The grant comes under HEFCE’s National Networks for Collaborative Outreach (NNCO) scheme announced today (Thursday) and covers funding for 2014/15 and 2015/16. The new £22 million scheme, involving over 200 higher education institutions and reaching 4,300 secondary schools and colleges, aims to encourage more people into higher education. Three of the networks, including the Social Partnerships Network, will offer advice and support to specific groups of students at a national level, thus supporting a diverse HE system which supports workplace and lifelong learning.
The OU is one of 10 organisations that form the Social Partnerships Network. All the partners have a firm commitment to widening access and social inclusion and the combined potential to reach over six million people.
We are pleased to welcome the National Council for Voluntary Organisations as the latest member to this Network, the full list of which comprises:
- Workers’ Educational Association (WEA)
- UnionLearn
- Unison
- National Extension College (NEC)
- Association of Colleges (AoC)
- LearnDirect
- Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD)
- National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE)
- National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
- The Open University
Together the partners work to develop strategies and activities that support lifelong learning, social mobility and lifelong learning.
Speaking about the HEFCE grant announced today, Liz Marr, Director of The Open University’s Centre for Inclusion and Collaborative Partnerships said:
“This allocation will be an enormous help for our Social Partnerships Network. It will enable us to sustain and expand our existing outreach programmes, including our coordinated efforts to provide clear and relevant information to potential adult learners. In turn, it will support our shared commitment to extending higher education opportunities to all those who can benefit.”
Speaking about the HEFCE scheme, Greg Clark, Minister for Universities and Science, welcomed all the networks, saying:
'Higher education is a transformational experience and the future of the UK economy depends on having highly-trained graduates so it is vital that young people have the right information about progressing into higher education.
'A record number of students entered higher education in 2014, with entry rates for students from disadvantaged backgrounds increasing by over 10% to its highest ever level. However there is still more work to do to ensure all students who want to study hard can benefit, irrespective of their background."
The networks are funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and managed by HEFCE