Latest news and trends

When Martyn Carroll left school at 16, he didn’t realise he had dyslexia and simply thought higher education wasn’t for him. He’s now proving just what he’s capable of thanks to a degree apprenticeship with The Open University and South Western Railway.

Ever since she was a child, Fola Yusuf-Adewuyi wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a nurse. Years later, and now a mum of three herself, Fola is living her dream and is one of the first Nursing Associates to qualify through an innovative Open University apprenticeship.

The first Nurse Associates have qualified from Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT), through its new Nursing Academy in partnership with The Open University (OU).

The UK skills shortage is being felt across every sector, region and nation of the UK. In Northern Ireland, 69 per cent of employers report a skills shortage in their organisation, with nearly half (46%) saying their biggest challenge over the next five years will be their ability to find staff with the right skills. These findings are taken from The Open University’s (OU) latest Business Barometer report, published in partnership with The Institute of Directors (IoD).

People with a strong interest in moving into a digital career have an opportunity to change their fortunes for the better.

After 15 years as a network specialist, Simon jumped at the chance to broaden his skills with a Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprenticeship. Not only that but he managed to get married, move house and welcome his second child at the same time.

Behind masks, in gloves and online, during the Coronavirus crisis, the charity sector has continued to do what it does best: support the vulnerable and deliver vital services in the community.

Apprenticeships are a great way for employers to recruit, develop and retain a more diverse workforce. They enable employers to tap into a broader talent pool, which improves diversity of skills and thinking in the workplace. This makes employers more able to meet the challenges facing them today and in the future, as well as enabling them to meet diversity and inclusion targets. And by widening access to learning and job opportunities, apprenticeships create more equal opportunities for all. 

The Open University (OU) delivers an outstanding social work curriculum, partnerships with employers are exemplary, and learning is flexible and responsive. That is the conclusion of the recent Periodic Quality Review of OU social work provision

Apprenticeships enable quicker COVID recovery for English business

Appetite for apprenticeships and work-based learning on the rise amongst English employers in the wake of the COVID vaccine.