour market intelligence and demographic data have been reviewed alongside the College’s current offer and market share. The College remains one of the largest providers in the East Midlands and the largest in Leicestershire.

  • 4.2. Key points from the analysis of LMI and other data include:

    • 4.2.1. The local population continues to grow. The 2021 census showed that Leicester’s population size has increased by 11.8% to 368,600 in 2021. This is higher than the overall increase for England (6.6%) and the East Midlands (6.7%).

    • 4.2.2. There has been an increase of 16.9% in people aged 65 years and over, an increase of 11.0% in people aged 15 to 64 years, and an increase of 11.4% in children aged under 15 years.

    • 4.2.3. Leicester has very specific education and training needs for both adults and young people and experiences pockets of serious economic as well as educational deprivation and inequality. There are still high numbers of young people who perform poorly up to Key Stage 2 and achievement in Leicester remains below the national.

    • 4.2.4. Over a quarter (28.6%) of Leicester’s adult population have no qualifications.

    • 4.2.5. The most prominent industry sectors locally are Wholesale and Retail (16% of employment), Manufacturing (14%), Health and Social Care (11%), Education (9%), Professional Service Activities (9%), Administrative and Support Service Activities (8%). Between 2017 and 2023, the largest employment increases in the LLEP area are forecast in:

      • Accommodation and Food Services (+5,070 jobs; +15%)

      • Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (+3,880; +9%) • Human Health and Social Work Activities (+3,630; +6%)

      • Wholesale Trade (excluding motor vehicle) (+1,800; +6%)

      • Manufacturing (+1,390; +2%).

    • 4.2.6. In addition to new jobs or expanding demand, there will be a requirement to fill vacancies through replacement defined as people leaving the workforce due to retirement or people leaving due to mortality. It is forecast to be highest in the following areas:

      • Manufacturing (19,330 vacancies)

      • Human Health and Social Work (16,850 vacancies)

      • Retail Trade, except Motor Vehicles (13,360 vacancies)

      • Education (13,280 vacancies)

      • Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (12,080 vacancies).

    • 4.2.7. Current local sector skills priorities remain in Engineering, Construction, Logistics, STEM, Core Health and Social Care roles. The College has an offer in all of these areas with the exception of logistics.

    • 4.2.8.There is continued high demand for labour intensive jobs and transition towards high skills workforce at level 4+ in technical areas such as science, digital and engineering. These will require effective progression routes for young people, responding to labour gaps and demand for core occupations such as hospitality, retail and adult social care.

• 5. Involvement of stakeholders and collaboration

  • 5.1. The College maintains effective links with key strategic partners in the City and where possible seeks to collaborate to progress local priorities. Through the College’s involvement with and representation on the LLEP as well as many longstanding relationships with local employers, the College seeks the views and intelligence from stakeholders and local partners to ensure the curriculum is responsive to local needs. The new Strategic Plan was shared with key local partners and stakeholders in September 2022.

  • 5.2. Partnership work to provide learning opportunities for some of the most disadvantaged groups includes with:

    • LLEP

    • Jobcentre Plus

    • FE Colleges

    • Leicester City Council

    • Universities

    • Community Groups

    • British Council.

  • 5.3. The College is working collaboratively with three other regional further education providers to deliver a successful Strategic Development Fund bid to support the development and awareness of hydrogen and electric vehicles, supporting the transition to ‘net zero’ for domestic and commercial transport emissions and preparing the future workforce.

  • 5.4. A range of other collaborative projects with local universities and employers including an Institute of Technology bid have been undertaken. The collaboration on this project, although not successful, has enabled the development of new working relationships and connections between the institutions which will continue particularly in the development of higher level technical qualifications.

• 6. The curriculum offer

  • 6.1. As described in the Strategic Plan, the College’s intent is to provide a curriculum offer that meets the needs of Leicester.

  • 6.2. Our Mission and Values are rooted in the needs of the local community. We want to cement our reputation as the region’s leading further education college, delivering relevant technical and vocational education to equip students with the skills, knowledge and behaviours that will support them in work and life and will enable local businesses to flourish and compete locally, nationally and internationally.

  • 6.3. Our programmes focus on career-led pathways and progression routes specifically designed to meet sector demand. They enable the development of skills, improving employability, enhancing social mobility and promoting digital engagement. We set high expectations and have high aspirations for all our students and apprentices. We enable them to acquire the valuable social capital and personal skills and behaviours that will go with them throughout their lives.

  • 6.4. Our curriculum offer and our support and facilities for students need to be culturally inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and relevant for all groups. Everyone must be able to get the most out of their College experience, excel in their studies and progress to their intended career or next educational destination.

  • 6.5. We are committed to providing an outstanding apprenticeship offer for both employers and apprentices, including the most disadvantaged. In working with employers as partners, we need to ensure that our curriculum offer is well-understood, relevant, valued and adaptable to the changing economic and business environment.

  • 6.6. By 2025, Leicester College will have fully aligned itself with national policy around higher technical and professional education and training. The College will continue to be seen as a highly credible and responsive provider of level 4+ awards that deliver positive student progression outcomes, aligned to the LLEP’s higher level skills strategy. Flexible approaches to learning will attract and engage a wide range of students and the student journey will maintain a clear line of sight to the world of work and foster graduate attributes.

  • 6.7. Our customers and stakeholders should expect a high-quality teaching and learning experience, in modern facilities equipped for the world of work, and with courses that are designed to have positive impacts on the local economy.

  • 6.8. Further detail on the curriculum offer is set out in the College’s Strategic Plan and supporting strategies, particularly those for Education Programmes for Young People, Adult Education Programmes, Apprenticeships and Higher Education.

• 7. Offer matched to local and national priorities

  • 7.1. The offer is delivered through nine Curriculum Areas and makes a significant contribution to meeting local and national skills priorities.

• 8. Actions and further information

  • 8.1. Following the review of the curriculum and the agreement of the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, a series of key performance indicators and objectives have been agreed. These are set out in the College’s Strategic Plan and in its operating statement. In addition, each of the curriculum strategies has a supporting action plan which includes development, quality improvement and growth actions.

  • 8.2. Action taken towards achieving these objectives has, to date, has included:

    • Development of a new full time Level 3 Creative Media Immersive Design and Development course for 16-18 year olds was developed in collaboration with the National Space Centre. (See case study in Appendix).

    • Ongoing work with employers to promote the benefits of Apprenticeships to both levy paying employers and SMEs and support introduction. The sales team has targeted employers in key markets to develop and introduce new apprenticeships standards.

    • Leading the Maths Centre for Excellence in the region. The project is currently funded for three years and will end in March 2023.

    • Establishing rail track skills training programmes to meet identified local skills needs in the sector; the provision was not previously offered locally.

    • Planning and development for further T Level routes. T Level qualifications were introduced in 2021/22 in Construction, Digital, Education and Childcare and Health and Science routes. In 2022/23, additional routes were added in Engineering and Business and Management. The College continues to utilise the supporting capital and specialist equipment funds available to support successful T Level qualifications. It has also reviewed alternative progression routes to meet the needs of learners not progressing onto T Level qualifications, taking into account the expected future timelines for qualification reform.

    • Providing English testing for those wanting to enter the healthcare professions in the UK through the OET centre which is recognised by the General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine

    • Developing relationships between the College’s City Skills Centre and the Prince’s Trust to deliver new programmes with the Trust and with Business2Business (B2B) to refer learners from the Restart Programme to the College for AEB funded training.

    • Participation by ESOL staff and students in further research projects led by the Infectious Diseases Research Unit aimed at developing innovative methods to engage migrant communities in health research in the East Midlands.

    • Implementing a growth plan for teacher education including a newly validated Level 6 one-year online DMU Level 6 ‘top up’ in Teaching and Learning intended for applicants currently holding a L5 teaching qualification wishing to enhance their pedagogical knowledge and improve career progression opportunities and introducing an additional Level 5 Diploma and Professional Graduate Certificate in Education and Training was introduced.

    • Continuing to work with community partners to engage students who need community provision to progress to College courses, for example Leicestershire Cares, who work across Leicester, and the Oak centre in Braunstone.

    • Extending the adult maths and English curriculum offer to include January starts for GCSE and increased online/blended provision.

    • Introducing higher skills health and social care qualifications to reflect market demand and industry expectations.

    • Reviewing the sports curriculum following a successful LSIP project, undertaken with partner local colleges, to engage employers in development of provision to meet industry needs.

Updated 09/01/2025

Appendix

Case studies

Immersive Design and Development BTEC Diploma Level 3

Leicester College and The National Space Centre (NSC) have collaborated to deliver a brand-new course in immersive technology. The Immersive Design and Development BTEC Diploma Level 3 qualification is being delivered by NSC Creative and Leicester College, bringing together a world-leading immersive production studio and an established city centre design and media educational provider. The new full-time course (equivalent to 3 A Levels) offers the next generation of 16-18 year-old students a qualification in immersive design. This will allow them to progress either into the creative media industry or higher education across a range of subjects including computer games, visual effects, animation, computer science and virtual reality.

Students have access to cutting edge technology to craft digital environments and experiences in virtual, augmented and mixed reality as well as learning all about game engine programming, XR design, 3D modelling and even the ability to project video onto planetarium domes. Students explore a vast range of immersive design from art-based concepts through to production of a range of extended reality computer applications.

The course will offer a wealth of experience across the full field of immersive media development, offering the chance for students to learn skills and techniques with guidance and critiques from industry professionals. They will also have the chance to display their work to the thousands of National Space Centre visitors.

According to the LLEP Skills Plan 2022-24, Digital Tech and Communications are the main growth areas and the Creative and Cultural Sector has demonstrated rapid acceleration in digitisation in the emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, during and after the COVID pandemic. This course provides the ideal preparation for progression into Level 4 and 5 in a related field. The LLEP Skills Plan also identifies the need for an increase in the skilled work force at Level 4 and upwards, especially in the growing field of digital technologies.

Access to Health Professions

College staff met with the Head of Nursing at De Montfort University. It had been identified that students were dropping out in the early stages of the Health Professions course due to problems with childcare/employment or ill-health. There was a need for January/March intake for Nursing requiring Access Diplomas to be completed by December.

The College developed a January start Access to Health Professions course. This gave students the option to apply for the January/March intakes and enabled students who had to drop out of the programme which started in September the opportunity to return to resume their studies.

There were no additional staffing costs as January students were able to infill into existing classes. All (11) students rolled forward to this academic year and another 10 have already applied for January 2023.