Russell Group welcomes proposed scholarship fund for apprentices

11 November 2009

Responding to the launch of the ‘Skills for Growth: The National Skills Strategy’, which includes a proposal to introduce a £1000 Apprenticeships Scholarships Fund to encourage the highest achieving apprentices to enter higher education, Director General of the Russell Group of leading universities, Dr Wendy Piatt, said:

“The Russell Group welcomes these proposed scholarships as a way of raising aspirations, promoting greater mobility between further and higher education and helping to break down some of the perceived barriers to going to university.

“Russell Group universities have already introduced several ‘non traditional’ routes into higher education, including schemes which promote progression from FE to HE. For example some institutions allow students to take their first or second years at the local FE college. Russell Group universities are constantly examining the most effective ways of ensuring that we identify the candidates from all backgrounds with the potential to excel on our courses.”
 
Note to editors

1. Examples of special entry routes into Russell Group universities:

• The University of Liverpool runs various 1+3 and 2+2 foundation courses with local FE colleges which can progress into university degrees. These include degree programmes in medicine and dentistry, science and engineering, computer science and information systems, earth sciences, geography, mathematics and physical sciences.
• University College London’s ‘Foundation Year in Engineering’ is part of a four-year degree programme in engineering, specifically designed for applicants who have not studied suitable subjects prior to entry but have attained the required academic level. The first year is an introduction to mathematics, physics and engineering principles 

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