Further Education - Isle of Man Government Department of Education

Provision - Further Education

The Isle of Man College in Homefield Road, Douglas, is the main provider of knowledge and skills development in the Isle of Man for residents who are beyond school-age and is a key driver of the Manx economy and the quality of life for Island residents.

The College is striving to provide a comprehensive service for the skills needs of the Isle of Man and is broadening its provision particularly for higher education, community education and work-based learning and is liaising widely on the sector-specific skills development needs of the Island. Healthy Mind 5

The College aspires to offer a comprehensive range of high quality services that fully support the Island’s post-16 education and training needs. Because of its comprehensive range of programmes, the College is in a position to offer progression through series of courses to provide ‘ladders of opportunity’ by which an individual may start at any level and progress to that level of expertise and qualification commensurate with their potential.

In theory the College could provide courses that allow someone who left school with no qualifications to start on basic skills courses, progress through further education or vocational training programmes, on through degree courses and achieve examinations for professional body membership. Few students follow the complete path, but the existence of such ladders of opportunity allow individuals to join at a suitable level, leave when appropriate and rejoin the same ladder or a different route at a later stage in life.

Each year around 8,000 individual residents of the Isle of Man attend courses at the Isle of Man College.

Vocational Training

The Isle of Man College is focussed on the development of skills to drive the Manx economy and to enhance the quality of life for all residents of the Isle of Man. healthy Mind 4

At the core of its mission are the development of vocationally-specific skills on initial education and training courses of an apprentice-type of experience and on updating and re-training programmes to keep skilled workers up to date and fully contributing to the economy. Vocational students do not have to attend a time-based course at the College as they may follow an individually-designed programme of development in their workplace under the guidance of their employers and College tutors.

Such students achieve NVQ qualifications as a result of being assessed on the achievement of vocational skills in their workplace or through simulated work in the College’s workshops. The flexibility offered by this approach has allowed the College to act as the catalyst in skills development for areas of the economy such as agricultural operatives, doorkeepers, retail and distribution operatives and teaching assistants in schools. Vocational programmes centred around practical skills available through the College include: Agriculture, Bricklaying, Carpentry and Joinery, Catering, Gas Fitting, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, Health and Social Care, Hospitality Studies, Engineering Crafts, Motor Vehicle Engineering, Nursery Nursing, Office Technology, Painting and Decorating, Plumbing and Supervisory skills.

The College currently has 582 full-time students enrolled on vocational training courses and in 2006-07 a further 1,320 part-time students enrolled on such programmes through day-release and evening study.

Further Education

In addition to its practical skills-centred vocational courses, the Isle of Man College provides Further Education study for students wishing to enter trades, professions or businesses requiring a more intellectual skill-base. Healthy Mind 6

The College offers a range of general education and vocationally-specific academic programmes all with a thrust towards developing those skills needed to succeed in employment or to progress on to Higher Education programmes. Vocational further education programmes are available in Accounting, Art and Design, Banking, Building Studies, Business Studies, Ceramics, Civil Engineering, Company and Trust Studies, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Financial Studies, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, Health and Social Care, Hospitality Studies, Insurance, Information Technology, Management Studies, Mechanical Engineering, Media Studies, Early-Years Education and Care, Office Technology, Photography, Supervisory Studies, Teaching and Training, Telecommunications and Textiles.

The College currently has 177 full-time students enrolled on vocationally-specific and vocationally-generic further education programmes and in 2006-07 a further 2102 part-time students enrolled on such programmes of day-release and evening study. An additional 433 students enrolled on short-course and professional development further-education and vocational training programmes in 2006-07.

Community Education

In addition to offering education and training to those who are starting out on a career or who require skills updating or retraining during their working life, the College tries to reach those in the community who did not achieve at school or who have been disabled physically, mentally or socially and need to learn or to re-learn skills to be able to be economically active. Building on its Adult Education programme, the Prison Education Service and the programmes it offers for Adults with Special Educational Needs, the College has been steadily increasing opportunities throughout the island for residents to join programmes in basic skills development such as literacy, numeracy and the use of computers.

The intention is to engage low-achieving members of society in education and training in non-threatening environments to raise their self esteem and to help them to develop their skills. Once they have tasted success many of these students are enthusiastic about progressing to more advanced courses.

The College offers a wide range of education and training ‘ladders of opportunity’ whereby it is possible for a resident to start on a basic skills programme, progress onto more advanced courses and to gain qualifications at any level commensurate with their potential abilities and enable them to take a full part in the economic life of the Isle of Man.

In 2006-07 the College enrolled 2405 individuals on part-time Community Education courses and is seeking to expand this provision throughout the Island through partnerships with other parts of Government, charities and local organisations.

Higher Education

Until recently, the Isle of Man College and the Open University offered the only possibilities for study beyond A-Level for Manx residents without having to leave the Island.

The College has offered Higher National full-time and part-time programmes for most sectors of the Manx economy since the 1970s and offers courses leading to professional qualifications primarily in finance and management. In the UK the recent increase in HE participation was encouraged by the Westminster Government to raise the skills levels in the workforce and underpin the UK’s future role in a value-added global economy. This has led to many Higher National courses being replaced by degree programmes at UK universities.

The College has followed this trend to create the best possible range of opportunities for Island residents and to provide the higher-level skills infrastructure required for the Manx economy in the future.

Degree programmes have been developed in partnership with UK universities to support the development of higher level skills in a number of areas. Currently, the Isle of Man College has 53 students enrolled on full-time HND and Honours Degree courses in Engineering, Construction, Business, Art & Design, Computing, Health Care, History & Heritage Management with Manx Studies and Teacher Training and in the 2006-07 academic year delivered part-time HNC, degree, postgraduate, professional qualification and short courses and continuing professional development to a further 666 individuals across most sectors of the Manx economy. As most of the degree programmes are in their early stages, these numbers will grow as the students progress towards their Honours Degree awards and are expected to be around 75 full-time and 700 part-time students in 2008-09 for the existing courses.

Additional higher education courses will be developed to improve the high-level skills-base of the Manx workforce wherever employers require such skills and where the College is able to deliver such programmes efficiently and effectively. Currently the College is exploring the possible development of Higher Education programmes to support the telecommunications, design and multimedia, public administration, social work and financial services areas of the economy.