University News Last updated 25 February 2009
Birmingham City University is developing a suite of progression agreements with its further education college partners to encourage students to realise their full potential and progress to university.
The University has signed an agreement with local colleges that will give vocational learners from around the region access to study for a degree at the University. At the heart of the agreement is a route for vocational learners in Engineering studying at further education level 3 (the equivalent to A-levels) to progress onto higher level programmes such as Foundation Degrees, Honours Degrees and beyond.
The progression agreement is between Birmingham City University and Further Education colleges - Matthew Boulton, Sutton Coldfield Colleges and Solihull College. Principals and senior staff from these colleges and the University were present at the signing, along with the Chair and Director of the Lifelong Learning Network (LLN), Patrick Highton.
Mary Carswell, Pro Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham City University, said: "Getting progression agreements in place is a really helpful way of encouraging students to continue onto University as they can clearly see where their current studies can take them. This work helps to raise the aspirations of young people in the region and has to be seen as a positive step forward."
Patrick Highton, Director of LLN, added: "The reason we're doing this is to encourage more vocational learners to come into higher education from further educational colleges and work-based training and, where possible, to guarantee places."
Birmingham City University has also signed progression agreements in health care and construction. The agreement means that vocational skills and work based qualifications gained by engineering students in the region are acknowledged and recognised as a route, equivalent to traditional A-levels, to gain entry onto degree level programmes.
The agreement (formally known as a progression agreement) not only shows that Universities are now recognizing vocational qualifications as an alternative route to higher education, but also demonstrates the recent shift in the education system.
The agreement, forged by the Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull Lifelong Learning Network (BBC & SLLN), was signed at the LLN's Steering Committee at Birmingham City University's City North campus.