SEDA Workshop – Learner Engagement: A Guide to Work-based Learning

Summary Recent government directives have once again highlighted graduate employability and the importance of developing opportunities for students to enhance their work-related skills. Given the rise in student fees, it is also vital to further develop relationships with employers and the professional development of their employees through work-based learning. This workshop, based on the SEDA Special 29, Learner Engagement: A Guide to Negotiated Work-based Learning, will examine a range of issues surrounding work-based learning. In particular we look at contemporary notions such as ‘employer engagement’ and ‘employer responsive provision’ and re-evaluate them in terms of the principles of learner-managed learning. It will also introduce the SEDA on-line course ‘Leading Educational Change: Employer Engagement and Work-based Learning’ starting on 16th January 2012.  The workshop will also be fundamentally practical in nature and we will discuss and share practice on the practical aspects and institutional challenges (political and structural) of delivering negotiated work-based learning such as:

• Engaging employers

• Engaging managers and staff

• Engaging learners

• Processes and structures for planning and approving work-based learning

• Accrediting and assessing work-based learning

Workshop facilitator Mike Laycock is a consultant working in the field of educational development. He has spoken at many national and international conferences, published widely, carried out much consultancy for UK HEIs, and undertaken much local, national and international pedagogic staff development on Work-based Learning. He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and Co-Chair of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) He has been a member of the NIACE Work-based Learning Network and the SEEC Work-related Learning Network.  His most recent consultancy work, aside from offering workshops on matters related to teaching, learning and assessment to a number of universities (including recent workshops in India and Indonesia) has been on Personal Tutoring, Graduate Attributes and Work-based Learning.  The fee is £95 per person (to include a manual, refreshments and lunch).