Last updated 12:07, Monday, 15 September 2008

Cath Richardson, Principal of Lakes College:

MANY people who didn’t go on to university after leaving school find that they can only get so far in their chosen career.

Often these are people who are perfectly capable individuals but they don’t have the qualifications required to take the next step. They are then stuck in a ‘catch 22’ scenario of not being able to improve their career prospects without a degree but can’t afford to give up work to return to full-time education to get a degree.

People with a degree can expect to earn considerably more over their careers than those without a degree, with the average graduate earning over £100,000 more over their working life. So the benefits of a degree are there for all to see.

Getting a degree has traditionally been seen as the preserve of people who have gained the required A-level as opposed to people who left school at 16 following vocational training routes, with the more academically-oriented university qualifications largely seen as beyond their grasp. Well that has all changed with the advent of foundation degrees.

Foundation degrees are relatively new, innovative degree-level qualifications designed in conjunction with employers to provide the right balance between study and work. They are a response to the business need for higher level qualifications that balance academic knowledge with vocational experience and career relevance.

Foundation degrees are particularly relevant for someone who is currently employed and is looking for that next step to help them progress up their chosen career ladder and improve their prospects.

They allow people to ‘up skill’ in their current job as they can be studied part- time.

But don’t just take my word for it.

Let’s hear what Bill Rammell, higher education minister, has to say about foundation degrees: “Designed with employers, foundation degrees are innovative qualifications that combine academic study with workplace learning, enabling individuals to develop their careers while helping business to retain talent and increase productivity,”

Professor David Eastwood, chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, said: “As the development of foundation degrees gathers momentum they are proving to be a very effective vehicle for widening access by attracting new types of students and developing a highly-skilled workforce in key areas of the economy.

“They are also important in opening up progression routes, with less than a third having A-levels on entry and more than half of the students going on to study for an honours degree.”

This last point is very important. You don’t need A-levels to get onto a foundation degree. Just because you don’t have A-levels doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of degree level work.

"The work that you are doing in your job could well be at degree level without you even realising it."

A typical foundation degree course lasts two years, is equal to the first two years of an honours degree and with further study can actually be converted into an honours degree.

Many courses have flexible teaching arrangements involving part-time or evening attendance at college, or even the opportunity to learn online.

If you would like to find out if a foundation degree might be the way for you to improve you career prospects then give us a call at Lakes College on 01946 839300. You’ll never know if you don’t ask!