Other Activities and Resources
fdf guidance: Enabling effective HEI collaboration to meet the higher level workforce needs of a specific sector or group of employers
In a number of sectors, and with a range of employers, fdf is driving a process of developing and supporting employer-led higher education consortia to meet the specific higher level skills needs of a sector or group of employers.
This approach is increasingly being seen as an effective and successful way to establish HEI partnership working to realise the employers’ and learners higher level skills needs. fdf has produced some guidance that draws on the experience of working in consortia to identify some of the issues that need to be resolved and some of the solutions that were implemented.
Additonal resources include an article about employer-led higher education consortia, a sample consortium contract and a sample memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Click here to download guidance on consortiaClick here to download an fdf article about consortia Click here to download a sample consortium contractClick here to download a sample consortium MoU
Thanks to Helen Corkhill, University of Bedforshire; Will Foster, University of Wolverhampton; Dr Peter Fenwick, University of East London; Steve Bainbridge, Manchester Metropolitan University; for their comments and contributions.
fdf Database of External Examiners
In response to demand from providers, fdf has developed a database of potential external examiners for Foundation degrees.
The aim of this service is to provide details of those who are interested in acting as an external examiner to institutions who are seeking an examiner. fdf does not make any judgement as to the suitability or experience of those who register since this judgement can only be made by the institution making the appointment.
Colleagues who wish to add their details to the database are invited to complete and return the registration form below.
If you are seeking an external examiner for a Foundation degree or have any questions relating to this service contact Kate Fletcher k.fletcher@fdf.ac.uk or 01543 308674
Database registration form
Foundation degree literature catalogue
In 2007, fdf commissioned Dr Diane Burns and Professor Gareth Parry of the University of Sheffield, to search and review the breadth of literature about Foundation degrees. The findings have been catalogued to form a purposely-designed database with the aim of enabling all those with an interest in the subject to elicit the latest evidence and understanding.
Although not exhaustive, the contents of the database have resulted from a wide range of searches for published, unpublished and ‘grey’ literature. The introduction (see below) details the methodology developed to undertake the literature searches and the development of a framework designed to aid the cataloguing of the results.
The contents of the database are available in three formats. A catalogue of the literature covered by the search is available as a Word file. The complete database is available as an Endnote file. However, to enable access for those without Endnote software, the database contents have also been imported into an Excel spreadsheet.
View the introduction to the database (Word, 291KB)
View the database of Foundation degree literature (Endnote, 104KB)
View the database of Foundation degree literature (Excel, 134KB)
View the catalogue of Foundation degree literature (Word, 588KB)