JISC

Third round of funding gives major boost to post-16 sector’s use of ICT

JISC has announced that it will be funding the Regional Support Centres (RSCs) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for a further three years, to August 2010.  

Since 2000 the RSCs - nine in England, one each in Wales and Northern Ireland, and two in Scotland (which received a similar vote of confidence and renewed funding last year) - have provided the post-16 sector with a first port of call for support and guidance in its mainstreaming of technology into learning, teaching and the management of colleges and other learning providers.

Their work - initially in linking providers to the JANET network, then evolving to the provision of curriculum support and guidance in the use of online resources, and latterly in supporting senior managers in the strategic development of colleges and other learning providers – has contributed significantly to the step-change in the integration of ICT undergone by the sector since the start of the decade. 

The RSCs’ success in establishing and developing close relationships with learning providers in their regions has seen them emerge as the only established regionally based teams supporting improvements in the quality of learning and teaching in the post-16 sector across the UK. Their success is also reflected in the RSCs’ ever-widening remit, which now embraces – depending on the individual strategies of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Irela'ICT is at the heart of strategic change and the RSCs have a very important part to play in the future of the post-16 sector.’nd – Specialist Colleges, the Adult and Community Learning sector, HE in FE, small higher education institutions and, most recently, Work-Based Learning.

Growing recognition of the RSCs’ vital contribution to the post-16 sector has also ensured that the third round of funding comes with an augmented remit for the RSCs, not only to build on the foundations laid over the last seven years but also to play a central role in the strategic development of learning providers across the sector as it seeks to embrace national e-learning, skills, professional development and quality improvement agendas. 

Maria Lee, Chair of JISC’s Organisational Support committee (JOS), which has overall responsibility for the RSCs, praised their work, saying: ‘The post-16 sector has benefited enormously from the invaluable contribution made by the RSCs across the UK since 2000. To understand the extent of this contribution, one needs only to imagine where the sector might have been without it: without the connections to JANET, the engagement with online resources, the guidance in mainstreaming e-learning, the fostering of regional collaboration, and much more. It has been a considerable achievement by many highly skilled, specialist and committed staff across the UK and we look forward to their continued contribution in the coming years.’

Tony Jakimciw, Principal of Dumfries and GallowayCollege and Chair of the RSC Board, said: ‘The new round of funding takes the RSCs in a new direction, building on their important work so far but moving towards supporting the strategic development of institutions. ICT is at the heart of strategic change and the RSCs have a very important part to play in the future of the post-16 sector.’ 

Tony Burgess, Senior Policy Manager at the Learning and Skills Council, said: ‘The LSC has agreed to fund the RSCs for a further 3 years as we strongly believe that the RSCs’ role as the support to providers endeavouring to embed technology in their teaching and learning delivery and strategies will continue to gain importance. The LSC provider network consistently identifies the RSCs as an extremely responsive, relevant and useful source of support.’

For further information, please go to: RSCs

Contact: Philip Pothen (JISC)

Notes for editors

1.  JISC – the Joint Information Systems Committee – is a joint committee of the UK further and higher education funding bodies and is responsible for supporting the innovative use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning, teaching, and research.  It is best known for providing the JANET network, a range of support, content and advisory services, and a portfolio of high-quality resources. Information about JISC, its services and programmes can be found at www.jisc.ac.uk/, or contact Philip Pothen on 020 7848 2935 / 07887 564 006 or p.pothen@jisc.ac.uk.

2. A note about the RSCs’ widening remit - Adult and Community Learning (ACL) is part of the RSCs’ remit only in England and Wales, as is RSC support for Work-Based Learning (WBL).