Independent Study, the work-based Foundation Degree - East Anglian Daily Times Education Page, 7 September 2004

Although businesses recognise the value of a skilled and competent workforce, this doesn’t always translate into a training plan, a fact that recently prompted the Federation of Small Businesses to conduct a survey examining the barriers to making that investment.

High on the list of reasons given were lost time at 37% and travel at 29%, factors that underline the difficulties that small and medium size enterprises have in releasing staff no matter how beneficial the results.

Faced with the demands of a fast moving market place, it can be difficult to guarantee that key personnel will be able to be at every class or lecture for the full duration of the course. The ideal would be a flexible programme that allowed students to learn at their own speed and had outcomes that directly related to the specific needs of individual businesses.

Which is precisely why Suffolk College developed Independent Study, the work-based Foundation Degree, which is accredited through the University of East Anglia and delivered through the Suffolk Institute of Technology (SIT).

The delivery mix can include on-line learning, evening and weekend workshops, individual tutorials and seminars either at the main Rope Walk campus in central Ipswich or one of the outreach centres being developed across the county.

A personal tutor provides support throughout the programme and guides each student in the acquisition of skills that improve the ability to respond to change through critical thinking and problem solving. The second part of the course puts those skills to use through the research and presentation of a project designed to tackle a work-based issue that, for example, is impeding their company’s growth or profitability.

All Foundation Degrees have this strong vocational emphasis and are designed to develop the knowledge, skills and experience that make the graduate an asset to any organisation. Suffolk College has recognised the value and versatility of this approach and offers the qualification in several disciplines.

There are no prizes for guessing the biggest barrier highlighted by the survey. Yes, it was cost at 57%. But in this instance, that’s covered as well. Bursaries are available for students who register for the Foundation Degree programmes before the end of October, and will cover the course fees and cost of registration with the University of East Anglia for up to the three years that achievement usually takes studying on a part-time basis.

Whatever your sector or company size, contact the Information Centre on (01473) 296606 or take a look on the website www.suffolk.ac.uk and find out how the qualification that has a focus on business solutions can answer your business challenges.