Gateshead online quality improvement specialists Mesma has secured an exclusive agreement with REED NCFE to develop further an employability toolkit for the FE sector.The move will see Team Valley-based Mesma take the Employability Toolkit forward under licence to the next stage of development from the Newcastle-upon-Tyne learning provider.
The Employability Toolkit, which was launched in 2014 in conjunction with The Mindset initiative, assists FE push the employability agenda from within to benefit its learners.
The toolkit is freely available to all UK-based colleges and training providers and has been specifically designed to measure and improve the capability and capacity of student employability provision across the further education sector.
A facilitated consultancy package to help providers undertake the self-assessment and development an improvement plan is also available.
Building on existing work with approximately 30 colleges, which included funding support from the Education and Training Foundation, Mesma will be responsible for the next stage of the toolkit’s evolution.
This will see the development of additional bespoke online solutions and planning and self-improvement functions to ensure students are equipped to meet employability criteria.
Mesma has already been extensively involved in developing the Employability Toolkit software platform since the outset.
The next stage of the toolkit’s development will see Mesma sharing key themes from the individual reports with the providers who have already undertaken the toolkit review.
This will ensure good practice is shared and reflected more broadly in self-assessment using the Ofsted Common Inspection Framework as a benchmark.
The Mesma platform was initially set-up in response to changes implemented by education watchdog Ofsted, which led to schools, colleges and independent providers receiving reduced notice of inspection.
Louise Doyle, director at Mesma said: “We’re delighted that Mesma will be taking this initiative forward. The employability toolkit sits well in our wider stable of quality assurance and improvement planning solutions.
“We see a clear link with the Apprenticeship reforms transition tool which we are in the final stages of developing with one of our key partners; Strategic Development Network”
She expects new software development jobs to be created on the back of the move and said: “We are delighted to be able to provide the technology backbone for the toolkit’s continuing success, development and implementation.
“We are continuing to work on the synergies between the current Mesma platform and the toolkit’s brief.
“Our extensive expertise in delivering accessible software has proven its worth and we look forward to developing further product enhancements on off the back of the partnership we enjoyed with REED NCFE.“