Education leaders unite to help students upskill

University of Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent College are joining forces to help more students to upskill and realise their potential.

University and College leaders have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which commits both institutions to work together to support College students on their education journey.

University of Staffordshire vice-chancellor Professor Martin Jones said: “This enables us to remove barriers to education, raise the aspirations of students of all ages and address skills shortages in our area.

“We will be working closely with Stoke on Trent College to map progression opportunities and ramp up the support available to students who want to take their learning to the next level.”

An example of this is the Staffordshire Nurse Pathway which helps College T-level healthcare students to build confidence by bringing them on to the University campus and giving them hands-on experience of clinical environments.

The College students also receive careers advice and guidance from University staff alongside practical experience at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust.

The initiative aims to help NHS England meet its growth target of an extra 2,500 nurses in the region by 2028.

Building on the successful pilot, both institutions are committed to providing similar pathways for students undertaking computer games, law and education qualifications.

Principal and CEO of Stoke on Trent College Lisa Capper MBE said: “Our partnership with University of Staffordshire is about being joined up in terms of what courses we deliver and how that dovetails with the Local Skills Improvement Plan.

“Supporting our young and adult learners to have greater awareness and knowledge of their options beyond Stoke on Trent College and helping them to make informed decisions about future courses and careers is key.”

Through the partnership, the college and university are committing to work together to co-design and deliver Level 3 courses in areas including Engineering and STEM, Health and Social Care and Digital and Creative Industries to provide talented college students with exciting new progression opportunities.

Other developments include Level 3 microcredentials which aim to support College learners in making informed decisions about Higher Education, Careers and Enterprise. This will help students build on the applied skills that they learn in their time at Stoke on Trent College.

University of Staffordshire Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Annabel Kiernan said: “Stoke on Trent College is achieving great things and we are hugely excited about the transformative impact that our joint working will have on people from our city and county.

“Each year at graduation we celebrate the achievements of local people of all ages and we are keen to build supported opportunities for people in Stoke and Staffordshire to upskill, reskill and realise their full potential.”

Pictured: Professor Martin Jones and Lisa Capper MBE sign a Memo of Understanding to help student progression