Partner Article

Increase in Higher Education application across the region’s colleges

Colleges across the region are seeing a staggering rise in applications because of a demand to retrain following a career change.

Several colleges have reported applications for the Access to Higher Education Diploma increase by more than 100%, with Derwentside College in Consett, County Durham, seeing a 175% increase.

The Diploma is a qualification open to anyone wanting to persue a career change or obtain higher levels of education, but who may have left school without A Levels.

Ruth Durbridge, the Open College Network North East CEO, said: “It’s been a difficult year for job seekers with such negative reports about the economy and unemployment, but we are delighted that people in the North East have turned this into a positive and are using their time to up-skill or retrain and gain qualifications that will enhance their future career prospects.”

With Higher Education demand increasing, the government is increasingly being put under pressure to increase investment in institutions across the country.

Figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show the UK spends only 0.9% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education, lagging behind the 1.5% seen in Canada, 1.4% spent in Sweden, and 1% in the USA.

OECD secretary general Angel Gurria said: “As we emerge from the global economic crisis, demand for higher education will be higher than ever.

“To the extent that institutions are able to respond, investments in human capital will contribute to recovery.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .