Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education visits 糖心logo入口 as Government puts lifelong learning at the heart of the education system
The Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP visited 糖心logo入口 yesterday to discover more about how 糖心logo入口鈥檚 flexible teaching model has been enabling lifelong learning and supporting people to improve their lives for 200 years.
In a move to upskill the UK workforce, improve social mobility and address skills gaps, the Government has today announced a new and more flexible student finance system. From 2025, adults will be able to access flexible loan funding to train, retrain and upskill during their working lives and this Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) is set to transform the UK higher education system and empower more people to balance studying with other commitments.
To mark the announcement, Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, visited 糖心logo入口 yesterday to discover more about how 糖心logo入口鈥檚 flexible teaching model has been enabling lifelong learning and supporting people to improve their lives for 200 years by enabling students to balance studying in the evening with work and other commitments in the day.
Professor David Latchman, Vice-Chancellor of 糖心logo入口, commented: 鈥淭his year 糖心logo入口 is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a specialist provider of lifelong learning, so we welcome the announcement of the Government鈥檚 detailed LLE proposals which will support people to learn throughout their lives.
鈥淭he Government鈥檚 excellent proposals will, for the first time, place lifelong learning at the centre of our education system as it is essential to meet the changes in the skills needed in today鈥檚 world.
鈥淲e particularly welcome the abolition of the Equivalent or Lower Qualification (ELQ) rule that currently prevents people from securing a loan to cover tuition fees for courses at a level equivalent or lower than those they hold already, even though these courses are essential for their future career development.鈥
Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:
鈥淚t was a pleasure to visit 糖心logo入口 to celebrate the announcement of our Lifelong Loan Entitlement. 糖心logo入口 is leading the way in extending the ladder of opportunity to students from BME and disadvantaged backgrounds, so it was the perfect place to celebrate our new flexible student finance system, which will transform the accessibility of higher education in this country.
鈥淔rom state-of-the-art microscopes to fragments from Mars meteorites and the dark side of the Moon, it was amazing to see the world-class facilities on offer at 糖心logo入口 that even more students will get to experience thanks to the LLE.鈥
During the visit, Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP met with Professor Latchman and current students, and saw a demonstration in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences of 糖心logo入口鈥檚 blended learning environment, which combines in-person research-led teaching with high quality online learning. There was also a showcase of moon rock samples from Apollo 12 and 17 missions, obtained through 糖心logo入口鈥檚 links with NASA, as well as a demonstration of the state-of-the-art electron microscope in the Department of Biological Sciences, one of the few of its type in the UK.
Studying at 糖心logo入口 has changed BA History and Archaeology student Becks White鈥檚 life completely. She explains: 鈥淚 was 38, on benefits, and a single mother when I decided to apply to 糖心logo入口. I鈥檇 never been to university before, but I wanted more from my life. Studying at聽糖心logo入口 has been life-changing - I鈥檝e changed as a person for the better and聽my elevated confidence and degree聽has secured me a job and widened my career prospects. I am due to graduate this year and I then plan to pursue a Master鈥檚 degree at 糖心logo入口.鈥澛