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University of Warwick partnership with University College Birmingham set to open up opportunities for young people and strengthen economic recovery

Caption Left to Right:  Alpha Jallow, University College Birmingham Guild of Students President 2020-21;  Alice Young, University College Birmingham Guild of Students Vice-President 2021/President-elect 2021-22; and  Luke Mepham, University of Warwick Students’ Union President 2020-21The University of Warwick and University College Birmingham have announced today, Thursday 8th July 2021, a new partnership that will provide more opportunities for young people and strengthen the post pandemic economic recovery of the West Midlands.

From the start of 2022, many of University College Birmingham’s undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, and some higher level apprenticeships, will be accredited and awarded by the University of Warwick.

However, the new partnership is already looking far beyond accreditation. Both universities are also exploring many other areas of co-operation, which are expected to benefit students and help the West Midlands‘ economic recovery from the pandemic.

Caption Left to Right: Alpha Jallow, University College Birmingham Guild of Students President 2020-21, and Luke Mepham, University of Warwick Students’ Union President 2020-21Building on the core strengths of both universities, the partnership will have a focus on widening access for students from all backgrounds, including further opportunities for postgraduate and research-led study. It will also provide new pathways for apprentices, with Warwick already having one of the largest degree apprenticeship programmes in the Russell Group.

Through the collaboration, both universities’ students will have the opportunity to connect with broader high quality employer networks, supporting and helping students achieve even stronger employability outcomes, while altogether strengthening regional economic and societal recovery.

Ultimately, the new partnership brings together the University of Warwick’s excellent research and employment reputation and University College Birmingham’s strengths in teaching, learning and proven expertise in securing excellent educational and employment outcomes for people from neighbourhoods with traditionally low progression to higher education.

Professor Michael Harkin, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of University College Birmingham, said the vocational and professional fields represented by its courses were in areas where employment was expected to grow and the partnership would enrich this. He said:

“This partnership will significantly open up more opportunities and tangible benefits for students, bolstered by our £130 million investment in new facilities. Crucially, it will also support and drive regional growth and productivity. Both universities are business-facing, entrepreneurial, employability-focused with links with industry and we are excited about the possibilities this new strategic partnership can bring.”

Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick, said:

“As a highly ranked, globally connected institution that also has a strong commitment to our region, we want to break down educational, financial and social barriers to a university education, particularly for our young people in the Midlands and Warwickshire, and play a significant role in supporting our region’s post pandemic economic recovery. Warwick is already working to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds or groups under-represented in higher education, particularly through our Warwick Scholars Programme.

“This new partnership reinforces our ability to continue to transform the lives of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and will help deliver many of the skills that will be highly sought after by local employers coming out of the pandemic.”

8 July 2021

NOTES FOR EDITORS

 

Clicking on the pictures above will take you to higher resolution images but here again are the direct links and captions.

Caption Left to Right
Alpha Jallow, University College Birmingham Guild of Students President 2020-21
Luke Mepham, University of Warwick Students’ Union President 2020-21

https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/july_2021/ucb_warwick_207.jpg

Caption Left to Right
Alpha Jallow, University College Birmingham Guild of Students President 2020-21
Alice Young, University College Birmingham Guild of Students Vice-President 2021/President-elect 2021-22
Luke Mepham, University of Warwick Students’ Union President 2020-21

https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/july_2021/ucb_warwick_409.jpg


University College Birmingham

University College Birmingham is a teaching university with state-of-the-art vocational facilities on campus, serving 7,500 students. It works collaboratively with employers to ensure students are fully prepared for sustainable careers in the industries that underpin its specialism. University College Birmingham’s purpose is to provide access to further and higher education to those who may not have considered themselves otherwise able and support them to achieve their potential.

Providing students with the ability to progress from studying at Level 1 through to Level 7, the university has a long history and proven expertise in securing excellent educational and employment outcomes for people from neighbourhoods with traditionally low progression to higher education. In 2017-18, 17% of students were from such neighbourhoods, compared with 11.5% in the whole HE sector, while over 50% of its UK students are ethnic minorities,

Around 3,000 of its higher education students are from the West Midlands, as are over 1,500 students on further education courses, and 98% of University College Birmingham students are from state schools. More at www.ucb.ac.uk

 

University of Warwick

University league tables rank the University of Warwick in the top 10 in the UK and in the top 100 in the world. The university’s last regional impact study showed that Warwick generated a billion pounds of economic impact for the regional economy and supported 9,425 full-time equivalent jobs across the West Midlands. More at: www.warwick.ac.uk

 

Press enquiries should be directed to:

University College Birmingham:
Melanie Hall at m.hall@ucb.ac.uk, tel. 07852 640028

University of Warwick:
Peter Dunn, Director of Press and Media Relations
Chief Communications Officer’s Group, University of Warwick
Mobile: 07767 655860 Email p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

 

PJD 8th July 2021

Contacts:

University College Birmingham:
Melanie Hall:

Mobile: 07852 640028

Email: m.hall@ucb.ac.uk 

University of Warwick:

Peter Dunn, Director of Press and Media Relations:

Mobile: 07767 655860 Email p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk