What is the South West IOT Observatory?
Supercharging technical education
Institutes of Technology will supercharge further and technical education, realigning the whole system around the needs of employers, so that people are trained for the skills gaps that exist now, and in the future, in sectors the economy needs, including digital, engineering and clean energy.
The Government aims to give employers a central role in designing almost all technical courses by 2030, to ensure that the education and training people receive is directly linked to the skills needed for real jobs.
Based in Exeter's graduate school
To help achieve this in the South West, we’ve established the SWIoT Observatory, which is situated in the University of Exeter’s Graduate School of Education.
The Observatory fits with the SWIoT aim to: “Ensure teaching is directly matched to current and future occupations and skills needs, through market intelligence, horizon scanning and primary research”.
Collaborating with the region's employers
The purpose of the SWIoT Observatory is to engage with regional employers and invite them to collaborate with us in designing future curricula, teaching content and modes of delivery. At the University of Exeter, the SWIoT Observatory offers an opportunity for regional employers to drill down with us, to understand the skills shortages their organisations need to overcome, so that instead of simply adapting to changes in the future workplace, we are able to actually shape what that future workplace will look like. As a result, the courses and teaching we offer will be based on actual industry need, not only supporting employers and the regional economy, but helping us to shape a more productive and focussed future.
The process
SWIOT employer partners relay future skill needs and explore rationale with Observatory
Observatory explores the literature and interviews employers and training providers
Observatory produces Research Briefing ahead of an Employer Event
Event to sense check the research findings and produce recommendations
New report with curriculum recommendations is presented to the SWIOT Partners
What are our initial themes?
Data and Marine Engineering
What will our outputs look like?
Each theme will lead to a Research Brief, similar in style to those produced by the Marchmont Observatory. These reports will synthesise current literature with the data collected through initial conversations with employers.
In the course of each theme we will also host an event. This will be designed in response to what employers suggest will be useful, but could include the use of case studies and speakers as incentives to join, as well as focused workshop sessions to collaboratively imagine what new courses and curricula might look like.
After the event, the Research Brief will be expanded to include the data from the event, and recommendations will be made to the Board.