fdf has commissioned a range of research reports which can be downloaded from the website. The benefits of Foundation degrees for employers and learners summarised below are included in the report:
The Impact of Foundation degrees on the workplace and students: a summary of research projects commissioned by fdf (2008)
fdf has also produced a leaflet for employers about Foundation degrees, and case studies about individual learners and employers illustrating the benefits of Foundation degrees are featured on the fdf website.
As an adviser you may need to help individuals to make the case to their employer for financial and practical support, and the following list may help to do this. Unionlearn, with fdf, has produced a guide for Union Learning Reps (ULRs) about negotiating with employers about the benefits of higher level learning. This can be downloaded from the ULR section of this website.
Benefits for employed students:
- Gaining new subject knowledge and an understanding of theories linked to workplace practices
- Development of skills such as critical reasoning and evidence-based evaluation
- Development of a range of transferable skills such as group working and communication skills
- An opportunity to share and discuss experiences and working practices, to learn from others and broaden horizons
- On bespoke programmes an opportunity to meet with people from different departments and break down inter-departmental barriers
- Gaining access to promotion and additional responsibilities at work
- Personal changes such as increased confidence, learning to take initiative, interact with others and adding a new dimension to life
- An opportunity to get back into learning at higher education level.
Benefits for students looking to enter employment:
- An opportunity to gain real business experience
- An opportunity to gain a broad knowledge of a specific industry
- Development and enhancement of practical knowledge and skills
- Development of critical reasoning and reflective skills
- An opportunity to gain employer contacts that will be useful when seeking employment
- Gain confidence.
Benefits for employers:
Employees
- Gain a broader understanding of the job and the industry
- Perform better in the job
- Bring current and relevant knowledge to the company and share techniques
- Have increased motivation and commitment to the company or organisation
- Have increased confidence in applying skills and knowledge
- Cascaded the knowledge acquired from the Foundation degree to other colleagues
- Are willing to take on tasks they would not have tackled before
- Have better communication, team working and problem solving skills
- Become lifelong learners and embrace wider aspects of the business
In addition the work-based assignments and projects employees undertake as part of their Foundation degrees can make a practical contribution to their job or can evaluate and make recommendations about current practice.
