University centre to open up access to degrees
A NEW £10.5m university campus is to open its doors to students in Rotherham town centre today as part of a strategy to improve the economic and social wellbeing of the borough.
Only around 17 per cent of the population in Rotherham and Bassetlaw have a degree or level 4 qualification, official figures show, compared to a national average of 27 per cent. As part of the Rotherham Plan 2025, education and training provider RNN Group is to run and operate the University Centre Rotherham (UCR).
Qualifications will be accredited by Hull University and Sheffield Hallam University, while tuition fees are to be set under a more accessible £9,000.
“Studying at UCR means students can achieve their career aspirations without the need to live away from home or travel long distances and offers opportunities for those already in employment who want to study a degree or higher-level qualification around their work and family commitments,” said John Connolly, chief executive of the RNN Group. “We’re aiming to inspire students at UCR to become the business leaders and entrepreneurs of the future.”
RNN Group hopes to run 50 different university-level courses by 2020, with a focus on digital, creative, health, technical construction, engineering, and leadership, to meet the needs of the local economy.
Coun Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council and chairman of the Rotherham Together Partnership which has helped drive the plans for the facility, said: “Having a university centre here in Rotherham will develop both education and business for future generations here in Rotherham.
“It makes sense to attract new students and local businesses in order to offer the best educational and business experiences. This centre will play a pivotal role in closing the skills gap in the town and support the local economy by increasing access to higher-level skills.”
UCR is part-funded by the Sheffield City Region which contributed £3.5m of Local Growth Fund money.