A research project, led by a team from the Open University, is inviting colleagues from industry and academia to take part in a short, anonymous survey exploring what constitutes ‘employer-facing education’ and how higher education can better align with the evolving needs of employers and employees.

You are invited to complete a short anonymous survey which is seeking perspectives from colleagues across different roles and levels of responsibility in industry and academia (irrespective of role or level of responsibility). 

The survey is designed to be quick to complete, with an optional box for those who wish to provide further insight.  So if you could take a few minutes to give them your opinion (typically 6-10 min), it would really be appreciated.

The link to the survey

You are  also invited to share the survey link with anyone who might be interested in completing it.

In particular,  the research team would greatly appreciate your help in forwarding the survey to key business contacts who have an interest in aligning business and education provision. The team would be pleased to acknowledge supporting networks in the outputs of the project and share the findings with those who have contributed. It may also provide an opportunity to identify potential areas for future collaboration.

Why is this needed?

Researchers are very interested in understanding perspectives on the future needs of higher education for employees undertaking qualifications, whether part-time or full-time, in apprenticeships or any part of lifelong learning.  This is of particular interest to them due to the rapid changes in education and the work environment with artificial intelligence, as well as future-proofing qualifications in terms of the mode of delivery.  This seeks to help align education with the needs of the employer.  All views are important. This work has helped the OU develop and validate a broad picture of the issues and priorities that matter most to stakeholders.

Further information

More detail on the project can be found here .  The project is being led by Sarel Maris with Russ Lewis and Gareth Neighbour as co-investigators.

Next Steps

It would be great if you could help by sharing your thoughts, experience and opinions.  The team would also be interested in any one who would like to join a focus group or volunteer to be interviewed.  If so, or if you have any questions, please contact [email protected]