Apply now for the next Roads Academy development programme beginning February 2016. Deadline for applications: Friday 25 September 2015.
The Roads Academy is a roads sector initiative to create significant change in how the industry thinks, behaves and performs. It aims to:
encourage innovative thinking and collaboration
contribute to a skilled and diverse workforce
support and develop the leaders of the future
foster understanding of sector needs
provide a platform to share best practice
identify ways to improve safety, sustainability and value for money
Being a member gives you:
the opportunity to develop your staff through a subsidised development programme
two places on each Roads Academy masterclass, delivered by leaders in the roads sector
access to cutting edge knowledge and best practice
the chance to influence and contribute to the future of the roads sector
a platform to tell the industry about your experiences and success
the opportunity to be involved in the Roads Academy steering group
opportunities to network across the roads sector
regular newsletters
Become a member organisation
Contact Highways England to become a member:
Email: roadsacademy@highwaysengland.co.uk
Telephone: 01234 796512
Cost
The annual membership fee is £3,000 per organisation
Masterclasses
The Roads Academy offers a minimum of two masterclasses each year, held at various locations around the UK. Masterclasses involve a combination of expert and/or academic input, group discussion and working with live issues.
Masterclasses are a great opportunity for collaboration and networking between member organisations, development programme participants and attendees from across the roads industry. As a masterclass delegate you will explore situations you face and share your ideas in group sessions. There are opportunities for questions and debate.
Each masterclass will cover a different topic depending on the current needs and challenges facing the sector. The underlying theory introduced at masterclasses can be a challenge to conventional thinking. Typical subjects may include:
strategic leadership in infrastructure
systems thinking
crisis leadership
thriving in a political environment
Member organisations are entitled to two places at every masterclass as part of their membership. You can purchase additional places at each masterclass - email for the latest prices. Places are also provided to current and past development programme delegates.
Development programme
The Roads Academy offers a prestigious two year development programme, created with significant input from the whole roads sector and expertise from both industry and academia. This programme is heavily subsidised by Highways England, offering you great value for money.
The programme is held at Roffey Park Institute - leaders in research and innovation in management development. The qualification is validated by the University of Sussex.
On successful completion you will gain a formal postgraduate certificate in leadership and management and 60 Credit, Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) points at masters level. You will also be awarded a Roads Academy diploma. You will also:
build your expertise and CV
raise your career profile
receive personal coaching
network across the sector
On returning to your organisation you will act as a catalyst for change in the way industry thinks, behaves and performs.
Cost
The development programme fee is £5,000 per delegate.
Apply for the 2016 development programme
The next programme starts February 2016. Nominations are now open and will close on 25 September 2015.
To apply, you must:
complete the
Application form: Roads Academy development programme 2015
(PDF, 158KB, 5 pages)
pass your application to a senior manager to endorse, for example Divisional Director, Director or Board member
complete the
Diversity monitoring form: Roads Academy development programme 2015
(PDF, 102KB, 2 pages)
send your application and diversity form to roadsacademy@highwaysengland.co.uk by 25 September 2015
Promising applicants will be contacted from 12 October onwards and invited to attend an assessment centre in Nottingham. Assessment centres will be held on 3, 4, 5,10, 11, 12 November 2015 and will comprise:
a presentation to assessors, covering who you are as a leader and how you intend to use your Roads Academy learning
a mini action learning set facilitated by Roffey Park and assessors – applicant to bring a real work issue to talk about
a 30 – 40 minute competency based interview (competencies are outlined in the
Competency framework: Roads Academy development programme 2015
(PDF, 229KB, 1 page)
)
Those who attend the assessment centre will be notified of whether they have been successful from 23 November 2015.
Application form: Roads Academy development programme 2015
PDF, 158KB, 5 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request a different format.
If you use assistive technology and need a version of this document
in a more accessible format, please email
info@highwaysengland.co.uk.
Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Diversity monitoring form: Roads Academy development programme 2015
PDF, 102KB, 2 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request a different format.
If you use assistive technology and need a version of this document
in a more accessible format, please email
info@highwaysengland.co.uk.
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Criteria
To be accepted into the programme your organisation must be a Roads Academy member and you must be nominated to attend. There are a maximum of 18 places on offer, shared across the supply chain and Highways England.
Nominations are made at a senior level in each organisation.
The assessment centre exercises and final interview will refer to the following competency framework.
Competency framework: Roads Academy development programme 2015
PDF, 229KB, 1 page
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Nominations: senior manager guidance
As a senior manager you will need to consider who would make an appropriate delegate and how you can support them through the process.
This is a challenging academic programme so candidates must:
be able to study for two years at masters level
have a professional qualification or equivalent experience
be able to manage their own learning, think critically and self assess
The Roads Academy are looking for delegates who can (or have potential to):
be a strong leader
act as an ambassador for the roads sector
shape how the industry works
influence and communicate at a national level
put what they learn into practice in the workplace
understand development at industry level
Candidates must be able to reflect the competencies listed in the
Competency framework: Roads Academy development programme 2015
(PDF, 229KB, 1 page)
.
About the programme
The Roads Academy is a ‘self-managed learning’ (SML) programme. This means you will design your own learning and pursue your own areas of interest within the agreed field of leadership and change in the roads sector.
You will work collaboratively with your fellow delegates both during the programme and in internal consultancy project groups to address strategic issues within the sector.
The programme challenges current thinking from day one. You will work with live issues to ensure that you can implement your learning both during the programme and beyond. Both the learning process itself and the pass-fail outcome are determined by rigorous peer and Set Advisor review. This ensures that you gain practical learning and build the skills essential to good leadership as well as being held to a high academic standard.
All the formal learning activities will be scheduled during the working week. You will typically spend up to three to four percent of your time per week (based on a full seven day week of eight hours per day) on the programme over the two-year period.
The programme emphasises the practical use of knowledge and learning for the benefit of delegate, organisation and the wider roads sector. It aims to produce people who are:
confident in their knowledge
skilled and influential leaders and managers
able to tackle the complex challenges encountered in the roads sector
The programme involves:
four residential workshops
four masterclasses
personal “challenge and innovation” coaching sessions
a series of facilitated learning sets
ongoing internal consultancy project groups
A typical module will follow this outline:
two day workshop
challenge and innovation coaching session
learning set
masterclass
challenge and innovation coaching session
The course follows the Roffey Park five question framework.
“Where have I been?” – what is my background/experience
“Where am I now?” – what are my current skills, qualities, knowledge
“Where do I want to get to?” – who I want to be, what I need to develop
“How do I get there?” – what learning programme do I need
“How will I know I have arrived?” – what evaluation and assessment should I use
The first two questions aim to clarify learning needs. The third question defines goals. The fourth question helps to outline a plan of action. The fifth question gives a basis for assessment.
Masterclasses
Delegates will attend the Roads Academy programme of masterclasses.
Workshops
Before you join your fellow delegates for the first workshop you will take part in a webinar-style introduction. This provides information about programme structure, objectives and approach and gives you the opportunity to ask questions of the programme managers.
Workshop content may be subject to change in response to the evolving needs of the sector but you can view a sample programme.
Sample workshop programme
PDF, 2.68MB, 4 pages
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Learning sets
Learning sets involve 6-7 participants. They allow you to discuss the work you are doing towards your portfolio of evidence. It is also the forum that allows delegates to peer review each others’ work. Each set is supported and facilitated by a Roffey Park learning set adviser.
Learning sets encourage the skills necessary for self managed learning:
self reflection
critical thinking
participation in effective giving and receiving of feedback
Together you will:
help each other work towards and produce learning contracts
support set members who are taking risks
constructively challenge each other
establish assessment criteria
assess each others’ work and progress with learning goals
share personal experience, learning and development with other set members
give and receive feedback
Internal consultancy project groups
It is important to demonstrate return on investment for members of the Roads Academy. We achieve this through internal consultancy.
At the 15 month point you will be briefed to conduct research with senior leaders to find out the challenges facing them, the issues on their minds and how they could benefit from six months’ group consultancy.
You will use these findings to generate ideas for possible consultancy projects and present these to your fellow delegates. The group then agree which three projects best meet the criteria of:
opportunity for sector-wide (and beyond) collaboration
impact across the sector
likely return on investment
provide a way to implement learning from the Roads Academy
Once agreed, you form project groups to tackle these projects and present their outcomes.
Groups are formed on a ‘max mix’ basis, ie with as much diversity as possible, not only across age, gender, ethnic background, etc but also across role, organisation, and geography. This provides participants with the challenge to take up a role that differs from one they might traditionally play on a project.
Each project group is given an initial deadline to:
engage sponsorship from one of the senior leaders who suggested the idea in the first place
manage the expectations of other senior leaders whose project ideas are not being carried forward
scope and define the project
draft and submit terms of reference for the project to the Roads Academy steering group, detailing objectives and outputs, method plan, roles and responsibilities, timescales and milestones etc.
The projects run from the end of module 4 and the amount of time available to work on them is spread over a nine month period. With this in mind, and given that participants all have full-time jobs, we encourage participants not to be overambitious in the scope of projects undertaken.
Realistically, it is better to deliver value to the sector by limiting the projects and producing results, rather than overextending themselves and being unable to deliver the agreed outcome. This is an example of leadership in action.
Upon successful completion of the internal consultancy process, delegates will receive the Roads Academy diploma.
Challenge and innovation sessions
“Challenge and innovation” sessions offer you personalised support and challenge you to use your learning to benefit you, your team, your organisation and the roads sector. The coaches come from Roffey Park’s highly experienced faculty.
Your coach will help you explore goals and decide how you’ll achieve them. You will also be partnered with a fellow delegate, allowing you both to gain different perspectives on your work. Partnerships remain the same for the duration of the programme.
As such, the challenge and innovation sessions come in two forms:
1-to-1 sessions - working individually with your coach
1-to-2 sessions - working with your coach and partner
There are three one-to-one and six one-to-two challenge and innovation sessions for each delegate over the 15 month academic portion of the programme. Writing up your reflections on these sessions will help you link your learning to the goals you have set for yourself. You could include your journal in your portfolio for assessment.
Assessment
To qualify you must attend each of the workshops and learning sets.
You will be required to produce a portfolio of evidence based on your own research and process of inquiry. This portfolio will be different for each delegate based on the learning and assessment they identify, but could include any assignments undertaken and a journal of the challenge and innovation sessions.
This portfolio will be peer reviewed during learning sets. The learning set, along with their adviser, determines the assessment criteria for the qualification and jointly carries out a peer assessment process. A portion of the portfolios will also go forward for external benchmarking.
On completing the qualification you will have gained the independent learning skills required for continuing professional development.
Contacts
If you have any questions about the academy please speak to your manager or contact a member of the Roads Academy project team:
Email: roadsacademy@highwaysengland.co.uk
Telephone: 01234 796512