Overview

Post: Digital Academy Manager

Hours: Full Time

Salary: Circa £40,000

Reporting to: Head of IT

Purpose

Working with one of most proactive and forward thinking colleges in the country you will have the opportunity to make a huge impact in the area of Digital apprenticeships and employer engagement.

Our Values

Our values represent the aspirations of our individual and collective behaviour. They guide our day-to- day decision-making. In order to achieve our vision, we will endeavour to put these values at the heart of everything we do.

  • To inspire where everyone motivates, engages, challenges, and stretches each other.
  • To strive for excellence where everyone recognises their own potential and becomes the best they can be.
  • To demonstrate integrity in all we do where everyone is committed to being open, honest and doing the right thing.
  • To show respect where we listen, consider the views of others and value everyone.
  • To innovate where new ideas and thinking are generated around people, products and processes.

About

At Milton Keynes College we want to take a genuinely new approach to further education, rooted in the value we can bring to students, businesses and the community we serve. We believe that our purpose spans three distinct but related imperatives:

  • Deliver outstanding teaching, learning and a destination focused experience that will enable our students to succeed in the ever-changing world of work.
  • Work with employers to help them engage with and invest in talent development, in ways that will support the local and national economy.
  • Serve as a genuine asset to the communities in which we operate.

To shape and realise that vision we need the best people: colleagues with deep, practical experience of what we do and who share our optimism, passion and flair for innovation.

Leadership Expectations

All staff at Milton Keynes College are expected to demonstrate uncompromising ambition for the success of our students, our staff and our stakeholders. All staff are challenged to contribute to the strategic development of the College and to achieve consistent overall improvements in student success.

Role Specification

  • Foster an environment that embraces college values, recognises team member contributions, supports collaborative working, encourages innovation and supports the principles of restorative practice.
  • Developing and managing all aspects of Apprenticeships, Work Based and Adult Learning activities across the Digital Industries curriculum provision.
  • Create a curriculum offer that ensures the Digital Industries School is in a strong position to become the training provider of choice for Milton Keynes and its surrounding area employers and employees.
  • Ensure the School has a solid strategy to take full advantage of funding and policy changes relating to Apprenticeships and adult funding.
  • Work closely with local and regional employers to build a network of new partners, whilst developing existing partnerships.
  • Work with the Apprenticeship Unit and Marketing team to ensure the curriculum offer of the Digital Academy meets the needs of the regional economy and complements the wider college apprenticeship and adult curriculum portfolio.
  • Work with the Head of School and course team to support the seamless progression of students from classroom to apprenticeship learning.
  • Work with the appropriate Quality and Apprenticeship Unit colleagues to improve standards in teaching and learning across the apprenticeship provision.
  • Monitor and review programme activity and standards to ensure funding and Awarding Organisation guidelines are met and comprehensive records of participation and outcomes are kept.
  • Gain feedback from apprentices and employers through focus groups, surveys and verbal feedback as appropriate and contribute to driving up the quality of the apprentice/student experience.
  • Deliver against agreed apprenticeship output and outcome performance measures.
  • Work with college colleagues and University partners to develop and deliver the College’s Digital higher apprenticeship provision.
  • Ensure accurate and robust information is available and used effectively within the Digital Academy, to maximise its financial contribution and secure the best possible outcomes for apprentices and students.
  • Ensure effective teaching and progress through ePortfolio management and structured monitoring, evaluation and review processes
  • Maximise the College’s safeguarding strategies and comply with its requirements to safeguard and protect the welfare of all student and apprentices.
  • Provide the leadership that creates an environment where E&D permeates every college activity that apprentices and students come into contact with.
  • Accountable for the delivery of agreed budget targets for delivery of teaching and learning.
  • Work with management information colleagues to maintain accurate up to date apprentice and student records, whilst ensuring funding is maximised in each curriculum area of responsibility.
  • Create safe and healthy learning environments for apprentices and students, which comply with the College’s Health and Safety Policy and health and safety legislation.

Person Specification

Qualifications

  • Degree or equivalent qualification in a Computing / Digital related subject
  • TAQA award
  • PGCE/Certificate in Education
  • Evidence of continuing commitment to self-development

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

  • Extensive Apprenticeship development and management experience across further and higher education curriculum (E)
  • Proven track record of successful people management in an FE or Training Provider environment, including the effective management of underperformance (E)
  • Strong track record in building a successful Apprenticeships Provision (E)
  • Evidence of providing high quality, effective and innovative learning experiences that leads to outstanding outcomes (E)
  • Experience of planning and delivering and highly efficient curriculum offer and associated budgets (E)
  • Good analytical skills with proven ability to use management information to identify issues and opportunities to drive performance (E)
  • A good understanding of apprenticeship management information requirements and the need for data accuracy
  • Strong knowledge of the OfSTED Common Inspection Framework and experience of the inspection process at a curriculum level
  • An ability to engage and motivate individuals to deliver high performance outcomes in a FE and HE environments
  • Good communication and presentation skills, written and verbal
  • An ability to effectively embed equal opportunities and safeguarding into apprenticeships
  • A good understanding of how technology can be used to enhance teaching, learning and assessment for students and apprentices

 

More about Milton Keynes College

Milton Keynes is one of the fastest growing cities in the UK. It is also a recognised leader indeveloping and promoting of smart city technology, with initiatives such as MK:Smart, and the ‘MK Data Hub’. However, the challenge of supporting sustainable growth and increasing its employers’ capabilities through a skilled workforce is a major one. The College has the ambition, the expertise and employer links that will support the development of one of the largest and most successful digital curriculums in the country. We have already secured strong partnership support from

The College has the ambition, the expertise and employer links that will support the development of one of the largest and most successful digital curriculums in the country. We have already secured strong partnership support from organisations, including: The Bletchley Park Trust, Microsoft and City & Guilds.

In order to do this, it is vital that we attract the right calibre of professional to work alongside our dedicated team of staff; colleagues who show a real passion for and understanding of the Digital industries. Colleagues are able to enjoy positive, professional relationships with employers and colleagues; and, perhaps most importantly, colleagues who share the clear vision that the student is at the very heart of everything we do.