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AoC Conference

A new dawn for the FE sector

RCU will be attending the AoC Conference in November 2011 and look forward to seeing everyone there. Look out for our stand and ask to see a demo of the new Market Intelligence Tool.

When RCU attended the AoC Conference in November 2010 we were delighted to meet so many of you and discuss how our research and consultancy services can help you to shape your College’s future.

Key issues raised by colleges included:

 

  • Creating competitive advantage;
  • Curriculum planning;
  • Employer engagement;
  • Fee setting;
  • Income generation;
  • Marketing intelligence;
  • Staff perceptions;
  • Stakeholder views.

 

To find out what other college leaders have to say about their experiences of RCU, follow the links below:

Testimonial by Ann Turner, Principal, Myerscough College

Testimonial by Richard Atkins, Principal, Exeter College

Testimonial by Gary Groom, Principal, Redcar & Cleveland College

Testimonial by Sue Higginson, Assistant Principal, Wirral Met. College

If you’d like to know more about what we do, our employee ownership structure and the professional standards we bring to all research assignments, go to our Video Gallery page.

Here you’ll also find a number of 10 Step Guides to common research issues which colleges have to tackle – for example employer surveys, staff surveys, surveys of no-shows and early leavers.

Related Documents

RCU Brochure

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Vector - RCUs Planning & Intelligence Tool

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long has RCU been in business?

We first started out in the mid-eighties and became a private company in the early 1990's.

I see you're based in Preston - is your market mainly North West?

Our base is in the North West, but our client base is all around the UK.

What does "RCU" stand for?

Originally, it stood for Responsive College Unit. In the mid 1980's there was an initiative to make colleges more responsive to their local communities. That is where we started. Since then we've continued to do work in the education sector but have widened our client base and our range of services considerably since those early days.

What sets RCU apart from other research and consultancy organisations in the sector?

Most organisations talk about quality assurance as a differentiator. By definition, if most people argue they are different because of their quality, the statement is out of line with the facts. Sure, we achieved the international standard for market research organisations (ISO 20252) as one of the first in the UK to do so and also have the stringent Data security standard (ISO 27001). The key thing about ourselves is that all employees are shareholders. There aren't many organisations where you find yourself speaking to someone who actually owns the business. That gives us a special perspective and we believe this a genuine  difference which clients notice.

What sort of budget do you need for a research project?

The obvious but rather vague-sounding answer is 'that depends'. However, we will talk to you about what you need and the most cost-effective way of getting a result. We'd be happy to talk to you and then to give you a quote for the approaches we agree are the best for you in your situation. Contact us at enquiries@rcu.co.uk

What sorts of organisation do you work with?

We work for a wide range of organisations in the public sector, mainly. Historically, our focus has been on the post-16 education sector where we have carried out assignments for both individual providers such as colleges or local authorities but we have also done research on behalf of Awarding Bodies and national government departments.

Who owns RCU?

All members of staff are co-owners of the company.