Further Education and Skills

Changes and challenges

Marketwise Strategies works with  colleges and other learning providers to research new markets, inform programme development and gain insights into students’ and stakeholders’ perceptions. Public and third sector bodies also come to us for research into education, training and online learning.

In the past decade, the marketing environment faced by further education colleges and learning providers has been transformed and has become far more dynamic, fast moving and, importantly, competitive. As UK governments have sought to strengthen economic competitiveness, skills have increasingly been seen as a key driver and an important area for policy. A series of national Reviews and White Papers have increased the focus upon employers’ role in learning and have opened up new opportunities for colleges to grow, often into space traditionally occupied by universities and by private sector training companies.

Some of the key developments affecting our FE and skills clients include:

• Changes to financial support for students, as bursaries replace the Education Maintenance Allowance
• The potential for further blurring of the divide between colleges and universities, as undergraduate course fees impact upon students’ courses choices and upon programme delivery modes
• Restructuring within colleges, and the reviewing of programmes and departments, as funding constraints impact upon the curriculum and the organisation.
• The raising of the school leaving (or ‘Participation’) age
• Private sector learning providers playing a greater role in education markets.

Alongside the opportunities that these changes create, are some important challenges for marketing tasks and the marketing function.

How we help

Our research has helped colleges, training providers and developers of online learning solutions, to

• Assess employer demand for potential new programmes
• Understand the likely reactions of stakeholders, before making changes to programme delivery modes
• Clarify the needs of international and UK students for online learning products
• Position new programmes against local and national competition
• Develop software products for education markets.

All of our projects are conducted by teams of experienced education market researchers and marketing professionals, supported as required by specialists in online learning and ICT.

Working together

When we work with learning providers, Marketwise Strategies brings not only high level expertise in marketing and research but a real understanding of the education and skills marketplace, its opportunities and its challenges.

Many of our researchers and consultants have previously worked in education and training, as academics and or managers. Their experience includes  and teaching on academic and post-experience, professional programmes, and developing marketing messages and materials for short courses and distance learning degrees. Our Managing Director Jacquie Potts BA (Hons), MA, DipM, MCIM, MCMI, MMRS, Chartered MCIPD has several years teaching and commercial experience in further education colleges and two years in HRD within the engineering industry.

To discuss research or strategy support in Further Education and Skills, contact Jacquie Potts or Dr John Gibson on 0191 2614426, or complete our email contact form.