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Euan Murning first heard about the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) from the membership body Scottish Care. Once he explored it further and learned more about the opportunity – funded training up to the value of £5,000 – it didn’t take him long to decide that it was an excellent prospect for him and his staff. “You don’t often get the chance to access high quality training that is funded,” he says.

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).

Frances Mahony works as a Software Engineer for Shell Energy Retail and is a Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprentice at The Open University. As a new recipient of Degree Apprenticeship Certificate of Merit from Tech Industry Gold, we caught up with Frances to talk about aspirations, opportunities and access to Higher Education via her Degree Apprenticeship.

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.

Working in partnership with The Open University (the OU), North Yorkshire Police (NYP) is building a modern, skilled and diverse workforce.