| Summary: | The relationship between higher education and industry in vocational subjects is important. This priority is recognised by professional institutions that have a long tradition of accrediting education undertaken in universities. Industry is changing faster than at any point previously as the market for services in the built environment becomes increasingly global. There is evidence that higher education and industry are on divergent paths and that engagement activity now provides a critical link between academia and practice. The quality and value of this engagement is now crucial to the health of the built environment sector. This study examines the value of engagement activity between higher education and industry and considers how it can be measured. This study explores the issue of engagement and develops new theory in this important area. Using a grounded theory approach the study was undertaken in three phases. Primary data was from workshops and surveys of opinion together with secondary data drawn from the work in the Accelerating Change in Built Environment Education (ACBEE) project undertaken at the University of Salford under the direction of the author. In the first phase, the existing landscape is explored through the medium of case studies and an understanding of the main purpose of engagement and the forms that it takes is described with analysis of the drivers for engagement being presented. A framework for the categorisation of engagement activity is proposed and justified in the second phase of the study. The case studies are evaluated using the framework with the conclusion that while there is considerable activity it is not always at the most optimal level. There is clear scope for improvement if the relationship can be better understood and appropriate measures of performance developed. In the final phase, a set of grounded key performance indicators and a conceptual model for measuring the value of engagement are advanced which, together, provide a continuous improvement framework for higher education and industry engagement.
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