Pre-2020, the world was on a digital escalator - and today that escalator is moving faster than ever and having a massive influence on the world of work. Aviva, for example, has now made home working permanent for all of its staff, and Lloyds insurance has done the same. This trend clearly has massive implications - but what are the issues for colleges, as employers and as education and training providers?
The impact of the coronavirus has shone a light on the importance of connection - with families, friends, communities, learning and work. Through the power of technology, many have been able to maintain at least a semblance of connection in a way never before seen in the history of pandemics. But for far too many, they are left behind and excluded from the digital transformation of society and the economy.
Colleges of the future have a big role to play in supporting students, communities and employers to thrive through digital skills, and also by operating as centres of best practice as modern digitally enabled organisations.
News: Government ‘must invest to make FE digital-first’
Need to know: Call to legally force colleges to consider skills needs
Background: ‘College of the future’ report revealed
An immediate concern for colleges is how best to support their students excluded from the digital world at a time when most are not in college. A digitally enabled economy must mean that everyone is digitally enabled, with no exceptions. This requires digital literacy, digital devices and reliable connectivity. This is, of course, a challenge across the UK and beyond - in Wales, in particular, the digital divide is stark. The investment in devices from the Welsh government is very welcome, but there is a way to go.
Everyone must have digital skills, with no exceptions
Creating “a workforce that has the digital skills, capability and confidence to excel in the workplace and in everyday life” is part of the Welsh government’s Digital Strategy for Wales. Welsh colleges are already key institutions in their communities, delivering skills for local people and businesses. Digital skills must increasingly be part of their mission, now and for future generations.
The Independent Commission on the College of the Future has proposed a national network of digital community hubs in colleges to accelerate the rollout of digital access and, in particular, to tackle digital poverty. This needs to be part of a wider strategy for all ages, and collaboration is key. To be effective, work needs to be done through a collective regional approach in conjunction with Regional Skills Partnerships (RSPs), Public Services Boards (PSBs), trade unions and with schools and universities and those already working in the digital inclusion space, as part of a more integrated wider tertiary network, which is the foundation of our proposals.
Digital inclusion is vital in its own right, but it also unlocks further learning, as more and more is delivered online post-Covid. Higher-level digital skills are needed for many industries, from engineering to the wide range of “green jobs”. Many of the sectors that need these skills are key to the growth of the economy. Businesses of all sizes need the confidence that their local college will deliver the digital talent they need to innovate and prosper.
Colleges delivering digital talent
Meeting business needs and driving demand is a core part of what colleges do. What is required now is a deepening of the strategic partnerships with employers at both a national and regional level. This can be done by better coordinating sector- and occupation-focused support through “employer hubs”, with colleges convening strategic support on innovation and skills for employers of all sizes, and for aspiring entrepreneurs.
To keep up with the pace of change, a renewed approach to recruitment and workforce development is needed. The ambition to boost digital inclusion and meet digital skills gaps will count for nothing without a huge focus on the development of the college workforce, through support for ongoing professional training and an evolution in working practice to add maximum value for learners. There is an immediate priority around the development and ongoing updating of digital skills of the college workforce. There is also a need to consider working practice, as a 24/7 digitally enabled college moves to more blended approaches to learning, and ones that cannot be planned or accounted for through traditional timetabled thinking and approaches. This is a thorny area, but one that needs to be maturely grasped in partnership with the workforce and trade unions.
None of this will be possible without meaningful investment in connectivity, technology and digital infrastructure, recognising that the physical scale and presence of colleges must change. This investment in people, technology and connectivity probably needs to be at the expense of some of the usual capital investment in college buildings.
Are we making the best use of college buildings?
Are we really making best use of the buildings we have, and could we be opening our doors longer and more often for our communities? The continued transformation of the Welsh college system should be coordinated nationally, to ensure coherent and efficient investment. Establishing a fund for digital learning and infrastructure must be something that the sector comes together to call for.
Building the college of the future means delivering on collaborative digital inclusion strategies, working with employers on boosting digital skills to drive innovation, innovating digitally powered pedagogy and investing in the college workforce to be the backbone of digital transformation.
The “can do” FE sector needs to demonstrate the active leadership necessary to grasp this opportunity so that colleges in Wales - and across the UK - can deliver lifelong learning for future generations and the prosperity and innovation for our people and businesses.
David Jones is the former chief executive of Coleg Cambria and a commissioner on the Independent Commission on the College of the Future.
