Community and Business

Introduction
Links and resources
Case studies

Introduction

As an FE provider, you are a member of a community made up of a wide variety of stakeholders including:

  • Individuals
  • Voluntary Groups
  • Partnerships
  • Businesses
  • Public organisations

Involving local communities with your organisation means that you can meet the needs of the communities in which you are located. In working with local and regional partners, you can also ensure that the services, education and training you offer are fit for purpose and stimulate sustainable development.

Within your local community, you have the potential to be much more than a provider of education and training, for example:

  • The significant buying power of FE organisations means that they can make purchasing decisions to the benefit of local companies and local economies. They can also ensure that what they buy is ethically sound, through considering the social and welfare impacts of certain products and services at the local level.
  • The implementation of a travel plan could reduce local congestion and improve air quality.
  • The staff and learners of FE organisations can have positive impacts through being encouraged to take part in volunteering activities to benefit local communities.
  • The expertise of staff within FE organisations can be used to the benefit of local businesses and both can work together to develop mutually agreeable curriculum.

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Links and resources

Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship - A self-assessment toolkit for Work-Based Learning Providers
Comprehensive toolkit addressing the areas of ‘Commitment and Leadership, ‘Organisational Management’, “Teaching and Learning’ and ‘Community and Partnership’, including case studies.

The Egan Review: Skills for Sustainable Communities
Download the Review that looked at the skills and training required by professionals, planning authorities and developers and how they can work together in achieving measurable improvements to the communities they serve. It also considered how any skills gap can best be bridged.

From here to sustainability
The LSC Sustainable Development Policy.

Future Leaders Survey
The Universities & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and Forum for the Future produced this survey of young people entering Higher Education in 2007.

Project Sigma
This Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit provides clear, practical advice to organisations to help them make a meaningful contribution to sustainable development. This is their
Renewal.net

How to carry out a Community Audit

Public Sector Sustainable Procurement Assessment Tool
This comes from Forum for the Future and the Welsh Assembly Government's Procurement Initiative

Community Engagement and Sustainable Development Tool
Developed by CAG and WWF

HM Treasury review of subnational economic development and regeneration
A government review to consider how to strengthen economic performance in regions, cities and localities throughout the country.

EAUC BITC Benchmarking Report
This report is on an HE project using the BITC Corporate Social Responsibility index to measure success in the sector.

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Case Studies

Resourcing Sustainability at Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I College provides an excellent example of how organisations such as StudentForce can provide institutions with support to meet their sustainability commitments.

Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship - A self-assessment toolkit for Work-Based Learning Providers
10 comprehensive case studies addressing the areas of ‘Commitment and Leadership’, ‘Organisational Management’, ‘Teaching and Learning’ and ‘Community and Partnership’.

The Memento Project is an example of an international community based project.

Bishop Burton College provides a good case study on successful employer engagement.

Pershore
The Pershore Group of colleges has established a strong commitment to sustainable development. Commitments cover areas including staff, curriculum, local commerce and communities and are integral to the operation and delivery of business as a provider.

Greenwich
Greenwich Community College has been working in partnership with the Greenwich Foundation for the past three years. Together, they developed a training centre (“the Schoolroom”) within the Old Royal Naval College where GCC deliver the fulltime NVQ courses in tour guiding and short courses when required.

‘Community-Campus’ – Learner Involvement at Wiltshire College
Wiltshire College’s ‘Community-Campus’ provides a clear and effective way to ensure student engagement in sustainability, whilst ensuring compliance with Government initiatives.

Increasing Student Volunteering at Bridgwater College
This case study provides a useful illustration of how a college can, through partnerships with other organisations, take an existing idea and develop it into a beacon and provide inspiration for others.

Community Training Services - Sheffield Partnership Tackles Crime and Training
This case study provides a very useful example of how working in a local partnership can achieve a great deal for young people, and for the community as a whole.

The Yard Project
This case study provides an excellent example of how training projects can deliver sustainability and community engagement.

This case study from StudentForce may be of interest to you: StudentForce

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