Industry recognition for Staffordshire University computing courses
Plaudits for Staffordshire University as the first to gain Tech Industry Gold accreditation for a full suite of computer science degree pathways, including software development, cloud and network computing, cyber security and AI.
****Experts from Accenture, Broadcom, Capula, Cynergy Bank, Google, Malatan, P&G and PA Consulting came together on 13 June 2024 to consider Staffordshire University’s submission for Tech Industry Gold accreditation. They were delighted to conclude that all criteria were fully met, and the university can now proudly declare industry backing for their whole undergraduate curriculum, covering computer science, software development, cloud and network computing, cyber security and artificial intelligence.
Learners can invest in their studies knowing they are getting the best possible preparation for a tech career. Employers can recruit confident in the knowledge that applicants from Staffordshire have the industry-recognised blends of technology, business, project and professional skills that are in highest demand. And TechSkills now kicks into action to support delivery, with employer talks and events, learner resources from industry, and Tech Industry Gold Credentials recognising learner’s skills in an industry-valued format.**Employers and universities in partnership **
As Natasha Barker, Domain Architect at Matalan said: “Employer input is vital to ensuring the content of degrees is in line with industry expectations and students are ready for the working world. It’s great to see Staffordshire University incorporate employer input into their courses. The Employer Panel appreciated the quality of their work and were thrilled to approve accreditation of their programme against the demanding Tech Industry Gold criteria.”
Staffordshire University Course Director for Undergraduate Computing Dave Dyke explained a key motivation for securing accreditation: “We already addressed many of the core learning outcomes required by the accreditation, and we put a lot of effort into ensuring our graduates are in a good position to progress, whether in employment or postgraduate study. Getting Tech Industry Gold accreditation means that we now have an important external skills body agreeing with us that our programmes produce employment-ready graduates, which puts us in good stead for student recruitment moving forward.”
Dave also offered an insight into the accreditation process from the university’s perspective: “It involved a lot of work but is very collaborative. The TechSkills accreditation specialist guided us at each step of the process and suggested amendments and improvements as we went along. This was of great benefit and meant we were very well prepared by the time of the panel.”**First of a kind for Staffordshire **
Staffordshire University was the first to use the new ‘Custom Pathway’ Tech Industry Gold accreditation option for degrees.
All submissions for Tech Industry Gold accreditation must demonstrate compliance with core learning outcomes which are pre-defined by industry, covering technology, business, project and professional skills. Custom Pathways provide additional flexibilities for specialist learning outcomes designed by universities and approved by industry for quality and relevance to tech employment.
All skills covered in a Tech Industry Gold programme are reflected in the digital credentials awarded to successful learners, making it easy for employers to understand what a potential recruit can do.
Employer Panel members are selected for their expertise not only across the core but also in the individual specialisms under consideration– for example for Staffordshire’s submission, the panel included experts on cloud from Google and Accenture, AI from Broadcom, and cyber security from P&G. As well as ensuring all accreditation criteria are fully met, panellists add value by offering direct industry input and advice for future course development.
In addition to meeting industry needs with the learning outcomes, all Tech Industry Gold programmes must satisfy delivery criteria such as the holistic integration of the different types of skills, and their development in the context of their real-world application. Assessment quality is also considered, as is inclusivity, with a particular focus on addressing barriers relating to gender and social mobility.From alumni to panel member
Google’s Senior Cloud Architect Laura Hyatt talked more about the role of employers in accreditation, explaining that “Many (many) years ago I graduated from university with a degree that was accredited by employers through TechSkills….Well I just got to become one of those employers. I think it’s a really great process, with all the different employers explaining the skills they look for, and the universities really taking that onboard. This gives the future workforce a really great start with immensely valuable skillsets.”**Interested? **
If you are an employer and wish to share your expertise on an accreditation panel, please contact Rachel on rachel.king@techskills.org. And if you are a university interested in Tech Industry Gold accreditation, Ian is the person to help at ian.bolton@techskills.org.
