A BCE update

 

Business and Community Engagement encompasses four institutional strategic areas:

• knowledge exchange - see also the DIUS funded knowledge transfer networks
• employer engagement
• public engagement 
• lifelong learning

• Lis Parcell of RSC Wales blogged about this subject recently after attending a workshop on the topic. Well worth a read to get a first hand insight into important developments in this new arena.

This post covers the JISC agenda Business and Community Engagement (BCE), which is a relatively new agenda for JISC developed in response to the strategic aim 5¹ of the 2007-09 strategy – ‘developing and implementing a programme to support institutions' engagement with the wider community’. The BCE programme is designed to support institutions in their strategic management of relationships with commercial, public sector (including charities and trusts), cultural, social and civic organisations, in order to deliver services which benefit the economy and society.





A call for joined-up services to help businesses out of recession

• Sharing business information more effectively, particularly through colleges, universities and major reference libraries, could help recession-hit companies out of crisis and stimulate innovation, according to a JISC report undertaken by the British Library Research Service.

Full story : http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2010/01/business.aspx

There is also a BCE blog and a JISC Infonet infokit which covers this new agenda. BCE is explained succinctly in the JISC Advance pages "BCE consists of many different institutional strategic areas/services, some of which are highlighted in the diagram below".

see also video below




Findings from the infokit  resource are based upon work carried out within our five partner institutions:

• University of Glamorgan
• Keele University
• Newcastle University
• Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology
• University of Strathclyde

So thats two organisations from the west mids region who have been  used in this new infokit! Thie idea is that you work through a diagnostic workbook, to evaluate your organisations readiness to embark upon BCE - or apprasie existing activities.  I am under the impression that JISC Infonet will provide targeted consultation type of support either directly or as part of a national events programme.

Two other local initiatives on this topic, are the embryonic Intelligent Career Development Company, and the JISC funded project of developing an eportoflio based pedagogy for workbased learners. Both are in early stages, but worth keeping an eye on.

This is very prescient considering the recently announced cuts in HE funding, as learning organisations will need to look at new and alternative streams of funding. And.... to show those funding people what IMPACT your HEI/college is having on the local community, and commerce.  Times are changing, and it's time to react.