Abstract:
Foundation Degrees (FDs) are a vocationally centred qualification, the first courses for which were offered in September 2001 to meet a perceived deficit of highly qualified technicians and associate professionals in the UK. The content of this article was developed from research undertaken by the author for a project entitled: ‘Foundation Degree Forward: A Comparative Study of Foundation Degree Development and Experience in the Public and Private Sectors.’ It includes a literature review which investigates factors influencing the success of FDs, and some interview data exploring the same topic. The following people were interviewed for the project: 1. An Assistant Dean of an HE Faculty at an FE College which delivers FDs. 2. An FD Development Manager at an HE institution. 3. An Academic Programmes Manager for Social Sciences and Humanities subjects. 4. A Course Leader for an FD entitled ‘Graphic Media’. 5. A public sector employer associated with an FD entitled ‘Health Studies’. A number of factors that contribute to the success of FDs, including:Knowledge of the industrial sector by FD designers, with FDs created that meet local skills shortages; Strong potential student interest; Small teaching group sizes; The involvement of FEIs in FD production; Good working relationships between partner organisations; Strong employer input to the content of the FDs; Workplace-relevant content for FDs; Use of other qualifications to inform FD development; Provision of adequate resources for FDs including staff; Strong leadership for FDs; A co-ordinator for groups of FDs; Careful organisation of deadlines for workplace and course requirements for FD students; FD content which is challenging enough for students.