Lecturer for Access to Higher Education programmes and Social Studies Michelle Kempson has been working with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and Birmingham City University (BCU) to publish a recent research project.
Michelle has been working closely with Amanda French and Alex Kendall from BCU to research into students’ transitions into higher education. The QAA commissioned the project and the report is one of three on the topic of transition experiences of entrants to higher education from increasingly diverse prior educational experiences.
The report discusses non-traditional students’ perceptions about their academic capabilities, their confidence levels and their ability to negotiate multiple responsibilities while completing a programme of study.
The outcome of the research may help education providers reflect on how their resources, approaches and processes can be improved to enhance the experience of students’ transitions into the HE.
Solihull College & University Centre offers a wide range of university level courses including Access Programmes for those wishing to change their career but do not have the relevant qualifications to progress. Access programmes are designed to equip adult learners with the new skills necessary to kick start their new career and do not require any formal qualifications.
Upon completion of an Access Programme students can progress further into higher education to gain a HNC or HND as well as increase their employability chances by making use of the partnerships on offer with the College and local employers.
Through Michelle’s research with BCU and the QAA institutions such as Solihull College & University Centre are able to ensure that the transition between Further Education colleges and Higher Education institutions is as smooth as possible and that students’ feel comfortable when making their transition.
Michelle’s hard work, through research, will continue to ensure that students’ have a very positive experience of higher education.
For more information on the Higher Education courses available at Solihull College & University Centre visit the next open day on Saturday 28th November 2015.
