News | Friday, 17th December 2021
Manchester Met to deliver two pioneering projects improving access to higher education
Funding from the Office for Students will help provide short learning courses to address skills gaps
Access to higher education and routes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students to careers in research will be improved through two new sector-leading projects at Manchester Metropolitan University.
The University has been awarded funding from the Office for Students - the independent regulator of higher education in England - to deliver short higher education courses through a Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE), as well as improving the progression to careers in research for BAME students through its ASPIRE programme.
Lifelong Loan Entitlement
The LLE will enable anybody to access up to four years of student loans to support bite-sized learning courses at the University. These short courses will allow people to build up learning over their lifetime with a choice on how and when they want to study and learn new skills.
The Office for Students has announced today (December 17) that Manchester Metropolitan will be one of only 22 institutions to deliver the LLE, which will be a cornerstone of the government’s upcoming Education White Paper.
The project, which will be delivered from September 2022, will provide access to Manchester Metropolitan’s award-winning Rise programme with the aim of providing skills to people in employment without a degree, which may see them facing barriers in their career progression.
Dr Mark Peace, Academic Lead for Student Centred Curriculum and the Rise programme at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “We are really excited to lead on an area of educational development with such obvious social and economic benefits.
“The funding award from the Office for Students is a real vote of confidence in the success of our Rise programme, and the wider University, in driving innovation. We are looking forward to generating exciting and impactful new approaches to help people build their skills and progress in their careers.”
Supporting BAME students
In addition to the LLE short courses, the Office for Students has also awarded a Manchester Metropolitan academic with funding to address the underrepresentation of BAME research students.
The new funding will enable Manchester Metropolitan to support BAME students who wish to progress to careers in research, in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University and training provider Advance HE.
Dr Iwi Ugiagbe-Green, Reader in Teaching and Learning who is leading the project at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “The ASPIRE programme is an impactful package of learning and opportunity, reflecting the inclusive values of our University. It seeks to ensure that regardless of their context or background, all young people have a fair and equal chance of fulfilling their potential.
“We are excited about providing equality of opportunity to support the development of diverse talent and enhance the pipeline of talented Black heritage graduates into rewarding careers.”
Improving skills and life chances
The funding awards from the Office for Students sees Manchester Metropolitan continuing its leading contribution to the provision of skills and education.
A recent report has shown how the University’s degree apprenticeships are improving life and employment chances for graduates, while the unique Rise and First Generation programmes have been recognised with national awards.
Professor Andy Dainty, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “These awards are testament to the passion and investment our staff make in their students’ experience. The successful award of not one, but two grants from the Office for Students is a further accomplishment in this journey.
“The funding will allow us to provide opportunities for more people who may otherwise have struggled to access and progress in higher education. We look forward to seeing the impact of these projects and continuing to work in partnership to deliver new skills to our students and industry.”
