1. Victoria Boyd Developing, SERC – Graham BAM, Partnership

2. Aim SERC and Graham Bam will establish a partnership approach to maximise opportunities and benefits for their stakeholders.
Scope
Working with Graham Bam on the Ulster Hospital build, within the established parameters of trainee placements. Presenting SERC as a professional and responsive business and further developing opportunities for collaboration.
Objectives
Maximise trainee placements
Enhance trainee employability
Create a strong industry relationship
Establish SERC as Graham Bam’s preferred training partner
Optimise mutual PR opportunities
Identify and realise future projects

3. Justification
Northern Ireland Executive’s draft ‘Programme for Government’
First priority is:
‘Growing a Sustainable Economy and Investing in the Future’
Northern Ireland Executive
‘The Northern Ireland Economic Strategy’
DEL Strategies: ‘FE Means Business’ &
‘Success Through Skills - Transforming Futures’
Further Education – SERC College Development Plan
Training for Success Development Plan

4. Justification
Economic long term growth and the creation of new jobs (the primary objective of the Executive) is helped to be addressed through DEL’s provision and funding of Training For Success and ApprenticeshipNI programmes up-skilling and providing qualifications
Economic downturn in 2007, Training For Success placements and ApprenticeshipNI employment have become increasingly harder to secure, putting these skills programmes at risk.
Discovering the redevelopment project of the Ulster Hospital by Graham Bam with:
First phase investment estimated at £115m providing a state of the art Inpatient Ward Block
Second phase estimated at a cost of £108m, with enabling costs of £9m for the construction of an Acute Services Block
Total financial investment at £232 million and an estimated timescale of up to 5years
…………literally on our doorstep, this was an opportunity that could not be missed for TFS and construction.

5. Research & Findings
Key contact at Graham Bam – Regional Community Liaison Officer
Initial face-to-face meeting and an action plan for further discussion on options and alternative opportunities was outlined on the 2 areas identified immediately – Construction & Catering
Numbers of trainees not placed could be found from the Training Organisations statistical table: TFS Unplaced Trainees
Graham Bam to confirm how many placements could be provided in Construction & Catering - 4 Catering, 4 Brickwork
Health and Safety requirements on-site needed researched and addressed – CSR & on-site H&S Induction
Terms and conditions of placement opportunities at Graham Bam – all opportunities offered to SERC were also being offered to Belfast Metropolitan College, an element of competition

6. Research & Findings
Enrolment stats for SERC on TFS Construction & Catering programmes over the past 3 years – despite the economic downturn that was so publically hitting Construction there were still strong numbers enrolling on TFS courses in these areas

9. Options
Do nothing – decide not to pursue working with Graham Bam
Engage with Graham Bam for TFS placement opportunities only
Engage in a pro-active, two-way enterprise with Graham Bam, exploring and exploiting all opportunities that could mutually benefit both organisations
WHY?......achieve objectives such as; increased placements for TFS trainees, increase SERC’s portfolio of industry links, provide business to business opportunities College wide, bring positive PR and prove SERC to be a preferred training partner.
Risk Identified if we did not choose this option: Belfast Metropolitan College also engaging in talks with Graham Bam, opportunities available to SERC were also available to BMC. If SERC was not proactive and responsive to the Graham Bam partnership, not only would SERC lose out but another local College would reap the rewards.
By going forward with this option, an element of competitiveness exists, trying to ensure SERC :
‘HAs The Edge’

10. Implications & Impact
Costs - purely calculated in terms staff hours (both SERC staff and Graham Bam) spent meeting, planning and implementing the ideas and action plan to date.
TFS Placements - first 8 trainees were placed by week seven of the project. I would be hopeful that this figure could triple, as the required workforce to fulfil the redevelopment increases potentially to approximately 500 at its peak.
HE Placements – first HND student secured a placement by week 10
Quality placements, will in-turn impact on tutor site-visits and assessments and help to raise trainee retention, achievement and success rates; all key performance indicators for the college.
‘Real’ employability sessions delivered to our trainees by Graham Bam staff enforces learning outcomes delivered in the classroom, delivered by someone from industry is often much more effective and impactful.
Staff and trainee visits to the excavated site proved to have a huge visual impact, as well as underpin the significance of Health and Safety requirements and Site-Rules that are in place.

11. Level one groundworks

12. Northeast view

13. Northwest view

14. Training Needs Analysis Revenue Opportunities
Modelling the Future
Training Needs Analysis
- by using Barbazette’s(2006) five-question approach that identifies the why, who, how, what and when.
The RATER Model
- highlights five areas that customers generally consider to be important when they use a service.
Reliability – Assurance - Tangibles Empathy - Responsiveness
Programme Enrichment
Talks, Guest Speakers, Internships, integrated curriculum – projects & research, PR
Revenue Opportunities
Essential Skills, ApprenticeNI, Business Services, R&D Projects (EU funded?)

15. Seize the Day, Build the Future

16. Any Questions?