Employer Engagement
A Practical Perspective
What is
Employer Engagement?
The cynical might say it is government’s attempt to make employers
pay more?
HEFCE’s strategy: what’s in it for employers?
We will be supporting a range of projects at national, sectoral, regional and local
levels. These will explore and address the barriers faced by universities and
colleges in being responsive to employers’ needs. These include ensuring that:
1. quality assurance systems which apply to HE provision are fit for purpose
2. employer-responsive provision is funded appropriately
3. HE links effectively to policy for 14-19 year-old learners and further education
4. vocational and work-based learning is valued and supported by providers
5. academic staff have opportunities to update and refresh their knowledge of
industry and the world of work
6. there are clearer routes to enter HE for learners from non-traditional
backgrounds
7. credits and qualifications systems enable learners to learn and accumulate
qualifications in a flexible way that fits with their work and broader life
commitments.
Employers can also expect to see better services tailored to their needs
As an Employer I find it difficult to get beyond the
Education Jargon!
Employer Engagement – A Practical Perspective
Engagement
An appointment or arrangement
A pledge; an obligation or agreement
Mechanics. the act or state of interlocking
It involves two parties working together to mutual benefit
It isn’t just about FHE ……work placements etc …. It is also about
employers and their needs
Employers
Ioan Morgan CBE: Principal Warwickshire College;
Commissioner for Employment & Skills; Ministerial
Advisor, Leitch writer ………….Employer
Sir Alan Sugar: Entrepreneur, self made millionaire …..
Outspoken …… Down to earth …….Apprentice maker
…..
Employer!
How would they describe Employer Engagement?
Sir Alan would be quite blunt
He would take us back to basics
He’d probably tell you that business has been doing this for years
He’d probably use words like Customer, Sales, Marketing ………
In the practical world Employer Engagement is all about Customers,
Sales and Marketing!
Acquiring Customers (Employers)
Retaining Customers (Employers)
The Employer Engagement
Apprentice
How do you acquire customers?
Firstly, don’t forget your existing customers
Secondly, remember that people do business with people they like and
respect
Thirdly, you use all the techniques that the Apprentices use … and
more
You need to define your market place, the typical customer, etc
You need to think marketing … the 4 P’s
Product ……. FT / PT courses, short courses, other services
Price …… £ & Time etc
Place …… In the workplace maybe
Promotion ….. You need to promote them
These are very basic marketing techniques but we ignore them at our
peril
Rachel Elnaugh
Formed Red Letter Days when in her
twenties
Dragons’ Den Panellist
Rachel’s typical Red Latter Days
customer was a woman, 35 – 55 years
old who read Vogue ………..
Who is your typical Employer/Customer?
The Cost of Marketing?
Do you have an unlimited budget?
Most Marketing Is Expensive & Doesn’t Work !
Why not try low cost and free marketing
E-Marketing
Do you have a business or marketing
plan?
Do you have an E-marketing plan?
What is Emarketing?
Lets start by defining marketing
Marketing is the process of profitably
satisfying customer need
So e-marketing is ……..?
Having a website?
Yes it might be …..
But E-marketing can involve more than
just a website
Such as ……………..?
E-marketing channels
include….
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•
•
•
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Websites – not only your website but other peoples as well…… directories, wikis, Adsense, Blogs etc
SEO – search engine optimisation
Pay Per Click (PPC) – Google Adwords
Analytics
Autoresponders – these work 24/365 and can automate many processes e.g.. Newsletters,
e-zines etc.
Google Maps - free listings where people search
Google Alerts – who is talking about you, your business and your competitors?
Blogs – business and social blogs can build your reputation and drive traffic to your website
Audio and video
Press/Media Release & Article distribution sites
Online Testing & Measuring (T&M)
…………………………………………….And lets not forget Email
•
Web 2.0 is about people connecting, collaborating and sharing information online - for personal or
business use
Social media such as Friends Reunited, Facebook, Ecademy, LinkedIn & YouTube
•
E-marketing is not a substitute
for traditional marketing
E-marketing is most effective when
integrated with traditional marketing
How do people find information,
ask questions and conduct
research?
They
GOOGLE
Websites
Why do businesses & universities
have websites?
To provide …… credibility, information, sell, research, etc.
……….. To build relationships
Who visits your website?
•Why do they visit?
•How do they find you? …… Typed URL, referred by another site, Googled
a search term.
•What search terms did they use?
•Which pages are most popular?
•Where do visitors live? Town, country etc
•What are your visitors names?
•Are they businesses?
•What is their email address
X
X
X
GEES found my business
when Googling for Employer
Enagement
X
Autorepsonder
Google Maps
Location
Map
Website
Description
Reviews
Photos
FREE
Google Alerts
CIM Training Provider Oxford College of Marketing is
Expanding ...
ITNews - Roma,Italy
A free lecture on E-marketing will be given by Stefan Drew
who will also be present after the lecture to answer any
questions. Rosie Phipps, the Principal, ...
See all stories on this topic
PR / News Websites
PR.com
PR Newswire
SB Wire
PRLeap
PressFlash
PRWeb
TheOpenPress
PR Newswire
PRWeb Direct
+ The Ripple Effect
The BBC recently contacted me to comment on
the recent Honda advert
– they found my name on Expertsources
Beware the
negative side of
E-marketing!
Pershore College
Formed in the early 1950s as England’s premier college of horticulture
International reputation
Chelsea Gold Medal Winner
Merged with Warwickshire College in 2007
Employer Engagement remit …. Stefan Drew Associates
Pershore Horticulture Employment & Skills Group
supporting the horticulture industry throughout the UK
Target Audience – UK Horticultural Employers
Independent Chair
Reps from RHS; National Trust; English Heritage;
Webbs of Wychbold (Garden Centre of the Year); HRI
Wellesbourne, the University of Warwick; Midland
Regional Growers; Midland Parks Forum; Bransford
Webbs etc.
Give to Get
The employers are inundated with new legislation and have problems
sourcing all the information.
Pershore provides a website, e-newsletter etc. to help them keep up to
date. This means they see the Pershore brand on a regular basis but
are not sold to
Courses are being tailored under the MRG brand …. Predominately
staffed by Pershore.
A relationship has been built
Questions