Web-enabled university degrees delivered in the workplace.

In line with government targets for degrees developed with employers, Birmingham City University and Staffordshire University are partnering with businesses to offer innovative, web-enabled undergraduate and post graduate degrees directly in the work place.

Based on individual learning 'on the job', employers across the country can offer a complete career development package, enabling staff to get a degree building on their day-to-day business and longer-term ambitions.

Both universities are working with The Working Manager Limited to accredit existing management programmes already used by over fifty UK organisations and to deliver new programmes through the TWM academy platform.

Managers at Munters Ltd, a Times Top 100 employer, and Lorne Stewart plc will be among the first to benefit from Foundation Degrees in Leadership and Management. Mike Waterfield of Munters says 'Most of our senior managers have not had the opportunity to obtain higher education qualifications. The TWM foundation means we can offer work-based learning via our in-house academy leading to a nationally recognised qualification. Our managers will not only gain a strong academic understanding of leadership and business management principles but will also learn how to apply them, to our business advantage, in their place of work. The real gain will be in the personal growth and motivation of the individual manager.'

Lorne Stewart's Ken Hersey confirmed, 'The crucial ingredient is the rooting in day-to-day business activity, with the degree awarded on criteria based principally on actual work-based projects. Too much emphasis on academic learning outside the workplace, while intellectually stimulating, can create aspirations beyond the job and the career in hand. This leads to lack of motivation and the loss of managers out of the business. The new degree will provide a foundation for our managers' growth within the business rather than encouraging them out of the business!'

'This is a real step forward in our on-going engagement with employers to deliver business improvement through knowledge and skills developments in the workplace' says Professor Mary Carswell, Pro Vice Chancellor of Birmingham City University. Gill Howland, Executive Pro Vice-Chancellor at Staffordshire University adds, 'The bringing together of our expertise in leadership and management with the flexible web-based platform is already creating significant interest with employers - both large and small.'

The new degrees are fully consistent with the government's employment-based training accreditation, aimed at aligning in-company training with academic standards.

Source: Staffordshire University press office