Kingston University

KUBIS – Kingston University Building Interaction with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

The KUBIS project will work with stakeholders and local SMEs to develop work-based learning opportunities for employees in the manufacturing sector.

Stakeholders include the Manufacturing Advisory Service, the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing, the Trade Union Congress, and the South East Lifelong Learning Network.

The learning opportunities created will:

• be accessible to employees with few formal qualifications, but offer a wealth of work-based knowledge
• utilise innovative, learning contract approaches to work-based learning, making it relevant to the learner’s everyday work experience
• be the product of dialogue with employers from the outset, to ensure that the programme of education addresses business needs
• use innovative, web 2.0 social software tools and approaches to create work-based learning communities and provide e-learning support for learning contracts
• provide e-based scaffolding for learners’ work-based studies to empower them to utilise the learning resources and communities enabled by the internet
• be delivered by work-based, distance e-learning, so will be flexible as to time, place and content
• offer a flexible, work-based learning escalator from Foundation Degree to Masters level.

After piloting the programme KUBIS will disseminate the findings of this innovative initiative to the business and higher education communities.

Funding award : £781,993

Web-site : www.kubis.org.uk/web/