LEARNING & SKILLS
Evaluation of the Designing Demand Innovate and Immerse Business Support Services
The brief: In February 2008, we were commissioned by the Design Council (www.designcouncil.org) to undertake an evaluation of the Designing Demand Innovate and Immerse business support services. The overall aim of the evaluation is to assess the net impact of the services over the past three years, focusing on Strategic Added Value, cultural change, good practice and return on investment.
Evaluation of the Aimhigher Programme, HEFCE
The Brief: We have undertaken a large scale evaluation study as part of the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) Aimhigher Evidence Programme for the Aimhigher programme. The study examined the impact that a sample of Aimhigher partnerships are having on the progression into higher education of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or those who might not naturally consider higher education as an option, particularly those who have embarked on a vocational education route.
Go Wales Evaluation, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
The Brief: The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales appointed us to evaluate phase 2 of the Graduate Opportunities in Wales Programme. The Programme is a partnership of Higher Education Institutions in Wales, managed by HEFCW and funded by the Welsh Assembly Government/ESF.
Graduate Employment in SMEs in Wales, Future Skills Wales
The Brief: We were commissioned by Future Skills Wales to undertake research on Graduate Employment in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Wales. The study involved undertaking a series of 15 case study interviews with SMEs that have employed graduates over the last 4 years and their graduate employees.
Developing Learner Feedback Mechanisms, Northern TUC
The Brief: We were commissioned to undertake research into how effective existing feedback mechanisms are in capturing learner views of course provision are and to test a number of alternative mechanisms that could improve the quality and timeliness of learner feedback in order to provide the information required to drive up the quality of provision.
Evaluation of Skills North East RSP
The Brief: We were commissioned by ONE North East and Skills North East to undertake an evaluation of the regional skills partnership (Skills North East). The project attracted interest as it was understood to be the first evaluation of the impact of an RSP.
Review of Professional Skills for Government, Government Skills.
The Brief: We were commissioned by Government Skills, the Sector Skills Council for the civil service, to: identify critical success factors; review current evaluation plans; and suggest options for an evaluation strategy for the implementation of the Professional Skills for Government (PSG) scheme.
Building Schools for the Future (various)
The Brief: Our company has provided support to clients bidding to deliver the Building Schools for the Future Programme in a range of local authority areas in the North East, North West and Midlands. BSF is a national programme that will rebuild the stock of secondary schools to help transform how education works and to place schools at the heart of their communities.
STEM Evaluation, Yorkshire Forward
The Brief: Yorkshire Forward has commissioned ourselves and Hoshin Consulting to undertake a three year evaluation of the multi-million pound Yorkshire & Humber STEM programme. The evaluators have been appointed early in the development of the Programme to facilitate a consistent approach to evaluation across the constituent projects.
Higher Level Skills Commissioning Framework, Yorkshire Forward
The Brief: We developed a Higher Level Skills Commissioning Framework for Yorkshire & Humber. The first stage of this work involved a comprehensive review of the skills needs in key sectors within the region, based on desk research and stakeholder consultations.
North West Regional Skills Statement of Priority, North West LSC
The Brief: We developed the North West Statement of Skills Priorities for the period 2007-10 and the associated regional and sub-regional evidence bases. The Statement of Skills Priorities served the dual purpose of informing the LSC’s Regional Commissioning Plan for 2007/08 and of providing guidance for all partners on medium term investment priorities.
The Framework for Regional Employment and Skills Action (FRESCA) and the South West Enterprise and Skills Alliance (the SWESA)
The Brief: Assist in the development of the South West regional agenda for skills and learning. Using our abilities for brokering, partnership building, administration and research we delivered the required outputs. The SWESA Partnership is now operational with full funding, renamed as the Regional Skills Partnership.
Care as a Barrier to Employment and Training
The Brief: Identify the barriers to Carers wishing to combine employment, training or Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) with their caring activities and then to produce a Regional Policy to address these barriers. Using our experience of quantitative and qualitative research techniques and our brokering and partnership building skills we delivered the required outputs. The study resulted in the first Regional Policy for Carers in the UK.
Review of E-Learning for the Development of an E-Learning Strategy
The Brief: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for North Yorkshire wanted to know the current picture of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) usage in post-16 education across the sub-region in order to make sure their e-learning strategy was a reflection of the reality on the ground.
We were asked to provide the background research to inform the development of an e-learning strategy for the county. The research was undertaken at a strategic level and focused on the approaches that have been adopted to the implementation of e-learning across North Yorkshire’s schools, FE Colleges and work based learning providers and the ways that it has been used to enhance curricula, broaden choice and improve accessibility to learning, particularly in the more remote parts of the county .
Pathways to Employment through Sport Mid- Term Evaluation
The brief: To evaluate the Pathways to Employment through Sport Programme, a key aspect of which was to examine the extent to which output and outcome indicators captured the range of activity being delivered. Recommendations were made to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the management and delivery of the programme during its second phase.
An Evaluation of ASPIRE
The Brief: ASPIRE – the idea of leading Government Minister David Milliband – is a marketing campaign designed to bring young people and employers in the North East closer together. We were asked by the regional RDA and LSC to review the progress of this important scheme and make recommendations to maximise its effectiveness.
Demand & Supply in Scotland’s Colleges & Funding Council
The Brief: We were commissioned to undertake an assessment of the extent to which unsuccessful applicants to college courses went on to other provision or turned away from the system. The work was commissioned in response to a concern that in the absence of a centralised application system this was not know, yet each term some colleges reported declining many applicants. One view was of significant demand being unmet, and the study was asked to test this hypothesis to inform a spending review decision.
5 Year Evaluation of Big Lottery Fund’s Young People’s Fund
The Brief: One of the key programmes of the Big Lottery Fund has been the Young People’s Fund. Through this Fund two hundred million pounds has been made available across the UK to fund projects for young people. In 2006 GEN Consulting and Wavehill Consulting were commissioned by Big Lottery Fund to carry out a five year evaluation of the Young People’s Fund across the UK.
Evaluation of Careers Scotland’s Enhanced Careers Pilot Programme
The Brief: To conduct an ex-ante evaluation of a pilot Careers Service provision aimed at improving post school destinations of young people at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Final Evaluation of the Somerset Skills Alliance
The Brief: We were commissioned by Business Link Somerset, the LSC and the SWERDA to produce an independent and final evaluation of the achievements and impact of the Somerset Skills Alliance.
ESF Frameworks for the South West 2007-2013
The Brief: We were commissioned by the South West Regional Skills Partnership to develop the ESF Frameworks for the South West and Cornwall.
Salisbury International Arts Festival and QinetiQ
The Brief: We were commissioned by Arts and Business to carry out an evaluation of the Salisbury International Arts festival and QinetiQ Apprenticeship Project.
Sheffield